HBSD July/August 2026

A STORY ABOUT NAVIGATING GROWTH

At City Lumber Company, growth has always been intentional. Across our two West Tennessee locations, we’ve focused on building an operation that meets the evolving needs of contractors and DIY customers while creating a clear path for the company’s future.

We also know growth starts with a strong understanding of our market. That’s why we take a proactive approach—regularly reviewing performance, keeping inventory fresh and making adjustments to ensure every part of the operation contributes to our success. Maintaining that mindset has allowed us to expand with confidence and pursue new opportunities.

That approach is strengthened by our partnership with Orgill. Their market-specific demographic insights bring clarity when evaluating opportunities, while their store planning tools and Smart Start programs provide a strong framework for execution. At the same time, we retain the flexibility to tailor those strategies to fit our business— we’re always in the driver’s seat.

Even with that control, we know Orgill is a trusted co-pilot. Our sales representative works alongside us, helping identify opportunities and providing insight, support and a clear perspective on the best path forward.

As we continue moving ahead, we’re confident we have the right roadmap—and the right partner—to navigate whatever comes next.

Jason McDaniel Owner | City Lumber | West Tennessee

28 RoMac Building Supply is making magic in central Florida

32 Together in Fort Wayne: a big step for one company 34 A shake up in the paint aisle

36 Technology meets culture for Lansing Building Supply

38 Sherwin-Williams opens new tech hub

Meet Sarah Schrader Cameron

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Ken’s New Jersey Garage

You’re invited to Ken’s New Jersey Garage, where innovation and practicality converge. The latest episode explores the features and bene ts of a highvolume y trap. Check it out, along with the entire library of moving pictures, at HBSDealer.com/video

Your digital ticker tape, every day

The HBSDealer Stock Watch delivers up-to-the-minute monitoring of 30 publicly traded hardware and building supply companies. The industry’s digital ticker tape appears each day in the HBSDealer Daily Newsletter, and it resides online at HBSDealer.com

Throwback

Thursday

The archives of National Home Center News, the forerunner of HBSDealer, are a treasure-trove of industry history. Case in point: the Nov. 3, 1997 issue that recognized and celebrated the achievements of Pelican Cos. Look for history each week, and share history with us at news@HBSDealer.com.

Independent retailers succeed with partners who stay committed, and Rodda-Miller Paint does. Dealers turn to us for consistent support, proven performance, and a partnership built on reliability and experience. Since 1890, our heritage of trusted paint making and attentive, face‑to‑face service has helped stores stay strong and competitive. Our hardware ready program elevates your store, supports your team, and enhances customer experience.

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No crying, It’s just business

Ken Clark, Editor-in-Chief

550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Ste. 225, Chicago, IL 60631 (773) 992-4450 Fax (773) 992-4455 www.HBSDealer.com

BRAND MANAGEMENT

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT John Kenlon (516) 650-2064 jkenlon@ensembleiq.com

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ken Clark kclark@ensembleiq.com

EDITOR Robby Brumberg rbrumberg@ensembleiq.com

ADVERTISING SALES & BUSINESS

“If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.”

—Mark Antony

The annual Top 150 Leaderboard issue celebrates achievement. These industry leaders— you can learn about the rst 50 beginning on page 20—keep on nding ways to build, to serve, to innovate.

Their journeys make great stories. And it’s our job to cover them.

The ip side of achievement is disappointment. And those stories can be just as important to tell.

Case in point: Ayers Variety and Hardware of Arlington, Virginia.

“It is with heavy hearts we announce after 49 years of our family owning Ayers Variety and Hardware, we have decided to close the business,” the company recently announced on social media.

The owners — Kristy and Keith — announced their plans to shutter with the end of their lease on July 31, after active succession planning fell through.

Along with their dif cult decision, the owners described “immense gratitude to customers.”

They wished upon the future tenant of the space the same love from the community that Ayers enjoyed for half a century.

“You were amazing to us following the 2019 ood and brought our Dad to tears with your generosity and support. You kept us a oat during COVID. You embraced us after our parents died.”

Kristy and Keith re ected on Santa at Christmas, thousands of Easter Eggs, watching children grow, and even meeting the children of those children.

“We are fortunate to have heard your stories, met your families, and been part of this wonderful community. You have allowed us to do what we love for almost ve decades, and we always will be grateful.”

When I printed out a copy of the full social media message, my college-age daughter found it and read it.

“This makes me want to cry,” she said. I wanted to hug her. But there’s no crying in the hardware and building supply industry.

# # #

HBSDealer sympathizes with the loss of an independent dealer—especially one that played such a positive role in the community.

Our support for the independent is unwavering. And the upcoming ProDealer Industry Summit will be trying something new in Chicago, Oct. 5-7, with the introduction of our “Declarations of Independents” program.

It brings together managers and executives of high-performing independent dealers who plan to share insights into particular spheres of business—technology, design, installation sales and more. Learn more at prodealer.com

We hope you can join us.

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Amy Platter Grant (773) 294-8598 agrant@ensembleiq.com

DESIGN/PRODUCTION/MARKETING

ART DIRECTOR Catalina Carrasco cgonzalezcarrasco@ensembleiq.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER Patricia Wisser pwisser@ensembleiq.com

MARKETING MANAGER Kathryn Abrahamsen kabrahamsen@ensembleiq.com

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

LIST RENTAL mbriganti@anteriad.com

SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS contact@HBSDealer.com

CORPORATE OFFICERS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jennifer Litterick

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Jane Volland

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Derek Estey CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Ann Jadown

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Levi Smith, CEO, Franklin Building Supply

Neal DeLowery, Store Projects and Merchandise Manager, Aubuchon Co.

Virginia Lewis, President, Tart Lumber Co. Joe Kallen, CEO, Busy Beaver Building Centers Tom Cost, Owner, Killingworth True Value David DeJoy, President and CEO, LBM Advantage

Permissions: No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Lowe’s chases the complex Pro

On a recent webcast, Lowe’s CFO Brandon Sink said he’s focused on two main goals—ongoing growth and taking more market share. As you might’ve guessed, going for more Pros is a big part of that equation.

Sink says, “We continue to look at Pro penetration where we’re taking share in our retail box with small to medium. We’ve now opened up a more diversi ed customer with the larger Pro that we can access through the FBM and ADG model. We’re excited about a potential new revenue pro t pool that we can generate there that will create pro t dollars and ongoing earnings.”

Any assistance from the U.S. government will also be welcome news:

“And then if we can get some bene t from housing policy, from the administration, whether it’s pent-up demand from HELOCs, whether it’s tax incentives, some of these near-term drivers for us, that just creates incremental upside beyond what we’re tracking and what we’re expecting to deliver here in 2026.”

CEO Marvin Ellison echoed the impetus on expanding Lowe’s Pro outreach, noting that the company had roughly 18% Pro market penetration when he took the top job in 2018 and is now approaching 40%.

“Today, we are the largest seller of DeWalt product, and DeWalt remains the No.1 power tool brand for Pros. We also reintroduced brands like Klein Tools, that are kind of the key brand for electricians and HVAC professionals. And we started to x the ful llment issues. I mean, we were very hit or miss, and we made investments. We put technology in place. And so those are the foundational things that we did.”

