RONA inc. has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers—for the fifth year in a row. The national competition, organized each year by Mediacorp, evaluates companies that distinguish themselves through their outstanding sustainable development initiatives and environmental awareness efforts they implement within their organizations. Initiatives can include programs that aim to care for the environment and reduce the environmental footprint.

“Much of this recognition is due to the hard work and commitment of our employees, all of whom contribute to our ambitious environmental goals and to the continuous improvement of our practices,” says Mélanie Lussier, head of communications, public affairs and sustainable development at RONA inc. “Our inclusion on this list shows that our hard work is paying off.”

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) 2025 released its Q1 Housing Market Index (HMI). The index indicates 11 straight quarters of negative sentiment since dropping from the post-pandemic highs in 2021 and early 2022.

CHBA’s single-family HMI is 26.4 for Q1 2025 (out of 100). The organization noted in the report that this score remains close to the index’s record low of 24.6 in Q4 2023 and is down 8.5 points from the score from the same time last year.

The single-family HMI at 7.4 and the multi-family HMI are 2.9 in Ontario, while in B.C.,  the level sits at 17.2 for single-family sales and 24.8 for multi-family sales.

Ryan Leger of Richibucto Home Hardware Building Centre and St. Louis Home Building Centre in New Brunswick, has been named one of the 2025 Young Retailers of the Year by the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) in the multi-store division.

As a third-generation Home dealer, Ryan officially took over leadership of the Richibucto location in 2017. Since then, he has led the store through a period of remarkable growth, increasing annual revenue by more than 120 percent, according to a release. In 2023, Ryan expanded the operations by acquiring a second Home Building Centre location in St. Louis de Kent.

“Ryan Leger embodies the spirit of innovation, leadership, and community that defines the next generation of Home dealers,” said John Pierce, chief retail operations officer, Home Hardware Stores Ltd. (shown right beside Ryan Leger). “We’re proud to celebrate this accomplishment and look forward to Ryan’s continued success.”

Former Peavey Mart vice-president of marketing and customer experience Jest Sidloski has taken a leadership role at Brandt Group of Companies in Regina. Sidloski will serve in a new merchandise role with the organization. Additionally he will be leading parts, service, and merchandise marketing across all divisions.

Brandt claims ot be one of the largest construction and forestry equipment dealers in the world. The company also manufactures equipment, trucks, and trailers.

“I’m excited to leverage my experience, drive innovation, and build something incredible with this world-class team,” said Sidloski.

The RONA Foundation, which oversees the philanthropic activities of RONA inc., is launching the 2025 edition of its Build from the Heart running through the month of May. The goal of this campaign is to help seven Canadian non-profit organizations with a project that aims to revitalize a living environment or facilitate access to housing for victims of domestic violence and their children, low-income families, and people with disabilities or mental health issues.

“We believe that everyone deserves a place to live, and supporting organizations that revitalize neighbourhoods and facilitate access to housing is our way to help achieve that goal,” said Catherine Laporte, president of the RONA Foundation’s board of directors and senior vice-president of marketing and customer experience at RONA inc.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to each of our vendor partners for their generosity and support. Together, we are making a difference,” added Josée Lafitte, director of the RONA Foundation.

Lowe’s Cos. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Coppell, Tex.-based Artisan Design Group for US$1.3 billion. ADG provides design, distribution, and installation services for interior surface finishes, including flooring, cabinets, and countertops, to national, regional, and local homebuilders and property managers. In 2024, ADG saw revenues of US$1.8 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025,

“The acquisition of ADG allows us to build on our momentum with pro planned spend and is expected to expand our total addressable market by approximately $50 billion,” said Marvin Ellison, Lowe’s chairman, president, and CEO. “With its strong, customer-centric operating model, ADG has become an industry leader with best-in-class customer satisfaction scores from the top builders in the U.S.”

Millwork maker Metrie has expanded its assortments to include interior door sales in the U.S. Midwest and Florida markets. The Vancouver-based company expanded its interior door business in the Phoenix and Denver markets in 2024. Metrie’s operations consist of six solid wood and MDF manufacturing facilities, plus 28 distribution centres in Canada and the U.S.

As the president and CEO of Home Hardware Stores Ltd., Ian White says the strength of the dealer-owned store is something he keeps front and centre as he looks for ways to move the company forward.

White spoke recently with Hardlines at the company’s head office in St. Jacobs, Ont. In that conversation, he shared how impressed he is by the culture that built Home Hardware over the past 60-plus years, as he looks for ways to lead the company through its next steps.

(Read our interview with Home Hardware’s Ian White in Monday’s edition of our flagship publication, Hardlines Weekly Report. HWR is an exclusive perk for Hardlines Premium Members. Click here to become a Premium Member yourself!)

Throwback Thursday is a weekly feature in which we dip into the archives of the Hardlines Weekly Report.

This was the week, 25 years ago, when Home Hardware announced that it would commence discontinuation of Beaver Lumber’s brand name, starting Dec. 15, 2000. The 1,000-strong hardware co-op had shocked the industry in August 1999 when it announced that it had bought Beaver Lumber from Molson Cos. for $68 million. Home Hardware got an instant boost to its LBM operations by acquiring what was then a 138-location building materials chain. “Beaver dealers will become either Home Building Centres if they are traditional lumber yards, or Home Hardware Building Centres if they offer broader assortments of hardware, housewares, and giftwares in their stores,” we wrote.

Grocer Metro Inc. posted its results for Q2 on Tuesday. Net earnings for this quarter were $220.0 million, up 17.6 percent; adjusted net earnings of more than $226 million were up 9.8 percent.

Sales in the second quarter were $4.91 billion, up 5.5 percent versus the second quarter of the prior year. Sales were positively impacted by the transfer of two significant pre-Christmas shopping days to the second quarter this year, the company stated in a release.

Food same-store sales were up 5.3 percent and up 3.9 percent when adjusting for the Christmas week shift. Pharmacy same-store sales were up 7.0 percent.