Hickory Hardware centralizes operations in Nashville

Hickory Hardware, a designer, manufacturer and marketer of decorative, functional and industrial hardware, recently announced that it will centralize several of its functional operations into a new facility in Nashville.

The move is part of an overall investment in operational efficiencies to combat continued increases in key commodities used to manufacture the Hickory Hardware line of decorative and functional hardware.

In addition to housing its corporate offices, the new premises will include a 300,000-sq.-ft. distribution center featuring a material handling system designed and built by sister company FKI Logistex.

The new distribution center is designed to take advantage of Nashville as a central location for the company's North American supply chain.

John Westendorf, president of Hickory Hardware, said the move and resulting efficiencies will enable the company to reduce costs and avoid having to pass a major portion of its commodity cost increases to its customer base.

"Zinc prices have almost tripled in the past year; brass and copper prices have nearly doubled; aluminum has soared by more than 60 percent," Westendorf said. "During this same period, energy costs have also increased with oil feedstock and natural gas at or near all-time highs.

"With raw material costs expected to remain high and even increase in the future, we are looking at our entire operation for ways to cut costs and increase efficiencies."

Hunter Museum earns national award

Chattanooga's Hunter Museum of American Art has earned recognition in the 2006 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel awards program (IDEAS2).

Conducted annually by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the IDEAS2 awards recognize outstanding achievements in engineering and architecture on structural steel projects across the country.

The Hunter Museum project earned Merit Award recognition in the category of Projects $15 million to $75 million.