Home Improvement

Chicago -- True Value Company, one of the world’s largest hardware cooperatives, announced that Deborah O’Connor will join the company as senior VP and CFO, succeeding current CFO David Shadduck who left True Value effective April 30.

The differences in available roof materials, insulation and installation took center stage at the SPECS session, “Under Roof: Advanced Roofing Design, Practices and Management A to Z.”

The speakers, Richard Justinn and Thomas J Taylor, from GAF Materials, also discussed roofing trends and strategies for selecting the right manufacturer and contractor.

In choosing a manufacturer, the speakers said the considerations should include:

Toano, Va. -- Lumber Liquidators Holdings reported a first-quarter loss of $7.8 million, swinging from a profit of $13.7 million in the year-ago period and missing Wall Street expectations. Revenue of $260 million in the period met analysts’ forecasts.

New York -- Sears Holdings Corp. is hoping to spark a turnaround in its struggling Hometown and Outlet Stores division with a 51-store refresh program that starts with seven stores in Arizona.

The store refresh includes a new product assortment, redesigned merchandising, new fixtures & signage, and comprehensive employee training, among other changes.

Chicago -- Sears Holdings Corp. has tapped former Rouse Properties COO Benjamin Schall to lead new Sears REIT Seritage Growth Properties. The real estate investment trust was formed by Sears to buy some of its stores and generate $2.5 billion in cash.

Schall’s appointment is effective May 4. He spent three years as COO of publicly traded REIT Rouse, overseeing operations of 35 malls in 21 states.  

New York -- On the heels of disappointing sales trends, Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. said that its CEO W. Bruce Johnson will leave the company Aug. 1.

The company also announced that the board of directors has commenced a search for a new CEO and has retained Heidrick & Struggles, a leading global executive search firm, to assist the Board in identifying and evaluating external and internal candidates.

Louisville, Colo. -- Ace Hardware is America’s favorite home improvement store and Costco is the favorite for home furnishings, according to a new nationwide survey by Market Force Information. The findings are based on consumers’ satisfaction levels and their likelihood to recommend the retailer to others.

In the home improvement sector, Ace Hardware earned the top spot with a composite loyalty score of 61% (out of a potential 70%). Menards came in second, at 50%, followed by Lowe’s, Home Depot and Walmart.