Toronto – Thursday night, at the 2009 Outstanding Retailer Awards ceremony held in Toronto, Home Hardware Dealer-Owners won three of the six prestigious awards presented by Hardware Merchandising Magazine.

Bringing home the much sought after Hardware Store of the Year award was Quincaillerie Home Hardware in Rimouski, Quebec.Ontario’s Orillia Home Hardware Building Centre was awarded Outstanding Building Supply Store Over 25,000 Square Feet, while Kamloops Home Hardware Building Centre in British Colombia was presented the Contractor-Specialist Dealer of the Year award.

“For the past 45 years we have remained confident that Home offers the strongest program for independent hardware retailers in the industry,” said Paul Straus, Vice President and CEO, Home Hardware Stores Limited. “These award-winning Dealers are a testament to the strength of our company and we’re very proud of their successes.”

Each Hardware Merchandising Outstanding Retailer Award nominee was judged by a panel of industry experts on a range of criteria, including sales growth, customer service, overall store appearance, merchandising and marketing, employee management and dedication to the industry.

Winners were selected in six separate categories: Outstanding Young Retailer of the Year, Outstanding Building Supply/Home Centre Under 25,000 square feet, Outstanding Building Supply/Home Centre Over 25,000 square feet, Outstanding Hardware Store, Outstanding Contractor Specialist Dealer and Outstanding Large Surface Retailer.

“On behalf of more than 1,000 Dealers across Canada, I’d like to congratulate each of these very deserving Dealers,” said Paul Straus, Vice President and CEO, Home Hardware Stores Limited. “We are so proud to have Dealers who are committed to constantly building and enhancing their businesses – making them true models for home improvement retailers across Canada.”

Founded in 1991, Hardware Merchandising’s Outstanding Retailer Awards program was created to acknowledge excellence in hardware/home improvement retailing. The awards are presented annually to winners and designed to focus on particular store formats or specific areas of business concentration.