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Ashland City, Tenn.-based maker of water heaters and boilers launched the A.O. Smith Warranty Check app for contractors and plumbers for use in the field. 

"The iPhone and Android have created a huge demand for on-the-go information from homeowners and professionals," said Matt Southards, senior manager of digital marketing and strategy for A.O. Smith. "As an industry leader, we want to provide our plumbing professionals with easy access to critical information from remote locations."

Oklahoma City-based Cedar Creek plans to open a new location in Birmingham, Ala. The company said the site is ready, and employees are being hired in anticipation of a Feb. 1 opening.

“We are pleased to further expand our presence in Alabama and the Southeast, in general, as we believe these areas will be on the leading edge of the residential building recovery," said Bill Adams, CEO of Cedar Creek. 

Store design and the art of packing high-volume sales in a small space was one of the front-and-center topics at the True Value Market in Philadelphia.

The company's Destination True Value (DTV) initiative -- its store design and merchandising concept -- came to Philadelphia in a new package that measured just over 5,200 sq. ft. The concept store, on full display at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, included 50% less lineal feet than the medium-size DTV format, but had 68% of the SKU count, according to the co-op.

Chicago-based True Value Co.'s September market kicks off bright and early Friday morning with a 7:30 a.m. general session in the City of Brotherly Love.

The Sept. 23 to 25 event at the Philadelphia Convention Center also includes a Retail Best Practices Conference today, Sept. 22. 

One of the highlights of the event will be a display and demonstration of a small-format Destination True Value store, which will be open all hours of the market, with guided tours throughout the day. 

Ashland City, Tenn.-based A. O. Smith has entered into a contract with the U. S. General Services Administration (GSA). The new contract will allow the water heater manufacturer to easily interact with federal, state and local government agencies in need of commercial water heaters and boilers.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced $1,939,000 in proposed penalties for Phenix Lumber Co., a sawmill in Phenix City, Ala., for safety violations that include exposing employees to amputation and fall hazards. 

Ashland City, Tenn.-based A.O. Smith signed on as the Official Education Sponsor for Quality Service Contractors (QSC). 

QSC is a trade organization serving plumbing and HVAC service and repair contractors.

As sponsor, A. O. Smith will provide many of the tools and resources used to supply contractor education to QSC members throughout the year as well as at the upcoming QSC Power Meeting XXXIV April 7-9 in Nashville, Tenn. A. O. Smith will also provide bi-weekly tech training, QSC HR consulting, and other online resources to contractor members.  

Global construction supplier and retailer Saint-Gobain has closed its La Maison building material stores in China, according to a report in Agence France Presse. 

La Maison's 86,000-sq.-ft. flagship store and six design showrooms in Shanghai stopped operating during the week of March 10, a company spokesman told AFP. He blamed recent measures by the Chinese government to cool the housing boom and the change in construction practices, which are building more “finished” properties outfitted with electrical, plumbing and other “pre-decorations.”