HD Supply, Atlanta, GA, now separated from its parent company The Home Depot, is ready to move forward as a focused organization after the ups and downs of 2007. HD Supply’s CEO Joe DeAngelo spoke recently with MDM on the distributor’s plans to stay on the acquisition trail, the company’s strategy for integrating acquired companies, its plans for private label and green, and how he views the current economic situation.

MDM: How did the past year of not knowing the direction of the company in terms of ownership affect HD Supply and its ability to execute its strategy?
 
Joe DeAngelo: The good news is that we got through it all. We woke up the first part of 2007 and find out we’re for sale mid-February, and you go with the flow with that and …