HARDLINES
Canada's electronic information service for home improvement
industry
November 19, 2001
Volume vii, #49
Michael McLarney, Editor & Publisher
Phone: 416.489.3396
Fax: 416.489.6154
email: mike@hardlines.ca
hardlines.ca
* * * * * *
IN THIS ISSUE:
* Hardware sales climb at latest BMR show
* Newest Building Box nears stays true to big box format
* Sodisco Howden reorganizes buying team into Montreal
* French home décor retailer opens first Canadian store
* New housing prices edge up in September
* * * * * *
HARDLINES TO SPEAK AT NEXT MEETING OF
THE WOMEN'S CONSUMER PRODUCTS NETWORK -
DON'T MISS THIS EVENT!!!
Beverly Allen, Marketing Manager of Hardlines, will present
an overview of the retail hardware and home improvement
industry, including the size of the market, retail trends
and emerging product categories. Find out the latest on
what's going on behind the scenes with the key players in
retail hardware/home improvement.
WCPN Breakfast Meeting - 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Tuesday,
December 4th, 2001. Loblaws at Heartland Town Centre, the
corner of McLaughlin Road and Britannia Road in Mississauga,
ON. Members only: $10.00
* * * * * *
DEALERS SHOP MORE HARDWARE,
LAWN AND GARDEN AT LATEST BMR SHOW
The success of the latest dealer show by Groupe BMR Inc. is
reflective of the growing move by building centre dealers
across the country to increase their hardware assortments.
The show, which played host in Québec City on November 15
and 16 to the 106-store wholesale buying group's members,
managed to generate $10 million in sales - a significant
part of that coming from hardware vendors.
"We're seeing more and more of a mix of hardware with
building supplies," says Alain John Pinard, director of
marketing for Groupe BMR. "Customers today realize you need
a compliment between the two. They are looking for one-stop
shopping."
Mark Gagliardi, of J.L. Gagliardi & Associates in Pointe
Claire, an exhibitor who reps a number of hardlines, agrees.
He found great interest for his products. While many
building materials vendors might be taking reorders,
Gagliardi and other hardlines vendors found lots of new
business from dealers who had yet to carry their types of
products.
In light of the growth of hardware, coupled with the
increase in its dealer ranks (BMR added 13 new members this
year), the group is considering plans to devote more space
in its warehouse to hardware.
Further evidence of BMR's moves to soften its product
selection was a large exhibit in the middle of the show
floor devoted to the group's décor program, Boutique
Inspiration. The department features décor and accessories
that range from decorative mouldings to window coverings.
Now in its third year, Boutique Inspiration is carried by
more than 40 dealers, half a dozen of them featuring the
complete program - a virtual store within a store. The
decorative niche is supported by its own semi-annual flyer.
Dealers are also getting more involved in seasonal,
particularly lawn and garden. Harnois Industries, a supplier
of garden supplies, featured a large greenhouse filled with
products.
______________________________________________
LATEST BUILDING BOX REFLECTS FOCUS ON TRADITIONAL
WAREHOUSE RETAILING - WITH FLOURISHES
The latest opening by Réno-Dépôt is one of three scheduled
for this month - and indicates the company's renewed
commitment to the big box fray in Southern Ontario.
The newest Building Box, in Mississauga, ON, about one
half-hour west of Toronto, is a typical 130,000 sq.ft.
outlet with another 30,000 sq.ft. devoted to lawn and
garden. The store, the fourth for the chain, will be
followed on November 24 by another in London, ON. A
Réno-Dépôt location in Sherbrooke, in Québec's Eastern
Townships, is scheduled to open on November 28.
The Mississauga opening, on November 14, featured a cameo
appearance by Sylvain Toutant, the new president and CEO of
Réno-Dépôt. A brief tour of the store with Toutant and his
Ontario merchandising manager, James Jones, revealed little
variation from the Réno-Dépôt mould, which emphasizes huge
selection with 50,000-plus SKUs. In fact, says Toutant, the
company's faithfulness to a traditional big box format will
set it apart from other large surface retailers as they go
further afield to reinvent themselves. "We want to stay pure
to our warehouse strategy."
