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YARDSTICK FALL 2026

P. 15 Rise & Grind

P. 35 2027 Building & Hardware Showcase

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PRESIDENT MESSAGE

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

TABLE OF CONTENTS

In this Issue PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Rise & Grind

MEMBER CORNER

Member Corner

More Than a Lumber Pile

RISE & GRIND Good Caulk Is Hard to Find

The Six-Year Grind Behind J-Board: A Wood-Based Fire Protection Solution for Zero Lot Line Construction

The Work You Don’t See

Liz Kovach

Purchasing Is Profit

Supply-Build Canada President

The U40 Leadership Mastermind

Vice President of Business Development & Marketing

Build With Purpose: The Strategy Behind a Benefits Plan That Lasts 99 Carry the Advocacy Forward: Softwood Lumber Advocacy Efforts the big push in the U.S. and in Canada 102 How Policy Decisions Travel from Government to Your Business 106 Labour on the Line: A Temporary Foreign Worker Program That Helps the Building Materials Industry 109

Jay Dion

Anita Holtmann

Director, Industry Education

Camilla Josef Jared King

Marketing Communications & Engagement Coordinator

Indira Landaeta

Sponsorship & Marketing Data Coordinator

Matthew Lucek

Workforce Development Coordinator

Alisa Luo

Design & Social Media Coordinator

Dmytro Potapov

Marketing & Communications Manager

Building Experience, Confidence and Career Pathways This Summer

Career Fairs: Fall 2026

Why I Chose This Industry

Travis Waite

Director, Finance & Administration

Shawna Watson

Executive Assistant

If Every Line Points Back to You, You Don’t Have a Leadership Team

The Manager Makeover

The Right Product Starts With The Right Specification

Insurance 101 for Manufacturers: Building Resilience Beyond the Policy

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EDUCATION

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Amelia Carrera

Event Marketing & Operations Manager Policy Analyst

ADVOCACY

ATTRACT TALENT

FEATURES SHOWCASE

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Amanda Camara

Online Marketing Coordinator

Building Resilience, One “Yes, And” at a Time: 3 Leadership Lessons from Applied Improv 29 Best Advice

MASTHEAD

Rise & Grind: Introducing the 2027 SupplyBuild Canada Showcase 35 Schedule at a Glance

Keynote: BEYOND THE C

2027 Showcase Business Courses

Rise & Grind Supply-Build Ice Classic

The Innovation Awards

Built to Innovate: Breaking Barriers to Building

Lead Like You Mean It: Presence, Pivots & Power

Showcase 2027: Everything Exhibitors Need to Know

Amanda Wright

Workforce Development Manager Published Sept 2026 The Supply-Build Canada Yardstick is the official publication of the Supply-Build Canada and is published four times per year. It is mailed to all retail and associate members of the Supply-Build Canada, to retail lumber dealers and others in the building supply industry in Northwestern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, and to selected dealers in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Views expressed in the Yardstick are not necessarily official Supply-Build Canada policy, nor does the publication of product information or any advertisement imply recommendation by the Supply-Build Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the Supply-Build Canada. Subscription rates in Canada: $12 per year, plus applicable taxes. Outside Canada: $15 per year, no tax. Rates quoted are for non-members only. Canadian publication mail agreement #43754013. Postmaster send change of Canadian address to:

SUPPLY-BUILD CANADA 102-226 Osborne Street North Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 1V4 Phone: 204-560-8235 Toll Free: 1-800-661-0253 Fax: 204-947-5195 supplybuild.ca

PRESIDENT MESSAGE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

“You’re so focused on just tomorrow, just the next day, the next game.” —Blake Wheeler

Rise & Grind To our members, partners, and friends, When our team landed on “Rise & Grind” as the theme for this year’s Showcase, I was in immediately. Anyone who knows me knows why. It ties directly to mental performance, which is something I have been talking about with our members for years now, and it describes the life of a professional athlete almost exactly: getting up and doing the work every day, whether or not conditions are good, whether or not the last game went your way. The exact same way our members run their businesses. It has been a grind. Supply chains, labour, interest rates, tariffs, one thing after another with very little breathing room in between, and our members have kept showing up through all of it. That is what elite performers do. I cannot think of a theme better suited to the business environment we have all been operating in. Which brings me to the quote above. Blake Wheeler said that line on the weekend he played his 1,000th NHL game, when a reporter asked whether the milestone had been on his mind. It hadn’t been. He was thinking about the next day. A thousand games is not a thousand highlight reels; it is a thousand ordinary Tuesdays, most of them played hurt, in a job that does not care how you feel about showing up. I do not think I need to explain that to this readership. The businesses in our membership were not built in a good quarter. They were built by people who consistently opened the doors again and again, regardless of what they were dealing with. Whether it be through record snowfalls, tough market conditions impacting margins, pandemic, global trade issues, tight margins, and a market that has never once come with guarantees. If you have ever felt that the work you are doing is invisible, I would ask you to consider that this is exactly what building something looks like from the inside.

