The convention and expo will be held May 17-19 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

VMZINC has redesigned its former Booth #329 to feel more like a lounge, “where architects and other convention attendees can come to relax, refuel, and talk about zinc with our territory managers,” said Chandra Hester, marketing assistant for UBP.

Underscoring the focus on architecture, VMZINC will present interviews with select architects on large LCD TVs in the booth, along with a slideshow of projects that feature VMZINC applications.

The booth will also feature a new VMZINC Composite Material mock-up, produced by NOW Specialties, Inc., of Texas, whose sales team will be on hand to answer any questions.

And on Friday, May 18, VMZINC will host a happy hour at the Convention Center in Room 158 B from 4-7 p.m.

The theme for this year’s AIA National Convention & Expo is Design Connects.

” ‘Design Connects’ celebrates the uniqueness of design as the synthesis of theory and practice, the relationship of the built and natural environments, and the aspiration of architecture to serve the broader goals of humanity,” said James H. Determan, AIA, chair of the National Convention Advisory Committee.

Among the many points the VMZINC representatives will make in their booth during the convention is architectural zinc’s connection to environmental stewardship, a key issue among today’s architects.

“Zinc is a very natural and significant mineral that is prevalent throughout the world,” notes Dan Nicely, Associate AIA and VMZINC’s director of market development. “It takes very little energy to manufacture zinc, the life span of zinc cladding is 80 to 100 years, it is virtually maintenance free, and it is completely recyclable, from construction scrap to the end of its useful life.”

Nicely said he hopes architects attending the convention will visit Booth 329 often, not only to learn about architectural zinc and its applications but also to relax and regroup before moving on to other events in the Convention Center.

For more information on the 2012 AIA Convention & Expo, go to www.aia.org and click on “Conferences & Events.”

For more information on VMZINC, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

And invites visitors to vote for their favorite projects for a special ArchiZinc Trophee

May 1, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) — Embracing the power of social media, VMZINC®, the recognized brand of architectural zinc manufactured by Umicore Building Products USA, has launched two new Facebook pages to complement its original Facebook page: “VMZINCresidential” and “VM Zinc for Architecture”.

According to Dan Nicely, an associate member of the AIA and UBP’s Director of Market Development, the “VMZINCresidential” page will specifically address applications and ideas around using architectural zinc on single-family and multi-family housing. It will also allow residential architects and homeowners to discuss their decisions to use VMZINC architectural zinc on roofs, walls and other applications.

Nicely said the global corporation hopes architects will visit the “VM Zinc for Architecture” page to discover the broad range of surface aspects available from VMZINC and to share their experiences with using architectural zinc on a variety of projects types and styles, from modern structures to historic restoration.

To launch “VM ZINC for Architecture,” VMZINC is also encouraging visitors to vote for their favorite project in VMZINC’s gallery of photos. The winning projects will receive the “Fans’ Special ArchiZinc Trophee.”

Open to architects throughout the world, the ArchiZinc Trophee competition awards prizes in four building categories: Individual Housing, Collective Housing, Public Buildings and Commercial Buildings. The purpose of this bi-annual competition is not only to reward the most attractive projects for the quality of their architecture and their integration into the environment, but also to highlight zinc through appropriate new applications.

Nicely said VMZINC is keenly aware that Facebook offers a platform for promoting its products and services, for facilitating direct customer engagement and two-way communication, and for getting its messages to go “viral” around the Internet.

“We hope architects, contractors, installers, business and homeowners who specify VMZINC will get in on the conversation and let us hear from them on one of our three Facebook pages,” he said.

For more information on Umicore Building Products and VMZINC, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

Brussels  (April 18, 2012)  - Today the Polytechnique Montréal and ESG UQAM launched the International Life Cycle Chair, a research unit that is part of the globally renowned CIRAIG, the Interuniversity Research Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services. Umicore is one of the 14 international partners contributing $500,000 each to the overall $7 million five-year budget.

The International Life Cycle Chair will conduct high-level academic research on the full impact that products and services have on our society from a total-cycle environmental and social perspective.

