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October 6, 2014 Volume
xx, #37
“Progress always involves risks. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.” —Freddie Wilcox (English footballer, 1881-1958)
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PEASE NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS:
528 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON, M5A 1V2.
Our phone number (416-489-3396) remains the same.
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TruServ Canada introduces Ace programs at Fall Market
WINNIPEG — Besides new products and show specials, delegates at the TruServ Canada Fall Market last week were introduced to a new brand option. Bob Moschorak, president of Ace International, was the guest speaker at the market, where he presented the benefits of the Ace program to dealers in attendance.
RONA, which owns TruServ Canada, is giving its full support to the Ace initiative. TruServ dealers will be given the opportunity to rebrand to Ace where it fits for them, with no hard costs attached to the conversion. “We intend to become Ace Canada,” says Bill Morrison, president of TruServ Canada. “But it’s a process and we don’t intend to lose focus on the TruServ wholesale aspect. We will continue to support the independent retailers regardless of their brand.”
The Ace brand represents another offering in RONA’s dealer portfolio, with a leadership group out of both Winnipeg and Boucherville to ensure Ace’s reach is truly national—and in both official languages.
Dealers attending the Winnipeg market had mixed responses to the new offering, even though most dealers who spoke with HARDLINES saw it as a positive—including existing Ace dealers who saw the benefit of following the brand to its new home. Even those who were concerned about changing their store name so recently after adopting the TRU banner, which was introduced by TruServ two years ago, said they believed that Ace is a well-known brand that could benefit their business.
Besides Ace products, dealers here will also have access to a range of tools and services, which have been developed in both English and French. These include an online portal, “Ace Brand Place,” which provides marketing services online such as email campaign tools.
The key for dealers in Canada will be the ability to “bulk up on private label and controlled label products that you can’t get anywhere else in Canada,” Moschorak explained. The goal? “To make one solid national brand across the country.”
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RONA celebrates its 75th anniversary
BOUCHERVILLE, Que. — Today, RONA inc. turns 75. Throughout October, special promotions and activities are planned to celebrate the anniversary in all RONA stores across the country.
The company began in 1939, when half a dozen dealers created Les Marchands en Quincaillerie ltée to get around a monopoly that was threatening their supply chain. Their mission at the time is still relevant today: to combine orders to obtain the best prices. A few years later, Rolland Dansereau and Napoléon Piotte took control of the company, and in 1960 they formed Ro-Na, creating the new name using the first syllables of their own first names. In 1988, Ro-Na merged with Dismat, another group that was working mainly in construction materials, and became Ro-Na Dismat. The 1990s was the era of big box stores, ushering in RONA L’entrepôt.
The first decade of 2000 saw rapid growth for RONA, as it made acquisitions, built new stores, and recruited new dealer-owners. In 2002, RONA went public. Most recently, RONA has formed a master licensing agreement for the Ace Hardware brand in Canada. Today, the company is Canada’s largest home improvement retailer as measured by sales at retail (Source: Hardlines Retail Report) , with a network of more than 500 corporate, franchise, and affiliate stores.
“RONA enjoys a tremendous legacy,” said RONA president and CEO Robert Sawyer. “[But] in the world of retail, there is no status quo. We have to constantly re-invent ourselves to stay relevant, to improve our offering, and adjust our strategies.”
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Ace promises “new strategy” for Canada
WINNIPEG — At the TruServ Canada Fall Market last week, TRU and RONA dealers, along with 21 prospects, had the opportunity to learn about the company’s new alliance with Ace Hardware. Bob Moschorak, president of Ace International, explained that a full assortment of private-label and controlled brand products will be available to Canadian dealers who wish to carry the Ace brand.
Moschorak noted that Ace has 4,200 stores in the U.S., plus more than 650 locations worldwide through its International division. With Ace celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2014, Moschorak said the company’s approach to Canada, where it has had a series of partners through the years, would be different this time round.
“Over the years, Ace in Canada—especially in English Canada—has had its problems," he admitted. “We didn’t always know how to manage it.”
