Archive/Subscribe | Printer-Friendly | Send to a Friend | www.wrla.org | YardStick Wednesday, May 11, 2011
What's Going On

The WRLA Board of Directors Summer Meeting is in Calgary!

WRLA members are invited to join the WRLA Board of Directors for dinner on Thursday, June 2, 2011

Cocktails: 6:30pm cash bar,
Dinner: 7:00pm
$100 + gst per person
Saltlik Steakhouse
101 8 Avenue SW, Downtown Calgary, AB
Dress casual

Space is limited, so buy your tickets early - click here for the registration form!

 

If you would like to post a position or if you are looking for a new career in the building supply industry, go to http://www.wrla.org/careers.html - we have many exciting opportunities available!

Email your requests to Caren at ckelly@wrla.org

 
Industry News

The Canadian Home Improvement Show (CHIS) is opening its doors early this year, November 17 and 18 at the Toronto Congress Centre, to offer suppliers and retailers a jump start on new year sales with the ability to showcase, sell and buy 2012’s hottest products in an expanded showcase, including:

o Paint and Sundry
o Lawn and Garden
o Windows and Doors
o Decking/Fencing/Siding
o Kitchen and Bath
o Flooring

"With a new date and expanded focus, CHIS is offering some of the industry’s best value for home improvement suppliers and retailers alike," says Dave Campbell, President of the Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario (LBMAO). "This means sales during and leads to develop after the show for our dealers and a true head-start on the 2012 sales season for our retailers."

The show, which was moved forward from its former February date, is expected to surpass typical annual sales volumes of 1000+ purchases, and growing nearly every year. It also offers increased value across industries with Canada’s largest product variety and selection; a dedicated dealer’s conference; educational opportunities for retailers and exhibitors; and a venue where competitors can network and compare purchases.

Additionally, retailers will find unique deals not available through buying groups.

"CHIS is the show that helps me make important purchase decisions for the new retail year, every year," confirms retailer, J.D. Van Noy. "This year, particularly with a more convenient date, it’s a must attend for retailers who are serious about sales success. You get to access the exhibitors’ full line of products even earlier and purchase them at exclusive price points."

Show Details:
Venue: Toronto Congress Centre (South Building)
Date/Time: Thursday, November 17 (9am-5pm) and Friday, November 18, 2011 (9am-3pm)

Contact:
Lauren Craig, Show Manager
t-1-866-535-0520
f-1-519-433-0529
e-info@canadianhomeimprovementshow.com

About the Canadian Home Improvement Show (CHIS)
Hosted annually by the Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario (LBMAO), the Canadian Home Improvement Show is the industry trade event where Ontario home improvement retailers come to purchase new products. Based in Toronto, CHIS is a true buying show that connects Ontario retailers with national suppliers from all home improvement sectors.
www.canadianhomeimprovementshow.com


About the Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario (LBMAO)
The Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario, Inc., established in 1917, is a non-profit association comprised of Ontario retailers of lumber, building materials and hardware as well as suppliers who are manufacturers, distributors, buying groups, wholesalers or service firms selling products or providing services to the retail lumber, building materials and hardware trade.
www.lbmao.on.ca

 
TruServ Canada announced the addition of three more members of the Field Team.

"We continue to be focused on planning and growth of the NEW TruServ Canada. At the recent Market we successfully launched the TRU Banner, which will replace the True Value Banner in the fall, and we continue to build our field team to provide Support for Independent Retailers," said Bill Morrison, president of TruServ Canada.

Welcome to:

Sandy Goodine, District 1 – Atlantic:
Sandy has been in professional sales for over 20 years in Atlantic Canada. His experience includes the garden supply industry with Raingrow Organic Products and Supplies and the pharmaceutical industry with Nasmark and Trophic Canada. Sandy is pleased to represent our Atlantic customers as he was born and raised in the Maritimes.

Robert Alberto, District Manager, District 2–Quebec:
Robert has 38 years of experience in retail, and has extensive knowledge in LBM and the construction industry. Robert joined our team at the Market for the launch of the new banner. He was previously a Regional Manager with RONA, and prior to that worked as the General Manager of Pascal Hardware stores in Montreal. Robert will report to Serge Vézina, Director, Sales & Business Development (EAST).

