Kenneth Clark
Ken Clark has covered hardware stores, lumberyards and the building product distribution industry since 2006. He's a graduate of Indiana University and a supporter of the Embrace Kids Foundation.
BLOG POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR
December 2020
Dec 16
Putting the "e" into eCommerce
An approach to winning: Entrepreneurial, Efficient and (E)nspirational.
ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
June 2021
June 20
Wendy Stine named president at Stine LLC
The Sulphur, La.-based pro dealer and home center announces a promotion.
June 18
Poll results: Gas and business
Readers respond with a clear message: business feels the impact of rising gas prices.
June 17
Emery Jensen will go live in Orlando
The distributor will host its Edge trade show Sept. 24-25.
June 17
Shoppers are primed for 72 hours of deals
Coming up: Ace Rewards Day, Amazon Prime Day and Father’s Day
June 16
Throwback Thursday: A puzzle from 1975
1. across is easy: "Douglas or white." But what is 9 across?
June 15
Double-digit gains for hardware and LBM sector
Monthly sales show year-over-year growth continues for NAICS 444.
June 15
NPD Stat of the Week: $100 per buyer
More buyers, larger baskets add up to lawn and garden sales growth.
June 14
Video: One-on-One with Fleet Farm
HBSDealer interviews Heath Ashenfelter, executive VP and chief merchandising officer.
June 14
Poll question: it's a gas
Are rising gas prices having a noticeable impact on your customers?
June 14
True Value sets sites on live Reunion
The distributor plans a Chicago ‘Homecoming’ this fall.
June 14
Orgill’s new Rome, N.Y., DC is up and running
Under an accelerated timeline, Orgill doubles its Northeast capacity.
June 11
Quikrete Industry Dashboard: The numbers
Hardware and building supply stocks wobble on Wall Street.
June 10
EYE ON RETAIL: free courses at Walmart
World's largest retailer offers free virtual courses to the public.
June 10
‘Make PPE in America’ advances
The Coalition for a Prosperous America applauds Senate passage.
June 10
The Top Three: headlines and insights
Watch the highlight reel of the top stories of the week.
June 09
Orgill's distribution empire expands through Rome, N.Y.
Orgill accelerates into growth with upstate New York distribution center.
June 08
NPD Stat of the Week: multiple projects
A connection between lawn and garden trips and purchases in tools, paint or lumber.
June 07
Stine helps rebuild in Louisiana
A $10,000 donation to help homeowners recover from Hurricane Laura.
June 07
Do it Best's latest new hires and promotions
The Fort Wayne, Ind.-based co-op welcomes some new faces.
June 04
ASPNSP floats the idea for clean swimming
Association reports soaring interest in chem-free pools.
June 04
Poll results: travel time
Majority of respondents look to resume normal travel habits this year.
June 04
Top headlines, big stories
Watch the HBSDealer highlight reel of top stories from the past week.
June 02
J.D. Power measures home improvement satisfaction
Scores for Ace Hardware (first), Menards, Lowe’s and Home Depot.
June 02
Throwback Thursday: TV time at Lowe's
From the 1989 issue of National Home Center News: a wall of televisions.
June 01
VIDEO SHOWCASE: Carr Hardware wins gold
The Dewitts, a fictional family of DIYers, powers retailer to a Telly Award
June 01
NPD Stat of the Week: Grill power
Sales of grills and smokers increased more than 40% in 12 months ending in March.
May 2021
May 28
Poll results: Masked up
Plurality of respondents report policies of continued personal protection.
May 28
Vaccinated or not, numbers show strong DIY market
Some (counterintuitive) highlights the Farnsworth May Covid tracker
May 27
Slideshow: A salute to our veterans
Industry veterans share lessons learned from military experience.
May 27
Brickworks opens masonry center in Iowa
Brickworks North America now operates 10 masonry supply outlets in the U.S.
May 26
Throwback Thursday: Inflation fighters
From the very first issue of National Home Center News: a price freeze promise.
May 25
NPD Stat of the Week: the office edition
Office supplies factor into adjacent-purchase trends.
May 25
Watch the replay: The store of the future
Exploring the defining principles of a successful retailer of the future.
May 25
Consumer Confidence holds steady in May
Metric shows a slight downturn from a downwardly revised April index.
May 24
Costello’s Ace enters northern Virginia
Acquisition of three-store Rankin’s Hardware expands footprint to 41 locations
May 24
Associations clash over voice in Washington
NLBMDA pushes back against break-away regional groups’ federal lobbying plans
May 22
The 'Summit' of high performance
ProDealers of the Year are honored, and dedication to the industry recognized.
May 21
Top women profile series: Jean Fahy
Do it Best’s building materials division manager is an advocate for the industry.
May 21
Poll results: from the National Hardware Show
How are customer attitudes affecting product roll-outs?
May 20
Q1 Clash of the Home Center giants
In back-to-back days, the industry leaders reported long aisles of statistics
May 20
Disruption in the LBM industry
From the ProDealer Industry Summit, tracking new methods and materials.
May 18
Home Depot continues to ride demand surge
Domestic comp-store-sales reach 29.9% in another big quarter.
May 18
Housing starts, in three charts
More numbers, more graphics from the April residential construction report.
May 17
Poll question: From the National Hardware Show
How are customer attitudes affecting product roll-outs?
May 14
Top stories, and top insights
Here is the highlight reel of the week's top stories and leading headlines.
May 14
More big numbers for NAICS 444
Hardware and building supply dealer sales are up 33% over last April.
May 13
VIDEO SHOWCASE: Ward Lumber's new deal
Watch it here. The Jay, N.Y.-based lumber yard is now employee owned.
May 13
Forklift safety day marked on the calendar
Industrial Truck Association's June 8 event emphasizes safety training.
May 12
It’s time to talk about ticks
These products can help fend off the growing national tick problem.
May 12
Stine lends a hand to charities
A $10,000 check for Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana.
May 12
Throwback Thursday: Sears and appliances
In 2003, Sears was still the king of the appliance category.
May 11
Big night for a good cause
Bill Boltz of Lowe’s celebrated the Spirit of Life Award from City of Hope.
May 11
NPD Stat of the Week: growth disparity
Research sheds light on spend-per-kitchen-and-bath buyer.
May 10
Poll question: Investments R Us
It's been a busy 12 months, but was it too busy to invest in the business?
May 09
Industry rallies for injured vet
In Texas, a Purple Heart recipient moves into his new house.
May 07
Poll results: Challenged by supply chain
Asked for a top challenge, readers responded with a clear choice.
May 06
Top headlines, big acquisition
Here is the highlight reel of some of the major stories from the past week.
May 06
At Home Group sold to private equity
The Plano, Texas-based home decor retailer is going private.
May 05
Throwback Thursday: planting the eSeed
Twenty years ago, digital competition grew in the lawn and garden space.
May 04
NPD Stat of the Week: Female purchase power
Last year, women accounted for nearly 60% of kitchen and bath products sold online.
May 03
Poll question: What's your biggest challenge
There are plenty of impressive challenges on the menu in this week's poll.
May 03
Do it Best announces new hires and promotions
The Fort Wayne, Ind.-based co-op adds to its headquarters team.