*WRLA Office will be CLOSED: Decemeber 21st - January 1st*
Regular office hours will resume on Wednesday January 2nd, 2013

Tell us how you plan to spend the holidays!  Is there anything exciting happening at home or at work?   We want to hear about it!

    

From all of us here at the WRLA we wish you a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!

 

Online Registration closes in 21 days!  

If you don't  want to wait in line - register NOW!

 CLICK HERE to Register NOW for your name badges and evening events!

New Products - if you would like to put a NEW product in the display area, please complete your form and fax or email into the office. Forms can be found in the Exhibitor Guide by following this link: 

www.wrla.org/exhibitor-information/exhibitor-guide 

Thank you!

 

The Board of Directors extends this special invitation to all Retail, Associate and Affiliate members to attend the Annual General Meeting and take advantage of the opportunity to voice your opinions and ask questions.

Enjoy a FREE Lunch, network with other members and enter to win $500 just for showing up!  

There will be an election for two (2) new board members - For those members unable to attend the AGM but would still like to have their voice heard, we have attached a Proxy Vote application. This proxy will allow another qualified member to vote on your behalf.

Proxy Vote Application- Printable

REGISTER NOW!                                       

12:00 - 1:00 pm on Thursday January 24th, 2013 
Terrace Room, 2nd Floor, Prairieland Park

 

Keep your employees on their toes! 

Take advantage or our In-Store Program... 

Have your store shopped once in the spring and once in the fall of 2013.  You don’t pay until your receive your report and it's ONLY $99 per mystery shop!

SIGN UP NOW 
REVIEW SAMPLE REPORT 

Or take advantage of our RINGERS Mystery Shopper Program... where instead of an instore visit they will contact the store via a phone call.   CLICK HERE for more information!

 

December 13, 2012 (Calgary, AB) – The Charter is an outcome of the changes the Company has navigated in the last 18 to 24 months; most significantly, restructuring the organization to become 100% Dealer-owned with three separate business units. Add in the fact that since their founding in 1967 they have grown from their western buying group roots to a complete retail/distribution solution for the Independent, with a 400-person national and bilingual team supporting over 750 Dealer locations across Canada.

Making a case for change, Mr. Urquhart shared with the Dealer audience the need for the Charter within the organization and something much broader: "TIM-BR MART Group has become Canada’s leading group for Independents and in order to maintain that position, a cohesive team focused on a mission and priorities is absolutely critical. Taking it one step further, today’s market is vastly different from 10 years ago—different for us and certainly different for our Dealers. Operating in that fluid environment requires an examination of every part of our business to be clear on who we are, how we operate and what our values are. That’s what our Charter lays out."

As outlined in the Charter, TIM-BR MART Group’s mission is to help Canadian entrepreneurs involved in the sale of building materials and hardware be more profitable. Their vision is to continue to evolve and support their dominant position by building loyalty, strengthening their retail brands and developing solutions to meet the needs of Dealers.

Guiding how the Company carries out its vision and mission are three values:

1. managing the business professionally
2. operating with a winning spirit and
3. being customer-centric.

By assessing all aspects of their business, TIM-BR MART Group is committed to finding, refining and delivering programs that help their Dealers buy better, sell better and manage their businesses better. For the 750 locations across the country, that translates into flexibility, options and opportunities to adjust to local market demands.

In the weeks prior to the Dealer rollout, Mr. Urquhart presented the Charter via a series of one-to-many meetings with the staff in each of the Company’s offices and distribution centres, from Surrey, BC to Halifax, NS. While the Charter outlined the plan for the Company to be more competitive and help their Dealers be the same, a clear message was delivered by Mr. Urquhart: "Each person plays a role not only in the success of TIM-BR MART Group, but also in that of our Dealers. Any company with the best services or product will falter without an engaged and focused team. Our Charter unifies us, keeps us focused and makes it easier to support each other and our customers. "

Rolling out in tandem and complementing the Charter is the Company’s ongoing Culture Project, an initiative aimed at heightening employee engagement and further unifying their diverse, national team.
In operation since 1967, TIM-BR MART Group is a $2 billion+ member-owned organization serving over 750 building material and hardware retailers, commercial dealers and manufacturers across Canada. The organization exists to help Canadian entrepreneurs involved in the sale of building materials and hardware be more profitable.

 

Novabrik is a patented mortarless brick siding system. The high-strength concrete bricks overlap and interlock to create a strong, water-resistant brick veneer. Click on the video to watch now! Or CLICK HERE to see all our videos!

 

With this joint venture, CertainTeed will have access to Bailey’s 60 years of steel processing, fabrication and technical expertise as well as the company’s extensive knowledge of the Canadian market. With CertainTeed, Bailey will partner with an emerging leader in the manufacture of innovative, high quality suspended acoustical ceilings products.

"Our customers want to work with a company that provides innovative, unique and comprehensive ceilings solutions to their construction challenges," says Graham Thayer, vice president and general manager for CertainTeed Ceilings. "That means the total package of high quality ceiling tiles, grid systems and the technical expertise to support their needs."

In the short term, grid products in Canada will continue to be sold under both the Bailey and CertainTeed brands with a gradual transition for all grid products to the CertainTeed brand.

"This joint venture will literally open the door for CertainTeed, giving us broad capacity for growth throughout Canada and the United States," says Thayer. "CertainTeed and Bailey represent the perfect marriage of technical expertise and production capacity to allow CertainTeed to provide an unrivaled combination of ceilings products to the industry."

 

"This acquisition continues the accelerated pace of our business portfolio transformation through further expansion of our coatings businesses," said Charles E. Bunch, PPG chairman and CEO. "It is also an attractive way to significantly increase our scale in the North American architectural paint market, which we anticipate will benefit from a prolonged construction market recovery."

