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January 16, 2017 Volume
xxiii, #3
“Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction.”
—Francis Picabia (French painter, designer, and writer, 1879-1953)
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Castle adds dealers throughout holiday season
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Castle Building Centres Group continues to grow its ranks, as its mandate to leave member-dealers to operate under their own banners in their own markets resonates for independents.
The latest store to join is also a new member for Quebec. Quincaillerie Touraine is a family-owned operation with two stores in the Ottawa region. The first was established in Gatineau 45 years ago; the second store, in Cantley, was installed in 2005.
Both stores, which sell a full complement of LBM and hardware, will hold grand re-opening celebrations this spring.
This latest recruitment follows the signing of two other dealers late last year. Parliament Building Supplies, a fixture in downtown Toronto’s Portlands area for more than a century, switched to Castle under a new owner, Fastway Group. Fastway is a division of Mill Street and Co., an investment group that purchased Thorold Lumber in December. Thorold Lumber was already a Castle member.
In the Maritimes, E & J Millworks in Yarmouth, N.S., which specializes in custom millwork design, also signed with Castle. That business has been a part of its community for 40 years.
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Commercial market can be competitive—but profitable—for traditional dealers
SPECIAL REPORT — Home improvement dealers have been increasingly eyeing commercial projects as demand for rental apartments and offices booms. “I know a lot of my competitors pooh-pooh this side of the business and say it’s too difficult,” says Andrew Payzant, owner of Payzant Home Hardware Building Centre in Halifax. “But the housing market has changed, and if you don’t sell into multi-family, you’re walking away from a lot of business.”
But commercial sales aren’t for everyone. “It’s definitely a different business,” observes Joe George, owner and general manager of Patene Building Supplies, which has 15 locations in Ontario and Manitoba.
It’s axiomatic that succeeding at commercial sales requires a certain volume level to compensate for lower margins. Fraser’s Pro Home Centre is a TIMBERT MART dealer with five locations in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. Its rural markets total only around 90,000 residents, so opportunities to supply commercial projects are limited, says GM Paul Parsons.
And competition for commercial jobs can be stiff. “Everybody thinks they can do this, but you have to sell a lot of apples to make money,” says Paul Singer, who owns Morinville Castle Building Centre in Morinville, Alta.
Singer, and a number of other dealers HARDLINES spoke with, offered advice that other dealers interested in this arena might heed. If dealers are up for building the relationships, investing in the right storage and stock, and taking a risk on credit to cater to commercial contractors, the return on this “different business” can be quite profitable.
(This article is excerpted from the latest issue of our sister publication, Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly magazine, which mailed earlier this month to more than 11,000 dealers across Canada. For you own copy, click here! ―Editor)
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Cologne International Hardware Fair 2018 to extend hours, reach in 2018
COLOGNE, Germany — In 2018, Eisenwarenmesse–the International Hardware Fair will be held in Cologne from March 4 to 7, returning to a four-day format.
The show, which is run every two years, attracted some 44,000 trade visitors to Cologne in 2016. That year, the show shrank to three days. However, the reduced schedule led to an increased concentration of the business activities of the trade fair participants, encouraging organizers to return to four days.
“The very good result of the 2016 event is the reason for us changing the duration of the trade fair again,” said Katharina C. Hamma, COO of Koelnmesse GmbH, which owns the International Hardware Fair. “The high level of the flow of visitors is a positive sign for us, because it proves that Eisenwarenmesse-International Hardware Fair is considered to be a must-attend event.”
The last edition of the show managed to draw delegates from 124 countries, who came to see 2,670 exhibitors spread over almost 1.5 million square feet of exhibition space. The show grounds sit alongside the Rhine, and across the river from the historic city of Cologne.
(Editor’s Note: We consider this show to be one of the most important in the world, and one at which Canada is severely under-represented. In addition, Hardlines hosts its Canada Night International Reception there. This incredible networking event brings together Canadians with buyers and vendors from around the world over a glass of German beer. We strongly encourage more Canadian buyers and vendors to attend this truly international show in 2018. Click here now for more information and to register.)
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Marketing yourself to the Millennial shopper
SPECIAL REPORT — The Millennial demographic currently ranges in age from their late teens to late 30s. As they now find themselves in different stages of life—some are students, new parents, or homeowners, while others may be some combination of the three—their needs from home improvement retailers or brands vary widely.