Reinvention for Réno-Dépôt may mean adherence to traditional
type, but with forays into new categories, such as storage.
The retailer will also leverage its powerful family
connections. Parent company Castorama Group is committed to
continue its Ontario expansion; the opening of a store in
Windsor next Spring will mark the halfway point in its
planned $350 million investment in that province over the
next two years. Focus will be on the Greater Toronto Area,
says Toutant.
Expect two or three more stores to be announced within the
GTA in 2002. "After 18 months, we'll have six stores here,"
he says. Another three will be announced in Québec next year
as well, including a third store in Québec City. "Last year
was tough for us, as the first stores opened late," he says
of the three openings in November 2000 that kicked off
Building Box in Ontario. "But 2001 is on track." He expects
Réno-Dépôt to have at least 20 big boxes by the end of 2002.
He adds that continued growth will be "organic," with
ground-up stores, rather than acquisitions. Although it's
not as fast, he notes, it enables the company to manage that
growth better. "Retail is all about people. It's not about
buildings. That's one of the reasons we're very, very
strong."
______________________________________________
LBMAO ANNOUNCES STAND ON
SOFTWOOD LUMBER DISPUTE
The Government and Environmental Issues Advisory Committee
of the Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario
has issued an official policy paper on the bizarre tariff
policies of the U.S. Commerce Department regarding softwood
lumber exports.
According to Steve Johns, LBMAO president, the dealer
association opposes any kind of countervailing or quota
system, saying "it's discriminatory in both spirit and
intent of a free market environment. And frankly, we're
concerned that it's going to affect domestic retailers and
their ability to access products."
The U.S. response to the issue fuels an already volatile
market, Johns adds. The resulting price uncertainty affects
the ability of dealers to quote jobs effectively and to cost
out their lumber purchasing.
______________________________________________
COMPANIES IN THE NEWS
Fly Furniture and Decoration, a home décor chain based in
France, has opened its first North American store in Laval,
QC. The 75,000-sq.ft. outlet will offer furniture,
accessories and decorative items with a European twist,
identical to the 150 Fly stores in France, Switzerland and
Spain.
Weyerhaeuser has announced it will close three mills,
including the White Pine sawmill and particleboard plant in
Vancouver, resulting in the layoffs of some 600 people. The
company will also close the sawmill, wood-fibre cement and
glulam beam facilities in Durango, Mexico. The associated
particleboard facility will continue operating. The move was
attributed to a weaker market due to duties arising from the
U.S. ruling on Canadian softwood exports.
Canadian Tire has opened a 90,000-sq.ft. store and gas bar
in Vaughan, ON. The store, touted as being the equivalent of
seven Olympic-sized swimming pools, will be run by associate
dealer Jack Velanoff. The company has also announced the
purchase of a four-acre site in the Garibaldi Village
development in Squamish, BC.
Bowater Inc. has announced that it will close four sawmills
in Québec due to soft lumber market conditions and tariffs
resulting from the Canada/U.S. lumber dispute. The Dégelis,
Lac-des-Aigles, Baie-Trinité and Girardville mills will
close indefinitely by November 30, and operating shifts at
the St-Felicién and Price mills will be reduced. The mills
to be closed employ 215 people and produce 160 million board
feet each year.
Williams-Sonoma Inc. has reported a 70% jump in
third-quarter earnings due to lower costs and higher sales.
The company reported sales of US$462.1 million, up 8.8% from
US$424.6 million a year ago. The addition of 42 new stores,
up from 370 a year ago, contributed significantly to these
increases. Net income for the third quarter rose to US$3.9
million from US$2.3 million.
