Norman D’Souza, the former chief financial officer and vice president of finance of a New Jersey-based furniture wholesaler and retailer and of sister-firm Echelon furniture manufacturing in Indiana, pled guilty to defrauding lenders to obtain $17 million in loans from a commercial bank based in New York City and $1 million in municipal loans from Gas City, Indiana.

As the ranks of self-employed and gig-economy workers rise, Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) offers an alternative to working at home - short-term office space rentals with Workbar, an operator of co-working facilities. The first three open near Boston.

Armstrong Flooring, Inc. North America’s largest producer of resilient and wood flooring products completed its separation from Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE: AWI). Armstrong Flooring is now an independent, publicly traded company whose common stock will begin trading April 4 on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AFI.”

Antares Capital says it lead arrangements on a $224 million credit facility to support the acquisition of TK Enterprises by The Jordan Company.

Vero Software and Alphacam have announced several new appointments to its staff. The company has appointed Ken Brown to Alphacam's training and support manager, Perry Boyett to Alphacam's director of sales - North America, and Jessica Woodall to sales director - Latin America.

The North American Building Material Distribution Association (NBMDA) has announced a new partnership with Affinity HR Group, a consulting team specialized in all facets of human resources, management and strategic workforce planning.

Canadian laminate producer Arborite is continuing to expand its digital presence with the launch of its online Visualizer. This new tool allows users to “dream it, build it, see it” by selecting a space from a variety of options, such as retail, hotel, or kitchen, and customizing it to fit their design style using Arborite’s collection of laminate offerings.

Franchise opportunities now available with Global Transformation, a remodeling company known for its proprietary resurfacing using stone and glass.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's new rules limit exposure by workers to crystalline silica, aiming to curb lung cancer, silicosis and other ailments suffered by those cutting engineered stone countertops and surfaces, and similar materials.

Custom Cupboards has changed its name to R.D. Henry & Co. as it begins the transition to new ownership. The name change is in honor of the brothers who founded the 35-year-old cabinet company.