Aug 6, 2018 Volume

xxiv, #31

“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.”
―Gustave Flaubert (French novelist, 1821-1880)

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SUMMER PUBLISHING SCHEDULE:  Please note that HARDLINES is published only once in August. There will be no issues on August 13, 20, and 27. We resume our regular publishing schedule with our September 3 edition. However, the World Headquarters remains open during this time, should you need to contact us!

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Home Hardware will invest in supply chain improvements to drive future growth

ST. JACOBS, Ont. ― Home Hardware has announced improvements to its supply chain with the intention to move forward with an automated material handling system. 

The project, in partnership with Dematic and Manhattan Associates, has been a part of ongoing efforts by the company to optimize its supply chain and reinforce the strength of the co-op wholesaler in distribution. The investment is intended to position the company for future growth.

“I am very pleased we continue to invest in our state-of-the-art distribution systems with updates to our material handling equipment at our St. Jacobs facility,” says John Dyksterhuis, vice-president, distribution. “Our strength in distribution is one of the best in Canada and we are proud to continue to provide excellence to both our dealers and our customers.”

The project is set to launch in the third quarter of this year with a targeted completion date of July 2020.

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Hardware stores reflect diversity of communities they serve 

SPECIAL REPORT — If there was ever a home improvement professional who embodies the phrase “in the right place at the right time,” Danny Tse is it. Back in 2007, when RONA went looking for a manager for its new store in the heart of the emerging Chinese community in the northeast corner of Toronto, it only made sense to find a person who shared their heritage and could speak their language. Tse was the perfect choice.

“I speak Cantonese and Mandarin; I learned at home when I was growing up,” Tse explains. “In this store, it’s essential. I would say about 90% of our customers are Asian.”

Of course, cultural heritage wasn’t the only credential that qualified Tse for the manager’s job at the RONA McNichol store. Tse got his start in the home improvement retailing business working part-time at Canadian Tire. He stayed at that job right through college, where he would study urban planning in preparation for a very different career. When the time came to start that career, though, Tse realized where his true calling lies.

“I just always loved retail,” Tse says. “I like the pace of the retail environment. I have a real passion for it—every aspect of it—and I really love being able to meet the needs of a community that I have been a part of since I arrived in Canada from Hong Kong as a child.”

In response to the demographics of the local market, the McNichol store features in-store signage in Chinese to help customers navigate their way around. In addition, there are numerous associates on staff able to assist customers in Cantonese and Mandarin, as well as Tamil and Hindi.

“We have to cater to the local communities if the store is going to succeed,” says Tse. “If you just throw up a cookie-cutter-type home improvement store in a market like this, it would never connect with the people. When I’m hiring, I also try to look for team members who reflect the face of the community we serve.”

Tse has become somewhat of a home improvement guru for Toronto’s Chinese community. In addition to managing what has become a destination store for Chinese immigrants across the GTA, Tse hosts a weekly home improvement radio show in Cantonese where he fields questions from homeowners. “They call me the Chinese Mike Holmes,” laughs Tse. “But it’s all about connecting with the community, educating consumers and providing people with the support they need to make good buying decisions.”

(This is an excerpt of a larger feature that appears in the current edition of our sister publication, Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly. HHIQ is mailed to 11,000 dealers, owners and managers. Click here to get your own subscription today!)

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Home Depot’s Pickering, Ont., store celebrates 10 years of innovation

PICKERING, Ont. — Home Depot’s store in Pickering, Ont., will celebrate its 10th anniversary next month, marking a significant milestone at the time in the growth of the country’s largest home improvement retailer.

In 2008, Home Depot Canada had 175 stores in all 10 provinces. However, fully half those stores were located in Ontario, where the company had first established a foothold with five stores in 1994. The Pickering store, which opened September 4, 2008, was part of a new wave of sites for the Atlanta-based chain. It was the third to open with LEED certification, reflecting state-of-the-art energy saving methods of the time.

Those features included: a reflector roof to deflect the rays of the sun, which lowered air-conditioning demands; light fixtures with photocell sensors that worked on timers; and sensor-operated faucets and toilets to conserve water.

The Pickering store was also Home Depot Canada’s third project store, a merchandising concept that had previously been developed at stores in Richmond Hill, Ont., and Markham, Ont.

Today, Home Depot has 182 stores in Canada, with estimated annual sales of about $8 billion and employs some 30,000 people (source: the 2018 Hardlines Retail Report, which features in-depth analysis of Home Depot, Lowe’s Canada and the other top retail banners in Canada).

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spoga+gafa garden fair update

COLOGNE, Germany ― For dealers doing a lot of business in lawn and garden, one of the world’s leading garden fairs, spoga+gafa, would be well worth a visit.

The show, held in Cologne, Germany, from September 2 to 4, will play host to an expected 39,000 attendees who will visit 2,900 exhibitors across the show floor’s two million square feet. The event takes place in several buildings at Koelnmesse, the giant trade fair complex across the Rhine from Cologne’s Old Town.

Under the theme, “Outdoor Furniture Trend Show”, this year’s spoga+gafa will present the trends of the coming season. A special event entitled “Icons of Outdoor Furniture” will present the bestselling and most stylish garden furniture available from today’s designers and suppliers.

Other trends to watch for at spoga+gafa 2018:

• Gourmet fans are really coming into their own in the outdoor kitchen, as products are becoming increasingly higher quality. Besides the classic charcoal grill, the market is offering mobile solutions for the balcony and emission-free and electric grills.
• Colour is in with bright benches, cool dining chairs or elegant pillar-shaped pots adorning the home outdoor landscape. Hip carpets with a dash of colour are also taking off. Dramatic colours of chairs are an example here. Among the palette of red shades, cherry tomato leads the way. 
• Table tops developed with thin materials exude a weightless appearance. Graceful design, visual lightness and high functionality are trending for the coming season. Appearing minimalist at first glance, many seating options are equipped with practical features, including adjustable backrests or comfortable covers using synthetic fibres. 
• Fully equipped outdoor kitchens are the trend for open-air cooking. Many high-quality, modular spaces where the barbecue, sink and work top can be combined are on offer. Smokers are still the rage and these are often integrated into appliances that offer multifunctional handling options.
• Watch for new twists on outdoor lighting at spoga+gafa this year. Rechargeable wireless lights are in high demand. Splash-proof loudspeakers for music systems and a combination sound bar, cool box and lighting system are among the products that will be featured at the show.

Looking ahead at the future of outdoor furniture, the show will highlight the latest functional and innovative products—all with an eye to sustainability as well as comfort, ergonomics and flexibility. (Click here for more information about spoga+gafa; or contact Darrin Stern, Koelnmesse’s director of new business development for North America.)

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CMHC identifies vulnerable spots in Canada’s real estate market

OTTAWA — Canada’s overall housing market remains highly vulnerable, a trend that has now persisted through eight quarters. Based on data as of the end of March and market intelligence as of the end of June, a new report from CMHC, Housing Market Assessment, identifies the trends within some key markets, primarily due to evidence of over-valuation and price acceleration in Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria and Hamilton.

In Vancouver, moderate evidence of overheating was detected, although price growth has been slowing considerably over the last two quarters, and has even turned negative in some areas. Declining prices for detached properties in some areas, particularly Vancouver’s West Side and West Vancouver, are due to high inventories that have accumulated thanks to continued falling sales volumes.

Evidence of overbuilding remained high in Calgary, but the peak inventory count for apartment units, the largest share of inventory, occurred in December 2017, and has since declined. The absorption rate of condos at completion averaged 83% year-to-date as of May 2018 compared to 67% in the same period last year. This has helped reduce inventory and mitigate the same buildup of inventory experienced in 2017.

Evidence that the growth of house prices in Saskatoon was accelerating remained low in Q1 2018. Among housing categories, the resale prices for single-family, townhouse and apartment units all declined in Q1 2018 from Q4 2017, and were down on a year-over-year basis. Compared with the same quarter the previous year, the price decline during the first quarter of 2018 was significantly larger among townhouses, where supply was far exceeding demand.

Evidence of over-valuation in Winnipeg has changed from low to moderate, as the combination of rising house prices and declining incomes has created some imbalances. Real personal disposable income levels have decreased year-over-year for the third consecutive quarter, while mortgage rates have started to increase from historically low levels.

Despite price growth slowing down across the Greater Toronto Area, lower house prices would have to persist longer in order for CMHC to discount any evidence of price acceleration. In nearby Hamilton, the market has also remained healthy. While over-valuation decreased on average, moderate evidence of over-valuation remained as house prices were still considerably higher than expected. Population growth remains a key driver of housing demand in Hamilton.

In Montreal, the seasonally adjusted sales-to-new listings ratio was close to 69% in the first quarter, which is barely below the problematic threshold of 70%. This ratio increased for a seventh straight quarter and this maintained significant pressure on prices.

With Halifax enjoying 12% year-over-year sales growth as of the end of May, the sales-to-new listings ratio continues to increase, climbing to 62%. As this remains well below the threshold of 85%, the Halifax market still exhibits low evidence of overheating. The average number of days on market has been on a downward trend throughout 2018, with homes selling more quickly in all Halifax sub-markets.

Overall, there is a low degree of vulnerability for the Moncton region, as the indicators of over-building, price acceleration and over-valuation remained below the thresholds that correspond to problematic conditions. However, monthly house sales in the Moncton area, buoyed by increased immigration and improved labour market conditions, are setting records, while listings remain at historical multi-year lows and continue to fall. Resale price growth can be expected if demand continues to outpace supply.

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Luxury market offers opportunities for dealers willing to step up the experience

SPECIAL REPORT ― Market researcher and speaker Pam Danziger has published several books examining high-end purchasing behaviour in a post-recession market, the most recent being a short book on what she calls the “HENRY” phenomenon. These “high earning, not yet rich” professionals have the means to dabble in luxury goods and services but aren’t yet living such an elevated lifestyle full-time.

In Shops that POP: 7 Steps to Extraordinary Retail Success, Danziger teams up with freelance writer Jennifer Patterson Lorenzetti to explore the factors that drive thriving independent retailers.

While acknowledging the inherent challenges of the business, Danziger argues that existing independent merchants have one common advantage: their survival of the Great Recession, which winnowed out the mediocre. Those independent retailers who remain, therefore, are the best of the bunch, who have stood the test of natural selection.

Another trend working in favour of the independent retailer, according to Danziger, is shoppers’ increasing abandonment of large shopping centres. This tendency leaves an opening for retailers who can offer a smaller, more personal experience. Independent retailers are also well positioned to become specialists in their area, creating opportunities for vertical integration by becoming a one-stop shopping destination for their customer base’s needs.

Danziger’s seven steps, illustrated by case studies, cover various facets of that ideal customer relationship. Many of those common themes will be familiar to readers of our quarterly magazine, Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly, and its retailer profiles. “Involvement” and “curiosity” cover efforts to draw customers in and to give them an opportunity to interact with the store. Tips include appealing to all five senses, focusing on a specific area of expertise and using the storefront to arouse interest.

The third step, “creating a contagious, electric quality” includes hiring passionate staff and sticking to inventory the team can get excited about. “Convergence” involves making store design tell a coherent story that drives the product. “Authenticity” of concept means having a mission beyond simply moving product—for example, not simply selling clothes, but helping the customer to invent their personal style.

Danziger’s steps don’t neglect the basics: price and value are still important. That means targeting the right customer profile, emphasizing value and making judicious use of strategies like discounts. Finally, “accessibility” includes training staff to greet customers, and not overcrowding the retail floor.

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Big boxes turn to task automation to reduce labour costs

INTERNATIONAL REPORT ― Across the retail landscape, more big boxes are relying on task automation to reduce labour expenditures and enable employees to interact directly with customers, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Target says it plans to add cash-counting checkout machines to 500 stores this summer. The machines count customers’ cash, “but they also allow stores to digitally bank their cash and predict how much money is needed for each cashier’s shift,” the article says.

Target employees who previously worked at checkouts will be assigned to other positions. This change presents “the opportunity to have those same team members spend even more time helping our shoppers,” a Target spokesperson says in the article.

Walmart is also relying on technology to free up employees’ time. The company will use robots in stores next year to review inventory to notify employees about items that are low in supply or out of stock.

