W&D Weekly - October 3, 2007 | Vol 2, Num 39
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Window & Door Honors 2007 Dealers of the Year
Window & Door magazine is pleased to announce the 2007 Dealers of the Year award winners. The program honors two companies as the top Overall Excellence winners, and seven Focused Excellence winners...
Window & Door magazine is pleased to announce that nine companies across the country have been named the 2007 Dealers of the Year award winners.
Winner of the "Leadership Serving the Professional Market" category, River Valley Window Co.
Winner of the "Leadership Serving the Homeowner Market" category, Feldco. OVERALL EXCELLENCE Leadership Serving the Homeowner Market Feldco
Leadership Serving the Professional Market River Valley Window Co.
FOCUSED EXCELLENCE Innovative Thinking Apex Energy Solutions
Keim Lumber
Installation Technology Sea Coast Window & Door
Community Service
Now in its fourth year, the awards program is designed to recognize companies that set high standards for professionalism and integrity in the sales, marketing and installation of windows and doors.
This year’s program honored two companies as the top Overall Excellence winners, as well as seven Focused Excellence winners in categories for specialty retailers and distributors that stand out in the areas of marketing, installation, customer service, retail/showroom program, community service, innovative thinking and technology, a new category this year.
“This year’s class of Dealers of the Year is truly top-notch,” says Christina Lewellen, senior editor for Window & Door. “Each company’s success in their given arena makes every story worth reading. Selected from a broad expanse of entrants from all over the country, the 2007 winners deliver in our upcoming October issue a strong message of excellence.”
Dealers of the Year awards are presented to the following companies:
Norridge, IL
Lake Havasu, AZ
Camel, IN
Retail Program/Showroom
Charm, OH
HBS Glass
Vero Beach, FL
Pompano Beach, FL
The Muhler Co.
Charleston, SC
Marketing
Window & Door Alternatives
Campbell, CA
Customer Service
Exquisite Windows
Centennial, CO
Full coverage of the 2007 Dealers of the Year is available here at www.windowanddoor.net, and will appear in the October issue of Window & Door. If you want to nominate a company for the 2008 awards, click here.
Questions? Comments? Please email us and share your thoughts.
Lowe’s to Build More Stores, Expand
Installed Sales
Lowe’s announced plans to open 135 to 145 new stores in 2008 and step up efforts to boost installed sales...
At its recent conference for investors and financial analysts, Lowe’s Home Improvement reviewed growth plans for the future, as it continues to face a struggling housing market. According to Home Channel News, the company announced plans to open 135 to 145 new stores in 2008 and step up efforts to boost installed sales.
In a company press release, Gregory M. Bridgeford, executive vice president of business development, noted, “Lowe’s is well positioned to capitalize on a large and fragmented industry to continue our growth. A major component of our organic growth plan is to layer new revenue streams on our existing store base by understanding the changing needs of home improvement customers, developing product and service solutions to meet those needs, and crafting these differentiating customer proposals into profitable business models.”
“External pressures weigh on our near-term performance, but looking past the current cycle, we see many opportunities for continued sales and earnings growth and increasing cash flow from operations,” added Robert F. Hull, Jr., executive vice president and CFO.
Reviewing the company’s expectations for market recovery, Hull added, “The current pressures will likely continue into 2008, so we expect our earnings performance to improve from mid-single digit growth in 2008 to high-teens in 2010.”
Numerous press reports noted that Lowe’s warnings on lower sales expectations for the short-term had a ripple effect on some housing stocks.
Questions? Comments? Please email us and share your thoughts.
Pro-Build Adds Idaho Lumberyard
Lumbermens has acquired Alpine Lumber Supply, an Idaho-based supplier of building materials...
Lumbermens Inc., a unit of Pro-Build Holdings, has acquired Alpine Lumber Supply, a supplier of building materials with locations in Sandpoint and Post Falls, Idaho, according to a report in the Bonner County (Idaho) Daily Bee. Alpine serves builders, contractors and consumers in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, supplying and installing a variety of products, including windows and doors. It also operates a millwork showroom.
“Strategically, Alpine is an excellent fit for Lumbermens,” says Dave Dittmer, Pro-Build West region president. “Alpine’s contractor focus as well as its retail expertise compliments our existing presence in both of these markets. Lumbermens looks forward to welcoming the Alpine employees into our Lumbermens family.”
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. After completion of the sale, both Alpine locations will operate as Lumbermens, which currently has more than 70 lumberyards, truss plants, millwork facilities and installed services in five Western states.
Lumbermens, in turn, is part of Pro-Build Holdings, which operates more than 500 lumber and building product distribution, manufacturing and assembly centers in 40 states under a variety of names.
Questions? Comment? Please email us and share your thoughts...
BMC West Sells Colorado Business Units
BMC West Corp. has sold three business units to West Canyon Investments, an affiliate of Harbert Lumber...
BMC West Corp. has sold three retail-oriented business units in Western Colorado as part of its continued strategy to focus on professional builders and contractors and to emphasize value-added products and services, including manufacture and installation of millwork and structural components, in addition to lumber and materials distribution.
Grand Junction, Colo.-based West Canyon Investments, an affiliate of Harbert Lumber, bought the three operations for $11.4 million.
The transaction includes the sale of the real estate assets at the company’s Steamboat Springs and Glenwood Springs locations, the lease of its Aspen real estate to West Canyon Investments, and sale of the business assets of all three locations.
Sales for the locations in 2006 were reported at about $40 million, equaling about 3 percent of BMC West’s sales.
“As we continue to evaluate opportunities to better serve BMC West customers, we remain focused on ensuring our operating facilities are optimally located and provide the right range of professionally oriented products and services to drive growth and operating efficiencies,” says Robert E. Mellor, chairman, president and CEO. “In a number of instances, this has entailed a shift away from more retail-oriented operations like those located in Aspen and Steamboat Springs. Importantly, the new owners share our belief in the importance of our people, and will offer jobs to all of our current employees in these locations. Strategically, this transaction will allow us to concentrate our efforts and resources on expanding in markets that align with our long-term growth plans.”
BMC West is a wholly owned subsidiary of San Francisco-based Building Materials Holding Corp., a leading provider of construction services and building materials to professional residential builders and contractors. The company has a second subsidiary company, SelectBuild, which provides construction services to high-volume production homebuilders in key growth markets across the country.
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- How to Play the Real Estate Bounce-back
from CNNMoney.com - Weathering Economic Downturn Discussion
Available Online
from National Association of Home Builders - Troubled Home Builders Turn to Layoffs
from BusinessWeek.com
...
How to Play the Real Estate Bounce-back
from CNNMoney.com
Business 2.0 and Moody's Economy.com have identified 10 cities that have just about hit rock bottom - and offer opportunities for savvy investors to get in while the getting's good... read more
Weathering Economic Downturn Discussion
Available Online
from National Association of Home Builders
A video presentation features veteran builders offering tips on how to weather today's tough times. The panel discussion took place on September 7 during the NAHB Fall board of directors meeting in Seattle... read more
Troubled Home Builders Turn to Layoffs
from BusinessWeek.com
Bloated home builders are desperate to unload houses. And employees. Lennar Corp. became the latest to downsize, revealing Tuesday that it has slashed 35 percent its work force amid the national mortgage crisis. "We expect more to come," said Joe Snider, a credit analyst at Moody's Investors Service. "All of the home builders need to cut back on their employee expenses to have a hope of making any kind of money during this downturn... read more