Advocacy is its own kind of grind, and I will be honest with you about that. I recognize that not a lot of people understand what advocacy work is and why it is important. But based on experience which participating members can attest to, it is meetings that do not make headlines, briefs that take weeks to prepare, it is investment into economic impact studies that validates our industry and the contributions it makes to the economy and follow-ups on follow-ups. In July, our team travelled to Washington for our fourth U.S. advocacy trip, sitting down with Congressional offices to make the case on softwood lumber again. With combined duties and tariffs now sitting near 45%, that case has to be made in person, repeatedly, by people who can explain what those numbers do to an independent dealer in a town of four thousand, or a mill who has had to make tough decision to close and impacting the employment of thousands of people. That same month, we submitted a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office outlining why a softwood lumber agreement with the U.S. matters to all of us. The producers who export are the same producers who supply Canadian yards, so what happens at the border reaches your shelves. That letter is under review, and we will keep you posted. So here is my challenge for this issue. Pick one thing in your business that only improves through repetition: training a new hire properly, tightening a process, adjusting to a new business tool, and commit to it between now and January. Then come to the Showcase in Edmonton and tell me how it went. Take advantage of early bird registration, take in the PD sessions and business courses while you are there, and bring someone from your team who has never been. And as always, if you want to talk something through, shoot me an email, text, or give me a call. I am always glad to be that support. Nobody builds a thousand games. You build tomorrow, and then the next day, and then the one after that. Rise and grind.

The same principle applies to the work we do on your behalf.

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I am genuinely excited to announce that Blake Wheeler, former NHL captain will be our keynote speaker for the 2027 showcase! There is no one better to represent our Showcase theme, and I can’t wait to bring this opportunity to our members to help inspire them to level up in life. Liz Kovach PRESIDENT, SUPPLY-BUILD CANADA

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

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MEMBER CORNER

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

MEMBER CORNER

Member Corner SHARING YOUR STORIES

Email us at marketing@supplybuild.ca or reach out via social media.

INDUSTRY NEWS HOME HARDWARE NAMED CANADA’S TOP RETAIL COMPANY FOR WORKPLACE CULTURE Home Hardware has taken the top spot in the retail category, and 10th overall, on Forbes’ Canada’s Best Employers for Company Culture 2026 list. The ranking draws on employee feedback covering leadership, professional development, and how closely a company lives up to its stated values. Chief Human Resources Officer Scott Bryant said relationships have always sat at the centre of the business for a proudly Canadian, Dealer-owned company, and that investing in its people strengthens Home Hardware’s ability to support Dealers, customers and communities across the country.

VANCOUVER ISLAND’S LUMBERWORLD CHANGES HANDS TO CENTRAL BUILDERS

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After more than five decades in business, Park Pacific Lumberworld Ltd. has new ownership. Central Builders announced on June 3 that it had acquired the Saanich-based lumber and building supply company, which traces its roots to 1975, when co-owners Clive Piercy, Rob McAdams, Hugo Hukker and Dave Flaig bought the business from the Slegg brothers. The company has left its mark locally over the years, contributing to projects such as North Saanich’s Dean Park Estates. Financial terms were not released, and no significant changes are planned for staff or day-to-day operations.

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

MEMBER CORNER

SAINT-GOBAIN NORTH AMERICA WINS 2026 MANUFACTURING LEADERSHIP SUSTAINABILITY AWARD Saint-Gobain North America received the 2026 Manufacturing Leadership Award for Sustainability and Circular Economy at a ceremony in Scottsdale, Arizona. The award recognizes the recent opening of North America’s first zero-carbon (scopes 1 and 2) gypsum wallboard plant, the largest facility of its kind in the world. The CertainTeed plant in Sainte-Catherine, Quebec, completed a full electrification upgrade that cut energy use by up to 30%, lifted production capacity by up to 40%, and reduced CO2 emissions by 44,000 tons per year, the equivalent of taking 14,000 cars off the road.

