DATATRAC
Personnel Updates
• 84 Lumber Co. announced the hiring of John Hathaway as VP Real Estate and Development.
Industry Insight
• Lowe’s now has its own TV show called “The Weekender” which can be found on the Lowe’s app on Apple TV. There are 10 episodes of the original series with DIY and home expert Monica Mangin. The show will help DIYers tackle five weekend projects.
Mergers and Acquisitions
• Cedar Creek Inc. has acquired Lake States Lumber. With this acquisition Cedar Creek will now have locations in MN and WI.
• Westlake Hardware acquired two locations from Ace Hardware of Raleigh. Westlake Hardware expects to end the year operating 98 to 100 locations. The company operates locations in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. The acquired locations are the company’s first east coast locations.
Real Estate
• Bomgaars Supply has expanded in IA into the Grimes community of Del Moines area. This makes the second location for the Des Moines area. The company now has 80 locations.
• C-A-L Stores has begun construction on a new location in Idaho Falls, ID that will replace its existing flagship store there. The 70,000 square foot new location is more than double the size of the current location in Idaho Falls, ID. The company will also build a new 30,000 square foot corporate headquarters on Curlew Rd behind the new flagship location.
• hhgregg has plans to open 25 to 30 Fine Lines appliance locations over the next two years. At this time there are 14 Fine Line locations, which are high end appliance locations connected to a hhgregg location.
• Weyerhaeuser Company is closing their lumber mill and plywood mill in Columbia Falls, MT in late August or early September while also eliminating nearly 100 positions. Weyerhaeuser Company will continue to operate three other mills.
Green Initiatives
• IKEA has plans to expand its renewable energy portfolio. With the success of its pilot store the company plans to install biogas powered fuel cell systems at four more locations in California.
