LL Flooring Is Coming Back…as Lumber Liquidators 

Back under the ownership of its founder, the flooring retailer is expected to emerge from bankruptcy with fewer stores and an old familiar name.  Just when it seemed LL Flooring would succumb as another retail victim of the downturn in the housing and home improvement business, it appears that it will live to see another day.  […]

Furniture Producer Sauder to Start Selling Wood Components

The ready-to-assemble furniture resource has launched Sauder Supply to begin servicing other furniture producers as well as cabinet manufacturers.  Sauder Supply is the new initiative from the Archbold, OH-based RTA powerhouse as it seeks to become a B2B supplier to the trade again. “Sauder Supply represents a significant step forward for our company and also is […]

3D Printed Buildings Have Their Limits, Walmart Discovered

A new Walmart expansion project shows that 3D printing is not as efficient or cost-saving as traditional construction techniques.   While the building trade has watched the emergence of structures made with 3D printing machines with some trepidation, the recent example of its use for a new Walmart structure seems to indicate it is not going […]

Wirutex’s IWF Intro Blew Everyone Away

Among the thousands of new products shown at this summer’s International Woodworking Fair was the company’s latest turbine. Wirutex, the Italian company known for its high-quality tools in diamond and carbide for the craftsmanship and furniture industry sectors, introduced its latest, the Turbinex, at IWF 2024 in booth B5443. The Turbinex is designed for the removal and […]

What the Expected Fed Rate Cut Means for Builders

We’re only weeks away from the highly anticipated cut in interest rates by the Federal Reserve. Here’s what it could mean for the building and construction trade. It’s been talked about for almost a year, the Federal Reserve has stuck to its guns and kept interest rates at the highest level in 20 years. Now, […]

Who Wins Now that LL Flooring Has Lost?

With the big retailing flooring chain liquidating, several competing retailers stand to pick up its $900 million in annual revenues. The news that LL Flooring, the 400-store specialty chain already in bankruptcy, would be shutting down completely and liquidating was not totally unexpected: the company had said if it couldn’t arrange for a new owner […]

It’s Taking Longer to Build a Single-Family Home

New numbers from the Census Bureau indicate that the average single-family home takes half a month longer to build than it used to. If it sometimes seems like everything takes a little longer to finish these days, you might be right when it comes to building a single-family home. A new National Association of Home […]

Mark Your Calendar for WWMM in October

The annual IWF Woodworking Manufacturing Month is only a few weeks away, a great way to get ready for all that 2025 has to offer. It’s North America’s largest annual event for the woodworking industry and it’s almost here. Get ready as top-tier manufacturers throughout the business bring you their newest products, innovations and technologies. […]

The Mass Timber Business Is Booming but Geography Is a Factor

Around the world, the use of mass timber for new construction has skyrocketed but in some parts of the world builders need to be careful. New mass timber buildings, some as high as 30 stories, are turning up in the U.S., Europe and Asia but a new report suggests that certain climates are less hospitable […]

Home Depot’s Lower Forecast Sets Stage for ’25 First Half

Home Depot has been one of the best performing retailers in the home improvement space but it sees a slower return for its business. No retailer has been a better performer or been more indicative of the remodeling and home improvement sector than Home Depot so when it reduces its forecast for its upcoming business […]