About ProBuild Holdings, Inc.
ProBuild Holdings is the nation's largest supplier of building materials to professional contractors. Currently operating more than 500 lumber and building product distribution, manufacturing and assembly centers throughout the U.S., ProBuild trades under several regional brands, including: United Building Centers, Spenard Builders Supply, Hope Lumber and Supply, Strober Building Supply, U.S. Components, and The Contractor Yard.

International Builders' Show Set
Make plans now to attend "the big show" February 13-16, 2008 in Orlando, Florida. The International Builders' Show is the largest annual light construction show in the world with more than 1.5 million gross square feet of the absolute latest building products and services the industry has to offer.

Don't miss all the newest innovations with hands-on demonstrations and working models in over 300 building industry categories at yext year's show. It's a show of enormous opportunities that you simply can't afford to miss! For more information, go the NAHB official web site, www.nahb.org.

ProBuild purchases New Mexico-based Lumber, Inc.
DEC. 2007 - ProBuild Holdings, the nation's largest supplier of building materials to professional contractors, announced its purchase of Lumber, Inc., a distributor of lumber, floor trusses, roof trusses, wall panels and millwork based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1972 by the Wickens and Chiado families, Lumber Inc. today operates four locations in the greater Albuquerque market. Its customers include national and regional production builders as well as custom builders.

ProBuild continues to follow an aggressive strategy to serve the national market by expanding its presence in major markets, strengthening the company's country-wide footprint. Providing access to Albuquerque's strong house market, this acquisition also allows ProBuild to expand our presence in New Mexico in all areas of our business, including building materials, component manufacturing and millwork assembly.

ProBuild purchases Tennessee dealer
JULY 2007 - ProBuild Holdings strengthened its presence in the Nashfille, TN market with the purchase of Crosslin Supply, a pro dealer with three lumberyards in central Tennessee. Headquartered outside of Nashville in Smyrna, Crosslin also has locations in Franklin and Spring Hill, TN. The company is affiliated with Lumbermens Merchandising Corp. (LMC).

ProBuild, owned by Fidelity Capital, has operations in Tennessee through the Strober Organization, which was purchased by Fidelity in 1997. ProBuild is the nation's largest pro dealer, with more than 500 locations in 40 states.

Top 500 - Industry Annual Report Card
JUNE 2007 - The sluggish nature of the housing market in 2006 was reflected in several statistical categories for the Top 500 retailers, a list that also includes lumberyards, paint companies, floor-covering dealers and other retailers. For instance, only 184 of the 500 companies on this year's list reported sales growth - down considerably from 381 in 2005, and 404 in 2004. The trouble started in the second half of the year and has extended into 2007 as housing starts have declined, especially in most major markets.

Many of the companies on the Top 500 have seen slow-downs before. Despite double digit declines in year-over-year housing starts, many are encouraged by low unemployment and the prospect of remodeling-related spending, among other factors.

The 8 percent sales growth for this year's list is down from the 12 percent gain in the prior year. All told, total sales for the Top 500 were tallied at near $267 billion, compared to the previous year's total of $247 billion.

Pro dealers were up 6.4 percent in 2006, compared to a 12 percent gain the previous year. That slower rate of growth reflects the challenges faced by the nation's largest home builders.

"It's certainly not what it was a year ago," said Paul Hylbert, CEO of ProBuild Holdings, which ranks seventh on the scoreboard. The Denver-based group of pro dealers showed a 29.3 percent increase largely because of a number of acquisitions the company made in 2006. He explained that major markets like Chicago and California have suffered the brunt of the downturn with single-family permits off about 30 percent, while the small to medium markets have held up better.

"In the big markets, the subprime lending business got ahead of itself," Hylbert said. "The biggest markets turned into the biggest markets for speculators, and you can see that in the foreclosures coming to pass."

