Finance & Capital Management

Atlanta -- Executives from The Home Depot told attendees at an analyst meeting in New York on Monday that the company is focusing on improving its supply chain and Internet operations and expects a moderate recovery in the U.S. housing market. Roughly $450 million of Home Depot’s $1.5 billion capital spending budget for the current fiscal year is slated for IT projects.

In addition, Home Depot is also attempting to improve store productivity and is piloting five paint stores in the Chinese market.

Naperville, Ill. – OfficeMax Incorporated and Office Depot Inc. have hired global talent management consulting firm Korn/Ferry International to assist the search for a new CEO for the combined company that will result from the proposed OfficeMax-Office Depot merger.

The search will include both incumbent CEOs Neil Austrian of Office Depot and Ravi Saligram of OfficeMax, as well as external candidates.

Yonkers, N.Y. – American consumers are reporting significantly fewer financial troubles than any time in the past three years, according to the Consumer Reports Index. The Index’s trouble tracker index, which measures the proportion of consumers that have faced difficulties as well as the number of negative financial events they have encountered, dropped from 41.7 in April to 34 in May. This is the lowest trouble tracker score since Consumer Reports began reporting it in April 2009 and more than 50% below its all-time high score of 68.7 in September 2009.

SIDNEY, Neb. — Cabela’s drew record attendance at its 2013 annual meeting of shareholders June 5 in Sidney, Neb., home of company headquarters.

A crowd of more than 3,000 gathered June 4 to catch a performance by Cabela’s ambassador and Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan, with fellow country star Jon Pardi, at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds.

NEW YORK — Coty has promoted Catherine Walsh to the newly created position of SVP of corporate communications. The company will look to Walsh to help strengthen its global brand-building efforts.

OfficeMax and Office Depot have tapped global talent management consultancy Korn/Ferry International to assist the CEO selection committee in finding a CEO for the combined company in the pending merger.

Dennis Carey, vice chairman of Korn/Ferry International, is leading the search. The CEO selection committee is co-chaired by Office Depot board member Nigel Travis, chairman and CEO of Dunkin' Brands and OfficeMax board member Jim Marino, former president and CEO of Alberto Culver Company.

HAMILTON, N.J. — Bai Brands, makers of a line of all-natural, 5-calorie, antioxidant-infused beverages, has promoted Ken Kurtz to the role of president. Kurtz will be charged with leading the company's sales efforts globally.

Kurtz sits alongside COO Barak Bar-Cohen and CFO Ari Soroken, who make up the company's executive leadership team.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Dole Food Company's board of directors has received an unsolicited proposal from David H. Murdock, the company's chairman of the board and CEO, to acquire all the outstanding shares of common stock of Dole not already owned by Murdock or his family for $12 per share in cash.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — The TJX Companies' shareholders elected Dawn Lepore to its board of directors at the company’s annual meeting. Lepore joins 10 ongoing directors who were re-elected at the meeting.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club CEO Rosalind Brewer announced the launch of a collaborative program supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in 25 cities. The Grow Your Business Boot Camp series offers hands-on training seminars backed by a funding commitment of $500,000 from Sam's Club.