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People

K2 Commercial Hardware Appoints McPartland as Commercial Hardware Development Manager

K2 Commercial Hardware a division of Black & Decker Hardware and Home Improvement has appointed John McPartland to Commercial Hardware Development Manager to support the company’s sales direction for commercial hardware. John will lead the management team that will be developing and establishing the product lines growth in commercial hardware distribution. John joined Black & Decker in 2005 as part of the team formed to develop the K2 brand. John has over 21 years of Business Management and Sales experience and 7 years of industry experience with both Commercial and Residential Hardware sales with Ingersoll-Rand.

K2 Commercial Hardware Appoints Young as Regional Commercial Hardware Development Manager

K2 Commercial Hardware a division of Black & Decker Hardware and Home Improvement has named Dan Young as Regional Hardware Development Manager to support the company’s sales direction for commercial hardware. Dan is part of the management team that will be developing and establishing the product lines growth in commercial hardware distribution. Dan joins Black & Decker with over 15 years experience in commercial door hardware and security products. His commercial hardware experience involves 10 years in sales and operations with American Lock and Supply and IDN-H. Hoffman. At IDN-H. Hoffman, Dan was responsible for sales and operations for 11 Midwest locations. Dan also brings 6 years of experience in OEM lock manufacturing with Fort Lock and Illinois Lock.

K2 Commercial Hardware Appoints Hochstrate as Regional Commercial Hardware Development Manager

K2 Commercial Hardware a division of Black & Decker Hardware and Home Improvement has named Jeffrey Hochstrate as Regional Hardware Development Manager to support the company’s sales direction for commercial hardware. Jeffrey will be part of the management team that will be developing and establishing the product lines growth in commercial hardware distribution. Jeffrey brings over 25 years sales and management experience within the Door and Hardware Industry including sales leadership positions with Corbin Russwin Architectural Hardware, YSG Door Security Consultants, ESSEX Industries, ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions, Virtus Security Group and Total Door. He graduated with honors from Central Connecticut State University and is currently the Vice President for the Lone Star North Texas DHI Chapter.

Shashlo Named Vice President Operations at Simonton Windows®

Simonton Windows®, a leader in the vinyl window and patio door industry, has named Andy Shashlo to fill the position of Vice President Operations for the award-winning company. Shashlo, who started with Simonton in mid-June, is responsible for managing and directing the areas of quality, traffic and sourcing along with overseeing the company’s East Coast manufacturing operations. This includes multiple facilities in West Virginia, along with single plant operations in Oklahoma, Illinois and Georgia.

Prior to joining Simonton, Shashlo most recently served as Site Manager for Ford’s Rouge Facility, which is comprised of four separate plants and employs more than 6,500 people. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the General Motors Institute.

For information, call (800) SIMONTON or visit www.simonton.com.

Products

Atrium Companies Launches New Generation of Vinyl Impact Products

With forecasters predicting a 74% chance of at least one major hurricane hitting the U.S. coastline this year, and nearly 9 out of 10 homeowners reportedly unprepared, builders are looking for ways to help consumers be safe and protect their assets. The introduction of Atrium's new vinyl impact line - SafeHarbor vinyl impact windows and doors - will offer a comprehensive solution for both new construction and replacement applications.

The expansion of the SafeHarbor line is a direct result of meeting an ongoing need in the market for vinyl, impact resistant products that meet or exceed code requirements and are of the high quality and contemporary styling Atrium customers have come to expect.

The new line of vinyl products includes single- and double-hung models, as well as casement and horizontal sliding windows and sliding patio doors.

In independent lab testing, SafeHarbor vinyl windows withstood the impact of a 9-pound 2-by-4 piece of lumber traveling at speeds of 50 feet per second. After impact, the windows were buffeted by combined positive and negative pressure simulating hurricane force winds. During the five-hour testing period, the impact-resistant glass shattered but remained in the window frame. The window continued to function operationally after the testing was complete.

Brivo/Matrix Partnership Offers Access Control for Smaller Facilities

Matrix Systems, a Dayton, OH-based turnkey access control and security solutions provider, and Brivo Systems, Bethesda, MD, have partnered to provide web-hosted access control and security solutions for businesses without on-site IT departments and equipment.

The partnership enables prospective Matrix customers an affordable access control and security system that needs only an internet connection, web browser, and door subsystem hardware. Via the internet, Brivo provides all servers, IT personnel support, maintenance, software licensing/upgrades, back-ups, redundancy, and other software costs associated with on-site access control and security management. In most cases, a site’s existing Wiegand output readers and door locking hardware can be retrofitted or new door controllers, readers and door locking hardware can be purchased/leased and installed.

The Brivo solution can reduce costs and provides a perfect access control and security solution for religious institutions, general aviation airports, property management, educational facilities, and especially businesses with multiple locations such as banks. The scalability of the Brivo solution ranges from a single door at one location to many doors and multiple locations.

For more information on Matrix Systems, please visit www.matrixsys.com or call 800-562-8749 x4490.

In Other News...

Home Depot Inc. said it may not get the $10.3 billion that buyout firms agreed to pay for its contractor-supply unit, forcing the world's largest home- improvement retailer to scale back plans for a stock buyback., reported Bloomberg.com. Full Story

Osage Door Co., an affiliate of Sutherland Lumber Co., has selected Miami, OK as the site for its new manufacturing and warehouse/distribution site. Osage Door, which said it plans to locate in Miami in the next 30 days, makes doors for Sutherlands home improvement stores, reported The Joplin Globe. Full Story

* DHI Members may submit news releases to be considered for inclusion in DHI's IndustryWatch. Send to: jmadden@dhi.org.