Top five stories of the year
HBSDealer’s daily newsletter kept the stories coming through 2022, through various vaccine iterations, through the reemergence of mask-free communications, through increased travel, through inflation, through acquisition and—of course—through competition.
Looking at the top five headlines based on pageviews generated by the core daily-newsletter audience supports the long-held view that, more than most, the hardware and building supply industry is a people business.
Headline: The Top 200 ProDealers
Date: Sept. 7
Recap: This year’s Top 200 ProDealer Industry Scoreboard tracked the leaders of the lumberyard business, from building-product distribution powerhouse Builders FirstSource at no. 1, all the way to a single unit dealer in Alabama at no. 200.
Sales were strong for prodealers in 2021, as they continued to ride a surge in the housing and remodeling markets, as demand rose along with the price of goods sold. There are plenty of headwinds in the forecast. But there's also opportunity for market share gains for those who invest in growth or efficiency.
Headline: Meet the Top Women of 2022
Date: July 31
Recap: For the second year in a row, a comprehensive article identifying women making a difference in the industry, made it to the top of the pageview list.
The announcement of honorees is part of a year-round program to promote the role of women in the industry and support women in their varied professional journeys.
“With a record number of nominations, the task of selecting the 2022 class of Top Women was very difficult,” said Amy Grant, associate publisher of HBSealer. “We are thrilled that so many people participated in the process. The end result is a special group of high-performing leaders and rising stars who will shape this industry for years to come.”
The program culminated in a live event in Chicago.
Headline: Flitman steps down as CEO of Builders FirstSource
Date: Nov. 20
Recap: When the leading executive of the leading LBM business unexpectedly steps down, reader interest is guaranteed. At Dallas-based Buillders FirstSource, Dave Flitman’s departure was a top story, and so was the subsequent news story explaining his new role, as CEO of US Foods.
Dave Rush, executive vice president, serves as interim CEO, until a permanent successor is named.
Flitman’s going away comment: “Builders FirstSource is stronger than ever and I am confident the company is poised to outperform the market over the next several years as it transforms the homebuilding industry.”
Headline: How Ace will spend its money on the supply chain
Date: Sept. 22, 2022
Recap: Lori Bossmann, chief supply chain officer at Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ace Hardware Corp., told Ace dealers at the co-op’s Fall Conference, “Ace will invest $800 million in the supply chain over the next five years.”
HBSDealer followed up with a Q&A. with Bossmann, in which she described the potential and the importance of the investments in physical spaces, technology and people.
These investments are key to our digital strategy and our ability to compete and deliver on changing consumer expectations,” said the Ace executive.
Headline: A retail journey’s end: Lowe’s completes international exit
Date: Nov. 3, 2022
Recap:Since the arrival of Marvin Ellison as president and CEO of Lowe’s in 2018, the home improvement retail giant has continued to sharpen its focus on its core, domestic retail strategy.
Shortly after Ellison was named as Lowe’s top executive, the company announced in November 2018 that it would shed its retail operations in Mexico. Lowe’s first entered in Mexico 2010 but closed all 13 of its stores by 2019.
In this top five story of. 2022, it was revealed that the company is making a much more dramatic international exit with the sale of its Canadian division.
Ellison said: “The sale of our Canadian retail business is an important step toward simplifying the Lowe's business model.”
