October 15, 2018 Volume xxiv, #38

“Only through curiosity can we discover opportunities, and only by gambling can we take advantage of them.”
— Clarence Birdseye (American inventor, entrepreneur and naturalist, 1886-1956)

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With New Brunswick acquisition, Gillfor will become a national wholesaler

WOODSTOCK, Ont. — Gillfor Distribution Inc., parent company of OWL Distribution Inc., McIlveen Lumber Industries Ltd. and Brown & Rutherford Co., is making another acquisition, one that will effectively make the company a national entity.

Gillfor has announced the purchase of Brunswick Valley Distribution Inc., the Atlantic Canadian distribution arm of parent company Brunswick Valley Lumber Inc.

Brunswick Valley Distribution is headquartered in Fredericton, N.B., and operates a distribution facility in Moncton. The deal will be finalized by January 2019, at which point the company will add products found in other Gillfor divisions, including composite decking, aluminum railing and a variety of specialty softwoods.

Gillfor Distribution was created when OWL Distribution in Woodstock, Ont., and McIlveen Lumber, an LBM wholesaler based in Calgary, merged just over a year ago. Both companies have continued to operate under their respective names, as will Brunswick Valley Distribution, at least for now. The latest acquisition also gives Gillfor a strategic distribution location in Atlantic Canada to add to its six existing distribution centres and one reload facility.

“Gillfor Distribution’s vision is to put in place a network of distribution facilities to service the expansive retail network across Canada. With this acquisition, the infrastructure is now in place to allow us to more effectively bring all of our products to market,” says Bob Dosanjh, Gillfor’s CEO.

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Dealers can invest in their rising stars with NRHA’s retail management course  

SPECIAL REPORT ― Training keeps top performing employees growing and realizing their potential. The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) has developed a program to take key people to the next level.

The Retail Management Certification Program was developed in partnership with Ball State University in Indiana for key employees such as owners, next-generation leaders, managers or directors—anyone who has the potential to excel in an independent home improvement operation.

Joe Chawchka is vice president of operations for Pro Builders Supply in Penticton, B.C. He first heard about the NRHA’s Retail Management Certification Training Program (RMCP) when the company’s president was contacted by their banner, Home Hardware Stores.

The management team at Pro Builders had been looking for training programs that would help prepare their high-potential employees for management roles. The RMCP was the right fit for their needs. The course consists of a six-month class with three multi-day sessions that feature an industry-specific curriculum and a business improvement project. Course work explores leadership, marketing, sales, customer service, human resources management, finance and accounting, applied business strategies and advanced retail operations.

At Pro Builders, the five-store chain has so far sent a total of six employees—two are now general managers, one is a partner in the business and two others have been promoted to retail operations management positions.

Students make three trips to NRHA’s head offices in Indianapolis for three-day sessions, where they build a network of peers as they learn about multiple topics within retail operations that can be applied to business management. Attendees are then challenged to use what they’ve learned to plan and implement a company-wide initiative that will deliver their employers a measurable return on investment.

For Chawchka, what made the program so attractive was not just the content, which he described as “clearly unique from anything else we had seen before,” but the networking opportunity it offered his high-potential employees with others in similar retail hardware and building supply businesses.

“The experience has provided broader exposure for the candidates and allowed us to evaluate their adaptability and resilience, both qualities we require in our management teams,” says Chawchka. (For more info on the program, please e-mail Michael McLarney.)

(The full story on one dealer’s success with NRHA’s retail management training appears in the next issue of our sister publication, Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly. HHIQ is mailed to 11,000 dealers and managers across Canada. For your own subscription, please click here.)

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Home Depot expands same-day delivery in select U.S. markets

ATLANTA — The Home Depot has rolled out express same-day and next-day local delivery for 20,000 of its most popular items to 35 major metro markets across the U.S. The new service is part of the company’s overall five-year expansion of its delivery offerings for DIY and pro customers.

The company is partnering with car and van providers like Roadie and Deliv to offer the new delivery options for smaller items, while continuing to expand its supply chain network for faster shipments of large bulk deliveries.

Delivery options start at $8.99. “This is just the beginning of our expansion of improved delivery options, but it’s a significant milestone in the way we’re serving customers,” said Mark Holifield, EVP of supply chain and product development for The Home Depot in Atlanta.

