November 11, 2026
Vol. 18, No. 21
THE INDUSTRY’S DIGITAL LEADER
LEADERSHIP
FORGED IN
SERVICE
Helmets to Home Improvement PRESENTED BY
NHPA
ALSO INSIDE One Store’s Reinvention, Lessons for Every Retailer Inside the Big Boxes’ Holiday Playbook Store Openings, Acquisitions and Industry News
Q&A: Thought Leadership With Epicor’s Arturo Buzzalino
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HARDWARE Connection ■ November 11, 2026 ■ 3
Shell Lumber & Hardware general manager Carlos Montoya is drawing on the experience and product knowledge of longtime employees as he introduces changes at the Miami store, balancing fresh ideas with the traditions that have earned generations of customer loyalty.
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DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
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Shelf Life BY DOUG DONALDSON
12 14 42 44
Amazing but True Hardware Stories How’s Business? Regional Reports on Business Conditions Upcoming Events In the News
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Retailer2Retailer: Army to Aisles—Bring the Leadership, Leave the Bureaucracy BY TAYLOR COX
A West Point graduate and Army veteran shares how lessons learned during two deployments to Iraq have shaped his approach to leadership at his family’s fourth-generation hardware business in Houston, Texas.
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Q&A Thought Leadership: Smarter Systems, Stronger Stores
Arturo Buzzalino, chief product and innovation officer at Epicor, discusses the future of retail technology, from smarter inventory management and streamlined operations to AI-powered tools that help employees serve customers.
ON THE COVER
At Cox Hardware & Lumber in Houston, Taylor Cox is looking beyond the family business for fresh ideas, exchanging insights with fellow retailers and finding new approaches to the everyday challenges of running a hardware store.
CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 11, 2026 | VOL. 18, NO. 21
36
Making Room for What’s Next
At nearly 100 years old, Shell Lumber & Hardware is rethinking its sales floor, expanding its assortments and preserving the service that generations of Miami customers have come to expect.
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ADVERTISERS INDEX Do it Best/True Value PUBLISHER / PRESIDENT
Scott Wright
swright@YourNHPA.org ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / EDITOR
Lindsey Thompson
lthompson@YourNHPA.org EDITOR
Doug Donaldson
doug@thehardwareconnection.com 646-508-7904 NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER
Dan Beck
BEACON AWARDS WHOLESALE SPONSOR
doitbestonline.com | truevaluecompany.com. . . . . . . . . . 9
Duravent Group
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Midwest Fastener Corp.
fastenerconnection.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
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Orgill
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orgill.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3
aricketts@YourNHPA.org
Hardware Connection is published 24 times a year by The North American Hardware and Paint Association. All editorial contents copyrighted 2026 by the publisher. No editorial may be reproduced without the prior permission of the publisher.
The North American Hardware and Paint Association 1025 East 54th St. Indianapolis, Indiana 317-275-9400 NHPA@YourNHPA.org YourNHPA.org
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Interesting in advertising with us? Email Sales@YourNHPA.org for more information or to get started on building your 2027 campaign.
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SHELF LIFE
SERVICE THAT ENDURES By Doug Donaldson
V
eterans Day is an opportunity to recognize the men and women who have served our country. It’s also a good time to consider how their experience continues to benefit the communities, businesses and industries where they build their civilian careers. That includes our corner of the hardware industry, where military veterans are store owners, managers, employees, suppliers and industry leaders. Their experience brings valuable perspectives on leadership, teamwork, accountability and service. One of the more worthwhile initiatives I’ve seen in our industry is the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s Helmets to Home Improvement program, which recognizes veterans who have made the transition from military service to careers in the independent home improvement channel. Through profiles and industry events, the
program shares their experiences and contributions. You’ll meet one of those veterans in this issue. Taylor Cox, vice president and inventory manager at Cox Hardware & Lumber in Houston, graduated from West Point and served eight years in the Army, including two deployments to Iraq. Today, he’s helping lead his family’s fourthgeneration hardware business. In his first-person, Retailer2Retailer article, “Army to Aisles: Bring the Leadership, Leave the Bureaucracy” Cox shares lessons from military service that have shaped his approach to business. Accountability, communication, trusting employees and eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy are principles that translate remarkably well from military leadership to managing a hardware store. His story is a reminder that military experience represents an
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INDEPENDENT DOESN’T MEAN ALONE.
Any sales rep can take your order. We’ll also help you increase sales. As your partner, we share strategies, offer support and give you the tools you need to succeed.
Put the strength of the co-op to work for you.
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HARDWARE Connection ■ November 11, 2026 ■ 9
SHELF LIFE extraordinary reservoir of talent for our industry. And it offers a good reason to participate in Helmets to Home Improvement. If a veteran works in your store or elsewhere in the industry, consider nominating that person for recognition. These are stories worth sharing, and NHPA deserves credit for creating a platform to tell them. Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find the article “Making Room for What’s Next” which is another perspective on the value of experience at Shell Lumber & Hardware in Miami. General manager Carlos Montoya is drawing on more than 40 years in retail to modernize a business approaching its 100th anniversary. But he’s also listening to longtime employees whose knowledge of customers and merchandise is essential to making those changes work. In our Q&A: Thought Leadership article “Smarter Systems, Stronger Stores” with Arturo Buzzalino, Epicor’s chief product and innovation officer, the discussion turns to artificial intelligence and how technology can help retailers make better use of information, improve decisions and support employees. Whether experience comes from military service, decades behind a hardware counter or developing new technology, its value grows when that knowledge is shared and put to work.
“
THEY’VE ALREADY ANSWERED ONE CALL TO SERVE. LET’S MAKE SURE OUR INDUSTRY ANSWERS THE CALL TO RECOGNIZE THEM.
”
Veterans Day reminds us that the spirit of service carries forward long after the uniform comes off. It finds expression in businesses, neighborhoods and communities across the country, often through people whose military backgrounds we may never know. So as we recognize veterans this Nov. 11, I hope you’ll take a moment to thank those in your community who served. Better still, ask about their experiences, listen to their stories and consider nominating them for Helmets to Home Improvement. They’ve already answered one call to serve. Let’s make sure our industry answers the call to recognize them.
