Throwback Thursday is a weekly feature in which we dip into the Hardlines Weekly Report archives.
As Home Hardware’s purchase of Beaver Lumber was being finalized, the Oct. 25, 1999 edition of Hardlines reported on Home’s re-organization of various senior management roles, including the departure of Beaver’s president and CEO, Doug Robinson. His removal was certainly not a surprise. Robinson’s mandate upon replacing Ralph Trott four years earlier was to prepare the home improvement retail chain for sale. Beaver had been owned by Molson.
Other Beaver executives were repositioned under the new ownership. Eric Konecsni was appointed general manager, reporting to Paul Straus, VP and CEO of Home Hardware Stores Ltd. Joel Marks was named director, merchandising. Both individuals ended up remaining with Home Hardware, successfully helping to build the company’s LBM business, until their respective retirements.
