Existing-home sales improved in May and remain solidly above a year ago, while the median price continued to rise by double-digit rates from a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors. Total existing-home sales rose 4.2 percent to a seasonally …

Michael Parr, Cascade Wholesale Hardware, left, meets with Mark Marotto, Perfect Vision, at the 2013 GMC in Atlanta. Distributors affiliated with PRO Group, Inc. and Val-Test met with manufacturers during the Group Merchandising Conference, held June 17-19 at the Embassy …

Lowe’s has agreed to buy Orchard Supply Hardware for approximately $205 million on the same day Orchard Supply filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The purchase agreement would enable Lowe’s to expand through a new store format and reach …

Canada’s premier awards program for home improvement retailers has a new home. The Outstanding Retailer Awards (ORAs) are now owned and managed by Hardlines Inc. Hardlines, which publishes the quarterly hardware/home improvement trade magazine Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly (HHIQ) and …

Friedman’s Home Improvement, one of the largest locally owned home improvement stores in California, announced it is appointing Barry Friedman as its new CEO and president. The announcement is the result of a long-term succession planning process led by Chairman …

Pending home sales improved slightly in April and continue to be well above a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 0.3 percent to 106 in April from …

As one of several preemptive measures Home Depot is taking in preparation for 2013 hurricane activity, the company is launching a single-day effort to prepare residents in storm-prone regions. On July 27, Home Depot will host free Hurricane Preparedness Workshops at more than …

A new Ace Hardware store is opening in Pine, Colo. The new Moore Lumber and Ace Hardware store, formerly Hutchinson Lumber, is the fourth store the Moore family owns. The new Moore Lumber and Ace Hardware is owned by Bill …