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HARDWARE HUMOR
Amazing HARDWARE but TRUE
S TORIES
W
hen a customer rented After encountering a m inor a stump grinder and problem with the stump grinder over ran into trouble, they th e we ek end, the customer return did what any reasonab ed le person wi th a co m pl ai nt . would do: called for he lp. “W e ca lled you multiple times. Eight times, in fact. Le ft eight voicemails. Nob Unfortunately, they calle ody called d a paper us ba ck .” products company. The puzzled rental staf The stump grinder had f asked originally w hi ch nu mber the customer carried a green “Ready to Rent” tag ha d called. manufactured by a com pany called The customer pointed to In a Bind. When the rent the little al staff wh ite st rip . removed the tag, they ac cidentally “Well, I was in a bind,” th left behind a small white e strip bearing customer ex pl ai ned, “So I called the tag manufacturer’s name and th is nu m be r.” phone number. Somewhere, a paper pr oducts manufacturer was prob ably wondering why its custom er service department had sudden ly become a stump grinder repair ho tline. John Boyett Powerhouse True Va lue Rental Warner Robins, Georg ia
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Welcome to the Hardware Connection Century Club! The Hardware Connection Century Club, sponsored by the Hardlines Supplier Event. Our Century Club currently includes 804 hardware and LBM retailers, 21 wholesalers and 207 manufacturers that were founded in the United States of America and remain in business after 100 or more years. You can find the complete list of Century Club members including old store photos and links to company history by clicking here. We congratulate the following retailers who have been added to the Hardware Connection Century Club this past year: Andrew Posey & Son Hardware, Jasper, AL—1924
H&W Hardware, New York, NY—1924
Bourassa True Value Hardware, New Bedford, MA—1924
Kelly Seed & Hardware Co., Peoria, IL—1905
Bowling’s Feed and Hardware, Catlettsburg, KY—1924
Learned Lumber, Hermosa Beach, CA—1924
Braun Building Center, Manitowoc, WI—1905
Legg Lumber Company, Holt, MI—1884
Carl Eliason & Company Lumber & Hardware, Sayner, WI—1924
Lummus Building Supply Co., Atlanta, GA—1925
Chairtown Lumber Company, Gardner, MA—1924
National Lumber Company, Baltimore, MD—1919
Clark Devon Hardware, Chicago, IL—1924
Morrison Terrebonne, Houma, LA—1924 Newton’s True Value Hardware, Cherryvale, KS—1924
Congleton Lumber, Lexington, KY—1905 Denver Lumber Company, Denver, CO—1923
Page Lumber, Poughkeepsie, NY—1924—1,000th Centrury Club member
Dettinger Lumber Company, Pittsfield, MA—1926
Paschal Brothers Hardware & Lumber, Jacksonville, FL—1924
Gennett Lumber Company, Fletcher, NC—1901
Ransom Brothers Lumber & Supply, Ramona, CA—1924
Guy C. Lee Building Materials, Smithfield, NC—1924
Requarth Company, Dayton, OH—1860
Hamilton Building Supply, Hamilton, NJ—1924
Rocky’s Ace Hardware, Springfield, MA 1926
Hamm Hardware Prosperity, SC—1926
Southern Builders Supply, Valdosta, GA—1880
Heller Lumber Company, Arlington Heights, IL—1924
Union Lumber Company, New Albany, MS—1902
Holman Supply Company, Moultrie, GA—1920
Valley Park Elevator & Hardware, Valley Park, MO—1874
Howell Hardware, Millville, NJ—1924
Western Materials Inc., Yakima, WA—1915
Hunter’s Hardware, Berkley Spring, WV—1870
William B. Morse Lumber Company, Rochester, NY—1853
SPONSORED BY
How’s
Business? CENTRAL
How are sales and customer counts? We’re down about 10% this year. It’s a weak economy. We’re in a tourist destination, and the biggest draw in the area has been dramatically down. The crowds just don’t seem to be normal. They have dramatically lowered admission prices and season admission for next year. Right now, customers in our store will buy only what they must have. Average ticket used to be around $30, and now the average ticket is in the $15 to $18 range. Plus, people return the smallest things, and that means they’re watching every dollar they spend. What’s unique about your business? We’re a middle-of-theroad hardware store. We try to offer good customer service and are open seven days a week, 12 hours a day. Thousands of cars that drive
by, and if I could get 1% to stop, we’d do well. Best niches? We’re a hardware store and rather than branching out into fancy sunglasses or whatever, we try to do mainstream hardware really well. Ace pushes the barbecue category, and we do fairly well with barbecue. We also do well with U-Haul. We’ve been renting U-Haul trucks and trailers for about 10 years. Now, it’s 20% of our whole business. We have hit U-Haul’s top 100 North American dealers a couple times, and we’re frequently in the top 10 in the state. What do you have planned for 2027? Right now, it’s going to be a matter of getting through the election cycle and economy. These cycles happen for as long as we’ve been in business, and that’s a long time. These cycles are a historical fact—all seasonal ups and downs. Alan Koenig Branson Ace Hardware Branson, Missouri
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Branson Ace Hardware in Branson, Missouri, has rented U-Haul trucks and trailers for about a decade, building the service into 20% of its business and earning recognition among U-Haul’s top 100 North American dealers multiple times.
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HOW’S BUSINESS? Triple A Building Center has remodeled all three of its northern New York locations to give them a consistent appearance, with exterior improvements at one store next on the agenda for 2027.
EAST How are sales and customer counts? Sales are down a little bit. Overall, sales have been soft, but this fall looks very, very positive. On the building materials side, we’ve seen a
lot more house packages coming our way, so the outlook looks very good. We’re in northern New York, two hours north of Syracuse near the Canadian border. I always tell everybody I’m from “southern Canada.” From my house, it’s about a 2½-mile swim to Canada.
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Robert Ashley, owner of Triple A Building Center in Massena, New York, sees encouraging signs in increased demand for building materials and gives employees at his three stores the freedom to run their locations as though they own them.
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St. Lawrence County is larger than some states, and our population is shrinking. It’s down to about 100,000 people, and we have more cattle than people. The population that is growing is the Amish community. We do quite a bit of business with them, although they also provide competition on the metal roofing side. What’s unique about your business? We have three stores, but I allow my people to conduct business as though they’re the owner. I give them a lot of freedom to run the business. That might be a little different from how some owners operate. Best niches? Building materials is the main thing. We’re especially big in gypsum and lumber. What do you have planned for 2027? We’ve remodeled all three stores so they have the same look, and now we need to revamp the exterior of one of them. We just finished the new roof there. Our focus is on shoring up the three locations we have right now. Robert Ashley Triple A Building Center Massena, New York
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HOW’S BUSINESS?
