Press Releases

2.20.01 - Builderfinish® Announces Exclusive Alliance With HomeProject Inc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Builderfinish® Announces Exclusive Alliance With HomeProject Inc.

(CHICAGO, Ill.) Chicago-based Builderfinish®, the new Web-based service that allows homebuyers to select finishes from an online database of potentially 8,000 products, today announced an exclusive agreement with HomeProject Inc., the leading provider of interactive design and 3-D visualization infrastructure.

Builderfinish® will use HomeProject Inc.'s View 22 Interactive Visualization Environment (IVE) technology to generate real time 3-D renderings of floor plans showing homebuyers' finish selections in five seconds or less.

"The exclusive alliance with HomeProject Inc. benefits Builderfinish® users by providing them with the industry's fastest downloads and most realistic 3-D views," said Howard Weiner, Builderfinish® CEO. "We now offer a fully integrated Web site service that gives homebuilders, homebuyers and manufacturers the ultimate online finish selection process."

"HomeProject Inc. has already partnered with industry leaders such as BobVila.com, and Deere and Company, and we are thrilled to add Builderfinish® to the list," said Amnon Zohar, president and CEO of HomeProject Inc.

New-home buyers access Builderfinish® through their homebuilder's Web site, and the buyer sees only those products in the database that the homebuilder wishes to offer.

By using Builderfinish®, builders reduce staff time, increase option sales, and automate paperwork, Weiner said.

"Builderfinish® also features back-end integration with the homebuilding industry's most popular project management/accounting programs, allowing contractors, project managers, designers and others involved in the homebuilding process to share consistent information from the same database," Weiner added. "This will result in fewer change orders."

Buyers enjoy convenience, personalization and 24/7 access to the selection process, he said.

"The link also offers buyers comparison shopping and tracks the money they have spent on upgrades, including a monthly mortgage-payment calculator," said Don Eugenio, principal of Builderfinish®.

Manufacturers benefit by placing their products in front of buyers at the point of purchase, he said. "Builderfinish® also acts as a market research tool for manufacturers by providing information about which products are selling in which regions," Eugenio said.

"Builderfinish® is a 'private label' service for builders," said Weiner. "This means that the consumer never sees the Builderfinish® name, only the builder's name."
The service contains no advertisements or sponsors and is product- and vendor-impartial. Nothing is sold directly off the site.

Established in August 2000, Builderfinish® will be the online selection tool for 16,000 new homes in 2001. For more information, call Builderfinish® at (312) 337-5100 or visit the company's Web site at www.builderfinish.com.

HomeProject Inc. is the leading provider of interactive design and visualization technology, licensing its infrastructure to e-business and Global 2000 companies. HomeProject's infrastructure empowers users to do 'real work' on the Web, such as 3-D design of rooms, gardens and offices. HomeProject Inc. is the first company to take consumer-friendly 3-D interactivity to the Web, improving quality of experience, productivity and customer satisfaction.

EDITORS: For more information, contact Taylor Johnson Associates at (312) 245-0202.