In this special episode of If Walls Could Talk, Walls & Ceilings Associate Editor Michael Levitt speaks with Phampena Inc.’s Taide Pham, Hien “H” Pham and Trinidy Pham. The company is on the cover of W&C’s September issue and has grown into an industry leader since being founded in 2010.

State transportation agencies in North Carolina and Tennessee are still assessing damage from the storm, forecasting a months-long effort to repair hard-hit critical arteries such as Interstate-40. 

Participants at the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance’s 2024 Fall Conference heard color forecasts from an expert in the field, who shared an exploration of trends emerging and evolving in the building products market over the next three to five years.

Several training and education opportunities took place during the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance’s 2024 Fall Conference in Minneapolis, including an informative session on mockup testing in construction, a primer on corrosion, and an educational, hands-on workshop demonstrating proper application of materials common in fenestration installation, as presented by the FGIA Wall Interface Council.

Those participating in the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance’s 2024 Fall Conference, which was held in Minneapolis, heard the ways in which Minnesota is leading the nation when it comes to commercial energy codes and efficiency, as well as efforts to mitigate the impact of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances on the environment and local drinking water supply.

Petersen’s new PAC-4000 metal composite material provides design options for those wanting to add truly flat, colorful surfaces to building exteriors. The material is resistant to fire, impacts and water intrusion and can be curved for aesthetic appeal.

The SMACNA Board of Directors welcomed Tom Martin, president of Cleveland-based T.H. Martin, Inc., as its 2024-2025 president. Martin took the reins from current SMACNA president Carol Duncan of General Sheet Metal.

BuildBlock Building Systems, the manufacturer of BuildBlock Insulating Concrete Forms, announced the addition of Frank Gordon, Assoc. AIA, as the vice president for strategic development. Gordon will be leading the marketing, sales and technical teams and bringing them together to build relationships with industry leaders, stakeholders, developers, industry professionals and more, supporting BuildBlock’s growth initiatives.

BuildBlock announced that Russ Nicely has joined the company as commercial development director. Nicely will focus on continuing education and promotion for architects, engineers, general contractors, specialty subcontractors, owners and developers, as well as working to further develop commercial construction projects across North America.

The 2024 IIBEC/OBEC BES — the fall’s premier building enclosure industry event — wrapped on Oct. 1. Nearly 350 attendees were on hand to experience 21 education sessions, interact with 35 exhibitors and network with like-minded colleagues.

If you look back at our biggest failures, have they been the result of drastic action or the lack of it?

No charity can go it alone these days: real leadership involves bringing your organisation together with others

...and it's best to do something about it before it becomes toxic

A growing number of sector chief executives successfully juggle the day job with parental duties. John Plummer talks to four of them about how they make it work

People from minority backgrounds and marginalised communities have been able to fill leadership roles in social enterprises far more easily than at charities

Brexit remains steeped in uncertainty as the clock runs down. Emily Burt explores the practical steps charity leaders can take to support and prepare their EU staff

Awarded to an organisation with an income of less than £500,000 a year that has made a significant impact with its work

CAD-PLAN has released ATHENA 2024 AutoCAD-based software. Tailored for the glazing industry, the software solutions are fully compatible with Autodesk products and continually improved for optimized and expanded features. CAD-PLAN customers also receive user-friendly training sessions and have access to customized technical support and personalized consultations.

Wege Prize has announced a larger and more diverse pool of judges than ever before, promising to help students advance their game-changing concepts for a sustainable future. Now in its 12th year, the competition offers five more preliminary judges, bringing the total to 15.

Unlock the full potential of spray foam in your upcoming business or home project with a few simple tips.

Greenbuild is launching five all-new summits in 2024 – Sustainable Finance and the Built Environment, Regenerative Ecosystems, Resilient Places, Phius Passive Building and Building Materials.

Georgia-Pacific announced on Nov. 4 that Hudson Pope, senior vice president for manufacturing at Georgia-Pacific, will assume the senior vice president of operations position. Beginning in 2025, he will be responsible for all manufacturing segments in the company.

The Brainy Insights estimates that the $5.1 billion drywall repair services market will reach $10.22 billion by 2033. Rapid urbanization and strategic initiatives by the private players in the global market may fuel the growth of the drywall repair services market.

The Rainscreen Association in North America announced the winners of the inaugural RAiNA Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in rainscreen design and innovation. The award ceremony, which was held on Nov. 7 in Chicago, celebrated projects that exemplify creativity, technical excellence and sustainability in building envelope performance.

Renee Ann Conrad Cieslikowski, 70, of Lake Wylie, South Carolina, passed away peacefully this October in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, Mark, by her side. Many Walls & Ceilings readers knew her through her lengthy tenure at National Gypsum as its marketing manager before her retirement several years ago.

Holcim has completed its acquisition of OX Engineered Products, a leader in advanced wall insulation and sheathing solutions. OX Engineered Products will now operate as a standalone line of business within Holcim Building Envelope.

The Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance has announced that the SprayFoam 2025 Convention and Expo, also known as “SPRAYTONA,” will be held Feb. 9-12 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The event will bring together professionals in spray foam insulation, roofing, specialty applications, concrete lifting, coatings and related equipment from the U.S. and abroad.

Isokorb is an off-the-shelf solution to thermal bridging in the building envelope.

The Bria ClimaPlus acoustical ceiling panels provide strong sound control, durability and an attractive, sleek style to a variety of environments.

The patented designs of the eShadowall, eStylWall flat and eStylWall fluted wall systems enhance the energy efficiency of new and retrofit building applications.

A project delivery model that is surprisingly efficient.

No matter how hard any contractor works toward being organized and efficient, there are more significant issues at play that cause projects to go over-budget and over-schedule these days.

Finding new software for your construction business can be overwhelming. If you’re in the market for the right estimating software, you are looking for the fastest, more accurate tools to help you calculate labor and materials.

Baby boomers currently represent over 40 percent of the construction industry. 

Owens Corning recently launched the Architectural Information Center, an online portal for architects and building specifiers.

After a comprehensive selection process, BCA Architects was selected to design the new 400-seat performing arts center for Pioneer Valley High School.

Kingspan Insulated Panels North America has announced that its Director of Sustainability and Environment, Paul Bertram Jr.

The 11th Annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo will help redefine the future when it moves to San Francisco November 14-16.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced the recipients of its 2012 Leadership Awards.

UL Environment has certified a pair of new Environmental Product Declarations for CertainTeed’s Symphony mineral fiber and VOC Compliant Symphony fiberglass ceiling panels.

Armstrong World Industries has become an official Adopter of the 2030 Challenge for Products.

CISCA’s Leadership Conference will be held September 25-26, 2013 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

KAI Enterprises proudly announces that Tim McMinn, AIA has been named Design Principal. McMinn was previously Director of Architecture at KAI. The transition is recognition of McMinn’s passionate drive to create innovative and highly creative solutions for clients.

A team of Cal Poly architectural engineering (ARCE) students placed second in the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Seismic Design Competition (SDC) in early March in San Diego.

Oak City Remodeling in Raleigh, North Carolina, elevates the home renovation experience with comprehensive services.

For those that attend the various wall and ceiling shows, you probably have met Tina Cannedy. She is the vice president of technical and architectural at FacadesXi in Dallas/San Antonio. For Women in Construction month, we profiled an interview with her.

Tessa Lau got into construction because she was looking to start another robotics company. She witnessed the inefficiency and dependency on skilled manual labor endemic to the construction industry. She knew there would be opportunities to introduce robotic automation to improve the industry.