The recession has made 55+ buyers more practical when selecting a new home, according to a recent joint study by the 50+ Housing Council of the National Association of Home Builders and the MetLife Mature Market Institute.

AMI is currently accepting white papers for presentation at the 8th international Wood-Plastic Composites conference.

Hardware specialist Häfele America Co. introduces its new Häfele to Order program, which the company says provides components that are sized, finished, assembled and packaged to customer specifications.

Office and school furniture manufacturer OFM has kicked off its “New Year, New Office” contest. Contestants who own or work at a small business can enter to win a new OFM office chair, desk and storage unit.

MALIBU, CA -- Relax The Back, a specialty franchise retailer of ergonomic products, is seeking entries for its Ugliest Office Chair Contest.

Ello Furniture Manufacturing Co. machinery and inventory will be auctioned beginning Jan. 19, including CNC routers, boring machines, panel saws, inventory and 100 lots of showroom display furniture at its 200,000-square-foot plant in Rockford, IL. The company ceased operations in October.

The Home Depot Pro Trade Scholarship Program awarded $1,000 to 500 building trades students with matching grants for tools their schools.

St. Martin Cabinetry America will open a cabinetry assembly plant in Cressona, PA.

BRAUNSCHWEIG, GERMANY -- Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut in Braunschweig and the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research in Würzburgin said they have discovered a new method to reduce emissions from particleboard by using modified zeolites to absorb formaldehyde.

TUSCALOOSA, AL -- Southeastern Architectural Woodworks Co. (SAWCO) filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on December 31.