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| SODISCO-HOWDEN DOES TOUR OF DUTY |
 Moncton, NB — Executives of Sodisco-Howden Group and Ace Hardware finished the last leg of a cross-country tour here today, presenting the new order of Ace Hardware in Canada to existing Ace dealers.
Jos Wintermans, president and CEO of Sodisco-Howden, travelled with Paul Ingevaldson, president of Ace Hardware Canada, and Pat Bennett, the company's vice-president sales, to update dealers about the changes in the system following Sodisco-Howden's acquisition of Ace Canada and the licensing of the Ace name last month. Over the past two weeks, they met with dealers in Toronto, then Calgary and Vancouver in succession. The Moncton stop was delayed by heavy snow storms that blanketed the northeast two weeks ago.
"The turnout by dealers has been excellent," says Wintermans. "And the reaction by those dealers has been excellent, as well."
Ace has about 120 bannered dealers in Canada, and ships to about 300 more on a wholesale supply basis. By the end of the year, Ace's offices in Markham, ON will be closed, and the Brantford, ON distribution centre will be shuttered by the end of the first quarter of 2003. |
| COLOGNE FAIR TO MODIFY ITS FOCUS |
|
Chicago, IL — The Cologne International Hardware Fair will begin alternating its industry focus, starting in 2003. At a gathering of media in its North American offices, officials of the Cologne Trade Fairs organization announced plans to enhance its home improvement trade show, which was renamed Practical World last year. Starting next year, and in consecutive odd-numbered years, the show will focus on interiors and furnishings. In even-numbered years the emphasis will be on hardware, tools and building materials.
The alternating approach will enable specialty vendors to target the year in which they can focus on Cologne. From year to year, the show will be anchored by a large number of companies that will continue to exhibit annually.
Also at next year's Practical World, admission will be opened to skilled trades, architects and planning engineers.
 Practical World, the International Hardware Fair/DIY'TEC, will be held in Cologne March 9-12, 2003. For more information, contact Barbara Hills, Cologne Trade Shows sales manager Canada, at 416-598-3343, colognet@idirect.com. |
| AWARD ADDS DEALERS, DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH |
| Dartmouth, NS — A strong economy and expanding retail sector have fuelled strong growth for the Atlantic buying group AWARD. According to Tom Smith, president of the 94-member group, overall purchases through the group are expected to be up 22% from last year, and Smith is confident these numbers are a good reflection of sales growth by his dealers. Total retail sales by AWARD's dealers amounted to $310 million in 2001, according the Hardlines Who's Who Directory.
While AWARD's growth reflects, in part, an increase in the ranks of dealers — eight new members were added in the past year, while three existing members added new stores — same-store sales by members will be up 10%-14%, says Smith. "It's fantastic growth, really. We're also very confident that the strong Atlantic Canada economy is going to continue."
Newfoundland and Nova Scotia have been especially buoyant, he notes, fuelled by oil and gas, not to mention homeowners' unrelenting desire to buy and renovate. And while next year's housing starts are expected to be flat, a good sign, he adds, the repair and renovation market is expected to grow considerably. |
| SAM'S CANADIAN BUYERS WILL OPERATE
SEPARATELY FROM WAL-MART |
| Mississauga, ON — Wal-Mart Canada will operate its Sam's Club operation as a separate division. Operating as Sam's Club Canada, it is currently setting up a buying team of 16 associates, drawn from Wal-Mart's own buying office and will be located at the old Brampton, ON distribution office.
This buying team has yet to be finalized. When it is, they will head to Wal-Mart's world headquarters in Bentonville, AK over the next few weeks and then set up when they return.
Wal-Mart announced its plans last week to introduce its warehouse club concept to this country. Currently, Costco is the only existing warehouse club operator. It has 60 stores with estimated sales of $8.5 million in Canada. |
| Women: what they buy, why they buy - a special report |
| Women account for over half of home improvement customers. Are you capturing this market effectively? Learn about the store preferences, renovation decisions and home improvement shopping habits of women. Price: $99. Contact nancy@hardlines.ca for more info!!!
