hriefs

R:nrrrns

Ken's Discount Building Materials, El Dorado, Ar., is building a new store, 50'x150' warehouse and 135'x168' cantilever lumber warehouse ...

Do-lt Best Lumber Co., Blackstone, Va., was devastated by fire Dec. 28; the roof of the building collapsed, destroying all contents of the retail store; damages are estimated at $2 million ...

Carolina H oldings, Raleigh, N.C., has purchased C.C. I-oose, Myerstown and Lebanon, Pa.

Wickes Lumber has agreed to purchase components manufacturr er AII Seasons Framing, Cookeville, Tn.

Scotty 's planned a March 7 grand opening for a 31,000-sq. ft. hardware store in Sebastian. n. ...

Home Depot is considering sites in Citrus County, Fl., and closed a 6-month-old Richmond, Va., store after discovering cracking in its concrete floor reportedly traced to fly ash used as construction fill material; the facility will be torn down and rebuilt lowe's Cos. opened a new location in Plano, Tx. (store mgr. Russell Draper) and replacement stores in Murfreesboro, Tn., and Greer, S.C. (store mgr. Phil Worley, co-mgr. Mick Jarrell) ...

Lowe's received zoning approval to build in Sumter, S.C.; submitted plans for a 114,000-sq. ft. store in Lakeland, Fl.; is redesigning a possible Kingsport, Tn., unit to appease neighbors, and targeted a site in Crystal River, Fl. ...

Inwe's paid $35 million for the Charlotte Motor Speedway to be renamed the Lowe's Motor Speedway for 10 years ... the chain breaks ground this month on three Southern California stores, the first of at least 50 planned in the West over the next three years

Lowe's cleared the waiting period for antitrust action by the Federal Trade Commission over its planned merger with Eagle Hardware, Renton, Wa.

Anniversaries: Scotty's, Winter Haven, Fl., 75th Boehs Building & Supply, Helena, Ok., 22nd...

Wrorrsnrls/trrutrcultns

Macklanburg-Duncan, Oklahoma City, Ok., plans a May opening for a new 126,000-sq. ft. East Coast Distribution Center in Charlotte, N.C.

U.S. Lumber Group, Suwanee, Ga., has purchased Greensboro, N.C.- based Triad Wholesale

WaIIace Hardware, Morristown, Tn., has purchased fellow regional distributor C.H. Miller Hardware, Huntingdon, Pa. ...

Louis iana- P ac ffic w ill double its North American engineered wood product output over the next two years by expanding LVL and I-joist capacity at plants in Wilmington, N.C., and Hines, Or., while shuttering a facility in Fernley, Nv.

U.S. Plastic Lumber Corp., Boca Raton, Fl., has completed its acquisition of Eaglebrook Plastics and Eaglebrook Products, reportedly creating the world's largest manufacturer of lumber products from recycled plastics ...

M. and E. Forest Products, Portland, Or., has been formed by John Myrin, specializing in cedar for pallet and furniture manufacturers

Unimet Manufocturing, Inc., Blacksburg, Va., was acquired by Euramax Intemational plc ...

Nexfor Inc. is the new name of Noranda Forest; names of subsidiaries such as Norbord remain the same

Cameron Ashley Building Products, Dallas, Tx., has completed its acquisition of insulation distributor Performanc e Materials Supply, Kansas City, Ks.

Fortra Fiber Cement Co., a joint venturc of Kafus Environmental Industries and TempleInland, has begun fiber cement siding production at its new plant in Waxahachie, Tx.

Lafarge Corp.,Reston, Va., will build a $90 million gypsum wallboard plant in Silver Grove, Ky., due to open early next year

Tenneco Paclcaging is now producing private brand housewrap for Do-it Best Corp,

Celotex Corp., Thmpa Fl., has withdrawn from the Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Assaciation, due to PIMA's increasing focus on commerical roof insulation ...

Buckeye Technolo gies, Memphis, Tn., agreed to purchase all of the slash pine plantation timber harvested through 2010 on Foley Titnber & Land Co.'s 552,000 acres near Buckeye's wood cellulose plant in Perry, Ft. ...

Madera International, Inc., Coral Gables, Fl., currently selling much of its timberland in Brazil, will rctain property in the Sate of Amazonas, representing about 25% of its total land holdings

New Web sites: Richard Landry Lumber Sales, Alexandria La., www.cypresslumber.com Woodware Systems DCC, Memphis, Tn., www.dccwoodware.com...

New home sales rose 10.4% last year to a record 888,000, including a 9.47o hike in the South ... existing homes sales in 1998 reached a record 4.78 million ...

Housing sterts in Jan. (latest figs.) rose AVo to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.804 million ... single family starts inched ap lVo to 1.394 million; multifamily starts were at a rate of 59,000 for 2-4 units and 351,000 for 5+ units ... permits climbed 3Vo to an annual rate of 1.777 million.

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Plus Other Exclusive Features

Ustings are often submitted months in advance. Always veify dates and locations with sponsor before making phns to attend.

Lllmor

Ilardwood Manufacturers AssociationMarch 10-12, annual conference, Charleston, S.C. ; (4 I 2) 829 -O7 7 0.

Southeastern Green Building ConferenceMarch 10-12, Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; (919) 851-8444.

Charlotte Woodworking ShowMarch 12-14, The Merchandise Mart, Charlotte, N.C.; (800) 826-8257.

Hardware Distribution WarehousesMarch 13-14, spring trade mart, The Fairgrounds, Jackson, Ms.; (800) 256-8527.

Wood Component Manufacturers AssociationMarch 1416, annual meeting, Savannah, Ga.; (770) 565-6660.

Oklahoma Lumbermen's AssociationMarch 16, district meetings, Duncan, Ok; March 23, Krebs, Ok; (800) 444-1771.