Walmart is also examining ways to speed up inventory delivery to its stores, the article says. The company will install automatic conveyor belts in backrooms to facilitate the unloading of delivery trucks. The conveyor belts will cut the number of employees needed to unload a typical truck in half, from eight employees to just four.

The Journal reports this addition will allow Walmart to spend more money on “pickers,” employees who fulfill online orders and deliver those purchases to customers waiting in designated areas.

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Dy-Mon Sales has added to its sales team, rounding out the agency’s representation in Western Canada, reporting to Dy-Mon’s partners, Harvey Dyck and Larry T. Bryant. Alan Graham has joined and is based in Vancouver. He has spent the last 28 years in the retail hardware and building supply market, first as a sales representative, moving on to regional responsibilities and as a retail sales manager for RCR in Canada. He was most recently a sales manager at Tree Island Steel. (alang.dy-mon@outlook.com).

Also at Dy-Mon Sales, Stephen A. van Kampen joins and is based in Calgary. A 15-year veteran of the industry, he started out as a buyer, then moved into regional sales responsibilities, and was most recently a national sales director for Lanart Rug Inc. (stephenv.dy-mon@outlook.com)

Stéphane Gaumond has resigned as general manager for Canada at Continental Building Products. Gaumond has been with the company, which was formerly Lafarge North America’s gypsum division, for 11 years. Previously he was sales director at Metrie.

Yoga wear maker Lululemon has named former Sears Canada CEO Calvin McDonald as its CEO. McDonald had been president and CEO of cosmetics giant Sephora for the past five years.

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CLASSIFIED ADS

Sales Territory Managers | Atlantic Canada

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 Atlantic Canada. 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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Key Account Manager-Ontario
King Marketing is a national manufacturer’s agency focused on representing leading brands in the hardware and home improvement industry.  We have an immediate opening for a Key Account Manager in Ontario. The successful candidate will report to the National Sales Manager.

Responsibilities include:

• Selling our represented manufacturer’s products to national and regional accounts based in Ontario.
• Developing trusting relationships with buyers and assistants.
• Expanding product listings, suggesting promotional items.

• Prospecting and soliciting new customers.
• Working with distributors and distributor representatives.
• Participating in the planning and execution of customer trade shows.
• Reporting all activities through an on-line reporting system.
• Meeting sales targets.

Requirements

• Experience in the hardware and home improvement sector as a key account manager.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with aptitude in building relationships.
• Self-Starter with excellent organizational skills.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive salary including bonus plan.
• Comprehensive health plan.
• Car allowance & gas card.

Send resume and cover letter to stephaniek@kingmkt.com

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Westman Steel Industries is one of Canada’s largest manufacturers of steel roofing and siding products. Westman Steel Industries is a member of The WGI Westman Group, a dynamic entrepreneurial group of companies who values safety, health, community, relationships, growth and fiscal responsibility.
Westman Steel Industries has the following career opportunity in Langley, BC:

GENERAL MANAGER

The General Manager leads a team of production and sales employees in the manufacturing and supply of steel roofing and siding products to the B.C. market. The successful candidate will plan, organize, direct, control, and evaluate the process activities of Production, Customer Service, and Shipping and Receiving staff. Oversees the entire manufacturing process which includes: production and operations management, human resource management and health and safety.

Westman Steel provides a competitive total rewards package including professional growth, career development and continuous learning. The company offers excellent benefits and a deferred profit sharing plan. Interested candidates can apply by visiting https://www.indeedjobs.com/westman-steel-industries/jobs/d5d8013ea3909b6a5357

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July 30, 2018 Volume

xxiv, #30

“To me, the fundamental tales of life are: do good, do the best you can and reach for the stars sometimes.”
―Valerie Pringle (Canadian broadcast journalist and TV host, 1953- )

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SUMMER PUBLISHING SCHEDULE:  Please note that HARDLINES is published only once in August. There will be no issues on August 13, 20, and 27. We resume our regular publishing schedule with our September 3 edition.

(Click here to receive FREE Daily News updates to keep you informed between issues!)

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What’s really new about RONA’s new-look stores? Just take a look

TORONTO — “The customer was at the centre of our thought process when developing the new RONA building centre model.” That, says Patrick Lapointe, divisional vice-president, RONA operations, has been the guiding direction for parent company Lowe’s Canada as it works to increase the profitability of its RONA stores, in all their various formats.

The new home centre model, an evolution and renaming of its proximity stores, works toward three goals, says Lapointe, “to better meet current needs and trends in home improvement, become a true one-stop-shop for our customers’ home improvement projects and enhance our offering for contractors and pros.” The home centre in Etobicoke, in Toronto’s West End, is the latest example of the new look.

With this in mind, the store is aimed at both DIYers and contractors, and features a number of innovations, including some that borrow from its big box counterparts.

It’s the second RONA location in Ontario to be converted, and up to six more are expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

(For a tour of the new-look RONA home centre, click here.)

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Home Depot goes after the home décor market

ATLANTA — Home Depot is moving to position itself as the go-to destination for home décor products, in a shot across the bow of U.S. giants like J.C. Penney and Bed Bath & Beyond. An email to customers at the beginning of the month declared, “Your favourite home improvement destination is about to become your new favourite décor destination.”

The move is an indicator that Home Depot is planning to take advantage of the profile that e-retailer The Company Store, which it acquired at the end of last year, has built up in the upmarket housewares and design business. The signs were pointing that way soon after the purchase of The Company Store. Only a month later, Home Depot was touting its wares at Frankfurt’s home textiles show.

At the time of the acquisition, a Credit Suisse analyst found that décor categories alone constituted just 3% of Home Depot’s sales, even though ancillary categories make up about one-quarter. Realtor.com placed home décor on a list of categories for which customers can find better deals elsewhere than home improvement big boxes. Yet an Apex Market Report earlier this summer placed Home Depot among the top players for wall décor.

In its latest promotion, Home Depot’s offerings include furniture, linens, bath accessories and table and wall decorations. No fewer than 66 bath towels are available, some bearing the Company Store brand. Apart from area rugs, the retailer is sticking to offering “soft” items online for the time being, but execs will no doubt be watching sales closely. If the category is a success through the online channel, we could be seeing “soft” home offerings alongside Home Depot’s in-store hardlines.

This isn’t Home Depot’s first foray into home décor. In the ’90s, the company piloted a spin-off called Expo, a store for upmarket home improvement lines along with décor offerings such as textiles and dining ware. The Company Store takeover marks the first time Home Depot has seriously revisited the “soft” categories since it closed its Expo stores around the end of the last decade. With J.C. Penney, Bed Bath & Beyond and especially Sears all facing their own challenges, the timing may just be right.

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New Lowe’s CEO hits the ground running with executive overhaul

MOORESVILLE, N.C. ― In his inaugural initiative as Lowe’s Cos. CEO, Marvin Ellison announced major changes to the retailer’s leadership structure. Gone are the positions of chief operating officer, chief customer officer, corporate administration executive and chief development officer. Their responsibilities will be transferred to other executives under Ellison’s immediate oversight.

Ellison took the reins in Mooresville on July 2, having been lured away from the same position at J.C. Penney at the behest of activist Lowe’s shareholder Bill Ackman. Previous CEO Robert Niblock announced his retirement in March after 25 years with the company, including 13 as CEO. Ellison has a brief to cut costs and maximize profits to close in on rival Home Depot.

Because of the restructuring, Chief Customer Officer Michael McDermott will step down in November after just two years in the post, while COO Richard Maltsbarger left the company immediately. He had been in that role since November, having joined the company in 2004.

Chervon North America CEO William Boltz has been named executive VP of merchandising. His CV, like Ellison’s, includes time at Home Depot. He will step into his new role in mid-August.

Lowe’s is searching for outside candidates for EVP of stores and the newly created position of EVP of supply chain. Mike West, senior VP of supply chain operations, will fill the latter role in the interim. CFO Michael Croom retires in October, and an outside search is underway for his successor.

N. Brian Peace, senior VP of administration, will now report Bill McCanless, who remains as executive VP, general counsel and corporate secretary. Peace will transition to an unspecified position in the fall.

And more recently, Joseph M. McFarland III has been named executive vice president, stores, effective Aug. 15. In this role, McFarland will oversee the north, south and west divisions, Orchard Supply Hardware, pro and services businesses, operations engineering and asset protection for the organization. Like Ellison, McFarland most recently served in an executive leadership role at J.C. Penney and, prior to that, worked for Home Depot.

The changes do not affect Lowe’s Canada, where Sylvain Prud’homme remains in charge of Canadian and Mexican operations as president and CEO.

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Home organization: a growing category―and a sales opportunity

SPECIAL REPORT ― Home organization products comprise a growing category, and DIYers are the most frequent buyers of the cabinets, benches and other storage items they need to put their houses in order.

Packaged Facts, a U.S. consumer research firm, projects that home organization sales in that country will reach $19.5 billion in 2021. The group also reports that about 80% of sales in the category are for DIY organization projects.

In keeping with that trend, consumers say they are more likely to do their own work on home organization projects than hire professional help, according to recent research from Home Innovation Research Labs. About 75% of consumers install their own closet and garage storage.

Organization products for closets and garages range from metal hooks and plastic totes to countertops and cabinetry, making the category a good fit for hardware and home improvement retailers.

The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) recommends that a good place to start with this category is with small items already carried in the store. Merchandising hooks, small shelves and bins together can help a retailer gauge whether customers are willing to step up to bigger and more complex organization products.

(The NRHA is represented in Canada by Hardlines. To learn more about the NRHA and the range of online training programs available, please click here!)

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Ace Hardware Corp. has named Kim Lefko senior vice president, chief marketing officer (CMO). Lefko will report directly to John Venhuizen, president and CEO of the co-op. As the company’s new CMO, Lefko will be responsible for the brand’s global marketing and advertising. She will also be charged with leading digital initiatives and creating new strategies to further Ace Hardware’s reach.

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CLASSIFIED ADS

Sales Territory Managers | Atlantic Canada

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 Atlantic Canada. 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.

_________________________________________________________________

Key Account Manager-Ontario
King Marketing is a national manufacturer’s agency focused on representing leading brands in the hardware and home improvement industry.  We have an immediate opening for a Key Account Manager in Ontario. The successful candidate will report to the National Sales Manager.

Responsibilities include:

• Selling our represented manufacturer’s products to national and regional accounts based in Ontario.
• Developing trusting relationships with buyers and assistants.
• Expanding product listings, suggesting promotional items.

• Prospecting and soliciting new customers.
• Working with distributors and distributor representatives.
• Participating in the planning and execution of customer trade shows.
• Reporting all activities through an on-line reporting system.
• Meeting sales targets.

Requirements

• Experience in the hardware and home improvement sector as a key account manager.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with aptitude in building relationships.
• Self-Starter with excellent organizational skills.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive salary including bonus plan.
• Comprehensive health plan.
• Car allowance & gas card.

Send resume and cover letter to stephaniek@kingmkt.com

_________________________________________________________________

Westman Steel Industries is one of Canada’s largest manufacturers of steel roofing and siding products. Westman Steel Industries is a member of The WGI Westman Group, a dynamic entrepreneurial group of companies who values safety, health, community, relationships, growth and fiscal responsibility.
Westman Steel Industries has the following career opportunity in Langley, BC:

GENERAL MANAGER

The General Manager leads a team of production and sales employees in the manufacturing and supply of steel roofing and siding products to the B.C. market. The successful candidate will plan, organize, direct, control, and evaluate the process activities of Production, Customer Service, and Shipping and Receiving staff. Oversees the entire manufacturing process which includes: production and operations management, human resource management and health and safety.

Westman Steel provides a competitive total rewards package including professional growth, career development and continuous learning. The company offers excellent benefits and a deferred profit sharing plan. Interested candidates can apply by visiting https://www.indeedjobs.com/westman-steel-industries/jobs/d5d8013ea3909b6a5357

_________________________________________________________________

July 23, 2018 Volume

xxiv, #29

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
―George Bernard Shaw (Irish playwright and Nobel Prize winner, 1856-1916)

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SUMMER PUBLISHING SCHEDULE:  Please note that HARDLINES is published only once in August. There will be no issues on August 13, 20, and 27. We resume our regular publishing schedule with our September 3 edition.

(Click here to receive FREE Daily News updates to keep you informed between issues!)