LA CRETE PAINTER BRINGS PALOT TRAY PAL TO CANADIAN RETAILERS Karen Wolfe, a residential painter from La Crete, Alberta, spent 16 years working on a problem every painter knows: what to do with a paint tray and roller between coats. Her solution, the PALOT TRAY PAL, is a reusable lid that seals trays to keep paint and rollers fresh for up to seven days, cutting cleanup time, equipment costs and plastic waste. After launching at the Calgary Renovation Show and the Supply-Build Canada Showcase in Edmonton this past January, the Alberta-made product is now carried in 70 stores across Canada, with interest from Benjamin Moore, Co-op Building Centres, Castle, RONA and Home Hardware.

RONA FOUNDATION UPDATE: $1 MILLION PRESENTED TO SEVEN NPOS, GOLF DAY RAISES $1.42 MILLION The RONA Foundation, which oversees philanthropic activity for RONA inc., is presenting a total of $1 million to seven non-profit organizations across Canada through its 2026 Build from the Heart campaign. The campaign supports NPOs taking on construction or major renovation projects that revitalize living environments or improve access to housing for victims of domestic violence and their children, low-income families, and people living with disabilities or mental health issues.

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Separately, the Foundation’s annual Golf Day, held July 6 at Club de Golf de la Vallée du Richelieu, raised $1,420,000 through contributions from vendor partners. Those funds will support the Foundation’s broader initiatives going forward, including future rounds of Build from the Heart. Catherine Laporte, President of the RONA Foundation’s Board of Directors and Chief Digital and Marketing Officer at RONA inc., said the initiative reflects the organization’s values and its commitment to contributing to causes that matter, especially in today’s economic context.

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

MEMBER CORNER

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

MEMBER CORNER

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

MEMBER CORNER

SUPPLY-BUILD CANADA NEWS

he months ahead bring a full slate of Supply-Build Canada events, and there is something on the calendar for every corner of our membership.

Because the grind doesn’t stop when you leave the shop; it happens on the golf course, over dinner, and at events where you connect with your fellow industry members.

OCTOBER 2026 | AMERICAN EXPRESS INDUSTRY INSIGHTS DINNER | REGINA, SK

An intimate dinner for a small group of invited members, built around candid conversation about what is working and what is not in the current market. Sponsored by American Express.

OCTOBER 2026 | MAYFAIR LUMBER RETAIL PANEL | SASKATCHEWAN

Mayfair Lumber marks 50 years in business with a welcome address, a slice of cake, and a three-person panel on what it takes to run a retail operation that lasts. Presented by Mayfair Lumber.

OCTOBER 2026 | MAYFAIR LUMBER RETAIL PANEL | MANITOBA

The Manitoba edition of the Mayfair Lumber 50th anniversary panel, bringing the same conversation and the same celebration to members closer to home. Presented by Mayfair Lumber.

NOVEMBER 5, 2026 | BUILDHER LOWER MAINLAND | BURNABY, BC

Professional improvisors Angela and Meaghan of Ideate lead “Lead Like You Mean It: Presence, Pivots and Power,” a workshop that is as funny as it is useful. Presented by the Sexton Group with speaker sponsorship from ABI Mouldings.

NOVEMBER 18, 2026 | BUILDHER CALGARY | CALGARY, AB

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A leadership session delivered by Humance from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., taking a fresh look at what leadership means in our industry today. Presented by the Sexton Group with speaker sponsorship from ABI Mouldings.

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

MEMBER CORNER DECEMBER 2, 2026 | BUILDERWIRE INDUSTRY INSIGHT NIGHT | EDMONTON, AB

An invitation-only dinner for a small group of members starting at 6:00 p.m., on the theme of technology that does not break the bank. Sponsored by BuilderWire.

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For the full event calendar, registration links, and sponsorship opportunities, visit the Supply-Build Canada website or scan the qr code here.

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

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YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

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YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

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YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

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YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

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More Than a Lumber Pile MODERNIZING THE LBM OPERATION THROUGH PEOPLE, PROCESS, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND PERFORMANCE

T “Give people clarity, appropriate authority, useful information and effective tools, and they become problem solvers rather than simply task performers.”

here was a time when a good lumber and building-material operation could be measured largely by who sat behind the counter and what was out in the yard: the right inventory, knowledgeable people, competitive pricing and a fleet of trucks to get it where it needed to go.

Those things still matter, but are they enough in the current retail environment? Today’s customer experiences our business long before a lift of lumber is loaded onto a truck. They may begin with a Google search, visit our website, request a quote, walk through our showroom, talk with a salesperson, check an invoice through a contractor portal, or many other omnichannel methods. To that customer, these aren’t separate departments, systems, or channels. They are one company, one brand. Modernizing an LBM operation is therefore about much more than installing new software or redesigning a showroom. It is about connecting people, processes, technology, and the physical environment around one objective: making it easier for customers to do business with us.

