M. Marcus Moran Jr., grandson of W.E. Aubuchon and CEO of Aubuchon Hardware, accepted the 2012 Retailer of the Year Award during the Golden Hammer Awards ceremony in Las Vegas.

Louisiana-Pacific Corp., one of the industry’s leading suppliers of oriented strand board and other building materials, announced net sales of $361.5 million for its first fiscal quarter of 2012, compared with $331.7 million during the same quarter a year ago. 

The 28th Golden Hammer Awards saw Bob Taylor enter the Home Channel Hall of Fame and Westminster, Mass.-based Aubuchon Hardware take home the Retailer of the Year award.

Single-store operator McDaniel’s Do-It Center of Snohomish, Wash., was also recognized as the Golden Hammer “Tools of the Trade” honoree. 

In these days of overinflated executive salaries and bonuses, it’s refreshing to find a CEO who is actually underpaid — and has been for years. Donald Boone, president and CEO of Jewett-Cameron, draws a base salary of $36,000. His entire compensation package is $39,960.

In the California company’s first full-year fiscal earnings report since separating from Sears, Orchard Supply posted a net loss of $14.5 million, compared to net income of $8.7 million in fiscal year 2010.

The company’s sales in 2011 were $660.5 million, roughly flat from the prior years. Same store sales declined 0.6% -- average ticket was up, but transaction volume was down.

Ray Griffith, the CEO of Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ace Hardware, explained during an interview on Fox Business that consumers will continue to spend on their homes.

“We had a real good first quarter, and so far it’s carrying into April,” said Griffith during a segment described by the network as “Banking on do-it-yourself.”  

To be successful, young workers need to develop a lot more than job-specific knowledge, experts say. Of the so-called soft skills needed for success in the workplace, communication skills are particularly critical.

Communication skills are the most important and the hardest to find, according to China Gorman, CEO of CMG Group, a talent management consultancy. “Being comfortable one on one with customers, colleagues and bosses means being comfortable with yourself and confident in your abilities,” she said.

Westminster, Mass.-based Aubuchon Hardware, an independent chain of 126 hardware stores in the northeastern United States, will accept the Home Channel News Retailer of the Year award during the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.

The award is part of the 28th Annual Golden Hammer Awards, which will take place May 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

ProBuild Holdings, the nation’s largest pro dealer, has announced a restructuring that will eliminate several high level management positions, lay off a number of people, and institute a hiring freeze at its Denver headquarters. 

In an internal memo obtained by Home Channel News, ProBuild’s CEO Rob Marchbank outlined the new leadership and reporting structure of the Denver-based company. The executive VP operations layer of management will be eliminated, and all senior VPs of operations will report directly to Marchbank.

Louisiana-Pacific Corp. has announced the appointment of Curt Stevens as its new CEO, effective May 4. He will replace Rick Frost, who is retiring after seven years as chief executive. Frost will remain with the company until May 31 to aid in the transition.

Builders FirstSource turned in positive fourth-quarter results, including a 31% jump in revenues to $192.7 million. But it was CEO Floyd Sherman’s statement about “[taking] advantage of opportunistic inventory buys” toward the end of the year that caught the attention of many people in the LBM industry. Even the analysts on the Dallas-based company’s Feb. 17 conference call wanted to know more. Was it a temporary thing or a new strategy, one asked?

Chicago-based True Value CEO Lyle Heidemann had some good news for dealers gathered in Orlando, Fla., during the general session of the co-op's 2012 spring market. Sales were up, he said. So are expectations. 

For the year ended Dec. 31, True Value revenue increased 3.4% to $1.86 billion, as the co-op is riding a wave of consecutive quarterly sales increases that now extends to five. Full-year earnings for the co-op were $60.3 million, down 0.7% from $60.7 million in 2010.