Mississauga, Ontario – April 2, 2008 – IAPA (Industrial Accident Prevention Association) proudly presented Home Hardware Stores Limited - Beauti-Tone Paint and Home Products of Burford, Ontario with a Level I Health & Safety Achievement Award today. This is the first IAPA achievement award for the facility which produces paints, sealants, and cleaners.

The Burford facility has not had a lost-time injury (LTI) since 2003. It has achieved this positive result by demonstrating a commitment to health and safety. This dedication to creating an incident-free workplace has been made possible through initiatives such as having an active Joint Health and Safety Committee, sound workplace inspection processes, monthly safety meetings between supervisors and employees, and firm incentives for reaching health and safety milestones.

“This Level I award is in recognition of Home Hardware Stores Limited - Beauti-Tone Paint and Home Products commitment and continuing investment in its health and safety system,” says John VanLenthe, IAPA Principal Consultant,who presented the company with the award. “It is clear when you walk into the facility that everyone shares the common goal of reducing and eliminating workplace incidents. You are on the right path towards achieving health and safety excellence.”

“Our goal is to make sure our people go home at night as well as they arrived that morning,” says Darrin Noble, General Manager,Home Hardware Stores Limited - Beauti-Tone Paint and Home Products . “The employees at this facility are to be highly commended for their diligence, hard work, and dedication to health and safety. Reducing and eliminating workplace accidents is only possible when we all work together.”

Home Hardware Stores Limited - Beauti-Tone Paint and Home Products received the Level I Achievement Award after IAPA conducted an on-site verification on October 29, 2007. The company’s health and safety management program met the criteria needed to be recognized for this award. In addition, Home Hardware Stores Limited - Beauti-Tone Paint and Home Products completed the self-assessment report and met IAPA award requirements, such as prevention methods, legislative compliance, management practices, and lost-time injury frequencies.

IAPA’s three-level health and safety awards program was launched in 2002. The program is designed to celebrate an organization’s journey towards achieving workplace health and safety excellence. Since the inception of the program, 41 companies have received the Level I Health and Safety Achievement Award.

Beauti-Tone Paint and Home Products is a division of Home Hardware Stores Limited and produces a wide range of architectural paints, as well as sealants and cleaners. Beauti-Tone and Designer Series paints are available exclusively at Home Hardware and Home Hardware Building Centre locations across Canada. Home Hardware’s paint and colour experts are trained in colour, mixology, painting techniques, and design. For more information, visit www.beauti-tone.ca .

Home Hardware Stores Limited is Canada’s largest independent hardware, lumber, and building materials and furniture retailer with more than 1,000 stores across Canada, under the Home Hardware, Home Building Centre, Home Hardware Building Centre, and Home Furniture banners. Dealers have access to 100,000 quality and brand name and private label products, and the company has annual retail sales of $4.8 billion. The cooperative was founded on January 1, 1964 by 128 independent hardware dealers. For more information, visit www.homehardware.ca .

IAPA is a not-for-profit, member driven organization operating in Ontario since 1917. Representing approximately 50,000 member firms and more than 1.5 million Ontario workers, IAPA is one of Canada’s leadi

– 30 –

Media Contacts:

Lena Wan
Communications and PR Specialist
IAPA
Tel: 905-614-4272, ext. 2247
E-mail: lwan@iapa.ca

Bev Bell
Creative Director
Home Hardware Stores Limited - Beauti-Tone Paint and Home Products
Tel: 519-449-2441
E-mail: bev.bell@homehardware.ca