PRO Group Inc., PROflash March 25, 2010

BOSTWICK-BRAUN HAS A PERFECT ISO AUDIT

QMI Management Systems Registration conducted a 12 month Surveillance Audit at Bostwick-Braun’s Toledo, OH; Ashley, IN; and Avon, OH facilities. Having been certified since 1997, Bostwick-Braun has always received high marks during their audits and is the only wholesale hardware distributor in the country to be ISO registered.. QMI did not issue any Non-Conformances, Areas of Concern or Opportunities for Improvement and the audit results put the company in the top 10 percent of companies tested. Bostwick-Braun VP of Corporate Quality & Transportation Jeff Shively said, “Our repeated achievement with our ISO audits is a real tribute to the employees we have working for Bostwick-Braun. Our successes should not be taken lightly or for granted because it is truly hard work and dedication that has led to these results. Our team work is the backbone of our success.” An ISO9001:2008 audit confirms that the company being audited has a quality system that conforms to the ISO standard. The company must provide documented evidence that they are focusing on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.

BLACK & DECKER MERGES WITH STANLEY WORKS

Black & Decker and Stanley Works shareholders approved the $3.5 billion merger of the two tool companies. Under the all-stock deal, Stanley Works shareholders will control about 50.5 percent of the new company, while Black & Decker's will own 49.5 percent. The new company will be called Stanley Black & Decker. Stanley Black & Decker will be headquartered in New Britain, Conn., where Stanley Works now operates. The company's power tool division will remain headquartered in Towson, Md., which Black & Decker calls home. Read the full story here.

WEDDING CRASHER REDEEMS GIFT CERTIFICATES MEANT FOR BRIDES AND GROOMS

Pamula McBride, a 46-year-old woman from Spokane, Wash., has been charged with felony grand theft in a scheme involving stealing retailers’ gift cards from a wedding reception where she wasn’t invited, according to an article in the Lewiston Morning Tribune in Idaho. McBride was sentenced to 45 days in jail for stealing gift cards and personal checks from a wedding. Home Depot, Macy’s and Costco were able to locate the original buyers of the gift cards to determine whom they were intended for. McBride was identified through a driver’s license she used to redeem one of the gift cards. Source: Home Channel News.

COOPER TOOLS SPONSORS WINNER OF FIRST NASCAR TRUCK SERIES RACE

Timothy Peters and the #17 Crescent® Toyota Tundra charged to victory in the first NASCAR Truck Series race of the year at Daytona International Speedway. Peters edged past Todd Bodine on the last lap, crossing the line just 0.069 seconds ahead of the veteran driver. Cooper Tools was the major associate sponsor of the #17 Toyota for the prestigious Daytona race, which was aired live on the Speed Channel network and MRN radio. Participation in NASCAR racing provides valuable media exposure for Crescent. Next up is the ATLANTA 200 on Saturday, March 6 at 1:30 p.m. The race is 130 laps around the Atlanta Motor Speedway and will again be broadcast live on Speed and MRN. Read the full story here.

In Photo: Timothy Peters and the Crescent Racing Team celebrating in style at the NASCAR® CAMPING WORLD® Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 held at Daytona International Speedway February 13, 2010.

NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION STATISTICS RELEASED BY HUD

The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have announced the new residential construction statistics for February 2010. Building permits dropped about 1.6 percent below the January rate, but rose 11.3 percent above February 2009. Privately owned housing starts fell 5.9 percent below the previous month and rose .2 percent above the previous year. Housing completions rose 5.4 percent above January and fell 15.5 percent below the previous February.

Find more information about February 2010 here.

An article in the Los Angeles Times reported that the trial of Bruce Karatz, former CEO of KB Home, opened yesterday in a Los Angeles federal court. Karatz, who led KB Home from 1986 to 2006, faces 20 felony counts. Prosecutors claimed he made more than $6 million by manipulating back-dated stock options and then lying about it in regulatory filings. The executive’s defense attorney countered that Karatz never intentionally violated any securities laws and handled his options the same way that hundreds of other companies did. Read the full story here.

A "new frugality" born of the Great Recession and evidenced by two consecutive years of declining per-capita consumption is now becoming entrenched among US consumers and is reshaping their consumption patterns in ways that will persist even as the economy starts to recover, according to a study from Booz & Company. Cuts in per-capita consumption spending have been recorded across all demographic groups, but they have been most pronounced among lower-income women, the study found. Consumer outlook, meanwhile, is modestly conservative: Only 32% households expect to be better off this year. Click here for other findings from New Marketing Imperatives: US Consumer Spending and Shopping Behavior Emerging from the Recession.

In her role with PRO, Heidi manages the accounting department and financial statement preparation for PRO Group, Inc. which includes all PRO companies. Her department is also responsible for Cash Management, Budgeting, Year-end Audit, Corporate Insurance, Health Insurance and Human Resources. An experienced controller, Wodark previously workeds as Systems Controller for a $180 million company and served as Business Unit Controller for an $800 million Information Technology Consulting Company. Her background also includes many years as Controller in the Luxury Athletic Club industry. A Denver native, Wodark has an undergraduate accounting degree from Southern Methodist University and a Masters Degree in Accounting from the University of Colorado. Wodark and her husband, Douglas, reside in Castle Rock, Colorado with their two children.

“I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more luck I have.”