Dealer associations announce formalized union under CRBSC umbrella

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — Leaders from each of Canada’s home improvement dealers’ associations met during the recent Hardlines Conference to formalize their union under an umbrella association, the Canadian Retail Building Supply Council (CRBSC).

 

Those associations: The Atlantic Building Supply Association (ABSDA), Quebec Hardware and Building Materials Association (AQMAT), Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario (LBMAO), Western Retail Lumber Association (WRLA), and the Building Supply Industry Association of British Columbia (BSIA), have been working behind the scenes to create a unified voice for the industry under the umbrella council. Each group will be an equal shareholder in CRBSC.

 

Richard Darveau, president and CEO of AQMAT, and current CRBSC chair, took the occasion of the 2016 Hardlines Conference, which had gathered 165 leaders from retail, wholesale, and vendor sides of the industry in one room, to announce the formalization of the CRBSC and its first board meeting, which took place following the conference itself.

 

"The potential force we will represent together is impressive," Darveau told the group. "The total membership of our five associations is more than 3,000 retailers, more than 500 suppliers, and all the buying groups and distributors involved in the market." He added that the drive to unify efforts is a direct response to the needs and desires of the retailers, buying groups, and suppliers in this industry.

 

Key initiatives of CRBSC will be to provide a forum that allows members to share ideas, information, and best practices for the betterment of the hardware and building materials industry in Canada. It intends to represent this sector before federal government authorities and to promote and defend the interests of its members by undertaking communication initiatives, taking policy positions, and offering educational activities.