ATLANTA, Aug. 14, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlueLinx Corporation ("BlueLinx") has entered into an agreement with Xella Aircrete North America to distribute Hebel Aerated Concrete products. Architects, builders, contractors and owners across the country now will have access to Hebel's energy-efficient, eco-friendly and easy-to-install building materials.
Xella, the world leader in autoclaved aerated concrete, and BlueLinx, will deliver flexible and just-in-time distribution options to clients -- providing sustainable products integral to today's eco-friendly building practices.
"Our relationship with BlueLinx will enable us to meet the demand for our green building products and also provide new avenues for us to educate American builders about the long-term energy-savings and environmental benefits associated with using Hebel," said Roland Sampoux, Director of Sales and Marketing, Xella Aircrete North America. "BlueLinx will swiftly and securely transport our lightweight, wind resistant product to the areas of the country, such as hurricane-prone regions, that can reap great benefits from building with Hebel."
Hebel Aerated Concrete is a precast concrete and masonry product perfected in international markets over the past 60 years. Its unique closed cellular structure and thermal mass contribute to a high R-value and air-tightness, which reduce heating and cooling costs and improve indoor air quality -- some buildings have seen up to a 35 percent decrease in cooling costs. One-third the weight of traditional concrete, the building block and reinforced panel construction system is easier to install and replaces traditional multi-step construction processes. Hebel can be used to construct residential, commercial or industrial projects.
"BlueLinx is committed to providing its customers with state-of-the-art building products, said Jim Herbig, VP Structural/Specialty Products. "Distributing Xella products demonstrates our commitment to deliver value to our customers by giving them access to a wide range of today's most innovative building materials."
About BlueLinx
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, BlueLinx Corporation is a leading distributor of building products in North America. Employing approximately 2,000 people, BlueLinx offers greater than 10,000 products from more than 750 suppliers to service approximately 11,500 customers nationwide, including dealers, industrial manufacturers, manufactured housing producers and home improvement retailers. The Company operates its distribution business from sales centers in Atlanta and Denver, and its network of more than 70 warehouses. Additional information about BlueLinx can be found on its Web site at www.BlueLinxCo.com
About Xella Aircrete
Xella is the world-market leader in the autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) industry. With its North American headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., Xella provides state-of-the-art building material solutions for fast-track construction projects nationwide through energy-efficient, eco-friendly, easy-to-install building blocks and panels. Utilized throughout Europe for more than 60 years, Xella's Hebel brand has proven its worth in the international market for safe, innovative and sustainable building solutions. For more information, visit http://www.xella-usa.com.