Tag Archives: association

As the only event uniting the entire independent channel, the 2026 Independent Home Improvement Conference (IHI) promises to deliver practical takeaways, interaction with top industry vendors and chances to connect. Taking place July 29-30 at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande …

Celebrating its 20th year honoring trailblazing retailers in the channel, the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) has named its 2026 Top Guns Awards honorees, including David Enmark, CEO of The Helpful Hardware Company, based in Cumming, Georgia. “Top …

Unsure of what the future would hold or even what he wanted his future to look like, Kane Wilbanks turned to the military, joining the U.S. Marine Corps in 2017. “The unknown really drove my motivation to join the Marines,” …

Always ready. Always there. The venerable motto of the United States National Guard is what Tim Kromholtz lived out during his time in the Washington Air National Guard and in his executive role in the independent home improvement industry. Kromholtz’s …

With the vision to create a successful wholesale hardware business, W.B. Whittaker, S.M. Holtsinger and D.M. Wallace chartered the Whittaker-Holtsinger Company in 1922 in Morristown, Tennessee. In 1932, D.M. became president, and in 1944, he changed the name to the …

After watching his father serve in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years and growing up in the military community, Andy Horton was determined to follow the same path for his own life. While he achieved his dreams of serving …

Bringing the independent channel together in Orlando, Florida, the 2025 Independent Home Improvement Conference (IHI Conference) combined learning and leisure, sending attendees home with best practices on retail operations and insights to address current market conditions. Attendees of the event, …

Students in the 2025 Retail Management Certification Program (RMCP) recently completed the first site visit of the year in Fishers, Indiana. Designed specifically for store owners, regional supervisors and managers, the program blends strategic leadership training, hands-on business improvement projects …