Margaret Magerko

Learned lumber from father, Joe Hardy, who founded 84 Lumber 1956, passed company to Maggie 36 years later. Ceded do-it-yourself market to Home Depot, Lowe's; focused on selling to contractors, developers. Slow economy "hammering" business: sales down 25% to $2.9 billion in past year. Recently borrowed $590 million to stay afloat. Hopes to "emerge from housing slump debt-free" by eliminating unprofitable stores, reducing overhead-a far cry from earlier expectations to triple sales by 2009.