Link to complete article http://www.ppg.com/en/newsroom/news/Pages/20121214A.aspx

Ton Büchner, CEO of AkzoNobel, said, "Over the past four years, the team has done a great job in turning the North American Decorative Paints business around. I am pleased that we have found a respected company to take over the business. This agreement is a good outcome for all stakeholders."

Bunch said the acquired business had 2011 revenues of about $1.5 billion and "notably expands our customer reach in all three major North American architectural paint distribution channels." The acquisition includes the addition of about 600 AkzoNobel-owned paint stores creating a combined network of about 1,000 company-owned stores serving the North American market. "It also complements PPG's national home center strategy by extending our branded paint product offerings to more than 8,000 retail outlets," he added, referencing AkzoNobel- and PPG-branded retail paint products, "and finally, it enhances our already strong presence in the independent paint dealer channel."

The acquisition includes all AkzoNobel North American architectural coatings manufacturing and distribution facilities, paint stores, product lines and employees related to the production, sale and distribution of architectural coatings in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

Leading brands included are GLIDDEN(R), FLOOD(R), LIQUID NAILS(R), SICO(R) and CIL(R). PPG also will license the following brands: DULUX(R), DEVOE(R) architectural coatings, and SIKKENS(R) architectural wood products.

"We expect to achieve significantly improved net operating earnings of about $160 million for the acquired business over a three-year period, including a $60 million improvement immediately upon closing and a total of $90 million by the end of the first year," Bunch added.

The $60 million improvement anticipated upon closing includes costs that will not be incurred by PPG relating to defined benefit pension expense, amortization expense relating to prior AkzoNobel acquisitions and various administrative costs that will not transfer to PPG. The expected incremental savings of $30 million by the end of the first year and an additional $70 million by the end of the third year following the acquisition include cost synergies stemming from overlap in administration, distribution and manufacturing, the company said.

"Additionally, and in recognition of our strong cash position, we plan to reinitiate our share repurchase program immediately following the completion of the separation of our commodity chemicals business, which we expect to occur in early 2013," Bunch said. "We anticipate a base level of spending between $500 million and $750 million for share repurchases during 2013.

"The acquisition of the AkzoNobel North American architectural coatings business and planned share repurchases are both consistent with PPG’s long-standing heritage of growing our earnings and returning additional cash to our shareholders. We will still have an elevated level of cash even when considering these two defined uses of cash, and we expect to continue to pursue further earnings-accretive cash deployment actions during 2013," Bunch concluded. 

For more information, visit www.ppg.com  

 

January 23 - 25, 2013
2013 Prairie Showcase Buying Show & Convention
Prairieland Park, Saskatoon, SK
www.wrla.org/prairie-showcase  
Contact: ckelly@wrla.org

February 7 - 8, 2013
Atlantic Building Supply Dealers Association Annual Buying Show
Moncton Coliseum Complex, Moncton, NB
http://www.absda.ca/trade_show 

February 21 - 23, 2013
Orgill Dealer Market
Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL
www.orgill.com  

March 21 - 23, 2013
2013 TIM-BR MART National Buying Show
Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto, ON
Contact: catherine.brownlow@timbrmart.ca  

 

To view the complete Events Calendar  CLICK HERE

To view the complete Education & Training Calendar CLICK HERE

 

Roxblock Hardscapes (Associate Head Office)
3621 8 Ave. N.
Lethbridge, AB T1H 5C8
Phone: 403-328-3330
Toll Free: 888-616-4769
Fax: 403-328-6686
Main Contact: Aric Pavan
aric@roxcanada.com  
www.roxblock.com  
(Manufacturer) (Distributor) concrete products – retaining and garden walls, patio stones, patio slabs, lawn edging

 

Watch WRLA's latest video update!

In this month's video: 

- WRLA Expands it's Training Platform

- Prairie Showcase 2013 Registration

- Results of WRLA's Strategic Planning 

 

Click here to watch our latest video

 

Support your association and broadcast your business to hundreds of decision-makers in the lumber industry. Advertising opportunities are still available in several WRLA publications:

The YardStick: The YardStick is sent to more than 1,200 members firms every other month. Advertising in the largest issue of The YardStick, the Prairie Showcase edition, is a great way to reinforce your marketing message with hundreds of decision-makers who regularly read this magazine while supporting WRLA. Ads booked within the print edition automatically appear (linked to the website or email of your choice) in the digital edition, which is read by more than 500 visitors each issue. Exclusive online ad positions are also available within every digital edition.

The Toolbox: Delivered directly to the inboxes of more than 1,200 lumber managers and professionals, this weekly e-newsletter offers consistent access to the individuals who rely on your products and services to run their businesses.

Directory & Product Source Guide: WRLA is the largest retail lumber association on the Prairies, with its membership representing 85% of the industry. All of our members are included in this annual directory and all keep this publication handy year-round. Make sure your business stands out in this resource by purchasing a display advertisement.

WRLA.org: Our website average more than 3,000 visits per month! Advertising space is available on the home and sub-pages of WRLA.org. Ads rotate on the home page and sub pages, expanding your exposure to site visitors at an affordable price.

WRLA-TV: Introducing the NEW WRLA-TV Banner Sponsorship. Our online TV and banners offer your brand high visibility on the WRLA homepage. Your branding and action oriented banner is featured every time WRLA-TV’s videos are played by our audience, leaving them one-click away from your website‘s landing page.

For more information about these opportunities, click here for the media kit or contact:

Kim Davies
Project Manager
(800) 665-2456, ext. 423
kdavies@naylor.com