International Mass Retail AssociationMarch 16-19, loss prevention seminar, Houston, Tx.; (703) 841-2300.

International Wood Products AssociationMarch 17-19. annual convention, Tampa, Fl.; (703) 820-6696.

Philippine World Building & Construction Exposition - March l1-2l,Metro Manila, Philippines; (415) 8845190.

Japan Do-It Yourself ShowMarch 19-21, Intex Convention Center, Osaka, Japan; (847) 605-1525.

Virginia Building Material AssociationMarch 20-23, annual convention, Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; (804) 323-8262.

Anthony's Power Beam@ is the strongest glulam with I-Joist depths and design values of 3000 Fo -2.tE-290 F". It supports an effective engineered wood system with I-Joists, LVL and Parallam@. Its a full width beam, o Cost competitive with LVL and PSL o Direct substitute for LVL and Parallam@ o 3tlz", 5t/r" and7" widths o Stronger and lighter than Parallam@ or LVL . \X/ith or without camber o Individually wrapped and surface sealed o Anthony WoodWorks@ software flouston IIoo-IIoo ClubMarch 25, meeting, Allen Park Inn, Houston, Tx.; (281) 499-5575.

It's the strongest, stiffest and most versatile engineered beam on the market. Call us today.

American Wood Preservers InstituteMarch 21-23, annual meeting, Evergreen Resort, Stone Mountain, Ga.; (800) 3562974.

Asphalt Rooling Manufacturers AssociationMarch 23-25, spring committee meetings, Memphis, Tn.; (410) 5M-0791.

Coverings '99March 23-26, trade show, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Ft.; (800) 881-9400.

Building South China '99March 23-26, China Foreign Trade Center, Guangzhou, China; (408) 986-838.

Woodwork ShanghaiMarch 23-26, machinery fair, Shanghai Exhibition Centre, Shanghai, China; (852) 2516 3372.

Nationaf Hardwood Lumber Assn.March 25-27- sales course, Memphis, Tn.; March 31, crisis management/media relations workshop, Ft. Mitchell, Ky.; (800) 933-0318.

Texas Woodworking ShowMarch 26-27, Arlington Convention Center, Arlington, Tx,; (888) 903-9663.

GlobalShop '99March 27-29, anmal design and merchandising expo, McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.; (800) 64G0091.

Lprn

MosBuild '99April 7-10, Moscow, Russia; (847) @5-1525.

Long-Lewis HardwareApril 10-11, spring hardware market, Birmingham Civic Center, Birmingham, Al.; (205) 322-2561.

Wood Machinery Manufacturers of AmericaApril 13-18, joint conference, Maui, Hi.; (215) 5tu3484.

International Wood Markets ConferenceApril 14-16, international conference, Auckland, New Zealand; (601) 801-5996.

Southern Forest Products AssociationApril 15-16, spring committee meeting, New Orleans, La.; (504) M3-44&.

Kitchen & Bath Industry ShowAprit 16-18, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; (972) 239-3060.

Oklahoma Lumbermen's AssociationApril 19, golf tourney; April20, board meeting, Ardmore, Ok.; (800) 44+1771.

National Ilardwood Lumber AssociationApril 21-23, lumber grading short course, Memphis, Tn.; (800) 933-0318.

Ace lnvests In Growing Florida Retailer

As part of is strategic plan to help successful Ace retailers grow their business and expand marketshare, Ace Hardware Corp. has entered into a joint venture with Sunshine Ace Hardware to open l0 new stores in southwest Florida over the next eight years.

The joint venture calls for an initial capital investment from Sunshine Ace to secure and rehofit the locations to Ace hemier Hardlines Dealer operating standards. In turn, the co-op will make stocking the stores easier by offering special dating on all up-front inventory.

"The first three stores, out of the total 10, will be up and running within the next two years," says Ace president and ceo David Hodnik. "While at this time we can't divulge the specific markets we're looking at, we have identified several that have all the right elements-demographics, competition and future growth potential."

Sunshine Ace Hardware, founded in 1958 and affiliated with Ace since 1965, is owned by the Wynn family and operated by Charlie Bishop. It currently includes three stores in Naples, Bonita Springs and Golden Gate, Fl.

Six months ago, Ace entered into a similar joint venture with Rocky's Ace Home Center, Springfield, Ma.

Universal Adds 3 More Treating Plants

Universal Forest Products is acquiring three CCA treating plans in Southern Texas.

The firm agreed to purchase plants in New Waverly and Silsbee from Louisiana-Pacific Corp., and recently bought a shuttered l3-acre facility in Shertz from the Agriculture Production Credit Association, which it will reopen following renovation.

Of Universal's industry leading 17 treating plants, only one, Saginaw, was in Texas. Even running at l$OVo capacity for the past several years, the Saginaw facility has been unable to service the d-i-y market beyond the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

"We simply have not had the capac- ity to penetrate the Southern Texas markets for this product line," says ceo William G. Cunie. "From these three new facilities. we will be able to service all of Southern Texas and Southwestern Louisiana. We also plan to add manufacturing capacity for value-added products at these facilities."

The deal was expected to close in late February.

Cypress Facility Starts Up

Elder Forest Products, Sulphur, La., has started up its new cypress lumber processing center in Crowley, La.

According to owner Donald Elder, "We have put together in one location everything needed to assure building material dealers of a dependable supply of cypress finish lumber, flooring, interior and exterior patterns, bevel sidings and mouldings."

The company has devoted 25,fi)0 sq. ft. to rough lumber storage for supplying its processing equipment and carries a finished inventory.

The Crowley facility also distributes southern pine and western woods and processes large quantities of SYP into patterns.