The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), one of the nation's largest and most influential trade associations, and WAND, Inc., the leading developer of online directory technologies, launched a new, global online directory for the construction industry at the recent International Builders' Show in Atlanta.

The business-to-business directory, which is accessed through the Internet at http://directory.nahb.com, currently lists more than 151,000 manufacturers, brokers, buyers and sellers of goods and services in the residential and light commercial building industries. Formally called the NAHB International Directory for Builders, Suppliers and Buyers of the Building Industry, it is accessible in 16 different languages and will be promoted in 172 countries. The directory, which is based on innovative indexing technology that ensures precise and timely sorting capability, allows users to search by 61,000 product and service types, by the name of the manufacturer or service provider, or by country, state or city.

"We are delighted to introduce this multilingual directory to the residential and light commercial industry throughout the world," said Katalin Vaughan, executive director of NAHB's International Affairs. "We are especially pleased to have WAND, Inc. as our strategic partner in this new endeavor, which will help our members to reach buyers of their goods and services in their native language through the directory's vast global network. Based on the favorable responses the directory received during the International Builders' Show, we expect to soon become the major source of product and service information in the light construction industry," Vaughan said.

Sellers, who are listed in the directory, can market their products and services to a worldwide audience of buyers through WAND's global directory network.

To use the directory, buyers register the goods and services they are looking to purchase and then the web site's advanced sorting technology pulls up the names of companies from the directory that match their individual product and service requirements. This service is offered free of charge to buyers and provides password-protection for their purchase listings.

NAHB members will be given a complimentary basic listing in the directory, which can be upgraded for a nominal charge. Nonmember companies can also participate in the directory either as buyers or sellers for a modest annual fee.

"WAND's precision and multilingual directory will bring significant national and international exposure to NAHB members and make NAHB an even more accessible organization," said Ross Leher, WAND's chairman and president.

WAND, Inc. is a leading developer of B2B directory technologies that categorize product, service and company information to facilitate trade. Additional information on the company, whose name is an acronym for World Access Network of Directories, can be accessed at .

Published: April 8, 2002

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