_____________________________________________
CANADIAN STOCK WATCH
| COMPANY |
52-WK HIGH |
52-WK LOW |
CLOSE (FRI) |
| Canadian Tire |
25.20 |
15.05 |
25.50 |
| Canfor |
16.95 |
7.65 |
9.49 |
| Emco |
7.50 |
2.60 |
5.85 |
| Goodfellow |
11.00 |
8.00 |
8.50 |
| Home Depot |
49.74 |
47.61 |
45.80 |
| Hudson's Bay |
17.65 |
12.40 |
14.26 |
| Lowe's |
64.90 |
34.25 |
40.35 |
| Sears Canada |
37.25 |
18.55 |
18.40 |
| Sodisco Howden |
2.80 |
0.75 |
1.19 |
| Taiga Forest |
10.00 |
6.80 |
9.10 |
| West Fraser |
36.50 |
21.00 |
35.50 |
______________________________________________
"Lately it occurs to me, what a long, strange trip it's
been."
- (line from that Grateful Dead song, "Trucking")
______________________________________________
MARKET INDICATORS
The New Housing Price Index rose 0.2% in September from
August, says Stats Canada. On an annual basis, the index
increased 2.9%, posting rises in 14 of the 21 urban centres
surveyed. The largest advance was in Hamilton, where the
index was up 0.6% from August. Notable advances were also
seen in Sudbury-Thunder Bay (+0.4%), Calgary (+0.4%) and
Vancouver (+0.4%).
Statistics Canada has reported that the composite price
index for non-residential building construction was 125.1 in
the third quarter, up 0.2% from the second quarter and up
2.5% from the third quarter of 2000. Compared with the third
quarter of 2000, Toronto saw the strongest advance (+3.4%).
Calgary and Edmonton gained 2.9%, followed by Ottawa
(+2.8%), Vancouver (+1.2%), Montréal (+0.8%) and Halifax
(+0.5%). The index for Edmonton rose 0.4% from the second
quarter, followed by Halifax and Calgary (both at +0.3%),
Toronto (+0.2%), Ottawa and Vancouver (+0.1%). Montréal
registered no change.
The U.S. Commerce Department has reported a 7.1% zoom in
retail sales to US$306.83 billion seasonally adjusted last
month, the strongest sales surge for any month on record.
Sales had previously decreased by 2.2% in September. The
overall October retail sales increase was nearly triple the
modest 2.7% rise that Wall Street had forecast.
______________________________________________
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
The consolidation of operations at Sodisco-Howden Group has
resulted in a reorganization of the buying team, now located
at SHG's new Montréal head offices: Luc Lemond has been
appointed vice-president merchandising, with six category
managers and one analyst reporting to him ... Mario Cloutier
is vice-president sales with four regional sales managers
under him ... Serge Imbault is vice-president operations in
charge of all warehouses ... Robert Harrit is executive
vice-president and CFO ... Sylvain Pelletier is
vice-president, human resources. A new vice-president of
marketing has yet to be named. (514-286-8986)
Groupe BMR Inc. has made the following appointments over
recent months: Patrick Robert has joined as director of
operations. He will be in charge of logistics and warehouse
operations for the Montréal and Québec areas, along with
involvement in development and expansion programs ...
Christian Nadeau has been appointed director of hardware. He
was formerly director of purchasing at Canac Marquis
Grenier, a major independent based in Beauport, QC ... Alain
John Pinard has been appointed director of marketing. He
brings a strong background in retail and marketing from his
previous positions, which include most recently Ivanhoe
Shopping Centres. (450-463-2441)
* * * * * *
INDUSTRY NEWS. EVERY DAY -
OUR WEBSITE HAS DAILY UPDATES ON RETAIL AND INDUSTRY NEWS
THAT MATTER TO YOU. KEEP INFORMED. VISIT hardlines.ca -
EVERY DAY!
* * * * * *
OVERHEARD ...
"It's not just a 'French' takeover. I'm really impressed
with these people."
