· The WRLA membership year is April 1, 2011 – March 31, 2012. Renewal invoices and verification forms are in your mailbox! Please ensure you return your updates quickly so we can update our records.
· The WRLA Directory & Product Source Guide will be updated and distributed to members in July 2011.
Click Here to view all WRLA member benefits
**WRLA Member enquiry**
Contact Susan at the WRLA office at 800-661-0253 ext. 0 or slabossiere@wrla.org
Be part of our voice and BUILD CONNECTIONS
|
Thank you to all Prairie Showcase Retail Attendees who participated in the show survey! The WRLA received a record number of responses. Opinions will be reviewed by the WRLA and Show Committee to help produce an EVEN BETTER 2012 SHOW!
Lucky draw winner of the 2012 Prairie Showcase EVENT pass for TWO:
RETAIL - Jim Walker – Umingmak Supply
|
Early in May, yellow census packages will be delivered to every dwelling in Canada, providing residents with the information they need to complete the census online or on paper. Completed questionnaires will provide valuable information that will be used by all levels of government to make decisions about your neighbourhood and community.
Census information is important for all communities and is vital for planning services such as schools, daycare, police services and fire protection
Every person, young and old, must be included in the 2011 Census. Statistics Canada needs Canadian businesses to support the census by making clients and employees aware that they must complete their census questionnaire.
For more information about the 2011 Census, click here or visit www.census2011.gc.ca
National Household Survey
In addition to the 2011 Census, some residents will be asked to participate in the new National Household Survey (NHS). The information collected in the NHS will provide data to plan and support family services, housing, roads and public transportation, and skills training for employment.
Your information will help paint a detailed and comprehensive picture of Canadian society. If you receive the NHS, support your community and complete the survey.
The NHS will collect the same information that was collected by the 2006 Census long-form questionnaire. For information to be available for future planning and decision making, it is important that all people who receive the NHS complete the questionnaire. Please encourage your clients and employees to respond to this survey so the business community can have accurate, reliable data.
The 2006 long-form questionnaire offers some interesting facts about working in Canada:
- Among the 25 municipalities with the most workers in Canada, the three with the largest increase in the number of workers were Vaughan ( 22.2%), Surrey ( 17.0%) and Laval ( 15.8%).
- Between 2001 and 2006, total employment in Canada increased at an annual average rate of 1.7%, the fastest rate increase among the Group of Seven (G7) nations.
- The median age of the labour force surpassed 40 years for the first time, rising from 39.5 years in 2001 to 41.2 years in 2006. The median is the point where half are older and half are younger.
For more information about the NHS, visit www.nhs.statcan.gc.ca.
Please note that Census Canada is still hiring enumerators until mid-April. If you know of anyone who might suit the job, please direct them to apply online at: www.census2011.gc.ca. These jobs are perfect for students looking for summer work, especially those returning home to rural areas.
|
Starting July 29, 2012, residents of Manitoba will be required to dial 10 digits – the area code followed by the seven-digit phone number– for all local calls. The introduction of 10-digit dialing is the result of a decision by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and will pave the way for the addition of a new area code, 431, in November 2012, as the 204 area code reaches capacity.
The ever-growing popularity of new telecommunications services and changes in the competitive environment are driving a huge increase in demand for phone numbers in the region. That is why 10-digit local dialing will be required for all wireline and wireless local calls in Manitoba. This dialing method allows for the introduction of a new area code that will create millions of new phone numbers.
The Telecommunications Alliance, a group of telecommunications companies operating in Manitoba, is spearheading a public awareness campaign about local 10-digit dialing to inform business and residential customers in this area.
"Many regions in Canada have already successfully transitioned to local 10-digit dialing and we are confident these changes will be seamless for residents and businesses in Manitoba," said Glenn Pilley, spokesperson for the Telecommunications Alliance. "In order to ensure a successful transition, we recommend that people start reprogramming their equipment to comply with 10-digit local dialing as of December 1, 2011, as telecommunications companies operating in Manitoba will be able to support 10-digit dialed calls as of this date."
Residents will need to add the 204 area code to programmed numbers in all of their telecommunications devices (e.g., autodialers, fax machines, computers) and verify that their alarm systems are compatible with local 10-digit dialing. Companies that use numerous telecommunications systems and devices should also take the necessary steps to update their equipment. All adjustments must be made before July 29, 2012. Consumers and businesses can also find useful information on the Telecommunications Alliance website at www.dial10.ca
New Area Code
Starting in November 2012, a new area code, 431, will be added in Manitoba using the overlay method. This new area code will coexist with the current 204 area code and will cover the same geographic area. Customers with area code 204 numbers will retain their numbers. Numbers with the new 431 area code will only be assigned to customers for additional services on an as-needed basis. Introducing a new area code does not affect local calling areas in any way. Adding a new area code to a calling region requires changes in local dialing habits. Since the same phone number can now exist in both area codes, 10-digit local dialing – the area code followed by the seven-digit phone number – becomes mandatory in order for local calls to be connected and reach their appropriate destinations.
