Announcement | House-Hasson Hardware

House-Hasson Names Doering Senior Vice President of Sales

Dec 3, 2024

Senior Vice President of Sales Dave Doering

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — House-Hasson Hardware, America’s largest independent regional hardware distributor, has named Dave Doering, a nationally recognized leader in sales and customer service, as the company’s senior vice president of Sales, House-Hasson CEO Steve Henry announced.

“Dave’s accomplishments and abilities have made significant contributions to his previous companies and their customers,” Henry said. “House-Hasson is growing, both in the number of independent hardware stores and lumberyard dealers we serve, and in the territories we cover. Dave’s knowledge of how to grow sales on a broad scale, combined with his customer-centered approach, make him a great addition to the House-Hasson family.”

Doering said House-Hasson, which operates in 25 states, is a major force in the hardware industry because of its dedication to dealer profitability, its nearly 120-year history, and reputation for customer service.

“House-Hasson’s a big company but treats dealers like family,” Doering said. “That’s one of the things that really appealed to me when Steve and I first started talking about this opportunity. I like that our dealers can talk directly to the CEO if they want, and I plan to be equally accessible.”

“I’m joining a tremendously talented team that’s making an important difference for independent hardware store and lumberyard dealers,” Doering added. “This is an intensely competitive industry. House-Hasson has achieved its size and scope through excellent leadership, by putting dealers’ needs first, and by keeping a family spirit alive throughout the company. I look forward to continued growth and achieving new milestones together.”

Doering has more than 30 years of experience working at increasingly higher levels of responsibility in sales and product management, achieving up to double-digit sales increases and growing the profitability of major corporations as well as independent dealers. For the past 10 years, he was vice president/general manager of Retail & eCommerce for IPS Corp., a private-equity-owned manufacturer of building materials and industrial products. At IPS Corp., among his major customers were The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon, Ace, True Value, Menards, and Grainger. Doering has also worked with Zep, Inc., General Electric, and Valspar.

House-Hasson Hardware, founded in Knoxville, Tenn. in 1906 by C.S. Hasson and Charles House, is a family-owned business that has expanded to serving dealers in 25 states and the Caribbean Basin.

House-Hasson has grown by acquiring other hardware distributors and by dealers either opening new stores or converting from other suppliers to House-Hasson. In July 2024 House-Hasson announced it had acquired the hardware distributorship assets of Bostwick-Braun, based in Toledo, Ohio, a move that added two warehouses and 45,000 SKUs to House-Hasson’s then-55,000.

House-Hasson has four warehouses, from which it serves some 2,500 independent hardware stores and lumberyard dealers: the headquarters warehouse in Knoxville, Tenn.; Prichard, W. Va.; West Helena, Ark.; and Ashley, Ind.

House-Hasson holds three dealer markets annually, at which dealers buy products at significant savings to help them build their sales margins. The next dealer market is scheduled for Jan. 30 through Feb. 1, 2025, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Nashville, Tenn.

House-Hasson’s website is www.househasson.com.

Media Contact:
George Korda
865-567-2163
[email protected]

SOURCE: House-Hasson Hardware

House-Hasson Finalizes Acquisition of Former Midwest Wholesale Hardware Distributor Bostwick-Braun

Aug 25, 2024

House-Hasson Finalizes Acquisition of Former Midwest Wholesale Hardware Distributor Bostwick-Braun

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., July 2, 2024 — House-Hasson Hardware, America’s largest independent regional hardware distributor, has finalized its acquisition of former Midwestern U.S. wholesale hardware distributor Bostwick-Braun’s warehouses and inventory.

The acquisition adds to House-Hasson two warehouses in Indiana and Arkansas as well as more than 45,000 stock keeping units (SKU) to its existing 55,000 SKU inventory. The facility, inventory, and employee expansion will give House-Hasson a springboard to strengthen its position in multiple states and to grow its independent hardware store and lumberyard customer base in states it hasn’t previously served.

House-Hasson President & CEO Steve Henry

“Our focus is dealer profitability, and that focus is the reason for this acquisition,” said Steve Henry, House-Hasson president and CEO. “We’re adding the Arkansas warehouse to our existing ability to serve customers in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and other Southwestern states. The Indiana warehouse opens opportunities for us in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, and other states in the Northeastern region.”

“Independent hardware stores and lumberyard dealers have a great future,” Henry said. “The need for them is growing every day. They provide an unmatched level of local service and responsiveness to their customers. We’re proud to serve them, and now we’ll be able to serve them even better.”

A due diligence process has been underway since the acquisition letter of intent was signed on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The deal was finalized on Friday, June 28. Terms of the cash sale are private between the parties.

“Our corporate policy has long been to not borrow money to finance acquisitions,” Henry said. “Our debt-free status gives us great latitude and flexibility to act on behalf of our dealers’ best interests.”

