Technology

Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool has announced a second-quarter net loss of $161 million, compared with net earnings of $205 million in the same period last year. 

Second-quarter results include the settlement of a Brazilian collection dispute for about $3.78 per share and increased accruals related to developments in the Embraco antitrust matters of $1.08 per share.

“The concept of consistent, incremental improvement applies to just about everything we do,” said Ron Beal, the CEO of Memphis, Tenn.-based distributor Orgill.


In that sentence, Beal captured the essence of the distributor’s spirit of improvement. There’s no single hero, no silver bullet and no rainmaker. Instead, Beal describes an environment of measuring, benchmarking and improving. And the results were impressive in 2010, a difficult year for home products. Orgill posted 2010 sales of $1.179 billion, up 9.3% over $1.079 billion in the prior year. 


Its nickname is "the Walmart of weed."

Described as the nation's only hydroponics franchise that openly talks about medical marijuana, weGrow opened a 21,000-sq.-ft. store in Phoenix earlier this month. 

At its LBM User Conference, Epicor launches BisTrack Price Checker and offers BisTrack Warehouse Management application for Android devices.

Boise, Idaho-based BMC appointed Keith Costello, a 26-year veteran of the construction business and former Orco Construction Supply executive, as its VP sales. 

The discount giant’s innovation gala presented a glimpse into the future of retail.

A 19-year-old man in Pensacola, Fla., was arrested on May 8 after he escaped police custody and ran into Home Depot looking for bolt cutters to cut his handcuffs, according to a report on Fox 10 TV and other media accounts.