WRLA Toolbox: February 14, 2013
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Welcome to the ToolBox, your portal to WRLA member news and information within the LBM market. We invite you to learn more about what's going on within your association and the companies whose products and/or services you utilize.

What's Going On

Congratulations! We have just completed the 2013 Prairie Showcase & Convention.

The Show Committee depends on your feedback to plan our next buying show and convention.

EXHIBITOR: 2013 Survey
Complete this survey by March 1st, 2013 and your name will be entered to win 1 Free inside booth - value of over $1100 for the 2014 Show!

RETAILER: 2013 Survey
Complete this survey by March 1st, 2013 and your name will be entered to win TWO complete 2014 Showcase Convention Packages. (This package includes two tickets to all 2014 Showcase convention events, with a total value of over $350) 

Thank you for your participation!

 

Online registration is now open for Manual Estimating and Yard Foreman courses.
Don’t miss the boat and register your people NOW.
Rebates available!

CLICK HERE to Register for courses NOW!

And for more information on Rebates CLICK HERE

 

Retail Business Management Studies Program
February 26 – March 14, 2013 in Winnipeg, MB

STORE MANAGERS * ASSISTANT MANAGERS * SUPERVISORS * PURCHASERS * MARKETERS * WAREHOUSE MANAGERS
This program is designed specifically for the lumber and building materials industry

Online registration now open- CLICK HERE

 

• Reduce equipment, product and facility damages 
• Reduce workers compensation claims and premiums
• Increase productivity 
• Improve maintenance condition of equipment
• Enhance employee morale and company safety culture

NEW expanded WRLA Member Rate Program! 

CLICK HERE to read more and to view new rates for 2013

 

The WRLA team will be heading to Calgary in the early spring to negotiate hotel and venue contracts. If you have any questions or have some suggestions for us please let us know now as we want to provide all our members with the best locations and rates possible. Send your emails to ckelly@wrla.org

When our negotiations are complete we will share all the details with our members! Thanks for your patience!

 
Industry News

Research revealed that TIM-BR MART customers were searching the word "timber" online, and as a result, found it challenging to find their local store. The new logo uses the correct spelling of "timber" and makes the Dealer’s independent name a prominent element of the new logo.

"We created a logo that would help Dealers demonstrate their independence, while still providing a consistent look that tied them to the TIMBER MART brand to illustrate their buying power," said Jon Irwin, VP of Retail Services. "Shopping habits are shifting to favour local ownership and the experience that comes with it – we want to celebrate our Dealers' independence."

The updated logo does not have overlapping colours, is easy to reproduce and is legible from a distance. It has both vertical and horizontal versions so it can conform to space limitations and be reproduced consistently on storefronts, vehicles, signage, rink boards, advertising materials and online.
The new TIMBER MART retail logo made its inaugural appearance on rink boards during the IIHF World
Junior Hockey Championship. It will be introduced on television ads, flyers and the consumer website by the end of March.

The new logo will coexist with the former logo for a transition period of approximately one year. The colours have remained the same and the house icons have only been altered slightly. The number of house icons in the logo has been reduced from four to three to signify TIMBER MART’s three core values – independence, national buying power, and providing an extraordinary customer experience.

"Over the past year, our corporation has changed dramatically. We now have multiple business units and we felt the need to separate our retail and corporate logos," Irwin said. "There is now a TIM-BR MART Group logo that encompasses our corporate divisions and this new TIMBER MART retail logo will give Dealers control of their brand." 

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.

 

Shave minutes - even hours - off your construction, repair, or renovation job. FEIN's MultiMaster is the most versatile oscillating multi-tool on the market!  You can saw, sand, scrape, cut, trim, polish, and sharpen with one tool.

 

 

Grow the green in your business by going with the greenest decking composite the market has to offer! TerraDeck by Nature's Composites is made with recycled milk jugs and wheat straw - Plus, it's better-looking, and more durable than the competition.

 

 

 

To address both the growing number of RETIREES in the Canadian workplace as well as the PART TIME EMPLOYEES THAT ARE INELIGIBLE for Group Insurance, WRLA is now offering the Emerge program through STRATA Benefits Consulting.

This is a 100% voluntary program that offers a Needs Assessment to each participant, as well as product recommendations and assistance with implementation. Renewals are monitored internally at STRATA, premiums are 100% paid for by the Employee or Retiree and no administration is required of the Employer. 

CLICK HERE for more information.

 

The training offered through Project Pro is designed to help independent hardware stores and building centres enhance their competitive advantages against the big boxes.

Key Components: Project Pro addresses the key components of selling the most common home improvement projects, including:

• How to complete the project, step-by-step.
• The products required for the project and the classification of each product.
• The key sales drivers, including project-related upselling and add-on selling techniques.
• Answers to customers’ frequently asked project questions.
• The financial effect project selling can have on the business.

The first part of training employees to sell projects is teaching them how to do the projects, step-by-step. The content of Project Pro is based on the videos from PlanitDiy.com®, a consumer-facing website that features more than 70 how-to project videos. The employee first watches the project video to learn the basic elements of how to complete the project. Each video is 5-7 minutes in length and covers the basics of how to do each project.

