MISSION VIEJO, CA - New products, entrance into new business segments, new marketing strategies and continued community outreach in 2009 reinforced the position of James Hardie Building Products Inc. (NYSE:JHX) as the world's leading manufacturer of fiber cement building materials. Beginning with the launch of the company's new "Engineered for Climate"™ fiber cement formulation, continuing with launch of the Reveal™ Panel System for commercial applications, and wrapping up the year with the unveiling of updated resources at the James Hardie Commercial Web site and the "Why I Love My Hardie Home" social media campaign, the company has generated plenty of momentum heading into 2010.
"The company has aggressively pushed research and development to design industry-first products, and I believe our marketing innovations this past year set a number of benchmarks for the building products industry," said head of marketing, Prashant Panchal.
In 2009 James Hardie:
Launched the HardieZone™ product lines, HZ5™ and HZ10™. These benefit from new fiber cement formulations that are Engineered for Climate™. The HZ5 formulation resists damage from freezing temperatures, snow and ice. The HZ10's formulation resists damage from high rainfall and humidity, extreme heat, and high UV.
Launched the James Hardie Preferred Remodeler Program, providing program members with access to "Members Only" business building tools, listing in the "Locate a Remodeler" feature on the James Hardie Web site, and potential for lead generation via the Web site's "Request A Quote" feature for consumers.
Announced the U.S. launch of James Hardie Commercial. The business unit provides single-source support services for architects and builders, including design and on-site installation specialists, detailed installation instructions, and CAD details and specifications for using panel products in flat-wall, expressed seam (reveal) applications. CAD details and specifications are available at www.jameshardiecommercial.com and www.ARCAT.com.
Introduced the Hardie Reveal System™, which includes Hardie Reveal Panel and Reveal Trims™. Designed to meet the growing trend toward panelized design with open "expressed" joints in multi-family and light commercial projects, Hardie Reveal Panel offers clean lines, design flexibility and a high-end look.
Developed an innovative and ambitious marketing strategy to leverage social media tools for better outreach to consumer, builder and architect communities. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn accounts have been integrated as major components to the company's overall marketing strategy. The showcase campaign in 2009 was a "Why I Love My Hardie Home" video contest, promoted via various social media tools and executed on YouTube. The two-month contest drew 30 entries and more than 30,000 views of the videos to date, and clearly demonstrated the viability of social media's marketing capabilities.
Continued to invest in communities worldwide with nonprofit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, World Vision and Rebuilding Together New Orleans.
James Hardie Building Products, Inc. (NYSE:JHX) is committed to helping builders by providing innovative solutions that ultimately increase home value. As the world's leading manufacturer of fiber-cement building materials, James Hardie has been manufacturing cement-based building products for more than 100 years. It introduced fiber-cement products to the U.S. in the early 90s as a durable, low-maintenance alternative to wood and vinyl. Due to their resistance to wind, fire, impact and flood, James Hardie products also have been specified for homes in hurricane- and wildfire-prone areas throughout the U.S. Currently installed on over four million homes, James Hardie products have earned a favorable reputation within the industry and have been specified in some of the country's most prestigious projects.
Source: James Hardie