To this point, House-Hasson has served customers in 23 states and the Caribbean Basin from its 500,000-square-foot headquarters warehouse in Knoxville, Tenn., and 250,000-square-foot warehouse in Prichard, W. Va. Adding to its operations the former Bostwick-Braun warehouses in West Helena, Ark., and Ashley, Ind., gives House-Hasson a total of approximately 1.3 million square feet of warehouse, receiving, shipping,
and administrative space.

Additionally, 75 former Bostwick-Braun employees have transitioned into the House-Hasson workforce, bringing the total number to 532 House-Hasson employees serving dealers from the company’s now four locations.

“We’re delighted to have these great people join with us,” Henry said. “Throughout the due diligence process we’ve been impressed with their work and that they understand and want to be part of our focus on dealer service and profitability.”

House-Hasson, founded in 1906, is privately owned. The company’s website is www.househasson.com.

Contact:
George Korda, (865) 567-2163, [email protected]
Chuck Morris, (865) 300-5669, [email protected]

SOURCE House-Hasson Hardware Company, Inc.

House-Hasson Signs Letter of Intent to Acquire Midwest Wholesale Hardware Distributor Bostwick-Braun

Mar 21, 2024

House-Hasson Signs Letter of Intent to Acquire Midwest Wholesale Hardware Distributor Bostwick-Braun

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., March 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — House-Hasson Hardware, America’s largest independent regional hardware distributor, has signed a letter of intent to acquire Bostwick-Braun Hardware, a Midwestern U.S. wholesale hardware distributor, officials of both companies have announced. The acquisition will include warehouses and inventory.

Steve Henry, president and CEO of House-Hasson, and Pete Richichi, CEO of Bostwick-Braun, said the letter of intent was signed Tuesday, March 19.

House-Hasson President & CEO Steve Henry

“We believe in the future of independent hardware stores and lumberyards,” Henry said. “These businesses are owned by many thousands of men and women, husbands and wives, sons and fathers, mothers and daughters, and we want to make sure they continue to prosper. Their profitability is our purpose.

“When completed, this acquisition doubles the number of our distribution centers, grows our inventory, and puts us in an even stronger position to provide everything our dealers need,” Henry said.

House-Hasson’s main warehouse is at its Knoxville, Tenn., corporate headquarters; a second warehouse is in Prichard, W. Va. With the addition of Bostwick-Braun’s West Helena, Ark., and Ashley, Ind., warehouses, House-Hasson will have more than 1.1 million square feet of warehouse, receiving and shipping space.

“Bostwick-Braun has a remarkable history, and, to its leadership’s credit, they recognized that now is a good time to partner together to better serve our combined customers,” Henry said.

Richichi said that Bostwick-Braun has a nearly 170-year history of working for customers throughout the U.S. Midwest.

“Bostwick-Braun is privileged to have served so many wonderful customers in our long history,” Richichi said. “Our doors opened only 79 years after the U.S. became an independent nation: since the day we opened we’ve enabled our customers to be successful.

“Our long history was possible because of generations of employees dedicated to doing a great job for our customers. Our assessment, after much consideration, is that House-Hasson, with its history and dealer-profitability focus, is exactly the right company to continue our legacy.”

The acquisition described in the letter of intent will be complete after a period of due diligence. The pending acquisition’s cost is being privately handled between the two companies.

In 2023, privately-owned House-Hasson, founded in 1906 in Knoxville, had total sales of $350 million; Bostwick-Braun’s sales were approximately $80 million.

There are 110 employees working in Bostwick-Braun’s two warehouses; House-Hasson plans to try to retain as many employees as possible. House-Hasson’s staff currently numbers 465 employees in Knoxville and Prichard.

The 56,000 stock keeping units (SKU) in Bostwick-Braun’s warehouses will be incorporated into House-Hasson’s system. House-Hasson presently has 55,000 SKUs in its two warehouses.

House-Hasson serves dealers in 23 states and the Caribbean Basin. The company’s website is www.househasson.com.

Contact:
George Korda, (865) 567-2163, [email protected]
Chuck Morris, (865) 300-5669, [email protected]

SOURCE House-Hasson Hardware Company, Inc.

House-Hasson Names Operations Vice President for Headquarters Warehouse

Mar 1, 2024

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
George Korda, (865) 567-2163
Chuck Morris, (865) 300-5669

House-Hasson Names Operations Vice President for Headquarters Warehouse

(KNOXVILLE, Tenn.) February 28, 2024 — House-Hasson Hardware has named a Vice President of Operations in charge of Warehousing and Transportation for House-Hasson’s 450,000-square-foot Knoxville operation.

Wayne Walls, the new operations vice president, has a 36-year professional history in logistics, including positions at Procter & Gamble, Kraft, and GEODIS. His most recent position was serving as a Regional General Operations Manager at True Value Company.