|
| NOTED… |
 Don't miss Practical World 2003, the Cologne International Hardware Fair/DIY'Tec. The 2003 show is March 9-12. For show information, contact Barbara Hills at 416-598-3343 or email colognet@idirect.com. To book your flight and hotel, call Carol-Ann Itel at Trade Show Travel, 1-877-873-7469 or email tradeshowtravel@shaw.ca . |
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|
| COMPANY |
52-WEEK HIGH |
52-WEEK LOW |
NOON
FRIDAY |
| Canadian Tire |
33.15 |
23.96 |
32.00 |
| Canfor |
11.70 |
6.83 |
8.25 |
| Emco |
12.77 |
5.75 |
11.60 |
| Goodfellow |
13.99 |
8.60 |
11.92 |
| Home Depot |
52.60 |
23.18 |
26.40 |
| Hudson's Bay |
15.55 |
5.87 |
9.35 |
| Lowe's Cos. |
49.99 |
32.50 |
41.50 |
| Rona Inc. |
14.05 |
13.25 |
14.08 |
| Sears Canada |
25.10 |
15.15 |
18.90 |
| Sodisco-Howden |
2.20 |
1.06 |
1.41 |
| Taiga Forest |
7.00 |
4.78 |
6.30 |
| Wal-Mart |
63.94 |
43.72 |
53.90 |
| West Fraser |
44.42 |
28.90 |
35.00 |
|
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| COMPANIES IN THE NEWS |
| Rona Inc. reported net earnings of $11.9 million for the quarter ended September 29, 2002, up 37.4% from the third quarter of 2001. Net earnings per share for the quarter are up 33.3% from the corresponding quarter of last year. Consolidated net sales for the quarter reached $630.6 million, an increase of 6.0%, while same-store sales were up 7.3%.
Igloo Building Supplies Group is the latest retailer to join the Independent Lumber Dealers Co-operative. Igloo is an Edmonton-based independent with six stores, including two in the North West Territories. With more than $60 million in sales, it serves the northern communities and has a large overseas business in house packages, especially to Japan. Igloo will leave Tim-BR-Marts for ILDC effective January 1, 2003.
Kent Building Supplies has broken ground on a new store in Quispamsis, NB. The 35,000-sq.ft. outlet is part of Kent's program to erect larger-sized building centres, ranging up to 65,000 sq.ft. in size. This one will replace an existing store in that market, a former Home Hardware dealer that was bought up by Kent.
The IRLY Group, the dealer-owned building materials distribution organization headquartered in Surrey, BC, has added two new members in that province: Shuswap Building Supplies in Scotch Creek and Black Creek Farm Feed Supply in Black Creek.
Tim-BR Mart Ontario (Homecare Building Supplies) has signed LBMX as its authorized EDI communication facilitator for the electronic processing of invoices. More than half of Homecare's supplier invoices are currently processed electronically. The endorsement of LBMX is designed to add more EDI trading partners that are currently using the services of LBMX.
Domtar Inc. has decided to close its wood products remanufacturing facility in Daveluyville, QC and its hardwood lumber operation in Sault Ste Marie, ON. The facilities will close on January 31st, 2003, affecting 20 jobs. Hurt by softwood countervailing penalties, Domtar is exiting certain businesses, such as the ones being closed, to focus on its softwood production.
Hudson's Bay Co. reported net earnings of $7.7 million on sales of nearly $1.72 billion. Profits were up from $4.5 million, while sales slipped down from $1.76 billion last year. Sales for Zellers fell 2.8% to $1.07 billion, while same-store sales fell 2.6%. At the Bay, sales fell 0.6% to $625.1 million and same-store sales declined 3.7%.
Newell Rubbermaid has reached an agreement to buy American Saw & Manufacturing, a power tool accessories and hand tool maker which sells under the Lenox brand. Headquartered in East Longmeadow, MA, American Saw had 2001 sales of US$185 million and employs over 800 people worldwide. The US$450 million cash deal is expected to close by year-end.