Andrew Barnes, Key Account Manager, General Merchandise, Alberta:
In his new role with TruServ Canada, Andrew will focus servicing the Fresons Group of stores. His previous experience included Servco Service Group where he led a team of 14 merchandise representatives in Southern Alberta. He also worked with RONA as a Department/Assistant Store Manager. Given his experience, Andrew is highly focused on customer service and merchandising / retail sales. Andrew will report to Bonnie Birollo, Director, Sales & Business Development (West)
 

In conjunction with Alberta Forest Week, TOTEM Building Supplies, one of Alberta’s largest retailers of forest products, today announced a multi-year commitment to plant one million trees in Alberta’s boreal forests. This initiative marks the launch of TOTEM’s long-term sustainable development platform to reduce environmental impact and encourage eco-responsibility.



"We take our responsibility to the environment seriously," says Dave Carr, Vice President and General Manager, TOTEM Building Supplies. "In addition to providing leadership through our Wood Products Procurement Policy, we are committed to improving the quality of Alberta’s air, water and wildlife habitat for future generations by adhering to high standards of environmental responsibility."

Carr stresses that partnership is essential, stating "Our platform TOGETHER WITH TOTEM is based on three pillars: Real Responsibility, Real Leadership and Real Solutions. TOTEM must set the example, for instance, by building LEED certified buildings. We must be actively involved with our communities through activities like the tree planting initiative, and we must work together with our customers to help them have a positive impact on our environment."

"We recognize that we have an important role to play, through the products we sell and those we consume as a business, in maintaining sustainable natural resources and reducing our environmental footprint," added Claude Bernier, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Customer Innovation with RONA, TOTEM’s parent company. "Together with TOTEM is a leading example of how we bring this role to life."

TOTEM has partnered on the tree planting initiative with the Alberta Department of Sustainable Resource Development and with the Alberta Forest Products Association. Vanderwell Contractors (1971) Ltd., a local company, will plant the trees in certified Alberta boreal forests near Slave Lake, with 100,000 trees to be planted starting in summer 2011.

TOTEM is committed to helping its customers have a positive impact on their environment. TOTEM customers are encouraged to purchase a Clean Air Tree Kit, containing Canadian white spruce tree seeds. Each Clean Air Tree Kit will result in the planting of three trees.

Customers can plant their own tree and use the special PIN code inside the tree kit to register their planting on the World Clean Air Forest Initiative (WCAFI) website and world map. TOTEM will use the proceeds from each kit sold to plant an additional tree over and above its one million tree commitment. In addition, The Canadian Institute of Forestry will plant a third tree in support of WCAFI.

"Reforestation is the law in Alberta and is important to ensuring the sustainability of our forests for future generations," said Mel Knight, Minister of Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. "Each year, close to 80 million seedlings are planted in the province, and we commend efforts, like TOTEM's, that increase the amount of reforested land in Alberta."

"TOTEM has aligned with suppliers that share its dedication to sustainable development and that follow responsible forest management practices," says Brady Whittaker, President and CEO of the Alberta Forest Products Association. "With a commitment to planting one million trees, TOTEM clearly takes its responsibility to the environment seriously."

Ken Vanderwell, General Manager of Vanderwell Contractors (1971) Ltd., added that the tree planting initiative is a natural fit with Vanderwell’s commitment to the sustainable management and protection of Alberta’s forests.

For more information on Together With TOTEM, please visit us on Facebook and Twitter and at www.TogetherWithTOTEM.ca

 

Press Release - May 2011

Canada's largest distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, today announced the launch of RONAMAG, a brand new online magazine that aims to nurture the creativity of Canadians by offering a unique platform that combines the latest trends with expert advice to help people accomplish their home renovation and design projects. The new magazine, available in both English and French, is part of RONA's mission to inspire Canadians to improve their living spaces, with the help of an innovative resource that uses the latest technologies to deliver an engaging online experience.