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Hardlines Conference finalizes speaker lineup with top retail groups represented

WORLD HEADQUARTERS, Toronto — Canada’s leading home improvement retailers will be represented on the podium at the 23rd annual 2018 Hardlines Conference, November 13 and 14 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.

With the theme, “The Power of Brand”, the event will bring together some of the top retail brands―and brand leaders―in Canada.

This year, the conference will feature two important independent dealers, reporting from the front lines of home improvement retailing. Jillian Sexton is a TIMBER MART dealer with two stores in Nova Scotia, and now a third in Charlottetown that has taken off. Ray Cyr operates RONA Fraser Valley Building Products in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.

Bringing a corporate perspective, Charles Valois, VP central marketing at Lowe’s Canada, will talk about how this retail giant is integrating and leveraging a range of retail brands—Lowe’s, RONA, Reno-Depot, and Ace. From Home Hardware Stores Ltd., Darrin Noble, VP of the co-op’s Beauti-Tone paint business, will talk about the power of this private brand for Home’s dealers. From Orgill, Catherine Vaugh will talk about the integrated marketing strategies Orgill has developed for retailers to use to promote their brand to their market. These include tools to let independents create circulars, flyers, shelf talkers and postcards.

Steve Buckle, president of Sexton Group, will talk about how his group supports the individual brands of its members as it continues to find growth with new members across the country.

Other speakers at the Hardlines Conference will include Jules Pieri, co-founder of an online retailer now owned by Ace Hardware, The Grommet; and Anthony Stokan, a familiar name to past conference attendees, will join us this year for a “fireside chat” about the future of bricks and mortar, and particularly what role shopping centres, now under siege in the U.S., will play as retail grows into the online space.

Finally, we are very excited to have eBay Canada join us again this year. Closing out the 2018 Hardlines Conference, Robert Bigler, COO and director of product for eBay Canada, will present “Staying Competitive in the Age of e-Commerce”. He’ll provide an overview of the e-commerce and retail landscape, demonstrating how eBay is innovating to create new experiences that are relevant to both buyers and sellers. Most importantly, Bigler will examine how online marketplaces play into omni-channel sales strategies for traditional retailers looking for a competitive edge.

The Hardlines Conference will be held at the Queen’s Landing in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., November 13 to 14. (Click here for more information about the 23rd annual Hardlines Conference.)

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Upcoming Orgill market prepares to host Canadian dealers

MEMPHIS ― Orgill will host its Fall Dealer Market in Las Vegas next month and the giant hardware wholesaler will count hundreds of Canadian dealers among the guests attending.

Being held August 23 to 25 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, it will feature a range of products, services and promotions. One of the most popular spots on the show floor―which will top out at nearly one million square feet―is the Market Busters area, featuring highly visible items that lend themselves well to promotions by dealers. The Flash Market will feature different products over each of the three days of the market. Pallet buys will be split, as in years past, into bulk pallets of a single item in large quantities and impulse pallets, quarter pallets designed for specials such as stackout or checkout counter displays.

All Canadian promotional areas will be located on the lower level of the convention centre.

The market will also feature a selection of model stores that will showcase a variety of merchandising programs and techniques. Cider Mill Home Centre will feature products that are entirely Canadian compliant. The store fills 12,000 square feet with an assortment of products that would be stocked in a home centre. The products featured in this model store will be available from the Orgill DCs in London, Ont., and in Post Falls, Idaho.

The store is designed with a queue-style checkout area, which channels customers checking out their merchandise to line up past rows of promotional, impulse and seasonal items to encourage increased basket sizes.

Orgill’s Smart Start Program will be on display at the show, as well, to assist dealers who want to convert product lines to a program backed by the Orgill warehouse. This area will feature programs by more than 100 vendors―and the deals being presented can assist a retailer in making product assortment decisions that are right for their business with the benefit of little to no investment to make the change, says Phillip Walker, Orgill’s senior vice president, merchandising services.

Orgill’s plumbing and electrical showcase consists of 6,000 square feet of retail sets. Walker calls it the largest breadth of offering within a distribution model, and it will include well-known national brands with supporting POP to help dealers boost their retail margins.

(And for the retailers headed down to Las Vegas for the show, we’ll be hosting our regular Canada Night reception at the end of the first day. For more information, and to register, click here!)

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Coast Distributors expands product range with its own private brand and new alliance

NANAIMO, B.C. ― Brad McCluskie proudly shows off a roll of house wrap. The label reads “TerraTuff” and the name belongs to his company, Coast Distributors. It’s a key part of the hardware wholesaler’s effort to offer a private-label line of products to the independent dealers it supplies in British Columbia from its distribution centres in Nanaimo and Kelowna.

McCluskie, owner of Coast, admits that the company has been using the TerraTuff name for the past two years. “But we’ve really been building it up over the last year.” Today, more than two dozen lines sport the brand, including hand tools, and more recently, paint brushes and paint accessories. Coast’s full range of products also includes electrical and plumbing, garden supplies, automotive accessories and housewares.

Another way McCluskie is trying to grow the brand is regionally. While Coast is an effective regional distributor, McCluskie reached out, almost on the spur of the moment during a trip to Ottawa, to Todd Schoular, who owns Square Deal, a like-minded family-owned company based in Central Canada.

“We hit it off,” says McCluskie, “and now we’re looking for ways to work better together, including some joint buys.”

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eBay uses summer preview to remind shoppers it’s more than an auction site

TORONTO — eBay Canada held a seasonal preview earlier this month to showcase its selections for summer, back to school and holiday. While the company has previously held previews for holiday, this year’s preview was much larger in size and included stylized vignettes, as opposed to a showcase of just the gift guide offerings.

The goal of the preview was to reintroduce the brand to media through a “show, don’t tell” approach. According to Camille Kowalewski, eBay Canada’s head of communications, many still think of eBay as a place to buy used items through bidding. “This is not the case,” says Kowalewski.

“More than 80 per cent of purchases made on eBay are actually for new products, and over 85 per cent of purchases are made at fixed prices. We really wanted to showcase eBay as a destination to buy everything from fashion to home decor to tech,” Kowalewski adds.

All items shown at the preview were sourced through eBay.ca, and many were purchased from Canadian sellers.

eBay also used the preview as an opportunity to showcase a collaboration with Norquay Co., an artisanal paddle company, to design an exclusive line of wall-art canoe paddles. The decorative paddles are crafted from solid cherry wood sourced from Northern Ontario and hand-finished in Toronto. On sale through eBay from June 21 to July 19, the proceeds of paddle sales went to the Canadian Canoe Foundation.

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TIMBER MART has announced the addition of Gary Barrault, commodity trader, to its lumber trading team in the Prairies. Reporting to John Morrissey, VP of distribution and trading, Barrault will be responsible for trading oriented strand board, plywood, spruce and commodity products, as well as developing TIMBER MART’s pressure-treated lumber programs in the Prairie provinces. Barrault has more than 25 years of experience in the building material industry, and a variety of operations and retail management positions under his belt with organizations such as North American Lumber.

Concrete maker Permacon has named Louis-Philippe Gauthier as its director of sales, alternative masonry and retail. Though his specialty is land development, Gauthier also has nearly a decade of experience in construction. He joined Permacon at the beginning of 2014 as Ottawa region sales rep. In his new role, he will oversee sales of alternative masonry products and retail sales for Ottawa, Quebec and the Maritimes.

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CLASSIFIED ADS

Key Account Manager-Ontario
King Marketing is a national manufacturer’s agency focused on representing leading brands in the hardware and home improvement industry.  We have an immediate opening for a Key Account Manager in Ontario. The successful candidate will report to the National Sales Manager.

Responsibilities include:

• Selling our represented manufacturer’s products to national and regional accounts based in Ontario.
• Developing trusting relationships with buyers and assistants.
• Expanding product listings, suggesting promotional items.

• Prospecting and soliciting new customers.
• Working with distributors and distributor representatives.
• Participating in the planning and execution of customer trade shows.
• Reporting all activities through an on-line reporting system.
• Meeting sales targets.

Requirements

• Experience in the hardware and home improvement sector as a key account manager.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with aptitude in building relationships.
• Self-Starter with excellent organizational skills.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive salary including bonus plan.
• Comprehensive health plan.
• Car allowance & gas card.

Send resume and cover letter to stephaniek@kingmkt.com

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Westman Steel Industries is one of Canada’s largest manufacturers of steel roofing and siding products. Westman Steel Industries is a member of The WGI Westman Group, a dynamic entrepreneurial group of companies who values safety, health, community, relationships, growth and fiscal responsibility.
Westman Steel Industries has the following career opportunity in Langley, BC:

GENERAL MANAGER

The General Manager leads a team of production and sales employees in the manufacturing and supply of steel roofing and siding products to the B.C. market. The successful candidate will plan, organize, direct, control, and evaluate the process activities of Production, Customer Service, and Shipping and Receiving staff. Oversees the entire manufacturing process which includes: production and operations management, human resource management and health and safety.

Westman Steel provides a competitive total rewards package including professional growth, career development and continuous learning. The company offers excellent benefits and a deferred profit sharing plan. Interested candidates can apply by visiting https://www.indeedjobs.com/westman-steel-industries/jobs/d5d8013ea3909b6a5357

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July 16, 2018 Volume

xxiv, #28

“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.”
―Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German poet, playwright, scientist and statesman, 1749-1832)

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B.C. industry celebrates 80 years with gala dinner and Orion awards presentation

HARRISON HOT SPRINGS, B.C. – Dealers and suppliers from the home improvement industry in British Columbia gathered last week for a gala bash to celebrate their association’s 80th anniversary. The Building Supply Industry Association of B.C. (BSIA) hosted a roomful of members to visit table-top displays, network and celebrate award-winning companies and individuals.

Thomas Foreman, president of the BSIA, talked about the early years of the association as dealers banded together to manage pricing for lumber and building materials. He then took time to mention the latest initiatives his association is pursuing in partnership with other associations in the country. Four of the country’s regional building supply associations have joined to address concerns common to the entire industry across the country. Under the umbrella of the Building Material Council of Canada (BMCC), the groups are tackling the need for advocacy in Ottawa to get in front of politicians on issues such as tariffs and duties.

Another key initiative is to attract talented workers to the building materials industry, on the part of both the retailers and their suppliers. To that end, Foreman said, BMCC has launched a job board to help dealers find employees. “We have an employment crisis. It’s so serious we didn’t know what to do. So we started a career website nationally.”

Business leader and entrepreneur Peter Legge, chairman and CEO the magazine publishing company Canada Wide Media, was the keynote speaker, sharing his thoughts and inspiration for being a great leader.

The evening was capped by the presentation of the association’s Orion Awards, which acknowledge excellence among dealers and suppliers during the past year. This year’s winners were:

• urban hardware or rural lumber yard―Black Creek Farm & Feed Supply in Black Creek;
• contractor yard―Northcoast Building Products in Surrey;
• building supply centre (mini big box)―Mack Foster Building Materials RONA in Richmond;
• finishing and specialty products―Landscape Centre in Coquitlam;
• supplier―Taiga Building Products in Langley;
• salesperson―Ace Challes of Westform Metals;
• customer service―Marcus Kavanagh of Taiga Building Products in Langley.

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Hosted by its one West Coast member, TORBSA dealers gather in B.C. for AGM

WHITE ROCK, B.C. ― Members of TORBSA arrived last week in the town of White Rock, south of Vancouver, for the buying group’s annual general meeting, rounded out by a series of social events and golf. While the majority of TORBSA’s members are located in Ontario, it has one member, Crown Building Supplies, in nearby Surrey―reason enough, said Bob Holmes, general manager of TORBSA, for moving to the West Coast venue this year.

Gary Sangha, owner of Crown Building Supplies, and his wife Jas, acted as hosts for the group, which included about 80 dealers, vendors and their partners. During a welcome lunch, Holmes (shown centre), thanked Gary Sangha and Jas Sangha for their hospitality and their dedication to the business.

Crown is a ceiling and wallboard supplier that joined the group four years ago. Sangha said he really enjoys being part of the group. He was initially attracted by the “low overhead and the full transparency” with which it operates, especially after being a member of other groups in the past. “Yes,” he says, “we’re glad to be part of it; we’re very fortunate to be part of it.”

