LUMBERYARDS

Lumbermens Merchandising Corp., the lumber and building materials buying group, named Paul Ryan as its new senior VP of Finance and Technology. He succeeds Dave Gonze who has announced his retirement in April after thirty eight years with LMC.

Ryan comes to LMC after serving as CFO for Affiliated Distributers, an industrial and construction products buying group. He started his career at Affiliated Distributers in 2003 as a controller before being promoted to VP of finance in 2008 and CFO in 2010.

Stanley Black & Decker's fourth-quarter earnings dropped 89% on a year-ago basis, due in large part to its mergers and acquisitions activities.

Springfield, N.J.-based United Window & Door Manufacturing promoted John D’Elena to the position of VP marketing and national accounts and Gregg Proscia to the position of VP sales.

Tifton, Ga.-based Short & Paulk Supply announced the spinoff of its truss manufacturing operation as a separate business division catering exclusively to the wholesale trade. The new division will be known as Georgia Structural Components (GSC).

According to S&P CEO Jay Short, "The wholesale-only orientation of our new GSC Division provides an opportunity for substantial development as we continue to expand this distribution channel. It just makes sense for us to seek new markets for our growing manufacturing capabilities."

James W. Van Buren has left his post as executive VP and CEO of New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc. Effective July 18, 2013, Van Buren is officially free to pursue other opportunities, though he will remain on the board of directors.

Credit ratings service Standard & Poor's (S&P) delivered a guarded but upbeat assessment of U.S. home builders, reporting that “operating conditions … have improved over the past six months, and the sector's overall credit quality has steadied as a result.” The new report cites a “cautiously stable” outlook for the sector overall, but warns that that trend could backpedal later this year if the baseline residential construction forecast doesn't materialize.

Standard & Poor’s has downgraded Builders FirstSource, following the Dallas pro dealer’s announcement that it has abandoned plans to refinance its existing debt and extend its revolving credit facility due in 2012.

The New York ratings agency lowered the company’s corporate credit rating from a “CCC+” to a “CCC” and gave it a negative outlook. S&P cited “ongoing weakness in new residential housing markets” and possible liquidity problems over the next several quarters.

York, Pa.-based building supplies dealer John H. Myers & Son, launched a fully redesigned and enhanced Web presence at jhmson.com.

The company said it developed the site to provide new tools to its customer base of builders and remodelers. The redesign also offers improved navigation and hundreds of new product and project images.