Pro Chains Join Forces Online

Seven of the nation's largest pro dealers are teaming up to develop a self-funded online marketplace for the LBM industry.

Builders FirstSource, Building Materials Holding Corp., Carolina Holdings, 84 Lumber, Lanoga Corp., Payless Cashways, and Wickes will fund the venture, which is open to all companies in the building supplies chain.

Members hope the venture will help standardize product descriptions and transaction communications.

improve inventory management and information workflow. and reduce process-related costs and procurement CITOTS.

Initially, the e-marketplace will focus on buying lumber and related commodity wood products. Future phases are expected to include the procurement of additional products, expanded membership to other dealers, mills and suppliers, the addition of value-added services, and the creation of an interface with builders and contractors, possibly including sales trans- actions andjob site scheduling.

Together, the seven founding chains generate over $10 billion in annual sales from more than 1,200 building centers and 80 manufacturing plants nationwide.

They expect to select technologY partners fbr the project by the end of the year.

A Woman's Place ls In D-l-Y

Tools with smaller grips and gloves that accommodate long fingernails are just two examples of how the hardware industry is cognizant of the growing female d-i-y market.

Roughly 387o of all home-improvement purchases in 1999 were made by women, according to the American Hardware Manufacturers Association, a point not lost on retailers.

Lowe's, for instance, is redesigning its stores to make them more appealing to women, who account for 50Vo of purchases, said spokeswoman Chris Ahearn.

"We have wider, brighter aisles and we are clean and neat," she said. "Plus, we have signage that is easy to read."

Lawn and garden products manul'acturers also have begun courting female fixer-uppers by designing products to meet their needs.

One of them, Garden Pals, Mira Loma, Ca., has created lightweight gardening tools for women that the elderly and arthritis sufferers also can use.

"They wanted reduced-grip widths, stainless-steel blades that won't rust and locking mechanisms that can be operated with one hand," said Garden Pals' Victoria Addison, who noted that she relied on women for design tips for trowels, weeders and pruners.

Another firm, Midwest Quality Gloves, Chillicothe, Mo., has designed longer, narrower, female-friendly work gloves with reinforced fingertips to protect fingernails.

According to home improvement tv show host Ron Hazelton, many women lack the confidence to take on major projects such as knocking down walls, but are willing to do small jobs. Still, that is bound to change. "Once they try plumbing and electrical work, they will find it is not rocket science," he said.