DuPont FlexWrap

Albert Cummings House

DuPont FlexWrap is a self-adhering butyl flashing that integrates with DuPont air and water barriers. It is a one-step solution for keeping water from seeping through window and door sills. The self-adhered flashing does not require mechanical fasteners, even in flexed corner areas around building openings. This allows it to provide easy, one-step insulation for hard-to-seal corners around windows and doors. dupont.com

Kohltech Select Patio Door

Kohltech’s Select Asymmetrical Patio Door is a premium vinyl sliding door that delivers practicality, performance, quality, and affordability. An adjustable Teflon slide ensures smooth and effortless operation for long-lasting durability. A positive interlock system reduces air infiltration, improving energy efficiency and comfort. Designed for enhanced energy efficiency, it’s available in an eight-foot width with a three-foot operator and five-foot fixed panel. kohltech.com

Mastergrain Bruster Fiberglass Door

Mastergrain Bruster Fiberglass Door showcases rustic European design with timeless craftsmanship. Inspired by traditional countryside homes, it features a Knotty Alder fibreglass wood grain complete with unique knots, enhanced by the Cashew stain that highlights its natural beauty. Curved lines, carved details, and metal accents like clavos and speakeasy grilles evoke historic architectural charm. mastergrain.com

JELD-WEN JWC8500 Vinyl Windows

JELD-WEN JWC8500 Vinyl Windows are a solution for the climate change challenges that Canadians face. These windows are energy efficient, delivering products that reduce energy consumption, lowering reliance on heating and cooling systems, leading to lower energy costs and a reduced environmental impact. These windows not only enhance the comfort of Canadian homes but also promote environmental responsibility. jeld-wen.ca

 
Surrey, B.C.-based Crown Building Supplies, with three contractor-oriented stores in the Vancouver area, has acquired three more pro locations in Alberta. Crown has purchased ADSS Building Supplies, which operates two pro-oriented locations in Edmonton and one in Calgary.

“This acquisition represents an exciting new chapter for Crown Building Supplies,” said Gary Sangha, CEO of Crown. “ADSS has built a strong reputation for reliable service and quality products. By combining our resources and expertise—and with the addition of a major facility in Calgary [a 60,000-square-foot distribution and service hub]—we’re positioned to significantly expand our reach and elevate the service we offer to our customers.”

Will Davila, president of ADSS, added: “The acquisition by Crown allows us to bring that legacy into a new era with greater resources, expanded infrastructure, and an even strong commitment to customer satisfaction.”

Crown is a member of AD Building Supplies – Canada. The buying group’s VP Paul Williams said: “AD Canada is proud to support its members as they pursue smart, strategic growth. The acquisition of ADSS by Crown reflects the entrepreneurial spirit and long-term thinking that makes our network strong.”

BMR Group has adopted new marketing, touting its stores as the destination for pros. Montreal creative agency Ig2 is delivering a multi-platform marketing campaign for the retailer. The messages were unveiled in April through various media in Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritimes, including TV, radio, billboards, and digital media.

The campaign features taglines that target the contractor customer: “Pour les vrais” (“For the real ones”), “Built for pros,” “The experts’ centre,” and “Less dryers, more drywall.”

“At its core, BMR is defined by exceptional customer service, a team of dedicated experts, a high-quality inventory, and a well-established network,” BMR CEO Alexandre Lefebvre said in a release. “This new image reinforces our industry-recognized commitment to quality, while staying true to the core values that have made us successful.”

“We wanted to realign our focus on experts to evolve BMR’s brand positioning and image, to become the experts’ centre for professionals,” Marlène Hins, BMR’s VP of marketing and communications, told PRO Dealer Business. The marketing campaign, she explained, is “based on three key pillars: local, expertise, and products—the right product and quality.”

BMR, she adds, is “already a destination for the contractor clientele but we wanted to put the focus of our campaign on this very business segment, which is one of the pillars of our growth strategy.” At the same time, the company is also keeping a focus on a more skilled retail customer, “DIYers who aspire to be considered pro,” says Hins.

