Industry News

In 1924, when four Chicago-area hardware retailers decided to combine their individual buying power to get better deals from suppliers, there was no way they could know their idea would grow into the home improvement industry’s largest distribution operation. That’s …

Most retailers know there are just some things beyond their control. For those heavily selling building materials and lumber, constant changes in commodities pricing are almost always at the top of that list of variables. Between slowed domestic new-home construction …

Health care is a big topic on every retailer’s mind right now, especially as more elements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) come to fruition. The ACA comes with plenty of questions: What, in the way of insurance, is a …

Two retailers recently teamed up with nearby nature centers to help some of their youngest customers tap into a local hobby: maple sugaring. Staff at Keough’s Do it Best Paint & Hardware in Connecticut and Orme Do it Best Hardware …

Entrepreneur Bill Brown had scaled back his San Jose, Calif., construction firm as demand for new Silicon Valley homes and offices dried up in recent years, cutting his staff by two-thirds, to 50 by late 2011. But over the course …

Blish-Mize Co. of Atchison, Kan appointed Jonathan D. Mize as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding his father, John H. Mize. “I’m excited and honored to be appointed Chief Executive Officer & President of our company,” says Jonathan.  “Under my father’s leadership …

If you’re looking for that little something different to make your operation stand out, the International Hardware Fair in Cologne, Germany, may have just what you’re looking for. As home to the ‘EISEN Innovation Awards, the International Hardware Fair showcases …

Home prices are rising, and so are mortgage rates, making it tough for would-be buyers, particularly first-time purchasers, to close a deal on a new place. Meanwhile, the looming threats of new mortgage rules and pending housing-finance reform are adding …