Bloomington, Minn.-based Toro has posted third-quarter net earnings of $35.1 million, up 5% from net earnings of $33.4 million in the prior-year period.

Net sales for the quarter ended July 29 totaled $501 million, up 9% from net sales of $458.9 million in the third quarter of 2010.

Standard Pacific, a production home builder with operations in eight states, reported a net loss of $21.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2010, compared with net income of $82.7 million for the same quarter a year ago. The 2010 fourth quarter included a $23.8 million charge related to the early extinguishment of debt and $2.3 million of asset impairments. Excluding these one-time charges, the company generated net income of $4.3 million for the 2010 fourth quarter. 

Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ace Hardware Corp. is bringing its 19-million strong Ace Rewards customer loyalty program to a new level, with the help of Visa.

The new Ace Rewards Visa has been launched nationwide -- marking the first time for a hardware co-op to pair up with one of the big payment networks with a rewards card. Issued by U.S. Bank, the Visa card is available in a consumer version, plus a version designed for small business owners.