Business Briefs: NAHB

Words: Bronzella Cleveland

Summer 2009
Industry News

Business Briefs: NAHB

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center has named Michelle Desiderio director of Green Building Programs. Desiderio’s green home building expertise has been fostered over her 15 years in the housing industry, including previous positions at the NAHB, Fannie Mae and the National Capital Planning Commission. “We are excited to add Michelle to our green building team,” said Michael Luzier, NAHB Research Center president. “She is a seasoned industry professional with a wealth of experience in the environmental arena. She is exactly the right person to have at the helm of our National Green Building Certification program, especially now as so many new opportunities have been created for builder, remodeler, developer and manufacturer participation with the ANSI approval earlier this year of the National Green Building Standard.” MD

Beyond the Block: Aesthetic Innovations in CMU Construction
August 2026

Concrete masonry units (CMUs) have long been a mainstay of construction. They are well known as a “tried and true” material with a long history of high-strength structural performance, affordability, ease of assembly, and a long lifecycle. CMU constructio

The Most Overlooked Profit Center on Your Job Site
August 2026

The real cost of equipment ownership isn't what you pay on day one. It's what happens over the years that follow. The purchase price of a new mortar mixer, grout pump, material handling system, or masonry saw is only part of the investment. What happens

Installation Starts Before the First Course
August 2026

Some of the most expensive masonry installation problems begin long before crews arrive onsite. By the time a project reaches the field, many coordination decisions have already been made. Dimensional conflicts, congested reinforcement, specialty materia

Designing for Performance: Key Considerations for Efficient, Durable Masonry Projects
August 2026

A successful masonry project starts well before the first stone is set. The craftsmanship on site matters, of course, but many of the decisions that shape the final result are made much earlier—during design, detailing, and material selection. Those choic