The TORBSA getaway continued to the end of last week with a golf tournament, a wine tour and a harbour dinner cruise.

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Kent opens a new flagship big box store in the Halifax market

DARTMOUTH, N.S. ― Kent Building Supplies has opened a new big box in the Halifax Regional Municipality at Dartmouth Crossing, according to the Halifax Herald. In addition, the company is reportedly going to invest in a major expansion of its location in Lower Sackville.

The new Dartmouth store opened its doors July 9, with a grand opening celebration this past weekend. Located next to the Halifax-area IKEA, the Kent outlet features 124,000 square feet of retail space and employs 120 people, a spokesperson for parent company J.D. Irving told the Herald. The opening reflects Kent’s return in recent years to the big box format. In July 2014, the company opened a 100,000-square-foot big box in Charlottetown, its first large-format store in Prince Edward Island and its first big box in almost two decades.

Kent originally opened seven big boxes in the mid-’90s to head off potential expansion by then-newcomer Home Depot, which was busy expanding in Central Ontario.

Kent is also making changes at other locations in the Halifax area. A former Kent store in Dartmouth, at Mic Mac Mall, is being converted into 110,000 square feet of office space, while the 30-year-old Lower Sackville location will be expanded by almost 14,600 square feet. Considered one of Kent’s smallest stores, it is currently 39,360 square feet in size. The expansion will include enlarging the parking lot and adding another entrance from the main road.

According to the Herald, Kent’s Russell Lake store in the Woodside area of Dartmouth will be left unchanged during all the expansion.

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With 100 RONA dealers now online, affiliates are catching up to corporate stores

BOUCHERVILLE, Que. — RONA announced that its e-commerce channel now includes 100 participating dealer stores, as it rolls out its Click and Collect service for customers who want to shop online through RONA.

Lowe’s Canada’s own big box Lowe’s stores have been operating in the digital space successfully for years, and RONA’s corporate stores, including its Reno-Depot chain, all offer Click and Collect, truck delivery and parcel delivery programs. But the acceptance by RONA’s affiliate dealers represents a big step by independents toward adapting to the realities of online retail.

RONA reached 100 stores participating online with the addition of the three RONA Bois Turcotte stores, located in Val-d’Or, Amos and Malartic, Que. “In 2018, e-commerce is indispensable, especially in regional markets, where our stores serve larger areas,” says Sylvie Turcotte, co-owner of the RONA Bois Turcotte stores. “In addition to being able to offer our current customers a wide range of products, we can now reach customers farther away.’’

RONA dealers are incorporating e-commerce in their everyday store operations, including RONA North Vancouver, where owner Bruce Allen has implemented a drive-through service for pickup of online orders. According to Allen, the support RONA has offered its affiliate dealers has been instrumental in helping independents like him up keep with digital sales―and not losing out on sales opportunities.

The program has had a direct impact on both sales and on the store’s culture. “You can’t help but be excited,” Allen says, “when you open the doors in the morning and see 10 to 12 internet orders that have come in overnight.” It’s important to respond quickly to these orders, he notes, as the online world brings a new kind of immediacy to his business. “You need to respond urgently, causing you to prioritize the selection of items and the ordering and delivery of items.”

And, like Sylvie Turcotte in Quebec, Allen now finds that his store is serving a customer base beyond its regular trading area.

Keeping the affiliate dealers up to speed with its online strategy means those stores fit better into the overall marketing that Lowe’s Canada is doing to support RONA’s online efforts. All RONA corporate stores are already on board, offering online purchases to their customers.

For example, the RONA corporate store in Surrey, B.C., in the community of Fleetwood, has a team of four that is devoted entirely to online order fulfilment. That team includes Sheralynn Joynt and Dinusha Mudunkotuwa (shown here). For orders up to a certain weight, they are shipped through Canada Post; and over that they go by Purolator. According to Adam Creelman, the interim manager of the store, the volume of ship-to-home sales is now exceeding that of the store’s regular deliveries.

Allen at the RONA North Vancouver store understands that the move to online is a big step for some dealers, but he believes it’s an important one. “You are either prepared to change and grow or you are relegated to just keep doing what you’ve always done,” he says.

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TIMBER MART has added a new procurement manager for Ontario. Aaron Gilmoure will be responsible for negotiating regional building material buying programs, assisting in the development and organization of TIMBER MART’s flyer program and national buying show, and supporting the buying group’s national network of hardware and building supply dealers. Gilmoure brings more than 20 years of experience in the building materials industry, having held sales and management positions on both the retail and vendor sides. Based out of TIMBER MART’s office in Vaughan, Ont., he reports directly to Randy Martin, vice-president of procurement for TIMBER MART.

Bob Fellows has joined Castle Building Centres Group as business development manager for the group’s Commercial Builders Supplies (CBS) division. Fellows was most recently at Crossroads C&I as regional director for Central and Eastern Canada. He replaces Ron Craighead, who had served as national business development manager for CBS for a decade.

Isolofoam Group has announced the addition of Robert Cardinal as part of its marketing and innovation team. Cardinal has been appointed technical expertise leader, bringing to the role more than 30 years’ experience in the construction products industry. An active participant in thermal insulation standards related activities since the mid-1980s, and a member of the Standing Committee on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, he has worked for different manufacturers of thermal insulation plastic foams. Prior to joining Isolofoam, he was construction and standards regulations specialist at BASF Canada. (rcardinal@isolofoam.com; 514-378-5014)

At Liteline Corporation, Salyna Nguyen has been promoted to director of marketing. She joined the company in 2017 as channel marketing manager – C&I North America. Prior to joining Liteline, Nguyen spent close to a decade as marketing manager for Allied Technical Solutions.

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CLASSIFIED ADS

Westman Steel Industries is one of Canada’s largest manufacturers of steel roofing and siding products. Westman Steel Industries is a member of The WGI Westman Group, a dynamic entrepreneurial group of companies who values safety, health, community, relationships, growth and fiscal responsibility.
Westman Steel Industries has the following career opportunity in Langley, BC:

GENERAL MANAGER

The General Manager leads a team of production and sales employees in the manufacturing and supply of steel roofing and siding products to the B.C. market. The successful candidate will plan, organize, direct, control, and evaluate the process activities of Production, Customer Service, and Shipping and Receiving staff. Oversees the entire manufacturing process which includes: production and operations management, human resource management and health and safety.

Westman Steel provides a competitive total rewards package including professional growth, career development and continuous learning. The company offers excellent benefits and a deferred profit sharing plan. Interested candidates can apply by visiting https://www.indeedjobs.com/westman-steel-industries/jobs/d5d8013ea3909b6a5357

_________________________________________________________________

FCL invites applications for the position of Category Manager – Building Products in the Home and Building Solutions department at Home Office in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Under the direction of the HABS Category Development Manager, this position is responsible to plan, develop and negotiate the programs and marketing strategies for the direct building product category. The Category Manager is responsible to search out opportunities allowing for increased sales, and margin for the CRS. This position is responsible to meet targeted financial objectives within their Business Category for the CRS. Approximate annual travel time 10% is required.

To see a full position description and to apply directly, please click the following link to be taken to our career page:  https://www.fcl.crs/careers/current-opportunities/job/HO-Category-Manager-Building-Products-R1

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July 9, 2018 Volume

xxiv, #27

“Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language”
―Henry James (American author, 1843-1916)

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Terry Davis’s pending retirement points to more changes at Home Hardware

ST. JACOBS, Ont. — The news that the head of Home Hardware Stores Ltd. will retire at the end of 2018 is very much in keeping with the rate of change the co-op has been undergoing in recent years.

Terry Davis announced last week his desire to retire later this year after nearly 50 years with the company, following the naming of a new CEO and a transition period as that replacement steps in.

He’s only the third CEO in more than half a century. Co-founder Walter Hachborn held that title for more than a quarter-century, until he was succeeded by Paul Straus in 1988. Straus turned over the CEO title to Davis four years ago, maintaining the president’s role until just two months ago.

Davis, 67, is a 48-year veteran of the company. He started in the warehouse in St. Jacobs, Ont., which to this day is the head office and distribution centre for the co-op retailer and the 1,000-plus dealers it serves. In 2010, he was appointed executive vice-president and COO, before becoming CEO in 2014.

He said from the start of his tenure at the helm that he was leading the company on a short-term basis, as Home Hardware positions itself for the future. Part of that realignment has included the appointment in 2016 of an outsider to a senior executive position, Rick McNabb. As VP marketing and sales, McNabb has been instrumental, under Davis’s direction, in a range of changes at the company. Now, as Home Hardware sits poised to embrace the digital future of retail, Davis is prepared to step aside.

“It has always been my plan since taking over as CEO in 2014, that I would help prepare Home Hardware for a new generation of leadership—one that can ensure our continued success in the decades ahead,” Davis said in a letter to  vendors that went out July 4.

Davis and the board of Home Hardware have been working for some time on succession planning and have recently engaged an executive search firm to assist with identifying the right person for the job. In the letter, he stated he doesn’t expect the pending change to be disruptive. “I wish to assure you that throughout this transition it will be business as usual.”

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Industry growing stronger than expected, says newest report from Hardlines

WORLD HEADQUARTERS, TORONTO — Canada’s retail home improvement industry grew at a healthier rate than anticipated in 2017 and business is expected to keep pace for most of 2018.

According to the 2018-2019 Hardlines Retail Report, sales by hardware stores, building centres and big boxes, Canadian Tire, and related sales by Walmart and Costco, were up 5.1% year over year in 2017. And while growth is forecast to moderate somewhat in 2018, the industry is expected to remain strong for the next two years.

This Report examines:

• why the big boxes have seen their share of the market slip in 2017;
• how building centres continue to maintain—and grow—their share of the business;
• which provinces and regions enjoyed growth, and which ones slipped;
• where Home Hardware is gaining market share—and at who’s expense;
• what Canadian Tire is doing to combat online threats like Amazon;
• where BMR is staking its growth in 2018 and beyond.

Offering a complete breakdown and analysis of Canada’s retail home improvement industry, the Hardlines Retail Report features in-depth analysis of the industry’s top players, including the market shares of the top 20 players, and sales and forecasts for Home Depot, Canadian Tire and Lowe’s Canada.

Carefully researched by the Editors of Hardlines, the 2018-2019 Hardlines Retail Report features in-depth analysis of the sales trends by region and by store format (big box, hardware store, building centre and Canadian Tire). This year’s Report also digs deep with important forecasts of sales growth by province and store format, as well as anticipated sales performance of the Top Four players.

Available in either PDF or handy PowerPoint format, the Report has 200 slides, dozens of charts and graphs, and more photos than ever before. (Click here for details and to order your Hardlines Retail Report now!)

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Lowe’s continues updating its RONA building centres with new format

ETOBICOKE, Ont. — The RONA store in the West end of Toronto has been converted to RONA’s new building centre model. The location, at 1170 Martin Grove Road, is actually the former head office and anchor store for the Lansing Buildall chain, which was an early—and major—acquisition by RONA as it expanded into Ontario and beyond in 2001.

Now, the store has undergone a major transformation, at a cost of more than $3 million. It’s the second RONA location in Ontario to be converted. Parent company Lowe’s Canada expects up to eight more stores to be refurbished by year’s end.

“The customer was at the centre of our thought process when developing the new RONA building centre model, which was designed with three goals in mind: better meet current needs and trends in home improvement, become a true one-stop-shop for our customers’ home improvement projects and enhance our offering for contractors and pros,” says Patrick Lapointe, divisional vice-president, RONA operations.

He points out that the store format is aimed at both DIYers and contractors, and “plays a key role in Lowe’s Canada’s growth strategy,” one that the company intends to keep investing heavily in as part of its growth strategy.

Keeping in mind the way homes are being designed and furnished—including open floor plans, bright lighting and plush outdoor spaces, the store reflects those changes in both its layout and product selection. The result is a brighter, less compartmentalized store, with entirely redesigned racking that has been lowered, except on the perimeter of the store, to allow customers a 360-degree view of the store at a glance. In addition, seasonal products have been moved up near the entrance and household appliances now have a prime location near the kitchen project section.

The new-look store is also designed to accommodate project sales, anything from a kitchen or bathroom remodel or roof repair to replacing doors and windows. Project sales are supported by services such as design consulting, 3D renderings and installation services.

