NEWS + ANALYSIS CNRG marches into Washington Fourth-generation, family-owned McLendon Hardware, a seven-store retailer based in Renton, Washington, has agreed to be acquired by Central Network Retail Group. McLendon Hardware president, Gail McLendon, said the move was inspired by the company’s desire for continued growth throughout the Puget Sound region and beyond. At present, McLendon employs more than 500 people, with stores in Renton, White Center, Tacoma, Woodinville, Kent, Sumner and Puyallup. The Renton store is the largest. It was established in 1926, initially as U.S. Junk Company, and is the longest-standing hardware outpost in Washington State. The McLendon brand name will remain the same. The company will continue to be managed by Gail and Mike McLendon and their executive and store manager teams. The decision to sell McLendon evolved over several years. “Over a lengthy period, McLendon looked at many alternatives for keeping our brand culture and legacy intact,” Gail McLendon said. “We were determined to provide stability for our team members and to open new stores.” CNRG is a multi-format, multi-brand retailer operating 90 hardware stores, home centers and lumberyards in 11 states. CNRG has close ties to Memphis-based distributor Orgill. It was formed in 2011, by Jimmy R. Smith, president of Natchez Home Center and Boyden Moore, president of Tyndale Advisors, a wholly owned subsidiary of Orgill. The company is no stranger to the Pacific Northwest, where it currently operates Parkrose Hardware in the Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash., area. McLendon has been operating as a non-branded member of the Ace Hardware co-op. McLendon was honored as an HBSDealer Hardware Store All Star in the inaugural All-Star class of 2011. BMC expands in two markets with recent deals When BMC acquired Stock Building Supply back in late 2015, the integration story was pitched as a positive — two companies fitting together naturally, both geographically and operationally. That ease-of-integration theme continued with BMC Stock Holdings’ latest acquisitions. The Atlanta-based pro dealer acquired substantially all of the assets and assumed certain liabilities of Texas Plywood & Lumber Company and Code Plus Components. The move boosts BMC into markets where it wants to do business — Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington, D.C. 10 “Each of these transactions is in line with our strategy to pursue accretive acquisition opportunities that are easily integrated and enable BMC to expand strategically in select markets,” BMC CEO Peter Alexander said. “Millwork, doors and truss manufacturing are all key components of providing whole- house and value-added solutions to our customers. By moving more of the construction and assembly process to our manufacturing facilities, our customers can continue to thrive, despite a tight labor market, while also saving both time and money.” TexPly is a supplier of production MAY 2017 HARDWARE + BUILDING SUPPLY DEALER millwork and doors for residential construction in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Its 2016 net sales were about $55.2 million. Code Plus operates from a 10-acre site in Martinsburg, W.Va., and serves a variety of residential homebuilders in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. In 2016, Code Plus’ net sales were about $14.2 million, primarily from the sale of roof and floor trusses and EWP. In 2016, Atlanta-based BMC recorded net sales of $3.1 billion. The company serves 42 metro areas in 17 states, mostly in the South and West. HBSDealer.com