It is Official, The Center of the Hardware World Has Moved

Early on in my career, the center of the Hardware World was in New York City. That was the home of the Hardware Show having moved there from Atlantic City much earlier. With the growth of Tru-Value, Ace, Grainger, McMaster-Carr, Distribution America, American Hardware Manufacturers Association and others, the Hardware Show and the center of the U.S. Hardware Market moved to Chicago.

There was an article in Home Channel News this morning announcing that Distribution America is moving to Charlotte, N.C.. This is no surprise and I would expect to see more of this flight from Chicago. The Hardware Show moved several years ago to Las Vegas and without a doubt, two of the biggest players in our business are now located in the Southeast. Another is located in the Southcentral part of the U.S. I suspect we will see other organizations moving in the future to reflect the change that has already taken place in our industry.