- Jos Wintermans, president and CEO of Sodisco-Howden Group,
explaining the new executive lineup at SHG's head office. He
was speaking in Toronto at a recent breakfast meeting of the
Canadian Hardware and Housewares Manufacturers Association.
______________________________________________
* * * * HARDLINES MARKETPLACE* * * *
Check out Hardlines Classifieds on the web:
https://hardlines.ca/html/classifieds_new.asp
______________________________________________
NORAL INSTORE:
BOOST your retail profile with instore sales support
for your products and merchandising
Visit http://www.noralmarketing.com
or call 519-439-6800 ext. 201
* * * * * *
THE HARDLINES MARKETPLACE: just $16 per line.
A classified ad with Hardlines is the most direct way to
industry eyes.
Over 3,000 executives in the industry come in contact with
our email and fax publications ...
... and have you seen our Marketplace in our new website?
https://hardlines.ca/html/classifieds_new.asp
Publish your ad where it matters. Get industry exposure
today.
Contact us at 416-489-3396 or email: buzz@hardlines.ca
______________________________________________
Hardlines is published weekly (except monthly in December
and August)
by McLARNEYCOM
542 Mount Pleasant Rd., Suite 302, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M4S 2M7
(c) 2001 by Michael McLarney.
HARDLINES(tm) the electronic newsletter hardlines.ca
Phone: 416.489.3396; Fax: 416.489.6154
Michael McLarney, Editor & Publisher: mike@hardlines.ca
Eugenia Canas, Assistant Editor: buzz@hardlines.ca
Beverly Allen, Marketing Manager: bev@hardlines.ca
Nancy Wright, Circulation Manager: nancy@hardlines.ca
______________________________________________
THE HARDLINES "FAIR PLAY" POLICY:
Reproduction in whole or in part is very uncool and strictly
forbidden and really and truly against the law. So please,
play fair! Call for information on multiple subscriptions or
a site license for your company. We do want as many people
as possible to read Hardlines each week - but let us handle
your internal routing from this end!
______________________________________________
Subscription: $199+$13.93 GST = $212.93 per year (GST #13987
0398 RT). Secondary subscriptions at the same office are
only $28 + $1.96 GST = $29.98. You can pay online by VISA at
our secure website or send us money. Please make cheque
payable to McLarneyCom.
HARDLINES
Canada's electronic information service for home improvement
industry
November 19, 2001
Volume vii, #49
Michael McLarney, Editor & Publisher
Phone: 416.489.3396
Fax: 416.489.6154
email: mike@hardlines.ca
hardlines.ca
* * * * * *
IN THIS ISSUE:
* Hardware sales climb at latest BMR show
* Newest Building Box nears stays true to big box format
* Sodisco Howden reorganizes buying team into Montreal
* French home décor retailer opens first Canadian store
* New housing prices edge up in September
* * * * * *
HARDLINES TO SPEAK AT NEXT MEETING OF
THE WOMEN'S CONSUMER PRODUCTS NETWORK -
DON'T MISS THIS EVENT!!!
Beverly Allen, Marketing Manager of Hardlines, will present
an overview of the retail hardware and home improvement
industry, including the size of the market, retail trends
and emerging product categories. Find out the latest on
what's going on behind the scenes with the key players in
retail hardware/home improvement.
WCPN Breakfast Meeting - 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Tuesday,
December 4th, 2001. Loblaws at Heartland Town Centre, the
corner of McLaughlin Road and Britannia Road in Mississauga,
ON. Members only: $10.00
* * * * * *
DEALERS SHOP MORE HARDWARE,
LAWN AND GARDEN AT LATEST BMR SHOW
The success of the latest dealer show by Groupe BMR Inc. is
reflective of the growing move by building centre dealers
across the country to increase their hardware assortments.
The show, which played host in Québec City on November 15
and 16 to the 106-store wholesale buying group's members,
managed to generate $10 million in sales - a significant
part of that coming from hardware vendors.
