Technology

After a brutal winter, what the industry can use now is a splash of color — from raspberry red to lime to black and white. Even “green” qualifies, when used to conserve energy. On the following pages, the New Product Showcase opens on a colorful collection of handy or heavyweight home solutions for the 2011 selling season.

Gardening Colors

Benjamin Obdyke has named Tara Murray as its new marketing manager, reporting directly to general manager Michael Coulton. In her new position, Murray will be responsible for the development and implementation of marketing plans supporting all Benjamin Obdyke existing and new products.

Murray comes to the company from CertainTeed Corp., where she worked in the ceilings division and held posts of increasing responsibility in product marketing and marketing communications. She began her career with the print and digital design services agency Warkulwiz Design Associates.

Orlando, Fla. -- A packed room of building industry executives and special guests of cancer and diabetes care center City of Hope set the stage for the charity's Spirit of Life ceremony honoring Craig Menear, The Home Depot's executive VP merchandising. 

The City of Hope's Hardware and Homebuilding industry group raised more than $1 million for the City of Hope in connection with the Spirit of Life ceremony Jan. 11.

Moline, Ill.-based Deere & Co. announced it has completed the sale of its wind energy business, John Deere Renewables, to Chicago-based Exelon Generation Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Exelon Corporation.

The sale was completed Dec. 10 and consisted of 36 wind projects in eight states- generating 735 operating megawatts of clean, renewable energy- enough to power 160,000 to 220,000 households.
 

Consumers may be falling out of love with their front-load washing machines, according to a survey by The NPD Group, a market research firm based in Port Washington, N.Y. A study of consumer shopping habits in the kitchen appliance category showed that top-load washers are outpacing front loaders in terms of dollar growth, up 8% vs. a slower increase of 5% for front-loaders.  

MasterForce, the private-label line of power tools made for Menards, has announced a new offering in the circular saw category: a 6-1/2-in. model powered by either an 18-volt lithium ion or NiCad battery. The cordless saw delivers 4,500 rpms, according to its manufacturer, and contains a bevel adjustment that tilts the blade from 0 to 45 degrees.

Most saws are equipped with a general purpose 18-to-24-tooth, carbide-tipped blade, and incorporate an LED work light to help illuminate the work surface.

Arlington, Va. -- The data was flying fast and furious here at the Home Improvement Research Institute's (HIRI's) Spring Conference. 

The series of seminars carried the theme "Understanding Today's Home Improvement Industry" and kicked off Wednesday morning with a detailed examination of some unpleasant and lingering macroeconomic trends. Other charts presented by the day's seven presenters picked up where last year's conference left off by establishing a worst-is-behind-us view of the home improvement industry.

Ronald L. Sargent and J. Frank Brown -- the CEO of Staples and the dean of an international business school, respectively -- have been nominated for election to The Home Depot's board of directors at the company’s upcoming annual meeting on June 2.

Separately, David H. Batchelder, 61, has informed the Company that he has decided not to stand for re-election at the annual meeting. Batchelder, founder and principal of Relational Investors LLC, has been a director since 2007.