True Value

Atlanta, Texas-based Price Hardware True Value has been named the 2011 "Tools of the Trade Award" winner by Home Channel News.

The company will accept the award May 11 at the Golden Hammer Awards breakfast event in Las Vegas, held in conjunction with the National Hardware Show.

Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse appeared at the 2011 True Value Spring Market to promote Emeril Outdoor Grills at the Viking Culinary Group booth.

Distributed and designed by Viking, the Emeril Outdoor Grills were added for the first time to the True Value warehouse program. 

Lagasse signed autographs at the Viking booth on Monday at the co-op's market in Orlando.

The Emeril Outdoor Charcoal Grill has 424 square inches of primary cooking surface, a heavy-duty construction and an easy-to-read thermometer.

Chicago-based hardware co-op True Value Co. promoted Eric Lane to the position of VP specialty businesses.

In his new post, Lane will oversee the co-op's Home & Garden Showplace, International, MRO - Maintenance, Repair and Operations, and the Rental Division including Grand Rental Station, Just Ask Rental and Taylor Rental.

Previously, Lane was business development director of retail growth. He replaces Fred Kirst, who retired Feb. 11. 

Orlando, Fla. -- At True Value Co., a national gift card program and a re-launched True Value Rewards Program are among the marketing moves designed to drive revenue and profit for members, according to Carol Wentworth, VP marketing for the Chicago-based co-op.

The gift cards represent a move -- along with the co-op's launch of e-commerce in November -- to better compete in today's world of retailing, she said, and deliver what the customer expects.

Coast Hardware, a True Value dealer in Willits, Calif., keeps some unusual merchandise in the front of the store: a large cage full of cats, ready for adoption. According to an article in the Willits News, owner Don Buchanan and staff have been helping place animal rescue shelter cats in homes for several years. 

The Northern California hardware store partners with the local chapter of the Humane Society and a group called Anderson Valley Animal Rescue.

Is the repeal of health care's 1099 expansion imminent? Towers Watson consultant Regina Ihrke thinks so. 

During her presentation during True Value's Spring Market, Ihrke interpreted remarks in President Obama's State of the Nation address as a signal that the 1099 provision buried deep in the health care legislation will be repealed within the next year.

Orgill, Distribution America, Ace Hardware, True Value and Lancaster make up the list of co-ops/distributors signed up for the new Buying Desk Program so far, according to organizers of the National Hardware Show.

Independent retailers attending the May 10-12 event in Las Vegas will have instant access to new products introduced at the event  through the show’s new Buying Desk Program. On the flip side, suppliers attending the 2011 event will be able to sell products to independent retailers through their existing co-operative and distributor programs.

It’s been nearly two months since Chicago-based True Value launched its new e-commerce site, and in that time the hardware co-op has seen traffic to TrueValue.com triple.


The new site already features more than 22,000 SKUs of its core assortments in accordance with its Destination True Value format.