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One way to approach that challenge is through four familiar Balanced Scorecard lenses: People, Process, Customer and Financial Performance.

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PEOPLE: TECHNOLOGY SHOULD MAKE PEOPLE BETTER

CUSTOMER: WALK THROUGH YOUR OWN FRONT DOOR

The lumber and building-material industry has always been a relationship business. A contractor remembers the salesperson who solved a problem at 7:00 in the morning. A homeowner remembers the associate who patiently explained a product they had never purchased before.

Modernization also happens in the physical space.

Modernization should strengthen those opportunities, not eliminate them. Ask what your best people spend their day doing. Are they advising customers and developing relationships—or searching for paperwork, re-entering information, chasing approvals and performing administrative tasks technology could handle?

Walk into your business as though you’ve never been there before. Can you immediately understand where to go? Does the signage make sense? Are related products merchandised together? Do Sale and Clearance items scream the value proposition? Can a homeowner comfortably navigate the store while a professional contractor gets in and out quickly? Now continue that journey digitally.

Every unnecessary administrative step consumes capacity that could have been spent with a customer. Give people clarity, appropriate authority, useful information and effective tools, and they become problem solvers rather than simply task performers. Technology doesn’t replace good people. Properly deployed, it gives good people more time to do what they do best.

Can customers find you online? Understand what you sell? Request a quote easily? Can contractors access invoices and statements without calling the store? The customer does not care that marketing, sales, operations, accounting, e-commerce, and the yard operate differently. They simply experience your “Brand.”

Before digitizing a process, understand it.

THE DAILY GRIND: WHERE STRATEGY BECOMES REAL

One modernization mistake is taking an inefficient manual process and simply making it digital. Map the journey first. Where is information entered twice? Where does work get bottlenecked? What requires unnecessary approval? Where are customers forced to call because they cannot access information themselves?

Retail and building supply are businesses of repetition. Trucks arrive. Phones ring. Customers need answers. Inventory moves. Problems arise. Tomorrow, we will get up and do it all again.

Then simplify.

There is something valuable in that daily grind.

CRM can manage opportunities and follow-up. Contractor portals can provide invoices, statements, and job-level information. E-commerce can extend the store beyond physical aisles and regular business hours. Automated workflows can move information between departments instead of relying on someone’s inbox or memory.

“Great operations are not built by occasionally doing extraordinary things. They are built by doing important ordinary things extraordinarily well—day after day.”

Sometimes the best technology isn’t the one that we own. Vendor partnerships represent an enormous and often underused source of capability. Suppliers can provide estimating, technical expertise, training, digital assets, project support, and visualization tools—effectively becoming an extension of the dealer’s operation. The question changes from “What can I buy from this vendor?” to “What can we build together for our customers?”

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None of these work without consistency.

The best layout eventually deteriorates if nobody maintains it. The best CRM becomes useless if customer information is not entered. A great lead-generation campaign fails if nobody follows up. Vendor relationships weaken when we only call when we need something. Modernization therefore requires more than innovation. It requires discipline. Show up. Execute the process. Measure it. Learn from it. Improve it. Then show up tomorrow and do it again.

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PROCESS: DON’T AUTOMATE THE MESS

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FINANCIAL: MEASURE WHAT MATTERS Modernization cannot simply become a collection of interesting projects. It must produce results. Did the new layout improve conversion rates? Did self-service reduce administrative workload? Did CRM improve follow-up and retention? Did better inventory visibility increase turns or reduce stock-outs? Did a vendor partnership generate incremental sales? Did automation return productive hours to the business? This is where the Balanced Scorecard comes full circle. Better processes create capacity. Better-equipped people create better customer experiences. Better experiences build loyalty and an increased share of customers’ wallets. And ultimately those improvements should appear in sales, margin, productivity, inventory performance, and profitability. The lumber pile still matters. As do knowledgeable people, strong supplier relationships, dependable delivery, and the handshake across the counter. Modernization is not about abandoning those things. It is about building an operation around them that is easier to navigate, easier to work in, easier to measure and, above all, easier for the customer to do business with. Because the modern building-supply business is much more than a lumber pile. The opportunity is to build systems around it as well — and then show up tomorrow and keep building.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Peter Hunter is a General Management Consultant with more than 40 years of operational retail experience, currently working with Adams Building Supply. His work focuses on enterprise efficiency, organizational change management, leadership development, process improvement, and the practical application of technology to improve both customer and employee experiences. Throughout his career, Peter has worked with organizations and leaders to simplify operations, develop people, improve execution, and build sustainable systems for growth. His approach combines hands-on operational experience with a belief that successful transformation happens when people, process, technology, and customer experience work together toward a common purpose in an environment of continuous improvement.