Eventually, all RONA building centres will feature a kitchen section, which will be bigger or smaller depending on the size of the store.

Drawing on the store’s historical use as a distribution centre for the former Lansing Buildall stores across the Greater Toronto Area, the store will use its 130,000-square-foot warehousing area and a five-acre paved lumber yard as a central delivery hub for the 26 RONA stores in the GTA. It can house large quantities of products in key contractor categories such as roofing, drywall and insulation. This gives all 26 GTA RONA stores access to an overall wider product assortment and increased availability, therefore improving the level of service provided to all customers. This is especially effective for, and appreciated by, pro customers who must meet tight timelines when completing their projects. In peak season, the hub has over 30 delivery vehicles.

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Taiga expands wood treatment operations with acquisition of U.S. company

BURNABY, B.C. — Taiga Building Products Ltd., through a wholly owned subsidiary, has entered into a share purchase agreement with a U.S. treated-wood producer, Exterior Wood, Inc. Taiga will acquire all common shares of Exterior Wood for US$42 million ($55.2 million).

Exterior Wood has been operating a wood treatment facility and distribution centre in Washougal, Wash., since 1977, and services retail building supply centres throughout the western United States and Canada with a wide array of pressure treated products. The acquisition will expand Taiga’s existing wood treatment operations at three facilities in Canada, with additional penetration into the U.S. market.

“The acquisition of Exterior Wood and the expansion of our wood treatment business represents a significant step forward in our corporate strategy of pursuing value enhancing opportunities,” said Trent Balog, president and CEO of Taiga. He expects the new addition to integrate well with Taiga’s existing treated wood operations and expand its distribution reach.

The deal, which is expected to close by the end of this month, is subject to certain adjustments at closing of the acquisition in respect of working capital, cash and certain outstanding indebtedness. The acquisition has been structured to close on a cash-free, debt-free basis.

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CLASSIFIED ADS

FCL invites applications for the position of Category Manager – Building Products in the Home and Building Solutions department at Home Office in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Under the direction of the HABS Category Development Manager, this position is responsible to plan, develop and negotiate the programs and marketing strategies for the direct building product category. The Category Manager is responsible to search out opportunities allowing for increased sales, and margin for the CRS. This position is responsible to meet targeted financial objectives within their Business Category for the CRS. Approximate annual travel time 10% is required.

To see a full position description and to apply directly, please click the following link to be taken to our career page:  https://www.fcl.crs/careers/current-opportunities/job/HO-Category-Manager-Building-Products-R1

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IN-STORE MERCHANDISER (#865)
About Home Hardware Stores Limited
Home Hardware Stores Limited is Canada’s largest Dealer-owned cooperative with close to 1,100 Stores and annual retail sales of over $6 billion.
Located near Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Home Hardware remains 100% Canadian owned and operated.  Home hardware has received designations as one of Canada’s Best Cultures and Best Managed Companies and is committed to providing local communities with superior service and quality advice.
Responsible to the Store Design Merchandising & Systems Supervisor for assisting Dealers improve store appearance and profitability, through effective merchandising and display.
Assist Home Dealers with Merchandising Product and Installation of Displays and Shelving, focusing on current Merchandising Technique and Programs.
Help with the flow of information between Dealers and Home Office with respect to product mix, display and assortment.
Make onsite recommendations and modifications to the merchandising plan as required.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Extensive travel required – away from home for several weeks at a time.
Valid Driver’s license required.
Secondary School Diploma or equivalent with post-secondary courses in business an asset.
Effective communication, both verbal and written, with Home Dealers & Home Staff.
Retail experience (hardware or building supplies) is a preferred asset.
Must live near an international airport or be within commuting distance to St. Jacobs.
Fluency in both English and French would be an asset.

Interested applicants, please submit your resume to Dayna Weber, Recruitment, Human Resources at hr@homehardware.ca.
Full posting available at www.homehardware.ca.
Phone: 519-664-4975
34 Henry St W, St. Jacobs, ON, N0B 2N0

*While we appreciate all applications received, only those to be interviewed will be contacted.
We will accommodate the needs of qualified applicants on request under the Human Rights Code in all parts of the hiring process

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July 2, 2018 Volume

xxiv, #26

“Wisdom outweighs any wealth.”
—Sophocles (Ancient Greek playwright, 496 B.C.-406 B.C.)

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Doug Skrepnek: expect more consolidation from Titan in Canada

VAUGHAN, Ont. — WSB Titan is on an acquisition trail. And it’s not being shy about using the Titan name, which refers to the three commercial dealers that came together originally to form Titan. They are Shoemaker in the West, Watson in Ontario, and Beauchesne in Quebec.

Titan is now part of GMS, a giant commercial drywall operation out of the U.S. GMS acquired Titan for US$627 million ($800 million) in a deal that closed early last month. The U.S. parent has been actively buying up business in the U.S., including Grabber Construction Products in the San Francisco area and CMH Distributing in Nebraska in April 2018. With the Titan acquisition here, GMS intends to keep looking for new acquisition opportunities in Canada.

The latest addition to Titan is a new outlet for its commercial roofing business, BC Ceiling Systems, which was acquired in 2015. The store in Langley, B.C., was not named BCCS, but called “Titan”. It’s part of a plan to expand the Titan name among commercial customers while infilling various markets. BCCS also has locations in Richmond and Vancouver. “We’re one branch away from saying we’ve got the Lower Mainland well served,” Skrepnek says.

But don’t expect Titan’s legacy businesses, Shoemaker, Titan, and Beauchesne, to change their names. “It would be foolish to get rid of the names that built the gypsum drywall business in this country.”

On the retail side, Titan’s ownership of Slegg Building Materials, a major dealer on Vancouver Island, with a dozen locations, is also shoring up its brand power. Titan bought up Dodd’s Lumber last year, another yard on Vancouver Island, in Duncan, and that was renamed a Slegg yard, Skrepnek notes.

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UFA focuses on upgrading its back-end systems with new ERP

CALGARY ― UFA has been making a lot of changes at the store level with the refit of its Farm & Ranch Supply stores, but changes are going on behind the scenes, as well. The company has invested heavily in a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform.

The system, which will effectively tie in all the company’s various systems―including purchasing, inventory, and order processing―is replacing an existing POS system.

According to Glenn Bingley, COO of retail operations at UFA, the move signifies a big change for the company, and one whose time has come. “It is replacing some really aged technology,” he says.

Along with its lucrative petroleum business, United Farmers of Alberta has an agribusiness division. That business is represented mainly by 35 UFA Farm & Ranch Supply stores throughout Alberta, through which the co-op also drives its commercial agriculture side. Bingley oversees this division, and has been working with his teams to fine-tune assortments, update merchandising, and develop smarter relationships with vendors. Now he’s focusing, along with Mark DiGioacchino, UFA’s director of merchandising, on the back end, as well.

Using the Microsoft Dynamic 365 platform, the company is currently rolling this out to the retail and commercial division that Bingley oversees. He expects it to be completed during the next 16 months.

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eRetailer Summit seen as a valuable way to stay ahead of the online competition

CHICAGO ― The annual Home Improvement eRetailer Summit is less than six months away, and leading dealers registered to attend are already anticipating its benefits.

The third annual Home Improvement eRetailer Summit will be held November 7 to 9 at the Hotel Monaco in Chicago. It is a unique event that provides delegates with insights into all aspects of e-commerce. Presenters include leaders from the worlds of manufacturing, distribution, and online retailing, as well as service providers and business media.

“The eRetailer Summit provides an ideal forum to share key insights and trends that are evolving within the home improvement landscape,” says Alyssa Steele, VP of merchandising for eBay (shown here), who will be going for the second time. “As the lines of offline and online commerce continue to blur, it’s important for manufacturers and retailers to ensure an effective distribution strategy within today’s competitive environment.”

Jim Carpenter, director of marketing for Curtis Lumber, a 21-yard LBM dealer based in Ballston Spa, N.Y., says he’s looking forward to attending his first Summit, “to better understand how our regional, family-owned company can transition into integrated retail and grow for the future.”

“This Summit was designed to help the entire home improvement retail channel focus on understanding the internet as a distribution channel, and to become more competitive by understanding and capturing the growth opportunity of Home Improvement ecommerce,” says Sonya Ruff Jarvis, the event’s founder and organizer. It will be held this year from November 7 to 9 at the Hotel Monaco in Chicago.

(For more information about the Summit, click here, or contact Sonya directly at sonya@eretailersummit.com.)

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Dealers selling online must blend e-commerce with a solid in-store experience

SPECIAL REPORT — There are few innovations that have changed retail as radically as the invention of the internet. The digital revolution, the shift from analog to electronic technology, was intended to create a “better tomorrow”. But who is benefitting from these changes?

What’s changed with online shopping, and the proliferation of access to smartphones and mobile technology, isn’t just the ways people shop, but what they’re looking for when they make a purchase. As John Williams, a senior partner at J.C. Williams Group, puts it, “it’s the most disruptive time to be in business, ever.”

“This has dramatic implications for your brand strategy and your product architecture,” says Williams. “You can’t serve this market with one product. There are huge gaps and shifts going on in the marketplace.”

Home Hardware saw that shift in the marketplace and, in response, turned its marketing strategy completely on its head. Rick McNabb, VP of marketing and sales for Home Hardware Stores Ltd., says when he was hired for the position, he looked at the strategy Home had been using for a long time and felt some aspects of it were too clinical.

Hoping to appeal to a younger demographic, Home Hardware launched a new marketing campaign, “Here’s How”, which shifts the focus from Home’s traditional product-centred commercials to projects big and small.

“We think it’s relevant to all targets, and particularly millennials, where they need help,” says McNabb. “Projects can be inherently personal; they can be emotional. They provide a sense of accomplishment. We really felt our sweet spot with Home Hardware is that we’re where expertise meets humanity.”

McNabb says Home Hardware is backing up the new marketing approach with an updated website, which was launched this spring. “We’ve made a significant investment there. We’re really excited to get that rolled out.” At this point, the company has a ship-to-store capability that has been working very well, but Home Hardware is also looking into being able to ship to home by the end of the year.

(This is an excerpt of a larger feature that appears in the current edition of our sister publication, Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly. HHIQ is mailed to 11,000 dealers, owners, and managers. Click here to get your own subscription today!)

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CLASSIFIED ADS

IN-STORE MERCHANDISER (#865)
About Home Hardware Stores Limited
Home Hardware Stores Limited is Canada’s largest Dealer-owned cooperative with close to 1,100 Stores and annual retail sales of over $6 billion.
Located near Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Home Hardware remains 100% Canadian owned and operated.  Home hardware has received designations as one of Canada’s Best Cultures and Best Managed Companies and is committed to providing local communities with superior service and quality advice.
Responsible to the Store Design Merchandising & Systems Supervisor for assisting Dealers improve store appearance and profitability, through effective merchandising and display.
Assist Home Dealers with Merchandising Product and Installation of Displays and Shelving, focusing on current Merchandising Technique and Programs.
Help with the flow of information between Dealers and Home Office with respect to product mix, display and assortment.
Make onsite recommendations and modifications to the merchandising plan as required.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Extensive travel required – away from home for several weeks at a time.
Valid Driver’s license required.
Secondary School Diploma or equivalent with post-secondary courses in business an asset.
Effective communication, both verbal and written, with Home Dealers & Home Staff.
Retail experience (hardware or building supplies) is a preferred asset.
Must live near an international airport or be within commuting distance to St. Jacobs.
Fluency in both English and French would be an asset.

Interested applicants, please submit your resume to Dayna Weber, Recruitment, Human Resources at hr@homehardware.ca.
Full posting available at www.homehardware.ca.
Phone: 519-664-4975
34 Henry St W, St. Jacobs, ON, N0B 2N0

*While we appreciate all applications received, only those to be interviewed will be contacted.
We will accommodate the needs of qualified applicants on request under the Human Rights Code in all parts of the hiring process

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June 25, 2018 Volume

xxiv, #25

“Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
—Samuel Beckett (Irish novelist, playwright and poet, 1906-1989)

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Home Hardware makes big gains in Quebec with new dealer members

ST. JACOBS, Ont. ― With more than 1,000 stores spread across every province and territory, Home Hardware Stores Limited is well represented in the Canadian marketplace. However, it has traditionally been under-represented in Canada’s second-largest province.

