Industry News

The importance of small business to job creation and to the U.S. economy has been the focus of economists and policy makers alike for several decades. But defining or measuring what constitutes or defines a small business is quite challenging, …

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in May for the 12th consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 60th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business. To find out …

The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) has extended the application deadline for the Summer 2014 Session of the Retail Management Certification Program until next Monday, June 9th. For companies interested in sending a student to the school, click here …

Federal disaster policy should shift focus toward mitigation in order to reduce future disaster costs, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies says. The industry group recommends that the federal government create incentives for states to adopt and enforce strong …

The average characteristics of conventional mortgages used to buy newly built homes were little changed in April, according to data released earlier today by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).  The average contract interest rate declined a scant 2 basis points to 4.19 percent, while …

Going green is good for the environment, but it can also be good for a homeowner’s wallet – and that’s the aspect of eco-friendly improvements that seems most appealing to homebuyers. More than 80 percent of buyers said they would …

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes in May fell one point to 45 from a downwardly revised April reading of 46 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI).  Derived from a monthly …

Home Depot launched its first in-store implementation of its new customer order management system (OMS), according to the company’s recent shareholders conference call. According to executives, Home Depot will roll out the OMS across the U.S. by the end of …