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Too many contractors taking on too much low-bid work just to stay alive may soon result in a market shake-out, according to a report by FMI, a leading provider of management consulting and investment banking to the engineering and construction industry.

FMI’s third-quarter nonresidential construction report index has dropped 5 points, putting it back at second-quarter 2010 levels. On the rise is the number of contractors participating in self-funded projects as a financing partner with owner/developers, the report said.

New products from the 2012 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas had a tremendous variety of end users in mind. Here’s a small sample. 

The North American Wholesale Lumber Association has announced its speaker and education schedule for its 2012 Leadership Conference, and the event will be headlined by Billy Beane and Lt. Gen. Russel Honore. The Conference will be April 29-May 1 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

General Tools & Instruments announced that its new Digital Sliding T-Bevel is being honored in This Old House magazine’s “TOH Top 100,” a list of best new home products of the year.

Denver -- The air was thick with sports metaphors during Ace Hardware's General Session of the 2011 Denver Fall Convention & Exhibits. 

Ace's top marketing and merchandising executives mixed retail strategies with quotes from Knute Rockne and Vince Lombardi during a presentation in which they described the top 10 plays for winning at retail. The session even included half-time highlights of power tools and football touchdowns.

Canadian-based wood products company West Fraser has announced it will sell its Eurocan site in Kitimat, B.C., and related assets to KM LNG Operating General Partnership. The completion of the sale is expected later in 2011.

“Further to the earlier agreement to sell the wharf to Rio Tinto Alcan Inc., we are pleased to announce the sale of the site to KM LNG, an industrial consortium led by Apache Canada Ltd,” said Hank Ketcham, West Fraser’s chairman, president and CEO.

Orlando, Fla. -- Chicago-based hardware co-op True Value Co. reported wholesale revenues increased 2.3% in the fourth quarter of 2010, and retail revenues increased 4.6% for the quarter.

CEO Lyle Heidemann delivered the preliminary results to True Value members during the General Session of the co-op's 2011 Spring & Rental Market held here in Orlando. 

"Our fourth quarter results should give us some momentum going into 2011," Heidemann said.