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SBS Gift Cards make shopping for that handyman easy!	International Builders Show Grows Again Nearly 104,000 housing industry professionals attended the 2007 International Builders Show® in Orlando in February. The show included a record one million net square feet of exhibits showcasing products and services for the residential and light commercial construction industries. The contingency from Alaska included more than 20 SBS sales and management employees and more than 90 contractors and others involved with Alaska’s building industry. Most returned with fresh ideas, a look at some of the hotter trends and some positive news – the housing market is expected to improve in 2007 across the country. Hosted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the four-day expo began on February 7th with grand opening ceremonies and a keynote speech from Journalist Ted Koppel. The housing economy, the growth in “green building,” the importance of Baby Boomers as housing consumers and a look at the home of the future were just some of the news and highlights coming out of the 2007 show. NAHB economists predicted housing starts will begin a gradual recovery this year, following an inevitable correction process that began in 2006 following unsustainable boom years of 2004 and 2005. Many of the products and services highlighted at this year’s show are in reaction to a demand for more resource-efficient homes with features that all home buyers can incorporate. Three builders shared what they’ve learned about building greener homes and discussed the importance of green building programs that are voluntary and flexible for different regions of the country. A new report unveiled at the show predicts that 40 percent of all households will be headed by someone over 55 by 2012, with the 55+ population reaching over 85 million by 2014. The report also looks at housing characteristics, mobility, neighborhood desires and other factors that are driving the demand for 50+ housing. A “Home of the Future” study also was released for the first time at the show, detailing what buyers can expect to find in an upscale, custom home in 2015. Some of the trends predicted for those homes included an average of 2,400 square-feet of living space (about the same as today’s home), an emphasis on large kitchens and bathrooms, more focus on garages and increased popularity for wood floors and recessed lighting. SBS professionals attending the show noticed several trends as they browsed the 7,900 exhibits spread over 30 football fields of space at the 63rd annual event. New products that were seen for the first time a year or two ago can now be found being offered by a half dozen or more companies with different variations. For instance, carriage style doors debuted two years ago at IBS, and now several manufacturers are offering them. Wayne Dalton topped them all this year by offering some beautiful old-style garage doors that are made of raised-panel, insulated metal instead of wood. Environmentally friendly materials and anti-mold products, such as paperless sheetrock were also featured in many displays. Products from around the world, such as exotic wood flooring and European-style cabinetry are gaining in popularity. Space-saving appliances also seem to be a trend that is coming to the U.S., even though it’s been popular in other countries where space is at a premium for many years. The latest high-tech gadgets are always big attention getters at the IBS show, and this year was no exception. Some of the highlights included a Turbo Chef oven that can cook a 12-pound turkey in 42 minutes, the Pro Sun shower that allows you to get a tan while you shower and refrigerators that have I-pod plug-ins or computer screens that run a scrolling set of family photos as a screen saver. Other items that caught the attention of the SBS crew included wood or gas-fired pizza ovens for the kitchen, a new, modern-looking Jenn-Air in oiled bronze color and architectural enhancements made of wood and styrofoam that can be used to give any room a unique look. For the kitchen, it appears that darker cabinets are coming back, but more in the red than the brown line. Exotic woods such as hickory and cherry cabinets abounded. Another trend locals noticed was the tendency to turn cabinets into pieces of art for other rooms in the house. Want to see it all for yourself next year? Mark the calendar for February 13-16, 2008 in Orlando. Learn more at www.buildersshow.com.

SBS Headlines
SBS Purchases Polar Supply Company

SBS Purchases Arctic Builders Source

SBS Gift Cards make shopping for that handyman easy!

International Builders Show Grows Again

Nearly 104,000 housing industry professionals attended the 2007 International Builders Show® in Orlando in February. The show included a record one million net square feet of exhibits showcasing products and services for the residential and light commercial construction industries. The contingency from Alaska included more than 20 SBS sales and management employees and more than 90 contractors and others involved with Alaska’s building industry. Most returned with fresh ideas, a look at some of the hotter trends and some positive news – the housing market is expected to improve in 2007 across the country.

Hosted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the four-day expo began on February 7th with grand opening ceremonies and a keynote speech from Journalist Ted Koppel. The housing economy, the growth in “green building,” the importance of Baby Boomers as housing consumers and a look at the home of the future were just some of the news and highlights coming out of the 2007 show.

NAHB economists predicted housing starts will begin a gradual recovery this year, following an inevitable correction process that began in 2006 following unsustainable boom years of 2004 and 2005. Many of the products and services highlighted at this year’s show are in reaction to a demand for more resource-efficient homes with features that all home buyers can incorporate. Three builders shared what they’ve learned about building greener homes and discussed the importance of green building programs that are voluntary and flexible for different regions of the country. A new report unveiled at the show predicts that 40 percent of all households will be headed by someone over 55 by 2012, with the 55+ population reaching over 85 million by 2014. The report also looks at housing characteristics, mobility, neighborhood desires and other factors that are driving the demand for 50+ housing. A “Home of the Future” study also was released for the first time at the show, detailing what buyers can expect to find in an upscale, custom home in 2015. Some of the trends predicted for those homes included an average of 2,400 square-feet of living space (about the same as today’s home), an emphasis on large kitchens and bathrooms, more focus on garages and increased popularity for wood floors and recessed lighting.

SBS professionals attending the show noticed several trends as they browsed the 7,900 exhibits spread over 30 football fields of space at the 63rd annual event. New products that were seen for the first time a year or two ago can now be found being offered by a half dozen or more companies with different variations. For instance, carriage style doors debuted two years ago at IBS, and now several manufacturers are offering them. Wayne Dalton topped them all this year by offering some beautiful old-style garage doors that are made of raised-panel, insulated metal instead of wood.

Environmentally friendly materials and anti-mold products, such as paperless sheetrock were also featured in many displays. Products from around the world, such as exotic wood flooring and European-style cabinetry are gaining in popularity. Space-saving appliances also seem to be a trend that is coming to the U.S., even though it’s been popular in other countries where space is at a premium for many years.

The latest high-tech gadgets are always big attention getters at the IBS show, and this year was no exception. Some of the highlights included a Turbo Chef oven that can cook a 12-pound turkey in 42 minutes, the Pro Sun shower that allows you to get a tan while you shower and refrigerators that have I-pod plug-ins or computer screens that run a scrolling set of family photos as a screen saver.

Other items that caught the attention of the SBS crew included wood or gas-fired pizza ovens for the kitchen, a new, modern-looking Jenn-Air in oiled bronze color and architectural enhancements made of wood and styrofoam that can be used to give any room a unique look.

For the kitchen, it appears that darker cabinets are coming back, but more in the red than the brown line. Exotic woods such as hickory and cherry cabinets abounded. Another trend locals noticed was the tendency to turn cabinets into pieces of art for other rooms in the house.

Want to see it all for yourself next year? Mark the calendar for February 13-16, 2008 in Orlando. Learn more at www.buildersshow.com.