As for reaching the sought-after “larger, more complex Pro” segment, Ellison touts the company’s Pro extended aisle, essentially a product marketplace for Pros. The retailer has also added several key suppliers, “so if a customer comes in and they want to get a truckload of drywall or they want to get a truckload of electrical wire, the ability to do that now at the right quantity, price and selection is all digital, and we can do it seamlessly.”

As QXO pursues its march toward becoming a $50 billion player in the building materials distribution business, it announced in early July the completion of a $17 billion deal to acquire TopBuild Corp., a giant in insulation and roo ng.

In the same press release, an executive move of note was announced— the departure of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, from Greenwich, Connecticut-based QXO’s board of directors. Kushner is being replaced by Alec Covington, TopBuild’s former chairman.

Kushner resigned from the Board of Directors “to focus on other commitments,” the company said. One major commitment for Kushner, a real estate developer, has been his engagement as special envoy in negotiations with Iran.

Tractor Supply resets the aisle

Tractor Supply announced a major category expansion across its truck, tool, and hardware departments, highlighted by the of cial launch of SKIL Power Tools and a complete reset of its electrical aisle.

“We continue to see customers taking on more repair, maintenance and improvement projects themselves,” said Randall Dodds, senior VP and general merchandising manager at Tractor Supply. He noted the expansion evolves the retailer’s assortment to better serve these project-driven shoppers.

The initial SKIL rollout features over 30 tools and accessories in-store—including a circular saw and impact driver—with an

expanded selection online. The line features universal USB-C charging, a single-battery system, brushless motors, and a ve-year warranty. An exclusive SKIL grease gun will join the lineup later this summer.

Simultaneously, Tractor Supply has refreshed its electrical aisle, adding 188 new SKUs from brands like Klein Tools, Leviton, and Kidde to complement its private-label offerings. The new layout is designed to ful ll complete project needs across wiring, testing, lighting, and re safety. The company is also boosting its automotive tool inventory ahead of its upcoming “Tractor Supply Tool Days” event.

It’s building materials supply software - just not as you know it.

Toward a ‘repair economy’

F

resh data published by the Home Improvement Research Institute surfaces several notable shifts in the current housing market. One big takeaway: While fewer Americans are taking on home improvement projects, those who do are spending signi cantly more.

According to HIRI’s recent Q1 2026 Homeowner Project Activity Tracker, overall homeowner participation in home improvement projects dropped to 40% in Q1 2026, down from 44% during the same period last year. However, the average spending per project saw a 36% increase, jumping from $3,957 in Q1 2025 to $5,368 in Q1 2026.

This counterintuitive trend highlights how in ation and material costs are driving up household budgets, even as U.S. consumers pull back from large-scale

discretionary renovations. In a clear sign of scaling back, 62% of homeowners opted to repair an existing item or structure rather than replace it completely — a jump from 51% just one quarter prior. Trade professionals on the front lines are directly feeling the consumer nancial strain. According to HIRI’s Q1 2026 Contractor Business Sentiment Tracker, the shift away from “dream home” remodels is affecting industry pipelines:

 A spike in delays and cancellations. A noteworthy 44% of contractors had scheduled jobs postponed in Q1 2026 (an increase from just 27% in Q1 2025) while outright cancellations more than doubled year-over-year (from 4% to 10%).

 Budgets are the bottleneck. Contractors identi ed nancial

Contractors report their project mix is shifting toward smaller, tightly budgeted jobs.

Roundup dustup

The Supreme Court recently overturned a jury award for a man in Missouri who used Roundup and claimed it caused cancer. Essentially, the court ruled that federal law supersedes state law when it comes to determining whether products are safe. In this case, the Environmental Protection Agency’s previously determined ruling that Roundup is safe for consumers formed the basis of the decision.

There's no shortage of controversy in the ruling. More than 10 years ago, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer described glyphosate, a Roundup ingredient, as "probably carcinogenic to humans."

constraints as a leading cause of project delays and cancellations. While the share citing budget-related reasons was relatively consistent year over year (30% in Q1 2025 versus 28% in Q1 2026), it rose sharply from 15% in Q4 2025, suggesting affordability concerns intensi ed heading into 2026. Additionally, 49% of contractors cited in ation as a primary pressure on their business.

 The shrinking scope of work. Aligning with the homeowner’s desire to “repair vs. replace,” contractors report their project mix is shifting toward smaller, tightly budgeted jobs. In Q1, 44% of all contractor projects cost under $5,000, while only 8% of jobs exceeded the $100K threshold. This also signals a competitive environment putting downward pressure on contractors’ project bid values.

“The environment we are seeing so far in 2026 is the culmination of nancial pressures building throughout the previous year,” said Dave King, executive director at HIRI. “While household incomes showed surface-level stabilization last year, those gains were often offset by eroding liquidity and discretionary capacity. The result is a market increasingly focused on maintaining and extending the life of existing homes rather than pursuing major upgrades.”

The ndings suggest growing demand for products and services that help homeowners maintain, repair and extend the life of existing systems and structures while managing costs.

In 2020, the EPA determined that the chemical is "unlikely" to cause cancer in humans.

Against that backdrop, here's the latest HBSDealer poll question:

HBSDealer Poll question, n=128

Outstanding in their field

For Guy C. Lee Building Materials of Smith eld, N.C., and Ferguson Lumber of Veedersburg, Ind., the similarities run deep. Both have been around in one form or another for more than a century — Ferguson for more than a century and a half.

Both are respected by their communities for their charitable work — and by their lumberyard peers for valuable behind-thescenes work promoting the industry.

They’ll both be recognized during the ProDealer of the Year Awards ceremony in Chicago, Oct. 6.

“This year’s ceremony in Chicago has two fantastic representatives of the industry,” said Amy Grant, associate publisher of HBSDealer. “Hard-working, high-performing companies that do things the right way.”

The ProDealer of the Year (Guy C. Lee) and Independent ProDealer of the Year awards (Ferguson) are selected by the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association in partnership with HBSDealer. Honorees are selected for high-performance lumberyards with a commitment to values consistent with the lumber and building material industry: excellence in customer stewardship, devotion to employees, and a positive workplace culture.

Past honorees of the exclusive ProDealer of the Year award include Hancock Lumber of Maine (2022), McCray Lumber & Millwork of Kansas City (2021) and Zuern Lumber (2025) of Wisconsin.

Find out more about the awards and the event at Prodealer.com

NEWS MAP

Openings, closings and acquisitions

The color-coded, continually updated HBSDealer News Map paints the big picture of industry activity.

Recent openings on the map include an Aubuchon Ace Hardware grand opening celebration in Rumford, Maine, and a Rural King opening in Anderson, S.C.

Acquisitions, marked by blue dots on the map, include the recent Ogden & Adams Building Solutions purchase of Bellevue Lumber and Maquoketa Lumber, both in Iowa. And in California, Decks & Docks acquired six-unit SoCal dealer J&W Lumber.

