NEMEON

Universal Forest Products Inc. announced today that one of its subsidiaries has purchased certain assets of Haleyville-Ala.-based regional roof truss and lumber supplier MSR Forest Products. The move will merge UFPI’s existing operations in Haleyville with those of MSR, as well as picking up a MSR plant in Waycross, Ga.

Universal Forest Products Inc. announced today that one of its subsidiaries has purchased certain assets of Haleyville-Ala.-based regional roof truss and lumber supplier MSR Forest Products. The move will merge UFPI’s existing operations in Haleyville with those of MSR, as well as picking up a MSR plant in Waycross, Ga.

Fourth-quarter operating profits at Eagle Materials’ Gypsum Wallboard and Paperboard division recovered from a loss of $420,000 a year ago to post a gain of $15.1 million, of which $10.3 million is attributed to wallboard and $4.7 million to paperboard, the company announced today. Segment revenues for the period grew 23% to hit $79.8 million, with wallboard counting for $61.2 million of segment revenues and paperboard for $18.6 million. The company credits higher net wallboard sales prices and increased paperboard sales volumes offset by lower wallboard sales volumes for the increased operating profits.

Fourth-quarter operating profits at Eagle Materials’ Gypsum Wallboard and Paperboard division recovered from a loss of $420,000 a year ago to post a gain of $15.1 million, of which $10.3 million is attributed to wallboard and $4.7 million to paperboard, the company announced today. Segment revenues for the period grew 23% to hit $79.8 million, with wallboard counting for $61.2 million of segment revenues and paperboard for $18.6 million. The company credits higher net wallboard sales prices and increased paperboard sales volumes offset by lower wallboard sales volumes for the increased operating profits.

America’s largest pro-oriented construction supply companies last year recorded their biggest sales since 2008 and added 44 more facilities nationwide, but held the line on hiring, the latest ProSales 100 finds.

WASHINGTON - U.S. builders began work on more homes last month, evidence that the battered housing market is slowly healing.

May 16, 2012

Home builders and lenders gather to discuss when a recovery may materialize and the challenges that could bring.

ATLANTA - Home Depot says its fiscal first-quarter profit climbed 27.5 percent as warmer weather brought consumers out for spring gardening and lawn products.

Gains were registered across all three components of the Housing Market Index this month.

In a call with analysts, representatives at The Home Depot differentiated between "large" and "small" pro customers, discussing a jump in demand for pro customers pulling in annual tickets of more than $10,000.

Ply Gem saw first-quarter operating earnings rebound to a gain of $1.2 million from a loss of $14.2 million a year ago on a 19% jump in sales to $239.1 million for the same period, the company reported today.

First-quarter operating income at Ainsworth rose to C$3.4 million (US$3.4 million) behind a 19% jump in sales, but net income still plummeted to C$700,000 (US$697,000), from a C$77.7 million (US$77.4 million) income a year ago.