Family-owned for more than 60 years, Morris Ace Hardware in Alma, Georgia, credits its customer-friendly approach and growing contractor business for helping drive a sales increase of 25% to 28% in 2026.
SOUTH How are sales and customer counts? We’re up, probably in the neighborhood of 25% to 28%. It’s a small town here, and we are the blueberry capital of Georgia. We have a lot of contractor business and housing is one of the things on the rise here.
What’s unique about your business? We are family owned and have been for 60-some years. We’re very customer friendly and offer curbside pickup. Customers can be at home, order, and we’ll have the order ready when they get here. Best niches? One strong department is our paint. We have Ben Moore and have low-grade paint
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YETI products are a standout category at Morris Ace Hardware, where a broad paint selection and growing contractor business also contribute to the store’s success.
all the way up to $100 a gallon paint. Another thing we’re known for is YETI products. Any recent surprise best sellers? One product came in a couple weeks ago, and it’s selling like crazy. It’s the Coleman Collapsible Cooler. They have really taken off. What do you have planned for 2027? The only thing we don’t sell
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right now is lumber. Our goal is to be selling lumber by the end of 2027. We’re doing construction work on the front of building, repairing some storm damage. After we finish that, we’ll get plans drawn up to expand our warehouses and set up to house lumber. Richie Taylor Morris Ace Hardware Alma, Georgia
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HOW’S BUSINESS?
WEST How were sales and customer counts? Slightly above last year— about 1% and that’s not saying much. In the summer, we had a pretty gnarly drought. It was brutal with the heat and people stayed inside. What’s unique about your business? We’d like to think that our attention to customer satisfaction and
service is unique. It comes down to our hires. We like to hire the right person who matches the store. Best niches? We have a really impressive sauces and seasoning aisle. And our barbecue grills are bit of a destination. We’re also known for having a lot of core, hard-to-find fittings and plumbing—all the little stuff that big-box stores don’t have.
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Hardin Ace Hardware in Longview, Texas, draws customers with hard-to-find plumbing fittings, while continuing to fine-tune its expanded paint department to serve pros and DIYers.
Any recent surprise best sellers? The miniature buckets surely have caught me by surprise. The sales numbers with those have been staggering. What do you have planned for 2027? A couple years ago, we expanded the paint department. We’ll still be fine-tuning that and dialing that in. With paint, we want to make sure that we take care of pros and DIYers and their different needs. Alec James Hardin Ace Hardware Longview, Texas
Sauces and seasonings are a big niche for Hardin Ace Hardware, which has an extensive assortment that complements the store’s destination barbecue grill department.
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RETAILER2RETAILER
ARMY TO AISLES:
BRING THE LEADERSHIP, LEAVE THE BUREAUCRACY
From left, Outsider CEO Sam Mackey, Cox, and Porters Building Centers COO Alex Porter share how their military service shaped their leadership approaches during the “Helmets to Home Improvement Panel: From Hero to Hardware” at the 2026 Independent Home Improvement Conference.
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By Taylor Cox
A WEST POINT GRADUATE AND ARMY VETERAN SHARES FOUR MILITARY LEADERSHIP LESSONS HE NOW PUTS TO WORK AT HIS FAMILY’S HARDWARE STORE.
M
y path to Cox Hardware & Lumber started over pancakes at IHOP. In January 2004, I was a high school senior eating lunch with friends when my congressman’s office called with news of my acceptance to West Point. Naturally, I demonstrated the sound judgment expected of a future Army officer by hanging up; fortunately, they called back. Four years at West Point led to eight years on active duty as an armor and military intelligence officer, including two deployments to Iraq. The Army gave me a sense of purpose and taught me valuable lessons about leading people— it also introduced me to seven meetings in one day. Ten years ago, I returned home to work alongside my dad at our family’s hardware, lumber and industrial store. I wanted the TheHardwareConnection.com
Fourth-generation retailer Taylor Cox carries on his family’s legacy at Cox Hardware & Lumber in Houston, bringing lessons from his military service to the leadership of a business built by generations before him.
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RETAILER2RETAILER chance to help lead a small business and see the impact of our decisions firsthand. At Cox Hardware, I’ve tried to apply the Army’s lessons in accountability, communication and empowering people while leaving its unnecessary bureaucracy behind. Here’s how: Accountability Accountability starts with making sure people understand what they’re responsible for. The military takes accountability seriously—at daily formations, unit officers tell their commander that their charges are “all accounted for”; weapons and other sensitive items are counted by
serial number; and military leaders at every level are held accountable for everything their unit does or fails to do. On the other side of that coin, leaders have a responsibility to provide clear instructions, training and time to work. Store leaders can implement this by using strong, in-depth KRAs (Key Result Areas) for each position, ensuring staff understand what their role entails via the KRA and holding them accountable to the standards you’ve set. Our online storefront displays on-hand quantities and updates them multiple times a day, so accurate
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FIELD NOTES FOR THE SALESFLOOR Military leaders have spent centuries thinking about leadership, strategy, logistics and making decisions under pressure. Their words may come from the battlefield, but many of the lessons translate surprisingly well to running a hardware store. Here’s how Taylor Cox translates those lessons to his family’s business: “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week.” —Gen. George S. Patton • Move promptly on routine decisions, such as refreshing an endcap or testing an item. Give costly or irreversible choices more time. • Name the person responsible, set a deadline and explain what a successful result should look like. • Give the plan a fair trial, then adjust using sales results, employee feedback and customer response. • Use your size to your advantage: respond quickly when a customer need or opportunity appears. “Take care of your people. This is second only to mission.” —Gen. Colin Powell • Train people before holding them to a standard. Provide the information, tools and time they need to succeed. • Ask what is making their work harder and follow through when you can remove an obstacle. If you cannot fix something, explain why. • Learn what matters to your employees. Asking about their families and interests helps build relationships beyond assignments and schedules. • Address problems fairly and recognize good work specifically. Explain where people can improve and where they excel. “Infantry wins battles, logistics wins wars.” —Gen. John J. Pershing • Sales create revenue; reliable operations help protect the profit. Receiving, pricing, purchasing and inventory accuracy deserve attention before problems appear.