The Telecommunications Alliance
The Telecommunications Alliance, whose members include MTS Allstream, Rogers, TELUS, Bell and Westman Communications Group, was formed to spearhead this public awareness initiative. Interested parties can find more information at www.dial10.ca
Contact: Olivier Fillion Boutin, OPTIMUM Public Relations, Olivier.fillion-boutin@cossette.com, 855 234-2510
To reach Telecommunications Alliance members:
MTS : gillian.giesbrecht@mtsallstream.com
Rogers : marina.guy@rci.rogers.com
Telus : helen.petronski@telus.com
Bell : jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca
Westman : thomsonn@westmancom.com
|
Activant Solutions Inc., a leading technology provider of ERP and point-of-sale software serving mid-market retailers and distributors, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by funds advised by Apax Partners, one of the world’s leading private equity firms with a strong heritage of technology investment. Activant is currently owned by investment funds affiliated with Hellman & Friedman LLC, Thoma Bravo, LLC and JMI Equity, and by management.
Apax also announced that it is has entered into a definitive agreement under which funds advised by Apax will acquire Epicor Software Corporation (EPIC: 12.50 -0.06 -0.48%), a provider of enterprise business software solutions for the mid-market and the divisions of global 1000 companies. Apax intends to combine Activant with Epicor to create one of the largest global providers of enterprise applications focused on the manufacturing, distribution, services and retail sectors. Following completion of the merger, the combined company will be called Epicor Software Corporation.
"This transaction is extremely positive for Activant’s customers, employees and investors alike," said Pervez Qureshi, Activant president and CEO. "Our market leadership and expertise in distribution perfectly complements Epicor’s expertise in the manufacturing and services sectors. Together, Activant and Epicor’s retail business solutions can now cover the full spectrum of retailing - from small hardlines retailers, to national specialty softgoods and apparel chains, to global general merchandise department stores. Additionally, with Epicor’s worldwide infrastructure, we will have the opportunity to service and support Activant products internationally, which is very important as our customers compete in an increasingly global business environment."
"With Apax, we are partnering with one of the premier investment firms in the world and one that is very much focused on growth and delivering value to the customers of its portfolio companies," continued Qureshi. "The combined company will have over 30,000 customers, $825 million in annual revenues, and the most visionary business application software and vertical industry expertise in the market today. Apax is committed to growing the businesses in which they invest and has an excellent track record of working as a strategic partner with management to build high-growth companies."
Under the terms of the agreement, all of Activant’s outstanding shares and stock options will be acquired for cash. Upon completion of the transaction all of Activant’s outstanding 9-1/2% Senior Subordinated Notes will be redeemed and Activant’s senior secured indebtedness will be repaid. Apax has received debt commitment letters from Bank of America, N.A. and Royal Bank of Canada to provide the debt necessary to close the acquisitions. The acquisition of Activant is conditioned upon the concurrent closing of Apax’s acquisition of Epicor, the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary closing conditions. Activant expects that the acquisitions will close by the end of the second calendar quarter of this year.
"We are extremely excited to be bringing together two of the premier enterprise software companies to create a global market leader," said Jason Wright, a partner at Apax Partners. "Activant and Epicor are both true innovators and extremely well positioned in the enterprise applications software space. Both Epicor and Activant customers will benefit from the combined entity’s increased scale, solutions portfolio and expanded service offerings. Epicor will gain access to significant additional domain expertise, particularly in hardlines retail, automotive and wholesale distribution, while Activant will benefit from an accelerated roadmap to international operations and additional supply chain and manufacturing functionality."
"In addition to the immediate product and service portfolio enhancements," Wright continued, "both companies’ customers will further benefit from the strong financial backing of Apax Partners and our commitment to building the new Epicor into the global leader for enterprise business applications in manufacturing, distribution, retail and services. We look forward to partnering with the management team and to providing the resources and support that can accelerate the growth and expansion of the business and the value it creates globally."
"We have had a tremendously successful partnership with Pervez Qureshi and the entire Activant team," said David Tunnell, managing director of Hellman & Friedman. "We are proud of the company’s performance and market leadership, and are confident in a smooth transition."
Jefferies & Company Inc. acted as M&A advisor to Activant and Simpson Thacher Bartlett LLP served as its legal counsel. RBC Capital Markets acted as M&A advisor to Apax Partners and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as its legal counsel.
About Activant Solutions Inc.
