Do it Best Launches New Foundation & Other Industry News
New Stores:
• David Majure has opened his third store, Pell City Ace Hardware, in Pell City, Ala.
• Menards is opening its fourth central Ohio store in Columbus in the first quarter of 2020.
• Higginbotham Brothers & Company is acquiring White’s Ace Building Center in Shawnee and Seminole, Okla.
• Doug Snyder opened his second Tanner’s Hardware in Houtzdale, Pa.
• Grayco Hardware & Home has opened in Summerville, S.C.
• Fred and Liz Henson have opened Ace Hardware of Madisonville in Madisonville, Texas.
• Scott and Tina Andrews have opened their second store, Carrollwood Ace Hardware in Carrollwood, Fla.
• Pukall Lumber is opening its fourth store in Minocqua, Wis., at the site of the former Minocqua Hardware.
• Westlake Ace Hardware announced plans to acquire three Haggerty Ace Hardware stores in Cooperstown, Delhi and Walton, N.Y., from Owners Jeff and Wanda Haggerty, who launched the business in 1992. The deal, when it closes on January 19, will signal Westlake’s first entry into New York.
Kudos To:
• Arrow Fastener President and CEO Gary DuBoff has been honored with an “Executive of the Year” award by the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.
• Inland Northwest Ace Hardware Stores pledged $1 million to support renovation of the pediatric unit at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Spokane, Wash.
• David Stordahl of Triple S Building Center in Butte, Mont., was elected president of the Western Building Material Association.
• Carl’s Building Supply in Chimacum, Wash., was recognized with the President’s Award at the Western Building Material Association Annual Convention.
People on the Move:
• Rocky’s Ace Hardware has named Kim Lynch director of marketing and advertising.
• Do it Best Corp. has promoted Mike Melchi to regional sales manager.
• Lyman Companies has named Charlie Bradburn president.
Wholesaler in the News:
• Ace Hardware Corp. reported record 3Q revenues of $1.53 billion, up 7.2% from last year. Net income rose $24.2 million to $60.5 million in the quarter, with same-store sales up 3.4%. Ace gained 48 new stores in the quarter and now has 5,327 stores worldwide. Retail revenues from Ace Retail Holdings rose 53.2% to $121.0 million for 3Q, primarily due to the inclusion of ACO and 10 new stores opened by Westlake Ace. Total debt decreased by $30.1 million.
• True Value Company opened its new regional distribution center in Wilkes Barre, Pa., in October. The 1 million-square-foot hub facility represents a $150 million investment.
• Capital Lumber opened a new regional distribution facility in Sacramento, Calif.
Other News:
• Kaba Ilco has introduced an auto remote lookup website: http://ilcolookalike.com. Click here for a reference.
• The Wooster Brush Company has announced a newly redesigned logo and product packaging that will hit shelves early next year. This new look refreshes the Wooster brand, offering a cohesive strategy at retail across all channels. The campaign launching to announce these elements is, “Same Great Product, Bold New Look.”
• Handyman Matters has been named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Companies for Customer Service for the second year in a row.
• Transform Holdco, the parent company of Sears and Kmart, announced plans to close 96 more stores, leaving the company with 182 stores.
• Saint-Gobain has acquired Continental Building Products.
• Lowe’s Canada is closing 34 underperforming stores.
Do it Best Launches New Foundation
Do it Best Corp. and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana announced a fundraising total of $223,938 as part of The Big DONation, a youth enrichment initiative launched to honor Don Wolf, Do it Best president emeritus and founder of the local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter.
The Big DONation kicked off on June 19, Don Wolf’s 90th birthday. As a way to honor his legacy, Do it Best committed to matching all donations made to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana up to $90,000. While Don passed away on September 11 before the conclusion of the fund drive, he was an early contributor and was excited to follow the progress of the campaign.
“Do it Best has a long tradition of supporting agencies like Big Brothers Big Sisters that are committed to serving the needs of others,” said Dan Starr, president and CEO of Do it Best. “Don Wolf and his legacy have inspired us to take that commitment to the next level with the formation of the Do it Best Foundation, where we look forward to supporting other community organizations and initiatives.”
The Do it Best Foundation, a 501c(3) organization, will focus on four key areas for its charitable giving: health and wellness, youth enrichment, the arts and the community. The foundation is establishing a committee tasked with reviewing and approving requests for funding. For more information, visit doitbestfoundation.org.