Volume 20, Issue 5

October 23, 2009
 

TRADE SHOW ENDS AFTER 33 YEARS

The economic recession has led to the demise of the Garden Market Expo, an annual lawn and garden show held each fall in Las Vegas. The sponsor, a West Coast trade association representing independent garden centers, said it will move forward with a smaller, more regionally focused event.  “We are very excited about this new California-based show [called] The Nursery Mart,” said Chris Martinez, chairman of the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers (CANGC). The Nursery Mart, featuring products for growers, retailers and landscapers, will run concurrently with California Grown Show, a green goods show held at the Orange County Fairgounds. The one-day Nursery Mart will be held June 2, 2010. Founded in 1976, the Garden Market Expo went through several name changes over the years, and was known for some time as the Western Expo. In 2004, the Western Expo combined its event with SuperZoo, the annual trade show of the World Wide Pet Supply Association, at the Las Vegas convention center. That partnership was dissolved this year.

To learn more visit www.californiagrownshow.com.

ACE SUED BY EX-MEMBERS

A small group of former Ace Hardware dealers who opened new stores in 2006 and 2007 have filed a suit against their former co-op, claiming they were misled over what to expect in revenues during the first year of business.  The lawsuit, reported by the Quad City Times, was filed in Rock Island County Circuit Court by Silvis Ace Hardware in Silvis, Ill.; Hilltop Ace Hardware in Rock Island, and Village Ace Hardware in Champaign, Ill. The plaintiffs allege that they purchased three “Vision 21” format stores and invested millions of dollars based on Ace Hardware projections of revenues, positive cash flow, and profits for each store. The plaintiffs also claim they were encouraged to build additional stores in the greater Quad-City area, a geographic region that straddles the Iowa-Illinois border. Read the Full Story Here.

MOORE-HANDLEY SOLD TO HOUSE HASSON HARDWARE

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved the sale of Moore-Handley Inc. to Tennessee-based House Hasson Hardware on Sept. 29, according to The Birmingham News. After a nearly 12-hour hearing, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Thomas Bennett ruled in favor of House Hasson, saying the company’s offer of $14.5 million was the best in terms of satisfying creditors. House Hasson beat out Ohio-based Bostwick-Braun Co., which had already upped its original bid in attempt to acquire Moore-Handley. According the newspaper, Moore-Handley workers watched the hearing hoping that Bostwick-Braun Co. would beat out the company’s competitor. Bostwick-Braun had contemplated keeping as many as 190 Moore-Handley workers on the payroll if its bid prevailed. House Hasson said it intends to keep a skeleton sales and liquidation staff of about 35 workers. Moore-Handley currently has 253 employees who could reportedly be out of a job as early as this week. “Pelham will lose more than 200 jobs,” Cindy Martin, an accounting manager at Moore-Handley, told the newspaper. “The stress and anxiety of trying to find a job in this economy already affects most of our families.” Judge Bennett was sympathetic to the plight of the workers but explained that the Bostwick offer wasn’t as concrete. Moore-Handley’s own prospects were considered dim by the court, so any workers retained by Bostwick might end up unemployed anyway, depending on continued financial losses. Moore-Handley filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July; the company owes lender CIT Group $16.6 million for loans taken out during the housing slump. The company had a loss of $1.6 million last year and a deficit of $2.4 million through June 30, according to The Birmingham News. Read the Full Story Here.

BUILDING PERMITS

Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 573,000.  Read the Full Press Release Here 

HOUSING STARTS

Privately-owned housing starts in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 590,000. Read the Full Press Release Here 

HOUSING COMPLETIONS

Privately-owned housing completions in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 693,000.  Read the Full Press Release Here 

CONSUMERS MAKING GREEN CHOICES AT HOME
Even if their pocketbooks are holding less green, a recent study shows that consumers are still making green choices in their homes, when possible.  The results of the 2009 Green Home Furnishings Consumer study, which was conducted by the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) and sponsored by World Market Center Las Vegas, were announced at the September Las Vegas Market. The study is the second annual wave of a national survey aiming to measure consumer awareness, interest and behavior related to sustainable furnishings. This year’s results were consistent with the results from 2008 and confirm that the economy has not dampened eco-friendly consumer interest.   Read Full Story Here.

 HOW TO CONTROL HOUSEPLANT PESTS

Houseplants bring a touch of the outdoors into our homes - an especially welcome addition in the depths of winter. Assuming we water and feed them correctly and place them in a suitable location, they should be free of insects and healthy most of the time. However, even the best cared for houseplants are sometimes attacked by pests that fly inside on their own or hitchhike in on newly acquired plants.  Read Garden Master How-To Guides Here.

UPCOMING DISTRIBUTOR SHOW DATES & EVENTS

OBSTACLES

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.                                                                                                                                                       

 ~ Henry Ford