The WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, the official replacement for WorldSkills Shanghai 2022, which was canceled in May due to the pandemic, is ongoing in select areas around the world. 

Home Depot launched a job seeker marketplace created to connect skilled tradespeople to hiring trades professionals in the construction and home improvement industries.

WASHINGTON – Builder sentiment fell for the 10th straight month in October and traffic of prospective buyers fell to its lowest level since 2012 (excluding the two months in the spring of 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic). The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) said that the results are a further signal that rising interest rates, building material bottlenecks and elevated home prices continue to weaken the housing market.

DRUMMONDVILLE, Quebec – Normand, a leading Quebec-based distributor of woodworking machinery, will display a variety of equipment at Salon Industriel du Bois Ouvré (SIBO), including panel processing equipment from Vitap and Cehisa.

American Woodmark Corp., one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of cabinets, plans to invest $65 million over two years to expand its plant in Hamlet, N.C., and add a factory in Monterrey, Mexico.  The expansion is expected to create 500 new jobs including 131 in North Carolina, and add more than 500,000- sq.-ft. of manufacturing and assembly capacity.

German software developer, imos AG, creator of HOMAG iX in the U.S. market, held it first partner summit since the start of the pandemic.

PGT Innovations, Inc., a national leader in premium windows and doors, including impact-resistant products and products designed to unify indoor/outdoor living spaces, today announced it has acquired Martin Door Holdings, Inc. (“Martin”) for a purchase price of approximately $185 million. Martin, manufacturer of the “World’s finest, safest garage doors,” is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT, and is a leading custom manufacturer of premium overhead garage doors and hardware serving the Western U.S. residential and commercial markets. This transaction is consistent with PGT Innovations’ continuing move into adjacent building product categories that complement its current robust portfolio of strong window and door brands. The expansion of product categories, along with the breadth of markets currently served by Martin, supports PGT Innovations’ strategic plan to scale its business and grow in desirable markets and geographies. The addition of Martin’s established brand also further strengthens the Company’s market presence across the growing Western region, an area currently served by two of PGT Innovations’ window and door brands – Western Window Systems and Anlin Windows & Doors.

Chicagoland luxury interior design firm and retailer Linly Designs has purchased California-based Marge Carson for an undisclosed amount.

The Spanish decor supplier will become IP Decor Spain.