The new campaign encompasses all BMR brands. “Our brand positioning and marketing campaign include all our banners—BMR, BMR Express, BMR Pro, and Potvin & Bouchard—from smaller stores to larger locations, because they all serve, to a certain extent, the pro clientele.”

Prices haven’t changed radically for LBM dealers in the tariffs era. But that situation could change in the near future.

The first tranche of “retaliatory” import tariffs from the Canadian government to be levied on American goods, now two months old, affected some $30 billion of imports from south of the border. The list of products that are incurring the tariff (at 25 per cent) was published by the Finance Department in early March. It included engineered wood products manufactured in the U.S.

PRO Dealer Business reached out to dealers and head offices of independent pro yards, to see what impacts the counter-tariffs were having. Some buyers are looking to switch to Canadian sources of EWP.

When asked what affect the tariffs had on her business, Cythia Prazeres-Mare, president of Senso Building Supplies Ltd., a pro dealer in Toronto’s west end, said, surprisingly: “Not very much.” Senso is a member of AD Building Supplies – Canada. Prazeres-Mare said that she hadn’t noticed significant price increases from vendors.

Kelvin Johnston, senior buyer, commodity lumber and panels, at Castle Building Centres Group believes there’s a reason for that. He said that “Some vendors are absorbing the tariffs for now. They have a lot of product on the ground that was brought in before the tariffs were in place. Some vendors have already changed their pricing while some will do it on a SKU-by-SKU basis as they run through their current inventory.”

A prominent vice-president of a major LBM buying group, who declined to be identified, concurred with Johnston that a number of vendors are absorbing the tariffs for now, hoping they will be rescinded. “But they will have no choice eventually,” the VP said.

“Some vendors are changing sources to mitigate the tariffs, for example, shipping from EU factories as opposed to their U.S. plants. Many other categories of LBM will be affected if [Canada] applies their second and third potential tariff lists. That has not happened yet.” Composite decking is among the categories that could well be hit in that case.

Diablo Drill Bits

Diablo’s Metal Demon Drill Bits have the industry’s first three-in-one bit to tackle all metals: mild, hardened, and stainless steels. The Metal Demon bit’s exclusive design brings a one-bit solution for any application, ensuring maximum durability, speed, precision, and productivity. Diablo’s proprietary Thermal Shield Protective Coating creates a multi-layered protective barrier around the tip to shield against heat. diablotools.com

BP Canada’s Shingles

BP Canada’s Signature Shingles combine durability, style, and unique character. Crafter to withstand the harshest weather conditions, these Canadian-made shingles offer a stunning selection of natural and vibrant colours. With advanced Weather-Tite Plus Technology and a reinforced Hurricane Band, they provide outstanding defence against wind-driven rai and blow-ofss, along with superior resistance to nail pull through. saint-gobain.com

Richelieu PWR Screws

Richelieu’s PWR Drive Finishing Screws are designed for one-step cabinet installation. These fasteners provide a clean, recessed and quick finish improving job speed and accuracy. Designed for wall and cabinet to cabinet mount, these fasters require no-pre drilling and offer a discrete T-5 drive. No pre-drilling tip also means no splitting, making these fasteners ideal for wood or metal studs. richelieu.com 

DeWalt Rammer Kit

DeWalt’s Powershift 60kg Class Rammer Kit delivers high performance. It is highly maneuverable in trenches, around pipework, and foundations for efficient working on the job. It operates with a powerful sealed brushless motor that requires no maintenance, making it ideal for site preparation applications in tough environments. The rammer also features DEWALT’s patented soft start for enhanced control during start up. operation. dewalt.ca

Starting this summer, there will be a new contender in homebuilding in Alberta—and it uses robots.

Promise Robotics is opening a new 60,000-square-foot warehouse in Calgary where robots will create modular panels for housing. Promise calls the facility and technology its “Homebuilding Factory-as-a-Service” (FaaS) platform.

Pro Builder Business recently interviewed Promise Robotics co-founder and CEO Ramtin Attar, a former architect and Autodesk employee, about the opportunity. Which is, according to press releases, simply to “deliver homes faster with significantly fewer resources.”