Ace first ventured north of the border in 1992, striking a deal with LBM distributor CanWel. Most recently it was licensed in Canada by TIM-BR MART Group, until that partnership was dissolved at the end of August. (For a comprehensive history of Ace in Canada, check out our August 11, 2014 edition of HARDLINES ! —Editor)
Moschorak explained that Ace in the past had relied on a centralized distribution model. But that had to change. “It was a very shallow model. We needed to change to be able to ship to a region—and to a country—according to its needs and market.” Now, he said, Ace acts like a retail company, focusing on services to help dealers sell better. “All of these are retail programs, not wholesale programs.”
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Canadian Tire sells 20% of its financial services to Scotiabank
TORONTO — Canadian Tire Corp. and Scotiabank have managed to get the regulatory approvals required for them to launch a new business and co-marketing partnership. The proposed deal, first announced back in May, has Scotiabank acquiring a 20% interest in Canadian Tire's financial services business for $500 million in cash. It further includes a comprehensive co-marketing agreement aimed at building business for both partners.
Scotiabank is paying up to $2.25 billion to Canadian Tire’s financial services business for backstop financing of its credit card receivables. The money will be used to pay down debt and increase dividends. The deal allows Canadian Tire to sell up to an additional 29% equity interest in its financial services business to Scotiabank within the next 10 years.
The two companies have already tried out some joint marketing, which has already generated new business, assert the two companies in a release. The companies plan to ramp up co-marketing for 2015.
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Ferroforma continues its strategic positioning
BILBAO, Spain — Ferroforma, the hardware and specialty tools trade fair held every other year in this city in Northern Spain, is slated to host a large offering of products, technologies, and industrial services from May 26-29, 2015.
The show will be divided into two areas. The “Industry” section will feature industrial supply products, hand and portable power tools, locks and fittings, woodworking machinery, protective equipment, and construction supplies. The “Home” area will feature domestic locks, decoration, lighting, and small-scale electrics, bath and plumbing, household goods, gardening, wooden furniture, hardware, textiles, and automotive DIY products.
The show continues to draw delegates from across Europe, and even North America. Exhibitors at Ferroforma 2015 can take advantage of special pricing before October 31. ( Click here for more information about Ferroforma 2015.)
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Classified Ads
Renin (RedefiningaNdINnovating) is an innovative manufacturer of door systems and hardware for door manufacturers and fabricators. Renin also manufactures and distributes sliding bypass and bifold closet doors, room dividers, fabricated glass and decorative mirrors to the residential construction and remodeling markets. With a recent ownership change, the mandate is to build both strategy and leadership to continue their growth. Wolf Gugler Executive Search has been retained to search out qualified candidates for the following positions:
Director of Sales
Manage the sales execution process and strengthen the current business relationships with assigned accounts such as Home Depot, Lowe’s and Home Hardware nationwide. Responsible for new account acquisitions and selling Renin branded goods to those accounts.
- Work hand in hand with the senior management, especially with the Vice President Sales and Marketing and the Marketing Team, to make sure that the e fforts are being well directed.
- D irect reports include Account Manager s; train, develop and add to headcount as deemed necessary.
- Development of sales, merchandising and assortment planning to assigned accounts.
- Align business plan to achieve budgets while creating and implement ing strategies that help the business grow and surpass sales targets.
- Prepare key account sales plans and account profiles and maintain detailed account management profiles with a thorough understanding of all decision-makers and business strategies.
- Develop and foster relationships with Merchants, M.A.s and associated support staff.
- Build and maintain a ctive market research, analyze trends and develop strategies a ccording ly .
- M anage budgets and sales goals and w ork to achieve monthly, quarterly and annual targets based on corporate sales objectives.
- Maintain complete competitive files including regular ‘comp’ shops.
- Develop new listing items and product demand forecast models.
Qualifications : ten years’ success in a sales management role in the building materials/ home renovation industry. Strong leadership skills including adaptability, creativity, forecasting and budgeting and outstanding customer focus. You may be based in Canada or the US for this role.
To apply, click this link or apply online on the Opportunities page of our web site, www.wolfgugler.com.
Director of Marketing
Based in the Brampton corporate office, this new role will be hired after the Director, Sales. The full position responsibilities and qualifications are posted on our web site Opportunities page.
To apply for this role click here or apply online on the Opportunities page at www.wolfgugler.com.
Wolf Gugler Executive Search, 888-848-3006. Offices in Canada and the U.S. www.wolfgugler.com
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