Home Depot Begins Lowe's-Like Makeover

In an attempt to fend off strong competition from Lowe's, Home Depot has started drastically remodeling select stores.

One of the first completed remodels is an eight-year-old Atlanta, Ga., store that now features shiny floors, bright lights, white walls and a little less orange.

The makeover involves remaking the entire store, department by department.

"It would be like if you bought a house and gutted it completely and started with the shell." said Tom Taylor, president of Home Depot's

Smaller Lowe's Goming

Lowe's Cos. has unveiled a small-store prototype to make smaller markets more profitable.

ln a recent presentation to stock analysts, chief financial officer Bob Hall said the typical Lowe's home center covers 116,(XX) sq. ft. and costs nearly $17 million to build plus $5 million for inventory.

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Depot will spend $250 million this year to remodel older locations across the country, which is part of a plan to invest more than $4 billion in its stores.

Right now the average Home Depot store is five years old, though more than a quarter of the chain's 1.576 locations are seven or older.

So far, Home Depot has completed six such "Type A" remodels. Ithas 22 under way, including an overhaul of the its Cumberland, Ga., store.

At its newly remodeled Atlanta store. the front walls. which used to be a big orange mass, are now all white except for an orange stripe. And the traditional orange racking now is beige, except in commodity departments such as lumber.

The new model, to be introduced in small markets this year, covers 94,000 sq. ft., and costs $10 million to $12 million to build and $3.5 million to stock.

In general, the smaller stores would be in markets with 15,000 to 35,000 households. Of the 130 Lowe's stores to open this year,57 are in smaller markets.

The two other levels of remodeling are "Type B," which involves resetting select departments, and "Type C," which involves minor changes such as painting, paving and cleaning. Nine stores in metro Atlanta will receive "Type C" remodels this year.

In addition to the remodels, a few of the Atlanta area's oldest stores in hard-to-access will be relocated to other parts of the metro area.

Habitat Hardware For Jax

Habitat for Humanity will open a home improvement center and thrift store in September in Jacksonville, Fl.

The Clay Community chapter is renovating a former 8,000-sq. ft. hardware store with proceeds to go toward building homes in the county. Items will cost less than half of retail price.

"We're going to collect home improvement items from local builders, companies and individuals," said Carol O'Donoghue, chairperson of the ReStore Committee.

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Willie Goyne, sales manager, Gulf Lumber, Mobile, Al., has retired after 38 years with the company and 48 years in the industry. He is succeeded by Bob Anderson.

Bill Franks, ex-L&L Lumber and LP, has joined the sales staff at Wood Protection LP, Houston, Tx.

Sherry Courter is a new industrial sales rep at Mid-State Lumber Corp., Branchburg, N.J. Inez Caon is now v.p.-marketing.

John Harold Bumby is new to sales at Maine Wood Treaters, Mechanic Falls. Me.

Charlie Young has been promoted to the newly created position of mgr. of inventories at Conner Industries, Fort Worth, Tx.

David Newman has joined Frontier Lumber, Buffalo, N.Y., in commercial millwork sales. Newman had spent eight years with Sadlo Lumber & Wood Products, Pendleton, N.Y., before closing the 5l-year-old business in March.

George Jagodzinski has been promoted to v.p. of operations at Richards Building Supply Co., Chicago, Il. Richard W. Guzior is now assistant v.p. of operations/ purchasing, and Lloyd Poggi is sales & marketing mgr.

Douglas B. Bohannon has been named president and c.e.o. of MidCape Home Centers, Orleans, Ma.

Jay Ruhle has been named chairman of the board at Reeb Millwork Corp., Bethlehem, Pa. Tom Kerr, c.e.o., has added the title of vice chairman. Don Houghon is now president and c.o.o., and Scott Kerr, executive v.p.

Matthew Rossi has joined 84 Lumber Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., as an inventory mgr. William Jander is now inventory mgr. at Wexford, Pa. New mgr. trainees include David Sheridan, Murrysville, Pa.; Cale Bodine, Ithaca, N.Y.; Matthew Wienand, Delaware, Oh., and Chris Sundin, Claymont, De.

Jim Ellis, ex-Great Southern Wood, is the new sales mgr. at Alamo Forest Products' Houston, Tx., DC. He succeeds Mike Barringer, who stays on as senior sales reP.