Staf Laget, Umicore Leader for Climate, Recycling & Product Sustainability, said: “At Umicore we believe that it is essential to develop a full understanding of the impact that our products have on the world from an ecological, social, and economic standpoint. We are very proud to be a Life Cycle Chair partner and are looking forward to receiving independent scientific advice from the Life Cycle research center regarding our sustainability approach for our products and services.”

In recent years Umicore has developed a methodology to deepen the understanding of the lifecycles and impacts of its products, combining the best of current industry practice in this field with in-house expertise. The partnership with the Polytechnique Montréal and ESG UQAM allows Umicore to submit its methodology to independent scientific analysis and will help the company  continue to strive for improvement in the area of product sustainability.

“The life cycle approach enables coherent decision-making on the social, economic, and environmental levels,” said Rejean Samson, principal chair-holder. “The research conducted by the International Life Cycle Chair will promote voluntary corporate actions towards more sustainable production and consumption patterns. We are delighted to count Umicore among our sustainable partners.”

For more information on the Life Cycle Chair: www.ciraig.org

Life Cycle Chair press release: http://www.chaire-cycledevie.org/en/press_releases.php

April 17, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – VMZINC® has published the twelfth edition of “Focus On Zinc,” its international architecture magazine that showcases examples of zinc wall and roof applications around the globe, including modern, innovative private homes in the United States, Australia, Belgium, Poland, and Denmark.

VMZINC is the brand name for the architectural zinc manufactured by Umicore BuildingProducts USA.

“A brief journey through the pages of this issue of ‘Focus on Zinc’ confirms a trend that has been established over a number of years,” notes Senior Vice President Pierre Van de Bruaene in the magazine’s introduction: “Applications of our material to the facades of buildings are becoming increasingly predominant.”

Building types featured in this edition range from large cultural arts centers and educational facilities to office buildings, private homes, and even Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. The latter, designed by Jag/RoTo Architecture, features exterior walls of VMZ Flatlock panels in red PIGMENTO®.

The private home in Cincinnati that’s featured in this edition demonstrates architect Jose Garcia’s style of combining raw materials with experimental installation and modern architectural expression. He specified QUARTZ-ZINC® and ANTHRA-ZINC® in Dri-Design cassettes for the exterior, which define the house’s volumes and provides the homeowner with a surface cladding that requires little to no maintenance.

The design of a private home in Silkeborg, Denmark, was inspired by Japanese Origami and expressed through the use of VMZ standing seam panels in ANTHRA-ZINC for the roof. The façade is composed of black-stained wood strips. This atypical contemporary house was designed by architects 3xN & M2.

The most ambitious project in this edition, however, is an office building in France that uses VMZ standing seam and flatlock panels in QUARTZ-ZINC to contribute to architect Cabinet Jourda’s zero-energy-use target. Chosen for its durability and recyclability, VMZINC is a key element of this building sustainability.

“Focus On Zinc” is published in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish. To request a copy call VMZINC’s USA headquarters at 919.874.7173 or email a request to: Info@vmzinc-us.com.

Introducing ALPOLIC’s Regional Website!

ALPOLIC has launched a regional website that enhances user experience for customers in North, Central, and South America.

Located at www.alpolic-northamerica.com, the new site features a regional selector that allows you to choose one of three regions – North America, Central America, or South America; a hot link to ALPOLIC’s International website and a Spanish language option to better serve the continued growth of the Central and South American markets.

All of the same helpful tools you have come to expect from ALPOLIC remain in place, such as the ability to select products, finishes, and samples; but product availability data now changes in accordance with the region selected – giving you valuable information about what products are available in their specific region. Visit us today!

Introducing ALPOLIC’s Programs Plus!

Located under the new Corporate ID menu on the ALPOLIC website, Programs Plus is a user-friendly, interactive corporate identity system offering direct access to critical product specifications.

Whether you are a designer, fabricator, or owner, ALPOLIC can help you determine what solution will work best for your corporate identity project.

Looking for Specific Colors, Fabrication Manuals, Attachment Systems, Warranty Info or Sizes
for a Particular Program? Go to our New Program Details Section.