GUS, a British retailer, has agreed to buy the Homebase Group, a chain of home improvement stores, for US$1.42 billion. Part of the money used to make the acquisition will go to repay Homebase debt. The purchase will give GUS a foothold in the fast-growing U.K. home improvement market at a time when low borrowing costs have spurred consumer spending on houses and home furnishings. GUS's main business is Argos, a catalog retailer, and Homebase will be part of the Argos Retail Group. |
| PEOPLE ON THE MOVE |
| Provan Wylie, president of Castle Building Centres Group, has been nominated for the Lifetime Industry Achievement Award by the Lumber and Building Materials Assoc-iation of Ontario. The LBMAO recognizes a supplier and a retailer in alternating years. This year, Wylie garners the supplier Award for his many years in the industry, including time at Beaver Lumber, Regent Plywoods and Cashway Building Centres. He joined Castle in 1994. The Award will be presented at the LBMAO's Industry Kickoff to CHS on February 1, 2003 at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto. (905-564-3307)
Dave Aubel has been promoted to the position of general manager - Canada at Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. In his new role, he will be responsible for the management and continued growth of Milwaukee's Canadian operation. Aubel has been with the company since 1996 as sales administration manager. Prior to joining Milwaukee, he worked for Chicago Pneumatic Electric Tools Division. He replaces Doug Chislitt. (416-439-4181) |
| MARKET INDICATORS |
| The average rate of rental apartment vacancies in Canada's 28 metropolitan areas rose to 1.7% in October from 1.1% in October 2001, according to the Rental Market Survey released by CMHC. This is the first increase in the vacancy rate since 1992.
Canada's gross domestic product was up 0.8% in the third quarter, fuelled by new housing and exports. However, consumer spending stayed flat and business capital spending slowed. According to Statistics Canada, the economy lost some steam near the end of the quarter, with GDP edging up only 0.1% in September.
Canadians will spend more than $1 billion shopping online this holiday season, says a new report by Ipsos-Reid. According to the report, about 23% of Internet users intend to buy a gift online this season, up from 21% last year.
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****HARDLINES MARKETPLACE****
Check out Hardlines Classifieds on the web:
https://hardlines.ca/html/classifieds_new.asp
HELP WANTED
Goodfellow Inc. is growing again! Two new positions are being created in the building materials/flooring division.
INSIDE SALES
This position entails telemarketing and customer service from the Campbellville location. The successful candidate must have a minimum of 1 year of sales experience in the hardwood flooring and/or building materials industry. He or she must possess good organizational & detail skills and excel in relationship building.
OUTSIDE SALES
This position entails territory management in the central Ontario region. It is an outside sales and marketing position with the primary focuses on hardwood flooring and building materials. The successful candidate must have a minimum of 2 years outside sales experience and possess strong presentation and time management skills.
Send resumé via email only to:mlohmus@goodfellowinc.com . Please note that no telephone calls will be accepted regarding these postings.
***********************************************************************************
KEY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Our continued growth in the United States has opened up an opportunity for an energetic and self-motivated individual to join our sales team. We are looking for a Key Account Executive to help grow our business within our Tier 2 accounts in the USA and to assist in developing our secondary markets.
Necessary qualifications: 3-5 years account management experience, highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, good analytical skills and experience with Mass Merchandise retailers is preferred. This is an intermediate position and the successful candidate will be working out of our world-wide headquarters in Woodbridge, Ontario.
Please submit a resumé by email or fax stating qualifications and income expectations to: Camillo Caperchione, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Better Living Products, Telephone: 905-264-7100 Fax: 905-264-3690 Email: camillo@dispenser.com
***********************************************************************************
TERRITORY SALES REPRESENTATIVE, CALGARY
As a leader in Specialty Flooring, Torlys Inc. (www.torlys.com) is actively seeking a dynamic Territory Sales Associate to be based out of Calgary and cover from the US Border north to and including Red Deer.
*Minimum 3-5 years sales experience required; *Should have experience in Floor Coverings either retail, wholesale or similar home renovation products; *Ability to work independently and be accountable for performance; *Excellent Communication and Computer Skills; *Develop products knowledge within customer base.
Please reply in total confidence to Mary Kerr, Organizational Development Manager, Torlys Inc., 905-696-2374 or by e-mail at HR@torlys.com.
***********************************************************************************
TERRITORY SALES REPRESENTATIVE, EDMONTON
As a leader is Speciality Flooring, Torlys Inc. (www.torlys.com) is actively seeking a dynamic Territory Sales Associate to be based out of Edmonton and cover from Red Deer north.
**Minimum 3-5 years sales experience required; *Should have experience in Floor Coverings either retail, wholesale or similar home renovation products; *Ability to work independently and be accountable for performance; *Excellent Communication and Computer Skills; *Develop products knowledge within customer base.
Please reply in total confidence to Mary Kerr, Organizational Development Manager, Torlys Inc., 905-696-2374 or by e-mail at mary@torlys.com.
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vol. viii, #46 December 2, 2002