Universal Forest Products to Give Away Custom Open Joist® Chopper at California Tradeshow
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 27, 2007 – Universal Forest Products (NASDAQ: UFPI) will award five lucky Open Joist Chopper Sweepstakes finalists by sending them on an all expenses-paid trip to San Francisco, CA to attend the Pacific Coast Builder’s Conference (PCBC). The five finalists will be chosen in a random drawing from all entries received in the year-long promotion prior to the tradeshow. Each finalist will choose from one of five chopper keys. The lucky finalist whose key successfully starts the chopper will ride away with the grand prize custom chopper, which is valued at more than $45,000. The grand prize winner will be selected on May 30 at the Moscone Center in Open Joist Booth 0209.
Arlen Ness, who has designed custom choppers for many celebrities, agrees that the Open Joist chopper concept was inspiring. “Custom builds like this one for Open Joist is our forte. Open Joist is an original concept that streamlines the building process; as designers, we can relate to that kind of engineering performance. We think we’ve captured the unique qualities of Open Joist in the styling of this one-of-a-kind chopper.”
Arlen Ness began building custom choppers in his garage in 1967. Today, chopper aficionados around the world recognize him as the father of celebrity choppers, and his rolling sculptures are considered by many to be extreme art. Arlen Ness and his legendary choppers have been featured in the pages of every major motorcycle magazine in the U.S. including Hot Bike, Easy Rider and American Iron as well as many international periodicals. Ness bikes have also been in the spotlight on The Discovery Channel and its popular program “Biker Build-Off.” The company is headquartered in Dublin, California. To learn more, visit www.arlenness.com.
Open Joist is a versatile, open-web alternative to I-joists, dimension lumber and fixed-length, metal-plated trusses. The product offers exceptional strength and load-bearing capabilities, making it an ideal choice for longer joist spans, wider joist spacing and reduced framing costs. Open Joist features an open-web design for quick and easy installation of mechanical systems. Trimmable trusses offer flexibility at the building site, allowing builders to quickly compensate for dimensional changes. Open Joist is manufactured by Universal Forest Product and is available nationally through major building materials distributors. For more information on Open Joist products, visit www.openjoist.com or call toll free at 866-242-1691.
Universal Forest Products markets, manufactures and engineers wood and wood-alternative products for D-I-Y retail home centers; structural lumber products for the manufactured housing industry; engineered wood components for the site-built construction market; and specialty wood packaging and components for various industries. Universal also provides framing services for the site-built sector. The Company launched a consumer products division in 2005, which quickly has grown to include wood and wood-composite decking and railings; decorative balusters and post caps made of metal and Tiffany-style glass; and other outdoor living products for the spectrum of tastes and budgets.
Universal has approximately 10,000 employees who work in more than 100 locations throughout North America. Sales for 2006 were $2.66 billion. In late 2006, the company announced a growth strategy that calls for it to achieve $4 billion in sales by 2010. For more information about Universal Forest Products, visit the Company's Web site, www.ufpi.com, or call 888-BUY-UFPI.