New UL Marks Builders should be aware that Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has issued three new security and signaling marks: a signaling mark for fire and safety alarms; a security mark for intrusion detectors, burglar alarms, and access controls; and a combined security and signaling mark for products that serve both functions—typically a combined fire and burglar alarm. UL's Chris Hasbrook says the new marks were issued primarily to underscore that a security product has been performance-tested. Hasbrook adds that many dual-use security products geared for recreational use are not fully performance-tested. Visit www.ul.com for more information.
Endgame Home Director, the home technology company that signed deals over the past few years with numerous big builders—including Centex Corp., KB Home, Lennar Corp., and Toll Brothers—announced last spring that it had ceased operations. The company tried to offload its installer arm, Digital Interiors, earlier in the year, but the business had fallen too far into debt. In a formal statement, CEO Michael Liddle said it was unlikely that the company would be able to satisfy its creditors in full or to make any distribution to its stockholders.