And there were closings, indicated with red dots, with the shuttering or planned shuttering of Ayers Variety and Hardware in Arlington, Va.; Wright City Hardware in Wright City, Mo.; and Rocky Ridge Hardware in Vestavia Hills, Ala.

Explore the new-and-improved interactive News Map at HBSDealer.com/map

A remodeling snapshot

The National Association of Home Builders Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the second quarter of 2026 dipped one point to 61. But it is still in positive territory, the NAHB reported.

The gure has remained in the low 60s consistently over the past 12 months.

The RMI survey asks remodelers to rate ve components of the remodeling market as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” Each question is measured on a scale from 0 to 100, where an index number above 50 indicates that a higher share view conditions as good rather than poor.

“Despite affordability concerns, rising homeowner equity and an aging housing stock are powering demand for residential remodeling,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “This is keeping the remodeling market relatively strong despite certain impediments, like the rising cost of building materials.”

The latest RMI survey found 74% of remodelers reported that their suppliers have increased prices of materials since March due to higher fuel costs, with the average increase in materials prices over that time being 6.7%.

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By HBSDealer Staff

Ninety-nine times out of 100, an editorial effort to sum up an entire industry’s outlook and performance into a single word is bound to be misleading.

The year 2025, it can be argued, is the outlier.

Looking back at the performance of the industry leaders, the word “uncertainty” sums it up nicely. The long version—heard again and again on earnings calls and interviews—is “uncertain economic environment.”

That’s the story behind the latest iteration of the HBSDealer Industry Leaderboard, “the Top 150.” And the uncertainty is hitting on several fronts. It’s tariffs. It’s in ation. It’s mortgage rates. It’s immigration. It’s housing affordability.

And during the 2025 LBM CEO Summit held in New York City, renowned housing industry expert Ivy Zellman was asked what could be the dramatic game changer that no one’s talking about.

Her prescient, succinct answer: “War.” (This issue of HBSDealer is heading to press as hostilities have resumed between the U.S. and Iran.)

Through it all, the hardware and building supply industry was buttressed by two fundamental advantages: People have to live somewhere, and dwellings deteriorate little by little—and sometimes in big chunks—every single day.

Key stats from the Top 150

The rst 50 industry leaders are presented here on the following pages, ranked by sales based on the most

recently completed scal year and garnished with brief highlights for each company.

 Of the companies tracked on the latest Top 150 Leaderboard, 81 show positive sales gains. Seventy came in at or negative. On last year’s leaderboard, 69 companies showed declines, and 12 showed at sales.

 The median sales growth percent change (an equal amount of companies above and below) is positive 0.6 percent.

 The median store count/unit count is 10.

 Twenty-two companies show double-digit-percent sales gains compared to the prior year. That compares positively to 18 companies showing double-digit sales declines.

 The top 10 includes two new breakthroughs: Fastenal and Harbor Freight Tools, which appeared in last year’s report in spots 11 and 12, respectively.

Home Depot and Lowe’s

Sitting at the top of the list, again, are the industry’s retail giants Home Depot and Lowe’s. Combined, the two companies generated sales of roughly $251 billion—a quarter of a trillion dollars. That’s $70 billion more than the combined sales of companies ranked 3 through 150.

As dramatic as that disparity reads, here’s something else: the delta is growing. Last year, Home Depot and Lowe’s outsold the eld by only $60 billion.

Government data sheds light on industry

1

The purchase of Mingledorff’s opens the door to HVAC distribution, with an addressable market of $100 billion, bringing the company’s total addressable market to $1.2 trillion.

“We remain con dent that FBM and ADG will enable Lowe’s to capitalize on the future recovery of the residential homebuilding market,” CEO Ellison said recently.

Large capital projects are a big deal. Ferguson points to 4,000-plus planned projects (including data centers) through 2031.

More than 1,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Acquired assets of Sandusky, Ohio-based Koch Building Products in June.

Paradigm subsidiary.

satisfaction ranking? This mega-store retailer.

McCoy Jones is the fourth generation of her family to lead the company.

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And the companies are hungry for growth—especially in the lucrative Pro arena. Home Depot’s 2024 acquisition of SRS Distribution (a $18.25 billion deal) was followed in 2025 with the SRS acquisition of Gypsum Management Supply (a $5.5 billion deal.)

Building synergies has been a major talking point with investors and analysts and a focus for the company. “Pros who are utilizing our Pro ecosystem of capabilities are spending more with us,” said Home Depot CEO Ted Decker.

Lowe’s had no interest in sitting still during its rival’s acquisition run. It acquired Artisan Design Group (a $1.325 billion deal) in June 2025, and Foundation Building Materials (an $8.8 billion deal) in October of 2025.

With ADG and FBM, “We are well-positioned to participate in the expected recovery in housing,” said Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison. He added: “The structural demand drivers of the home improvement industry remain strong with home equity setting new record levels and homes continuing to age, averaging 44 years old.”

Acquisition and Integration

Beacon Roo ng Supply, Kodiak Building Partners and TopBuild Holdings, all former Top 20 building supply dealers, are removed from the Leaderboard, owing to QXO’s dramatic acquisition spree.

QXO described to investors recently how it intends to integrate the three brands under its QXO banner without disrupting performance:

“Our approach is to standardize the right things while preserving the best of each business.

We will standardize systems, data, governance, salesforce effectiveness, pricing architecture, procurement, nance, HR, talent acquisition, training, and the broader operating cadence. At the same time, we will build on existing strengths, including local customer relationships, installer scheduling capabilities, eld execution, and every

aspect of these businesses that already works well for customers.

“In our rst year with Beacon, we redesigned the organization reduced layers, upgraded talent, shifted resources toward eld and customer-facing roles, and began putting in the operating tools the business was missing. The same principle applies across the broader platform. We’re building a single, more capable operating system around customer-facing businesses that still need local execution and speed.”

Independents on the Move

Giant, publicly traded companies weren’t the only names in the M&A headlines in 2025. Hancock Lumber.

Aubuchon Company (no. 35), Costello’s Ace Hardware (no. 62) continued ambitious expansion through acquisition. (Costellos’ unofcial internal slogan is 100 stores by 2030).

R.P. Lumber (no. 29) continued its acquisition streak with deals in Powell, Wyoming (Aldrich Home Center) and Monticello, Indiana (Dye Home Improvement).

Anecdotal evidence suggests a quiet wave of independent-to-independent transactions that are perceived as a rejection of private equity deals and embracing the legacy of family businesses. This attitude is evident in Trish Johnson’s comments about the sale of Johnson Lumber to Hancock Lumber (no. 38). Johnson was the second-generation owner and president of Johnson Lumber.

Continues on page 26 >>>

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“Our family has been focused on nding the right partner to move our family business into the next generation of ownership,” she said. “Ultimately, choosing to partner with Hancock Lumber came down to nding a company that will honor our values and take care of our people—both employees and customers—for the long run.”

Political action

The myriad factors affecting sales in 2025 included the price of lumber, the source of debate within the industry over forest product imports, tariffs and international agreements.

