Content about Maryland

April 16, 2013

IKEA has plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its distribution center in Perryville, Md.

IKEA has plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its distribution center in Perryville, Md.

The 768,972-sq.-ft. PV array consists of a 2,674.9-kW system, built with 18,576 panels, and is the state’s largest rooftop array. The IKEA distribution center will produce approximately 3,397,178 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 2,397 tons of carbon dioxide, eliminating the emissions of 499 cars or powering 359 homes yearly.

March 7, 2013

Towson, Md.-based Black & Decker introduced four new models of germ-killing steam cleaning units.

Towson, Md.-based Black & Decker introduced four new models of germ-killing steam cleaning units.

The units use water to kill 99.9% of germs to achieve a deep down clean, according to the company. 

February 21, 2013

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 30, 2013

Towson, Md.-based DeWalt has expanded its 12-Volt MAX Lithium Ion system with the introduction of a Hand-Held Radar Scanner.

Towson, Md.-based DeWalt has expanded its 12-Volt MAX Lithium Ion system with the introduction of a Hand-Held Radar Scanner.

The scanner offers radar-sensing technology that detects and identifies wood, ferrous metal, non-ferrous metal, live electric wires and PVC behind multiple types of wall surfaces.

January 24, 2013

The per-capita list is based on 2010 U.S. Census data and includes commercial and institutional buildings certified under LEED. About 2.2 billion sq. ft. of space has been certified worldwide through 2012.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released its annual list of the top 10 states for new LEED certifications in 2012.

The per-capita list is based on 2010 U.S. Census data and includes commercial and institutional buildings certified under LEED. About 2.2 billion sq. ft. of space has been certified worldwide through 2012.

January 21, 2013

Support for the troops runs high in the lumber and building material industry. That’s because there’s a relatively high percentage of builders and lumberyard workers with military backgrounds -- at least from an anecdotal standpoint. 

Another reason is people like Ed Quinn Jr. 

December 20, 2012

Two New York men have been arrested and accused of stealing $257,000 from Home Depot stores in an elaborate shoplifting scheme involving two shopping carts containing identical items.

December 4, 2012

Stevensville, Md.-based home builder NEXUS EnergyHomes teamed with the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) to provide new home buyers a measurement of long-term energy performance of each new home the company builds.

The intent of the agreement is to raise consumers’ knowledge of new home energy performance by using RESNET’s HERS Index. 

November 6, 2012

Pro dealer TW Perry was ranked in 9th place among the “Top 53 Businesses and Organizations in the State of Maryland” by The Gazette of Politics and Business. The publication honors businesses and organizations based on criteria that included the recipient company’s noteworthy product or service innovations, community service efforts, and how the companies portrayed themselves as good places to work.

November 5, 2012

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.

October 10, 2012

Sparks, Md.-based Apex Tool Group, the maker of Craftsman hand tools, Lufkin tape rules and Crescent wrenches, among other products, is being sold to Bain Capital Partners. 

The deal is valued at about $1.6 billion, slightly more than Apex’s $1.5 billion in annual revenue. 

Apex is owned equally by Danaher and Cooper, two manufacturers that combined their tool businesses in July 2010 with the formation of Apex. 

October 9, 2012

ProBuild Holdings, the nation's largest pro dealer, has decided to close down some of its newly built facilities in the Pittsburgh area, as well as operations in Hagerstown, Md. 

An HCN confirmation of an internal memo by ProBuild CEO Rob Marchbank last week showed that the Denver-based pro dealer has revisited its decision to operate three brand new LBM facilities in the Pittsburgh region. 

An attempt to reach ProBuild for comment or explanation received no response.

October 8, 2012

Millennial job seekers just wanna have fun, and employers looking to recruit and retain recent graduates should make workplace fun a “central focus of recruiting efforts,” according to recent academic research.

The findings hold up even at a time when a sluggish economy is leaving many graduates under- or unemployed, says John W. Michel, Ph.D., assistant professor of management at Loyola University Maryland.

October 4, 2012

As Election Day approaches, political passions are spilling over into the workplace. If not handled correctly, opposing viewpoints may become a source of tension and conflict among co-workers. Employers face the challenge of maintaining a tone of respect and cooperation in the workplace and not denying the civil rights of their employees.

August 30, 2012

Towson, Md.-based Black & Decker has introduced the GYRO 4V MAX Lithium-ion Rechargeable Screwdriver (BDCS40G).

The manufacturer describes the new product as “the world’s first motion-activated screwdriver.” It uses gyroscopic technology that allows users to rotate their wrist one-quarter turn to the right for forward or left for reverse.

The variable speed feature and direction change that occurs with a twist of the wrist provide improved control while screwdriving, the company said.

August 1, 2012

Remember that scene from “The Longest Yard” when Burt Reynolds’ incarcerated character snaps his fingers, and boxes of sparkling new football uniforms are delivered to his rag-tag team of inmates just in time for their big showdown with the guards?

That was a great moment for prison procurement. One feels inspired by it.

One gets a very different feeling from the procurement policy of the real-life Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover, Md.

July 11, 2012

An article in Delmarvanow.com reports that a procurement policy for Eastern Correctional Institution in Maryland is cutting out the local hardware store.

In an blow to the buy-local movement, an Ace dealer in Princess Anne, Md., was told that Eastern Correctional Institution is handcuffed into buying from national supplier W.W. Grainger.

July 5, 2012

Gaithersburg, Md.-based lumberyard company TW Perry opened a Design Center in Gaithersburg, reflecting a major new design emphasis for the five-unit pro dealer.

June 20, 2012

The Bozzuto Group, a residential builder based in Greenbelt, Md., has hired Chris Block as its new director of construction. 

May 28, 2012

For the second year in a row, HCN has compiled a state-by-state list of high performers, innovative retailers and classic stores. It’s called the 2012 Home Chanel News Hardware Store All-Star list. Strong customer service is the common thread for all 50 retailers. From there, community involvement, company history, great products and interesting niches set these businesses apart from the competition. 

May 24, 2012

Jessup, Md.-based Newborn Bros. Co. filed a lawsuit May 24 in federal district court in Camden, N.J., against its competitor, Albion Engineering Co. of Moorestown, N.J.

Newborn alleges that Albion has violated the federal Lanham Act and New Jersey law, misleading distributors and customers for years using false claims that Albion’s products are “Made in USA.” Newborn further alleges that Albion sells products imported from Taiwan.

April 6, 2012

An organized retail theft ring that targeted 70 Home Depot stores in six states has been taken down by multi-agency task force after the arrest of three men in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Two other suspects are still be sought. 

March 26, 2012

All too often, employees think that their texting is personal, according to Christine Walters, J.D., SPHR, a consultant with FiveL Co. in Westminster, Md. But texts can resurface in employment lawsuits, so employees and managers should be trained to keep all of their texts as professional as other communications.

February 13, 2012

With the new requirement in the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) stating that builders must install mechanical ventilation in all homes, it is more important than ever that builders understand what ventilation solutions are available, according to Mike Moore, PE, LEED AP, Research Associate, Newport Partners, LLC, Davidsonville, Md. 

February 3, 2012

Towson, Md.-based DeWalt has launched the Adjustable Depth Setter and Dust Collector, which when used together serve as the brand's proprietary Depth Control and Dust System.

Designed specifically for use with the SDS Plus drill bits from DeWalt, the system is built for professionals in the mechanical, electrical and plumbing fields. The most frequent application of this system is for installing drop-in anchors, which are used to hold threaded rod for hanging pipes, conduit and heavy loads.