House-Hasson readies for Nashville dealer market

House-Hasson Hardware will return to an in-person market platform in January 2023.

The Knoxville, Tenn.-based hardware distributor’s previous October market was held virtually, allowing busy independent hardware store and lumberyard dealers to stay close to their stores.

“Our focus, every day, is on dealer profitability,” said Steve Henry, House-Hasson president and CEO. “Staffing has been an issue for businesses across the country, and the dealers we serve have been feeling it as well.”

Henry said the October virtual market was a way of taking some of the pressure off dealers in terms of being able to staff their stores.  “Now, dealers, and our House-Hasson staff, want to go back to in-person markets.”

House-Hasson’s next dealer market is scheduled for Jan. 12-14, 2023, at the Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tenn.  Henry notes that the staffing challenges that have affected businesses – including House-Hasson and its dealers - throughout 2021 and 2022 show evidence of turning around. 

“We’re getting more applications for employment than we’ve seen in a while,” Henry said. “There are indications that are becoming true for dealers, too. How that applies to the economy overall is unknown, but what it means for us is that from this point forward, barring something unprecedented and unforeseen, in-person markets are our future.” 

According to House-Hasson, registrations from dealers and vendors are up. “Dealers use our buying specials’ prices to help make their margins. We also get a chance to visit and spend time together, and that’s important,” Henry said and noted that the distributor’s dealers like the markets in Nashville because of the city’s entertainment options and the 2,888-room Opryland Hotel.