With Donald Trump poised to become only the second former U.S. president elected to a non-consecutive second term, B.C.’s lumber industry is already feeling the pain of tariffs. CBC News reports that B.C. forestry firms are seeing more growth in the U.S than at home. Trump introduced countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber in his first term, a policy maintained by his successor Joe Biden, and has pledged to hike them in his second.

The latest instalment of our podcast series What’s In Store goes live this week! In this episode, you’ll hear a selection of conversations held at the 28th Hardlines Conference, which took place last month in La Malbaie, Que. We talk to Young Retailer of the Year Phylip Savard-Tremblay, alias Phyl Liquide; AQMAT president and Well Made Here founder Richard Darveau, who discusses the importance of buying Canadian; and Jason Tasse, president of Lee Valley Tools. Sign up now to get updates about the latest free podcasts in your inbox!

Do it Best Corp. said last week that it has created “the world’s largest network of independent home improvement stores” by acquiring former rival True Value Co. “This monumental transaction represents a transformative milestone… for the entire independent hardware industry,” Do it Best said in a release from its head office in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Alimentation Couche-Tard is seeking to acquire 7-Eleven parent Seven & i holdings only on a friendly basis, says its chair and co-founder. Alain Bouchard told Japan’s largest business daily, The Nikkei, that a hostile takeover is “not among factors being considered.” The Montreal area-based convenience store giant made its initial bid for Seven & i in August, later increasing its offer $47 billion.

The Canadian Home Products Trade Association and the Canadian Office Products Association held their 2024 joint conference last week at the Richmond Hill Country Club, just north of Toronto.

Hardlines president Michael McLarney (left) and Bill Morrison, a veteran executive of Ace Canada, TruServ Canada, and the Hudson’s Bay Co., were inducted to the Canadian Hardware & Housewares Industry Hall of Fame. In his acceptance remarks McLarney acknowledged the privilege of “telling the stories of people in this industry.”

Highlights from the Canadian Home Products Trade Association and the Canadian Office Products Association 2024 joint conference

TIMBER MART announced it has promoted Damien Sohm, previously LBM procurement manager for Quebec, to the position of national procurement manager. In his new role, he will be responsible for all roofing and rigid-insulation program categories nationwide, in addition to managing the group’s relationships with vendors in Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

Ontario’s provincial government has a goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031, and has set annual targets for housing starts to that end. For 2024 the goal was to break ground on 125,000 new homes. According to the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, however, the latest projections show the actual number of starts is down to 81,000.

Rebecca Dumais

Retail sales increased by 0.4 percent to $66.9 billion in September, according to new StatCan data. Sales were up in six of nine subsectors, led by increases at food and beverage retailers. In LBM and garden categories, sales for the month increased by 3.0 percent.

TIMBER MART has promoted its regional director of member services for Western Canada, Phil Temple, to the role of director of member services, effective immediately. Temple has over 35 years of experience in management, sales, retail operations, and purchasing within the LBM industry.

Since joining TIMBER MART in 2007, he’s held a series of positions including building materials buyer, category manager, and Prairie sales manager. In this new, national role, Temple will report directly to Jon Irwin, VP of member services.

The family of Masatoshi Ito, the founder of 7-Eleven who died last year, has launched a bid to take parent company Seven & i holdings private. Their proposal adds a third option to the existing battle between company management’s plans to boost value and Canadian convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard’s buyout offer. According to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, the family is seeking to raise more than US$51 billion through a special-purpose company to finance a deal.