Professional Builder (1993) articles from December 2006

Professional Builder (1993) archives from December 2006

Lasting Legacy.(Company overview)
December 1, 2006... By Matthew Power, Senior Contributing Editor Not many construction firms can boast 125 years of building. Shea Homes uses that experience to craft a company culture of no ordinary business. To reach the corporate headquarters of Shea...

The Shea Homes Universe.
December 1, 2006... Staff Shea's eight divisions spread across several states. While product design varies from state to state and community to community, the merging of art with sound building science remains a constant. RICK ANDREEN , president of...

Stand Out Performance.
December 1, 2006... By Paul Cardis, NRS Corp., and Dr. Jack ReVelle, ReVelle Solutions Block and tackle basics that drive customer delight. Excellent performance is the result of an excellent process. Take a look at great sports teams. They are hailed...

Healthy and Great.
December 1, 2006... By Paul Deffenbaugh What makes a great company? We answer the question with an example in this month's issue. The Professional Builder 2007 Builder of the Year is Shea Homes, and it exhibits all the characteristics of what makes a great...

Between the Valleys.(Hamlet Homes)
December 1, 2006... By Laura Butalla, Senior Editor SunCrest Community perches in the Wasatch Mountains with views of the Salt Lake area. High above Draper, Utah, resides the master planned SunCrest Community by developer Terrabrook. Residents have...

Suite Style.
December 1, 2006... By Laura Butalla, Senior Editor Master retreats become luxurious, private destinations within the home. Master bedrooms once sat 12 feet wide and included a whirlpool tub, if that. But not anymore, builders and architects say. Clients...

The Last Word on Lean.(Column)
December 1, 2006... By Scott Sedam, TrueNorth Development Seven wasteful activities you should eliminate My tirade on lean production has gone on now for six months. Many who have endured my conference presentations and keynotes of late have suggested I...

Sales Presentations for Internet Customers.
December 1, 2006... By John Rymer, New Home Knowledge How to fine-tune your presentations for Web-savvy customers More than half of your customers have already spent time on your Web site. Statistics show that walk-in customers who have already...

Back to the Future.
December 1, 2006... By Scott Shepherd, Path Partners Building trends offer a glimpse of what's to come If you limit yourself to the headlines, 2006 was a bad year for builders. New home sales lagged, construction costs soared and homes sat vacant for...

Cool New Faucets.(plumbing fittings)
December 1, 2006... By Nick Bajzek Moen Nick Bajzek The Vivid faucet from ShowHouse by Moen has a flowing water atop lime glass configuration. The water flows out of the raised fountain to create the look of a cascading stream. A widespread...

Private Beats Public.(General William Lyon)
December 1, 2006... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor CEO Spotlight: Gen. William Lyon Going public used to be a popular topic for cocktail conversation. It was once seen as a way to have your cake and eat it, too -- pull your equity out of the company, but...

Past Lessons for the Future.
December 1, 2006... Bill Lurz It's human nature that we get up every morning expecting the day to be very much like the day before, even though we know change is inevitable. When change hits with the force of a tsunami as it has hit the industry recently,...

Which Way Out?
December 1, 2006... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor For builders planning to fund retirement by cashing out, the recent decline in company valuations creates a bewildering maze that seems to lead nowhere. Selling the company is a proven exit strategy for...

Your M&A Transaction's Structure.(mergers and acquisitions)
December 1, 2006... By Jody Kahn Kline, Michael P. Kahn and Associates We have seen a significant shift in structures this year in response to softer housing market conditions. Predictably, the structures now look like those we successfully used throughout the...

A New Supply and Demand Paradigm.
December 1, 2006... By John Burns, John Burns Real Estate Consulting Housing market measures have traditionally fallen into three segments: Housing demand: A calculation of the number of housing units needed based on job and population growth, as well as...

Value Engineering for a New Market.
December 1, 2006... By Michael Dickens, BuildIQ The strategy can reduce overhead, shorten production cycles and boost quality. As the industry gears up for 2007, builders are reevaluating how they produce homes in an effort to respond to a changing...

Never Wrestle with a Pig.
December 1, 2006... By Rick Heaston, R.A. Heaston and Co. Ever heard the adage, "If you wrestle with a pig, you'll only end up getting muddy. And that's something the pig likes" It relates to home building: if you wrestle with your customer, you're going...

