Hilltop Lumber Co., a four-unit LBM chain based in Alexandria, Minn., has been named the Minnesota Lumber and Building Material Dealer of the Year by the Northwestern Lumber Association.

Owners Paul and Brian Klimek, father and son, accepted at the 2013 Northwestern Building Products EXPO held in St. Cloud, Minn.

An international hockey battle between two window manufacturers is scheduled for Jan. 12, when employees of Marvin Windows and Doors and Loewen Windows will play a game at the Olympic Arena in Warroad, Minn. The event will be refereed by Dave Christian, an NHL All-Star and 1980 Olympic gold medal “Miracle on Ice” team member.

Bloomington, Minn.-based The Toro Co. reported net earnings of $129.5 million for the full year ended Oct. 31, up from earnings of $117.7 million in 2011. 

Net sales increased 4% to $1.96 billion for its fiscal year. 

For the fourth quarter, Toro reported net earnings of $0.3 million, down from $5 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Net sales decreased 7.8% to $339.3 million in the quarter. 

Beisswenger's, a New Brighton, Minn., hardware store, is rolling dice with the weather this winter and offering a promotion to generate snow-blower sales at the same time.

Winona, Minn.-based Fastenal reported third-quarter sales of $802.6 million, up 10.4% from the same quarter last year.

Net earnings for the specialty building products retailer were $109.3 million in the quarter, up 12.9%.

As of Sept. 30, Fastenal operated 2,650 stores, and the company has opened 73 new stores in the first nine months of 2012.

Second-quarter sales for Winona, Minn.-based Fastenal increased to $804.9 million, up 14.7% from the same quarter in 2011. 

Net earnings for the company increased 19.3% to $112.3 million. 

“The growth in the first three months of 2012 generally continued the relative strength we saw in 2011 and in most of 2010,” the company stated. However, the rate of daily sales growth slowed in the April to June 2012 time frame.

Las Vegas -- The networking, the education and the product pitching began in spades at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning with the opening of the 2012 National Hardware Show.

Buyers and retailers come for many reasons, one of which was articulated by Dan Fesler, CEO of St. Paul, Minn.-based Lamperts: "You have to take a look at what's out there every once in a while." 

Medina, Minn.-based Rockler Woodworking and Hardware announced that the company met its Earth Day goal of raising enough money to plant 20,000 new hardwood trees. 

Rockler joined efforts with the Hardwood Forestry Fund as part of an Earth Day celebration and reforestation effort. Rockler pledged to donate the price of one tree for every purchase made from April 1 through April 22, up to a goal of 20,000 trees.

Thanks to elevated customer participation, the goal was reached earlier than expected.

Kendall's Ace Hardware will break ground on a new location in St. Paul, Minn., on April 30, according to an article in the Pioneer Press.

Bloomington, Minn.-based Toro Co. has acquired certain utility and underground product assets of Astec Underground, a wholly owned subsidiary of Astec Industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 

Bloomington, Minn.-based Toro Co. posted record sales in 2011, including a 5.8% sales gain in the company's residential segment. 

“Fiscal 2011 was a very good year for the Toro Co., delivering record revenues and earnings per share,” said Michael Hoffman, Toro’s chairman and CEO.

For the year, the company's total earnings were up 26.3% to $117.7 million, and net sales were up 11.5% to $1.884 billion. In the fourth quarter, net earnings increased from $3.2 million to $5 million, as net sales increased 9.1% to $337.3 million.