The debate is encapsulated in the following views from the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association and the U.S. Lumber Coalition:

The NLBMDA urged the White House “to weigh the long-term implications tariffs have on the affordability of lumber and building materials and the housing construction sector at large. Until domestic timber production is scaled to meet the speci c demands of the U.S. construction market, Canadian SPF will remain a vital part of the building materials supply chain. Therefore, it is critical, at a time when inputs to residential construction continue to rise, that no further actions be taken by the Administration that will negatively impact our

common goal of improving housing affordability.”

The U.S. Lumber Coalition, a business group of softwood lumber producers, is an aggressive opponent of imports of subsidized Canadian lumber, and therefore a proponent of tariffs.

“The U.S. Lumber Coalition applauds the Trump Administration’s strong commitment to enforcing the U.S. trade laws against Canadian unfair trade behavior that is killing U.S. jobs by suppressing U.S. lumber production and continued U.S. production capacity increases,” stated Zoltan van Heyningen, U.S. Lumber Coalition Executive Director, adding that “The trade cases must remain in place as long as Canada keeps subsidizing and dumping.” The executive director further stated that “If Canada does not like the import duties, simply stop engaging in unfair trade and stop violating our trade laws. It’s not complicated.”

Into an uncertain 2026

Tariffs and international trade are joined by in ation and housing affordability as issues that continue into 2026.

A recent survey of HBSDealer asked: “Six months in, what has happened to your full-year revenue projection?” More than half of respondents (53 percent) say “revised downward.” Another 38 percent say “unchanged” and 9 percent say “revised upward.”

Share your thoughts on the Top 150 Leaderboard and the major business developments of 2026 at news@HBSDealer.com.

ABOUT THE LIST

The 2026 Top 150 Industry Leaderboard tracks hardware and building supply dealers by sales in their most recently completed scal year.

To be included, the majority of a company’s sales must be in the home improvement or building supply space, selling to homeowners or builders/ contractors.

Information is gathered from multiple sources: corporate statements, original research, reader surveys and published reports.

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Making magic in Central Florida

ROMAC BUILDING SUPPLY BOLDLY DRAWS A BLUEPRINT FOR GROWTH.

Central Florida is alive with business opportunities.

The Villages retirement community is breaking records year after year. And the multi-billion-dollar World Equestrian Center in nearby Ocala has sparked luxury Palm-Beach-style home construction in once quiet pockets of the state.

And that’s not even mentioning a certain “magic” kingdom in Orlando.

With 13 locations in the region and 81 years of central Florida experience, RoMac Building Supply is certainly poised to take advantage of its geography. But it’s doing a lot more than simply going along for the ride. Under newly minted leadership—including Dan Robuck III, the grandson of the founder—RoMac is making bold moves with its structure and strategy.

“Today, we’re thinking hard about how to keep what’s great about being a small company but embracing the efficiencies and operating mindset of a bigger company.”

—Dan Robuck III

Early this year, the Leesburg, Fla.-based prodealer began relocating its operations in Lady Lake to a new Wildwood lumber facility, improving its access to the crucial I-75 and Florida Turnpike corridors. And in April, RoMac acquired Residential Building Supply of DeBary, Florida.

In an interview with HBSDealer, RoMac leaders described what is perhaps an even more signi cant move — to a centrally integrated sales strategy, as opposed to a traditional model of each store operating as its own sales center.

“Today, we’re thinking hard about how to keep what’s great about being a small company but embracing the ef ciencies and operating mindset of a bigger company,” said Robuck.

has built a strong reputation for precision-engineered roof and oor trusses.

Inside Independents

Jake Trapp, a 20-year veteran of U.S. Navy Special Operations with a stint at McKinsey & Co., was recently promoted to president.

“With diesel fuel over $5 per gallon, we shouldn’t have to drive past two stores to make a delivery to a project when there’s a store right there,” said Trapp, pointing to just one of many reasons for a centralized approach to sales.

Simultaneously, RoMac is seeking ef ciencies in technology. It partnered with a tech rm that specializes in AI applications to bring custom- t tools to the RoMac team. An early application is a truss-quoting tool that turns around cost estimates for customers in minutes, as opposed to days. A similar tool for windows, doors and whole home take offs are on the drawing board.

“We’re kind of all-in with AI projects,” said Trapp. “A big part of growing the business is speed. People don’t want to wait two weeks for a truss quote. Ideally we want to get to the point where our sales guy can be on the site with the super, and be able to get a quote back before he leaves. We’re not there yet, but we’re close.”

Another example of RoMac’s forward-thinking approach is RoMac Home Services, a new consumer division launching in October. These are consumer services RoMac already provides, like garage doors and doors, as well as windows. These services will now operate under one roof with a dedicated team built to serve consumers with one sales team, specialist installers who are RoMac employees, and one call center standing behind every job.

“The homeowner and the contractor have different needs, so we built dedicated teams to serve each one well,” Robuck explained. “Our contractor team stays focused on the pros all day, and that focus is exactly what our building professionals count on from us.”

“We’re a trusted name in the community here,” Trapp added. “So I think it’s a natural t.”

“We’re kind of all-in with AI projects, a big part of growing the business is speed. People don’t want to wait two weeks for a truss quote.”

—Jake Trapp

The leadership team ranks its people and its culture as a forward-thinking independent as its main advantage. In the conference room, and throughout RoMac’s Florida locations, a poster describes the mission and the company’s core values, which includes in bold type: “Everyone loads a truck.” (The poster adds: “From ownership to new hire, we all pitch in to serve the customer.”)

“I don’t expect everyone to know everything up there,” Robuck said, pointing to the poster in the Leesburg conference room. “But if they can tell you that we ‘tell the truth,’ ‘we nd a way,’ ‘we double check’ and ‘everyone loads a truck’—then that’s a win. And I’m happy to say that most of our people can do that.”

A KNOCKOUT VIDEO

RoMac Building Supply has taken the “About Us” company video to tenacious new heights. In its 80th anniversary video in 2025, recently retired CEO Don Magruder narrated “The Fight: 80 Rounds & Still Fighting.”

Filled with boxing ring imagery and metaphors, the video chronicles how RoMac has overcome challenges, from early buyout attempts, agriculture industry disasters and re damage to corporate raiders and Covid.

Looking straight into the camera, Magruder explained it thus: “For RoMac this ght has lasted 80 rounds. While we may have the scars and bruises of 80 years, we’re still here. In the middle of the ring, standing tall with one message: Bring it on.”

LEARN MORE

True Value heads to Fort Wayne

IT’S A HOOSIER HOMECOMING FOR A CHICAGO ICON.

The Chicago Bears may or may not move across the border to Indiana in coming years. But another old Chicago icon—True Value—is of cially moving to the Hoosier state.

Do it Best Group has a plan to consolidate its operations in Fort Wayne, Indiana, ending True Value’s long run in the Windy City and creating what the company describes as a “global center of gravity” in Northeast Indiana for the home improvement industry.

Do it Best Group is the anchor tenant for the Electric Works innovation district, a major revitalization project in Fort Wayne. True Value’s high-rise building is located two stops from Chicago’s O’Hare airport on the CTA Blue Line train. A spokeswoman told HBSDealer the move is expected to be completed sometime in 2027.

