Hardware Show scores again

Fl REDICTING the headlong race

I- for space to be over, Robert L. Strickland. chairman. Lowe's Companies, officially opened the 44th annual National Hardware Show and Hardware Industry Week amid an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation.

Story at a Glance

Lowe's Companies' Strickland predicts a slowing in the oPening of new home centers. a store's goal should be larger gross and market share

Amplifying his comment by explaining he expects the rush of home centers opening more and more new stores to slow, the 30 year home center industry veteran who was keYnote speaker, continued to address the theme of "Competitive Profitability-Strategies for Enduring Success. t t

"Simultaneous increase in gross margin on sales accompanied by a market share increase" is the way he explained competitive profitability as a better and improved measure of performance. Edit the merchandise assortment in a store, he advised, to determine what is selling and what is not. He also underscored the need for improving training and education. ln closing, he advised his audience that the most imPortant thing today is to lead, not manage. "Manage yourself," he counseled, "and you'll be a good leader."

This year's show was definitely upbeat as the 70,000 in attendance filled the aisles of McCormick Place Complex in Chicago, enjoying the spaciousness provided by the extra facilities of McCormick Place North for the first time. Some 3000 exhibitors had more room as well at the Aug. 10-12 show with many able to expand.

The lawn and garden products were positioned as a group for the first time and showed that they are a growing industry as well as a large and growing part of the annual show. Seminars, packaging displays, and nearly 1000 products being introduced for the first time occupied those attending as well as the flurry of social events and opportunities to view and buy.

Rlscx,ood Corp. has acquired 8l(1, o1' Pay 'N Pakls contnton stock for cash and rtref'erred stock: the Kent, Wa., honre center chain will remain a oubliclv lreld co. . . . Homc Dcpoth.rs opcned a new warehouse store in the City of lndustry. Ca. . .

Boisc Castadt, is negotiating the sale of its l9 retail buildins rrraterials centers withan undisclosed buyer. the transaction is expected to be finalized by the end of Oct.

Builder's Emporium on Ilristol St., Santa Ana, Ca., has closed with the former Ole's about a nrile away taking the BE nanre ...Tynan LLtmber Co.. Salinas, Ca., is celebrating its 75tlr anniversary which coincides with tbunder L. Michael Tvnan's 89rh birrhday...

Hontestead Lurnber. yucca Valley, Ca., has adopted the name of Ha.vv,ard Lumber. its owner for the past two ycars . Haywsrd Lumber (o., Salinas, Ca., will open a second kitchen showroom before thc end of the year . .

Steve Morse and his lirther Richard are new owners ol' Milu,aukie Lumber Co.. a 49-vear- old landmark in l\{ilwaukie. Or. the seniorMorse owns Ca nh.y Ruilders Suppll, while another son" Jim. ownsL&M Builders Supply in Beaverton: all three stores will be afflliated

Bear Alaska Lumber Co. has opened a lumberyard in Anchorage, Ak., Irloyd Kent, sales nrgr. . National Lumber & Suo/,/r' lrrrs opened a ncw st.ore in Iliverside County, Ca.. with plans fbr a San l)iego County, Ca.. store in Februarv. thev aie negotiating for additional siies in Orange County, Ca.

,ltlas Lumber Co. after 40 years in the santelocation in Los Angeles, Ca., has completed a move with all personnel to (-hino, Ca., on the same sitc its California Timberline.

Golden .State Flooring ('o., a subsidiary of Higgins Lumber Ctt., hirs moved into il new facility in South San Freincisco. Ca., with double the warenouse capacity of itsformer Brisbane^ Ca., lacility and a 1,000 sq. ft. snowroom

E-Z Home lrnprctvement has been opened by owner-manager Ed Sackman in Moses Lake. Wa.., . Anzen Hardware & Suoltly Co., Liule Tokyo area. Los Angeles, Ca., is in its 4lst year of operation ldaho '[imberCarp., Boise. Id., will rebuild its cedar ntunufactuling plant destroyed by fire last May in Boise and add a mfg. plant in Halstead, Ks.; the conrpany has acquired lVortlt l'owder Wood Gas. North Powcler, Or.. lo utilize its wood by-producrs. renanring the operation Wood Gasilication, Inc....

Lotr i s ia na - Pa c i li c's Fi bre boa rcl (brp. subsidiary, Antioch, Ca., has resumed limited operations tbllowing a boiler explosion anc.l expects to be in full production with a new recovery boiler in the fourthquarter...

The Merchant Magazlne

Tarkett, Hardv,ood DivrsiottNorth America is the new corDoratename for Harris-Tarkut, a flooring div. of Swedish Match: the acquisition of Pegulan. the grant West German floor covering mfi., makes Tarkett Graup thc world's largest flooring mlr.. ..

J. E. Higgins l-umber Co. is negotiating with Sand Pl-vwood, Inc. l-or the acquisition of most of Sand Plywoorl's inventory and veliicle fleet at their Los Angeles, Escondido and San Bernardino, Ca. yards. Sand Plyu:ood will continue to own and operate their other yards in Central Ca. Higgins has moved its corp. llq. front Walnut Creek, Ca.. to nearbyConcord. the purchasing dept. has moved from LJnion City to South San Francisco, other LJnion City operations remain as before . .

Maxxarn Group 1nc,., Los Angeles, Ca., plans to sell most of Pslc'o Industries Inc. (metal cut- ting tools) to an investment group led by Hick & Haos and Donaldsan, Lulkin & Jenrette Set'uriries Corp. for about $320 nrillion: wood operations are not affected

A fire at Terry Lumber (-o., Simi Valley. C'a.. caused nearly 5500,000 worrh of damaee: in addition vanclals poured lar in the gas tanks of three trucks and smeared tar over the company's name on the side of the trucksl arson is suspected l.lBo.vd Industries, lnt'., has opened a western distribution center in Venlura, Ca. .

Housing starts rose 0.90/o in July (latest figs.) to an annual rate of 1,611,000 units single firnrilystartsrose 5.70h, mutti units starts dropped 9.8alt . building permirs fell 1.9%r starts in the West were up0.2%...