June 1, 2015 Volume xxi, #22

“I don’t like money actually, but it quiets my nerves.” —Joe Louis (American heavyweight boxing champion, 1914-1981)

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Stricter best practices a focus for Home Hardware CEO

ST. JACOBS, Ont. — They may look the same from the outside, but the operations of each Home Hardware dealer across the country are not necessarily as homogeneous as Terry Davis would like.

Just one year into the job as CEO of Home Hardware Stores Ltd., Davis stresses that one of his priorities is to raise the bar for all his stores. “Our corporate strategy is to get all of our stores up to a level that all Canadian customers expect our brand to stand for,” he told HARDLINES in an exclusive interview.

Some of those practices include e-commerce, which all dealers are expected to participate in. “Once, dealers could pick and choose. Not anymore. There are a lot more mandatory business practices—and it’s my job to enforce these.”

Davis admits that not all dealers are onside with the stricter policies. With them, he says, it comes down to a frank and open conversation about their future—whether it’s with Home Hardware or elsewhere. He says if there’s not a fit, and the dealer is not ready to adapt, they are invited to leave the group. “I’d rather see you succeed as a competitor than fail as a Home Hardware dealer,” he tells them.

The desertion rate has been low—only 20 in total have left under these circumstances. Of those 20, Davis adds, three have been purchased by other Home Hardware dealers and are now back in the fold.

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Hardware dealer turns to crowd-funding

SEELEY’S BAY, Ont. — When Doug and Julie Wade became restless with the Toronto rat race, they chose the village of Seeley’s Bay, northeast of Kingston, for a change of setting. Pouring their savings and the severance payments from their city careers into the local Main Street Hardware store, they regained a customer base that had largely moved on under the previous owners. But the turnaround has eaten away at their savings and the couple now find themselves owing back payments in rent and taxes.

Now the Wades are turning to social media to help meet costs, and have raised almost all of the $10,000 they initially requested on GoFundMe—about half of what they need to keep the store going all told.

In the ’80s, Wade explains, the store was an award-winning independent hardware retailer. Then a new owner tried to reformat the store to “more of a flea market,” neglecting core inventory. Customers began voting with their feet and driving to the big boxes in larger towns like Gananoque, the site of Home Hardware’s largest dealership.

Since the Wades have returned to the store’s original format, many of those customers have returned. When the family began crowd-funding to get through this year, the response was overwhelming.

“The store’s got a great legacy and a great history, and we’re trying hard to restore it to its former glory,” he says, adding that the community response has been “nothing short of motivating and inspiring.”

(Full story on Main Street Hardware in the next edition of our print magazine, Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly. Check out HHIQ here!)

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Canadian Tire CEO: a return to specialization


TORONTO — Canadian Tire did not roll over when Walmart came to Canada. But it may have stumbled a little. According to Canadian Tire President and CEO Michael Medline, the arrival of Walmart in 1994 was a wake-up call for the venerable Canadian retailer, which began repositioning itself to carry broader assortments. At one point, Canadian Tire even tried adding convenience food and grocery to some of its stores.

Long-term, however, these moves were not adequate to support the company’s growth. “We became more of a general merchant. We took our eye off the ball on certain heritage categories, like automotive and like sports,” says Medline.

In recent years, the company has moved away from a general store approach to “more of a collection of specialty stores,” Medline explains. “If you have the mindset to be a general store to compete against Walmart, you will get beaten by the specialty stores.”

Canadian Tire’s response in recent years has been to grow its own specialties, starting with automotive six years ago, which Medline admits was most in need of resuscitating. Medline ran the automotive division before taking the top job at Canadian Tire.

The latest area of focus for the company is the “Playing” business, which includes fitness and sporting goods. The company is also investing in re-invigorating its “Fixing” business, which covers tools, hardware, and paint.

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Home Hardware hosts Ontario’s Lieutenant-Governor

ST. JACOBS, Ont. — Home Hardware hosted the Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Ontario’s Lieutenant-Governor, at its St. Jacobs office and distribution centre last week, as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Canadian flag. Her Honour (l) was joined here by Joan O’Malley, who sewed the first Canadian flag; Paul Straus, president of Home Hardware; and Mayor Sandy Shantz of Woolwich Township.

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CLASSIFIED ADS

Castle Building Centres Group Limited

Business Development Manager – Western Canada

Castle Building Centres Group is an industry leader among Buying Groups in the Lumber and Building Materials segment in Canada.

You are a highly motivated individual with strong relationship and communication skills that can manage and develop our future growth in Western Canada. This position requires an individual who is familiar with the Western Lumber and Building Supply industry, willing to travel extensively and accustomed to working remote from head office.

Reporting to the President, you welcome the opportunity to work with a dynamic group of independent LBM dealers while planning and executing our future growth initiatives. Providing continual communication to our Western Members while understanding their needs is fundamental to your success. Sound computer and presentation skills combined with good administrative qualities are imperative.

Castle Building Centres Group offers a comprehensive compensation package including full benefits.

All submissions will be treated with complete confidentiality. Please forward your resume in confidence to:

Yvonne Patton
Castle Building Centres Group Ltd.
100 Milverton Drive, Suite 400
Mississauga, Ontario
L5R 4H1
E-mail: ypatton@castle.ca

Dynamic Leader To Head BH Paints Jamaica
B-H Paints is a subsidiary of Harris Paints International Limited and one of the leading manufacturers and retailers of paint in Jamaica. The business has been operating for over 50 years in Jamaica and a great opportunity has emerged for a business leader to head the company. Harris Paints International Limited is a regional group of companies which distributes and retails paint, accessories and performance coatings in 17 countries across the region, with manufacturing and retailers operations in Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica and St. Lucia. Web site: http://championsofcolour.com/
Wolf Gugler Executive Search has been retained to conduct this search on Harris Paints’ behalf.
The head of this business unit will be responsible for the general management of all resources of the company in Jamaica. A key focus will be the ability to engage at diverse levels with the objectives of implementing decisions and the general progression of the business with profit optimisation and continuous improvement of shareholder value.
This position will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of Harris Paints International Limited. The position will be based in Jamaica.
Duties will also relate to the following:
Commercial and Retail Sales and Marketing
Human Resource Management
Financial Management and Corporate Governance
Strategic Management
Production and Operations Management
Skills and behavioural attributes for the position:
Track record in planning and directing commercial and retail operations
Human Resource and Sales Management in developing and coaching teams to high performance
Excellent initiative and judgement, underpinned by strong values
Experience in strategic planning and execution
Ability to build strong business alliances through networking
Highly computer literate with Microsoft Office

Qualifications required:

• Management degree or related area together with five years of corporate leadership experience
• Strong verifiable record of driving sales leading to growth and profit optimization.
• Experience in the Paint and Manufacturing Industry would be an asset.

A comprehensive package including salary, bonus and relocation assistance will be provided. Looking to repatriate to the Caribbean? This is your opportunity!
Interested and qualified candidates can contact Wolf Gugler in strict confidence. You can apply direct at www.wolfgugler.com/opportunities or call Wolf at 888-848-3006. All responses will be acknowledged.
Wolf Gugler Executive Search & Outplacement, www.wolfgugler.com

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