Independent Wholesale Distributors

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® which had declined in July, improved moderately in August. The Index now stands at 53.5 (1985=100), up from 51.0 in July. The Present Situation Index decreased to 24.9 from 26.4. The Expectations Index increased to 72.5 from 67.5 last month.

The Consumer Confidence Survey® is based on a representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households. The monthly survey is conducted for The Conference Board by TNS. TNS is the world's largest custom research company. The cutoff date for August's preliminary results was August 24th.

Says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center: "Consumer confidence posted a modest gain in August, the result of an improvement in consumers' short-term outlook.  Consumers' assessment of current conditions, however, was less favorable as employment concerns continue to weigh heavily on consumers' attitudes. Expectations about future business and labor market conditions have brightened somewhat, but overall, consumers remain apprehensive about the future.  All in all, consumers are about as confident today as they were a year ago (Aug. 2009, 54.5).

Consumers' appraisal of current conditions continued to weaken in August. Those claiming business conditions are "good" decreased to 8.7 percent from 8.8 percent. However, those stating business conditions are "bad" declined to 41.9 percent from 43.3 percent. Consumers' assessment of the labor market deteriorated further. Those saying jobs are "hard to get" increased to 45.7 percent from 45.1 percent, while those claiming jobs are "plentiful" declined to 3.8 percent from 4.4 percent.

Consumers' expectations improved moderately in August, but overall, they remain pessimistic. Those anticipating an improvement in business conditions over the next six months increased to 17.0 percent from 15.8 percent, while those anticipating conditions will worsen declined to 13.4 percent from 15.3 percent.

Consumers were also slightly less pessimistic about future employment prospects. Those expecting more jobs in the months ahead increased to 14.6 percent from 14.2 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs decreased to 19.4 percent from 20.9 percent. The proportion of consumers expecting an increase in their incomes held steady at 10.6 percent.

The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during July 2010 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $805.2 billion, one percent below the revised June estimate of $813.1 billion.

During the first 7 months of this year, construction spending amounted to $460.3 billion, 11.8 percent below the $522.0 billion for the same period in 2009.

PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION
Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $506.4 billion, 0.8 percent ( below the revised June estimate of $510.7 billion. Residential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $240.3 billion in July, 2.6 percent below the revised June estimate of $246.7 billion. Nonresidential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $266.1 billion in July, 0.8 percent above the revised June estimate of $264.0 billion.

PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION
In July, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $298.8 billion, 1.2 percent below the revised June estimate of $302.4 billion. Educational construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $73.0 billion, 0.1 percent below the revised June estimate of $73.1 billion. Highway construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $76.8 billion, 2.9 percent below the revised June estimate of $79.1 billion.

HORSHAM, PA -- Toll Brothers, Inc., the nation's leading builder of luxury homes, last week said that it posted a $27.3 million net profit in its third quarter which ended July 31, 2010. During the same period a year earlier, Toll Brothers reported a net loss of $472.3 million.

During the recently concluded third quarter, the company reported $454.2 million in revenue. Toll Brothers delivered 803 units during that time.

Douglas C. Yearley, Jr., Toll Brothers' chief executive officer, stated: "We were pleased to return to profitability this quarter, especially with volumes down 65% from our peak. Although revenues and unit deliveries for the quarter were relatively flat compared to one year ago, our gross margin, before write-offs, improved by 350 basis points. While much of this quarter's profitability was due to tax benefits, we are encouraged by the decline in impairments and our fifth consecutive quarter of more normalized cancellation rates after three years of elevated rates.

"Another bright spot has been the performance of our high-rise projects in the metro New York City urban market built under the Toll Brothers City Living brand. Among these are several 50% joint ventures, which, in FY 2010's third quarter, produced $38.5 million of contracts versus $17.7 million the previous year, and which ended this third quarter with a backlog of $103.0 million versus $19.4 million in FY 2009's same quarter. These joint ventures should continue to contribute profits for the next several quarters.

"We are pursuing growth. We are looking for attractive distressed land and debt acquisition opportunities. This quarter our count of lots owned and optioned increased to 35,800 from our trough of 31,700 at FY 2010's first-quarter-end. This was the second consecutive quarter of sequential growth in our land position. We continue to find opportunities in most of our markets and this quarter spent approximately $104 million on land acquisitions, bringing our nine month total to approximately $340 million."

