On December 1, 2004, SBR Inc. of Parkersburg, W.Va., purchased Dixie-Pacific, a manufacturer of columns, capitals, posts and railings based in Gadsden, Ala. SBR also owns building companies such as Simonton Windows, Hy-Lite Products and the recently purchased Fypon.

According to a company news release, Dixie-Pacific will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of SBR Inc. Dixie-Pacific will continue to operate out of its operational and distribution facilities in Gadsden, and the entire employee base will be retained.

"The extensive line of columns and accessories manufactured by Dixie-Pacific is a perfect fit with the other high-quality, low-maintenance building products we produce," said Charlie Crooks, executive vice president of SBR. "Our intentions are to keep Dixie-Pacific running operationally with the same management team just as it has been for the past several years-as a growth-oriented company dedicated to introducing innovative products and meeting the needs of the building industry."

"Everyone at Dixie-Pacific is extremely excited about this acquisition," added Glen Tipton, general manager of Dixie-Pacific. "I've been with the company 12 years and during that time we've watched SBR increase its marketplace presence with top-quality building product companies. We feel our product line is a great complement to our new sister companies and look forward to continued growth of sales, marketplace presence and brand recognition."