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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.
Register Online Today for your Name badges & Event Tickets
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We are very excited to have Five Time CCMA Male Vocalist of the Year and Calgary's own - Paul Brandt!
Tickets are on sale now for our 2015 Closing Night Party on Friday January 23, 2015 at the WRLA Buying Show in Calgary!
Get your Tickets Now!
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2015 WRLA Buying Show Sponsors
Platinum
Castle Building Centres
JELD-WEN Windows & Doors
Sexton Group Ltd.
Diamond
PlyGem
Regal Ideas
TIM-BR Mart Group
Gold
All Weather Windows
Epicor
Naylor Association Solutions
ProfitMaster Canada
Silver
All-Fab Building Components Inc.
Can-Cell Industries Inc.
Harris Rebar
Home Hardware Stores
Steel-Craft Door Products
Task Tools
Bronze
Alexandria Moulding
CanWel
Cherry Insurance
DelRoc Industries
Euro-Rite Cabinets Limited
Johns Manville
Morneau Shepell
National Forest Products
Nuvo Iron
Resisto
Quikrete/Target Products
Seljax
Under 40 years of age and involved in the Building Supply Industry?
Come and join us for Lunch, Presentations, Round Table Discussions and
Networking with Leaders in our Industry!
Join us at our Lunch Meeting in Calgary!
Friday January 23, 2015 | 11:45am - 1:00pm | Tickets $10
The WRLA was founded in 1890.... over the past 125 years we've managed to save some pretty interesting memorabilia. From vintage training manuals and legal documents, to photos and original video footage of Buying Shows and conferences over the past century.
 We are excited to celebrate our 125th Anniversary in Calgary at the 2015 WRLA Buying Show
We're asking our members to join in and share their histories with us too!
If you have any memorabilia from your business, your home or the Building Supply Industry throughout the 1900's, we'd love to see it!
Please submit memorabilia to ckelly@wrla.org or call Caren toll free at 1-800-661-0253
November 1st, 2014 is your renewal date.
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 This award recognizes members of the WRLA who have contributed to their business, the building supply industry, the WRLA and the communities in which they live. Since 1970 this award has been presented to individuals who have deserved and received the respect of employees, members, competitors and suppliers in the building materials industry and who have contributed their time and energy to their community and the WRLA.
The Western Retail Lumber Association Inc. is pleased to announce Martha Konantz, President and CEO of North American Lumber, is the recipient of the 44th Annual WRLA Industry Achievement Award.
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The Power to Compete
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"Compete in your market while maintaining your independence with no additional fees"
Interested in advertising opportunities with the WRLA?
CLICK HERE for more information.
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NRHA Monthly Program Communication – November 2014
Five Strategies to Ensure Family Business Success
Many of the strategies that family businesses use for success are applicable to success for any business. Non-family businesses can learn a lot from family businesses.
These are the top five success strategies for family businesses (that to apply to all businesses):
- Keep the lines of communication open. Schedule regular meetings to discuss issues of concern and topics such as business transition, business performance, and responsibilities. Include all of the family members, no matter where in the hierarchy their jobs fall – exclusion creates animosity. Create a manual that lays out the ground rules for how the meetings will take place to ensure everyone gets a chance to be heard and there are no impediments to communication.
- Assign clear roles and responsibilities. As a family member, it is natural to feel that everything is "my" business. However, not everything is every family member’s responsibility. Job definitions prevent everyone from jumping in to tackle the same problem and help ensure that everyone knows their role, which makes the business run smoothly.
- Keep good financial data. The downfall of many small and family businesses is not having solid data. Have a single point of contact to manage the finances. If you’re small enough, you can rely on a family member. Otherwise, you’ll need to bring in a qualified accountant. You may cringe at the cost for this but the difference between good financial data and messy data is the difference between knowing exactly where you are on the road and trying to drive with a mud-covered windshield.
- Avoid overpaying family members. Market-based compensation is fundamental and essential. Look on the internet for the pay scale of someone in a similar role to get an idea of market value. Parents in family businesses tend to overpay the next generation, or pay everyone equally despite differing levels of responsibility. Both are bad practices. The longer unfair compensation practices continue, the harder it will be to clean up when it blows up.
- Don’t hire relatives if they’re unqualified. Competence is essential. Family businesses are a conundrum: The family aspect generates unqualified love, while the business side cares about profits. Therefore, family members may be hired even though they’re not qualified. The remedy is to get them trained, move them to a role that matches their skills, or to have them leave.
WRLA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NRHA
The goal of the North American Retail Hardware Association is to help independent hardware and home improvement retailers become better and more profitable merchants through a wide array of educational and training programs, financial management resources, and human resource tools that are all available online. WRLA members get unlimited access to a full range of training and management services when they join NRHA through the WRLA.
Visit the WRLA website at www.wrla.org or click here for more information about NRHA.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
November 6 - 10, 2014
Sexton Member Conference
Nashville, Tennessee
November 7, 2014
Principles of Yard and Warehouse Operations
Winnipeg, MB
To learn more about upcoming events please visit www.wrla.org
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NEW RETAIL MEMBER
Country Lumber Ltd.
22538 Fraser Hwy.
Langley, BC V2Z 2T8
Phone: 604-533-4447
Fax: 604-533-4260
Main Contact: Ron Davidson
(RETAILER) (TIMBERMART)
UPDATES to the 2014-2015 WRLA DIRECTORY & Product Source Guide
Page 134
NEW NAME: Pleasantside Distribution A Div of Richelieu Hardware Canada Ltd.
Main Contact: Tania Wawryk
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Stay up-to-date on the latest industry news and events with our engaging new communication channel.
Have you watched the latest episode on our WRLA TV channel? Don't wait to take full advantage of this terrific media channel, one of the many benefits of your WRLA membership!
Check it out here!
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