April 6 , 2015 Volume
xxi, #14
“There is something that is much more scarce, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability. ” — Robert Half (American human resources executive and founder of Robert Half International, 1919-2001)
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Delroc sees potential for more growth
LANGLEY, B.C. — Delroc Industries had a good year in 2014, says the private buying group’s general manager, Dave Boyce. Boyce admits that the 10% growth the organization experienced was not typical of the industry overall. He credits the surge to some new member growth, which included dealers in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan.
But also, he adds, some of his dealers just “had a good year,” especially in Saskatchewan, as well as a member in the Yukon who enjoyed a healthy increase. The net result pushed total sales by Delroc’s members past $700 million in 2014.
Founded in 1974 by Bruno Mauro, Delroc’s membership tends to be gypsum supply dealers and other commercially oriented yards. (Its largest member is Windsor Plywood, also based in Langley, which specializes in moulding and millwork. It has about 60 outlets and more than $200 million in sales, according to the Hardlines Who’s Who Directory.)
Delroc’s newest member, which joined in February, is OK Builders Supplies, a Kelowna, B.C.-based dealer with four stores and a big concrete and masonry division.
While Delroc already had a relationship with Ok Builders on some products, Boyce says the appeal of his buying group is its “very lean operations.” That translates, he adds, into “the best deals for our members, the best buys for our members. In addition, being headquartered in the West gives the group an insight into the markets in British Columbia and Alberta—making it a good fit for a dealer such as Ok Builders.
“When we’re talking to western-based yards, I think we have an advantage.”
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Castle dealer adds location in Ontario
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Cottage Country Building Supplies is the newest dealer to join Castle Building Centres Group Ltd. The store is located in Carnarvon, Ont., about 20 minutes outside of Haliburton and represents an acquisition by the Emmerson family, which operates Emmerson Lumber in Haliburton. Under current owner Kim Emmerson (shown here), the business has been serving local contractors and DIYers in this cottage resort area since 1957.
Cottage Country Building Supplies will be managed by Kim’s son Ryan Emmerson, who has worked in the family business for the past 10 years. “It’s been a long road but I feel extremely proud today and happy to keep the business under local ownership,” said Kim Emmerson.
The family will now operate the new 3.5-acre location on Mirror Lake approximately 20 minutes away and will service the communities of Vankoughnet, Dorset, and Minden. Both locations will be connected to enable shared inventory and account access between both locations.
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B.C. buying show enjoys enthusiastic turnout
SURREY, B.C. — The mood was upbeat at the latest Westcoast Building & Hardware Innovative Products Show, held by the Building Supply Industry Association of B.C. Located at the Cloverdale Fair grounds in Surrey, the small size of the event went a long way toward encouraging a sense of intimacy and camaraderie among participants.
That meant lots of time for vendors to talk with their customers while the show organizers took care of amenities, providing retailers and visitors with coffee, tea, and water throughout the day. Lunch was catered by two food trucks parked outside.
The diversity of attendance was exemplified by the InStone booth (shown here). Jason Duniec, national sales manager, reported playing host to RONA, Windsor Plywood, and TIM-BR MART dealers all at the same time. InStone also received the award for the Best Looking Booth at the show.
The show also featured several innovative new products. Rolgear’s patented cam ratchet screwdriver, which includes a multi-bit version, won the award for Best New Product. The tool was invented by B.C. native Rob Suter, and it was on display at the Global Vision Marketing booth.
Next year’s show, March 9-13, 2016, will expand to run a day and a half as a trade show for hardware and building supply dealers. The event will then transform into a home show for the last half.
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Vendors: meet LBM & hardware buyers face-to-face
NEW WORLD HQ, TORONTO — Vendors looking to get new lines into some of the country’s top retail and wholesale buying offices will have a chance to meet face-to-face with top buyers on April 30.
At the Hardlines Meet the Buyer’s Breakfast, Canada’s leading hardware and home improvement buyers will explain to vendors what it takes to get—and stay —listed in their stores. Each buyer will represent their respective merchandising teams to tell vendors first-hand what preparations they need to make and what expectations they should have when they sit down with someone from their buying team.
Our speakers are:
Andrew Pantelides, Procurement and Merchandising Manager at Chalifour Canada;
Dave McNeil, VP Eastern Canada for Taiga Building Products;
Dave Martin, Product Manager, Hand and Power Tools at Home Hardware Stores;
and a Senior Buyer (to be confirmed) from Canadian Tire Retail.
The event is sponsored by Storesupport and will be held April 30 from 8-11:30 a.m. at the Westin Bristol Place Toronto Airport Hotel. Click here to register today.
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PrimeSource gets new owner
LOS ANGELES — PrimeSource has new owners. The building materials distributor, which has 42 locations in North America, including six distribution centres in Canada, has been sold by its current owner, Tokyo-based holding company Itochu Corporation, to Platinum Equity, a global private equity firm in Los Angeles. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including legal procedures and approval by antitrust authorities. The company expects the transfer of shares to close before the middle of the year.
Sources at PrimeSource Canada say the company plans to continue supporting and growing its business here.
PrimeSource was acquired by Itochu Group in 1998 and with Itochu’s support the company expanded into new markets, including Canada and the Caribbean. PrimeSource Co-CEO David Fishbein has stated in a release that customers and suppliers of PrimeSource “should expect normal business operations to continue throughout the course of the transaction.”
Platinum Equity partner Jacob Kotzubei, who leads the Platinum Equity team pursuing the acquisition, said the acquisition was an appealing one because, “The opportunity to acquire PrimeSource is attractive for multiple reasons. The business is an industry leader with powerful brands and a strong culture.”
Platinum Equity specializes in executing divestiture transactions from large global corporations such as Itochu. In recent years, Platinum Equity has completed acquisitions from AP Moeller Maersk, Caterpillar, CBS, Deutsche Post DHL, Emerson, Telstra, and Volvo.
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FROM THE ARCHIVES: This week in 1995
TIM-BR MARTS Ltd. (now TIM-BR MART Group), at the time a buying group whose membership was exclusive to Western Canada, tops $1 billion in sales. Toronto-area independent Lansing Buildall reflects a growing trend to more DIY-oriented merchandising by opening a showroom at its flagship store in Willowdale. Canadian Tire launches a power tool centre in its ongoing effort to attract more contractors. Click here for this week’s blast from the past!
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