July 30, 2010 - James Hardie Building Products Inc. (NYSE: JHX), the world's leading manufacturer of fiber cement building products, was today awarded its sixth straight illustrious "Partners of Choice Award" for outstanding quality and service by David Weekley Homes.

James Hardie received top honors with a perfect score of "A" for both the quality of its products and the service that James Hardie provides to the nation's second largest for-profit privately held homebuilder.

"It is an honor to be recognized as a 'Partner of Choice' for the sixth straight year by David Weekley Homes and to receive our sixth straight A,A rating," said Dan Tresch, strategic accounts and business development manager for James Hardie. "We constantly strive to provide all of our customers, be they builders, contractors, installers or homeowners, with only the highest quality experience. This award is a reaffirmation of the hard work and effort put in by everyone at James Hardie and our valued channel partners."

The distinguished "Partners of Choice Award" is based on Weekley's renowned National Trading Partner survey. Now in its seventh year, the survey represents Weekley's groundbreaking approach for fostering the partnering proposition with its suppliers, and is consequently setting new industry standards. Approximately 600 team members, representing every facet of David Weekley Homes' extensive building and construction business, review approximately 150 of David Weekley Homes' partners and suppliers. Scores are then tallied, averaged, and placed in descending order. Alpha rankings are then assigned in descending order in 20% increments from A to F.

"World-class excellence is an abstract term. In short, it is when you are willing to put your products and services up against anybody anywhere, anytime, and come out on top. We believe the National Trading Partner Survey is a practical way to measure world-class excellence," says Bill Justus vice president of Supply Chain Services for David Weekley Homes and chief architect behind this visionary approach. Justus continues, "What James Hardie has done is beyond incredible. For six consecutive years, they have demonstrated world-class excellence in the face of radical swings in the marketplace. They work their channel—training, checking, rechecking—working with everyone from designers to applicators to ensure that they are able to execute their jobs at the highest level."

About James Hardie
James Hardie has been manufacturing building products for more than 100 years. It introduced fiber cement siding products to the U.S. in the early 90s as a durable, low-maintenance alternative to wood and vinyl. James Hardie products are Engineered for Climate™, delivering specific performance attributes relative to the climate where the product is being used. Other products include HardieWrap™ weather barrier and HardieBacker® backer board. Currently installed on more than 4 million homes, James Hardie products have earned a favorable reputation within the industry and have been specified in some of the country's most prestigious projects. More information about James Hardie is available at http://www.jameshardie.com.

About David Weekley Homes
David Weekley Homes, founded in 1976, is headquartered in Houston and operates in 14 cities across the United States. David Weekley Homes was the first builder in the United States to be awarded the Triple Crown of American Home Building, an honor which includes "America's Best Builder," "Builder of the Year," and the "National Housing Quality Award." Weekley has also appeared seven times on FORTUNE® magazine's coveted "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. Since inception, David Weekley Homes has closed more than 60,000 homes. For more information about David Weekley Homes, visit the company's web site at www.davidweekleyhomes.com.

Contact:
Lindsay Vaughn
404.479.2239
lvaughn@brunnerworks.com