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• Schedule time to work on the business and protect it as seriously as a customer appointment. Recurring problems need focused attention. • Track repeated stockouts, receiving errors and pricing discrepancies. Look for the underlying cause and assign someone to fix it. • Document recurring tasks so the work can continue when the person who usually handles it is absent. “So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.” —Sun Tzu • Identify needs competitors leave underserved, including specialized products, knowledgeable help, convenient services or hard-to-find items. Compare your strengths with theirs before chasing another category. • Ask customers what they struggle to find and employees what requests they keep hearing. Those conversations can reveal a worthwhile niche. • Evaluate new products and services against that niche. Each addition should meet a real customer need. Review its performance after it has had time to sell. • Build a reputation for solving particular problems well. Give customers a clear reason to choose your store. “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible.” —Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower • Keep your promises to customers and employees. If circumstances change, explain what happened and what you will do next. Tell people before they have to ask. • Apply policies consistently. People notice when the rules depend on who is asking or who made the mistake. • Own your errors promptly. Correcting a wrong price or admitting a poor decision builds more trust than explaining it away.
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RETAILER2RETAILER
During his eight years in the U.S. Army, Taylor Cox completed two deployments to Iraq, gaining leadership experience he now applies to his role at Cox Hardware & Lumber.
counts are essential to maintaining customers’ trust. Every department head’s KRA requires a complete count of their merchandise every four months. Our inventory clerk marks completed locations on a store map in the office, giving us a clear picture of our progress and where we need to follow up. Do your employees know what success looks like, and have you put those expectations in writing? Communication Good communication gives people a clear understanding of what needs to happen, why it matters and how they can help. In the military, Operation Orders (OPORDs),
tactical radios and even all the acronyms we use help us send messages faster or with more clarity. The most important aspect of communication for store leaders is to do it—and do it often! Open communication like this builds trust, reduces stress and quashes rumors, and it doesn’t have to turn into long meetings. In our store, one-on-ones, daily syncs and quick weekly checkups keep people informed and build rapport while leaving time for their tasks and customers. When is the last time you talked with every single one of your staff—about their families, their work or their ideas?
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Empowering People Empowering your people means giving them the training, trust and authority to make decisions and room to put those things to use. The military works hard to empower its subordinates; even the newest soldier, fresh from basic training, must understand the basics of every mission— their unit’s task and purpose, what adjacent units are doing and a general concept of the operation—so that they can still accomplish the objectives, even if a leader isn’t there to provide direct supervision. We encourage our department heads to remerchandise their areas when new items arrive, old SKUs sell through or displays need a refresh. I’ll offer suggestions on organization and product placement, but they have free rein to draw on their experience and create displays that help customers choose what they need—knowing my way around an M1A2 Abrams tank doesn’t mean I know what will sell best on an endcap. How about your store: Have you trained your floor sales staff and cashiers to know the basics of selling, product knowledge and
As a cadet at West Point, Taylor Cox learned the importance of preparing people to take responsibility and make decisions under pressure, lessons he now applies to developing employees and building a stronger team.
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RETAILER2RETAILER store policy so they can serve the customer well, or do they just point to an aisle and keep restocking? Cutting Needless Bureaucracy Rules and procedures should help people get work done; when following the process becomes more work than doing the job, it’s time to simplify. The military is nothing if not a bureaucracy, particularly at higher levels; my final years in the Army were spent in a divisionlevel headquarters, responsible for approximately 14,000 soldiers, and there were certainly a large number of requirements, multiple levels of approval and of course many, many meetings. One of my leaders told me a great analogy—a good officer should act like an umbrella, in that he shields his subordinates from higherlevel politics, endless nonessential taskings and competing priorities as much as possible, so that they can accomplish their mission more effectively. Our store prints adhesive price labels in-house; we used to stick each label onto a plastic chip before placing it on the shelf or a peg hook, but our new shelf channels let us insert the labels directly, eliminating a step every time we change a price. If changing a price tag requires a flowchart, I may have brought a little
too much of the Army home with me. Are you protecting your staff from redundant or replicated requirements, or are they swamped with too many little things to do every day? After 10 years in hardware, I’d like to tell you I have leadership figured out. My staff would probably appreciate that, too. I’m still learning to check my own instructions, listen when someone has a better idea and recognize when a procedure has outlived its usefulness. My job is to help our people succeed so they can take care of our customers. That takes discipline, humility and the occasional admission that I’m the one slowing things down. After all, I’d hate to leave the Army to escape the bureaucracy, only to become the guy who makes everyone attend seven meetings in one day. n Taylor Cox is a fourth-generation leader at Cox Hardware & Lumber in Houston and a West Point graduate who served eight years in the U.S. Army, including two deployments to Iraq. He’s spent the past 10 years applying what the Army taught him about leadership to hardware retail—while trying to leave the seven-meeting days behind.
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Helmets to Home Improvement PRESENTED BY
NHPA
FROM HELMETS TO HOME IMPROVEMENT Military veterans have long found a second place to serve in the independent home improvement industry. NHPA’s Helmets to Home Improvement program recognizes those veterans and the contributions they continue to make in retail, distribution, manufacturing and other segments of the channel. Launched in 2025, the program regularly profiles veterans from across the armed forces, sharing how their military experiences have shaped their careers in home improvement. Honorees have represented businesses ranging from independent hardware stores
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and lumberyards to wholesalers and manufacturers. Cox Hardware & Lumber’s Taylor Cox was among the program’s first honorees. Cox joined fellow honorees Alex Porter and Sam Mackey at the 2026 Independent Home Improvement Conference for the “From Hero to Hardware” panel, where they discussed the transition from military service to the independent channel and the leadership lessons they brought with them. NHPA continues to accept nominations of military veterans working throughout the home improvement industry. Learn more or nominate a veteran.
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Q&A: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
SMARTER SYSTEMS, STRONGER STORES EPICOR CHIEF PRODUCT AND INNOVATION OFFICER ARTURO BUZZALINO DISCUSSES HOW AI IS CHANGING RETAIL TECHNOLOGY, IMPROVING BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND GIVING HARDWARE STORE EMPLOYEES NEW TOOLS TO SERVE CUSTOMERS.
