ABSDA is currently a Member of the Health & Safety Building Supply Sector Group in Nova Scotia. This group is comprised of several Member Retail Firms along with Professionals in Workplace Health & Safety, promoting Safety in the Workplace.

Vision:
Empowering all in our industry to create a culture of health, safety and well-being to eliminate harm to all employees.

Mission:
The Group will support the growth, development and implementation of RTW and OHS best practices into every aspect of operations and activities of building supply industry workers by working towards our vision.  

Mandate:
To provide a provincial forum for Occupational Health and Safety leaders to collaborate on strategies and issues related to RTW and Occupational Health and Safety within the building supply sector and identify synergies and partnerships in an effort to build sustainable and safe work environments for all.

ABSDA is hosting several items on our website which we encourage ABSDA Members to visit. Please click on the link below to keep up some of the latest news in Health & Safety as it affects our industry.

Health & Safety Building Supply Sector Group

The September, 2018 Issue of the ABSDA Building Supply News is now on-line. Click on the image below to view.

ABSDA and BMCC (Building Material Council of Canada) are pleased to announce the launch of a National Careers Website. This no-charge service allows ABSDA Members and Associate Members  to have access to a national Job Posting Site where you can post or search for career opportunities in the Building Materials and Hardware Industry.

Simply click on the image below to go to this new Website and see how it can assist you and your business.

In the province of Nova Scotia, homeowners purchasing and installing solid fuel heating devices may be eligible for Efficiency Nova Scotia’s Wood/Pellet Burning Rebate Program

In electrically heated homes, home owners can apply for rebates within 90 days of purchase and installation of qualifying wood/pellet burning and solar thermal equipment.

In non-electrically heated homes, beginning July 10, 2018 homeowners can apply for rebates within 90 days of purchase and installation of qualifying wood/pellet burning and solar thermal equipment. Purchases and installations in non-electrically heated homes prior to July 10 are not eligible for rebates as rebates are not retroactive before July 10.

Participation in the Home Energy Assessment program or New Home Construction program precludes homeowners from receiving rebates for the same upgrades in other Efficiency Nova Scotia programs. Only rebates from one program will be issued for any particular measure.

Wood/Pellet Burning Equipment Rebate Guide

For more information contact Efficiency Nova Scotia – (877) 999-6035 or click on the link below:

Green-Heat-Wood-Pellet-and-Solar-Thermal-Equipment-Application.pdf

Lowe’s Canada is proud to announce the launch of its National Lowe’s Canada Heroes Campaign. This year, for the very first time, every Lowe’s, RONA, and Reno-Depot corporate store in the country will support a non-profit organization or public school in the community by collecting donations to help it fulfill its mission or carry out a specific project. A total of over 260 local organizations will be financially supported by this campaign throughout September.

"At Lowe’s Canada, our purpose is to help people love where they live, and that goes beyond our stores. It’s important to us to make a tangible difference in the communities we serve across the country," said Jean-Sébastien Lamoureux, Senior Vice-President, Communications, Public Affairs and Compliance at Lowe’s Canada. "The Lowe’s Canada Heroes campaign gives our employees the opportunity to get involved with a local organization of their choice to help carry out inspiring projects and improve the lives of the people around them every day. This campaign has run in our Lowe’s stores across the country for several years, and we’re excited to extend it to RONA and Reno-Depot."

From September 1 to 30, customers from all Lowe’s, RONA, and Reno-Depot corporate stores will be invited to make a donation at check-out to support the local organization chosen by their store. Lowe’s Canada will match 50% of all customer donations up to $2,000 per store.

For the list of organizations supported by the approximately 300 corporate stores from the Lowe’s Canada network, please visit rona.ca/heroes, renodepot.com/heroes, andlowes.ca/heroes.

Charlie Clayton, Senior Account Manager with DowDuPont Performance Building Solutions retired on August 31, 2018 after 34 years of service in the industry. Charlie joined Dow Canada in 1984 as an Architectural Specialist, and has spent his entire 34 year career in the Building Solutions business. He has held various sales roles in Atlantic Canada and been a tireless supporter of the Dow product portfolio as well as a respected resource and advocate for customers and industry associations. Please join us in congratulating Charlie on his 34 years of success in his career and wish him well for the future! 

