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May 15, 2012
Home Depot lifted by warm weather in Q1

Atlanta-based Home Depot made first-quarter history for the period ended April 29 with net earnings crossing the $1 billion mark.

The company reported net income of $1.035 billion, up 27.5% from the same quarter last year. Sales were also up, rising 5.9% to $17.81 billion in the quarter. Comparable-store sales were 5.8%, the highest figure in more than seven years.

May 14, 2012
New firm hires laid-off Jeld-Wen workers

Millwork Products LLC, a Paducah, Ky.-based firm, has opened a new location in Wilkesboro, N.C. and hired most of the former workers of a closed Jeld-Wen facility, according to an article in the Winston-Salem Journal. 

May 11, 2012
Employee advisory committees promote benefits buy-in

When it comes to designing and communicating employee benefit programs, employee input and involvement can be a boon. After all, one of the best ways to gain buy-in for and to communicate employee benefit programs is to use peer-to-peer interaction. If a group of employees supports these programs and makes it a point to tell other employees, organizations can build buy-in for programs and changes more readily.

May 11, 2012
Starborn Industries launches Deckfast Metal

Edison, N.J.-based Starborn Industries, a manufacturer and distributor of fastening products, introduced Deckfast Metal for the fast-growing market of steel joist deck framing systems.

The company said more architects and deck builders are using metal joist substructures when creating decks. Deckfast Metal is a fastener that can be used to attach every type of decking -- PVC, composite, capstock and hardwood -- to steel and aluminum substructures.

May 8, 2012
Ace posts sales and income gains in Q1

Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ace Hardware Corp. posted total revenues of $908.2 million for the first quarter of 2012, an increase of 6.3% compared with 2011.

Net income was $10.2 million for the first quarter of 2012, an increase of 49.3% compared with $6.8 million in 2011.

May 7, 2012
Sales rise, losses narrow at BFS

Builders FirstSource, the Dallas-based pro dealer, posted net sales of $219.4 million for its first fiscal quarter of 2012, a 34.7% hike over sales of $162.8 million in the same quarter of 2011. The increase was primarily due to increased sales volume as commodity prices for lumber and lumber sheet goods in the quarter were, on average, comparable to the same period a year ago, the company said.

May 4, 2012
2012 Hardware Store All-Stars

Last year, the original 50 Home Channel News Hardware Store All-Star honorees established a high bar and a hard act to follow. But the 2012 crop rises to the challenge. This year’s Hardware Store All-Stars, one from each of the 50 U.S. states, have at least one thing in common: Ask them what makes them special and you can bet they’ll include “excellent customer service” in the answer. From there, every path to stardom is unique.

May 4, 2012
HCN selects state-by-state Hardware Store All-Stars

The 2012 crop of Home Channel News Hardware Store All-Stars marks the second year of the state-by-state accounting of high-performance retailers. The common theme of “excellent customer service” runs through the entire list, but that’s just the beginning.

Here are the first three on our alphabetical listing:

May 4, 2012
Osmose sold; management team remains

Buffalo, N.Y.-based Osmose Holdings, a manufacturer of wood preservation technology, will be acquired by investment funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, of Los Angeles. 

Osmose’s existing management team will remain in place, including James Spengler, president and CEO of Osmose.

May 3, 2012
BlueLinx posts increase in Q1 revenue

Atlanta-based BlueLinx Holdings posted a net loss of $11.0 million for the first quarter ended March 31, compared with a net loss of $12.3 million in the first quarter of 2011.

The building products distributor reported first-quarter revenue of $453.7 million, up 16.2% from $390.6 million in the same period a year ago. The increase in revenue is attributable to increased unit volumes and increased underlying product prices for both product categories. 

May 2, 2012
National Hardware Show rolls in Vegas

Las Vegas -- The networking, the education and the product pitching began in spades at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning with the opening of the 2012 National Hardware Show.

Buyers and retailers come for many reasons, one of which was articulated by Dan Fesler, CEO of St. Paul, Minn.-based Lamperts: "You have to take a look at what's out there every once in a while." 

May 2, 2012
Standard Pacific reports strong Q1

Irvine, Calif.-based Standard Pacific Corp. reported first-quarter net income of $8.5 million, compared with a net loss of $14.8 million in the first quarter of 2011. 

Home sale revenues for the first quarter ended March 31 increased 53% to $220.3 million from $143.7 million in year-ago period. This was driven by a 46% increase in new home deliveries (excluding joint ventures) to 642 homes and a 5% increase in the company's consolidated average home price to $343,000. 

May 2, 2012
The Golden Hammer strikes again

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. 