A Speaking at Epicor Insights 2025 in Maryland, Buzzalino highlighted how retailers’ growing familiarity with AI is shifting conversations toward practical applications, including predictive ordering, employee assistance and more efficient store operations.
rtificial intelligence is moving rapidly from experimentation to practical applications, with the potential to change how hardware retailers manage inventory, train employees and make everyday business decisions. For retailers already juggling staffing challenges, complex assortments and demanding customers, the opportunity lies in putting existing business data to work and eliminating time-consuming tasks. Arturo Buzzalino, chief product and innovation officer at Epicor, believes the next major development in retail
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technology will be the shift from software that records transactions to systems that recommend actions. He also sees AI as a way to strengthen the product knowledge and personal service that distinguish independent hardware stores. In this exclusive conversation with Hardware Connection, Buzzalino discusses how retailers can prepare their operations for AI, where the technology can deliver measurable value and why human expertise remains central to making better business decisions. Hardware Connection: How are retailers’ attitudes toward artificial intelligence changing, and what opportunities do you see for hardware stores? Buzzalino: People are much better prepared to talk about AI because they’ve experienced it, whether in their personal lives or at work. The speed of acceptance has been remarkable. Cloud technology took many years to gain traction, while AI has become part of the conversation much more quickly. One of the things that has informed my strategy for building AI is pragmatism. Retailers don’t have the luxury of conducting endless experiments or employing entire teams of data scientists. Technology has to
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Arturo Buzzalino, chief product and innovation officer at Epicor, sees artificial intelligence helping hardware retailers turn business data into actionable insights while giving employees better tools to serve customers.
solve specific problems that generate value. That might mean making sure products are on the shelf, preventing out-of-stocks or helping customers find what they’re looking for. It might mean making sure employees have the knowledge to answer questions and help customers. Those challenges have always existed. What’s interesting is that AI can help solve them in ways that weren’t
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Q&A: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP possible five or six years ago. The introduction of large language models and reasoning models also changes how people interact with software. Now you can talk to it. I think that’s a major shift, similar to the introduction of touchscreens and tablets. You’ve talked about moving ERP software from a “system of record” to a “system of action.” What does that mean for hardware retailers? Traditionally, an ERP system has been about recording information— transactions, inventory, customer data and business processes. That information is essential, but the opportunity with AI is to do something more with it. We can start identifying patterns, making recommendations and helping people take action. Rather than simply showing you what happened, the system can suggest what you should consider doing next. For example, it might recognize that a particular type of customer typically buys certain products and suggest additional items that could be relevant. That’s where we start getting into prescriptive applications of AI. The system might offer three possible actions, and the person can decide which one makes the most sense. The goal is to give people better information and help them make better decisions.
Many hardware retailers still operate with a mixture of legacy systems, spreadsheets and separate software platforms. What’s the biggest obstacle to moving toward an AI-enabled operation? A lot of businesses have information spread across disconnected systems. They might be managing some things in spreadsheets and other things in older software. When you implement an ERP system, it forces you to audit your processes. You have to figure out how to bring your data into the system in a consistent, repeatable way. That isn’t AI, but it creates the foundation for AI. The system of record is what allows you to build a system of action. Once you have reliable information about your operations, you can begin adding AI agents that help people act on that information. Getting your processes and data organized is one of the most important things you can do to prepare. Inventory turns, in-stock positions and profitability remain fundamental performance measures for hardware retailers. How can AI help improve those results? Those metrics sound simple, but any one of them might be influenced by hundreds of variables throughout a retailer’s operation. One of the biggest opportunities is removing repetitive tasks that consume
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employees’ time. You might have an associate spending 30 minutes every day on a particular process. If technology can eliminate that work, multiply those 30 minutes across all your associates, every week and every year. The savings can become significant. More importantly, you’re freeing up people to spend time on creative and strategic activities that can improve the business. You’re removing the mundane, repetitive work that creates friction. I sometimes think of AI as adding WD-40 to the operation. It helps everything flow a little better. Hardware stores and lumberyards serve very different customers, from DIYers to professional contractors. How can AI help retailers better understand those customers? One of the things AI can do is identify patterns that people might not otherwise recognize. Different types of customers have different purchasing behaviors. AI can look at those patterns and provide insights that are relevant to the customer you’re serving. TheHardwareConnection.com
For example, it might recognize that a particular customer typically buys certain products and suggest other items the retailer should consider offering. I think we’ll see more of these prescriptive applications, where technology identifies an opportunity and recommends a course of action. Rather than simply generating reports, the system can say, “Here are three things you might consider doing.” The person still makes the decision, but now that decision is informed by information that might have been difficult to uncover otherwise.
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Q&A: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Epicor Propello connects point-of-sale, inventory management and reporting functions, using automated workflows and business data to reduce repetitive tasks, improve inventory decisions and help retailers prevent out-of-stocks.
You’ve used the phrase “amplification of human expertise.” How could AI strengthen the kind of personal service that independent hardware stores are known for? Think about someone who is new to a job and still learning. Having an intelligent system they can talk to, ask questions of and receive suggestions from can accelerate their training. But it also applies to experienced employees. We’re always learning, and even someone who has been in the business for years will encounter something they don’t know. Having
access to that information at your fingertips makes employees more knowledgeable and better equipped to help customers. In some ways, it’s similar to what internet search did for us. Suddenly, you could find information that previously might have been difficult to access. Now you can interact with an intelligent system using natural language and get the information you need to take action. That’s how AI can empower people. It gives employees access to knowledge that helps them do their jobs better. n
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5
WAYS RETAILERS CAN PUT AI TO WORK Epicor chief product and innovation officer Arturo Buzzalino offers practical advice for getting started with AI without overwhelming your operation.
1. Start with one problem. Identify a specific task or operational challenge that AI could help solve, such as answering routine questions, reducing repetitive work or improving access to product information. Resist the temptation to tackle everything at once. 2. Get your data in order. Before expecting AI to deliver useful insights, examine how your business collects and manages information. Disconnected systems, spreadsheets and inconsistent processes make it harder to put that information to work. 3. Test before expanding. Try an AI application in one store, with a few employees or within a single
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workflow. Evaluate what works, make adjustments and expand only when the results justify it. 4. Look for measurable time savings. A task that consumes 30 minutes of an employee’s day can represent substantial labor hours when multiplied across an entire staff. Focus on repetitive activities that technology could handle more efficiently. 5. Use AI to support employees. Give associates tools that help them find information, learn faster and answer customer questions. The goal is to strengthen the personal service that brings customers into independent hardware stores.
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By Doug Donaldson
DEALER PROFILE
MAKING ROOM FOR WHAT’S NEXT
AT NEARLY 100 YEARS OLD, SHELL LUMBER & HARDWARE IS RETHINKING ITS SALESFLOOR, EXPANDING ITS ASSORTMENTS AND PRESERVING THE SERVICE THAT GENERATIONS OF MIAMI CUSTOMERS HAVE COME TO EXPECT.
W
alking into Shell Lumber & Hardware in Miami used to require a certain sense of adventure. Merchandise stretched toward the ceiling, handmade fixtures crowded the aisles and customers navigated a labyrinth of products accumulated over decades. Finding something could be a challenge. Retrieving it sometimes required an employee and a ladder. For longtime customers, the abundance was part of Shell’s appeal. For the incoming general manager Carlos Montoya, the store’s sprawling assortment represented an opportunity.
