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RONA, which has made news in recent weeks for restructuring and announcing the closure of two DCs, has also restructured its affiliate (independent) corporate management.

In recent days, RONA has hired Alain Ménard to head up this new affiliate division, as first reported by AQMAT. He will be VP, dealers and affiliates. Ménard spent the past 20 years in upper management with grocery giant Sobeys. He was most recently in charge of the affiliate division of Sobeys, which includes IGA, Tradition, and Bonichoix. The former head of RONA’s affiliates, Jean-Sébastien Lamoureux, left RONA about a week ago.

West Fraser Timber Co. has announced the closure of the sale of its Hinton, Alta., pulp mill to Mondi Group PLC. The transaction was first announced last summer. Hinton Pulp produces unbleached kraft pulp. West Fraser will continue to support the mill through a long-term fibre supply agreement.

Castle Building Centres Group has announced the signing of Lumberville Co. Ltd., an LBM retailer, which was formerly an independent, in Milton, Ont. Lumberville, founded by Maria and Pasquale Mercurio Sr., opened its doors almost 40 years ago. Today, their son Pasquale Jr., who has worked with his parents since his adolescent years, manages the business. “Our industry is evolving and to stay competitive we need to be focused on efficiency, consumer experiences, and diversity,” Pasquale Jr. said in a release. “Castle’s support and business tools help independents focus on what is most important, making money.”

Lowe’s Cos. has launched Lowe’s Style Studio, a platform available through Apple Vision Pro. The app, which goes live today, enables customers to get “an immersive 3D kitchen scene.” They can explore preset styles created by Lowe’s designers and customize hundreds of materials, fixtures, and appliances. Lowe’s Style Studio uses spatial computing to help customers visualize and design their kitchen from the comfort of their own home.

Lowe’s Style Studio was built by Lowe’s own Innovation Labs and core members of the Lowe’s mobile technology team.

Tractor Supply Co. said this week its Q4 net sales declined by 8.6 percent to $3.66 billion, compared to $4.01 billion in the comparable period of 2022. The latter included an extra sales week, which contributed to the decline, as did a 4.2 percent drop in comp sales. Net income fell 8.5 percent to $247.9 million from $270.9 million. For the full fiscal year, sales were down 2.5 percent to $14.56 billion from $14.2 billion, while net income rose by 1.7 percent to $1.11 billion from $1.09 billion.

The board of directors of Indigo Books & Music has received a non-binding proposal from a consortium controlled by Gerald Schwartz, a member of the board and husband of Indigo founder and CEO Heather Reisman.

Trilogy Retail Holdings and Trilogy Investments have made the offer to acquire all of Indigo’s common shares not owned by Trilogy and related investors. The offer is for $2.25 in cash per share. The Trilogy consortium owns about 60 percent of Indigo’s common shares. The board has established a special committee of independent directors to evaluate the proposal and any other viable alternatives.

At UFA Co-operative Ltd., Steve Kovacs has been appointed to the newly created position of chief sales officer, based out of UFA’s head office in Calgary. He will be involved in the co-op’s continued expansion into Saskatchewan. Kovacs is a tenured executive with strong senior leadership experience, most recently as vice-president at Parkland Corp. His experience within the agricultural industry includes almost 15 years with Nutrien (formerly Agrium). No stranger to UFA, he spent several months on contract in 2020 as an advisor to its CFO.

“Steve’s appointment comes at an opportune moment for UFA,” said president and CEO Scott Bolton. “He brings the perfect mix of finance expertise and sales and marketing, along with a strong appreciation for the agri-food industry and the critical role that producers play in ensuring the stability of the global food supply.”

W.W. Grainger has announced it will open a 1.2 million-square-foot distribution centre in Hockley, Texas, in 2026, near Houston. The warehouse will handle more than 250,000 industrial supply items, such as hand and power tools and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. The company anticipates the new facility will employ approximately 400 workers within a year of opening.

Hillman Solutions Corp., the Cincinnati-based hardware supplier, has acquired Koch Industries Inc., a Minnesota-based manufacturer of rope and twine, chain and wire rope, and related hardware products. This acquisition marks Hillman’s first foray into the rope and chain category.

Hillman, whose brands include Hillman, Dominion, and Paulin, is also celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Founded in 1964, the company grew from a small distributor of fasteners and hardware serving independent hardware stores in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky to become a North American entity, generating $1.5 billion annually.