Activant Solutions Inc. is a leading technology provider of business management solutions serving mid-market retails and distributors. Activant provides customers with industry-specific software, professional services, content, supply chain connectivity, and analytics. Founded in 1972, Activant is the established technology leader in the automotive aftermarket, hard goods retailers, lumber and building materials dealers, industrial, electrical and plumbing supply houses. In addition Activant has recently become a major force in the broader spectrum of specialty retailing having been selected the #1 mid-market software vendor by Retail Info Systems News. Activant’s systems are designed to help customers increase sales, boost productivity, operate more cost-efficiently, improve inventory turns and enhance trading partner relationships. Activant has operations in California, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.activant.com.
About Apax Partners
Apax Partners is one of the world’s leading private equity investment groups. It operates across the United States, Europe and Asia and has more than 30 years of investing experience. Funds under the advice and management of Apax Partners globally total around $40 billion. These Funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. Apax Partners Funds invest in companies across its global sectors of Tech & Telecom, Retail & Consumer, Media, Healthcare and Financial & Business Services. For more information visit: www.apax.com.
About Hellman & Friedman
Hellman & Friedman LLC is a leading private equity investment firm with offices in San Francisco, New York and London. Since its founding in 1984, Hellman & Friedman has raised over $25 billion of committed capital. The Firm focuses on investing in superior business franchises and serving as a value-added partner to management in select industries including software, business & marketing services, internet & digital media, energy & industrials, financial services, insurance, media, and healthcare. For more information on Hellman & Friedman, visit www.hf.com.
About Thoma Bravo, LLC
Thoma Bravo is a leading private equity investment firm that has been providing equity and strategic support to experienced management teams building growing companies for 30 years. The firm originated the concept of industry consolidation investing, which seeks to create value through the strategic use of acquisitions to accelerate business growth. Thoma Bravo applies its investment strategy across multiple industries with a particular focus on the software and services sectors. In the software industry, Thoma Bravo has completed more than 50 acquisitions across 17 platform companies with total annual earnings in excess of $1 billion. For more information on Thoma Bravo, visit www.thomabravo.com.
About JMI Equity
JMI Equity is a growth equity firm focused on investing in leading software, internet, business services and healthcare IT companies. Founded in 1992, JMI Equity has invested in more than 100 businesses in its target markets and has over $2.1 billion of committed capital under management. JMI Equity provides capital for growth, recapitalizations, acquisitions and buyouts. Representative investments include DoubleClick, Eloqua, Nimsoft, Service-now.com, Undertone and Unica. For more information on JMI Equity, visit www.jmiequity.com.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to the benefits of the proposed transactions involving Activant, Epicor and Apax. These forward looking statements are based on information available to Activant as of the date of this press release and current expectations, forecasts and assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include a variety of factors, some of which are beyond the control of Activant, Epicor or Apax. In particular, such risks include difficulties encountered in integrating merged businesses; and the risk that the transactions do not close, including the risk that the requisite stockholder and regulatory approvals are not obtained. Information concerning additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements is contained in Activant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2010, each filed with the SEC, and both of which can be found through the Activant investor relations website at www.activant.com/company/investors for a full discussion of the risks and other factors.
Press Contact:
Jane Gideon
Incendio International
Tel: 415-682-9292
jane@incendiopr.com
|
The primary purpose of the show is to provide TIM-BR MART Dealers with a central venue to convene with industry suppliers and take advantage of buying opportunities and new product showings. The secondary objective is to create a forum for networking and information exchange amongst industry colleagues. For two days, Dealers and Vendors will see the power of Canada's leading buying group for Independents in action.
About the main focus of the national event, Steve Stremecki, newly appointed VP of Corporate Development commented; "We wanted to produce a show where our Dealers realize value in attending given how much they will gain by being there. This is why we worked closely with our vendors to make sure the show deals are compelling." He added that this represents TIM-BR MARTS Ltd.’s collaborative approach to doing business: "There are two stakeholders who help us measure our success: Dealers are one, Vendors are the other. Strong partnerships with the supplier community are essential to us remaining the best choice for independent entrepreneurs across Canada."
The event opened with a Thursday evening Meet and Greet that kicked off two days of buying activity, a Cross-Canada dinner reception plus two industry breakfasts that feature keynote speakers each morning. Over 500 TIM-BR MART Dealer attendees are expected to attend from across Canada. The Show floor consists of over 240 vendors (representing over 1000 attendees) from both lumber/building materials and hardware categories and three separate areas for Dealers to explore, the Store on the Floor, a recreation of the TIM-BR MART store: the TIM-BR MART Marketing Toolbox highlighting programs available to Dealers and TIM-BR MART Essentials, eight booths featuring non-core business essentials for entrepreneurs to take advantage of, something unique to TIM-BR MARTS Ltd.
