Content about chairman and CEO

PPG Industries has finalized the acquisition of the North American architectural coatings business of Akzo Nobel N.V., Amsterdam, in a deal valued at $1.05 billion. 

With this acquisition, PPG has expanded its reach in all three major North American distribution channels, including home centers, independent paint dealers and company-owned paint stores. The company’s product offerings are now available in more than 15,000 outlets across the region. 

Scotts Miracle-Gro posted first-quarter net sales of $205.8 million, up 3% from $199.6 million during the same quarter a year ago. 

Sales in the Global Consumer segment in the quarter ended Dec. 29, 2012, were up 3% to $153.2 million, compared with $149.1 million a year ago, attributable to increased volume during the quarter. 

Less than a year after purchasing it in a hostile takeover, International Paper (IP) has agreed to sell its Temple-Inland Building Products division to Georgia-Pacific for $750 million in cash, subject to certain pre-and post-closing adjustments. The assets to be sold include16 manufacturing facilities: five solid wood mills, four particleboard plants, two medium-density fiberboard plants, one fiberboard plant and four gypsum wallboard plants. 

Home Depot chairman and CEO Frank Blake addressed the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business on Oct. 25, joined by his son, Home Depot district manager Frank Blake Jr., who also serves as an adjunct professor in the School of Business' Executive M.B.A. Program. The senior Blake spoke as part of the business speaker series at the Charles G. Thalhimer Family Executive-in-Residence program.

An article in HCN Monday about the coach-only travel policy at Tractor Supply led to unanimous support for the coach class cabin for business trips.

“We have never flown first class unless we were bumped up. Never paid for it in 41 years.”
— George A. Pattee
Chairman and CEO
Parksite

Doyle Simons, the former chairman and CEO of Temple-Inland, has joined the board of directors of Weyerhaeuser, effective June 29, 2012, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The 49-year-old executive held various positions with Temple-Inland, including executive VP from 2005 through 2007 and chief administrative officer from 2003 to 2005. He became CEO and chairman in 2008 and served until February 2012, when Temple-Inland was acquired by International Paper Co.

Tractor Supply has increased its estimated domestic store growth potential to 2,100 locations from a previously estimated 1,800 stores.

Jim Wright, chairman and CEO, said: “Over the past four years, we have effectively tested and validated the viability of the Tractor Supply store model in small markets. We are pleased that we are able to generate a comparable rate of return on investment in these markets, which opens up additional growth opportunities for Tractor Supply stores. We believe we have a long runway of growth ahead of us.”

Bloomington, Minn.-based Toro Co. posted record sales in 2011, including a 5.8% sales gain in the company's residential segment. 

“Fiscal 2011 was a very good year for the Toro Co., delivering record revenues and earnings per share,” said Michael Hoffman, Toro’s chairman and CEO.

For the year, the company's total earnings were up 26.3% to $117.7 million, and net sales were up 11.5% to $1.884 billion. In the fourth quarter, net earnings increased from $3.2 million to $5 million, as net sales increased 9.1% to $337.3 million.

Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool Corp. posted third-quarter net earnings of $177 million, compared with net earnings of $79 million in the same period last year. Sales in the quarter were $4.6 billion, up 2% to $4.5 billion reported in the third quarter of 2010. 

Lowe’s second-quarter financial report was a disappointment to the company’s executives, who made no excuses for the retailer’s poor showing. Earnings were down slightly, revenues grew by only 1.3%, and comp-store sales were essentially flat. “Even after taking into account the challenges of the macro environment, we are still not pleased with our performance this year,” said chairman and CEO Robert Niblock, speaking at an analysts’ conference call on Aug. 15. 


Bloomington, Minn.-based Toro has posted third-quarter net earnings of $35.1 million, up 5% from net earnings of $33.4 million in the prior-year period.

Net sales for the quarter ended July 29 totaled $501 million, up 9% from net sales of $458.9 million in the third quarter of 2010.

The challenges from unfriendly weather hit Scotts Miracle-Gro hard in the quarter ended July 2, as sales declined 10% to $1.06 billion.

The decline was driven primarily by poor weather across most of the United States throughout the duration of the lawn and garden season, as well as a more competitive promotional landscape and changes in certain retailer strategies within the mass merchandise channel, the Marysville, Ohio-based company said.