UPDATE 1-Richelieu Hardware profit drops as building slows

* EPS C$0.33 vs C$0.40 in year-earlier quarter

* Revenue falls to C$110.1 mln from C$114.8 mln

* Shares unchanged at C$17.49

OTTAWA, July 9 (Reuters) - Richelieu Hardware Ltd (RCH.TO) reported a 20-percent drop in quarterly profit on Thursday as the slowdown in residential and commercial renovation markets hammered its results.

The specialty hardware distributor said net earnings fell to C$7.3 million ($6.3 million), or 33 Canadian cents a share, in the second quarter ended May 31, from C$9.1 million, or 40 Canadian cents a share, in the same period last year.

The company, which also makes kitchen cabinets and doors, said revenue fell 4 percent to C$110.1 million.

The economic slowdown had been particularly hard on markets in the United States and in Western and Central Canada, Richelieu said.

The Montreal-based company said it has a sturdy financial footing, with working capital of C$138.9 million and almost no debt. It pledged to keep a tight control on operating costs and administrative expenses as it manages liquidity and working capital in the "very challenging economic environment".

Shares in Richelieu, which have lost about 11 percent of their value in the last 12 months, were unchanged at C$17.49 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Thursday.

In late March, the company announced that it would freeze executive salaries as part of a cost-cutting plan.

($1=$1.16 Canadian) (Reporting by Susan Taylor; editing by Peter Galloway)