Indianapolis -- A number of innovations, events and product deals helped draw thousands of member-owners to the 2013 Do it Best May Market. 

“From the strong member response at the Sneak Peek, to the solid attendance at our many seminars and training events and continuing out to the bustle on the market floor, we’ve seen a lot of enthusiasm among our members this weekend,” said Do it Best Corp. President and CEO Bob Taylor.

Chicago-based True Value Co. reported first-quarter gross billings of $443.3 million, down 0.9% from the same quarter last year.

A nearly non-existent spring in many parts of the country hurt sales. The company also explained gross billings were affected by a decline in lumber and building material vendor direct-ship sales.

"While winter-related product sales exceeded the prior year, the general lack of spring weather this March versus last year was too much to overcome," said Lyle Heidemann, president ad CEO. 

Minneapolis paint giant Valspar reported second quarter net sales of $1.03 billion, essentially flat with the prior-year quarter.

The company, which recently signed a deal to become the key supplier of paint for Ace Hardware, reported net income of $76.9 million, up from $76.5 million in last year's second quarter.

Volume was up 7%, including the Ace deal, up 3% excluding Ace. 

Krazy Glue, an adhesive brand of Elmer's Products, is spreading the word of its versatility through a multi-media campaign called "the Krazy Big Fix." 

The campaign, promoted here at the Elmer's booth during the National Hardware Show, will include a variety of traditional and social media platforms to collect stories of how Krazy Glue fixed something. 

The campaign allows consumers to interact with the brand, and promises monthly and grand prizes to sustain engagement. 

Las Vegas -- Necessity is the mother of invention. 

Jon Nolle is a contractor who needed to take down a deck and fast. His solution: a two-pronged demolition bar that fits over the joist and provides the mechanical advantage to pry up the boards on decks. 

Nolle was demonstrating his invention – the Deck Demon – here at the National Hardware Show in the Las Vegas Convention Center. 

The head of the tool fits over single or double joists. And both prongs of the product 

Las Vegas -- home improvement vendors were selected as Golden Hammer Committee Choice winners during the Golden Hammer Awards Ceremony here during the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.

The Committee Choice winners were selected by a retail-and-distributor panel from the pool of 31 Golden Hammer Award winners. 

The five Committee Choice winners for 2013 are:

New Product Innovation: 3M Inventory Management: Leviton Serving the Pros: DeWalt Category Management: Scotts Quality Control: Valspar