• Wall Street Journal, Friday, May 21, 2010 10:37 AM

Fortune Brands is confident enough in the recovery to start hiring again, following three years during which it slashed 10,000 jobs -- 40% of its workforce -- and closed 25 factories, reports David Kesmodel. It also will produce a new line of kitchen and bath cabinets. The conglomerate makes Moen faucets, Simonton windows and Aristokraft cabinets as well as unrelated brands such as Jim Beam bourbon, Sauza tequila and Titleist golf balls.

Despite double-digit sales gains in its home products in the first quarter, CEO Bruce Carbonari says Fortune remains "cautious" about projecting consumer demand. Kantar Retail vp Steve Spiwak agrees that he's right to do so. "Right now, it's hard to tease out whether we are entering a sustained rebound or a one-off bounce from all the tax rebates and credits from Washington," he says.

During the lull, the company changed how its kitchen and bath cabinetry is completed and shipped to customers, saving on freight and other costs. It also continued to roll out eco-friendly faucets and showerheads, garnering sales and market-share gain. Carbonari says the company will continue to emphasize new-product development going forward

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