But that’s changing.

In the first half of 2018, the co-op more than doubled last year’s growth of Quebec store conversions. Year to date, it has welcomed eight new stores into the fold, for a total of 133 stores in the province. The latest additions include L.D. Roy, Sainte-Perpétue; Riopel Centre de Rénovation, Sainte-Adèle; and Nemaska Home Hardware in Nemaska.

Another five locations belong to one dealer, Groupe Turcotte, a home improvement and garden centre retailer based in Laval, with more than 200 employees. Turcotte also has a sixth store in Stittsville, Ont. It too has switched to a Home Hardware Building Centre.

The other Turcotte locations are Les Grands Jardins de Laval, Laval; Les Vivaces Plus, Blainville; Quincaillerie Côte des Neiges, Montréal; Quincaillerie Latendresse, Pointe-aux-Trembles; and Quincaillerie Parc & Bernard, also in Montreal. The grand openings at these Turcotte stores are planned for September 2018.

Quebec, which represents slightly more than one-fifth of retail home improvement sales in Canada (source: the 2018 Hardlines Retail Report—your ever-helpful Editor) had just 125 Home Hardware stores at the end of 2017, representing about 12% of Home’s locations. These latest conversions reflect years of investment in the Quebec market that have seen dealer numbers there increase dramatically. That initiative was spearheaded by Dunc Wilson when he joined Home a decade ago to lead dealer development nationally.

“We want to welcome our new dealers into the Home Hardware family,” says Wilson. “This growth represents further evidence of our interest to growing our presence in Quebec and we look forward to continuing to serve these communities.”

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Peavey adds stores in Manitoba and Alberta, with more locations planned

RED DEER, Alta. — Peavey Industries continues to add stores through 2018. It opened its 38th Peavey Mart store in the Pembina Highway area of Winnipeg in January, with a grand opening sale in March. The store, in a former Zellers location, comprises almost 33,000 square feet. This is the second Winnipeg location for Peavey, complementing the Nairn store on the city’s East Side. And it’s Peavey’s fifth in Manitoba, along with Brandon, Winkler, and Swan River.

To support these locations Peavey has invested in a key interactive sponsorship of the Red River Exhibition, in addition to several community sponsorships in other Manitoba markets.

Peavey’s most recent opening, and its 39th Peavey Mart, opened in Sherwood Park, Alta., in April, with a grand opening in early June. The new 29,000 square foot store features tweaks to the merchandise assortment and placement that included relocating the pet and birding sections toward the front of the store, complete with new graphics.

Later in 2018, Peavey will add 10,000 square feet to its existing location in Humboldt, Sask., a project approved in early 2018. In addition to its wide market area in the centre of the province, Humboldt is the centre of the province’s fast-growing sheep industry. That expansion is expected to be finished by Christmas.

Also in Saskatchewan, the Peavey Mart in Kindersley will move to an expanded location vacated by a Home Hardware. The new 40,000-square-foot space will be renovated and is expected to be open this fall. (Photo: Drew Kenworthy)

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Reorg at Hardlines puts Katherine Yager in operations role

WORLD HEADQUARTERS, Toronto — Continuing our reorganization at Hardlines Inc., we are pleased to announce the appointment of Katherine Yager as Vice President of Operations. This promotion follows on the previously announced departure of Beverly Allen, Publisher and Partner, who is retiring effective July 1.

Katherine has been with Hardlines full-time for five and a half years. Formerly Marketing Director for Hardlines, she has grown her role over time, managing all sides of company’s day-to-day activities, including the Hardlines Conference, website, reports, and research.

In her new role, she will use the skills she honed as Marketing Director with her background in business to oversee the company’s finances, budget, and cash flow, and work with the Hardlines Team to develop new products and services to better serve the retail Home improvement industry.

Katherine’s experience combines well with her education, which includes a Masters of Arts in Political Science from York University and a Business Administration Certificate from George Brown College. In her spare time, Katherine is an avid ultramarathon runner who recently finished her first 100-mile race.

With her strengths in planning, evaluating, and keeping projects on budget and on time, Katherine will be a valuable part of Hardlines’ growth in coming years.

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M-D ramps up inventory, sales after RCR acquisition

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Following the acquisition in March of the assets of Boucherville, Que.-based RCR International, M‐D Building Products, Inc. has been busy relocating inventory from RCR’s Boucherville warehouse to M-D’s facilities in Mississauga, Ont.

M-D also purchased the assets of RCR’s Chicago‐based wholly‐owned subsidiary, W.J. Dennis. RCR and W.J. Dennis produced weather‐stripping, insulation components, screening, snow brushes, squeegees, and other hardware and seasonal products for the retail market in North America. M-D took over about 1,000 SKUs in total.

M-D is keeping RCR’s well-known Climaloc brand, but will, over time, add the M-D brand on packaging, to read “Climaloc by M-D”. The company is trying to minimize the impact on its retail customers, says Joe Comitale, president of M‐D Canada. “We’re maintaining the product and UPC codes to make it easy to convert to the new lines.”

Comitale points out that the time to ship weather-stripping products is August and September, “But we’ll be in position by the middle of July,” he notes. “We are fully operational. We expect to have full inventory in 30 days.”

The company is not just focused on the product side. “We’re shifting our resources and adding people, mostly on the sales side, to make sure we’re serving our customers properly.”

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CLASSIFIED ADS

Sales Territory Managers | Atlantic Canada

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 Canada. If you are a motivated and highly organized team player then we want 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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COMMODITY TRADER (#765ON)

About Home Hardware Stores Limited
Home Hardware Stores Limited is Canada’s largest Dealer-owned cooperative with close to 1,100 Stores and annual retail sales of over $6 billion.

Located near Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Home Hardware remains 100% Canadian owned and operated.  Home hardware has received designations as one of Canada’s Best Cultures and Best Managed Companies and is committed to providing local communities with superior service and quality advice.

Responsible to the Commodity Manager for:

Marketing Wood Products to targeted Dealers.

Contacting vendors for up-to-date prices and trends. Providing analysis and input to Commodity Manager, determining when the time is right to buy.

Providing input on Block Buys and Commodity Offerings.

Advising Home LBM Dealers on market conditions and assisting them in making buying decisions.

Purchasing lumber and sheet goods on behalf of the Home Hardware LBM Dealers in Ontario.

Purchasing lumber, sheet goods and allied products for the Kitchener LBM Distribution Centre.

Making outgoing sales calls to Dealers.

Inputting purchase orders and other records as required. Creating and running reports as required.

Qualifications:

Secondary School Diploma or equivalent with post-secondary courses in business and negotiation.
Five to ten years of retail and/or wholesale business experience.
Full knowledge of softwood lumber products.  Strong Eastern and Western mill connections essential.
Ability to analyze economic reports, commodity reports and information received from various industry sources, including those generated internally.
Highly motivated and able to problem solve.

Interested applicants, please submit your resume to Dayna Weber, Recruitment, Human Resources at hr@homehardware.ca.
Full posting available at www.homehardware.ca.
Phone: 519-664-4975
34 Henry St W, St. Jacobs, ON, N0B 2N0

*While we appreciate all applications received, only those to be interviewed will be contacted.

We will accommodate the needs of qualified applicants under the Human Rights Code in all parts of the hiring process.

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June 18, 2018 Volume

xxiv, #24

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (American essayist, philosopher, and poet, 1803-1882)

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CertainTeed Gypsum Canada’s latest suit targets 54-inch drywall dumping

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. ― CertainTeed Gypsum Canada has filed an anti-dumping “retardation” complaint against U.S. importers of 54-inch wide drywall into Western Canada. This is the second drywall case filed with the Canada Border Services Agency in recent years. Last year, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) validated CertainTeed’s first anti-dumping complaint against U.S. importers of 48-inch wide board in Western Canada, resulting in duties at levels ranging from 94.6% to 324.1%.

Now CertainTeed contends that the same thing is happening with 54-inch drywall. The suit claims that U.S. manufacturers are selling into the Western market at prices substantially below what they charge to their domestic U.S. customers. This practice “is preventing the company from investing in domestic 54-inch manufacturing capability by suppressing 54-inch prices,” says CertainTeed in a release. “This market suppression is destroying the economic viability of, and thus ‘retarding’, any 54-inch manufacturing investment in Western Canada.” Because 54-inch drywall was not included in the 2016 claim, dumping continued―and even increased, says CertainTeed―since that time.

“U.S. dumping of 54-inch drywall in Western Canada, is distorting the Western Canadian drywall market, and preventing new investments and jobs,” says Matt Walker, CEO of CertainTeed Canada. “We believe we have a very strong case that will restore free and fair trade and create new jobs in Western Canada.”

CertainTeed says the 2016 complaint and resulting duties have had a positive impact on Western Canadian 48-inch wide drywall manufacturing, even though the Minister of Finance has implemented a duty remission of 32.17%. This reduces the calculated dumping duty levels and allows U.S. importers to keep selling 48-inch drywall in Western Canada. CertainTeed Gypsum Canada says this has resulted in a continued price impact from U.S. dumping, although at a lesser level. As a result, the company says it has been able to rehire plant shifts that were cut over recent years due to the dumping injury, and has increased staff at its three Western drywall plants, in Vancouver, Calgary, and Winnipeg.

CertainTeed, headquartered in Malvern, Penn., is a subsidiary of the French building materials giant Saint-Gobain.

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Knauf’s $7 billion acquisition of USG promises continued support of North America

IPHOFEN, Germany & CHICAGO — Building materials maker Knauf is buying all outstanding shares of drywall and ceiling products maker USG for $44 per share in a deal that will total $7 billion, but promises good news for the Canadian operations. A family-owned business based in Germany, Knauf operates 220 factories worldwide with revenue in excess of $8 billion.

Knauf did not have to arrange any financing for this. The transaction will be financed from existing cash and committed debt financing. It expects the deal to close early in 2019.

USG will continue to be managed locally in the U.S. as Knauf intends to maintain USG’s existing corporate headquarters in Chicago and its facilities in North America. Those facilities include its Canadian operations, CGC, based in Mississauga, Ont. According to a joint release announcing the takeover, Knauf plans to make significant long-term investments in those operations.

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Hardlines’ Publisher Beverly Allen to retire

SPECIAL REPORT — Beverly Allen is retiring. A fixture at Hardlines Inc. for more than two decades, Beverly came aboard in the company’s second year to take over managing the company, securing its solid financial footing that ensured the years of growth to come.

Within a few short years, she expanded her talents to manage sales for the HARDLINES newsletter, annual conference, a growing online presence, and a new magazine, Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly. As publisher, with business partner Michael McLarney, she guided the company to become the trusted voice of the industry for retailers and suppliers alike.

As part of Hardlines’ efforts to get out and be an active part of Canada’ home improvement industry, Beverly became a familiar face at events, stores, and shows across the country. But she also developed many important relationships with industry leaders around the world, from the European retail federation to the French manufacturers’ association and the Lowe’s International buying team. She managed to do all this as a woman in an industry where women were scarce. Her profile as a well-known spokesperson for this industry made her a mentor for many other women entering the industry behind her.

Beverly has always been able to combine her business skills with the vision of a true artist. In fact, she has degrees in both fine arts and in commerce. Not only could she determine the fiscal viability of new projects, she was an integral part of honing and cultivating those projects at the creative level.

Now, she is taking that creative side and investing in it in her retirement. Beverly has been developing a career in the arts as an artist and painter. In her new pursuit, she has quickly demonstrated the same skill and talent she had for steering the ship at Hardlines. She’s already had her work displayed in shows in Toronto, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Berlin.

We’re grateful for all Beverly has done for Hardlines and for the industry, and wish her the best in her next chapter. Her last day will be June 26. You can reach her by email until then or on her cell: 647-880-4589.

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When it comes to e-commerce, what do consumers expect from independents?

SPECIAL REPORT — Home improvement dealers say their customers are asking for ways to complete their transactions online. According to a survey by the North American Retail Hardware Association, ship-to-home is something many retailers are working towards offering, but the option to buy online, pick up in store is still important, says Dan Tratensek, EVP of publishing at the NRHA.

Consumers have also expressed that they would like online access to real-time information on product availability in the store. They still want to visit the store, where they can get feedback and advice on their projects, but they don’t want to waste a trip if what they’re looking for isn’t in stock. And the other features they’re looking for are more complete product information and reviews.

