Trex has just released its 2024 Sustainability Report which details the company’s continued leadership in materials circularity, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. Among the highlights in the report, in 2024 Trex sourced over one billion pounds of reclaimed polyethylene (PE) film and wood scrap—including 377 million pounds of waste plastic, making Trex one of North America’s largest recyclers of PE, the company says.

RONA inc. took part in the recent Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau, which saw 75 cyclists from the retailer’s team ride more than 6,000 km to fight childhood cancer, raising funds through their various networks. It was the 10^th year in a row that RONA had participated in the fundraising bike ride. Shown in the photo are Audrey Archambault, dealer-owner, RONA Iberville; Nadine Chiasson, divisional vice-president HR, RONA; Amélie Savoie, vice-president, merchandising, RONA; J.P. Towner, president and CEO, RONA; Sean Fox, director, information technology, RONA; and Patrice Prud’homme, senior director, professional services, RONA.

Specialty Products & Insulation (SPI), a global distributor of insulation, has completed the acquisition of Dispro, a distributor and fabricator of thermal and acoustical insulation.
Dispro will continue to operate under its brand name and retain its locations in Montreal, Quebec City, and Ottawa.

Heidelberg Materials has acquired assets of Concrete Crushers Inc. (CCI), the largest concrete recycling company in Calgary. The transaction includes a recycled aggregates yard in Southeast Calgary and a contract crushing business with four mobile plants.

Recently the company announced that it has completed its acquisition of Giant Cement Holding Inc., an established cement producer on the U.S. East Coast with a strong focus on using waste-derived fuels.

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

On July 3, 2000, RONA inc. was in the process of acquiring Réno-Dépôt from Kingfisher plc, of London, for $360 million. The acquisition, which took place on Sept. 10, 2000, was later the subject of an investigation by the federal Competition Bureau. The Bureau concluded that the acquisition would negatively impact competition in Sherbrooke, Que. RONA eventually had to sell the Sherbrooke Réno-Dépôt store to resolve the competition concerns. 

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The Home Depot announced Monday that its SRS Distribution subsidiary had agreed to buy GMS Inc., of Tucker, Ga., one of the largest GSD distributors in North America. Indeed, in this country, GMS is a big player with a Canadian division based in Vaughan, Ont.

GMS Canada includes some of the biggest GSD names in the business. The company has on its roster, for example, Slegg Building Materials (Vancouver Island), Shoemaker Drywall Supplies (Calgary), Watson Building Supplies (Vaughan, Ont.), and Yvon Building Supplies (Burlington, Ont.). The latter company was acquired by GMS last July for C$195.5 million.

We will have a full report on Home Depot’s offer to buy GMS in next Monday’s Hardlines Weekly Report.

Gypsum drywall supplier CGC Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Imperial Building Products Ltd., based in Richibucto, N.B. IBP’s product range includes steel framing components, drywall trims, accessories, and proprietary structural solutions.

Created in 1990 as a division of Imperial Manufacturing Group, IBP operates five manufacturing facilities—in New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. CGC says the acquisition is another part of the company’s long-term strategy to invest in Canadian manufacturing, strengthen domestic supply chains, and support the growing demand for housing and infrastructure in Canada.

Target is in the initial stages of developing drop shipments directly to customers’ doors, says a report from Bloomberg. The retailer is looking for ways to compete against the likes of online competitors Temu and Shein, which already use direct-from-factory deliveries. Target says it wants to ship low-cost clothing, household goods, and other non-food items.

Sonja Nelsen will join The Peak Group of Companies as VP, human resources. The appointment is effective July 21.

Nelsen joined Home Depot Canada in 2001 as the HR manager at one of its highest-volume locations. A decade later, she was promoted to store manager and for the next six years ran two Home Depot locations in Greater Vancouver. After that, she had HR positions with the online marketplace Openlane and then with Shoppers Drug Mart. At Peak, Nelsen will oversee more than 150 employees at facilities and offices in Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.