ProBuild sells off 10 units
MAY 2007 - ProBuild Holdings has sold 10 of its Texas locations back to their original owner, Scott Parker. Located in central and southeast Texas, the 10 lumberyards are part of a 13-unit chain purchased by Lanoga (now part of ProBuild) in August of 2005. ProBuild is keeping three of the locations (Seguin, La Vernia, and Fredericksburg) because they serve larger markets like San Antonio.

ProBuild will continue serving Texas markets from Dallas and Austin south to Houston, Corpus Christi, and the Rio Grande Valley.

"It turned out to be a good deal for both sides," said Scott Parker, whose grandfather founded Parker Lumber in 1930. ProBuild owned Parker Lumber for less than two years. Although the stores were folded into the United Building Centers division, UBC never changed the exterior signage, which still says "Parker Lumber".

In a prepared statement, ProBuild CEO Paul Hylbert explained the decision to divest as one of focus and demographics. "While our people in these locations have performed well over the past couple of years, these markets don't fit into our core strategy of serving the larger, faster growing areas of Texas."

UBC launches consumer financing program
APRIL 2007 - United Building Centers (UBC) has launched a new consumer financing program in partnership with Sales Finance, a division of GE Money. The credit program is now available through UBC's 172 locations in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states and offers both installment and revolving credit options with a quick application and sales process with competitive rates and promotions, according to UBC.

"Over the past 152 years, we've continually grown our business by evolving as the needs of commercial and residential consumers change," said Dale Kukowski, president of UBC. "This partnership with GE Money-Sales Finance is another example of our commitment to bring valuable tools to our customers."

Sales Finance, based in Kettering, OH, is part of GE Money, formerly GE Consumer Finance. The business provides private label credit card programs, marketing, installment lending, service contracts and financial services for national and regional retailers in more than 20 industries. WIth more than $190 billion in assets, GE Money is a unit of General Electric.

"As the new housing boom slows, more homeowners are making improvements to their existing homes, either as a do-it-yourself project or by working with a remodeler," said Bruce Christensen, VP and general manager-home improvement industry, GE Money-Sales Finance.

UBC is a subsidiary of Denver, CO-based ProBuild Holdings, the largest U.S. pro dealer, with more than 500 locations.

ProBuild names Hylbert as Chief Executive
JAN. 2007 - Boston, MA - ProBuild Holdings Inc., the nation's largest professional building materials supplier, announced the promotion of industry veteran Paul W. Hylbert to chief executive officer, succeeding Frederick M. Marino, who will remain as vice chairman of ProBuild focusing on growing the company through acquisition and new business development.

"Paul Hylbert has more than 40 years of experience in this industry that will be invaluable as we develop and implement our strategic plan throughout our core business," said Paul L. Mucci, ProBuild chairman. "Moving Paul from the chief operating  to the chief executive role enables Fred to now use his enormous talent at developing business to uncover as well as create new opportunities for us to grow beyond what we are today."

Marino led the team that, along with Fidelity Capital, acquired the Strober Organization, taking it private in March 1997. Under his leadership, this initial investment, which eventually became ProBuild Holdings, grew from $150 million in annual revenue in 1997 to its current 2006 annual revenue of nearly $6 billion.

"I am pleased to transition leadership of this great company to Paul Hylbert as I concentrate my energies on finding new growth opportunities for us," said Marino. Mucci said Executive Vice President Ben Phillips would assume the role of chief operating officer while an internal and external search was conducted for a permanent successor. He added that Marino, Hylbert and Phillips would remain as directors of ProBuild.

"These changes position ProBuild to grow significantly as we maximize the expertise resident within our executive ranks to capitalize on the many opportunities that exist in the market for a company of our size and resources," said Mucci.

Hylbert previously served as the chief executive officer of the Lanoga Corporation, which was purchased by ProBuild in February 2006. Prior to Lanoga, he spent nine years as President of PrimeSource, one of the largest distributors of building materials in the United States.

Hylbert began his career in the lumber industry at Wickes Companies, where, during his 21 years of service, he held a variety of positions from warehouseman to Managing Director of Wickes Europe and to SVP and General Manger of Wickes Lumber.