“I spent 13 years at Autodesk (a software company that developed AutoCAD software),” Attar told us. “This industry has been building homes the same way for a century. The labour shortages, the escalating cost, and the supply needed is going to put a lot of pressure on this industry.”

Attar’s co-founder in the venture is Reza Nasseri, a homebuilder. Attar describes Nasseri this way: “He has committed his entire life to advancing construction and homebuilding.”

“I said, ‘Reza, how do you think we can make this accessible to the rest of the industry?’ We need foundational innovation in space [industry],” Attar said. “We raised investments and we started building our artificial intelligence model for construction.”

Promise Robotic uses the same robots that are used in auto plants. “It’s a commodity, it’s off the shelf, the costs keep coming down,” Attar said. “Right now, the cost of that robot in automotive plants is about 30 cents an hour.”

“We take the same thing, we add the construction belt tool to it, and a Promise Robotics brain.”

“In automotive, you’ve got five players that basically produce every single car in the world. So they’re highly motivated. Whereas the construction industry is highly fragmented.

“What [we] have done is to say, we can actually get robots to not care what they’re building. And essentially advance enough to build highly variable things.”

Promise Robotics’ Calgary plant will be able to produce up to 1,000,000 square feet of housing annually, fabricating modular panels, Attar said. The new plant is building on the success of Promise Robotics’ factory in Edmonton.

Island Structural Systems Inc. (ISSI), a truss plant, which opened in Kensington, P.E.I., in January 2024, is adding a second production line.

GM and owner Matthew Bowness said the idea for opening ISSI was based on truss shortages in the province. “The lead times (for builders) could be eight to 12 weeks even before Covid.” It got worse when the Covid boom in homebuilding hit. Then, the island was facing up to six month waits for trusses. Not an acceptable situation, Bowness added.

He gathered investors together, and was helped in his fundraising by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACEO). It put a “repayable contribution” of $2 million into the mix.

This is only ISSI’s second year of business. Yet the roof and floor truss manufacturer is already adding a second production line, something that the business plan didn’t predict until year five.

This is a truly independent truss plant. It sells to every channel it can: building supply dealers, homebuilders, farm building contractors, commercial clients, plus homeowners building their own homes.

The 25,000 square foot facility is state-of-the-art, with high-tech Simpson Strong-Tie equipment that builds a lot of trusses at a high rate of speed.

P.E.I. is now self-sufficient on trusses. Bowness said he doesn’t have to search farther afield, for example to New Brunswick, for customers. ISSI opened with 18 employees in January 2024 and now, with the new production line coming on-stream in February, that will increase to 32 employees.

“It’s been a great first year,” Bowness said. He points out that the homebuilding future for Canada’s smallest province is bright. With a 14.1 percent five-year growth rate, P.E.I. led all Canadian provinces and territories in population growth over the last five years.

Supply-Build Canada, formerly known as the WRLA (Western Retail Lumber Association) has joined the fight against tariffs misinformation.

Liz Kovach, president of Supply-Build Canada, based in Winnipeg, recently sent a bulletin to her members about the tariffs. “We recently met with various economists along with James Rajotte, special advisor to the Alberta premier on U.S. relations, and his team in Washington,” Kovach said.

Supply-Build Canada also met with Global Affairs Softwood Lumber Division to get their insights and perspective on the issue “and learn how we can support their efforts and, in turn, our membership and partners.”

Kovach said that “Canadian lumber is taking a beating in the media.”

“One of the key reasons behind that is the power of the U.S. Lumber Coalition (USLC). It is an alliance of 19 private timberland owners (all unnamed on their website) who are working to protect their self-interests which are not aligned with the bulk of the industry, including end users. The data they use to back up their claims are either old charts from the pandemic days or snippets of data taken out of context to support their narrative rather than present the facts in context.

