NEWS + ANALYSIS
Dealer and retailer tie the knot in California In a move you don’t see every day, a pro dealer has acquired a tool retailer. Hayward Lumber, the Salinas, Calif., pro dealer has acquired the Buena Tool Company in Santa Barbara. Buena Tool Company sells dozens of major brands of power tools and power equipment, including heavyweights such as Bosch, DeWalt, Honda, Makita, and Milwaukee Tool among others. Founded in 1975, the business is also an authorized repair center for several major brands. Hayward Lumber, celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year, has also been part of the Santa Barbara community since purchasing County Lumber in 2000. In fact, Hayward and Buena Tool are neighbors on Laguna Street in Santa Barbara. “We’re excited to have Buena Tool and their employees be part of the
Hayward Lumber family. Our company has grown up on the Central Coast and we are proud to be a part of its history,” said Bill Hayward, CEO and chief
innovation officer at Hayward Lumber. Buena Tool has a dedicated staff that takes care of its customers, Hayward Lumber said in a statement announcing the acquisition. The pro dealer also said that customer satisfaction is Hayward’s number one priority. “My great grandfather understood customer service. He said to treat your customers right and they will always come back,” the CEO said. Buena Tool and Hayward have planned a grand opening celebration with an open house event for the first part of 2020. The event will include national brand vendors. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Hayward Lumber operates seven lumber yards in California along with six design centers, a truss plant and its fast floor systems facility.
Homelessness intrudes on business In a heartfelt Facebook post from Workman’s Ace Hardware of Riverside, Calif., the family owners announced plans to close the store indefinitely. Among other challenges, Ted and Pam Workman pointed to a nightmare scenario of homelessness — a growing problem in California, and many other places — intruding on the operation of the business. Here is an excerpt from the post: “Homeless, vagrants, transients, whatever they are, we’re just another nail in the coffin. People don’t want to shop in what they deem as a unsafe
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A societal problem is on the rise.
area. I tried very hard to clean it up as best for could, but more just kept showing up. I stopped allowing them
JANUARY 2020 HARDWARE + BUILDING SUPPLY DEALER
in the store, and got a bad rap. We were 1,000% Ace Helpful and got blamed for not allowing them to shop. Turn your back and there went another pair of gloves, a lighter, batteries, you name it. The trash they left behind daily, the needles, the urination and feces, kicking in my windows for no apparent reason, blocking my back entrance, being topless around the store, and much more, all added to the difficulty of owning a business. The police tried to help, the shopping center tried as well, but there is no solution.”
HBSDealer.com