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Good Caulk Is Hard to Find WE KNOW. WE CHECKED.

tand in the sealant aisle of any big-box home improvement store for more than three minutes, and a strange, quiet panic begins to set in.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED BY THE CAULKING STORE

You came in for a quick, routine fix. Now you’re staring down a towering wall of virtually identical plastic tubes, and you catch yourself whispering phrases like high-performance polyurethane hybrid under your breath. All you wanted to do was seal up a drafty window frame before the autumn chill sets in. Is this exterior-grade? Is it paintable? Will it crack when the temperature drops below zero? The label says it seals windows, brick, pool coping, and kayaks... but can one tube do all of that? And why on earth are there six different shades of “grey”? Technically, it might. But finding out the hard way can get expensive. Welcome to The Caulking Store. We built an entire store around answering one deceptively simple question: which sealant is right for your job?

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THE ILLUSION OF SIMPLICITY

CURATION OVER CHAOS

We get it. Caulk looks pretty straightforward. It’s rubbery glue in a tube. You point the gun, squeeze the trigger, tool it, and call it a day.

We built our lineup on one rule: if we wouldn’t trust it on a real job site, it doesn’t make the shelf. We didn’t reinvent sealant chemistry ourselves, so we found the manufacturers who had already spent decades getting it right. Pecora, Tremco, Soprema, Soudal, Nuco: names contractors trust when the seal must hold. And as a proudly Canadian company, we curate with our climate in mind, choosing products suited to temperature swings, freeze-thaw cycles, and working conditions that can change before you finish your coffee.

If only. Before opening our doors, our team spent decades on active job sites. If those years in the trades taught us anything, it’s that water and cold weather are patient enemies. They constantly hunt for weak spots, and the only thing stopping them is a bead of sealant no wider than your pinky finger. That is where real expertise comes in. Choosing the right sealant isn’t about trusting the boldest claim on the label. It comes down to understanding chemistry, movement, and how materials react when temperatures drop. Slap a cheap indoor acrylic around an exterior window, and the first October freeze will snap the bond. Use a standard compound in a pool or on a boat, and water will peel it right off.

Most people assume any caulking gun will do. Squeeze a thick, high-performance hybrid sealant through an inferior caulking gun for ten minutes, and your hands will tell you otherwise. That’s where Ferronox Tools comes in. Match the wrong thrust ratio to a thick sealant, and your hands pay for it. Grab a heavy-duty gun like the Ferronox SC36, and the tool does the heavy lifting for smooth passes without wrecking your grip. We apply that same logic across our entire shop floor. From precision foam dispensing guns and specialty adhesives to heavy-duty nitrile gloves, backer rods, and professional tooling spatulas, we carry the full lineup, so you never have to improvise on site.

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Once you understand what the job demands, that wall of options shrinks fast. Usually, there is only one right answer.

Because a perfect seal is only half the equation. The other half is the tool in your hand.

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WHO WE ARE At our core, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we take the work very seriously. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, we built The Caulking Store to give tradespeople, DIYers, and contractors somewhere better to go than another aisle of guesswork.

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You can spot our carefree attitude in everything we do, from our signature “Good Caulk Is Hard to Find” tees to our custom delivery truck hauling commercial-grade supplies directly to local sites. Whether you want to drop by our store in person, give our team a call to talk thrust ratios, or order your caulk online from the comfort of your couch, we ship coast-to-coast across Canada without the big-box runaround. We’re big on the caulking community too, which is why we started Caulk Culture: our podcast and learning hub for anyone who wants to get serious about the craft, building science, or just which tube to grab and why. Visit us online at thecaulkingstore.com, or call us at 416-860-8308 because for too long, the story was always the same for homeowners, DIYers, and contractors alike. Good caulk was hard to find. So, we made sure it wasn’t anymore.

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The Six-Year Grind Behind J-Board: A Wood-Based Fire Protection Solution for Zero Lot Line Construction 24 24

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new product idea rarely arrives fully formed. It grows quietly behind the scenes while you are doing the hard work. Then, on a long drive, during a walk, or in the middle of the night when you wake up in a cold sweat, it presents itself. “How did you come up with that?” is a question we often get asked. If enough time has passed, the honest answer is usually, “I don’t know.” That does not mean the idea came from nowhere. It means the work that produced it is difficult to separate into one clean moment. Once you put an idea into motion, you begin discovering the secrets and problems that the original lightbulb moment was hiding. Curiosity becomes a need to see it come to life, a need that can sometimes masquerade as sheer stubbornness. That is where product development really starts. At BarrierTek, our most recent example is J-Board, a 7/16-inch OSB panel developed to meet the fire protection requirements of Zero Lot Line wall assemblies used in many single-family homes built in major Prairie centres. We are now on the back half of what has so far been a six-year collaborative journey to bring it to market. The journey began with an idea to serve an evolving single-family housing market. It grew through internal conversations and discussions with home builders, lumberyards, engineers, code officials, and other industry experts. Each conversation uncovered another hurdle, objection, or practical requirement. Slowly, we have worked to remove the major barriers from the equation so the finished product serves a real and growing need for single-family home builders.