“They have also been the largest roadblock to getting a new Softwood Lumber Agreement in place and are why the Canadian industry is currently facing 14.4 percent duties on lumber products exported to the US. As a result of their campaigning, this duty will double to 30 percent in August. The proposed 25 percent tariff on top of the duties will be crippling. We have already seen layoffs in Canadian steel and aluminum and we will begin to see this in lumber as well.

“With input from our members, including mills and remanufacturers, we are developing a strategy to advocate for our industry, combat misinformation and refute USLC’s major claims,” Kovach wrote.

Portland Snap-Lok Panels

Portland Snap-Lok Panels feature pre-punched slots with a hidden fastener system for quick and secure installation. They also come with a pre-finished paint system to resist fading, cracking, and shrinking, backed by a 40-year paint warranty. Portland/Snap-Lok panels come in 16-inch or 12-inch coverage and either 26-gauge or 24-gauge steel. Portland/Snap-Lok panels are built to last. westmansteel.ca

IKO Dynasty Shingles

IKO Dynasty Shingles, now available in matte black, offer peace of mind and protection from inclement weather. These shingles are made with a durable, thick coating of weathering asphalt and feature a Class 3 impact resistance rating, potentially helping homeowners qualify for reduced residential insurance premiums where available. Enhanced with ArmourZone technology, the shingles are designed to withstand high winds, featuring a limited wind resistance warranty up to 210 kilometres per hour. iko.com

IKO Roof-Fast Cap and Base

IKO Roof-Fast Cap and Base are said to be extremely high-quality roofing products. IKO Roof-Fast cap is constructed of a durable, reinforcing mat of nonwoven glass fibres that have been coated and permeated before applying a mineral surface. Available in a range of attractive colours. Can be used alone or in combination with IKO Roof-Fast Base. This is a self-adhesive product that can easily be cold-applied, or using an optional mechanical installation method. Iko.com

True Nature Slate Metal Shingles

True Nature North Ridge Slate Metal Shingles are designed to last a lifetime. Featuring innovative Quadra-Loc technology, each shingle locks securely on all four sides, providing water-tight protection and resilience against extreme weather conditions. The True Nature product line includes a seamless, matching trim system and advanced water-shedding channels to efficiently divert water from the underlayment, reducing the risk of leaks and water damage.vicwest.com

GAF Timberline UHDZ Shingles

GAF Timberline UHDZ Shingles are designed to withstand wind and blue-green algae. They feature GAF’s Dual Shadow Line for dramatic sunset shadows all day. They also offer the 30-year StainGuard Plus PRO limited warranty against blue-green algae discoloration. Plus, when installed with the required combination of four qualifying GAF accessories, they are eligible for the 15-year WindProven infinite-speed limited wind warranty. taigabuilding.com

BP Signature Shingles

BP Signature Shingles come in natural, vibrant colours. They combine durability, style, and unique character. Crafted to withstand the harshest weather conditions, these Canadian-made shingles offer a selection of natural and vibrant colours. With advanced Weather-Tite Plus Technology and a reinforced Hurricane Band, they provide outstanding defence against wind-driven rain and blow-offs, along with superior resistance to nail pull-through.saint-gobain.com

Toronto-based Cooper Equipment Rentals, with 80 branches in six provinces, has acquired a trio of rental operations. It announced in February that it had purchased Rent All Centre and Skyhigh Platforms in Ontario, as well as Big Stick Rentals in Alberta.

In a release, Cooper said that the Ontario brands have served contractors and businesses since 1973. “Their full-service rental locations across Cobourg, Port Hope, Peterborough (two branches), Belleville, and Trenton, along with Skyhigh’s aerial specialty location in Whitby, will now operate under the Cooper banner.”

Big Stick Rentals, meanwhile, is based in Grande Prairie, Alta. Cooper said in the release that it has “built a reputation for reliability and service excellence since its founding in 2013.”

“Big Stick’s strategic location in Grande Prairie strengthens Cooper’s coverage in Western Canada, enabling broader geographic reach, equipment availability, and service flexibility across Alberta and beyond.”

In 2023, Cooper Equipment Rentals acquired Warner Rentals and Scotty’s Rentals and Landscaping.