"We're seeing more and more of a mix of hardware with
building supplies," says Alain John Pinard, director of
marketing for Groupe BMR. "Customers today realize you need
a compliment between the two. They are looking for one-stop
shopping."
Mark Gagliardi, of J.L. Gagliardi & Associates in Pointe
Claire, an exhibitor who reps a number of hardlines, agrees.
He found great interest for his products. While many
building materials vendors might be taking reorders,
Gagliardi and other hardlines vendors found lots of new
business from dealers who had yet to carry their types of
products.
In light of the growth of hardware, coupled with the
increase in its dealer ranks (BMR added 13 new members this
year), the group is considering plans to devote more space
in its warehouse to hardware.
Further evidence of BMR's moves to soften its product
selection was a large exhibit in the middle of the show
floor devoted to the group's décor program, Boutique
Inspiration. The department features décor and accessories
that range from decorative mouldings to window coverings.
Now in its third year, Boutique Inspiration is carried by
more than 40 dealers, half a dozen of them featuring the
complete program - a virtual store within a store. The
decorative niche is supported by its own semi-annual flyer.
Dealers are also getting more involved in seasonal,
particularly lawn and garden. Harnois Industries, a supplier
of garden supplies, featured a large greenhouse filled with
products.
______________________________________________
LATEST BUILDING BOX REFLECTS FOCUS ON TRADITIONAL
WAREHOUSE RETAILING - WITH FLOURISHES
The latest opening by Réno-Dépôt is one of three scheduled
for this month - and indicates the company's renewed
commitment to the big box fray in Southern Ontario.
The newest Building Box, in Mississauga, ON, about one
half-hour west of Toronto, is a typical 130,000 sq.ft.
outlet with another 30,000 sq.ft. devoted to lawn and
garden. The store, the fourth for the chain, will be
followed on November 24 by another in London, ON. A
Réno-Dépôt location in Sherbrooke, in Québec's Eastern
Townships, is scheduled to open on November 28.
The Mississauga opening, on November 14, featured a cameo
appearance by Sylvain Toutant, the new president and CEO of
Réno-Dépôt. A brief tour of the store with Toutant and his
Ontario merchandising manager, James Jones, revealed little
variation from the Réno-Dépôt mould, which emphasizes huge
selection with 50,000-plus SKUs. In fact, says Toutant, the
company's faithfulness to a traditional big box format will
set it apart from other large surface retailers as they go
further afield to reinvent themselves. "We want to stay pure
to our warehouse strategy."
Reinvention for Réno-Dépôt may mean adherence to traditional
type, but with forays into new categories, such as storage.
The retailer will also leverage its powerful family
connections. Parent company Castorama Group is committed to
continue its Ontario expansion; the opening of a store in
Windsor next Spring will mark the halfway point in its
planned $350 million investment in that province over the
next two years. Focus will be on the Greater Toronto Area,
says Toutant.
Expect two or three more stores to be announced within the
GTA in 2002. "After 18 months, we'll have six stores here,"
he says. Another three will be announced in Québec next year
as well, including a third store in Québec City. "Last year
was tough for us, as the first stores opened late," he says
of the three openings in November 2000 that kicked off
Building Box in Ontario. "But 2001 is on track." He expects
Réno-Dépôt to have at least 20 big boxes by the end of 2002.
He adds that continued growth will be "organic," with
ground-up stores, rather than acquisitions. Although it's
not as fast, he notes, it enables the company to manage that
growth better. "Retail is all about people. It's not about
buildings. That's one of the reasons we're very, very
strong."
______________________________________________
LBMAO ANNOUNCES STAND ON
SOFTWOOD LUMBER DISPUTE
The Government and Environmental Issues Advisory Committee
of the Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario
has issued an official policy paper on the bizarre tariff
policies of the U.S. Commerce Department regarding softwood
lumber exports.
According to Steve Johns, LBMAO president, the dealer
association opposes any kind of countervailing or quota
system, saying "it's discriminatory in both spirit and
intent of a free market environment. And frankly, we're
concerned that it's going to affect domestic retailers and
their ability to access products."