Product development itself is only part of the challenge. Another critical piece of the puzzle is developing the machinery and manufacturing processes required to make the product consistently and at scale. BarrierTek has developed its own production equipment from the beginning, and that machinery has gone through many iterations. The equipment for J-Board is no different. There is no off-the-shelf, ready-made solution. It is still being designed, built, and refined. This article is being written while the innovation process is still underway. We are learning the best manufacturing methods, and our team is developing the new machinery needed to bring J-Board into full production. There is still plenty of trial and error ahead. Like every BarrierTek product before it, J-Board and its manufacturing process will continue to be adjusted, retested, and improved as we learn what customers need and expect from it. Product development is a grind that never sleeps. It is like playing a sport and the game never ends: sometimes you are behind, sometimes you are ahead, and you are always learning from the last play and preparing for the next one. J-Board is set for a limited release toward the end of summer, with availability increasing monthly as our production capacity grows. If you are interested in J-Board, want to understand how it could support your builds, or would like to share your thoughts with us, we would love to have a conversation.

Early in the process, we passed tests with a design that proved the theory. That was encouraging, but a design that passes a test is not necessarily a commercially viable product. Our early version could not be brought to market for several reasons, so the work continued. In the stages that followed, we failed more tests than we passed while pursuing a design that could work both technically and commercially.

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Eventually, we achieved a number of consecutive successful tests. We continued making small changes to improve the product, and we will keep doing so as we continue to learn through practical applications and conversations with industry experts. Innovation does not happen in a bubble. In our experience, it certainly does not happen all at once, and it almost always takes longer than we would like. We believe J-Board will eventually have applications beyond its initial Zero Lot Line purpose. For now, we will remain strictly focused on the single-family Zero Lot Line market. Focus is a key part of innovation. We need to succeed in one market and understand the product’s full capabilities and market reach before pursuing additional opportunities.

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“The everyday work of resilience is often invisible. But it is what keeps a business steady.”

The Work You Don’t See Ryan Felkel, Demand Generation Manager, ECI Software Solutions

t 6:12 on a cold Tuesday morning, the first truck rolls into the yard. Before the coffee is finished, someone is checking a delivery, someone else is answering a contractor’s question, and a customer is already asking whether the material they need is available today, not next week, and not “we’ll see.” That’s the rhythm of this industry. It isn’t glamorous. It is precise, physical, and relentlessly human. The daily grind in building materials has never been only about moving products from one place to another. It is about keeping promises in the middle of a moving target: shifting demand, changing costs, weather interruptions, tight labour markets, a late vendor shipment, or a project that suddenly needs twice as much. The businesses that endure do not wait for calm. They build the habits, relationships, and operational muscle to keep moving when calm never arrives.

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RESILIENCE IS A TUESDAY SKILL Resilience is not a heroic response reserved for a crisis. It is a Tuesday skill. It shows up in the quiet discipline of knowing what is in the yard and what is not. It appears in recognizing a slow-moving item before it becomes a problem. It lives in giving a counter team the information to answer with confidence instead of a shrug. It thrives when a buyer can make a smart call while there is still time to make one. None of that replaces experience. It gives experience a clearer view. For independent dealers, lumberyards, home centres, and specialty suppliers, that clarity matters. Margins can be thin. Customers are often working against deadlines they cannot move. A missed detail can quickly turn into a delayed delivery, an unhappy contractor, or a relationship put at risk. The everyday work of resilience is often invisible. But it is what keeps a business steady.

MAKE ROOM FOR HUMAN EXPERTISE A great building materials operation runs on knowledge that rarely appears in a manual. You see it in knowing which customer is under the gun, which builder needs a straight answer, or which driver can resolve an issue before it becomes a lost relationship. You see it in the employee who understands the yard, the product, the local market, and the people behind the order. The industry’s workforce carries an enormous amount of practical intelligence. The opportunity is to stop burying it under disconnected handoffs, duplicate entry, and the daily scavenger hunt for an answer. When routine work is better connected from the counter to the yard, purchasing to accounting, and branch to branch, teams can spend less energy chasing facts. They can spend more time serving customers, coaching new hires, and spotting the next issue early. That matters for experienced employees who want their expertise to have impact. It matters just as much for the next generation, who will decide whether this is an industry where they can build a career.

