NEWS BRIEFS

Retailers

Goldston's Building Supply, Wake Forest, N.C., has acquired Byrum Millwork, Raleigh, N.C., and moved the operations to Apex, N.C....

Hig ginbothatn-Bartlett Co. has closed its Paducah, Tx., yard

Alamo Lumber Co. added its l5th store and yard, a Do-it Center in El Campo, Tx.; Clay Garner, mgr....

Sutherlands Lumber Co.'s former location in Oklahoma City, Ok., was destroyed by fire

84 Lumber Co. is scouting for sites in Somerset, Ky.; Petersburg, Va.; Wythe County, Va., and near Midfield, Al., where the chain closed a yard after two employees were shot in a botched robbery attempt (see story p.27)

Lowe's Cos. has opened a 163,000-sq. ft. superstore in Richmond, Va.; a 150,000-sq. ft. store in Katy, Tx., and 130,00Gsq. ft. units in Corbin, Ky., and San Marcos, Tx.; began construction of a 120,000-sq. ft. store on l7 acres in Burleson, Tx.; plans a March opening for a 130,000-sq. ft. unit in Jackson, Tn., and acquired 17.5 acres in Oklahoma City, Ok., for $3.5 million

I-owe's is buying the 405,000sq. ft. Wilkes Mall, North Wilkesboro, N.C., as its new corporate headquarters and is considering converting its North Wilkesboro DC into an import distribution center

Home Depot, which opened store #500 last month, opens a Lubbock, Tx., unit Feb. 13 ... Depot also plans five new stores this year in the Arlington,

Va./lVashington, D.C., market; a 120,000-sq. ft. store in Durham, N.C.; a 130,000-sq. ft. unit in Lexington, Ky., to replace the Lexington Mall, and a store near Bluffton, S.C., and signed a 20year lease on a 230,000-sq. ft. facility in North Dallas, Tx., to house its Southwestern corporate headquarters, regional DC and employee raining center

Gtossmant's /nc., admitting that a severe liquidity shortage is adversely affecting its lS-unit Contractors' Warelwuse division, is reviewing potential sources of additional liquidity and exploring all available options, including seeking protection from creditors by filing Chapter ll bankmptcy; the chain expanded into the South last year with a 100,000-sq. ft. CW in kxington, Ky. ...

Anniversaries: Hughes Lumber,Enid,Ok.,20th

Wholesalers & Uanufacturcrs

Trinity Forest Industries, Inc., Hurst, Tx., has opened an Albuquerque, N.M., branch; James Mares, rnktg. head

Hardware Wholcsalers /nc. has revised its Do it Best paint pro- gram, switching from paper to foil labels, introducing new color cards and color card racks, and lowering mininmm opening orders so smallerrehilers cm join ...

Booker & Co., Taryq Odmdo, Miami and facksonville, Fl., has merged with CrlfS Holdings, Atlanta, Ga ...

Fibrcboad Corp., Dallas, Tx., has purchased the Florida-based assets of Gentek Building Products Ine . for $9.7 million plus Se assumption of $1.7 million in payables...

Milaon Indastrics, Irc.is building an SOtnGsq. ft. eddition to its Richmond, Ky., vinyl window md door system plmt to be coryhGd March l; Jeff Sandwith, on-site general mgr. ...

Cooper Industries, Inc., Houston, Tx., has agleed to scttle for $6.85 million a consolidatcd class action sccurities lawsdt filed three years ago ry sbcttolders

Universal Forcst Prc&tcts has formalized its existing operating structure by creating several regional subsidiary corporations and partnership entitites, all to operate under the Universal Fq€st Products narne

Superior Ffueplace Co. openod a new training center in Union Crty, Tn.; Don tr(mfuan and John Shields, instmctors ...

Ame rican Wood- P res cners' Association has moved to new offices in Granbury, Tk.

Clmrhs E. tlartin &, Associres has moved to new offices in Lindale, Tx.

Web sites: Dean Lumbcr, www.deanlumber.com .-. Grcat Southern Wood Preserting, www.@...

Housing starts in Dec. (latest figs.) phmged 122% to a scasm ally adjusted annual rarc of 1.33 million, the lowest level in l8 moths ... stilt ftc 1996 tally was the higbt level in eigtt ycus starts fell more that T% in the South.