Interestingly, the Villager's here was carved from a Rickles, the hardware chain that went bankrupt, losing out to Home Depot.

All employees of the hardware chain will be retained, and its headquarters will remain in Denver.

It first acquired a string of merchandisers, including a furniture retailer, a hardware chain, variety stores and a supermarket.

In addition, the big hardware chains have their own sites, including Homedepot.com, Lowes.com and True Value.com.

That store became the first in the Lowe's hardware chain and Mr. Kulynych ended up a top executive.

Arnold also worked during his official retirement as a consultant to the Wicks Group, owner of hardware chain Lowe's.

J. Pascal had long been a hardware chain only, but subsequently expanded to furniture retailing.

In most of Europe, insulation products are relegated to a corner of the large hardware chains.

Wesfarmers owns Bunnings Warehouse - Australia's largest hardware chain.

It has since been swallowed into a national hardware chain and disappeared.