Technology

Houston-based co-op Handy Hardware Wholesale opens its 50th Anniversary Spring Market today in Houston. The event runs through Feb. 5.

Handy’s market floor will open at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday and will close at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5.  Market incentives will be enhanced as five market attendees will have the opportunity to draw for up to $50,000 in cash at the close of the market. Following the market close, the member-owned distributor will continue the celebration with a private concert by Sony BMG recording artist Kellie Pickler.

New distributor members of STAFDA include companies from Minneapolis and Memphis, Boulder and Beaverton., according to an announcement in the Elm Grove, Wis.-based association's December Trade News bulletin.

They are:

This week, California-based Orchard Supply Hardware is leveraging its Sears connection, by marking 25% off of all Craftsman brand products.

Hot Deals

• A Craftsman 12-volt Li-Ion drill for $52.49
• A 17-in. plastic toolbox for $11.24
• 260-piece mechanic’s toolbox for $149.99

The Skinny: A circular within a circular

Abbeville, Ala.-based Great Southern Wood Preserving formed an alliance with specialty building materials distributor U.S. Lumber Group.

Under the new alliance, an affiliate of Great Southern will become a minority investor in U.S. Lumber and customers of both companies will leverage the benefits of increased volume purchasing and sharing of "best practices." No jobs will be adversely affected, nor are management changes anticipated, the companies announced. 

Some 30 Ace Hardware stores in the Chicago region are the latest retail outlets to offer ink cartridge refill services through a company called Ink-O-Dem.

Ink-O-Dem's ink cartridge refilling service is operating at about 4,500 Walgreens stores in the United States. In and around Chicago, the service is operating in retailers including two Micro Center stores in Chicago and Westmont, Fry's Electronics in Downers Grove, and hundreds of Walgreens, the company said.

The Community Action Partnership has announced that 84 Lumber will sponsor its annual National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award, which recognizes outstanding efforts promoting community development as a core strategy to increase economic security and reduce poverty.

“There are no sissies left in this business.”


That’s the official Home Channel News quote of the month, from Rick Frost, the CEO of Nashville, Tenn.-based Louisiana-Pacific.


St. Louis-based urban redevelopment firm EcoUrban is filling vacant lots in St. Louis with energy-efficient and affordable prefab and modular homes.

The redevelopment project involves a modular building manufactured off-site with green, sustainable features, then trucked to St. Louis, placed on a precast foundation and finished on-site.