Technology

After a brutal winter, what the industry can use now is a splash of color — from raspberry red to lime to black and white. Even “green” qualifies, when used to conserve energy. On the following pages, the New Product Showcase opens on a colorful collection of handy or heavyweight home solutions for the 2011 selling season.

Gardening Colors

Benjamin Obdyke has named Tara Murray as its new marketing manager, reporting directly to general manager Michael Coulton. In her new position, Murray will be responsible for the development and implementation of marketing plans supporting all Benjamin Obdyke existing and new products.

Murray comes to the company from CertainTeed Corp., where she worked in the ceilings division and held posts of increasing responsibility in product marketing and marketing communications. She began her career with the print and digital design services agency Warkulwiz Design Associates.

Orlando, Fla. -- A packed room of building industry executives and special guests of cancer and diabetes care center City of Hope set the stage for the charity's Spirit of Life ceremony honoring Craig Menear, The Home Depot's executive VP merchandising. 

The City of Hope's Hardware and Homebuilding industry group raised more than $1 million for the City of Hope in connection with the Spirit of Life ceremony Jan. 11.

Moline, Ill.-based Deere & Co. announced it has completed the sale of its wind energy business, John Deere Renewables, to Chicago-based Exelon Generation Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Exelon Corporation.

The sale was completed Dec. 10 and consisted of 36 wind projects in eight states- generating 735 operating megawatts of clean, renewable energy- enough to power 160,000 to 220,000 households.
 

Consumers may be falling out of love with their front-load washing machines, according to a survey by The NPD Group, a market research firm based in Port Washington, N.Y. A study of consumer shopping habits in the kitchen appliance category showed that top-load washers are outpacing front loaders in terms of dollar growth, up 8% vs. a slower increase of 5% for front-loaders.