 

Press Release - May 2011

Canada’s largest retailer and distributor of hardware, home renovation and gardening products, continues to strengthen its leadership position in a market that will sooner or later enter a phase of sustained growth. That’s the opinion expressed by Robert Dutton, President and CEO of Canada’s renovation-construction leader, speaking at the Corporation’s annual general meeting today. Recalling that RONA grew its share of the Canadian renovation-construction market from 17.5% to 19% in 2010, Dutton pointed out that RONA has been more successful than other companies at weathering a challenging year.
 


From 2010 to 2015, Canadian infrastructure will grow at over two and a half times the growth rate seen over the previous five years, a new PwC-sponsored report by Global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics found. By 2020, Canada is expected to be the fifth largest construction market behind India and Japan—a jump from its current position in seventh place.

"Over the next decade, we expect infrastructure to be the fastest growing end market in Canada and housing to be the slowest," says Sal Bianco, National Engineering and Construction Leader, PwC. "Responsible for this huge growth are a number of oil sands projects starting in Alberta, the major hydro projects planned in Ontario and Quebec, expanding transportation needs in urban centres and the construction demands the Pan Am Games is placing on the country."

Pan Am Games spur competitive bids

Canada's hosting of the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto carries a $2.4 billion price tag as new sports venues and other facilities have to be constructed. This includes a $1 billion athlete's village, aquatics centre, indoor gymnasium and running track, and the Canadian Sport Institute complex.

A new Airport Rail Link (ARL)—a 3km rail line between Union Station and Toronto Pearson International Airport—will be completed prior to the Games. Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx issued an RFP last month and a preferred bidder among the four already shortlisted will be announced in early 2012.

New transportation projects come at a high cost...
Over 80% of Canadians live in urban areas with an expected average growth rate of about 1% per annum over the next 10 years. "The steady growth of Canadians living in urban cities is placing more pressure for more transportation," says Bianco. "This, in turn, is spurring the increase in transportation infrastructure projects that typically carry high costs."

For instance, there are several transport projects that are either underway or planned in Toronto and Ottawa:

• The $4.6 billion Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Toronto is the largest transit investment in Canada's history. It includes a 20km tunnel in mid-town Toronto, plus a 12km tunnel to the east.
• An extension of the Toronto subway to York Region, costing almost $2.7 billion, is in construction. This will link Toronto with York Region via an 8.6km extension and six new stations.
• The $2.1 billion Ottawa LRT project is its first phase of a larger LRT network the City of Ottawa plans to build. The first phase includes 13 new stations as well as a 3.2km tunnel in downtown Ottawa.

...But oil, gas and hydro projects carry the largest price tags

Many large hydro power projects are either currently in construction or planned, including the country's largest—a $6.5 billion hydro complex in Havre-Saint-Pierre, Quebec, which is expected to be completed by 2020. Other notable projects include:

• A $5 billion hydro project in James Bay Territory, Quebec, is under construction and is a part of Hydro Quebec's plans to increase hydro output by 15.8TW over the period 2006-14.
• A $6.2 billion 2,250MW hydro complex in central Labrador is planned, funded by Hydro Quebec. It will supply electricity to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

In Alberta, twenty potential new oil sands projects starting over the next five years will increase non-residential construction in Alberta by 21% in 2011. Indeed, spending on capital construction and machinery and equipment in the province is projected to rise by 4.3% this year, to $73.5 billion.
The story is no different over the longer term. Alberta's Capital Plan calls for a $17.6 billion spend on infrastructure to support oil sands development over the next three years, while major industry players like Suncor will spend in excess of $15 billion within the next 5 years and Imperial Oil and CNRL with $8 billion and $4 billion in spend respectively by 2012.

"New builds will continue to attract private investment and Canada has already established a very successful pipeline of privately financed infrastructure investments," says Bianco. Public Private Partnerships Canada (P3), round three funding opens this year and will attract applications for infrastructure projects across the country."

For more information related to forecasts for Canada and other global findings, and to access the complete Global Construction 2020 report, please visit http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/engineering-construction/publications/global-construction-2020.jhtml. The report and supporting materials including graphs and tables are also available from the media contacts.
Follow PwC on Twitter @PwC_Canada_LLP and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pwccanada.