The U.S. response to the issue fuels an already volatile
market, Johns adds. The resulting price uncertainty affects
the ability of dealers to quote jobs effectively and to cost
out their lumber purchasing.
______________________________________________
COMPANIES IN THE NEWS
Fly Furniture and Decoration, a home décor chain based in
France, has opened its first North American store in Laval,
QC. The 75,000-sq.ft. outlet will offer furniture,
accessories and decorative items with a European twist,
identical to the 150 Fly stores in France, Switzerland and
Spain.
Weyerhaeuser has announced it will close three mills,
including the White Pine sawmill and particleboard plant in
Vancouver, resulting in the layoffs of some 600 people. The
company will also close the sawmill, wood-fibre cement and
glulam beam facilities in Durango, Mexico. The associated
particleboard facility will continue operating. The move was
attributed to a weaker market due to duties arising from the
U.S. ruling on Canadian softwood exports.
Canadian Tire has opened a 90,000-sq.ft. store and gas bar
in Vaughan, ON. The store, touted as being the equivalent of
seven Olympic-sized swimming pools, will be run by associate
dealer Jack Velanoff. The company has also announced the
purchase of a four-acre site in the Garibaldi Village
development in Squamish, BC.
Bowater Inc. has announced that it will close four sawmills
in Québec due to soft lumber market conditions and tariffs
resulting from the Canada/U.S. lumber dispute. The Dégelis,
Lac-des-Aigles, Baie-Trinité and Girardville mills will
close indefinitely by November 30, and operating shifts at
the St-Felicién and Price mills will be reduced. The mills
to be closed employ 215 people and produce 160 million board
feet each year.
Williams-Sonoma Inc. has reported a 70% jump in
third-quarter earnings due to lower costs and higher sales.
The company reported sales of US$462.1 million, up 8.8% from
US$424.6 million a year ago. The addition of 42 new stores,
up from 370 a year ago, contributed significantly to these
increases. Net income for the third quarter rose to US$3.9
million from US$2.3 million.
_____________________________________________
CANADIAN STOCK WATCH
| COMPANY |
52-WK HIGH |
52-WK LOW |
CLOSE (FRI) |
| Canadian Tire |
25.20 |
15.05 |
25.50 |
| Canfor |
16.95 |
7.65 |
9.49 |
| Emco |
7.50 |
2.60 |
5.85 |
| Goodfellow |
11.00 |
8.00 |
8.50 |
| Home Depot |
49.74 |
47.61 |
45.80 |
| Hudson's Bay |
17.65 |
12.40 |
14.26 |
| Lowe's |
64.90 |
34.25 |
40.35 |
| Sears Canada |
37.25 |
18.55 |
18.40 |
| Sodisco Howden |
2.80 |
0.75 |
1.19 |
| Taiga Forest |
10.00 |
6.80 |
9.10 |
| West Fraser |
36.50 |
21.00 |
35.50 |
______________________________________________
"Lately it occurs to me, what a long, strange trip it's
been."
- (line from that Grateful Dead song, "Trucking")
______________________________________________
MARKET INDICATORS
The New Housing Price Index rose 0.2% in September from
August, says Stats Canada. On an annual basis, the index
increased 2.9%, posting rises in 14 of the 21 urban centres
surveyed. The largest advance was in Hamilton, where the
index was up 0.6% from August. Notable advances were also
seen in Sudbury-Thunder Bay (+0.4%), Calgary (+0.4%) and
Vancouver (+0.4%).
Statistics Canada has reported that the composite price
index for non-residential building construction was 125.1 in
the third quarter, up 0.2% from the second quarter and up
2.5% from the third quarter of 2000. Compared with the third
quarter of 2000, Toronto saw the strongest advance (+3.4%).
