News, Information and Ideas from Around the Web

Home Depot and Lowe’s compete in a difficult home-improvement market
Big-box retailers Home Depot Inc. and Lowe’s Cos. struggle to gain market share in a weakening housing market, according to an article from Business Week. Both companies posted loses in the second quarter… read more

Cabinet manufacturers’ association develops green certification program
The Reston, VA-based Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association launched an environmental stewardship certification program to recognize companies that have established environmentally friendly and sustainable practices, according to an Aug. 28 association release… read more

Big-box retailers provide critical alternative to trailers with “Katrina cottages”
Home-improvement giants Home Depot Inc. and Lowe’s Cos. are reaching out to Gulf Coast residents still displaced from the devastating 2005 hurricane season by offering an affordable housing alternative to trailers from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to an Aug. 29 report from Reuters… read more