Recent Features, News & Products from Hardware Connection
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Fluidmaster Universal 2” & 3” Super Flapper
Universal design fits both two-inch and three-inch toilet flush valves. Adjustable configuration helps eliminate size guesswork for customers. Designed for use with most two-piece toilets and major toilet brands. Easy-turn adjustment dial allows users to fine-tune water use per flush. Helps address common problems such as running toilets and leaking flappers. Compatible with 1.28, 1.6…
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Speed Sells: Q&A with Oatey’s VP Retail Marketing, Nicole Fournier
Cleveland-based Oatey supports charitable initiatives through a decade-long partnership with the VeloSano fundraising effort, which benefits cancer research at the Cleveland Clinic. Nicole Fournier, vice president of retail marketing for Oatey Co., shares how installation speed, project merchandising and bathroom remodeling trends are reshaping plumbing retail. As labor pressures and project expectations continue to reshape…
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What Trends Drive Kitchen-and-Bath Now
As finishes, multifunction fixtures and accessibility-focused products shape kitchen-and-bath trends in 2026, retailers are increasingly helping customers navigate style and product decisions through showroom displays and design resources such as those at Jackson’s Hardware in San Rafael, Calif. Innovation in the category has recently centered on usability and lifestyle needs. From matte black fixtures and…
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Ace Hardware Reports Record First-Quarter 2026 Results
Ace Hardware reported record first-quarter 2026 revenues of $2.5 billion, an increase of 10.9 percent from the same period last year, while net income rose to $70.1 million from $30.3 million in the first quarter of 2025. The Oak Brook, Ill.-based retailer says approximately 4,000 Ace stores that share daily retail sales data posted a…
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Maine Hardware Stores Rally Support After Robbins Lumber Explosion
Damariscotta Hardware in Damariscotta, Maine, and Randolph Hardware in Randolph, Maine, have launched a Register Round-Up fundraiser to support those affected by the recent fire and explosion at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, Maine. The fundraiser, now underway at both stores, allows customers to round up purchases at checkout, with donations matched by store co-owner Rob…
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Former Our Own Hardware CEO James Weyrens Passes Away
James Weyrens, former president and CEO of Our Own Hardware Inc. and a key figure in the formation of what became Do it Best, passed away Jan. 9, 2026, at his home in Eagan, Minnesota. He was 86. Born June 10, 1939, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Weyrens graduated from the University of St. Thomas in…
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Talarico Named COO in Latest Do it Best-True Value Integration Move
Do it Best Group has named Nick Talarico chief operating officer as the company takes another step toward integrating operations following its 2024 acquisition of True Value. The company announced May 13 that Talarico will oversee efforts to strengthen operations, align teams and continue integration work across the Do it Best and True Value organizations…
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Framing The Business
By Larry Myers — Larry Myers frames the idea at the center of his business: giving customers more reasons to walk through the door. At River Ridge Hardware, the combination of hardware and custom framing has created a steady draw built around service, craft and a strong connection to the community. At River Ridge Hardware…
