Sisters Julie Buchkowski and Tricia Dauwalder-Luna have a special bond. Not only are they best friends, but even as they have built families of their own, they have remained as close as ever by working together in their family business, …
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Sales, Vendor Displays Growing at House-Hasson Markets
Sales are growing at House-Hasson Hardware dealer markets and so are the vendor displays. Figures for House-Hasson’s October 2017 dealer market in Sevierville, Tennessee, saw a 13 percent sales increase over 2016, which was up 14 percent over 2015. In …
Read More »Retailers Take the Stage at NRHA State of Independents Conference
Retailer-led panels delivered industry-specific takeaways and anecdotes during the 2017 North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) State of Independents Conference in Chicago on Dec. 7. Dan Tratensek, executive vice president of NRHA and publisher of Hardware Retailing magazine, and Jim …
Read More »Encouraging Trades, Training Among Topics at Women’s Leadership Roundtable
The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) hosted its second annual Women’s Leadership Roundtable in Chicago, Dec. 6 during which attendees discussed the value that trades bring to the industry, and the importance of training employees among a variety of …
Read More »Former Ace Chain Owner C. Jay Buikema Dies at Age 78
C. Jay Buikema, longtime owner and CEO of Buikema’s Ace Hardware stores in Illinois, died Dec. 5 at 78, according to the Chicago Tribune. Buikema was known in Naperville and Wheaton, Illinois, communities as a leader, defining “what it means …
Read More »Home Depot Readies $15B Share Buyback
During its 2017 Investor and Analyst Conference, Home Depot’s board of directors announced plans to initiate a $15 billion share buyback program, Reuters reports. “Since 2002 and through the third quarter of fiscal 2017, [Home Depot] has returned approximately $73 …
Read More »Attorneys: Lumber Liquidators’ $36M Settlement Excludes the Injured
Attorneys representing people who say chemicals from Lumber Liquidators flooring made them ill claim a new settlement, valued at $36 million, excludes their clients. In October, Lumber Liquidators agreed to pay $26 million in cash and provide $12 million of …
Read More »Standing Out Online Is Key Theme at E-Retailer Summit
The second annual eRetailer Home Improvement Summit was held Nov. 29-Dec. 1 in Orlando, Florida, and speakers at the event discussed how home improvement retailers and suppliers can compete online. Differentiating Your Store Al Meyers, who leads business innovation strategy …
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