Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions.) I’m pleased to state that our first question comes from the line of Deane Dray of Goldman Sachs. Please go ahead sir, your line is open.
Mark Zepf – Goldman Sachs
Hi, this is Mark Zepf calling on behalf of Deane.
Bob Arzbaecher
Well, we’re pleased to have you Mark too.
Mark Zepf – Goldman Sachs
Thanks a lot Bob. Quick question on electrical. I guess, first on top line and then on margins. Looking for the negative 3% core sales to improve sequentially through the year. What are the key drivers there? Is it just the inventory draw down at Professional going away, or is there something at the margin that we should be looking for on the DIY side?
Bob Arzbaecher
No, I think it is just what you stated. It’s the Professional, a number of customers drove that decline that Andy referred to, in the first quarter. We have ordering patterns and orders and expect that to turn around as we get into the second quarter. I think our feeling on the retail side of the business is pretty similar to where it was in the first quarter. I think everybody always worried about [Resy - ph] being a big factor. It just hasn’t shown up in our ordering patterns. And I think I’ve talked to you at length about that, Mark, how it’s really more remodeling related than it is a new [Resy - ph] construction. So, expecting, really driven just by those OEM accounts.
Mark Zepf – Goldman Sachs
Okay, and have you seen on the DIY side, have you seen any of your customers draw down inventories there either?
Bob Arzbaecher
No, nothing that appears to be a trend or any kind of a movement there.
Mark Zepf – Goldman Sachs
Okay, great, and then Andy, on the margin side in electrical, comparisons got better, even as the core was a bit weaker. Are we reaching an inflection point where, farther along in the restructuring, the inefficiencies aren’t as much of a headwind, or, what’s, if you were to rank order the drivers on the margin improvement there, what were the most significant?
Andy Lampereur
I think we do expect our margins to improve as we sequentially move out. I do warn you, however, the second quarter can be pretty lumpy, because it is a low volume period overall within our businesses. But we do believe we’ve come off the bottom.
Operator