Looking for More Detailed Information on Our Most Popular Programs?
We have Case Studies Available.

Not Sure What You Need? Try Our New Product Selector — Tell Us About Your Project and
We Can Recommend a Product That Will Work Best for You!

Norbert Schneider, President of Umicore Building Products USA, will assume the responsibility of General Manager of Asia Pacific as well as the Americas. The subsidiaries in China, Japan, India, and Australia also will now report to him.

As support for Schneider, Umicore has appointed Michel Le Donge as Marketing Manager for the region. Schneider will continue to work out of the Raleigh, North Carolina, office, while Le Donge remains based in Paris.

“This reorganization enables us to service our markets even better, making us an even nimbler and more flexible organization,” said Senior Vice President Pierre Van de Bruaene, “It will allow us to continue building our leadership position through innovation and customer focus for the benefit of our customers and shareholders worldwide.”

“Norbert and Michel have extensive experience in building teams and markets,” said Commercial Director Franck Martinelli. “They will not just continue, they will expedite our growth in Asia, Australia, and the Americas through their drive and leadership.”

Norbert Schneider sees this reorganization as “a great challenge and a great honor. There are certainly differences between the individual markets, but I am sure there is more that unites us then what makes us different. I will do my best to provide the leadership necessary for the company and the team members to grow.”

Schneider, who has been President of UBP US for the past 12 years, added, “I am sure that the lessons I have learned over the past 12 years will pay dividends in this new assignment. I am happy that I have a strong leadership team with dedicated and talented individuals, such as our directors Laurent Heindryckx and Daniel Nicely here at UBP US, who allow me to delegate more of the operational and tactical work to them while at the same time taking on this new challenge.”

Michel Le Donge also expressed his excitement over the opportunity “to share my experiences in the Far East now with my colleagues in the additional markets. We not only have a huge amount of things to learn from each other, but VMZINC also has more innovative products and systems to launch in the near future and I look forward to bringing those to the markets.”

For more information on Umicore Building Products and VMZINC, visit www.vmzinc.com.

About VMZINC:

VMZINC® is the brand name of rolled zinc products manufactured and sold by the Umicore Group. VMZINC is available in a large variety or products covering the exterior building envelope, rainwater goods, ornamentals, and building interiors. For more information visit www.vmzinc-us.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About Umicore Group:

Umicore, originating from Belgian, is a world leader in metals and sophisticated materials. It works in fields where its expertise in materials sciences, chemistry and metallurgy can and does make a difference for products used in everyday life or cutting-edge industrial processes. Segments are: Recycling, Energy Materials, Catalysis, and Performance Materials. For more information visit www.umicore.com.

VMZINC® recently completed a new video on the Annette Strauss Artist Square in the Dallas Arts District. The video spotlights the dramatic zinc and silver paneled wall on the facility’s stage house.

Artist Square is named in honor of the city’s former mayor and arts champion, Annette Strauss.

Designed by Good Fulton & Farrell Architects of Dallas, Texas, Artist Square’s stage house features VMZINC’s four millimeter QUARTZ-ZINC® and Mitsubishi Chemical’s four millimeter silver metallic panels, all cut in the same diamond shape to form a Harlequin pattern.

The camera pans around and through the facility, showing the open-air ambience, then focuses on the glistening metal wall.

Thom Powell, AIA, Director of Sustainable Design at Good Fulton & Farrell notes that his firm wanted to create a facility with the same sense of openness as the original Artist Square, which was just an open space for community gatherings. He also comments on the changing visual nature of the stage house’s walls:

“The zinc panels next to the silver metal give the illusion of glistening leaves.”

VMZINC’s Director of Market Development, Dan Nicely, adds, “The unique thing about Artists Square is that they’re using zinc with another composite material…It’s really a nice play and a nice dichotomy of materials that’s working together to create interest on that wall.”

Since the facility was intended to be environmentally sustainable, Nicely also notes that zinc is a very “green” cladding material since the run-off is non-bioavailable and clear so it won’t affect other materials. It also has a life span of 80 to 100 years.

