Graphisoft, maker of ArchiCAD, has opened Graphisoft West in Oakland, Calif., to give regional sales, marketing, training, and support to West Coast clients. Sales partners will continue to operate individually but will have the support of the regional office.
BlueScope Steel has acquired IMSA Steel Corp. for $730 million. IMSA Steel manufactures pre-engineered building systems; metal-coated and painted steel coils; insulated steel panels; and architectural and structural roof, floor, and wall systems. BlueScope will fold Varco Pruden Buildings, Steelscape, Metl-Span, and ASC Profiles into its portfolio of brands that includes Butler Manufacturing, Deckform, and 11 others.
Centria received $300,000 from the federal government as part of the 2008 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, which was passed in December 2007. The grant will support Centria's research and development of building-integrated photovoltaics for standing-seam metal roofs.
Schréder Lighting established an Illinois outpost in 2007 to offer the company's products to the U.S. market. Schréder produces high-performance lighting for public spaces, including. floodlighting, tunnel and transit lighting, and urban lighting. Located in Elk Grove Village, Schréder Lighting USA has offices, training rooms, and a product showroom. A tunnel-lighting laboratory is currently under development.
Tuflex has joined with Roppe Corp. and Flexco in an exclusive sales, marketing, and distribution agreement. Tuflex will manufacture and sell its recycled rubber flooring tiles to Roppe and Flexco, which will market them for sports and commercial uses through commercial distributors in the United States and around the world.
Tate Access Floors has purchased ASPmaxcess of Canada, which manufactures raised-access. flooring systems..... Operations will remain in Canada, but the product will be rebranded as Tateasp.
AGC Flat Glass North America sold its Albuquerque fabrication operation in 2007 to Glaz- Tech Industries, which plans to keep the current workforce in place. AGC Flat Glass products will still be available at the Albuquerque plant through Glaz-Tech.
Energis, a subsidiary of cement supplier Holcim, is changing its name to Geocycle to reflect its current services as a waste-solutions company. The firm specializes in co-processing, which uses commercial and industrial waste to help manufacture cement.
Royal Philips Electronics NV announced the purchase of Genlyte Group for $2.7 billion. The purchase will help Royal Philips distribute its energy-efficient lighting. No significant cuts to Genlyte's employees are planned.
Technische Universität Darmstadt won the top prize in the U.S. Department of Energy's 2007 Solar Decathlon. The University of Maryland and Santa Clara University placed second and third, respectively. Points were awarded for a variety of criteria, including architecture, engineering, market viability, and energy balance.