Since Do it Best Group acquired True Value in 2024, the company says it has focused on operational stability and retailer support. This next phase aligns both headquarters in one geographic location, integrating leadership and operations and creating greater opportunities for innovation, ef ciency, stability, and growth with a vision to strengthen both brands.

“Do it Best Group has always believed in the power of independent business owners and that commitment is at the center of this decision,” said Do it Best CEO Dan Starr. “By aligning the headquarters of Do it Best and True Value here in Fort Wayne, we are creating the leadership structure, operational focus, and shared momentum needed to support all of our store owners, strengthen vendor partnerships, and enhance one of the most recognized brands in home improvement. This is a proud moment for our company, for Fort Wayne, and for the independent retailers we serve across the country and around the world.”

In another move toward integration, the company recently consolidated the roles of president of True Value and president of Do it Best into a single role of chief operating of cer. Nick Talarico, formerly president of Do it Best, was elevated to COO.

Both Indiana Governor Mike Braun and Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker welcomed True Value to Fort Wayne. “Do it Best Group has been an important part of Fort Wayne’s story since 1945, and the company’s move to Electric Works helps bring new energy to one of our city’s most important redevelopment efforts,” said Tucker.

Changing dynamics

DO IT BEST GROUP LEADERS ASSESS CHALLENGES WITH OPTIMISM FOR INDEPENDENTS.

The home improvement business is changing fast, driven by shifting forces both inside and outside of retailers’ control.

In a recent interview, Do it Best Group CEO Dan Starr and Nick Talarico—recently promoted to the newly created role of Do it Best Group Chief Operating Of cer—outlined the headwinds and paradigm shifts currently reshaping the industry.

According to Starr, independent retailers are performing remarkably well despite a laundry list of macroeconomic challenges.

“We have business uncertainty,” Starr said. “We have foreign wars. We have tariffs all over the place, and also there’s the impact of a rapid increase in the interest rate environment.”

In his new COO role, Talarico oversees both Do it Best and True Value, which the company acquired out of bankruptcy in late 2024. Along with aligning operations at the Fort Wayne, Indiana, headquarters, Talarico’s appointment marks another major step in integrating the two storied brands.

“We are sending a message that this is one company, one culture, and one vision,” Starr emphasized.

When asked about the biggest disruptions facing the sector, Talarico pointed

True Value Report

A shake up in the paint aisle

TRUE VALUE’S EASYCARE PAINT PLANT CHANGES HANDS.

The Sherwin-Williams Company is taking over what for decades had been True Value’s Cary, Illinois, paint factory and is assuming manufacturing responsibilities for EasyCare paint products.

The move is part of a long-term agreement announced recently between Do it Best Group and Sherwin-Williams, the paint giant that will continue to manufacture Do it Best’s Best Look brand paint. EasyCare will remain exclusive to True Value retailers, and Best Look will remain exclusive to Do it Best members.

The agreement also includes the acquisition of the Majic and Shur-Line brands by Sherwin-Williams, with exclusivity preserved for Do it Best and True Value retailers within the independent and owned hardware channel.

“This partnership allows us to keep control of the brands and the retailer experience while adding the scale and innovation of a global leader in the paints and coatings industry,” said Do it Best Group CEO Dan Starr. “It is a smart, future-focused move that strengthens what we can deliver in the category.”

At Sherwin-Williams, Todd Rea, Sherwin-Williams president, Consumer Brands Group, said: “We are proud to expand our relationship with Do it Best Group and support the continued growth of these important brands and the retailers they serve.”

Do it Best Group says it will retain ownership and management of the EasyCare and Best Look paint brands, including quality standards, marketing, promotions, and commercial stewardship.

According to the announcement, Sherwin-Williams will assume the Cary, Illinois, paint manufacturing facility lease structure, and the team in Cary will remain in place to support continuity.

John Vanderpool, who had been divisional president, True Value manufacturing and general paint manufacturing, is now Sherwin-Williams sales director, Consumer Brands Group.

CHANGING DYNAMICS

<<< Continued from page 32

to four core operational issues that have intensi ed over the last ve years:

Margin Compression. Driven by tariffs and supply chain volatility, dealers are under immense pressure to stay ahead of price changes. “If you’re not actively managing your pricing, there is margin erosion that is incredibly hard to absorb,” Talarico warned.

The Labor Evolution. The challenge for home improvement retailers has shifted.

“It’s not just about nding people anymore,” Talarico said. “It’s about developing the right people to meet and service your customers’ rising expectations.”

Elevated Tech Expectations. Customers now demand total product transparency before they ever leave their house or jobsite. “Customers expect to show up to your store already knowing whether or not you have an item in stock,” Talarico noted. “Their time is simply too valuable.”

Macroeconomic Volatility. “It’s higher than it has ever been,” Talarico stated. Perhaps the heaviest burden, Talarico added, is adapting operations to a post-pandemic reality. He explained that the supply chain roller-coaster created an unsustainable overhead model.

“During the peak, you were working more hours and paying more for staff,” Talarico said. “What retailers are left with now are peak-era cost structures supporting a post-peak revenue reality. Our industry has experienced a compression in revenues, and that is the exact reality independent businesses are grappling with right now.”

How should dealers respond? Starr and Talarico argue the solution lies in an independent yard’s ability to recalibrate its overhead while leveraging the immense scale of the distributor.

“Business owners need to take a hard look at their cost structure,” Talarico advised. “And ask themselves if it was built for a world that simply doesn’t exist anymore.”

The 600,000-square-foot facility in Cary produced Easy Care paint, among other products. In 2023, before True Value was acquired by Do it Best, the facility unveiled new paint- lling and packaging lines to boost production speeds. (It pointed to the ability to ll latex architectural paints at a rate of up to 90 gallons per minute.)

In 2020, during the height of Covid, True Value ramped up production of hand sanitizer at the plant.

True Value began operating the facility in 1976.

Once cost structures are right-sized, dealers must actively tap into the data, digital infrastructure, and buying programs available through the co-op or distributor.

“The independent has the distinct ability to remain exible and respond quickly to highly localized needs,” Starr concluded. “And in that regard, they remain incredibly strong.”

CaldenTM

Timeless Style

TRADITIONAL LINES, MODERN-DAY ENGINEERING

The Heritage Series CaldenTM 3-Panel Molded Interior Door blends traditional Shaker charm with engineering to meet today’s performance standards. A unique angled panel profile is designed to help minimize paint accumulation and dust buildup, making it easy to finish and clean.

Available in solid core, hollow core, and bifold options, CaldenTM lets you maintain design continuity across a home’s interior from bedrooms and bathrooms to closets and pantries. Choose fire-rated¹ and ADA-compliant options to meet safety and accessibility standards.

Tech fuels culture for Lansing

LANSING BUILDING PRODUCTS MAKES COMMUNICATION CLICK.

By Ken Clark

Richmond, Virginia-based prodealer Lansing Building Products is on a mission to build the strongest relationships in the industry — a goal spelled out in black and white in the company’s Vision 2030 strategy.

