Golden Hammer strikes in Vegas
Las Vegas -- The Golden Hammer Awards have been honoring the gold standard in home improvement since 1984 -- and the trend continued last night at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Suppliers in 32 product categories -- from power tools to garden accessories -- took home the hardware. The ceremony also recognized retail partners and saw the induction of True Value Lyle Heidemann into the Home Channel Hall of Fame.
"Tonight we honor the best of our industry, as chosen by peers and partners," said Jeff Arlen, publisher of Home Channel News. "The recipients of tonight's awards have written the playbook of success."
These peer-recognition awards recognized 32 vendors who have displayed best-of-field excellence in the broad merchandise categories of LBM and Durables, Hardware Tools and Supplies, Outdoor Living, and Home Decor.
Retail partners were also honored. Memphis, Tenn.-based Orgill; two-location Wisconsin dealer Nelson True Value; and All American Home Center of Downey, Calif., each received Golden Hammers.
Orgill CEO Ron Beal accepted the Retail Partner of the Year Award on behalf of the distributor that showed a solid 4% sales gain in 2008.
"It's a real honor and a privilege, given the number of quality companies there are in this industry," Beal said.
The Innovative Retailer of the Year award went to Nelson True Value, operators of a thriving rural hardware store in Viroqua, Wis., and also a newly renovated Prairie du Chien store, which adopted the latest Destination True Value merchandising best practices.
For the first time, the ceremony included a "Tools of the Trade" award, which honored a hardware and home improvement store that champions best practices across their operation to generate top and bottom line results. All American Home Center of Downey, Calif., a Do it Best dealer, took home this inaugural award.
True Value CEO Heidemann, who began his retail career at Sears in 1967, was inducted into the Home Channel Hall of Fame. "I've seen a lot of change in my career [but] the local entrepreneur is still a very significant part of this industry," Heidemann said.
Mainly, it was a night that honored supplier excellence. The selection process for the vendor awards begins with an e-mail blast of ballots to buyers and merchandise managers of America's top 500 home centers, building material dealers and retailers. The ballots also were delivered to 150 lumberyards.
Retailers and dealers were asked to select a single supplier from each one of the 32 product categories based on the criteria of category management, inventory management, new product innovation, quality control and ability to serve the pros. (See Winners)
In addition to the industry-wide voting, the 25th annual event also bestowed "Committee Choice Awards" in five categories. The 2009 winners, selected by a panel of retailers from the entire list of Golden Hammer winners, are:
• Dap, in category management, for superiority in total category approach to its product area that maximizes turns and profits for the retailer's entire department.
• Stanley, in inventory management, for resourcefulness in utilizing technology and electronic data interchange to simplify reorder systems, meet deadlines and improve overall efficiency.
• Bona US, in new product innovation, for keeping its merchandise assortment fresh and bringing the latest products to market quickly.
• Leviton, in quality control, for the highest level of total quality that reduces returns and increases the dealer's customer satisfaction.
• And Valspar, as vendor of the year, for the best overall job of serving retailers' needs -- from new product development to supply chain management to helping sell their products to end-users.
The selection committee consisted of Mike Clark of True Value; Steve Markley of Do it Best; Ken Post of Orgill; Mickey Schulte of Handy Hardware Wholesale; John Surane of Ace Hardware and George Smith of Westlake Ace Hardware.
"I don't have to tell anyone in this room that we are having a challenging year, but as all of you are aware, challenges can be turned into opportunities with aggressive, perceptive strategies, innovation and follow-up implementation," said Arlen, HCN publisher.