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San Antonio — The layoffs, bankruptcies, pay cuts and long hours that have cast a pall over the industry for the last several years were pushed aside for three days last month as LBM executives gathered here to greet old friends, catch up on gossip, and maybe learn a thing or two about how to run a better business. The 2011 ProDealer Industry Summit, co-sponsored by the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) and Home Channel News, hosted 100-plus pro dealers and LBM distributors from more than 65 companies Oct. 26 to 28.

The 2011 ProDealer Industry Summit is responding to the building downturn with a healthy lineup of business-building educational sessions.


This year’s event, sponsored jointly by the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association and Home Channel News, will take place Oct. 26 to 28 at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio. 


“This industry is ready to break out of the doldrums,” said Jim Reynolds, PDIS managing director. “The best minds in the industry will gather again this year in San Antonio to share their ideas.”


Moline, Ill.-based Deere & Co. announced it will build a construction equipment manufacturing plant in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) in northern China.

The new facility will produce four-wheel-drive loaders and excavators for sale in China and for export. The company said the facility represents a $50 million investment and is the company’s sixth manufacturing location in China and the second in the TEDA.