CEO Hunter Lansing, grandson of the founder, believes achieving that lofty vision will lean heavily on the company’s carefully crafted people- rst culture, which in turn relies on communication.

And there’s the rub.

With a growing company — over 1,800 associates and 113 branches across 35 states — Lansing’s communication challenge includes the tricky task of connecting the frontline, non-desk warehouse workers and drivers.

The prodealer knows from experience that such a feat is easier said than done.

In an interview with HBSDealer, Lansing pointed to a memorable conversation he had in the back of a van on a business trip with some of his executive team. “I said, ‘Guys, we send our people way too many emails. They’re getting emailed to death, and we have to stop it.’”

Lansing, the grandson of company founder Ted Lansing, employed the

“Charlie Brown’s teacher” analogy — too many emails threatened to reduce communication to garbled background noise.

“We thought, let’s just start with the basics,” Lansing said. “How do we communicate better, let associates know that we truly care about them, and how can we remind them of bene ts renewal and insurance on a somewhat regular basis —without being annoying about it. So, we began asking ourselves all those questions.”

A solution came through a partnership with Staffbase, an AI-native employee experience platform. That partnership led to the creation of the “LansingHUB,” a digital platform and app that reaches and connects employees across the enterprise — including those out in the eld, and even those without a company email address.

There’s a social media aspect to the platform. Messages about birthdays, anniversaries, babies and vacations mix with productivity achievements and are circulated in an area called “The Family Room.”

“We’re a third generation family business and so we thought that feature was appropriately named,” Lansing said.

“What do we have that’s proprietary and makes us special? It’s our people.”

—Hunter Lansing

The results of the project are encouraging, including a 97 percent adoption rate.

“The Family Room” saw 75,000 visits in a single year. And monthly “True Blue” values-based recognitions jumped from 25 to more than 125, reinforcing the company culture companywide.

Wes McElroy, communications manager for Lansing, said the platform is reaching the right people in the right way. About twice a day, there’s a new photo in the Family Room that generates interest, and the adoption has been strong.

“It’s not just managers to managers,” he said. “It’s associate to associate, and we’re seeing those driver and warehouse associate recognitions and engagement.”

“We were told by others with similar technology that if we get 50 percent of people to sign up for it, that’s good. If we get 60 percent, that’s great. But we were at 83 percent two days in, and now we’re sitting here at 97 percent.” McElroy said.

Also, a centralized “Lansing Innovate” portal turned frontline feedback into companywide safety and sales wins, including digital accident-response tools and e-commerce enhancements.

“The best ideas in our company certainly don’t come from me, and they don’t come from the guys that are in the of ces beside me,” Lansing said.

Continues on page 38 >>>

Instead, they come from the associates who interact daily with inventory — driving, pulling and delivering products. To capture this localized expertise, the portal incentivizes workers to submit ef ciency-focused strategies. And each quarter, the company recognizes the associate with the most innovative submission.

Culturally, the initiative has strengthened organizational alignment by ensuring front-line staff feel connected to the company’s broader growth trajectory.

Lansing Building Products was founded in 1955 as Ted Lansing Supply. Hunter Lansing has led the business since 2016, and building on the people- rst culture

remains a priority.

The Lansing culture revolves around “respect, service and excellence,” Lansing said. “I can spend the rest of the afternoon talking to you about it.

“Everything we sell can be sold in multiple areas in every one of our 113

Sherwin-Williams opens technology hub in Ohio

On July 7, the Sherwin-Williams Company hosted a ceremonial ribbon-cutting celebrating the grand opening of its new Morikis Global Technology Center. Located in Brecksville, Ohio, the new facility is one of the largest global technology hubs in Northeast Ohio.

“This grand opening marks a bold step forward in how the company innovates, performs and leads on the global stage and it’s located in our own backyard,” said CEO Heidi G. Petz. “Named in honor of our former CEO, John G. Morikis, this Technology Center is where the future of coatings comes to life. It brings together chemists, engineers, technicians and support teams in a world-class environment built to accelerate discovery, strengthen collaboration, drive productivity and solve real problems for our global customers.”

The new 600,000-square-foot campus brings nearly 900 employees together in a “purpose-built environment designed to accelerate product development, coatings research, color technology and process engineering,” per the company. With multiple lab wings, modular research areas, work cafés, training

markets. We don’t have a patent on anything. So what do we have that’s proprietary and makes us special? It’s our people.”

He added: “We know that Lansing’s continued success in the future depends on each relationship we have built.”

spaces and room to grow, the customer-centric hub aims to advance innovation inside and outside of the paint can while maximizing customer productivity and pro tability.

“Sherwin-Williams has been part of Ohio’s story for generations, and this new Technology Center is another investment in our people and future,” said Ohio Lt. Governor and former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel. “This investment in Northeast Ohio creates opportunities for Ohioans, strengthens our workforce and reinforces why our state is a great place to live, work and innovate.”

Besides Lieutenant Governor Tressel, the ceremony featured appearances by U.S. Senator Jon Husted, U.S. Representative Max Miller, Ohio State Senator Jerry Cirino, Ohio State Representative Phil Robinson, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne and Brecksville City Council President Dominic Caruso.

Items to protect —and serve

From windows, doors, paint and tape, peruse the latest and greatest from the products landscape..

 The Jeld-Wen Curator Collection

Jeld-Wen launched its Curator Collection Fiberglass Door Systems, which it describes as an “industry-advancing innovation engineered to elevate quality, durability and design.”

“At JELD-WEN, innovation starts with listening to our customer,” said Rachael Elliott, EVP, Jeld-Wen North America. “Builders and homeowners have been asking for a berglass door they can truly trust, one that delivers authentic design, reduces long-term issues like warping and delamination, and performs in real-world conditions. The Curator Collection is the result of re-engineering the entire system around those needs. It’s a powerful example of how we’re raising the bar for our customers and the industry.”

One of the most persistent quality challenges in berglass doors, delamination, stems from traditional multi-step manufacturing processes and foam-based cores that can create air gaps and inconsistencies over time. The Curator Collection addresses this issue at its foundation with FortiTec Assembly, Jeld-Wen’s proprietary one-step manufacturing process that permanently bonds materials together to produce a solid, highly consistent door system.

This advanced construction method signi cantly reduces the risk of separation and delamination while delivering exceptional structural integrity and long-term reliability across climates.

 PITTSBURGH PAINTS Protective Coatings

The Pittsburgh Paints Company has released the PITTSBURGH PAINTS Protective Coatings brand, the new face of PPG HIGH PERFORMANCE COATINGS.

The Pittsburgh Paints Protective Coatings line launched BUILDING RENEWAL NEVERFADE Exterior Coatings with KYNAR AQUATEC PVDF resin, the rst product in the new branding.

Per the company, this coating system for architectural use has been proven to signi cantly extend the life of industrial and commercial building materials for over 15 years. With KYNAR PVDF emulsion technology, its carbon- uorine (C-F) bond withstands harsh thermal, chemical pollution, and ultraviolet environmental conditions.

