NEWS + ANALYSIS PRO Group follows growth script PRO Group welcomed a new member to its growing list of regional wholesalers: Village Supply, based out of Ceres, Calif. Village Supply describes itself as a wholesale distributor that serves hardware stores, lumberyards, farm and ranch, and construction supply stores. Through its new membership, the northern California distributor will get the benefit of PRO Group’s marketing, purchasing and operational perks, said PRO Group VP Shari Kalbach. “Village Supply adds immediate volume to dozens of PRO Hardware Key Supplier programs and brings a fresh perspective to PRO Group as a new member,” Kalbach said. It currently operates a distribution center in northern California, providing assortments in categories ranging from paint to pest control. Village Supply president Terry Odom said, “We are pleased to join the PRO Group organization and look forward to networking with member distributors and Product knowledge suppliers at future PRO events.” Village Supply joins 78 other member distributors in the PRO Group family, perhaps the best known of which are Bostwick-Braun, Wallace Hardware and Lancaster, which joined in January 2016. In October, the company merged with Reliable Distributors, adding some $2 billion in volume to the enterprise, the company reported. Denver-based PRO Group manages the retail brands PRO Hardware, Farm Mart and Garden Master. The product: Tyvek HomeWrap The manufacturer: Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont The knowledge: Tyvek, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, is a non-woven breathable material, resistant to water, abrasion, bacterial penetration and aging, says DuPont Protection Solutions. Fun fact: Tyvek protects the pavilion housing the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. It’s also a commonly used U.S. Postal Service envelope material. News Map: Openings and Closings From the Redwood Forests to the New York island, here are stores in various stages of coming and going. For more, visit HBSDealer.com OPENING pennsylvania Harrison Valley Corner Hardware and Mercantile Pro-brand dealer celebrated grand opening on West Main Street on April 1. california Santa Maria Lowe’s Slated to open in mid-August as part of a large retail development. 12 MAY 2017 HARDWARE + BUILDING SUPPLY DEALER CLOSING new york Riverhead 84 Lumber Will include a showroom featuring an 84 Lumber Kitchen & Bath Design Studio. florida Lakeland Jereco Hardware Closed in April. A 2004 highway reroute didn’t help. HBSDealer.com