Mass. retailer plans to open new store
According to an article in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, the owner of Westboro (Mass.) Paint & Decorating is preparing to launch a harder side.
The owner of the paint store, Doug Curving, is renovating the site of the former Village Lumber, also in Westboro, which will eventually become Village Hardware & Supply. The new store will sell hardware, fasteners, keys, plumbing and electrical supplies, among other hardline home improvement merchandise, the article said.
The new store is expected to open June 1.
Bob Taylor to enter Home Channel Hall of Fame
The Home Channel Hall of Fame will welcome Do it Best Corp. CEO Bob Taylor during an induction ceremony at the 2012 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.
The Home Channel Hall of Fame has been recognizing outstanding service to the hardware and home improvement industry since 2004. Recent inductees include Larry Stone (2011), president emeritus of Lowe’s, and Pat Farrah (2010), one of the original founders of The Home Depot.
Bob Taylor’s name will join the esteemed group during an induction ceremony that will highlight the Golden Hammer Awards breakfast event May 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Taylor began his hardware-retailing career in the family business, Taylor’s Do it Center in the Virginia Beach, Va., area. He joined Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Do it Best Corp. in 2001 and was named president and CEO in 2002.
“It is a true honor to be recognized at this high level within our industry,” Taylor said. “It is also very humbling to be counted among such a distinguished group of industry leaders and pioneers. “
Home Channel News recognized Taylor’s contributions back in 1999, when he was named one of “Industry Innovators” by what was then known as National Home Center News, HCN’s precursor.
“From front lines to the corner office, Bob Taylor has been an effective and respected leader in the home improvement industry,” said Ken Clark, editor of Home Channel News. “We’re very pleased to welcome him into the Home Channel Hall of Fame.”
More recently, Taylor has led Do it Best during eight consecutive years of member rebates in excess of $100 million. He’s also shown the spirit of improvement by spearheading the co-op’s Extreme Growth initiatives, which include the development of a “World Class Commerce Center” and “Performance Satisfaction Guarantee.”
Taylor was appointed to the Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s board of directors in 2011. And he’s a board member of the National Association of Wholesalers and Distributors.
“Any success I’ve enjoyed has been the result of the tremendously talented individuals I’ve had the chance to work for and with along the way,” Taylor said. “That starts with the best mentor I could have ever had, my dad. From there, it’s the great team I grew up with at Taylor’s Do it Centers and the exceptionally dedicated associates that are part of my Do it Best Corp. family today. I share this award with all of them, and look forward to continuing our efforts to make the best even better.”
The Golden Hammer Awards breakfast will also recognize leading home channel product manufacturers as selected by their peers. A panel of retail honorees will participate in a panel called “The Recovery: Is it real? And what to do about it.”
Doors for the Golden Hammer breakfast will open at 7:30 a.m.
Town & Country Hardware joins CNRG
Natchez, Miss.-based Central Network Retail Group (CNRG) added Chapel Hill, N.C.-based Town & Country Hardware as a new partner.
Town & Country Hardware operates eight hardware stores in the North Carolina cities of Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Cary. Craig Ward, president of Town & Country Hardware, has also been added to the board of directors at CNRG.
Not counting this latest acquisition, CNRG operates 24 home center and hardware stores in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama and Texas. The group said it is creating a multi-format, multi-brand operating company through strategic partnerships and acquisitions. The brands include Home Hardware Center, Morrison Terrebonne Lumber Center, NFL Home Center and now Elliott’s.
“As the independent channel continues to evolve, this merger is the logical next step that will create substantial value for our customers and staff,” Ward said. “Town & Country is excited to be a part of the CNRG concept and the future growth opportunities that awaits.”
“Craig and his stores are a very exciting addition to CNRG. Town & Country caters to an affluent customer base and is successful in a more densely populated, suburban setting,” said Boyden Moore, president of CNRG. “Craig‘s experience with his stores will help us drive improvements and growth across all of our brands.”
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Apr-01-2013 11:58 am