“We wanted the best to head our Knoxville operations, and we found him,” said Steve Henry, House-Hasson, president and CEO. “We’re focused on dealer profitability, and everything we do in our warehouses has to be a best practice to make sure we’re meeting our goal of serving our independent hardware store and lumberyard dealers.”

“With technology constantly changing, Wayne’s experience and knowledge makes him the right person to head this vital area of service to our dealers,” Henry added.

House-Hasson is America’s largest independent regional hardware distributor. The Knoxville warehouse, which Walls oversees, is the company’s largest. A second warehouse is in Prichard, WV.

Walls is a Greeneville, Tenn., native. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from Indiana University. He is also a Certified Management Accountant.

“Anyone familiar with independent hardware and lumberyard retailing knows that House-Hasson is a major force in the industry,” Walls said. “The company gained this reputation by thinking, planning, and working to improve its dealers’ ability to sell to their customers. We’ll continue to make improvements in our processes, procedures, and technology to benefit our dealers. We win when they win.”

With True Value, Walls managed the largest distribution center in the company’s network. Under his leadership, the center achieved cost reductions and efficiency gains, and earned the company’s Pinnacle Award for the best on-time delivery record. Walls is also experienced in engineered labor standards, warehouse management systems and warehouse layout.

House-Hasson Hardware serves some 2,500 dealers in 23 states and the Caribbean Basin. The company’s website is www.househasson.com.

END

House-Hasson Jan. dealer market sees big jump in attendance, sales

Feb 23, 2024

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
George Korda, (865) 567-2163
Chuck Morris, (865) 300-5669

House-Hasson Jan. dealer market sees big jump in attendance, sales

(KNOXVILLE, Tenn.) February 7, 2024 — House-Hasson Hardware, America’s largest independent regional hardware distributor, saw its January 2024 dealer market attendance jump by more than a third over the 2023 turnout, signaling that independent hardware store and lumberyard dealers anticipate high sales volume in 2024.

Dealer attendance increased 34% at House-Hasson’s Jan. 2024 Leap Into Savings dealer market, held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, in Nashville, Tenn.

“We were pleased with last year’s turnout, but January’s Leap Into Savings market shot past what we were expecting in dealer turnout, and we also had big increases in new vendors and booths,” said Steve Henry, House-Hasson president and CEO. “Dealers took advantage of market buying opportunities that will enable them to meet or exceed their margins, and dealer profitability is our No. 1 priority.”

Warehouse sales were up 27% over 2023’s market, and is an indicator of dealer confidence, said Jason Hanegan, House-Hasson Senior Vice President Sales, Growth & Development.

“When dealers are pessimistic about the economy, or even cautious about how their sales will fare in the coming months, they can tend to be more reserved in their buying patterns,” Hanegan said. “However, given what we saw at the market, it appears dealers are looking forward to robust customer traffic in their stores.”

Market vendor attendance was up 25% over 2023, and 140 new booths were on the floor, leading to an expansion over past years of convention center floor space used by House-Hasson.

House-Hasson’s next dealer market, called Gateway to Summer, is scheduled June 13-15, 2024, at the Sevierville Convention Center, Sevierville, Tenn., near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Later this year, House-Hasson will also hold a fall dealer market in Charlotte, North Carolina for the first time. The market is scheduled for October 10-12, 2024 at the Charlotte Convention Center.

House-Hasson Hardware serves some 2,500 dealers in 23 states and the Caribbean Basin. The 118-year-old, family-owned company has some 500,000 square-feet of warehouse space at its Knoxville, Tenn., headquarters, and 300,000 square-feet at its Prichard, W. Va., facility. The company’s website is www.househasson.com.

END

Thank you, customers, for your friendship during this difficult time.

Feb 14, 2024

Thank you, customers, for your friendship during this difficult time.

Wednesday, February 14, 3:00 p.m.

House-Hasson letterhead

Thank you, friends.

When you hit a rough patch, you count on your friends.

House-Hasson hit a rough patch, and we’ve seen and heard from our friends. Our customers. We couldn’t be more grateful to you. Every one of you.

When on Jan. 15 a massive snowstorm hit Knoxville that damaged our warehouse and shut it down for days, we naturally had concerns about how you would react. You count on us, just as we count on you.

The answer was an outpouring of concern, understanding, and patience, from you, our friends.

We wondered a little bit whether our warehouse situation might affect our January dealer market in Nashville. The market’s results show it to be the most successful market we’ve ever held in Music City. You read that right. EVER.

It broke records in sales and attendance that, quite frankly, astound us. You demonstrated your support for us, again.

Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford once said, “My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” You, our customers, inspire us to want to do our best for you, every day.

We hit a rough patch, and our friends were there for us. From all of us at House-Hasson Hardware, thank you.

Sincerely,

Steve Henry Signature - without background

Steve Henry
President & CEO
House-Hasson Hardware Company

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