“The store was very dark,” says Montoya, who has been with the Miami-based company for two years. “There was an abundance of stuff, and it was very confusing, like a maze.” Nearly a century after its founding in 1928, Shell is making substantial changes to how it presents merchandise, manages inventory and serves customers. Montoya, who has spent more than 40 years in retail, including positions with Home Depot and Office Depot, is drawing on that experience to prepare the business for its second century. But modernization at Shell comes with a condition: Preserve the qualities that made the store a Miami institution in the first place.
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Shell Lumber & Hardware worked with Midwest Fastener to reorganize its fastener department, creating a more accessible assortment and making better use of available selling space.
For Shell Lumber & Hardware general manager Carlos Montoya, the goal is to make every square foot work harder, with a sharper focus on product selection, sales performance and opportunities to grow the business.
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DEALER PROFILE A Different View of the Sales Floor Montoya found plenty worth preserving when he arrived. “The customer service and that culture,” he says, describing Shell as one of the friendliest retail environments he has encountered. The store also offers merchandise that customers have difficulty finding elsewhere, particularly in its specialty lumber operation. Shell carries wood species from Brazil, Africa and Central America, serving architects, contractors and customers seeking materials for high-end projects. Montoya says the business began as a lumberyard, with hardware added later. That heritage remains an important part of its identity. The challenge is accommodating customers maintaining older Miami homes while introducing products suited to newer construction and changing lifestyles. Shell serves homes built in the 1970s that require older replacement parts, for example, while also expanding its selection of smart-home devices and contemporary products. “We have to have what homeowners are using today,” Montoya says. To support that effort, Shell draws on multiple suppliers, including Ace, Orgill, True Value and other local distributors. Montoya is also applying inventory-management practices
and retail productivity measurements learned during his years with Home Depot. The changes are visible throughout the store. Merchandise that once required ladders is now within easier reach, departments have been reorganized to be more cohesive and signage is taking a step up, too. The objective is a more accessible shopping environment where customers can readily identify products without sacrificing Shell’s extensive assortment. Rethinking Established Categories One of the most substantial changes involves fasteners, a department where Shell previously stocked limited quantities of many products and carried slow-moving merchandise that might sell only once a year. Working with Midwest Fastener, the store reviewed sales, inventory and customer demand, including feedback from contractors who had been purchasing fasteners elsewhere. The resulting assortment encompasses about 5,000 SKUs across 240 linear feet, with package sizes suited to homeowners and professional customers. Montoya says the revised approach helps Shell maintain availability while reducing unnecessary inventory and out-of-stocks.
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Similar work has taken place in plumbing, electrical and garden merchandise. In plumbing and irrigation, the emphasis has shifted toward providing more complete project solutions rather than requiring customers to visit another retailer for missing components. Electrical assortments have expanded to include more LED products and choices for contemporary applications such as smart home thermostats. Montoya reports double-digit profit growth and greater customer engagement as the store works through the changes, although he emphasizes that expanding the assortment only makes sense when the additional products generate enough sales to justify the shelf space and inventory investment. Employees Help Guide the Changes Replacing fixtures and adding signage were the first-step, straightforward improvements. Bringing employees along and changing decades of established practices required a more thoughtful approach. Shell has employees with extensive knowledge of its merchandise and customers, and Montoya says their involvement has been essential. “We did it gradually,” he says. “We got feedback from the clients and adjusted as we went along.” He points to Paul, a fastener department employee with 15 years TheHardwareConnection.com
Shell Lumber & Hardware’s millwork and lumber department remains a destination for specialty materials, where experienced employees provide the hands-on service that has long distinguished the Miami store.
at Shell, who helped identify potential problems during the department reset. Paul was concerned that moving certain products to higher shelves could make them difficult for elderly customers to reach. He also understood the purchasing patterns of contractors who regularly bought particular items in quantity. That knowledge helped guide the merchandising decisions made with Midwest Fastener. Montoya says employees must be involved in the process because they understand how customers shop and will ultimately carry out the changes. The store’s customer mix is changing as well. Montoya estimates that homeowners now account for about 60% of business, with contractors representing 40%.
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DEALER PROFILE Expanded Sunday hours and later closing times have made shopping more convenient for homeowners, while Shell continues building deeper assortments for professionals. That combination of old and new customers is familiar territory for a business where Montoya sees grandparents, children and grandchildren shopping across generations. Looking Toward 100 Years Shell’s specialized inventory and customer relationships extend beyond its Miami sales floor. Its lumber operation serves customers across a three-county area, while a distribution facility supports store inventory. In hurricane season, Shell works with Miami-Dade County emergency-response representatives and suppliers to prepare for demand and secure merchandise when storms threaten.
Montoya says communication with contractors helps the business anticipate requirements several days in advance. Looking toward Shell’s 100th anniversary in 2028, Montoya is planning another substantial category investment: an expanded garden department with exotic plants, trees, smaller plants and knowledgeable employees who can advise customers on their care. His ambition is to develop one of South Florida’s largest garden departments and give customers another reason to visit Shell. For Montoya, the larger lesson is that a retailer’s history should inform its future without preventing change. Shell’s customers still expect unusual merchandise, knowledgeable employees and personal attention. Increasingly, they can find those things in a store designed to make shopping easier. After nearly 100 years, there’s still room to rearrange the shelves. n Shell Lumber & Hardware’s employees are playing an important role in the store’s modernization, contributing their product knowledge and customer insights as the business rethinks merchandising, assortments and operations.
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5
WAYS TO MODERNIZE A STORE WITHOUT LOSING ITS CHARACTER Carlos Montoya, general manager of Shell Lumber & Hardware in Miami, shares five practical tips for modernizing store operations while preserving the qualities customers value. His guiding principle: Successful modernization builds on the people, products and customer relationships that have sustained a business for generations.