Calgary and Edmonton gained 2.9%, followed by Ottawa
(+2.8%), Vancouver (+1.2%), Montréal (+0.8%) and Halifax
(+0.5%). The index for Edmonton rose 0.4% from the second
quarter, followed by Halifax and Calgary (both at +0.3%),
Toronto (+0.2%), Ottawa and Vancouver (+0.1%). Montréal
registered no change.
The U.S. Commerce Department has reported a 7.1% zoom in
retail sales to US$306.83 billion seasonally adjusted last
month, the strongest sales surge for any month on record.
Sales had previously decreased by 2.2% in September. The
overall October retail sales increase was nearly triple the
modest 2.7% rise that Wall Street had forecast.
______________________________________________
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
The consolidation of operations at Sodisco-Howden Group has
resulted in a reorganization of the buying team, now located
at SHG's new Montréal head offices: Luc Lemond has been
appointed vice-president merchandising, with six category
managers and one analyst reporting to him ... Mario Cloutier
is vice-president sales with four regional sales managers
under him ... Serge Imbault is vice-president operations in
charge of all warehouses ... Robert Harrit is executive
vice-president and CFO ... Sylvain Pelletier is
vice-president, human resources. A new vice-president of
marketing has yet to be named. (514-286-8986)
Groupe BMR Inc. has made the following appointments over
recent months: Patrick Robert has joined as director of
operations. He will be in charge of logistics and warehouse
operations for the Montréal and Québec areas, along with
involvement in development and expansion programs ...
Christian Nadeau has been appointed director of hardware. He
was formerly director of purchasing at Canac Marquis
Grenier, a major independent based in Beauport, QC ... Alain
John Pinard has been appointed director of marketing. He
brings a strong background in retail and marketing from his
previous positions, which include most recently Ivanhoe
Shopping Centres. (450-463-2441)
* * * * * *
INDUSTRY NEWS. EVERY DAY -
OUR WEBSITE HAS DAILY UPDATES ON RETAIL AND INDUSTRY NEWS
THAT MATTER TO YOU. KEEP INFORMED. VISIT hardlines.ca -
EVERY DAY!
* * * * * *
OVERHEARD ...
"It's not just a 'French' takeover. I'm really impressed
with these people."
- Jos Wintermans, president and CEO of Sodisco-Howden Group,
explaining the new executive lineup at SHG's head office. He
was speaking in Toronto at a recent breakfast meeting of the
Canadian Hardware and Housewares Manufacturers Association.
______________________________________________
* * * * HARDLINES MARKETPLACE* * * *
Check out Hardlines Classifieds on the web:
https://hardlines.ca/html/classifieds_new.asp
______________________________________________
NORAL INSTORE:
BOOST your retail profile with instore sales support
for your products and merchandising
Visit http://www.noralmarketing.com
or call 519-439-6800 ext. 201
* * * * * *
THE HARDLINES MARKETPLACE: just $16 per line.
A classified ad with Hardlines is the most direct way to
industry eyes.
Over 3,000 executives in the industry come in contact with
our email and fax publications ...
... and have you seen our Marketplace in our new website?
https://hardlines.ca/html/classifieds_new.asp
Publish your ad where it matters. Get industry exposure
today.
Contact us at 416-489-3396 or email: buzz@hardlines.ca
______________________________________________
Hardlines is published weekly (except monthly in December
and August)
by McLARNEYCOM
542 Mount Pleasant Rd., Suite 302, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M4S 2M7
(c) 2001 by Michael McLarney.
HARDLINES(tm) the electronic newsletter hardlines.ca
Phone: 416.489.3396; Fax: 416.489.6154
Michael McLarney, Editor & Publisher: mike@hardlines.ca
Eugenia Canas, Assistant Editor: buzz@hardlines.ca
Beverly Allen, Marketing Manager: bev@hardlines.ca
Nancy Wright, Circulation Manager: nancy@hardlines.ca
______________________________________________
THE HARDLINES "FAIR PLAY" POLICY:
Reproduction in whole or in part is very uncool and strictly
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