Denver—Doug Hamar, president and CEO of Denver Hardwood Co., and Jim Gould, chairman of Misco Shawnee, have announced the imminent acquisition of Misco Shawnee by Denver Hardwood, creating one of the nation’s 10 largest flooring distributors with geographic coverage reaching from Eastern Ohio to the Pacific Coast. Denver Hardwood and an affiliated group of flooring distributors under the Hamar Group of companies (Cascade Pacific Flooring Distributors-Portland, Inc., Beaverton and Portland, Ore.; Cascade Pacific Flooring Distributors-Seattle, Inc., Kent and Redmond, Wash., and Rio Grande Flooring Distributors, Albuquerque, N.M.) distribute hardwood, laminate and ceramic flooring products in the Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest and Southwest.

Misco Shawnee, headquartered in St. Louis, distributes hard surface flooring in eight Midwestern states and maintains facilities in Chicago, Cincinnati, as well as two near Los Angeles and Atlanta. The two companies have been in discussion, since September 2003, and entered into a confidential letter of intent in late fall, according to Hamar and Gould. Quite A Pair Misco’s president, Randy Gum, commented on the pairing of Misco and Denver Hardwood. “Over a year ago, Misco decided to enter the hardwood business in a big way and the company has been quickly moving in that direction. Denver Hardwood and the Hamar Group will enable us to realize our full potential creating tremendous synergies for us all. “We will immediately increase our expertise and enjoy greater access to a wide array of hardwood flooring products,” he added. “We’ll have a much larger platform from which to launch new products and it will bring tremendous benefit to all our vendors in every flooring category.”

David Rowe, vice president of Denver Hardwood and director of Distribution Operations of the Hamar Group, stated, “I have known Jim Gould and Randy Gum for several years. I have the utmost respect for what they have done for the flooring industry. I look forward to working with them, and the entire Misco/DSI family, continuing our focus on the customer’s needs. “We are truly grateful for the level of support our customers and vendor partners have given us in the past,” he explained, “and we are confident that the combined efforts of these entities will help us realize a greater level of customer satisfaction and market share.”

An Even Bigger Footprint With the addition of Misco and its national distribution arm, DSI, the Denver Hardwood/Hamar group of companies’ distribution capabilities will extend well beyond even their expanded footprint. With facilities in Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles, DSI already services buying groups, home centers and flooring manufacturers across the country counting Pergo, Quick Step, and The Home Depot among its many customers over the years. “At this moment in time,” said Gould, “DSI is poised to capitalize on several national and international market opportunities. Our new affiliation will strengthen us all, including all of Misco’s vendor partners and customers.” “We have been looking, for some time, at opportunities to increase the footprint of our group of companies,” stated Hamar. “The ability to incorporate the talent and product breadth resident within the Misco/DSI group into our network will prove to be rewarding for all our customers and vendor partners.”