As a subscriber to this newsletter and either as a flooring distributor or a manufacturer of flooring installation products, you are welcomed and encouraged to forward to us (gary.verhey@fiana.org) any press releases or company information. 

With this monthly newsletter, we want to forward your company or product news directly to the approximately 850 e-mail addresses on our Association mailing list.  Please let us hear from you.

Thank you for your continued support of FIANA.

Gary Verhey

Halex Corporation's Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Chichak to the position of President and CEO of Halex, effective immediately. He has also been named a Director of the company.
 
Mark has been with the Company since 2007.  As Chief Operating Officer, Mark has been instrumental in the creation and execution of the Halex growth strategy, being responsible for the acquisition, integration and operation of several Chinese manufacturing operations, and most recently evidenced by the ORCON Products acquisition and the creation of the manufacturing and distribution facility in Calhoun GA.
 
Prior to joining Halex, Mark held various positions with other companies including Senior Vice President Operations of Union Tools, Vice President of International Supply Chain Development for Pennzoil-Quaker State International/Shell Lubricants, Vice President of Operations at Favorite Brands Inc., and several positions at The Clorox Company.
 
Mark has a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from Wilkes University and an MBA in General Management with a concentration in International Business and Finance from the McLaren School of Business at the University of San Francisco.

Halex Corporation is a major manufacturer of flooring installation products with manufacturing facilities in Pomona CA, Calhoun GA, and China. Halex sells leading brands of seam tape, tack strip, wood and composite underlayment, flooring installation tools and blades, premium nails, and VersaShield® Moisture Barrier to customers around the world.

After amazing success in the Multi-Tool industry, Imperial Blades moves on to rip the reciprocating blade market

Madison, WI, April 5, 2012:  Imperial Blades has recently announced the release of a new reciprocating saw blade line.  With the announcement of the METALHEAD® and  TWIN CUT® series, Imperial Blades now opens their doors up to new end users in order to broaden their scope of business.

Based on a patented tooth design for faster and more efficient cutting, the METALHEAD® line boasts destruction on varying degrees of substance. 

Dave Zielke, managing partner of Imperial Blades, excitedly points out, "The new, METALHEAD® tooth design allows for faster, bi-directional cutting; but also provides versatility when cutting the toughest metal applications.  This is a game changer."

In addition, the TWIN CUT® line will bring a utility scenario as it has the capability to cut any material with  better performance than any specialty blade. 

"The most unique trait about the TWIN CUT® line is that it is comprised of a new, powder metallurgical high-performance steel.  The XLS material provides a dense and longer lasting cutting edge than your typical bi-metal blade."

As time progresses Imperial Blades continues to focus on providing effective, yet affordable ways of helping contractors and general users save time and money.

Imperial Blades is located in Madison, WI, and specializes in manufacturing innovative, high-performance saw blades.  They can be found at http://www.ImperialBlades.com.

ALIQUIPPA, Pa., April 2, 2012- ARDEX Americas will hold official groundbreaking ceremonies at 1:00 p.m. on April 3, 2012 to mark construction of a 50,000 square-foot manufacturing facility and technical training center in Stockton, Calif. The 7.5-acre development at 2612 Station Drive is expected to bring a dozen jobs and potentially thousands of visitors to Stockton every year. The Stockton plant is part of a multi-million dollar strategic project that focuses on a $25 million, 5-year investment strategy for the Tile & Stone Installation Products segment.

"We are aggressively going after the tile and stone installation segment," says Stephan M. Liozu, ARDEX Americas President and CEO. "ARDEX is the global leader in tile and stone installation products and, because of the Stockton facility, will now be a significant player in the U.S. premium market."

The expansion reaches beyond Stockton with facility upgrades planned for the Aliquippa, PA and Dallas, GA plants. These developments mark the largest expansion by ARDEX Americas since moving its corporate offices, training center and plant from Coraopolis, PA to Aliquippa in 2000. In February, ARDEX began construction on a dedicated marketing building at its corporate headquarters in Aliquippa, Pa, just outside of Pittsburgh. The marketing building will be completed by early-summer 2012 and the Stockton plant will open in the spring of 2013.

According to ARDEX Americas Vice President and General Manager Jesse David, innovative business strategies amidst tenuous economic times historically have proven beneficial to the company. "Despite challenging economic times, ARDEX Americas has consistently grown and diversified its product offerings," he said. "We are very fortunate to be in a situation where we are growing our workforce, and adding jobs to the economy as well."

ARDEX Americas is one of 33 business units that are part of the privately held ARDEX Group, based in Witten Germany, with more than 1,800 employees worldwide.

ARDEX is the global leader in the development, manufacturing and distribution of high-performance specialty building products. ARDEX Americas manufactures industry-best self-leveling underlayments and toppings, Moisture Control MC™ Systems, ARDEX PANDOMO® architectural concrete surfaces systems, Engineered Concrete Repair Systems, Tile & Stone Installation Products and Ultraflor® ARDEX® Diamatic® System. ARDEX also owns The W.W. HENRY Company. For more than 30 years in North America, ARDEX Americas led the industry in product performance, innovation, and technical leadership. ARDEX prides itself on providing unmatched customer service, field support, training, and a commitment to the growth and profitability of its customers' businesses. ARDEX Americas is headquartered in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, in the Pittsburgh Region, and services North, Central and South America, and the Caribbean Basin.     

Jaime Dray
ARDEX Americas
724-203-5194
  jaime.dray@ardexamericas.com