Ace Hardware CEO Named Retail Radical by The Robin Report
In its annual awards for innovation in the retail field, John Venhuizen was one of handful of executive honorees. “What is more radical than leading a 100-year-old brand into the future by reinventing the legacy hardware store model?” asks The Robin Report, the newsletter for executives in the retail field. It just awarded its Retail […]
IWF 2024 Scorecard: Attendees Loved What They Discovered in Atlanta
For the almost 16,000 buyer attendees crowding the IWF exhibit halls in Atlanta last August, IWF 2024 was a big winner. How do we know? In post-show research independently conducted and reported… Explore the show details and exhibitors in the IWF 2024 Digital Show Directory.
What True Value’s New Ownership Means for the Chain
With the deal done for Do it Best to take over the hardware and building products retailer it could mean new growth for True Value. With over 8,000 stores and annual revenues of more than $6 billion the newly combined company becomes an even more significant player on the building products retail scene following a […]
Why the “Missing Middle” Is an Opportunity for Home Builders
Between the single family and large multi-family buildings that dominate home building today lies an underdeveloped middle. The so-called “middle” sector of the U.S. homebuilding market – the medium-density structures like duplexes, triplexes and townhouses – grew just 11 percent nationwide over the past 20 years, contributing to the overall shortage in homes in the […]
Georgia Longleaf Pine Forests Are Coming Back
Thanks to new restoration efforts, decades of decline in forests throughout the southeast are being reversed. A new study from the U.S. Forest Service reports that longleaf pine forests are returning to the region, especially in Georgia. “We’ve reversed this trajectory of decline that’s been going on for several centuries,” said study author Kevin Potter, […]
Giant CNC Panel Processing Machine a Show Star
Standing 18 feet tall and weighing more than 40 tons, C.R. Onsrud’s machine was a standout on the IWF show floor. “All of our machines are beefy,” said Rich Guerin, director of operations and controls for C.R. Onsrud. “But the High Rail dominated the floor of the recent International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta. Visiting manufacturers […]
Yule Log: Happy Holidays and On to the New Year
This is our last issue for the year as we break for the holidays and get set for 2025. We’re wrapping up the 2024 IWF Network News schedule this week with our final issue for the calendar year. We want to thank all our readers for your continued viewership of our newsletters and sincerely hope […]
Remembering Bernie Marcus’s Invention of the Modern DIY Retailer
The passing of the legendary co-founder of Home Depot earlier this month reminded the industry of his role in creating the biggest retailer in home improvement. When Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank were fired from the long-since-forgotten Handy Dan home improvement chain, it started a process that led to the creation of a $150 billion […]
Lumber Prices Surge Over 17% Year-Over-Year
Like just about every other building component the price of lumber has skyrocketed this past year. Even with a brief period of stability this past summer, the price of lumber is on the rise again and according to a new analysis from the National Association of Home Builders, it has jumped 17.2 percent from this […]
Outlook for Home Improvement Products Increases for 2025
Even as the rest of this year looks soft, the Home Improvement Research Institute is more optimistic for what’s ahead. The market for home improvement products should rebound and grow by 3.9 percent in 2025 according to a new market forecast from the HIRI. This will follow what is projected to be a 0.1 percent […]