Sam Latona, Preconstruction Services Manager for the contractor, Turner Construction Company of Dallas, notes that the wall’s rain screen construction guarantees that it “will last the life of the facility without any repair cost.”

The Dallas Arts District includes 13 facilities and organizations, brought together largely through Annette Strauss’ tireless efforts when she served as mayor from 1987-1991. Strauss succumbed to brain cancer shortly after the facility was named in her honor. In its eulogy, the Dallas Morning News stressed her “enduring passion for both the arts and the city.”

VMZINC is the brand name for Umicore Building Products’ architectural zinc. NOW Specialties Inc. served as panel fabricator and installer for metal wall.

The video was created by 214 Media of Dallas with Fred Nolan of NOW Specialties as executive producer. To view the entire video on YouTube, go to http://bit.ly/xgEZo5.

About VMZINC and Umicore Building Products:

VMZINC is a leading specialist in innovative zinc solutions for building envelopes and the international brand name of rolled zinc products manufactured and sold by the Building Products Unit of the Umicore Group, which specializes in materials technology. Umicore is a world-leading producer of architectural zinc. For over 160 years, Umicore has been providing innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com and find the company on Facebook.

Alucoil North America, the newest of 4 domestic continuous process ACM manufacturers, has embarked upon a major initiative to increase brand awareness and project specification rates of its larson by Alucoil® ACM with architects, designers, and specification writers. Hiring Grason is step one in accomplishing that objective and we welcome him to the Alucoil family. Grason may be reached by email at: grason.cook@alucoilnorthamerica.com

Alucoil S.A. is a top-tier manufacturer of high-tech aluminum products for building & construction, transportation, and industrial application in Europe. Under the larson® brand, Alucoil offers a diverse line of unique product and coating technologies that complement its core ACM materials – including innovations such as powder coated coil, flat sheet, ACM, and a 100% recyclable A2 fire rated building panels. Alucoil is executing an aggressive global growth plan entailing simultaneous expansion into North and South America, as well as the Middle and Southeast Asia.

Alucoil is part of Grupo Alibérico, a leading European aluminum company with over 40 years of experience in the world of aluminum. Present in market sectors from building and construction, transportation, and packaging, it transforms over 100,000 tons of aluminum annually. The Aliberico team is composed of over 1,000 people and has manufacturing facilities in Spain and commercial offices all over Europe and North Africa. It exports to over 45 countries on 5 continents.

For more information please call +1 803-505-6543, email your current Alucoil North America contact, or email us directly at: info@alucoilnorthamerica.com

CENTRIA, an industry leader in the design, development and manufacture of architectural metal wall and roof systems, recently announced the addition of  VMZINC® architectural zinc to use as a material substrate in its Profile Series Concept Series^® and IW Series Panels.

“There is a growing industry trend toward natural metals, like zinc, because of their sustainability and long life-span,” said Tom Zombek, product manager, CENTRIA. “By adding a zinc substrate option to our Concept and IW Series panels, we are not only providing architects with more choices within these already versatile product lines, but creating a new option that complements our commitment to creating products that offer outstanding aesthetics, performance and sustainability.”

Norbert Schneider, president of Umicore Building Products USA, which sells the VMZINC manufactured by the global Umicore Group, expressed his pleasure about the partnership:

“We consider CENTRIA one of the best established brands in the segment of the metalic building envelope and it is a household name in architectural offices around the country,” he said. “That means architects will hear about VMZINC from a new and additional source.”

The new zinc panels will be available in a 1mm (.039 inches) thickness with a smooth, non-embossed finish. The panels will be available in five pre-weathered zinc colors from VMZINC, including Quart-Zinc^® – Grey, Anthra-Zinc^® – Black and Pigmento^® – Red, Blue and Green.

For more information about zinc panels, visit CENTRIA.com.

For more information on VMZINC, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

About VMZINC and Umicore Building Products:

VMZINC is a leading specialist in innovative zinc solutions for building envelopes and the international brand name of rolled zinc products manufactured and sold by the Building Products Unit of the Umicore Group, which specializes in materials technology. Umicore is a world-leading producer of architectural zinc. For over 160 years, Umicore has been providing innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.