The Toolbox E-Newsletter

What's Going On

2010/2011 WRLA Bursary & Scholarship Program

Check out our website for criteria and deadlines.

Click here to visit our website.

The WRLA Terry Yates Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on August 24 at The Links at Quarry Oaks, Steinbach, MB. Good fun, good food, good prizes and an all-round good day spent with your business associates. Give it a try if you haven''t attended before. There are still some spots available.

Click here for online registration.

The WRLA Calgary Classic will be held on September 2 at the Sundre Golf Course, AB. Round out your trip to Sundre with a morning mill tour of the West Fraser Treated Mill. See registration form link below and register now!

Click here for registration forms.

The WRLA Kenosee Golf Tournament is scheduled for September 15 in Moose Mountain, SK. Don Hovath organizes a fun day with lots of surprises. Get a team together!

Click here for registration forms.

Fairway: that which a player playing six on a long hole is heard to answer when asked how far it is to the flag. Tim Brooke-Taylor, Golf Bag (1988)

Never bet with anyone you meet on the first tee who has a deep suntan, a one-iron in his bag and squinty eyes. Dave Marr

Western Dealers Cautious About Long-Term Prospects

WINNIPEG – The Western Retail Lumber Association has just completed a new survey of its members in the Prairie provinces. The results reveal that, despite the current buoyancy in the marketplace, dealers aren''t completely confident about a turnaround for the longer term.

The survey asked several questions about the dealers' current business conditions and outlook. When asked about the state of the housing market, only 32 per cent believed that the market will increase through the rest of this year and in 2011. More than half expected it to remain the same; another 16 per cent said they believe it will decrease.

The renovation market is expected to be more positive, however. More than half (54%) said they believe that residential renovations will increase through the end of 2011. Thirty-nine per cent said that the market will remain the same, while only seven per cent expected it to decrease.

The mood of the dealers' customers was, perhaps, most telling in its indication of how far we've actually pulled out of the economic downturn of 2009. When asked if they felt consumer confidence among their customers had returned to its pre-recession levels, only 38.2 per cent said yes, while almost half (45%) said no. Another 16.7 per cent said they weren''t sure whether their customers were as confident as before the recession.

(Article taken from Hardlines, July 5th edition - www.hardlines.ca)

Why Merchant Services Canada?

Industry News

Loewen Acquired by VKR Holding

Loewen, of Steinbach, Manitoba, has been acquired by VKR Holding of Denmark. Loewen is a manufacturer and distributor of custom-made wood and clad wood windows and doors for the luxury segment of the residential housing market. With its head office and main production facility in Steinbach, Loewen generates the majority of its sales from the U.S. and maintains strong sales in Canada. The company sells through a network of Loewen Window Centres and Authorized Loewen Dealers in the U.S. and a combination of corporate retail stores and dealers in Canada. The company was established in 1905 and has been owned by the Loewen family throughout its history.

For the full story, visit: http://www.loewen.com/home.nsf/news/JSAY-86WL4X.

Dynamic Takes ecocoat Recycled Latex Paint Across the Country

In less than six months, response to ecocoat – a 100 per cent premium recycled latex paint – has been so great that Dynamic Paint Products has expanded the line's distribution to stretch from coast to coast in Canada.

The green-friendly paint was initially launched in Western Canada by Dynamic, in partnership with Calgary-based Calibre Environmental Ltd.

"Consumers and professional painters alike are becoming more knowledgeable about green issues and are looking for ways to do their part in reducing environmental impact," says Pat Power, director of marketing, Dynamic Paint Products Inc. "ecocoat provides a natural selling point for retailers who are often consulted by consumers on what type of paint to select for a particular project. The fact that it's 100 per cent recycled and formulated for both interior and exterior use makes this product a versatile, attractive choice that is very easy to recommend."

The product also caters to the contractor and professional painter market – offering 14 shades of lower VOC paint in a variety of sizes, at attractive prices.

"The beauty of this product is that it competes on many levels," Power adds. "It's green, high quality and priced well. These three key factors have contributed to the positive market response. The cost-savings on new raw materials and production have been passed along to the retail level, so it's a win for consumers, a win for contractors and professional painters, and a win for the retailer."

For the full story, or to locate a dealer near you, visit:
www.RecyclePaint.com.

Edmonton Window and Door Company Receives National Award

All Weather Windows is the proud recipient of one of Canada's most important industry awards, the 2010 Energy Star Manufacturer of the Year award.

"It is heartening to be recognized by Energy Star for our dedication to producing environmentally friendly products. We are very proud of the accomplishments of our company. We are excited to be recognized as an industry leader that is known for both our quality products and our commitment to the environment," said All Weather Windows CEO Gord Wiebe.

The Energy Star Manufacturer of the Year award is one of the industry's highest honours, recognizing products that meet or exceed Canadian energy efficiency standards. Past recipients of the prestigious award include big name brand companies like Whirlpool Canada Inc.

"All Weather Windows has been in business for more than 30 years, always striving to manufacture the most durable windows and doors in the industry," said Gord Wiebe.

For the full story, please visit:

http://www.allweatherwindows.com/area/corporate &
http://energystar.gov/

Uniboard Sayabec Mill Now CARB Phase 2 Certified

Uniboard, a North American leader of manufactured engineered wood products, is pleased to announce that its Sayabec, Quebec, manufacturing facility has been certified by the Composite Panel Association (CPA) as meeting California Air Resources Board (CARB) Phase 2 emissions standards.

"The certification of our Sayabec mill is another step towards bringing all of our facilities into compliance with CARB phase 2 emmissions standards," said Lise Plante, Product Manager, Uniboard. "We now have 3 mills which are CARB Phase 2 compliant and our remaining mills are set to be certified before the end of the summer. This certification sets us apart from our competitors and signals to our customers that they can continue to count on Uniboard to meet their needs once the new regulations come into effect."

