(Fort Wayne, Ind.)—The 2007 Do it Best October Market^SM once again celebrated the largest-in-the-industry rebate to its member-owners, with $126.2 million distributed to its co-op members and an increase of 3.4% in overall profitability. In honor of these achievements, Do it Best Corp. recognized its top performers at its annual Member Purchase Awards & Vendor Recognition Breakfast at the market on Sunday, October 14.

Jay Brown, Do it Best Corp. vice president of retail development, said that the Member Purchase Awards & Vendor Recognition Breakfast provides an opportunity for the co-op to show its appreciation for those who achieve such impressive success throughout the year. “These member-owners being recognized for their hard work and achievement are an inspiration to their peers and are the symbol of our success,” Brown stated. "As leaders in these categories they’ve demonstrated the strength of the co-op model and  their independent business. We are truly honored to have them as a member of the Do it Best Corp. family. Everyone at Do it Best Corp. congratulates them on their achievements. ”

Service Awards

Do it Best Corp. honored three members who completed their 50th year with the co-op in fiscal year 2007:

• Urness Do it Best® Hardware & Appliances (Clarion IA)
• Project Central Hardware & Rental (Elbow Lake, MN)
• Coldwater Lumber (Coldwater, OH)

Since the start of this recognition program in 1998, more than 50 members have been honored for reaching the 50-year partnership milestone.

Purchasing Awards

Purchasing awards for fiscal year 2007 were presented to these stores:

First Place

Lumber and Home Center - Triple S Building Center, Inc. (Butte, MT)

Hardware Store-  Mountain Hardware (Wrightwood, CA)

Second Place

Lumber and Home Center - BTU Do it center® (Las Vegas, NV)

Hardware Store - Norris Do it Best® Hardware (Los Angeles, CA)

First Place - Clark-Devon Hardware Do it Best® (Chicago, IL)

Second Place - American Home & Hardware (Elkton, MD)

First Place - Building Materials Do it center® (Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos)

Second Place - Russell Do it center® (Eclectic, AL)

First Place - McDaniel Do it center® (Snohomish,WA)

Second Place - All American Home Center (Downey, CA)

First Place - E C Barton & Company (Jonesboro, AR)

Second Place - Dixieline Lumber Company (San Diego, CA)

First Place - Christensen Lumber Inc. (Fremont, NE)

Second Place - Knudson Lumber Company, Inc. (Ellensburg, WA)

First Place - R P Lumber Company Inc. (Edwardsville, IL)

Second Place - Huskey Lumber Company, Inc. (Franklin, TN)

First Place - Builders Supply Do it Best® (Ruston, LA)

Second Place - Oswald Lumber (Leesville, SC)

First Place - R P Lumber Company Inc. (Edwardsville, IL)

Second Place - Meek’s The Builders Choice (Poplar Bluff, MO)

First Place - Benson Do it Best® (Tamuning, Guam)

Second Place - Building Materials Do it center® (Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos)

First Place - McDaniel Do it center® (Snohomish, WA) 

Second Place - Power Townsend Company (Helena, MT)

First Place - Higginbotham Holdings, Ltd. (Comanche, TX)

Second Place - Gill-Roy’s Complete Hardware Store (Flushing, MI)

First Place - Noble Sales Company Inc. (Norwell, MA)

Second Place - Belair Road Supply Company Inc. (Baltimore, MD)

First Place - Building Materials Do it center® (Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos)

Second Place - Kelly’s Home Centre (Nassau, Bahamas)

First Place - Noble Sales Company, Inc. (Norwell, MA)

Second Place - Keim Lumber (Charm, OH)

First Place - R P Lumber Company Inc. (Edwardsville, IL)

Second Place - Higginbotham Holdings, Ltd. (Comanche, TX)

First Place - Noble Sales Company, Inc. (Norwell, MA)

Second Place - McDaniel Do it center® (Snohomish, WA)

First Place - Higginbotham Holdings, Ltd. (Comanche, TX)

Second Place - Meek’s The Builders Choice (Poplar Bluff, MO)

About Do it Best Corp.

Based in Fort Wayne, Ind., Do it Best Corp. is the only U.S.-based, member-owned hardware, lumber and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry and has been in operation since 1945.  With annual sales of $2.81 billion, Do it Best Corp. is the second largest co-op in the industry, serving 4,100 member-owned locations in the United States and in 47 countries.