Chalifour Canada Ltd. has a strong presence at the Show, having most of their Sales Team present. It’s an opportunity for Dealers and Vendors alike to get to know the people behind this new division of TIM-BR MARTS Ltd. and to learn more about the products and services offered, which attendees will find at the Chalifour booth. IRLY Distributors Ltd. also has a booth at Show, attended by several team members who are educating Dealers on the value-added services like freight, logistics and ordering offered by the Western distributions operation.
The internal team assembled to bring the inaugural show to life was a cross-functional one, consisting of TIM-BR MARTS Ltd. staff from several divisions including Corporate Development, Marketing and Procurement. The team also enlisted the services of KCI Management for a smooth event execution.
In business since 1967, TIM-BR MARTS Ltd. represents more than 700 member locations across Canada and over $2 billion in annual purchases. TIM-BR MARTS Ltd.’s focus is to be the buying group and support solution of choice for entrepreneurs by combining their volume and purchasing at the lowest cost, understanding the needs of their Dealers, and offering a menu of value-added services including full distribution for hardware, lumber and building materials. To learn more about TIM-BR MART, visit www.timbrmart.ca
|
April 10-12, 2011
Home Hardware Spring Market
Home Hardware Stores Limited
St. Jacobs, ON - The National Trade Centre
www.homehardware.ca
April 16-18, 2011
TRUSERV CANADA Spring Buying Market
Winnipeg Convention Centre
Winnipeg, MB
www.truserv.com
May 4-6, 2011
2011 Westcoast Building & Hardware Show - Spirit of the Westcoast
Victoria, BC
www.bsiabc.ca
Email: Marijoel@bsiabc.ca
To view the full Events Calendar CLICK HERE
|
NEW RETAIL MEMBERS
CTI Building Supply
2241 Hanselman Avenue
Saskatoon, SK S7L 6A7
Phone: 306-931-4111
Toll Free: 866-277-7177
Fax: 306-931-4112
Main Contact: Tim Braitenbach
tim@ctibuildingsupply.ca
http://www.ctibuildingsupply.ca/
(CASTLE)
R & D Commercial Interiors
211A 47th St. East
Saskatoon, SK S7K 5H1
Phone: 306-933-9328
Fax: 306-933-9312
Main Contact: Roland Houle
rdinteriors@sasktel.net
(CASTLE)
Red Deer Co-Op Home & Garden Centre
4738 Riverside Drive
Red Deer, AB T4N 2N7
Phone: 403-341-5600
Fax: 403-347-5611
Main Contact: Wade Misanchuk
w.misanchuk@reddeercoop.com
http://www.reddeercoop.com/
(FCL)
NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
AFA Forest Products Inc. (BRANCH)
602 - 43 St. East
Saskatoon, SK S7K 0V8
Phone: 306-978-0909
Phone TF: 877-978-0909
Fax: 306-978-0309
Main Contact: Heather Harder
hharder@afaforest.com
http://www.afaforest.com/
AFA Forest Products Inc. (BRANCH)
1165 Gordon Drive
Kelowna, BC V1Y 3E5
Phone: 250-860-3582
Phone TF: 888-760-3582
Fax: 250-860-0378
Main Contact: Mike Whitehead
mwhitehead@afaforest.com
Blazer Store Fixtures Inc. (Head Office)
442 Melville St.
Saskatoon, SK S7J 4M2
Phone: 306-244-1212
Fax: 306-244-4412
Main Contact: Garth Cribbs
garth@blazerstorefixtures.com
http://www.blazerstorefixtures.com/
(Distributor) merchandising, racking, shelving & shelving systems, store fixtures
Kenroc Building Materials Co. Ltd. (BRANCH)
7610 Edgar Industrial Drive
Red Deer, AB T4P 3R2
Phone: 403-309-4667
Fax: 403-309-4682
Main Contact: Joey Vansdal
Vansdal@kenroc.com
http://www.kenroc.com/
Manu-Fab Building Components Ltd. (Head Office)
P.O. Box 1010
62149 Road 27 West
Newton, MB R0H 0X0
Phone: 204-267-2112
Toll Free: 877-271-2617
Fax: 204-267-2635
Main Contact: Warren Bracken
manufab@manufab.ca
http://www.manufab.ca/
(Manufacturer) roof trusses, stairs – wood, truss – joists, wall systems
Woodtone (Head Office)
8007 Aiken Rd
Chilliwack, BC V2R 4H5
Phone: 604-888-3167
Toll Free: 877-8883167
Fax: 604-888-0152
Main Contact: Nick Della Peruta
nickd@woodtone.com
http://www.woodtone.com/
(Manufacturer) coated wood products; exterior pre-primed trim products - fascia, trimboards, engineered corners, siding and porch posts
|
|
|
|