The announcement that CARB Phase 2 compliant products are now being produced at Uniboard's Sayabec mill comes well in advance of the enforcement of the new standards, which take effect on January 1, 2011. With this certification, the Sayabec mill joins the Company's Val-d'Or mill and the Moncure, N.C., particleboard facility, which are already in compliance with the CARB Phase 2 standards.

For the full story, visit www.pfleiderer.com/en/index.

Activant Eagle Gaining Momentum in Canada – Canadian Hardware Retailers Upgrading to the Latest in Retail Technology

The Activant Eagle® point-of-sale and retail business management software solution is rapidly growing in popularity among hardware and lumber retailers in Canada. North America's leader in business management software for the home improvement and lumber industry, Activant Solutions Inc. is experiencing a groundswell of support with its next generation Activant Eagle software. Canadian retailers are gravitating to the Activant Eagle solution for its easy-to-use graphical interface and advanced functionality, along with its comprehensive business analytics software.

The Activant Eagle software system is a comprehensive point-of-sale and retail business management system for businesses across a wide range of industries such as hardware and home centers, pharmacies, lumber and building material retailers, garden centers, farm-home/ranch stores and specialty retail. The software is designed to improve customer order management and point-of-sale operations, tighten inventory management processes and streamline vendor procurement. Canadian hardware and lumber retailers are switching to the Activant Eagle solution for its advanced technology and features. The Activant Eagle software features a Windows-based graphical user interface, which reduces the amount of time it takes to get new cashiers and service counter staff up to speed.

In the past month, the following five Canadian retailers have switched to Activant Eagle: Chase Home Hardware Building Centre; E&B Lumber; Econo Lumber; Mar-Span Home Hardware Building Centre; and Payzant Home Hardware Building Centre.

"Our point-of-sale and business management solutions play a critical role in the success of our business. We can't afford to allow these important tools to fall behind the technology curve. In order to compete in this market, it is important to us that we keep up with the latest the market has to offer," said Luc April, general manager of Econo Lumber. "We believe that the Activant Eagle software is the most technically advanced solution on the market – combining an easy-to-use interface that shortens the learning curve for new employees, with advanced analytics tools that give us insight into our company that we have never had before."

The new Canadian Eagle users identified Eagle's analytics capabilities as major improvements over their previous reporting tools. The Activant Compass™ and Activant Business Advisor™ analytical tools are designed to give business owners a quick and deep insight into the workings of their company. These tools are designed to give users an accurate picture of where the business is today and where it is headed – which helps owners and managers make better, faster decisions. The Activant Compass product is a performance management tool that harnesses the power of the data collected by the Activant Eagle system, and lets users customize analysis and reporting to suit their particular needs. The Activant Business Advisor product is designed to monitor key areas of a business and alerts users to potential problems before they become real issues.

For the Full Article, please click here.

AFA Forest Products Inc. Announcement

It is with great pleasure that I inform you that on September 1, 2010, AFA Forest Products Inc. will open a new distribution centre in Kelowna, British Columbia.

This location announcement marks another key goal in our strategic planning being met; and furthers AFA's commitment to our industry, vendor partners and customer base alike.

Ideally located at 1165 Giron Drive, Kelowna, BC V1Y 3E5, this facility will have a team dedicated to service, sales, customer support and promotional activities throughout the region.

New RONA Store Opens in Saskatoon

RONA Inc. (TSX: RON), the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, officially unveiled its new RONA Saskatoon store today. The opening of the 73,000-square-foot store, located at Preston Crossing (1722 Preston Avenue North), represents a more than $22 million investment in Saskatoon and provides 115 local jobs, 40 of which are new positions.

The new RONA replaces an older 35,000-square-foot store that was formerly located at 286 Venture Crescent in Saskatoon.

"Saskatoon is a dynamic community, with services for people living both urban and rural lifestyles. These conditions are ideal for RONA's product and service offerings," commented RONA Executive Vice President, Store Operations, Pierre Dandoy. "We are proud to replace an older store with our new format store that offers expanded products and services to meet today's needs of Saskatoon consumers."

"The people of Saskatoon have been wonderful supporters of RONA," said Mr. Dandoy. "They keep coming back because of the excellent service the store team provides and the expertise they know they can count on. This new store is one of the new generation of RONA stores, and it includes a tremendous range of products, brighter atmosphere, friendlier and more efficient design and our everyday competitive prices."

For more information, visit www.Rona.ca.

RONA Foam Lake Celebrates Grand Re-Opening

The RONA Foam Lake team is celebrating the official re-opening of their store today. Owners Dwayne and Trudy Grona and their dedicated staff of 10 are looking forward to serving the home improvement needs of the community from their newly-renovated RONA store at 437 Main Street in Foam Lake. A special ceremony to mark the occasion is being held today, with local dignitaries and RONA officials in attendance.

"I've been in hardware retail for 12 years, and in construction for 22 years, so I have a lot of experience with home improvement and building needs," owner Dwayne Grona said. "We''ve been with RONA as an affiliate dealer for more than one year now, and I'm very excited to serve Foam Lake customers from our renovated store."

Area customers can count on a wide selection of building materials, hardware, electrical and paint supplies from the more than 10,000 different products in the store, not to mention the more than 100,000 products easily available through the RONA network. Customers can also access a range of services, such as RONA By Design and project how-to "recipes" on the RONA website.

"Locally-owned stores like this one are the reason RONA came into existence in the first place," said John Penner, RONA senior development director for Western Canada. "The passion and drive of local businesspeople like Dwayne, Trudy and their team have helped us to become Canada's leading home improvement retailer."

Click here for the complete article.