"Due to our very low leverage and significant cash position, we have the flexibility to opportunistically pursue transactions that are arising from the current distress in the real estate industry. This quarter we announced the formation of Gibraltar Capital and Asset Management Corp. ("Gibraltar"), a wholly owned subsidiary. Gibraltar will look to capitalize on Toll Brothers' expertise and nationwide presence to pursue real estate opportunities.

"With a quick start out of the gate, we were pleased to announce that Gibraltar, in a joint venture with Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. and Milestone Merchant Partners, LLC, successfully completed a transaction to acquire approximately $1.7 billion (face value) of mainly distressed real estate loans and properties in partnership with the Federal Deposit and Insurance Corp. (FDIC). The primarily residential portfolio consists of approximately 200 loans and 80 real estate properties averaging about $6.1 million per asset."

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Beazer Homes is pleased to introduce high-performance, energy-efficient "green" homes in Indiana with the grand opening this week of its new eSMART Green showcase home at South Avalon Estates. Located at 12541 Bellingham Blvd., in Fishers, Beazer will host a special preview open house event for the public on Thursday, Sept. 2, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., with guided model home tours, green building presentations, interactive demonstrations, complimentary refreshments and door prizes.

"Our eSMART Green homes are designed to maximize savings while minimizing the overall environmental impact of building and maintaining a home," said Bruce Craig, president of Beazer's Indianapolis new homes division. "We've built in greater efficiency from the ground up and the result is significantly lower energy bills for our homeowners."

Innovative construction methods, advanced air sealing techniques and an array of energy-savings features combine to make Beazer's eSMART Green homes in the Indianapolis area up to 44 percent more energy efficient than comparably-sized houses built 10 to 15 years ago, according to research conducted by the NAHB Research Center. Beazer's high-performance eSMART Green homes also incorporate features that help conserve water usage and provide for healthier indoor air quality.

In developing the eSMART Green series, Beazer's planning and design team has taken a whole-house systems approach to ensure all of the multiple components work together for optimal performance. Specifications were developed following extensive collaboration with energy experts, building scientists and a partnership as principal investor in Imagine Homes, a two-time National Association of Home Builders' award-winning "green" residential builder based in San Antonio, TX.

"The key to optimizing the performance of our eSMART Green homes in the cooler to more moderate climate zones comes from better air sealing, increased insulation and maximizing the efficiency of the HVAC system," said Craig. "We've created a nearly impenetrable seal around the envelope of our eSMART Green homes, which greatly reduces energy loss."

The new eSMART Green showcase home at South Avalon Estates combines R49 blown-in cellulose insulation in the attic, R19 on exterior walls and high-efficiency low-e windows with additional sealing around exterior penetration points to create a highly-efficient air barrier between the indoor and outdoor environment. Additionally, the high-efficiency furnace and all of the home's ducting for the 16 SEER HVAC is located in conditioned space, which greatly improves the operating efficiency of the system.

"Roughly half of a home's energy usage goes to heating and cooling. By placing the entire HVAC system in conditioned space, we're able to gain much greater operating efficiency. Less energy is wasted, which drastically cuts heating and cooling costs," said Craig. "And, the temperature inside our homes is more consistent and comfortable throughout."

Additional energy-saving features incorporated into the eSMART Green model home include ENERGY STAR appliances, a tankless water heater, programmable thermostats, compact fluorescent light bulbs and a home energy monitor.

To help conserve water, the home features a manifold plumbing system that operates more efficiently by delivering water directly to individual fixtures rather than routing it through the foundation. Water-saving faucets and showerheads and dual-flush toilets are also featured and the exterior landscaping utilizes regionally-appropriate plants. To address indoor air quality, high-grade MERV 10 air filters, fresh-air ventilated ducts, and low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions paints, and carpets are included. To better illustrate the eco-friendly features, superior construction methods and building science principles that are incorporated into its eSMART Green homes, Beazer's showcase home at South Avalon Estates features interactive product displays and cutaway sections that allow visitors to see "inside the walls."