 Westlake expands TruExterior Siding & Trim offerings through BlueLinx

Westlake Royal Building Products has announced expanded availability of its TruExterior Siding & Trim across select East Coast and Southeast markets through the distribution network of BlueLinx Holdings Inc. The expansion increases access to Westlake Royal’s poly-ash siding and trim solutions in regions where moisture resistance, durability and design exibility are top priorities.

TruExterior Siding & Trim is now available through BlueLinx locations in Denville, New Jersey; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Frederick, Maryland; Richmond, Virginia; Raleigh, Charlotte and Statesville, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Tampa and Jacksonville, Florida; and Nashville, Tennessee.

Manufacturers & Services Directory

www.dupont.com

www.fctg.com

Product Central

 Arrow refreshes the T50X staple gun

Now featuring a bold red-and-black housing, the redesigned T50X delivers the same dependable fastening power that has made it a staple in workshops, craft rooms and household toolboxes for decades.

Designed with comfort and ease of use in mind, the T50X combines an ergonomic grip with a simple push-button loading mechanism, making staple loading quick and hassle-free. Arrow says it’s ideal for decorating, crafting, upholstery, home repairs, and other everyday projects.

 Typar FlangeFlash

FlangeFlash is a double-sided, self-sealing ashing tape that creates a self-adhered ange on non- anged window and door openings — forming a permanent, veri able air and water barrier without primers or additional adhesives.

The product adheres to AAMA 711-13 standards, offers 12 months of UV resistance, installs across a wide temperature range (0°–180°F), and is backed by a lifetime limited warranty.

 MITER rebrands Western Window Systems

MITER Brands recently announced it has introduced a new era for Western Window Systems with a refreshed brand identity, positioning and name. Now known as Western Architectural Openings, the brand is “elevating its position from high-end manufacturer to experience-driven, luxury window and door brand.”

Crystal Perez, Brand Manager for Western Architectural Openings: “This rebrand better re ects who we are today and where we’re headed as a brand. As Western Architectural Openings, we’ll continue helping customers bring their architectural visions to life through exceptional design, craftsmanship, and service.”

Complementing the brand transformation is a refreshed logo. Drawing inspiration from the concept of a “third place,” an environment that exists between indoors and outdoors, the new logo features a pattern of intertwining planes that form a sophisticated and memorable mark.

 Simpson’s PFCB and PFC post frame connector brackets and angles

Simpson Strong-Tie is expanding its post frame construction offerings with the PFCB and PFC post frame connector brackets and angles. These dry-set, shear-resisting post frame connector brackets require no through-bolting; instead, the connectors come with Simpson Strong-Tie Strong-Drive SDS Connector screws for a better, more intuitive installation experience.

Featuring heavy-duty steel construction, large corner embossments/stiffeners and value-engineered anchorage tables, these connectors provide high-performance, tested and code-listed uplift and shear loads. They have a G90 galvanized coating for long-lasting corrosion protection.

Marketing: Ideas to stand out in an increasingly crowded field of messages

Thomas Cafaro, Arnold Lumber Company

Installed Sales: The

field

Showrooms: What it takes to a build a reputation as a go-to design center. It begins with quality

Jennifer Zuern, Zuern Building Products & Design Center

Technology: Efficiency

Ecommerce:

Recruiting:

Above and beyond with Sarah Schrader Cameron

Some things have changed here in San Antonio, Florida, in the rural area between Tampa and Orlando. Decades ago, orange groves were everywhere you looked. These days, the community is beginning to get a taste of new neighbors in the form of Starbucks, CVS and Publix.

But one thing that has not changed is the mindset of 103-yearold San Antonio Lumber.

“We stick to it,” says Sarah Schrader Cameron, reciting the company motto. “Quality and service, we stick to it. That has been our mantra forever, and we believe it’s our legacy and our responsibility.”

She is the fth-generation owner and president of San Antonio Lumber, co-founded by great-great grandfather Herman Schrader. She’s also a member of the 2023 class of Top Women in Hardware & Building Supply.

Sarah came to the family business via an unusual path, which included working in pharmaceutical sales and managing an Enterprise Rental Car facility in downtown Boston. The stress levels common in overbooked rental car of ces, she says, make for good training to keep a cool head in any business situation.

She answered the call of the family business about 14 years ago and has since led the team through multiple projects, including POS conversions and delivery procedures. A major current project involves an expansion that will bring ef ciency to the yard’s 100-year-old design that sits on both sides of an increasingly busy road.

Sarah is the rst woman in the family to take the lead at San Antonio Lumber, and she feels comfortable breaking barriers.

“I’ve never been of the state of mind that made me feel that I’m a female, so I’m different,” she re ects. Whether operating as the only woman in her territory at Enterprise or navigating the modern LBM landscape, her advice remains universal.

FUTURE LEADERS

It’s not uncommon to see little girls in the San Antonio Lumber yard. These visitors include Schrader’s toddler daughter, Sophia, (a potential sixth generation of the family business) and two young children of sales rep Megan Sumner.

Recently, when Sumner’s two daughters were visiting the yard, they were asked what they wanted to do when they grew up.

“The youngest girl said, ‘Well, I want to work at the lumberyard.’” Schrader Cameron recalled. “It was so sweet it made me a little teary eyed.”

“I just think that no matter what you do, you should work hard, learn as much as you can, absorb as much as you can. You might not know the answer, and that’s OK, but just make sure that you go find out and follow through.”

—Sarah Schrader Cameron

“I don’t know that as a woman, that you have to work harder,” said Schrader Cameron. “I just think that no matter what you do, you should work hard, learn as much as you can, absorb as much as you can. You might not know the answer, and that’s OK, but just make sure that you go nd out and follow through.”

The company is coming off a strong year of 7 percent growth in 2025, and it’s up another 7 percent so far in 2026. A long-term goal, Schrader said, would be to double annual revenue to about the $20 million level.

As older, long-time builders retire and fewer family members step in to take over the trade, the yard has adapted its regional outreach. Rather than deploying costly digital marketing campaigns, she favors a highly targeted, old-school sales method. Every week, the yard pulls new building permits across three local counties. She then personally signs a stack of introductory letters sent directly to those new builders, pitching the nimbleness, bidding capabilities, and specialized service of a smaller independent yard.

“We’ve been serving this community for 103 years,” she said. “We need to continue serving the community and making sure we’re going above and beyond. That’s what separates us from everybody else — doing all the extra things that we possibly can.”

Market Insights

It’s the law

FIGHTING RED TAPE WITH THE 21ST CENTURY ROAD TO HOUSING ACT.

With the stroke of a clock—and not with the stroke of a pen—the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law.

According to the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, and other supporters, the legislation includes solutions that empower homeowners and renters to strengthen communities and will lead to more affordable choices for American home buyers.

(The word ROAD in the act’s title are initials for “Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream.”)

The long list of organizations that supported the legislation range from the AARP to Zillow, and include the National Association of Home Builders, the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association and the American Building Materials Alliance.

“The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act demonstrates what Congress can accomplish when lawmakers work together to address the housing supply and affordability challenges facing communities across the country,” said Jonathan Paine, President and CEO of NLBMDA.

