Home Improvement

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holdings Corp. disclosed in a Thursday filing that it plans to spin off its Orchard Supply Hardware Stores Corp. business as a separate, publicly traded company.

Toano, Va. -- Hardwood flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators said Wednesday that Richard D. Tadler will be stepping down from the board of directors, effective June 30.

Tadler joined the board in 2004 when TA Associates, the private equity firm of which he is a managing director, originally invested in the company.

TA Associates divested its interest in Lumber Liquidators in 2009, leading to Tadler’s decision to step down.

East Palo Alto, Calif. -- Ikea said Wednesday it has plugged in the solar energy installation at its store in East Palo Alto, Calif.

The 38,000-sq.-ft. array consists of a 302-kW system, built with approximately 1,344 panels. The Swedish home furnishings retailer’s program will produce approximately 427,900 kWh of clean electricity annually – the equivalent of reducing 326 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), eliminating the emissions of 58 cars or powering 35 homes yearly.

NEW YORK — Macy's announced that its "Macy's Chefs A-Go-Go" food truck tour will kick off in Miami on June 28. The first-ever tour will feature a chef from Macy's Culinary Council at each stop. MCC chefs include Cat Cora, Todd English and Marcus Samuelsson.

NEW YORK  — Samsung Electronics America has launched a first-of-its kind LCD refrigerator complete with apps for keeping track of recipes, schedules and more. 

The Samsung refrigerator includes the following apps:

• Recipes from Epicurious

• Organizational tools from Google Calendar

•  Notepad

• Entertainment from Pandora

• Photos from Picasa Web Albums

New York City -- Kmart stores is laying off 700 employees in its appliance departments.

The chain, a division of Sears Holdings Corp., is changing the way it sells appliances, allowing customers to check out appliances at any register rather than going to a dedicated register. Instead of having dedicated appliance-only associates, all Kmart staffers are being trained to answer questions about appliances.

There will also be a 1-800 number customers can call for help.

TCP, the Aurora, Ohio-based manufacturer of energy efficient lighting products, has announced that industry veteran Jorge Fernandez will be joining the company in the position of SVP business development. Fernandez comes to TCP from Home Depot, where he led the company’s energy efficient lighting category.