West Building Materials Liquidating

West Building Materials, Atlanta, Ga., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and retained Universal Capital Partners LLC, Minneapolis, .Mn., to oversee its liquidation.

The retailer, which has been in operation for over a century, previously engaged Universal Capital Partners in 1997, when it began closing unprofitable units.

Locations that have yet to be shuttered are "liquidating their existing inventories," according to executive assistant Kelly Connolly. "At one time we had over 150 employees here in our corporate office, now we are down to about 15."

A store employee in Valdosta, Ga., said he did not know when that location would close. "It could be any day now," he said. "All of the stores are closing." A worker in Jonesboro, Ga., confirmed that the company is liquidating. "Our store is expected to close

New Texas DC A Capital ldea

Capital Lumber Co., Phoenix, Az., has opened a distribution center in Waco, Tx., to serve its growing southem customer base.

The three-acre site, which has 8,000 sq. ft. of covered storage space, will inventory 1,500,000 bd. ft. of redwood, cedar, spruce, Douglas fir, white fir, pine, composite lumber and other specialty building products.

Mike DeArmon, Curtis Roberts and Bruce Griffin, longtime employees in Lubbock, Tx., are overseeing the new facility. The Lubbock DC will continue to be staffed by Kirk Albright, Nancy Blanco, Philip Lopez, Andrew Miles and David Estrada. who recently joined Capital after seven years with McCoy's.

Name Change For Hickson

Arch Chemicals has changed the name of recently acquired wood preservative chemical manufacturer Hickson International, Atlanta, Ga., to Arch Wood Protection, Inc.

The Norwalk, Ct.-based coatings and chemicals firm purchased the company in August.

Arch Wood Protection plants in Georgia, Washington and Indiana supply chemicals for Wolmanized pressure treated wood, Wolmanized Extra water repellent lumber, Wolmanized Natural Select wood, Dricon fre retardant treated wood and Outdoor wood.

by the end of February," he added.

The firm's Web site is "temporarily disabled."

Canton Shops Southern DG

Several unnamed buyers are considering acquiring the Southeastern Division of defunct wholesaler Canton Lumber Co., said v.p./cfo John Cizek.

Opened in 1993, the profitable Greeneville, Tn., branch was one bright spot in 2000 for the 70-year-old wholesaler, making its sale "likely," said Cizek. The operation consists of a sales office, distribution yard, warehouse and reload. Cizek also hopes to find a buyer for its Brooklyn Park (Minneapolis), Mn., headquarters.

The Tennessee and Minnesota branches closed their doors in early January and began liquidating remaining inventory. Cizek said branches in Kansas City, Mo., and Chicago, Il., were shuttered at the end of November after Canton lost its Home Depot business to Weyerhaeuser.

In late January, Trex Co. petitioned the bankruptcy court to place Canton into involuntary receivership, alleging over $216,000 in unpaid claims.