Project PRO courses currently available:

• Priming & Painting Interior Walls
• Fixing a Leaky Toilet
• Installing Electrical Outlets & Switches
• Deck Maintenance
• Refinishing an Antique
• Planting & Pruning Trees & Shrubs
• Repairing Drywall
• Home Weatherization
• Plumbing Supply Lines
• Exterior Painting
• Installing an Electrical Fixture

Since product knowledge is a key component of helping customers with their projects, Project Pro also includes product knowledge training in the context of each project. For example, products are organized by their role within the project, including "project starters," "project killers," "prep products," "safety products," "clean-up products" and "tools and hardware."

Why Project Pro is valuable: Product knowledge training can be intimidating when considering that typical hardware stores stock tens of thousands of SKUs. This is especially true for new hires. That’s why it’s important to focus on teaching employees product knowledge within the context of the projects your customers are tackling on a regular basis. It makes learning product knowledge easier and more relevant.

Project Pro is just one of the training programs available as part of your premium membership in WRLA, through our partnership with the North American Hardware Association Canada.

CLICK HERE to learn more about NRHA Canada courses and services for WRLA Members!

 

TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2013 /CNW/ - Real estate outperformed public equities (7.5%), bonds (3.0%) and inflation (0.8%). (Equities are based on the MSCI Canada Index. Bonds are based on the JP Morgan 7-10 Year Government Bond Index. Inflation is based on data from Statistics Canada).

Looking at the 13 year history of the REALpac / IPD Canada Annual Property Index, 2012 was the 5th highest annual total return ever.

Total annual returns for the three years, five years, and ten years ending December, 2012 remain robust at 13.6%, 8.7% and 11.7% respectively.

Examining the four major property sectors, residential registered the only increase in total return in 2012 (16.2%, up from 11.9% in 2011). Total returns for office properties, which spiked between 2010 and 2011, pulled back only slightly in 2012 to 15.9% while industrial and retail produced lower total returns in 2012 (11.8% and 13.5% respectively) compared to 2011.

Overall, the six largest commercial property markets generated healthy total returns in 2012. Of the six largest markets, Edmonton was the only metro that saw accelerating growth in value. Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa all produced healthy but lower returns in 2012 when compared to 2011.

 

(Valley Forge, Pa.) – "We are very excited about the expanded partnership with Goodfellow, which makes our quality siding product lines much more accessible to the Canadian construction and remodeling industry," said Jake Clegg, national sales manager for CertainTeed Siding Products Group in Canada.
The additional siding products expand upon the large Quebec-based distributor’s CertainTeed offerings, which also include WeatherBoards™ fiber cement siding, Restoration Millwork® cellular PVC trim and CertainTeed® asphalt roofing shingles.

"CertainTeed is a market leader that recognizes the importance of distributing products through a respected, local building materials specialist," said Jean Nadeau, siding division manager for Goodfellow. "CertainTeed also shares our commitment to color selection and is the only manufacturer to offer fiber cement, vinyl and polymer shake siding — making it easy to match colors across product lines."

The expanded distribution appointment applies to the Cedar Impressions polymer shake, Monogram and Encore vinyl siding product lines that combine exceptional performance and curb appeal. All products are virtually maintenance-free, backed by a lifetime-limited warranty and boast a Class A (Class 1) flame spread rating.

Featuring dozens of designer low-gloss colors, Cedar Impressions offers consistent quality and enhanced panel thickness to withstand strong winds and harsh weather, combining an authentic TrueTexture™ wood grain molded from real cedar shingles with low maintenance.

Monogram also offers the rich look of natural cedar without the expense and heavy maintenance. The line has the widest natural color palette in the industry — featuring more than 40 siding and trim colors in regular size or longer length double Clapboard or double Dutchlap styles.

Encore is a high quality woodgrain panel that is attractive, easy to maintain and economical. It is available in 13 low-gloss colors and four popular styles, including double and triple Clapboard, as well as double Dutchlap.

"Both CertainTeed and Goodfellow have more than a century of construction industry experience," said Mark Rayfield, president of the CertainTeed Siding Products Group. "We know Goodfellow will continue to provide the promised inventory and exceptional service that building professionals have come to expect from both businesses."

As the North American leader in siding products, CertainTeed offers Freedom of Choice™ that no other manufacturer can provide, with the most comprehensive spectrum of profiles and colors of polymer shakes, fiber cement siding, insulated siding, vinyl siding and trim for finishing touches. The company actively pursues strategies to reduce environmental impact and is the first siding manufacturer to issue and publish third-party validated life cycle assessments (LCA) for its vinyl and fiber cement siding product lines. The LCA carefully examines all environmental impacts—from raw materials and manufacturing, to transportation and use, to disposal and/or recycling—gaining an accurate view of true product sustainability.

For more information, visit www.certainteed.com/freedomofchoice

 
Calendar of Events

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  

April 7 - 8, 2013
Federated Coop Market
Prairieland Park, Saskatoon, SK

April 13 - 15. 2013
TruServ Canada Spring Buying Market
Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg
www.truserv.ca

April 14 - 16, 2013
Home Hardware Spring Market
St. Jacobs, ON

To view the complete Events Calendar  CLICK HERE

To view the complete Education & Training Calendar CLICK HERE

 
Association Publications

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 

 
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Alliance Designer Products
Westman Steel Industries
Epicor Software Corporation - Formerly Activant
All Weather Windows Ltd.

If your company has news that you would like to see in The ToolBox, please email your news releases to news@wrla.org
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