OLD-SCHOOL KNOW-HOW, BETTER CONNECTED There is a temptation to frame progress as a choice between old-school know-how and new ways of working. It isn’t. The strongest businesses pair both. They value the person who can read a jobsite, remember a customer’s preferred grade, or sense a margin problem before the report confirms it. Then they support that judgement with timely, shared information. That combination is how a local dealer can stay personal while becoming more resilient. It is how a multi-branch operation can stay coordinated without becoming distant. And it is how an industry built on relationships can prepare for whatever the next season brings.

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BRING ONE GOOD QUESTION TO THE SHOWCASE The Annual Showcase is a useful reminder that no one has to solve these challenges alone. It is where the people who keep this industry moving can compare notes, challenge assumptions, see what is possible, and return home with an idea worth testing on Monday morning. Sometimes the most valuable thing you bring back is not a grand transformation plan. It is one practical question: Where are we making our people work harder than they need to? Ask it at the counter. Ask it in the yard. Ask it in the back office. Then keep showing up. Keep improving the handoffs. Keep investing in the people whose work turns orders into outcomes. That is the real rise and grind: not simply doing more every day, but building an operation and a workforce that can do the important work better, together, for the long haul.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Keep showing up. Keep improving the handoffs. Keep investing in the people whose work turns orders into outcomes.”

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

Ryan Felkel supports the lumber and building supply industry by analyzing market trends, evolving dealer behaviours, and the impact of digital transformation across inventory, sales, and yard operations. Ryan works closely with LBM leaders to understand the real-world challenges they face and translate industry data into practical insights that help dealers and suppliers adapt to a changing market.

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RISE & GRIND

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

RISE & GRIND

Building Resilience, One “Yes, And” at a Time: 3 Leadership Lessons from Applied Improv Meaghan Hommy and Angela Galanopoulos, Ideate

RESILIENCE. It’s a word that has likely come up in your business over the past year. McKinsey defines business resilience as ‘the ability to deal with adversity and shocks while continuously adapting for growth’. The most resilient companies do more than weather the storm; they learn to adapt and thrive under difficult conditions. Resilience isn’t built through a single decision or strategic plan. It’s strengthened in teams through everyday practice in fostering psychological safety, collaboration and adaptability, and by helping people to identify problems earlier and adjust when circumstances change.

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

For Canada’s construction and building-supply industry, the need for this approach is clear. A shrinking workforce, uneven demand, rising costs and shifting tariff policies are pressures that often bring leaders to brace, grip and cut. Teams can become less candid and more likely to rely on familiar approaches, precisely when open discourse and new paths are needed most. So where does improvisation fit in? Applied improvisation takes the principles and rules of improvisational theatre and offers tangible ways to apply them to leadership, communication and problem-solving. Here are three improv-based practices that can help you strengthen your team’s resilience.

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RISE & GRIND 1. MAKE IT SAFER TO SPEAK

2. BUILD “THE IDEA,” NOT “MY IDEA”

How safe do people feel offering an idea? What about admitting they don’t know something or that they’ve made a mistake? Psychological safety is the foundation of a healthy workplace and without it, your people may become disengaged or self-censor, and problems can stay hidden.

It’s nearly impossible to discuss improvisation in the absence of, “Yes, And”. Put simply, in an improv scene, one person puts an idea forward and the other performer not only accepts it, but adds something useful to it. We practice giving up ownership of an idea in order to build something together that could not have been created alone.

Applied improvisation encourages only receiving what another person offers before deciding where to take it, the same principle that helps leaders treat different perspectives and challenges as useful information.

Try this in your next meeting: Choose one problem, opportunity or new initiative and set a timer for seven minutes. When one person offers an idea, the next must build on it by beginning with the words “Yes, and,” and no one is allowed to offer criticism as to why an idea won’t work.

One way to practice psychological safety is when asking your team a question, delay your own response. Invite several team members to contribute before evaluating any said and thanking people for raising risks or opposing views.

This separates idea generation from decision-making, giving quieter team members permission to contribute, and shifts ownership of the conversation from individual positions to a shared possibility. Evaluation still happens, but only once the group has had time to generate possibilities. When the timer ends, normal judgment returns. Most ideas may never be implemented, which, most importantly, doesn’t indicate failure! The value lies in reaching the one or two possibilities that would never emerge through the usual debate, and people support a solution more readily when they can see how their thinking shaped it.

