Structural insulated panel manufacturer Insulspan has earned three Building Excellence awards from the Structural Insulated Panel Association.

Single-family home construction in California showed an increase in April when compared to March and was the largest monthly total since October 2008, which the California Building Industry Association said provided more evidence that the homebuyer tax credit enacted in the beginning of March is helping to clear out inventory and generate new-home construction.

Gypsum manufacturer USG announces the availability of the 2009 Gypsum Construction Handbook. The guide is designed to be a complete guide to the selection of building products catered towards architects, contractors and other industry professionals within the building trades.

As builders and remodelers retool their businesses in a tight credit market and recapture the interest of jittery consumers, this spring is the greenest yet for the nation’s home building industry, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

MiTek Inc. announced through its subsidiary MiTek Holdings Inc. the acquisition of SidePlate Systems Inc., an innovator of high-performance steel frame connection technologies used in a wide range of construction applications.

Charlotte-based drywall company National Gypsum has achieved GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality Certification for its ProForm joint compound line.

Europe’s International Powered Access Federation has called for a re-examination of harnesses used by female operators of boom-type work platforms and announced a competition to find the best new design.

AISI’s Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI) announced that Patrick R. Bush, industry manager, construction, sheet and strip converters, North American flat-rolled marketing at United States Steel Corporation, is the recipient of the 2009 Market Development Lifetime Achievement Award.

Simonton Windows has introduced Energy Tax Credit glass packages for its customer base. All products from the company ordered with the ETC glass packages are certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council to meet a U-factor rating of 0.30 or less, and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient of 0.30 or less.

JLG Industries, Inc. announced that it has expanded its offering of compact telehandler with two new models. The JLG 619A and 723A will be sold for use in landscaping, construction and agricultural applications.