Markets Sizzle.
December 1, 2006... By Margot Crabtree, Trade Trends Despite a slip at the close of our trading session ending October 31, 2006, the stock market was on a tear this month, with the Dow reaching several record closes during the period. Consumer confidence fell...

Exterior Products.
December 15, 2006... By Staff Azek Staff The Devcon TrimBonder from Azek is a structural acrylic adhesive for filling nail holes and gaps. TrimBonder features a durable, permanent bond for Azek trim and other substrates such as wood, urethane...

Insulation, Piping & Plumbing Products.
December 15, 2006... By Staff Johns Mansville Staff The Spider Custom Insulation System from Johns Mansville is made of Formaldehyde-free fiber glass that sprays in almost dry, completely filling gaps and voids around electrical fixtures, pipes...

Interior Products.
December 15, 2006... By Staff Lasertron Staff The stainless steel cabinet finishes from Lasertron include appliance-grade brushed stainless steel with laser-welded and smoothed, round edges with no visible welds or screws. The cabinets have a...

Kitchen & Bath Products.
December 15, 2006... By Staff VT Industries Staff Two of the latest contoured-edge profile laminate countertops from VT Industries -- the Valencia and Barcelona -- provide the look and feel of granite, natural stone or solid surface. Available...

Lighting Products.
December 15, 2006... By Staff Leviton Staff The Acenti Surge-Protective Sixplex from Leviton provides surge protection for up to six plugs, eliminating the need for power strips or adapters. Top and bottom outlets are reversed to accommodate...

Structural Products & Tools.
December 15, 2006... By Staff Knaack Staff The WeatherGuard Van Solutions bulkheads from Knaack universally fit Ford and Chevy vans. Additional new features include 16-gauge steel construction and 316-inch steel top mounting angles. Also, a...

Window & Door Products.
December 15, 2006... By Staff Jeld-Wen Staff The Estate line of garage doors from Jeld-Wen features a composite wood construction and polymer trims that will not dent, rust or delaminate. Each door has a polystyrene insulated core for energy...

Paint, Caulk & Sealant Products.
December 15, 2006... By Staff USG Staff The Sheetrock Lightweight All-Purpose Joint Compound from USG reduces airborne sanding dust for less mess and faster cleanup and weighs up to 35 percent less than conventional compounds. It comes...

Mechanical/Electrical Products.
December 15, 2006... By Staff DMP Staff The 1161 and 1162 wireless smoke detectors from Digital Monitoring Products are used with the company's 1100D series receivers and XRSuper6, XR20 and XR40 control panels. Model 1162 has a built-in fixed...

Software.
December 15, 2006... By Staff Softplan Staff The Version 13 software from Softplan include new features such as a false dormer, building options, a room mode, layers, auto cabinet, batch print, custom roof profile and sun studies. Version 13 is...

Get to Know Your Builders' Show.
December 15, 2006... By Sara Zailskas, Staff Writer Bone up on the basics before you step onto the show floor. You've combed through pages of new products that will debut at the Builders' Show; now it's time to get down to the real question: How are you...

It Takes a Village.(Show Village 2007)(Palm Harbor Homes )(Nationwide Custom Homes )
December 15, 2006... By Laura Butalla, Senior Editor If you haven't experienced Professional Builder 's Show Village, it's time to see what you've been missing. Each year Professional Builder 's Show Village displays model homes loaded with building...

Survival of the Fittest.
December 15, 2006... By Erin Hallstrom-Erickson, Group Managing Editor Handy tips for conquering the International Builders' Show Sort of like military boot camp, the Builders' Show can seem like the longest four days of your life if you're not properly...

Build an Appetite!(Directory)
December 15, 2006... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor Bring your business cards to these Orlando eateries. When you head from the Convention Center for ambience and food other than hot dogs and pizza, take these pages with you. Some of the many hot spots...

Orlando's Top Attractions.
December 15, 2006... By Nick Bajzek, Staff Writer Got some spare time before, during or after the show? No doubt attendees, exhibitors and the roaming reporters of Professional Builder will have their hands full at IBS -- after all, the show is gigantic....

My! What a Big Show You Have.
December 15, 2006... By Sara Zailskas, Staff Writer NAHB and the Orange County Convention Center offer a glimpse into the makings of one of the industry's most anticipated events. [TABLE OMITTED] FOOD BY THE NUMBERS*...