Content about Arizona

May 15, 2013

Phoenix-based Alliance Lumber of Arizona completed the acquisition of Central Arizona Truss (CAT). CAT, also based in Phoenix, designs and manufactures trusses for custom homes, remodels and additions in the Arizona and Southern California areas.

February 21, 2013

Luxury finds its way back home

The nation's single-family housing market is springing back to life, and the luxury market is budding right along with it.

Luxury homes have received a healthy boost from historically low mortgage rates, increased buyer confidence and burgeoning interest from foreign investors looking to capitalize on favorable exchange rates.

One bellwether of the recovery: Toll Brothers, the largest luxury home builder in the United States, reported that fourth-quarter revenues (ended Oct. 31, 2012) were up 48%, and new orders were the highest level seen since 2006.

January 31, 2013

Do it Best refines best practices in Phoenix

A blend of education, entertainment and relaxation highlighted the recently completed Do it Best Corp. Winter Conference held in Phoenix.

January 22, 2013

Texas town to get new Ace dealer

A new hardware store is under construction in Chandler, Texas, the result of two years of land use preparations, according to an article in TylerPaper.com.

A new hardware store is under construction in Chandler, Texas, the result of two years of land use preparations, according to an article in TylerPaper.com.

December 20, 2012

Home Depot selects a high-tech pricing tool

Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Clear Demand announced that The Home Depot has licensed its latest pricing solution.

According to the technology vendor, Clear Demand was selected for its ability to manage prices via sophisticated rules while providing Home Depot with an agile delivery model.

December 13, 2012

Ace owner back in the game

A Phoenix businessman who sold two stores six years ago has opened Carl’s Ace Hardware Store, according to the Peoria (Ariz.) Times.

The businessman, Steve Herrgesell, sold Ace Hardware Stores in Tempe and south Phoenix about six years ago. He also co-founded Peter Piper Pizza. He opened the new store, at 75th Ave. and Cactus Road with his son Carl and daughter in law, Faith.

December 3, 2012

Ace store handles Santa’s mail

Crown Ace Hardware is playing Santa at two of its locations with mailboxes that accept letters addressed to the North Pole. According to an article in the Havasu News, the two stores in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., have been collecting letters written to Santa Claus in special mailboxes outside the stores.

November 19, 2012

EnduraMax sponsors Green Schoolhouse Series

EnduraMax,a high-performance wall system by Oldcastle Architectural, is a sponsor of the Green Schoolhouse Series project, an effort to construct green schoolhouses across the country.

The first Green Schoolhouse Series project is a 6,000-square-foot school in Phoenix, Ariz. It serves as the launching pad for state-of-the-art green schoolhouses across the country on Title 1, low-income, public school campuses.

November 16, 2012

Nine chosen for Best Products awards at DA/PRO Group conference

Distribution America and PRO Group, Inc. presented the following awards during the Executive Planning Conference, held Nov. 12-14 in Tucson, Ariz.

Best New Product awards went to:

Electrical: Designer’s Edge – Rechargeable Work Light w/ 24 Hi-Intensity LEDs

Hand tools: Goldblatt Tools – Ram Rod Impact Tool w/ 1” Chisel Bit

Housewares/seasonal: Newell Rubbermaid – 32 Gallon Brute Trash Can w/ Lid

November 14, 2012

Distribution America, PRO Group hold joint conference

Distribution America and the PRO Group met for their Executive Planning Conference Nov. 12 to 14 in Tucson, Ariz., to discuss new product lines, program launches and business opportunities. More than 400 distributors and manufacturers were in attendance, and almost 2,800 scheduled meetings were held between buyers and sellers.

November 5, 2012

Ballots weigh on business

Voters in 38 states will consider 174 statewide ballot measures on Nov. 6, 2012, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). These proposals are wide-ranging, with a number of them having potential workplace implications.

Questions appear on the ballots in more than one state concerning:

• Medical marijuana use;
• Legalization of marijuana; and
• Same-sex marriage.

November 2, 2012

E-Verify could become mandatory

E-Verify has found a champion in presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who would make the federal electronic employee verification system mandatory nationwide so that U.S. employment would become less of a magnet for illegal immigration.

But while E-Verify has become less error-ridden and more popular among employers than it used to be, it remains easy to fool, costly and widely ignored in states where it is required, according to a Sept. 25, 2012, report.