Tratensek says your web presence doesn’t have to be the most cutting edge. In fact, some consumers appreciate that their local retailer isn’t as slick or high-tech as the bigger chains or corporate stores. But dealers still need to make that effort to listen to what their customers are looking for and do their best to deliver on that. It’s just part of how customer service has evolved with the internet; the retail experience now begins before customers even walk into the store.

“It’s great to see that 96% of independent retailers have established a web presence, but like when you plant a garden, you can’t just plant the garden and walk away,” says Tratensek. “You have to nurture it and cultivate it if you want it to continue to yield for you.”

Tratensek has been confirmed to present again at this year’s Hardlines Conference. He will report on the latest research by NRHA on the trends and business conditions affecting independent dealers in North America. For more information about the 23rd annual Hardlines Conference, at Queen’s Landing in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., click here.

(NRHA is represented in Canada by Hardlines. One of the key benefits of membership is the product knowledge training programs for employees. Training programs are available in core hardware and building materials categories. For more information on the NRHA, please click here.)

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Tom Bell has joined the Sexton Group as business development manager, Western Canada. In his new position, he will work to identify and develop strategic partnerships and generate growth opportunities in the Winnipeg-based buying group’s member and vendor communities. Bell brings 30-plus years of experience in wholesale, distribution, buying group, and retail home improvement environments, most recently as an independent retailer with Jeni’s Food and Hardware in LaSalle, Man. Prior to opening his own business, Bell worked at MacMillan Bloedel, North American Lumber, and even had a stint in his early career years with Sexton. He is also an active member of the Western Retail Lumber Association. (bell@sextongroup.com)

Anthony Snell has been named general manager of Coast Distributors (Nanaimo) Ltd. He will assume his new responsibilities on July 9 and will succeed Brad McCluskie, owner and general manager. Snell brings years of experience on the purchasing side, having been employed with Petcetera before coming to Coast two years ago. Since then, he has expanded Coast’s import business and expanded the marketing department. With Snell taking over day-to-day duties, McCluskie will take the opportunity get back on the road, building the business and meeting with customers.

A number of management changes have taken place at Ply Gem, following the $2.4 billion buyout of the window, door, and siding company at the beginning of 2018 by San Francisco-based private equity investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. Gone are Michael Slapman, SVP finance; Tara Kelly, VP of HR; John Vukanovich, VP marketing; Ron Plant, Ontario sales manager; and Rosemary Fernandes-Walker, national sales manager, retail.

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CLASSIFIED ADS

TIMBER MART is looking for a Sales Development Agent based in Langley, BC who will play an integral role in the following areas that support our dealers and customers:

* Establish and build strong relationships with our dealers and customers

* Promote the purchase and utilization of our products and services

* Actively pursue new business opportunities and strengthen our current ones

* Work with our sales team to meet and exceed monthly sales initiatives

* Conduct sales calls and store visits

* Communicate customer concerns, questions and ideas clearly

* Review monthly sales reports to identify opportunities

Qualifications:

* A minimum of 3 to 5 years’ experience in the building material industry

* Competency in Microsoft Office and basic computer skills

* A valid driver’s license and a clean abstract

* Business to Business (B2B) sales experience

* Purchasing experience

* Specific knowledge of the lumber and panel market

* Post-secondary education or equivalent experience

* Formal sales training

If you are a motivated team player who is looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity, please forward your resume to hr@timbrmart.com.

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COMMODITY TRADER (#765ON)

About Home Hardware Stores Limited
Home Hardware Stores Limited is Canada’s largest Dealer-owned cooperative with close to 1,100 Stores and annual retail sales of over $6 billion.

Located near Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Home Hardware remains 100% Canadian owned and operated.  Home hardware has received designations as one of Canada’s Best Cultures and Best Managed Companies and is committed to providing local communities with superior service and quality advice.

Responsible to the Commodity Manager for:

Marketing Wood Products to targeted Dealers.

Contacting vendors for up-to-date prices and trends. Providing analysis and input to Commodity Manager, determining when the time is right to buy.

Providing input on Block Buys and Commodity Offerings.  

Advising Home LBM Dealers on market conditions and assisting them in making buying decisions.

Purchasing lumber and sheet goods on behalf of the Home Hardware LBM Dealers in Ontario.

Purchasing lumber, sheet goods and allied products for the Kitchener LBM Distribution Centre.

Making outgoing sales calls to Dealers.

Inputting purchase orders and other records as required. Creating and running reports as required.

Qualifications:

Secondary School Diploma or equivalent with post-secondary courses in business and negotiation.
Five to ten years of retail and/or wholesale business experience.
Full knowledge of softwood lumber products.  Strong Eastern and Western mill connections essential.
Ability to analyze economic reports, commodity reports and information received from various industry sources, including those generated internally.
Highly motivated and able to problem solve.

Interested applicants, please submit your resume to Dayna Weber, Recruitment, Human Resources at hr@homehardware.ca.
Full posting available at www.homehardware.ca.
Phone: 519-664-4975
34 Henry St W, St. Jacobs, ON, N0B 2N0

*While we appreciate all applications received, only those to be interviewed will be contacted.

We will accommodate the needs of qualified applicants under the Human Rights Code in all parts of the hiring process.

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June 11, 2018 Volume

xxiv, #23

 “Fortune knocks but once, but misfortune has much more patience.”
— Laurence Peter (Canadian educator and management theorist who gave us the Peter Principle, 1919-1990)

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Top online sellers added to speaker roster for 23rd annual Hardlines Conference

WORLD HEADQUARTERS, Toronto — Three powerhouse sessions have been added to the 2018 Hardlines Conference, finalizing the roster of top-level speakers who will present at this national forum on November 13 and 14 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.

Ace Hardware in the U.S. made news last fall when it invested as the majority shareholder of an online retailer, The Grommet. Why would a dealer-owned co-op hardware chain, with deep roots in bricks and mortar, choose to buy a company that exists solely online? Delegates at the conference will hear from The Grommet’s co-founder and CEO, Jules Pieri. Under her guidance, The Grommet has launched more than 2,800 consumer products since 2008.

Anthony Stokan is a familiar name to past conference attendees. And no wonder: Stokan represents one of the keenest retail minds in the country. His firm, Anthony Russell and Associates, has been a major consultancy to some of the most ambitious shopping centre developments and retail initiatives of the past 20 years. Stokan has agreed to join us this year for a “fireside chat” about the future of bricks and mortar, and particularly what role shopping centres, now under siege in the U.S., will play as retail grows into the online space.

Finally, we are very excited to have eBay Canada join us again this year. Closing out the 2018 Hardlines Conference, Robert Bigler, COO and director of product for eBay Canada, will present “Staying Competitive in the Age of e-Commerce”. He’ll provide an overview of the e-commerce and retail landscape, demonstrating how eBay is innovating to create new experiences that are relevant to both buyers and sellers. Most important, Bigler will examine how online marketplaces play into omni-channel sales strategies for traditional retailers looking for a competitive edge.

The Hardlines Conference will be held at Queen’s Landing in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., November 13 to 14. (Click here for more information about the 23rd annual Hardlines Conference.)

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Federated continues management re-org with promotion of Ron Healey as VP

SASKATOON — Federated Co-operatives Ltd. announced the appointment of Ron Healey as VP of agricultural and consumer business, effective July 3. He was formerly associate vice president.

In this new role, Healey will lead FCL Food, Crop Supplies, Fertilizer, Feed, and The Grocery People (TGP), while continuing to head up Home and Building Solutions. Healey began his career with Archer Daniels Midland Company as a grain merchandiser before joining FCL in 1998 as a retail sales coordinator in the Edmonton Region.

After taking a hiatus from the company to earn his MBA at the University of Alberta, he returned in 2002 as human resources manager for the Edmonton area. He moved to the company’s Saskatoon head office the following year, where he served in a series of roles, most recently as associate VP of ag and home.

The promotion comes less than a month after the appointment of Cody Smith to home and building solutions director, reporting to Healey. Smith has been with the co-op for the past 15 years in a variety of buyer roles, most recently as category development manager. He took over in his new position from Tony Steier, who retired at the end of April, after 40 years of service with the organization.

Federated Co-op is one of the Top 20 home improvement groups in Canada, with home improvement sales through its Co-op Home Centres exceeding half a billion dollars annually (source: the Hardlines Retail Report, being updated as we speak for release in just a couple of weeks. —Your ever-helpful Editor).

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Latest dealer conversions mark big wins for RONA as it ramps up recruitment efforts

NATIONAL REPORT — Recent announcements of the recruitment and expansion amidst its affiliated dealer base, along with new hires within its dealer development team, all point to a concerted effort by Lowe’s Canada to step up its dealer recruitment for its RONA banner.

Lowe’s Canada is currently hiring regional business development directors for every part of Canada:  Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic region. These reps will be charged with presenting the RONA and Ace banners as options for independents.

RONA’s approach to dealer affiliations tends to focus on larger retailers with multiple stores, which are willing to expand further, often with help from RONA itself. For example, RONA recently signed the five stores owned by Groupe Godin. Founded in 1979, Groupe Godin did belong to RONA before joining Castle Building Centres in 2010.

Quincaillerie Godin first opened in Namur, in the Outaouais region. Through expansion of existing stores and strategic acquisitions, including two Matériaux à Bas Prix stores in 2014, the chain has grown. Today, the company operates five home improvement centres, three of which are in Quebec and two in Ontario.

Insiders close to the deal indicated that RONA made a generous offer to bring Godin back into the fold. During the heydays of RONA’s expansion efforts under Robert Dutton in the early part of this century, some of the offers were legendary for their large size.

Late last year, Lowe’s Canada secured another affiliate dealer with multiple stores. Dennis Doidge, formerly with TIMBER MART, owns Doidge Building Centres Ltd. & Mahood Lumber Company Ltd., with six locations in Ontario. The stores range in size from 6,000 square feet to 16,000 square feet of retail with yards as big as 12 acres. Doidge cited a desire to expand his e-commerce business and the strength of RONA’s brand among his reasons for making the move.

The company has been actively working with existing affiliate dealers to expand and upgrade their stores. This spring, Vernon, B.C., and Leduc, Alta., were converted to RONA’s latest store format, and the company expects to convert eight more stores by year’s end. And most recently, Ray Cyr, president of Fraser Valley Building Supplies in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, completed a $3 million expansion of his store in Hope, B.C. That store had been a corporate RONA outlet until Cyr bought it in 2017.

Along with the RONA program, Lowe’s Canada has been actively recruiting dealers for its Ace banner. It’s typically offered as an option for smaller stores. They are primarily hardware stores, but many have building materials, as well. The most recent Ace recruit was a Co-op store in Owen Sound, Ont., which also represented a milestone for the banner as the 100th Ace store in Canada.

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Lowe’s shift from methylene chloride puts pressure on paint stripper makers

SPECIAL REPORT — Lowe’s has committed to stop selling paint solvents containing chemicals that have been linked to deaths. The company announced May 29 that, by the end of 2018, it would no longer sell paint strippers with methylene chloride and N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP).

Lowe’s already sells paint removal products that do not contain the chemicals, and “has plans to bring more options to consumers by year-end,” the company says. Since 1980, about 50 people in North America have died while using the product. The U.S. Environment Protection Agency proposed to prohibit the use of methylene chloride in paint removers in 2017, but later decided against a ban. The product is not banned in Canada, either.

Lowe’s Canada has confirmed that it “will indeed mirror Lowe’s efforts in the U.S. in phasing out paint removal products with the chemicals methylene chloride and NMP from its global product selection,” says Valérie Gonzalo, spokesperson for Lowe’s Canada.

The move has taken manufacturers by surprise. “Methylene chloride products are still safe to use, when taking necessary precautions,” says Sébastien Plourde, president of Super Remover in Granby, Que. His products, he notes, are clearly marked and instructions advise users to work in a well-ventilated environment.

For consumers, the stronger formulation of traditional strippers continues to be much more effective than more environmentally friendly alternatives. That alone may drive shoppers to other retailers besides Lowe’s.

Plourde says his company is “being proactive and is has been working closely with a university in the U.S. to introduce a new, safe product that is similar in strength to our product with methylene chloride.” He’s confident this new formulation will revolutionize the paint remover industry. However, final testing and processing of the new line is still some weeks out.
 