Jay Dickens is now president of Tendura, Troy, Al.

Matt Ortwein is new to sales at Swan Secure Products, Baltimore, Md.

Darryl White has joined McCoy's Building Supply Centers, San Marcos, Tx., as a security analyst. Bryan ttB.K.tt Harrison has transferred to manage the Victoria, Tx., location. Ken Kram succeeds Harrison as mgr. in El Campo, Tx. Other new store mgrs.: Ron Terrell, San Angelo, Tx.; Danny Townley, Greenville, Tx., and Darrell Gammons, Searcy, Ar.

Larry Mieldezis has been promoted to c.o.o. at ForestExpress, Atlanta, Ga. Bruce Chen is now chief technology officer.

Ray C. Dillon, ex-Gaylord Container Corp., has been named president and c.e.o. of Deltic Timber Corp., El Dorado, Ar. He succeeds Ron L. Pearce, who will retire Aug. l.

David Clyde has resigned from McCauley Lumber Co., Tomball, Tx., after 23 years as v.p. He remains a part-owner.

J. Thomas Glenn, president of 13unit Ace Hardware of Chattanooga, Tn., has been elected chairman of the board for Ace Hardware Corp. He represents stores in De., D.C., Ky., Md., N.C., Oh., S.C., Tn., Va., and W.V. Re-elected to the board were Eric R. "Rick" Bibens II, president, Bibens Home Centers, North Springfield, Vt., representing Ct., Me., Ma., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Pa., R.I., and Vt., and D. William Hagan, president and part-owner of five Ace Hardware stores in Northern Florida, representing Al., Fl., Ga., and Ms. Lori J. Terpstra, co-owner, Rylee's Ace Hardware, Grand Rapids, Mi., is the new director-at-large.

Jim Loy is the new president of the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau, Pensacola, Fl. Bob Browder succeeds him as secretary/director of the lumber program.

Bill Axline has resigned as president and c.e.o. of Distribution America to become the chief operating officer of Fluidmaster.

Kenneth Langone was reelected as lead director of Home Depot, Atlanta, Ga.

Mimi Apelquist is the new director of international for TruServ.

Shawn D. Conrad, CAE, has been named president and secretary of the board for the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association, Washington, D.C.

Tony Moscogiuri and Greg Zumchak are new to outside sales at Russin Lumber Corp., Montgomery, N.Y., covering south N.J. and north N.J., respectively.

J. Barrie Shineton has been appointed executive v.p.-wood products at Nexfor. John Tremayne is the new executive v.p.-finance.

J. Wiltiam Lee has been elected chairman of the board at Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co., Philadelphia, Pa. He succeeds David S. McClung II, who is retiring. John K. Smith was named president and c.e.o., and George M. Fleagle is stepping down as a director. Larry Dornink is a new technical service rep.

David Verkler has been named v.p. of operations for Medallion Cabinetry, Inc., Minneapolis, Mn.

Fred Rowson has been named v.p.Alberta for Weyerhaeuser, succeeding Cathy Slater, who is now a v.p. and mgr. of Weyerhaeuser's Port Wentworth, Ga., pulp mill.

Timothy A. Doyle has joined Alcoa Home Exteriors, Pittsburgh, Pa., as west central territory sales manager for the Retail Brands Group, covering Ia., Ks., Mn., western Mo., Ne., N.D.. S.D. and Co.

J. Patrick Robinson has been named chief financial officer at Newell Rubbermaid, Atlanta, Ga., succeeding William T. Alldredge, who retires at the end ofthe year.

David L. Pringle has been named president and c.e.o. of Broan-NuTone and the Broan-NuTone group of companies, Hartford, Wi. He succeeds Jerome Santowski, who retired after 20 years with the firm.

Gerald Whistle, Whistle Lumber Co., Lewisville, Ar., was reappointed by Gov. Mike Huckabee to the Red River Levee District Board.

Lawrence Knox Morrison, E. L. Morrison Lumber Co., Concord, N.C., married Elizabeth Carter Roberson Mav 24.2003.

Robert L. Plummer, principal owner, RP Lumber Co., Edwards-ville, Il., has been named chairman of the board for the Bank of Edwardsville.

Armen Ategg has joined the debt collection department at MungusFungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.