“By removing unnecessary regulatory barriers and improving the processes that govern housing development, this new law creates stronger conditions for residential construction and represents a signi cant victory for LBM dealers and the customers they serve,” Paine added.

FINANCIA L SERVICES

The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services said the law delivers on President Donald Trump’s agenda to limit institutional investors from competing against regular home buyers.

But when it came time to sign the bicameral, bipartisan bill into law, the president described the legislation as “a big yawn,” and held back his signature as protest against Congress’ failure to deliver on his brand of election reform. As the bill was not vetoed, it became law 10 days after being submitted to the White House.

The law contains a variety of provisions designed to bolster the housing market with affordability and ef ciency, according to the committee.

For instance, it removes unnecessary regulatory barriers to streamline housing development and affordability by:

 Allowing the use of ready-to-use, pre-approved home designs so builders can get permits faster and build homes more quickly.

 Modernizing and streamlining federal and local housing processes.

 Strengthening local housing operations and community capacity to produce more affordable homes in rural and urban areas. It speeds up homebuilding and expands nancing opportunities by:

 Updating rules for manufactured homes and making HUD the lead authority on standards.

 Modernizing the HOME Program, which is the largest federal block grant program for states to increase the supply of affordable housing.

 Exempting small-scale housing developments from burdensome federal environmental reviews and giving jurisdictions more exibility and time to commit funds, and fewer rigid federal constraints.

And it enhances community banking operations by:

 Cutting red tape and streamlining bank exams and outdated thresholds so well-run banks can focus on lending, not paperwork.

 Expanding community and rural banks’ access to stable deposits so they can lend locally and support small businesses, farmers, and households.

 Supporting rural banks, encouraging new banks, and providing regulators exibility to handle failures without hurting local access to banking.

The House Financial Services Committee stated: “Bottomline: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes real solutions that empower homeowners and renters and strengthen communities and will lead to more affordable choices for all Americans.”

An updated housing forecast

ome price growth is now expected to slow to just 1.2% in 2026, a slower pace than originally forecast and one that fails to keep pace with in ation, meaning home prices are effectively declining in real terms, according to the Realtor.com 2026 Forecast Midyear Update.

The cooldown on home price growth comes as a resilient economy has kept mortgage rates high, offsetting rate relief seen earlier in the year.

Realtor.com has also trimmed its 2026 existing-home sales forecast to 4.10 million, down from the 4.13 million projected in December, though the number of sales is still expected to grow 1.0% over 2025, as momentum builds in the second half of the year. Rental prices, meanwhile, are on track to fall again in 2026.

“Against a backdrop of both familiar and new challenges, the economy has proved resilient. As a result, the rst half of 2026 delivered stability more than momentum in the housing market,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. “The housing

market is inching forward as sellers reset expectations, price growth cools, and buyers gain more negotiating power. Looking ahead, we expect momentum to build through the second half of the year as more sidelined buyers and sellers nd terms that work for both sides.”

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company ’s Board of Directors has named Nate Baxter as president and CEO, effective immediately. In addition, Baxter has joined the Board of Directors. Baxter succeeds Jim Hagedorn, 70, CEO since 2001 and chairman since 2003. Baxter is the architect of the company’s multiyear strategy centered on category growth, channel expansion and product innovation grounded in naturals and organics. He also has spearheaded the implementation of technology, automation, data analytics and AI to deliver operational and cost ef ciencies throughout the organization.

Ace Retail Group named Robert Massengill as its new president. Massengill, a 20-year veteran of the company, will lead companywide strategy, operations and growth across ARG’s multi-state retail hardware platform. Prior to his appointment, he served as senior vice president of business development and general counsel for the company. In that role, he oversaw new store development, enterprise expansion, commercial business, legal strategy and compliance.

Bliffert Lumber, the Wisconsin-based prodealer founded in 1904, recently named Josh Brown chief executive of cer and president. In his new role, Brown will lead the company’s overall strategy and continued expansion across Wisconsin, with a focus on strengthening operations and supporting long-term growth. Jay Walsh was appointed chief operating of cer, while Don Plate was named director of operations. Longtime company leader Eli Bliffert will transition from his role as CEO and president to serve as chairman of the board of directors.

Whether you need to deliver a skid of blocks to a jobsite or move a 16,000 lb. load of steel, Sellick has the forklift that is right for you. We have been engineering and manufacturing rough terrain forklifts for over 50 years and our nationwide dealer network offers superior support for all your parts and service requirements. Call toll-free or e-mail us today for all your material handling needs.

Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. (FBIN) has appointed Jesse G. Singh as Chief Executive Of cer and to the Board of Directors. Singh will start as CEO and join the Board effective immediately. Singh has more than three decades of leadership experience across building products, consumer, technology, and manufacturing sectors. Most recently, he was CEO of The AZEK Company from 2016 to 2025.

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company (PLM) has hired Courtney Flanagan as vice president of claims. She will oversee the company’s claims operations and strategy, with a focus on advancing claims performance and supporting team development. Flanagan succeeds John Kennealy, who led PLM’s claims functions for over seven years.

Nebraska-based Mead Lumber Company recently announced that Jon Cohen would succeed President and CEO Dave Anderson, who will retire on November 30, 2026. Cohen, a veteran building materials executive with more than 25 years of industry experience, joined Mead on July 1. Most recently, Cohen served as Division General Manager at Weyerhaeuser, leading multi-state sales and operations. Cohen also spent eight years at US LBM and previously worked for Builders FirstSource.

Pennsylvania-based Apex Tool Group appointed Chris Keffer as Chief Executive Of cer and member of the Board of Directors. Keffer most recently served as President and Chief Executive Of cer of STIHL Inc. He succeeds Jim Roberts, who has served as CEO since 2016. Prior to STIHL, Keffer spent 27 years at Stanley Black & Decker in increasingly senior leadership roles spanning global brand development, product innovation and commercial leadership across the company’s Power Tools and Power Tools Accessories divisions. Keffer currently serves as an independent Director of Trex Company and has past board-level experience with Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.

Longtime LMC executive John Keeley, Vice President of the Building Materials Division, will retire from the company effective September 4, 2026. Keeley joined LMC in 1988 as a Purchasing Manager in the Hardware Department. In 1997, he was named Vice President of Building Materials, a position he has held ever since.

LMC also recently promoted Deirdre Garland to the role of vice president of marketing, where she will lead brand strategy, member-facing programs, and marketing innovation across the organization. Garland, who has been with LMC since 2017, most recently led the Company’s Kitchen and Bath business, advancing marketing strategy, strengthening member engagement, and enhancing supplier partnerships.

Hancock Lumber recently celebrated two milestones for the Oxford Components Manufacturing facility—hosting a ceremonial groundbreaking event and of cially hiring Brian Mills as General Manager. Mills brings more than 30 years of experience in the building materials industry, including signi cant leadership experience overseeing component manufacturing operations. During his time with Builders FirstSource, he managed multiple facilities including wall panel and truss plants, along with lumberyards and other business units across several markets.

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