Industry Updates from March 2020
New Stores:
• Jackie and Ron Horne have opened Carolina Hardware & Home Center in Pageland, S.C.
• Pat Sullivan, owner of three Sullivan’s Hardware & Garden stores in central Indiana, purchased Allisonville Garden & Home in Fishers, Ind.
• Westlake Ace Hardware has purchased North Bend Ace Hardware in North Bend, Wash.
• Connolly’s Do it Best Hardware & Rental has acquired Umber’s Do it Best Hardware in Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Jim Benedict has opened Benedict’s Ace Hardware in Mountain View, Wyo.
• Skip King is opening his sixth store, King’s Ace Hardware, in Billings, Mont.
• Gina Schafer and Marc Friedman of A Few Cool Hardware Stores have acquired Annie’s Ace Hardware’s Petworth location in Washington, D.C., which has been renamed Petworth Ace Hardware; and they also acquired Strosniders Hardware in Silver Spring, Md.
• TAL Holdings has acquired family-owned Lake Chelan Building Supply in Chelan and Mason, Wash.
• David Westphal and Nick Perry are the new owners of True Value Home & Hardware in Mayville and Campbellsport, Wis.
• National Lumber opened a new lumberyard in Kingston, Mass.
• Tim Novak is the new owner of Bigari Ace Hardware in Iron River, Mich.
• Century Club retailer Salk’s Ace Hardware and Marine has opened its fourth location in South Kingstown, R.I.
• Nation’s Best has acquired three stores from Groom & Sons’ in Texas.
• Hartville Hardware & Lumber has acquired Centerra Hardware and Lumber Center in Middlefield, Ohio.
• Jacob Mason has acquired Callaway True Value in Callaway, Neb., from Ken Pitkin.
Kudos To:
• Westhampton True Value in Westhampton Beach, N.Y. received top honors as True Value’s “Best Hardware Store in Town” for 2019. Also honored were Island True Value Tackle & Hardware, Carolina Beach, N.C.; M&M True Value Hardware, Steubenville, Ohio; Ross True Value, El Reno, Okla.; Slavens True Value Hardware, Cortez, Colo.; Portland True Value, Portland, Ind.; Tat-fat Home Depot & Hardware, Aruba; Table Rock True Value Hardware, Kimberling City, Mo.; Howard’s True Value, Glendale, Ariz.; True Value Willmantic, Willmantic, Conn.; Arrowhead Builders Supply True Value, Longville, Minn.; Wilco Farm Store, Battle Ground, Wash.; and Sunshine True Value Hardware, Hawi, Hawaii.
• Family-owned Lansing Building Products, with over 70 locations, is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year.
• Forslund Building Supply, with stores in Ironwood and Caspian, Mich., is marking its 70th anniversary this year.
• Hiawatha Lumber Co. of Minneapolis is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.
• The Howard family is celebrating the 65th anniversary of Howard’s Hardware Hank & Rental in Arcadia, Wis.
• Lochard Hardware Do it Center in Sidney, Ohio, is marking its 75th anniversary.
• Lloyd and Donna Boeder are celebrating the 125th anniversary of Hartmann’s Hardware Hank in Pierz, Minn.
• Scott and Patty Stratman are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Stratman Lumber & Hardware in Malden, Mo.
• Studz Hardware in Dearborn Heights, Mich., is celebrating its 65th anniversary.
People On the Move:
• Do it Best Corp. has hired Laurie Schaeffer as merchandise manager for housewares.
Wholesalers in the News:
• Ace Hardware Corp. reported 4Q revenues of $1.5 billion, up 6.1% from last year. Full-year revenue for 2019 was $6.1 billion, up 6.2%, and net income rose 9.5% to $140.4 million. The patronage dividend to shareholders increased 28% to $182.2 million. Retail revenues from Ace Retail Holdings LLC were $121.4 million in 4Q 2019, a 44.7% increase from the prior year. Ace added 168 new domestic stores in fiscal 2019 and cancelled 88 stores. Debt decreased $50.8 million versus the prior year.
• Do it Best Corp. has launched the Do it Best Foundation to distribute grants to organizations that align with its giving pillars and generate the biggest impact in their communities to help them be great places to live, work and play.
Other News:
• Master Magnetics has introduced a new website: www.mastermagnetics.com.
• Gordon Kushner, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for ECi Software Solutions, was recognized as a 2020 Top 50 Corporate Counsel Award winner at the OnConferences Icon Awards program.
• Independent We Stand has launched the fifth annual America’s Main Streets contest. The three-month, web-driven contest helps consumers, small business owners and Main Street organizations reward a deserving Main Street with $25,000 in cash and sponsor-related prizes. All nominations and voting take place on www.MainStreetContest.com. STIHL Inc. is the presenting sponsor and supporting sponsors include Do it Best Corp., PPG Paints and the Paint & Decorating Retailers Association.
• Lowe’s Canada has agreed to sell the assets of the Ace Canada business to Peavey Industries, which operates 92 farm, ranch and hardware stores across Canada under the Peavey Mart, MainStreet Hardware and TSC banners.
In Memory:
• David Helfenberger, former vice president-marketing for House-Hasson Hardware, passed away March 2 at the age of 68. He retired in January 2018 after working for House-Hasson for 34 years. Moved to regional sales manager in 1993, Helfenberger was promoted to vp-marketing in 1996. “Under David’s tenure we became one of the best companies in the industry at doing store sets and new stores,” stated House-Hasson President Don Hasson. David is survived by his wife Shelley; son Ryan Helfenberger (Amy); granddaughter Harlyn; and sisters Diane Clark and Deborah Sumner.
For the Full Story:
• Ace Hardware is preparing to relaunch Ace Handyman Services. Click here.
