The Independent Channel Unites at the IHI Conference

Bringing together retailers from all affiliations, of all sizes and from across North America and beyond, the 2024 Independent Home Improvement Conference (IHI Conference) sent attendees home with practical takeaways, new connections and a renewed energy to grow as a channel.

Taking place at the stunning JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Marco Island, Florida, the IHI Conference welcomed over 700 attendees from across the independent channel to take part in breakout sessions, general session keynotes and panels, industry awards, networking and plenty of fun in the sun.

If you weren’t able to join us, enjoy highlights from the event below, and we hope to see you in 2025!

Breakout Sessions Bring the Education

On both days of the conference, breakout sessions covered four tracks: technology, employee engagement, retail operations and marketing, merchandising and advertising. Attendees heard from industry experts and independent retailers who offered practical takeaways and best practices for improving ROI in all areas of the business.

Keynote Speakers Share Practical Insights

On Day 1, Al Comeaux, change agent and former executive with Travelocity, GE and American Airlines, walked the audience through the steps for cultivating a mindset of change.

“Change is one problem we don’t solve by ourselves. We might have deep business knowledge and lots of experience, but during change, I want to challenge you to approach change as if you know nothing,” Comeaux says. “No matter how long you’ve been in the business, there’s no possible way to understand everything, so rely on those around you.”

On Day 2, Arthur Greeno, owner and operator of two Chick-fil-A restaurants in Tulsa, Oklahoma, shared the “secret sauce” for recruiting individuals with a genuine passion for service. Through engaging anecdotes from his time with Chick-fil-A, he outlined the essential elements for cultivating exceptional customer experiences.

“Cared for people care for people. It’s that simple. If you’re caring for your team, then they’re going to care for your guests,” Greeno says. “Our job as leaders is to be listening for what is going on in our employees’ worlds to find those opportunities to touch their lives.”

Also on Day 2, attendees embarked on an extraordinary journey with Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, whose life story epitomizes resilience and determination. Against all odds, Rudy fulfilled his childhood dream of playing football for Notre Dame, immortalized in the film “Rudy.”

“Don’t worry about pain, because it’s going to be painful regardless,” Ruettiger says. “Dreams are painful. Work is painful. It’s painful to be the best of the best in what you do. But the pain will go away when you succeed.”

General Session Panels Provide Applicable Takeaways

The Day 1 retailer panel shared insights into growing your operation in a flat economy. The panel included Jeff Grasty, president and co-owner of Florida Paints; Dave Ables, owner of Three Sons Hardware and Tri-County Lumber; and Josiah Gates, chief operating officer of The Aubuchon Co.

Also on Day 1, North American Hardware and Paint Association chief operating officer Dan Tratensek provided an inside look at the independent channel in his State of the Industry address, sharing how the industry can continue to find success into the future.

“Independents in the home improvement channel are doing what you’ve done best for the last several hundred years,” Tratensek says. “You’ve been agile, and those former value propositions are changing. Convenience is giving way to curation, service has evolved into relationship cultivation and product knowledge is transforming to customer confirmation.”

Addressing the ever-pressing labor dilemmas, the afternoon panelists on Day 2 offered insights into unconventional methods for sourcing, retaining, motivating and compensating their teams. The panelists included Yilda Marte, director of human resources for Sunshine Ace Hardware; Leonardo Osorio, director of human resources for Sunpro; and Gina Schaefer, founder of A Few Cool Hardware Stores.

Attendees Make New Connections in the Partner Pavilion

In the Partner Pavilion, exhibitors shared their products and services with conference attendees. Over 50 vendors, service providers and other industry organizations had booths set up for attendees to visit and learn more about how they could improve operations.

Honoring the Best of the Best

The Young Retailer of the Year program identifies and promotes the next generation of aspiring independent home improvement, paint and decorating retailers. The program recognizes individual achievement by industry retailers who are chosen based on a number of criteria, including professional milestones, community engagement, continuing hardware industry education and extracurricular activities.

This year’s honorees were recognized at an awards reception where each of their accolades were shared and they had an opportunity to thank those who have helped them get to where they are.

For nearly two decades, NHPA has honored outstanding retailers in the independent home improvement sector through its esteemed Top Guns Awards program.

This year’s cohort of honorees included Glen Morosohk of Ricciardi Bros., Wendy Stine of Stine Home + Yard and Darren Tomasini of Dazey’s Supply. This year’s Top Guns Awards honorees took part in a panel sharing how their operations have found success by focusing on the customer service, employee engagement and embracing innovation.

Registration is open for the 2025 Independent Home Improvement Conference. Learn more here.