The Lester Group announced the appointment of Thomas Hartman as the new general manager of Custom Builder Supply. With an impressive 17-year track record in the building materials industry, Hartman joins Custom Builder Supply from The AZEK Company, where he excelled as a divisional sales manager.

Knauf Insulation, Inc. announced the opening of its new, state-of-the-art facility in McGregor, Texas, bringing Knauf’s manufacturing network to eight locations across the United States.

On Oct. 8, Holcim Group announced the acquisition of OX Engineered Products, a leader in residential wall insulation and sheathing. The acquisition further strengthens Holcim’s commitment to expanding its comprehensive building envelope solutions beyond roofing, providing customers with a broader range of high-performance materials for residential and commercial construction.

Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee released a new report, which found that expanding registered apprenticeship programs will expand the pipeline of workers into higher-paying jobs while also meeting the needs of employers.

Associated Builders and Contractors announced Oct. 7 that it has named John Mielke as its senior director of apprenticeship. The former ABC Wisconsin chapter president will provide strategic direction, transformational leadership and innovative education solutions to ABC’s 67 chapters, 23,000 members and their apprenticeship trusts nationwide.

Ware Malcomb announced Oct. 1 that Nick Watkins has joined the firm as director of workplace strategy. In this role, Watkins will lead Ware Malcomb’s strategy and change management services for clients in multiple practice areas across the firm.

On Sept. 24, Shirley Wodynski marked a significant milestone, celebrating 16 years of dedicated service as executive director of the Ceilings and Interior Systems Construction Association.

Sika has broken ground on a 29,000-square-foot admixture production plant, which is expected to be in operation in late-2025.

Technical Glass Products has a new architectural services manager role to support glazing design along the East Coast of the U.S. and in the Ontario and Quebec territories of Canada.

The New York chapter of Professional Women in Construction, a nonprofit organization that supports career-minded women and works to promote diversity within the architecture, engineering, construction and related industries, held its annual Salute to Women of Achievement on Sept. 18, recognizing professionals at the highest levels of the AEC industry.