(Fort Wayne, IN)—At the 2007 Do it Best October MarketSM, Do it Best Corp., its members, and its vendors continued their support of Habitat for Humanity with both product donations and monetary contributions. At the conclusion of the market, held in Indianapolis, 18 Habitat for Humanity affiliates from Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky received more than $195,000 in product donations from nearly 90 Do it Best Corp. vendors who donated all or part of their booth displays. The donation represented a 34% increase over the co-op’s 2006 October market donation and brings the total corporate donation for 2007 to $427,000. Since the co-op named Habitat for Humanity as its cause of choice in 2004, vendors have now contributed more than $1 million in products to Habitat affiliates.

Products donated varied from tubs, toilets, and vanities to hammers, painting supplies, and snow fence. Donated goods will be used in the construction of Habitat homes, auctioned off, or sold through the Habitat affiliates’ ReStores, which serve as a thrift-shop for reusable building materials and other hardware products. All profits from the ReStores go towards the funding of future Habitat builds.

In addition, the co-op held their third annual Rental Zone Sunrise Auction in which gently used products from the rental exhibit area at the Market were auctioned. The results of this year’s auction netted close to $10,000  for Habitat. The Rental Zone provided members who participate in the Do it Best Rental Center™ program with an opportunity to try new products and discover merchandising ideas. More than 40 member-owners participated in the auction. To date, $30,000 has been raised through these auctions.

Do it Best Corp. member Tim Post of T & M Do it Best® Hardware and Rental, outside of Pittsburgh, is one of those members who have participated in the auction for the past three years. The original idea for the auction actually came from Post who thought members would benefit if they had a chance to try out some of the rental equipment before they bought it. “It’s turned into a win-win situation,” Post says. “The vendors like it because they get to sell products right there. And in the end, Habitat for Humanity receives the proceeds, so we all feel good about that. It’s what we try to do in business everyday: find a way for everyone to feel good about the situation.”

The Mayfield-Graves County (Kentucky) Habitat affiliate was invited this year for the first time after a Do it Best member in his area, Myers Lumber Co. in Mayfield, KY, told him about the golden opportunity. Keith Roach, board of trustees president for the Mayfield-Graves County Habitat explains, “Fundraising has been especially difficult in our county due to the loss of three major corporations. We depend on a few fundraisers each year to help us make ends meet.” Roach says he was excited about the opportunity, but not sure what to expect when he found out they were one of the Habitat affiliates selected to receive product.

“They told me to bring a 26-foot truck. My initial response was there would be no way we would fill such a big truck. However, once we began bringing products to the staging area, I was afraid that we didn't have enough truck to haul things back.”

Roach says they will auction some of the items to raise money for the next house they build and some will be used in the actual construction of the house. “I just feel privileged to have been chosen to participate in this program,” Roach said, “and blessed to have received so much product. It was a long drive for us but it was well worth the trip.”

Bill Zielke, Do it Best Corp. vice president of marketing and international development, said their vendors generosity reflects the co-op’s deep commitment to Habitat. “We have a strong reciprocal relationship with our vendors, and the commitment to Habitat is one more way we partner with them. Our vendors share and support our vision to help more families achieve the dream of home ownership. We deeply appreciate their dedication and we are very grateful for their support.”

The Indiana Habitat affiliates who benefited from the vendor contributions included those in Chandler, Mishawaka, Lafayette, Gray, Muncie, Avon, Fort Wayne, Martinsville, Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Goshen.  In Ohio, the Cleveland, Wilmington and Hamilton affiliates received donated product. Michigan affiliates included Battle Creek, Monroe County and Coldwater.

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.  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.

About Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity International is a Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing.  Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliates in more than 3,000 communities in 92 nations have built and sold more than 150,000 homes to partner families with no-profit, zero-interest mortgages.