While the service is not yet available in Canada, the Home Depot Canada does offer some same-day pick-up options for products in-stock at a customer’s local outlet. Right now, deliveries from a local store can also be arranged as early as next day.

The ongoing investment in the U.S. calls for additional direct fulfillment centres and more than 100 new distribution sites to further extend delivery speed and reach. To use the service, customers shopping online choose “Express Delivery from Store”, where available.

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Contractors get more love at latest Home Hardware dealer market



ST. JACOBS, Ont. ― Home Hardware Stores continues to hone its program for contractor customers. As Home’s dealers have been encouraged to grow the size of their stores over the past decade, more and more of them have the broad assortments to cater effectively to contractors and trades. To support those dealers, Home is creating programs and services to help pros do their jobs better.

Not the least of these is Home’s series of regional pro shows, held each spring in a number of communities across the country. That idea, along with some others that are pro-focused, were inherited with Home’s acquisition of Beaver Lumber back in 1999.

Dealers attending the co-op’s latest dealer market, held in September, found some new ways to attract pro customers. Alec Thompson, marketing manager, contractor communications for Home Hardware, explained a new series of e-offers developed for trade customers. “They’re not as fast to adapt as consumers, but now if you’re going to connect with them, online is the way,” Thompson says.

And loyalty has its rewards. The company’s Top Notch rewards program, a loyalty program exclusively for contractor customers, now has 25,000 members across Canada.

Just as Home has been targetting Quebec to add new member dealers, Thompson and his team see potential to work more closely with Home Hardware stores in that province to help them develop their pro business. “Our growth will be in Quebec,” he says.

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CLASSIFIED ADS

The Field Sales Representative (ON) will be responsible for territory sales growth by implementing plans and strategies to create end user demand for the Henkel LePage portfolio. This individual will be the primary contact and responsible for fostering solid relationships within their region.

What We Offer (Position Description)

• Deliver NES and GP1 annual growth per pro sales plans
• Establishes targets, develops and implements sales plans accordingly for achieved results to be measured against.

• Develop and maintain relationships with distributors, dealers, alliance partners, builders, contractors, remodelers, architects, sealant specifiers and Henkel team members
• Conduct jobsite inspections and testing along with education of LePage products.
• Participate in dealer and training events, where business opportunity is identified.
• Assist in product complaint resolution. This may include; jobsite inspection, product complaint form completion and submission in addition to, immediate or suggested resolution.
• Manage and communicate activity and results via CRM tool, meeting calendar, requested reporting and presentations
• Manage special projects and provide market intelligence as requested to include competitive activity and price shops
• Contribute to Henkel’s success by professionally challenging status quo, sharing your ideas and experience.
• Assume responsibility for other duties as assigned by National Sales Manager

Job specification and competencies

• Minimum 5 years selling experience
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in relevant market (residential/light commercial)
• Professional written and verbal communication
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite
• Bachelor’s degree preferred

 https://www.henkel.com/careers/jobs-and-application/-/874012

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70 Years of Building Value Into Building Products

OEM Sales Agencies – Quebec, Prairies, Atlantic Canada

ODL Canada, with distribution centres in Vaughan, ON and Calgary, AB is recognized as a leading supplier in Canada’s fenestration industry.  Our products include Door Glass and Enclosed Blinds for doors, patio doors and windows.

See our complete catalogue at https://odl.com/canada.htm.
To support growth with exciting new products, ODL Canada is currently seeking sales agencies to represent our OEM product line for Quebec, Atlantic Canada and the Prairies.  If your agency is a team that calls on door pre-hangers, door component distributors or window manufacturers in any of these market areas, then we would like to hear from you.
Interested agencies should submit a company profile to Tom Newton, Managing Director of ODL Canada at tom.newton@odl.com.

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Sales Territory Managers | British Columbia, Saskatchewan/Manitoba

Regal Ideas is the innovative leader in Aluminum Railing and associated outdoor living products to the Canadian Home improvement Industry. We require experienced Building Materials Professionals to expand our sales team and drive sales growth across British Columbia and Saskatchewan/Manitoba. If you are a motivated and highly organized team player with Building Materials Sales experience on the wholesale side, then we would like to speak with you.

Please send resume and salary expectations to Marketing@regalideas.com and you will be contacted if qualifications are commensurate with our requirements

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