Nevertheless, Lowe’s Canada will go ahead with the move to eliminate products with methylene chloride. “Over the next few weeks, the products in inventory will progressively be removed from our shelves and we will update our planograms accordingly,” Gonzalo confirms.

“Lowe’s Canada currently has several paint remover alternatives without methylene chloride available today and has plans to bring more options to consumers by year-end.”

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TIMBER MART has promoted Alexandra Kazan, currently corporate messaging specialist, to the role of corporate communications manager. In addition to her current responsibilities of conducting media relations and producing corporate internal and external communications, Kazan will now manage and oversee all aspects of TIMBER MART’s communications and trade media advertising, including the media, messages, and strategies used by the organization. (Alexandra.Kazan@timbrmart.com)

At Empire Company Limited, with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sobeys Inc., Lyne Castonguay has been promoted to executive vice president, store experience, responsible for store operations, distribution centres, and customer satisfaction across Empire’s traditional grocery banners outside Quebec. She previously served as EVP of merchandising for Sobeys. Until 2016, when she joined Sobeys, Castonguay held progressively senior positions with The Home Depot both in Canada and the U.S. She reports to Empire President and CEO Michael Medline.

Marshall Croom, CFO of Lowe’s Cos., has announced he will retire as of October 5. A 21-year veteran of the company, he will stay on after that date while a replacement is named to help with the transition period.

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CLASSIFIED ADS

Sales Territory Managers | Atlantic Canada

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 Canada. If you are a motivated and highly organized team player then we want 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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TIMBER MART is looking for a Sales Development Agent based in Langley, BC who will play an integral role in the following areas that support our dealers and customers:

* Establish and build strong relationships with our dealers and customers

* Promote the purchase and utilization of our products and services

* Actively pursue new business opportunities and strengthen our current ones

* Work with our sales team to meet and exceed monthly sales initiatives

* Conduct sales calls and store visits

* Communicate customer concerns, questions and ideas clearly

* Review monthly sales reports to identify opportunities

Qualifications:

* A minimum of 3 to 5 years’ experience in the building material industry

* Competency in Microsoft Office and basic computer skills

* A valid driver’s license and a clean abstract

* Business to Business (B2B) sales experience

* Purchasing experience

* Specific knowledge of the lumber and panel market

* Post-secondary education or equivalent experience

* Formal sales training

If you are a motivated team player who is looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity, please forward your resume to hr@timbrmart.com.

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COMMODITY TRADER (#765ON)

About Home Hardware Stores Limited
Home Hardware Stores Limited is Canada’s largest Dealer-owned cooperative with close to 1,100 Stores and annual retail sales of over $6 billion.

Located near Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Home Hardware remains 100% Canadian owned and operated.  Home hardware has received designations as one of Canada’s Best Cultures and Best Managed Companies and is committed to providing local communities with superior service and quality advice.

Responsible to the Commodity Manager for:

Marketing Wood Products to targeted Dealers.

Contacting vendors for up-to-date prices and trends. Providing analysis and input to Commodity Manager, determining when the time is right to buy.

Providing input on Block Buys and Commodity Offerings.  

Advising Home LBM Dealers on market conditions and assisting them in making buying decisions.

Purchasing lumber and sheet goods on behalf of the Home Hardware LBM Dealers in Ontario.

Purchasing lumber, sheet goods and allied products for the Kitchener LBM Distribution Centre.

Making outgoing sales calls to Dealers.

Inputting purchase orders and other records as required. Creating and running reports as required.

Qualifications:

Secondary School Diploma or equivalent with post-secondary courses in business and negotiation.
Five to ten years of retail and/or wholesale business experience.
Full knowledge of softwood lumber products.  Strong Eastern and Western mill connections essential.
Ability to analyze economic reports, commodity reports and information received from various industry sources, including those generated internally.
Highly motivated and able to problem solve.

Interested applicants, please submit your resume to Dayna Weber, Recruitment, Human Resources at hr@homehardware.ca.
Full posting available at www.homehardware.ca.
Phone: 519-664-4975
34 Henry St W, St. Jacobs, ON, N0B 2N0

*While we appreciate all applications received, only those to be interviewed will be contacted.

We will accommodate the needs of qualified applicants under the Human Rights Code in all parts of the hiring process.

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June 4, 2018 Volume

xxiv, #22

 “I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.”
—Khalil Gibran (Lebanese novelist, poet and artist, 1883-1931)

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Hardware and home improvement retailers take honours at Retail Council awards

TORONTO — Home Depot President Jeff Kinnaird headed up a stellar roster of individuals and companies from the hardware and home improvement industry at last week’s Excellence in Retailing Gala. The event capped day one of the RCC’s annual convention, STORE. Kinnaird was selected as Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year.

“He’s a retailer through and through, doing what most great merchants do, starting out at the bottom and working his way through different roles,” said RCC President Diane Brisebois, in her remarks about Kinnaird. She described him as having a passion that spreads to his team and to the communities served by Home Depot stores. “And all this is done with humility and gratitude.”

Robin Lee, president and CEO of Lee Valley Tools, earned a Lifetime Achievement Award for the success and rich corporate culture that company has maintained since its inception in 1978.

Other winning companies included Canadian Tire, which was nominated in a number of categories, and earned top honours for both in-store merchandising and supply chain innovation. From Lowe’s Canada, Reno-Depot was nominated for the e-commerce experience, while its sister banner RONA won for mobile experience, thanks to the launch of a new, responsive website. “Offering a seamless, consistent, and transparent experience to our customers no matter when, where, and how they interact with us is what Lowe’s Canada’s omnichannel strategy is all about,” said Tanbir Grover, vice president, e-commerce and omnichannel at Lowe’s Canada, on the award.

Rounding out a strong showing by hardlines retailers in the evening’s awards, Federated Co-operatives was nominated in two categories, including best marketing strategy, and won for philanthropic leadership.

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UFA taps big box DNA to improve best practices, and sales are going up

CALGARY — One of the ways UFA has been able to get more in touch with store operations is through its field merchants. “They’re our eyes and ears in the stores,” says Glenn Bingley, They can identify everything from slow-selling merchandise in particular markets to community needs that a particular store could respond to. “We’ve been working very hard to fulfill those needs,” Bingley adds.

In fact, the use of field merchants reflects just one of the many best practices UFA has borrowed from the big box retailers. Bingley himself came over from Home Depot Canada seven years ago. There, he had served in a number of roles over 17 years with the big box retailer, ultimately as vice president of merchandising. Another big box alumnus, Mark DiGioacchino, was director of field merchandising at Home Depot Canada before moving to Lowe’s Canada. He has been at UFA for two years as director of merchandising.

“We learned a lot of strong retail fundamentals from the big box retailers,” Bingley admits. They include rigorous line reviews, better management of vendor relations to benefit both sides, and improved retail programs, with standardized assortments that vary only in size depending on the footprint of the store. The process, he says, has given UFA access to a broader range of new products and increased value for customers.

“That discipline is something Mark has been able to bring to his buying teams,” he says. “And ultimately we’re seeing improved sales.”

Bingley is confident the trend will continue. Despite the flat economy in Alberta, where most of UFA’s stores are located, the retail business was able to grow by just over 5%. And despite a slow start to 2018, something shared across the country, the year ahead looks good. “We’re very optimistic. We had a very, very strong 2017. The economy in Alberta is picking up.”

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Kohltech Windows awarded during transition to new branding

DEBERT, N.S. — Kohltech Windows & Entrance Systems has been recognized for overall business performance and sustained growth as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. The 2018 Best Managed program award winners are amongst the best-in-class of Canadian owned and managed companies with revenues over $15 million demonstrating strategy, capability, and commitment to achieve sustainable growth.

The growth and success of Kohltech, formerly Peter Kohler in the Atlantic provinces, continues to be driven by the culture of service the company was founded on. It has made consistent efforts to improve business practices in an increasingly complex industry, whether through its award winning “Best in Class” dealer software or through training programs. Customer loyalty and word of mouth have propelled the company from being a top regional brand towards becoming a top national brand over the last few years.

“We are incredibly grateful to be receiving this designation,” says Kevin Pelley, President of Kohltech Windows & Entrance Systems. “This accomplishment recognizes the hard work and dedication of our staff to serving our customers, to producing quality products, and to relentless innovation in windows and doors.”

Until recently, the company had operated under the Peter Kohler name in the Atlantic provinces and Kohltech outside of Atlantic Canada. The long-term plan has always been to trade under the Kohltech name once brand recognition was established.

The company plans to transition the Peter Kohler brand to Kohltech by promoting both brands in its messaging over the next eight months. An advertising campaign has already begun, showcasing the brand transition using TV and digital video advertisements shown across Atlantic Canada.

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Small town independent focuses squarely on farm and rural customers

CLARKSBURG, Ont. — James and Patricia Hindle of Hindle’s Clarksburg Hardware in Clarksburg, Ont., have been running their 2,000-square-foot small town hardware store for 46 years, and all without the benefit of kitchen and bath displays, doors and windows, or lumber and building materials.

“Lots of other stores carry those kinds of things, so we don’t think it makes any sense to fill the store up with products we can’t compete on,” says Hindle. “Instead, we focus on specializing in items those other stores don’t have.”

The Hindles’ store stocks all the items you would expect to find in a typical small hardware store—like basic plumbing and electrical supplies, housewares, hand tools, some paint, and seasonal items—but large sections of the store are devoted to products essential in their specific market. The town of Clarksburg is in a rural area of Central Ontario where orchards are common, and Hindle’s Hardware has carved out a niche as the go-to supplier for specialized tree pruning and horticulture tools.

“We have been importing specialized horticulture tools since the 1970s—from the U.S., France, Switzerland, and even Japan,” Hindle says. “Plus, we service and sharpen that equipment and carry the parts. We’ve sold equipment to orchards as far away as Nova Scotia and to forestry businesses in Quebec.”

Hindle’s also stocks a wide assortment of work gloves, clothing, and boots specifically for seasonal workers who come to the area to work at the local orchards. In addition, the store stocks a huge assortment of fasteners that are commonly found on agricultural vehicles and equipment, as well as a wide assortment of chains. Says Hindle: “Lots of our customers are farmers, and they know they can come here and get exactly what they need.”

(This is an excerpt of a larger feature that appears in the current edition of our sister publication, Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly. HHIQ is mailed to 11,000 dealers, owners, and managers across Canada. Click here to get your own subscription today!)

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Doug Knowles, operations manager for the Home and Building Solutions division of Federated Co-operatives Limited, is retiring at the end of this month. His final day is June 29. (Doug.Knowles@fcl.crs)

At Derby Building Products, manufacturer of the Tando and Novik brands of exterior cladding products, Mark Schlagheck has been named vice president of retail sales. In his new role, Schlagheck will position Novik for expansion to the retail home improvement channel in the U.S. and Canada. He will divide his time between Dayton, Ohio, and Derby’s headquarters in Quebec City. With 30-plus years of experience, Schlagheck previously served as VP retail sales at The AZEK Company and the Kohler Company. He will report directly to Mitch Cox, Sr., vice president of sales. (mschlagheck@derbybp.com)

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____________________________________________________________________

CLASSIFIED ADS

Sales Territory Managers | Atlantic Canada

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 Canada. If you are a motivated and highly organized team player then we want 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.

____________________________________________________________________

TIMBER MART is looking for a Sales Development Agent based in Langley, BC who will play an integral role in the following areas that support our dealers and customers:

* Establish and build strong relationships with our dealers and customers

* Promote the purchase and utilization of our products and services

* Actively pursue new business opportunities and strengthen our current ones

* Work with our sales team to meet and exceed monthly sales initiatives

* Conduct sales calls and store visits

* Communicate customer concerns, questions and ideas clearly

* Review monthly sales reports to identify opportunities

Qualifications:

* A minimum of 3 to 5 years’ experience in the building material industry

* Competency in Microsoft Office and basic computer skills

* A valid driver’s license and a clean abstract

* Business to Business (B2B) sales experience

* Purchasing experience

* Specific knowledge of the lumber and panel market

* Post-secondary education or equivalent experience

* Formal sales training

If you are a motivated team player who is looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity, please forward your resume to hr@timbrmart.com.

____________________________________________________________________