May 1, 2012
PulteGroup Q1 loss narrows

Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based PulteGroup reported a net loss of $12 million for the first quarter ended March 31, compared with a net loss of $40 million in the prior-year quarter. Reported net loss includes $6 million of land-related charges, which were offset by $6 million of land-sale gains. 

May 1, 2012
The Golden Hammer strikes again

As the National Hardware Show kicks off in Las Vegas, the Golden Hammer Awards program enters its 28th year.

Wednesday morning at the show, the Home Channel News Golden Hammer event will honor the best of the best among home improvement suppliers and recognize outstanding achievement in the retail field. A twist for 2012: A Golden Hammer panel discussion with the working title: “The recovery: Is it real? And what to do about it?”

May 1, 2012
Toro acquires assets of Stone Construction Equipment

Bloomington, Minn.-based Toro has acquired light construction and hardscape product assets of Stone Construction Equipment, which manufactured concrete and hardscape equipment for rental and construction companies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

May 1, 2012
True Value Q1 revenue up slightly

Chicago-based True Value has posted first-quarter revenue of $448.2 million, up 0.1% from $447.8 million in the same period a year ago. The cooperative posted a net margin of $8.1 million in the quarter ended March 31, the same as the year-ago period.

April 29, 2012
Newell Rubbermaid points to solid start to 2012

Atlanta-based Newell-Rubbermaid posted a sales increase of 4.6% to $1.33 billion for the quarter. Net income was reported of $79.3 million, up from $75.7 million in the first quarter last year.

“We’re encouraged by the solid start to the year,” said Michael Polk, president and CEO. “We generated 5.2% core sales growth, normalized operating margin expansion, and nearly 14% normalized EPS improvement.” 

April 27, 2012
Fastenal racks up another double-double

It’s called a 20-20 double-double, and among business metrics it’s a grand slam multiplied by a slam dunk. The definition is sales and earnings growth of at least 20% in the same quarter.

Not only did Winona, Minn.-based Fastenal achieve a 20-20 in the first quarter — $769 million in sales, up 20.0%, and $100 million in net earnings, up 26.0% — but the company has scored a 20-20 double-double for eight consecutive quarters.

April 27, 2012
Navigating the new Facebook

Just when you felt comfortable marketing your business on Facebook, here comes Facebook Timeline.

A Facebook posting from Dave’s Ace Hardware of Milton, Wis., had this to say about the new twist in social media: “The Dave’s Ace Hardware page has been automatically converted to Timeline. What used to be my comfortable and familiar refuge has now been reduced to a foreign and stressful exercise. This is going to take me some time to get used to.”

April 26, 2012
AZEK adds moulding styles to its collection

Scranton, Pa.-based AZEK Building Products introduced new architectural moulding styles for ornate, classic or historic designs.

With the addition of a group of four new creative moulding profiles, AZEK Mouldings now includes 25 distinct moulding profiles that endure weather or assist in water management. The new styles are: 

April 26, 2012
GAF sponsors Made-in-America Home project

Last fall, Montana builder Anders Lewendal began work on “The All-American Home,” gaining national recognition in the media and building industry. An economist-turned-builder, Lewendal estimated that if every builder used just 5% more American-made products, they would create more than 200,000 jobs -- a number that ABC News reported as being confirmed by The Boston Consulting Group.

April 25, 2012
Do it Best upgrades its Channellock Web page

Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Do it Best Corp. enhanced its e-commerce website devoted to the sale of Channellock products.

The new site, Channellockproducts.com, is a subsidiary of Do it Best Corp. and is described as “powered by Doitbest.com.”

The site is one of the outcomes of a major initiative in 2009 that brought certain Channellock products exclusively into Do it Best stores in the categories of protective gear, wet/dry vacs, flashlights and other licensed products. 

April 25, 2012
Harris Wood gains Made in USA accreditation

Harris Wood, a division of Boca Raton, Fla.-based Q.E.P. Co., has gained accreditation as a "Made in USA" brand through the Made in USA Brand Certification Mark. 

Founded in 1898 in Johnson City, TN, Harris Wood is one of the oldest hardwood flooring companies in the United States of America.

April 24, 2012
Annandale Millwork gets FSC certification

Winchester, Va.-based Annandale Millwork and Allied Systems received Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody certification.

“We are very proud and excited to have been awarded this certification,” said Gene L. Frogale, Annandale Millwork and Allied Systems co-president. “Our customers will benefit from this knowing we are a trusted resource in obtaining the supplies they need for their environmentally sustainable projects. Overall, we are helping to preserve the world that we live in and we are making a difference for future generations.”

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