1. Take a fresh look at the sales floor. Merchandising practices that developed over decades may no longer serve customers or employees particularly well. At Shell, tall displays, crowded aisles and limited signage made shopping difficult and increased the labor required to retrieve merchandise. Reorganizing departments and bringing products within easier reach can improve the shopping experience while making employees more productive. 2. Let customer demand guide assortment changes. Before resetting its fastener department, Shell reviewed sales and inventory and talked with contractors who weren’t purchasing certain products at the store. Working with Midwest Fastener, the retailer developed an assortment of about 5,000 SKUs across 240 linear feet, with packaging options for homeowners and professionals. The objective is to improve availability without carrying unnecessary inventory. 3. Preserve older products while introducing new ones. Shell serves customers maintaining decades-old Miami homes alongside homeowners
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seeking smart-home technology and LED lighting. Montoya’s approach is to accommodate existing demand while identifying products the store hasn’t traditionally carried. Modernization doesn’t require abandoning established customers. 4. Give experienced employees a voice. A fastener department employee with 15 years at Shell raised concerns about product accessibility for elderly shoppers and shared purchasing insights about regular contractor customers. That feedback helped shape the department reset. Employees who understand customer habits can identify problems that might otherwise escape notice. 5. Build on the strengths that competitors can’t easily duplicate. Shell’s extensive specialty lumber assortment, knowledgeable employees and longstanding customer relationships remain central to its business. Montoya is applying new merchandising and inventory practices while protecting those advantages. The goal is a more productive store that still feels like Shell.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
NOVEMBER
Orgill Winter Online Buying Event 2026 Nov. 2-15 PLMA Store Brands Marketplace/ Private Label Trade Show Nov. 15-17, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Chicago STAFDA 50th Annual Convention & Trade Show Nov. 15-17, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California ISSA Show North America Nov. 16-19, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas Deck Expo/International Pool Spa Patio Expo Nov. 17-19, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans
DECEMBER
2026 Irrigation Show & Education Week Dec. 7-10, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas
LBM Expo 2026 Dec. 9-10, Earth Expo & Convention Center, Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut Northeastern Retail Lumber Association Annual Meeting Dec. 10, Earth Expo & Convention Center, Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show Dec. 14-16, Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach
JANUARY 2027
Lightovation: Dallas International Lighting Show Jan. 5-9, Dallas Market Center, Dallas National Retail Federation: Retail’s Big Show Jan. 10-12, Javits Center, Manhattan, New York World of Concrete Jan. 19-21, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas
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Mid-States Toy Extravaganza Jan. 25, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix
Shoppe Object New York Feb. 7-9, Starrett-Lehigh Building, Manhattan, New York
Mid-States Winter Rendezvous Jan. 27-28, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix
Orgill Spring Dealer Market Feb. 25-27, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida
House-Hasson 2027 Winter Dealer Market Jan. 28-30, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville, Tennessee
MARCH 2027
FEBRUARY 2027
The International Surface Event Feb. 1-4, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas International Builders’ Show Feb. 2-4, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) Feb. 2-4, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas
Do it Best & True Value Spring Market March 5-7, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida Building Envelope Contractors Conference March 7-9, Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, San Diego ALLPRO Spring Buying Show March 10-13, J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix Ace Spring Convention March 14-16, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta Blish-Mize Spring Buying Market March 18-20, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, Kansas
For a complete listing of calendar dates, click here.
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IN THE NEWS
LOWE’S, HOME DEPOT ADD NEW TWISTS TO BLACK FRIDAY PLAYBOOKS Black Friday hasn’t been confined to the day after Thanksgiving for years. At Lowe’s and The Home Depot, holiday promotions now stretch from October into December, with discounts on everything from power tools to Christmas decorations. For 2026, the two home improvement giants are sticking with that extended calendar while adding incentives
to capture holiday spending. Their strategies offer independent hardware retailers insights into how their largest competitors are attracting shoppers. How Black Friday Became a Season In 2020, The Home Depot announced it was abandoning the traditional single-day approach in favor of promotions beginning in November
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and continuing through December, citing shopping flexibility and reduced crowding during the pandemic. The schedule has stuck. In 2025, The Home Depot began its early Black Friday promotions Nov. 6, while Lowe’s launched Oct. 30. This year’s timing is nearly identical, with Lowe’s starting Oct. 29 and The Home Depot Nov. 5. Lowe’s Expands Deals and Loyalty Incentives According to an Oct. 8 company announcement, Lowe’s is expanding its annual 10 Days of Deals promotion to 12 Days of Deals, beginning Nov. 16. MyLowe’s Rewards and MyLowe’s Pro Rewards members will receive early online access to Black Friday doorbusters on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26. Additional loyalty benefits include free same-day delivery on eligible purchases and exclusive merchandise offers. Featured tool brands include DEWALT, Kobalt and CRAFTSMAN. Lowe’s is also promoting pet merchandise, children’s gifts and HomeCare+ home maintenance service gift cards. December Deal Drops will extend promotions through Christmas Eve. Home Depot Emphasizes Tools, Convenience In its Oct. 29 announcement, The Home Depot outlined a Black Friday
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Savings Event running Nov. 5–25, featuring discounts on tools, appliances and holiday merchandise. Promotions include Milwaukee, DEWALT and RYOBI tools, along with artificial Christmas trees, lighting and outdoor decorations. The company is also emphasizing express delivery options. Its broader online promotional calendar runs Nov. 4 through Dec. 2, maintaining customer interest through overlapping sales periods. Takeaway for Independent Hardware Retailers The competitive implications extend beyond pricing. Lowe’s daily deals and loyalty incentives encourage repeat visits, while The Home Depot emphasizes convenience and gift-oriented merchandising. Independent hardware retailers can apply similar principles through rotating weekly specials, tool accessories, stocking stuffers and targeted email or social media promotions. Locally popular gifts, specialty tools and winter essentials also offer opportunities to attract shoppers without matching every big-box discount. The lesson for 2026 is how the chains are using an extended promotional calendar to give customers more reasons to shop, return and spend.
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IN THE NEWS Center in Jackson, Mississippi, making the store the founding location of its planned network of independent garden centers across the Southeast.
NEW STORES, ACQUISITIONS
• Hartville Hardware & Lumber has acquired Dutchcraft Truss & Component in Minerva, Ohio, a manufacturer of roof and floor trusses serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with Dutchcraft retaining its name and leadership. • Kyle and Denaya Zeh have acquired Tremont Lumber and Hardware, an Ace-affiliated store in Averill Park, New York, founded in 1954 by Ken and Dorothy Tremont. • Paul and Lynn Fox have agreed to sell Harwich Paint and Decorating in East Harwich, Massachusetts, and Chatham Paint and Hardware in Chatham, Massachusetts, to GE Supplies LLC, which operates 14 hardware stores in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. • Southern Garden Centers has acquired Hutto’s Home and Garden
• John Lewis Wheatley III, whose family operates several Massachusetts Ace Hardware stores, has purchased Woodside Ace Hardware in Winthrop, Massachusetts, and plans to reopen the store in January 2027 following renovations. • Paola, Kansas-based Waters Hardware, a Do it Best-affiliated chain, acquired Heidrick’s True Value Hardware in Fort Scott, Kansas, bringing its store count to 35, with plans to retain the store’s employees, expand offerings and renovate the interior.
