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Home Improvement Retailers to Attend Hardware Conference Sept. 9-11, 2005 in Marco Island, Florida

Posted on: Monday, 18 July 2005, 12:00 CDT

MARCO ISLAND, Fla., July 18 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 300 home improvement retailers are expected to attend The 2005 Hardware Conference September 9-11, 2005 in Marco Island, Fla. The event at the Marco Island Marriott will feature manufacturer demonstrations, open dialogue sessions and social events.

Approximately 100 home improvement industry manufacturers are expected to exhibit, with new merchandise categories including clothing, floor care, paint/cleaning supplies, pool supplies and sporting goods.

Tom Chasteen, owner of the Tavernier, Fla.-based Tavernier Ace Hardware, launched the conference in 1988 for Florida-based hardware retailers. He has expanded the event over the years to attract retailer attendees from across the country. Pre-registration is approximately 15 percent ahead of 2004, with many of the pre-registered retailers representing multi-store operations.

Wholesale distributors signed up to attend include Ace Hardware, Do it Best, Orgill and True Value. According to Chasteen, The Hardware Conference is the only industry-wide event where the primary focus is not on sales, but specifically building relationships between manufacturers and hardware retailers, regardless of wholesaler affiliation. Chasteen said most conference attendees take care of their buying needs by attending wholesaler shows and other industry trade shows.

The Hardware Conference is the largest annual dealer event in the Southeastern United States, according to Chasteen, who has been particularly active in helping hardware retailers rebuild after hurricane damage. One event planned for the 2005 conference is a discussion with home improvement retailers who incurred major losses as a result of the 2004 Florida hurricanes, including Joe Waksler of Charlotte Harbor Ace Hardware (Port Charlotte, Fla.) and Bill Zeithammer of Isles Do-it Best (Punta Gorda, Fla.).

Another conference highlight is the exclusive "Dealers Pick" program, designed to expose new products to retailers faster and provide manufacturers with valuable data directly from retailers. Attending retailers evaluate each Dealers Pick entry for packaging, shelf life, salability, consumer appeal and retail price point.

Event sponsors include the North American Retail Hardware Association, 3M, Activant Solutions, Inc., CooperTools, Damp Rid, Duracell Batteries, H.D. Hudson Manufacturing, Hillman Group, Irwin, Krylon, KST Coatings, Miami Children's Hospital Foundation, Minwax, Poms and Associates, Robert Bosch Tool Corp., Toolbox Marketing, and Weber Stephens Products.

For more information, or to register, visit http://www.thehardwareconference.com/ or call (305) 853-0049.

The Hardware Conference

CONTACT: Tom Chasteen, +1-305-853-0049, or Ruth Furman, publicist,+1-702-615-2244, both for The Hardware Conference

Web site: http://www.thehardwareconference.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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