A survey by the Student Life Network & Parent Life Network in partnership with HARDLINES uncovered some common findings that indicate trends to watch from Canada’s Millennial shoppers. Delegates got a sneak peak of these statistics at the 21st Annual Hardlines Conference held in Niagara Falls, Ont., last fall.
This generation stands to make a significant mark on the home improvement market this year. More than six million Canadian Millennials plan to spend $20 billion on home improvements in 2017. The top five areas in which they plan to undertake home improvement projects over the coming year are:
- Outdoors (51%)
- Bedroom (49%)
- Bathroom (41%)
- Living room (39%)
- Kitchen (37%)
So how can your store cater to these shoppers? The results suggest a few opportunities to win over their business:
- Gain their respect. Show them you know how to do their home improvement project, but that you respect their choice to try to do it themselves.
- Share with them. Connect with them regularly to ensure you’re always top of mind when they’re ready for their next DIY project.
- Encourage their purchase. Provide them with special opportunities to buy what they want most at a price they can’t find anywhere else.
(Homeowners Canada was commissioned by HARDLINES to conduct a research study of Millennials to uncover their home improvement shopping habits and preferences. Homeowners Canada conducted an online survey in the fall of 2016 with more than 3,000 Canadian Millennials aged 20 to 35. For more information on the survey and its results, contact Sean Copeland at sean@squarecrop.com.)
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Frédéric Guay has been named executive vice president at RCR International inc. He joined the company in 2015 as senior vice president of sales. (f.guay@rcrint.com; 450-670-8100)
Brad West has joined Calgary-based Westech Building Products, a division of the Westlake Chemical Corporation, as general manager. He will be based in Ontario. Westech is a manufacturer of PVC extruded profiles for the window and door industry and for the building materials industry. West was previously eastern corporate sales manager at Jeld-Wen. (bwest@westlake.com; 905-376-3630)
Enerkem, which produces waste-to-biofuel and renewable chemicals, has chosen Dominique Boies as executive VP and CFO, the same positions he previously held at RONA. Prior to his time at RONA, Boies held senior executive positions at RBC Royal Bank and at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. He will be based at the firm’s Montreal headquarters.
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CLASSIFIED ADS
GENERAL MANAGER - RETAIL BUILDING SUPPLIES
Are you a store manager in a big box retailer? Maybe it is time to move away from the corporate life in a big city? A challenging career at the top of a family environment, may offer the quality of life for your next career move. Stan Dawe Limited, an 80-year-old, five location retail building supply business in western Newfoundland is seeking a General Manager.
The General Manager is the most senior position in our company reporting only to the shareholders. This position is reported to by five store managers, one purchasing manager and the accountant/office manager. Regular briefings with the two key shareholders, provide a history of past performance and establish objectives for the future. The General Manager is responsible to develop and implement a plan to meet these strategic goals.
Daily duties include discussions and problem solving with store managers, cash management, purchasing of commodity inventory, working with the purchasing manager on regular and promotional pricing, coordinating distribution to the branch stores with pickup of incoming freight, assisting with pricing of larger customer quotations, maintaining relationships with key customers, reviewing accounts receivable, approving payables invoices, coordinating with store managers for staff levels and wages. This position also establishes standards for exceptional customer service and employee safety.
General responsibilities include seeking new opportunities for growth in sales and/or profits with new products and/or markets, investigating cost reduction strategies and improving the company’s internet prospects.
The General Manager must have a post-secondary business education, a minimum 10 years’ management experience in retail operations in a related field, excellent time management skills, confident decision making ability and effective communication skills for dealing with staff and customer conflict resolution.
To send your resume or request more information, contact:
Tony Dawe
Stan Dawe Limited
191 Riverside Drive
Corner Brook, NL A2H 4A1
tony@standaweltd.com
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Good news from Storesupport Canada! We're hiring! We're looking for a driven sales professional to fill an open Business Development Manager - Hardware position at our office in Mississauga. If you're a self-starter who is passionate about sales we'd love to hear from you. Please visit http://storesupport.ca/jobs-view/business-development-manager-hardware/ to see the full job posting.”
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