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• Bowers Ace Hardware opened its sixth South Carolina location Nov. 9 in Irmo, a 14,000-square-foot store with a 5,000-square-foot garden center, with a grand opening celebration scheduled for Nov. 21. • Lynden Ace Hardware in Lynden, Washington, has acquired the former CHS Northwest Fairway True Value store in the same city, keeping the store open and retaining its 11 employees. • Westlake Ace Hardware has opened a 15,000-square-foot store in Wesley Chapel, North Carolina, its third location in the greater Charlotte area, with Joel Taylor II serving as general manager and a grand opening scheduled for Dec. 5. In other Westlake
Ace Hardware news, the retailer plans to open a 12,500-square-foot store in Fenton, Missouri, in summer 2027, expanding its presence in the greater St. Louis area to seven locations. • Forest Lake Ace Hardware has relocated to a new location in downtown Forest Lake, Minnesota, and opened a neighboring kitchen store. • Ace Retail Group has completed a major remodel and rebranding of the former Dale Hardware in Fremont, California, reopening the 41,000-square-foot store as Ace Hardware of Fremont. • Builders FirstSource has acquired L&P Building Supply, a lumber and building materials dealer founded in
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IN THE NEWS 1978 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, that serves contractors in southern New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, marking its fifth acquisition of 2026. • Sunshine Ace Hardware will celebrate the grand reopening of its remodeled San Carlos store in Fort Myers, Florida, Nov. 21–22, following renovations that include an updated layout, new flooring and thousands of additional products, with promotional events and fundraising benefiting Golisano Children’s Hospital.
KUDOS
• Do it Best Group has received the 2026 Mark Michael and NEI Innovative Company of the Year Award from the Northeast Indiana Innovation Community for its development of technology supporting independent hardware retailers, including AI-powered tools, retail data analytics and mobile applications. For the full story, read here.
Mead Family Cancer Center
• Mead Lumber celebrated the opening of the Mead Family Cancer Center in Hastings, Nebraska, a new facility named in recognition of the Mead family’s philanthropic support that expands access to cancer care in the region. • Builders FirstSource raised about $1.6 million for Blood Cancer United at its annual charity event in Irving, Texas, bringing its total fundraising to more than $19 million over 20 years to support blood cancer research, patient services and advocacy. • Welcome to the Hardware Connection Century Club Big Jo True Value Hardware in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which celebrated its 100th anniversary Oct. 30–31; founded as Big Jo Lumber in 1926, the family-owned business has operated as a True Value store since 1985.
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• Customers at Rocky’s Ace Hardware stores nationwide raised more than $32,511 for local animal shelters through the company’s 2026 Round Up for Pets campaign, which invites shoppers to round up their purchases at checkout to help provide food, medical care and other essentials for rescued and surrendered animals. • Kelly Nyberg, marketing director and corporate hiring manager at Nyberg’s Ace Hardware in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, won the 2026 Dancing with the Sioux Falls Stars competition with dance partner Josiah Southall, taking home the Mirror Ball trophy while raising awareness and support for Empire Mental Health Support. For the full story, read this article.
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IN THE NEWS PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
• Orgill has named Scott Wakeman executive vice president and chief marketing officer, bringing experience from Inspire Brands, Colgate-Palmolive and the Houston Astros to oversee the distributor’s Scott marketing, branding, Wakeman communications and retail marketing services. • LBM Advantage has appointed David Gasparri controller, bringing more than 17 years of accounting and financial management experience, including previous roles at Premier Home Health Care Services and David RBT CPAs. The Gasparri buying cooperative has also named Phillip Powers its Southwest member development manager, Phillip overseeing member Powers relationships and business development in Texas and New Mexico. • Tractor Supply Company has appointed Fahim Siddiqui, former chief information officer at
The Home Depot, as executive vice president and chief technology and digital officer, overseeing Fahim Siddiqui technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, business applications and digital commerce.
WHOLESALERS, MANUFACTURERS
• Orgill hosted its Grow Your Way event Nov. 3–5 at its 553,000-squarefoot Innovation Center in Collierville, Tennessee, bringing together retailers, manufacturers and industry partners for product demonstrations, merchandising strategies, educational sessions and discussions on improving retail profitability. The event also highlighted Orgill’s shift toward
The Orgill Grow Your Own Way event at the company's Innovation Center in Collierville, Tenn., hosted retailers and vendors earlier this month.
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more targeted gatherings aligned with retailers’ purchasing cycles. For the full story, see here. • House-Hasson Hardware has partnered with the University of Tennessee’s Global Supply Chain Institute to improve distribution efficiency, safety and customer service for its more than 2,000 independent hardware dealers through research, technology and workforce development initiatives; for the full story, see this article. • ECI Software Solutions has acquired Sierra Data Systems, a provider of construction and logistics software, to expand its technology offerings for residential trade contractors, including estimating, purchasing, inventory management and job cost tracking. • DoorDash has agreed to acquire Instacart in a $17 billion transaction that would combine its delivery network with Instacart’s grocery and retail technology, expanding e-commerce and fulfillment capabilities for local retailers, pending regulatory and shareholder approval. TheHardwareConnection.com
• Boise Cascade plans to acquire two Taiga Building Products distribution facilities in Rocklin and Sanger, California, expanding its building materials distribution network to 41 locations. • Westlake Royal has entered the standing-seam metal roofing market through the acquisition of assets and three facilities from Metal Center Inc., expanding its roofing product offerings. • Deckorators has expanded its distribution partnership with Wausau Supply Co., extending availability of its decking, railing and outdoor living products through Wausau’s network serving dealers in 42 states.
IN MEMORIUM
• Stephen Clarence Tyndall, 77, of Smithfield, Utah, passed away on Oct. 29, 2026. He and his wife, Cheri, owned Stephen Clarence and operated Frontier Tyndall Lumber and Coal Co., a True Value hardware store in Kemmerer, Wyoming. • Mary “Elaine” Goswick, 83, of Breckenridge, Texas, passed away on Oct. 23, 2026. She and her late husband, Bobby Lee Goswick, owned Mary and operated a True “Elaine” Goswick Value Hardware in Breckenridge.
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