Pulte will now become the United States largest homebuilder after it completes it purchase of rival Centex Corp. The $1.3 billion deal combines two out of the three giant homebuilders in the Raleigh-Durham area, the companies announced April 7.

The Gypsum Association announced the election of its new officers from the Board of Directors for 2009-2010. The officers were elected at the recent meeting of the association’s Board of Directors in Nashville at this year’s AWCI convention.

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.

U S Block Windows Inc. has purchased substantially all of the assets of Hy-Lite Products Inc., the acrylic block and decorative glass window manufacturer located in Eatonton, Ga. Hy-Lite was previously owned by Fortune Brands, Inc., the consumer products company, based in Deerfield, Ill., U S Block Windows Inc. is privately owned by Hampshire Equity Partners of Greenwich, Conn. The company is headquartered in Pensacola, Fla., with manufacturing facilities in Pensacola and Tempe, Ariz.

Triangle Fastener Corp. has re-designed its Web site. The enhanced site consists of an extensive range of fastening system solutions for the commercial construction industry.

Privately owned cellulose insulation manufacturer Applegate Insulation has expanded with the purchase of a factory in Penrose, Colo. The company has been manufacturing cellulose insulation since 1978, with seven facilities in Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and now Colorado.

Since the dialogue began last year, the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry and the EIFS Industry Members Association have now partnered effective March 1.

Dryvit’s Mojave E finish was selected to be featured on the National Association of Homebuilders New American Home completed not far from where the 2009 International Builders’ Show was held in Las Vegas.

The National Disaster Reconstruction Conference & Expo announced registration for its educational programs is now available by visiting www.ndrexpo.com. The conference, which takes place June 17-18 in New Orleans, features experts who will address disaster preparation, response, repair, remediation, and restoration.

The American Shotcrete Association has announced the release of a 424-page hard cover book, “Shotcrete-A Compilation of Papers.” The book is a collection of papers concerning Shotcrete, authored by Dudley R. “Rusty” Morgan, PhD, PEng, FACI, FCAE.