Learning Sessions and Award Celebrations at the 2025 IHI Conference
Hardware professionals gathered at the JW Marriott Orlando grande Lakes for a blend of networking, education and celebrations.
In Orlando, Florida, July 30-31, the 2025 Independent Home Improvement Conference (IHI) combined practical strategies, fresh ideas and a first-ever joint Awards Gala.
Cohosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and The Hardware Conference, IHI marked its second year as a unified event. This edition also brought two signature celebrations onto one stage—Hardware Connection’s Beacon Awards and NHPA’s Young Retailer of the Year—underscoring a central theme: Independents accomplish more when they work together.
The JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes was more than a backdrop, with general sessions, education rooms and the Partner Pavilion clustered close together to keep conversations moving between panels. Attendees pointed to the compact layout, shaded outdoor spaces and family-friendly amenities as elements that positively shaped the overall experience.
During the conference, retailers heard from many industry leaders. Among them was Dave King, executive director of the Home Improvement Research Institute, who mapped the macro forces—unemployment, inflation, interest rates, housing—that are influencing consumer behavior in 2025. The takeaway for independents: Headwinds remain, but agility, focus and stronger partnerships will help mitigate them.
SPONSORS, EDUCATION AND AN ALL-INDUSTRY ETHOS
This year’s IHI doubled down on something simple and rare: competitors putting down their individual banners to support the independent cause.
During the Opening Session, Hardware Conference owner Craig Cope underlined the point from the stage: When you see rivals sharing a platform, it’s because “this is the right thing for the industry,” and the titles stay in the background so the work can get done.
“What’s important to note is these companies that are here from the wholesale perspective and some from the sponsorship perspective, they’re competitive with one another, but they think it is important enough to support the industry no matter what flag you fly,” says NHPA’s chief operating officer, Dan Tratensek.
Throughout the 2025 IHI Conference, the sponsors’ presence showed up in several tangible ways—focused education tracks, hands-on demos, roundtables and practical sessions pointing directly at margin management, inventory discipline, pricing and promotion, and technology adoption. In that sense, IHI functioned, as it always does, as an all-industry workshop, with distributors, vendors and retailers—no matter their distributor affiliation—standing shoulder to shoulder to trade playbooks and sharpen execution.
MOORE’S REMARKS ABOUT ORGILL’S OUTLOOK
The day before the conference began, sponsors hosted events. The Orgill Partner Event offered in-depth information about tariffs and cost volatility, assortment strategy, payroll management and technology adoption. One highlight was the Orgill Technology Symposium, where topics such as electronic shelf labels and loyalty programs moved from theory to real-world application.
In his opening remarks, Orgill president and CEO Boyden Moore shared a candid read on market realities: U.S. retail sales are up modestly, but home improvement’s “share of wallet” has dropped to its lowest point since the early 1990s. Existing-home sales—critical triggers for presale projects and post-purchase upgrades—are down nearly a million transactions annually, creating sustained headwinds.
Even with those challenges, Moore said Orgill continues to grow by balancing new business with its steady commitment to existing customers. “Everything we’re building is designed to help you execute faster and smarter,” he noted. “Your agility as independents is your edge, and our role is to give you tools to amplify that advantage.”
He emphasized disciplined price management amid tariff-driven volatility, encouraging independents to adopt a similarly proactive approach: “Staying competitive today means understanding where price changes are happening and responding quickly, without chasing every fluctuation.”
Moore also highlighted Orgill’s soon-to-open Innovation Center in Collierville, Tenn., a permanent, data-driven resource at which model stores, vendor booths and planning spaces will enable retailers to test strategies and customize assortments. Coupled with recent investments in expanded distribution capacity, the center reflects Orgill’s broader strategy: Use scale, technology and services to help independents compete more effectively.
DO IT BEST, TRUE VALUE AND PRACTICAL EDUCATION
During Do it Best and True Value’s partner day prior to the conference, the companies cohosted two education sessions led by strategist and industry consultant Stefanie Couch, designed to give independent retailers clear, actionable tools they can put to work immediately.
In “Unmistakable: Why Visibility Is Leadership,” Couch explored how visibility extends beyond marketing into formal business strategy, showing how a store’s presence—on the sales floor, in the community and even on local media—can directly influence growth. She focused less on broad concepts and more on practical ways owners can make themselves and their businesses more recognizable and trusted within their markets.
The second session, “AI Unleashed: Embracing the Power of AI and Automation,” addressed one of the conference’s most talked-about topics: artificial intelligence. Couch avoided abstract discussions and instead broke down small, real-world applications such as using AI-driven tools to streamline invoice processing, automate product data updates and simplify ordering workflows.
Beyond the co-op sessions, several industry partners contributed to IHI’s education lineup, offering practical tools for independents. Epicor led multiple hands-on trainings on pricing strategies, mobile capabilities and underutilized Eagle features. ECI Software Solutions focused on protecting margins in a volatile market, while Intact Software shared approaches to integrating AI into daily operations. Deluxe offered strategies to reach new movers before big-box competitors, and Live Oak Bank explored financing options tailored to independents. Sessions from Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance on risk management and Watcher Total Protection on retail loss prevention rounded out the broader agenda, giving attendees insights across technology, finance, marketing and operational security.
