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 honorees from Connecticut, Delaware and Florida:

Sunbury Ace Hardware, an independent dealer outside of Columbus, Ohio, has added U-Haul truck and trailer rentals to its store. Customers can now purchase or rent a variety of moving equipment and supplies, including moving vans, open trailers, closed trailers, furniture pads, appliance dollies, furniture dollies, tow dollies and auto transports. Sunbury Ace Hardware also will offer sales items to protect their customers' belongings and make moving easier, such as heavy-duty boxes, which are made of up to 90% recycled content.

True Value Co.’s rental team brought together more than 100 supplier representatives, rental operators and store associates to take part in its second regional Rental Demo Day event in Menomonee Falls, Wis.

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.

Las Vegas -- Four successful hardware and home center operators spent an hour on the Village Stage at the National Hardware Show on May 2 sharing their challenges, strategies and future plans with other event attendees. Ranging in size from three to 36 locations, the dealers varied in scope and location but shared common approaches to customer service, the vendor community and pricing.  

Las Vegas -- Energy efficiency, a consumer focus that is influencing the residential building industry, is moving into the home improvement sector as well, judging from the exhibits at the National Hardware Show. Vendors with energy-saving products could be found in almost every category, and were marked with a special decal this year.

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." 

Designed for hardware store owners and operators, Hardware Store Connect taps the latest technology to create a powerful and professional networking tool.

The online resource at HardwareStoreConnect.com officially launches April 30 and brings a professional, closed-loop networking tool to hardware store retailers. 

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.

For the sixth year in a row, Ace took home the hardware. 

The J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Store Satisfaction Study ranked Ace Hardware “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores,” for the sixth consecutive year.

A Fresno, Calif., Ace dealer has taken on a new roommate, sort of.

Mayson Ace Hardware in Fresno has taken on the business of neighboring retailer Valley Pool & Home Supply, according to an article in the Fresno Bee. Moving the two stores under one roof will allow the pool supplies store to retire, according to the report.

Larry LeMay, co-owner of the hardware store told the newspaper: “We felt like it was a good fit.”

The store is located at 3071 W. Bullard Ave. in Fresno.

Preliminary data from the Monthly Retail Trade Survey shows sales for hardware stores (NAICS 44413) ahead of the same period last year.

Unadjusted sales for hardware stores in February, the latest month of available statistics for NAICS 44413, were $1.417 billion, up from $1.245 billion in February 2011.

The data was released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau along with the Advance Monthly Retail Trade Report.