Hodgepodge of state laws

August 2, 2012

Lowe’s to carry recycled denim insulation

Ultratouch Denim Insulation, a product made from blue jeans and other recycled material, will now be available in 165 Lowe’s stores in the western U.S., according to its manufacturer. The rollout begins Aug. 6.

Denim insulation does not contain formaldehyde, VOCs, or other chemical irritants; it is eligible for LEED credits, said Bonded Logic, the Chandler, Ariz. company that produces the product.

Ultratouch Denim Insulation is also available at Home Depot and Menards.

August 1, 2012

Florida: Has the tide turned in the Sunshine State?

Housing economists, reading the tea leaves of recent building permits and home sales, are not yet ready to say, “It’s over.” But certain states are definitely showing a pick-up in business at both the builder and LBM supplier level. They say one of these states, surprisingly, is Florida.

May 22, 2012

Home Depot settles National Guard case

The Justice Department and The Home Depot have reached a settlement in a case where the government accused the retailer of unlawfully terminating an employee who was a member of the Army National Guard.

May 4, 2012

2012 Hardware Store All-Stars

Last year, the original 50 Home Channel News Hardware Store All-Star honorees established a high bar and a hard act to follow. But the 2012 crop rises to the challenge. This year’s Hardware Store All-Stars, one from each of the 50 U.S. states, have at least one thing in common: Ask them what makes them special and you can bet they’ll include “excellent customer service” in the answer. From there, every path to stardom is unique.

March 29, 2012

Dunn-Edwards factory wins 'Best Project'

Dunn-Edwards, the Southwest manufacturer of premium paint, received a Real Estate and Development (RED) Award from the Arizona Commercial Real Estate (AZRE) for Best Industrial Project for its new 336,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility.

The 7th Annual RED Awards recognize the most notable commercial real estate projects of 2011 and the construction teams involved. AZRE held an open call for nominations and a record 116 projects were submitted by architects, contractors, developers and brokerage firms in Arizona.

February 10, 2012

High times for niche retailer

A franchise chain of West Coast supply stores for “indoor gardeners” is bringing its special strain of controversy to Washington, D.C., with a fourth location in the Northeast quadrant of the nation’s capital.

October 21, 2011

Toll Brothers partners with EchoFirst

Luxury home builder Toll Brothers has partnered with EchoFirst, a solar energy provider, to build new communities in Arizona that provide a complete solar energy system for water, heating and cooling. EchoFirst supplements conventional solar electric PV panels with solar thermal technology that generates electricity for hot water, as well as thermal energy for heating and cooling the home. This enables Toll Brothers to offer homes that use 70% to 80% less energy than a standard code-built home, according to the announcement.

July 6, 2011

Arizona home builder to exit Chapter 11

Fulton Homes, one of Arizona’s largest privately-owned home builders, has announced the confirmation of its reorganization plan in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Fulton Homes, one of Arizona’s largest privately-owned home builders, has announced the confirmation of its reorganization plan in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The company filed for Chapter 11 in 2009.

July 6, 2011

Arizona home builder to exit Chapter 11

Fulton Homes, one of Arizona’s largest privately-owned home builders, has announced the confirmation of its reorganization plan in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Fulton Homes, one of Arizona’s largest privately-owned home builders, has announced the confirmation of its reorganization plan in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The company filed for Chapter 11 in 2009.

June 30, 2011

Emerging category:  From potted plants to pot

June 14, 2011

Lawn and garden concept opens in Arizona, with a twist

Its nickname is "the Walmart of weed."

Described as the nation's only hydroponics franchise that openly talks about medical marijuana, weGrow opened a 21,000-sq.-ft. store in Phoenix earlier this month.

May 31, 2011

Shoplifters sought for pulling a switch at the checkout

Suspects are being sought by federal authorities for allegedly stealing $130,000 worth of merchandise from Lowe’s by smuggling it out in toilet and sink boxes, according to an article in the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

May 3, 2011

Fifty winning retailers, state by state

From New York’s Island to the Redwood Forests, the great American hardware store maintains a revered place in the commercial history of these United States.  

On the following pages, Home Channel News editors travel state-by-state to find examples of leading hardware store retailers. To those deserving candidates not on the list — and there are many — we offer this advice as consolation: “Keep up the good work. We’ll get to you eventually.”  