"The building science community is pleased to see a national builder implement the essential elements of a high performance home as demonstrated in Beazer's Indianapolis green project," said Gord Cooke of Building Knowledge Inc., a national building science company. "Beazer's eSMART program is based on the best available cost-effective measures to improve the energy efficiency, comfort, health and durability of today's new homes."

Priced from $189,900, there are 221 home sites at South Avalon Estates, and Beazer offers six distinct floor plans, including three-, and four-bedroom homes ranging in size from 2,084 to more than 3,400 square feet. Beazer's New Home Information Center and models are open 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. For more information on new Beazer homes in the Greater Indianapolis area, contact 317-485-6866 or visit www.Beazer.com. To learn more about their eSMART homes, please visit www.beazer.com/eSMART/.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C.-- Trade professionals hate busted knuckles resulting from failed locking pliers. That's no problem for tradesmen who use trusted IRWIN® VISE-GRIP® locking pliers, which have earned the top spot in the locking pliers category since their introduction in 1957. And, now, tradesmen have even more to celebrate: the new IRWIN VISE-GRIP Curved Jaw (CR) Locking Pliers, featuring a self-energizing lower jaw that delivers three times more gripping power than traditional locking pliers, with absolutely no slipping or stripping. There's no need for heavy input pressure - the jaws tighten for maximum grip as torque is applied to the tool. Backed by the legendary IRWIN VISE-GRIP Lifetime Guarantee, they're available in two core models: Fast Release™, with a one-handed, triggerless release and anti-pinch, non-slip ProTouch™ Grips; and Original™, with a classic trigger release.

"Other manufacturers' traditional locking pliers only allow a couple of contact points on a round or hex work piece, resulting in the tool slipping or failing to loosen a frozen bolt," said Curt Weber, Director of Marketing for IRWIN Tools. "The IRWIN VISE-GRIP CR, on the other hand, establishes multiple contact points with the work piece, guaranteeing a significantly tighter grip. They cannot be beat for tightening, clamping, twisting and turning."

"In addition, the slotted geometry of the new 'self-energizing' VISE-GRIP Curved Jaw locking pliers exponentially increases torquing power, and more torque means more clamping power. In fact, the new CR range provides the strongest grip ever," Weber concluded.

IRWIN VISE-GRIP Fast Release locking pliers have a one-handed, triggerless release, so they're easy to open and speedily reset on the jobsite. In addition, the anti-pinch, non-slip ProTouch Grips feature molded handles for comfort and leverage while reducing vibrations and hand fatigue. The new CR range is especially well-suited for performing in greasy work environments where there may be lots of lubricants, and for maneuvering in tight spaces where a worker cannot easily get two hands on a tool.

"The CR range absolutely won't slip and won't strip the work piece," Weber emphasized. "You can practically stand on these locking pliers when they're torqued down and never worry about stubborn jobs."

Additional IRWIN VISE-GRIP Curved Jaw (CR) Locking Pliers Features:

•Patented curved jaw is great for securely gripping and torquing multiple surface shapes such as round pipe, square or hex bolts, and more.

•Self-energizing curved jaw puts tremendous pressure on four points of any style nut or bolt head, making it perfect for any application that requires maximum torque.

•Fast Release model is two times easier to open, has a no-trigger release, offers one-handed operation, and includes anti-pinch, non-slip ProTouch Grips for comfort, leverage, and a reduction in vibration and hand fatigue.

•Convenient wire cutter available

•Hex Key Adjusting Screw provides a controlled release or tightens to draw materials together.

•All IRWIN VISE-GRIP pliers are constructed of high-grade heat-treated alloy steel for maximum toughness and durability.

•Hardened teeth are designed to grip from any angle.

The new IRWIN VISE-GRIP Curved Jaw (CR) Locking Pliers include lengths of 5-inch, 7-inch, and 10-inch models. The full range of VISE-GRIP locking pliers, including IRWIN VISE-GRIP Fast Release and Original locking tools, can be found at home centers, hardware stores and industrial tool distributors throughout the U.S. and Canada. The suggested retail price of the 5" CR is $11.99, the 7" is $12.99 and 10" is $13.99.

For more information, call 1-800-GO-IRWIN or visit www.irwin.com