Firm Description
PwC firms provide industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to enhance value for their clients. More than 161,000 people in 154 countries in firms across the PwC network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. See www.pwc.com for more information. In Canada, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (www.pwc.com/ca) and its related entities have more than 5,700 partners and staff in offices across the country.

"PwC" is the brand under which member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited (PwCIL) operate and provide services. Together, these firms form the PwC network. Each firm in the network is a separate legal entity and does not act as agent of PwCIL or any other member firm.
PwCIL does not provide any services to clients. PwCIL is not responsible or liable for the acts or omissions of any of its member firms nor can it control the exercise of their professional judgment or bind them in any way.

For further information:
Contact Kiran Chauhan, PwC
Tel: 416 947 8983
email: kiran.chauhan@ca.pwc.com

OR:
Jessica Draker, PwC
Tel: 613 755 5901 ext. 2158
email: jessica.l.draker@ca.pwc.com

 

Press Release - May 2011

RONA inc. the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, today reported its financial results for the 13-week period ended March 27, 2011 (first quarter 2011). All figures in this release are in Canadian dollars and presented according to IFRS accounting standards.

 

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) estimates that housing starts fell 3.1% to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 179,000 from a revised down 184,700 units in March. Starts were originally reported at 188,800 in March. Total urban starts decreased by 1.9% to 160,100 units. Urban multiple starts fell 5.1% to 96,000 units in April. Urban single-family starts bumped up by 3.4% to 64,100 units. Much of the monthly drop in total starts can be attributed to a decline in residential construction activity in Newfoundland, Ontario and Quebec.

Outlook
New residential construction slowed in April after two months of moderate gains. The recent run in multi-family construction has halted and is the main contributor to the overall monthly decline. Nonetheless, at 96,000 units, multi-family starts are still above their 5- and 10-year average.

The positive news is that single-family construction picked up in April. Demand for single-family units has faded in most of the nation from what was seen in the first half of 2010. Rising home prices and the implementation of the HST in British Columbia and Ontario on July 1 of last year could be partly to blame, but tighter mortgage rules (as of March 2011), will likely hold back some activity moving through the year.

Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Quebec posted declines in housing starts in April, primarily due to a drop in multi-family housing construction, but homes started in New Brunswick doubled from March. However, the monthly gain in New Brunswick was still not enough to lift new home construction in the province from the depressed levels that began in the second half of 2010. With the exception of Ontario and Saskatchewan, total housing starts were down in every region from year-ago levels.

Overall, the monthly decline did not come as a big surprise as multi-family starts were expected to moderate from the elevated levels last month. New housing construction continues to show weakness from activity seen before the economic slowdown. We anticipate this to continue until the second half of the year.
 
Calendar of Events


June 2. 2011
WRLA Board of Directors Summer Meeting
Calgary, AB

August. 12. 2011
WRLA Bursary Application deadline
www.wrla.org

August. 23. 2011
WRLA Terry Yates Memorial Golf Tournament
Quarry Oaks Golf Club, Steinbach, MB
www.wrla.org

September 1. 2011
Calgary Classic

Sundre, AB
Mikejr@thehomeimprovementwarehouse.com

September 8. 2011
WRLA Kenosee Golf Tournament
Kenosee Lake, SK
ddlumber@sasktel.net

CLICK HERE to view the full Events Calendar

 
Member Updates

NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBER

Acoustic Ceiling Products, LLC
555 Bell Street
Neenah, WI 54956
Phone: 438-882-6363
Toll Free Phone: 800-434-3750
Fax: 800-434-3751
Main Contact: Tony Dieni
tdieni@acpideas.com

www.acpideas.com

(Manufacturer) (Re-Manufacturer) (Distributor)
Decorative wall and backsplash panels. Decorative peel and stick metal tiles, decorative ceiling tiles, ceiling grid systems.

 
Alliance Designer Products
Naylor, LLC
Naylor, LLC
Naylor, LLC
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