In related news, Brian Chisholm has assumed an expanded role as the Integrated Residential Specialist for DowDuPont Performance Building Solutions in Atlantic Canada. As such, he will have full responsibility for the STYROFOAM™, TYVEK®, and GREAT STUFF™ branded product portfolios in the lumber and building material supply channel, focused on being a building envelope resource to both the dealer network, and to builders and contractors. Brian brings many years of experience and relationships in the industry, as well an exceptional building science knowledge base to this role. Please offer your congratulations, we’re excited to have him as part of Dow’s Performance Building Solutions team in Canada. 

Home Hardware announces Kevin Macnab as New President & CEO effective October 10, 2018.

Macnab is a seasoned omnichannel retailer and proven leader with more than 30 years of retail industry experience, including key roles at Toys "R" Us, Marks & Spencer and D'Allaird's Stores. He is a past Chair of the Retail Council of Canada.

Richard Barker is joining the sales team as Senior Account Manager. Along with an extensive knowledge of the hardware industry, Richard has over 18 years’ experience selling ERP software solutions, including Epicor (Biztrack, Eagle), ECI (SpruceWare.NET) and OGC Inc (OGC+, Spruce).

Based out of London, Ontario, Richard’s mandate will also cover the Atlantic provinces. For the time being, he will support ACCEO Profitmaster clients and, over the coming year, Richard’s role will extend to all of their hardware solutions.

Trevor Schellenburg will take over supporting the ACCEO Profitmaster Western and Central Canada regions that were previously under Jason McIntyre’s responsibility.

On Monday August 27th, 2018, Castle staff and many of their Vendor Partners gathered at the picturesque Club at North Halton in Ontario for the annual Castle Vendor Appreciation Golf Tournament. The pristine greens and rolling hills made for a beautiful backdrop for another day filled with enjoyment on the perfectly groomed private golf course.

Over 150 guests representing 80 Castle Vendor Partners from across Canada attended Castle’s annual event and enjoyed a fun-filled day of golf, camaraderie and exciting charity Golf challenges. The participants had the opportunity to donate to a worthy cause, win great prizes and enjoy a spectacular day at the Club at North Halton’s award-winning course. Following the tournament, players enjoyed a gourmet meal and awards presentation in the dining room overlooking the 9th hole. Castle’s annual Vendor Appreciation Golf Tournament recognizes the Valued Vendor Partners who play an on-going role in the success of Castle and the Independent Retailer.

“Castle recognizes the importance of acknowledging the contribution of our Vendor network and appreciate the dedication and commitment required, to be successful in this industry. It is important to show gratitude to our suppliers for their dedication and their commitment to Castle.” - Ken Jenkins, President

The 2018 annual charity golf function supports The SickKids Foundation and with the generosity of their attendees, the event was another unbelievable success. The 2018 tournament raised an all-time record amount of over $30,000.00 in charitable donations. Castle is a “Patron” on the wall of donors at SickKids Hospital in Toronto. SickKids is a health-care community dedicated to improving the health of children by providing the best in family-centred, compassionate care.

Castle Building Centres Group would like to thank their Valued Vendor Partners for their generous donations at this year’s charity event and for making the Castle Golf Tournament an enormous success.

ABSDA offers a series of on-line Training Videos for Members and Staff. This on-line training program is specifically designed to promote sales skills & customer service and is available on the ABSDA Website as a Member Benefit.

The series incorporates five programs listed below, each with a compliment of videos which last between 6 minutes and 15 minutes in length.

• A.C.E.S. – Around Customers Everyone Sells - 14 Videos

• Contractor S.A.L.E.S. – Skills and Attitudes Leading to Exceptional Selling - 13 Videos

• Building A Championship Team - 18 Videos

• On The Bottom Line - 17 Videos

• The Big 8 Most Important Selling Skills - 8 Videos

You and your staff can access these programs on the ABSDA website (www.absda.ca) or by clicking on the following link.

http://www.absda.ca/online-education-program