3. LISTEN TO PIVOT The ability to adapt and pivot is essential in improvisation, where not only is there is no script, there is no control to what other information is put forward, leaving no guarantee a scene will unfold as expected. Performers must stay present and respond to what is actually happening; the moment an improviser begins pre-loading a response, they stop listening. The same pattern shows up in business: we prepare our defence or rebuttal while another person is still speaking, or repeat last year’s solution, staying attached to a plan even after conditions change. Before responding in a difficult conversation, ask one simple question: What has changed since the original plan? Then ask each participant to name one new piece of information before offering a solution. Another useful practice is to summarize what you heard before responding. This slows the urge to defend a position and helps surface information that might otherwise be missed. A resilient team is not one that predicts every disruption, but rather, one that notices change early enough to pivot.

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YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

RISE & GRIND

RESILIENCE IS A PRACTICE Economic uncertainty naturally pushes businesses toward tighter controls and greater scrutiny of costs. These responses may be necessary, but resilience isn’t built through operational controls alone. It also depends on whether people feel safe enough to speak, build ideas together and adapt an agile mindset as circumstances change.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED BY IDEATE

Can applied improvisation give teams a roadmap to practice the human skills required to navigate tough times? Yes. And, its added benefit is that you may find solutions to challenges together that could never have been developed alone.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Meaghan is an actor, voice actor and improviser. She has trained in both Vancouver and Chicago during her improv journey, and has been working with TIC for nine years. She has a degree in Psychology from Thompson Rivers University with a concentration in Change Management.

Angela is an award-winning actor, writer and producer. She has been a professional improvisor for over 12 years and has trained in Chicago at The Second City and iO. Her facilitation career began in 2011 during her time working as an economic policy analyst with the Federal Government.

The work in applied improvisation has become a passion of Meaghan’s as it combines her love of improv and her skillset in psychology. As a facilitator, Meaghan is inspired to help teams adapt, adjust, and work well together.

Since 2014, she has used the tools of applied improvisation to help teams build stronger connections with lasting impact. Angela holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Simon Fraser University and a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from the Faculty of Public Administration at Carleton University.

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ATTRACT TALENT

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

ATTRACT BEST ADVICE TALENT

Like all sales reps, I love being able to bring positive news to my clients and share it with them as quickly as possible. But the COVID-19 pandemic really shook the building industry in so many ways—from supply chain disruptions and product availability to staffing shortages, changing product options, and constantly evolving challenges. There were certainly times when it was difficult to bring positive news to our customers. I remember one client saying something that really stuck with me: “Whether it’s good news or bad news, we need to know the news so we can manage the situation from our end.” That really put things into perspective for me. Our clients don’t necessarily expect every update to be good news— they expect us to be honest, transparent, and communicate quickly. Having that information allows them to plan, make decisions, and manage their own customers and projects more effectively. I think that lesson has stayed with me well beyond COVID: good communication isn’t just about delivering good news; it’s about making sure your customers are never left wondering what’s happening.

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Jared Zanewich Mitten Building Products

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

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RISE & GRIND

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RISE & GRIND

RISE & GRIND: Introducing the 2027 Supply-Build Canada Showcase Every day, people across Canada’s building supply industry get up and get to work. They open the yard. Make the call. Solve the problem. Lead the team. Serve the customer. Learn something new. Take a risk. Build the relationship. And then they get up the next day and do it again. That’s the spirit behind the 2027 Supply-Build Canada Showcase: RISE & GRIND, taking place January 18–21 in Edmonton. But Rise & Grind isn’t about working yourself into the ground. It’s about what happens when ambition meets consistency— when small efforts, repeated day after day, turn into expertise, confidence, stronger businesses and better leaders. Because success in this industry rarely happens overnight.

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You rise. You work. You learn. You grow. And you do it again.

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More Than a Theme

The Meaning Behind

The 2027 Showcase is being built around the rhythm of progress. This year, we’re expanding the experience beyond the show floor with four days of opportunities to learn, connect, challenge your thinking and invest in what comes next—for yourself, your team and your business.

That idea of continuous progress carries through the entire visual identity of the 2027 Showcase, designed internally by Alisa Luo of Supply-Build Canada.

We kick things off January 18 and 19 with two full days of intensive business education designed to bring practical learning directly to our industry.

The Rise & Grind wordmark moves between Indigo and Amber, representing the transition from day to night and the rhythm of learning, working, resting and beginning again.

In the pages ahead, you’ll get a first look at how we’re shaping this year’s Showcase experience—from the schedule and education lineup to the events and opportunities that will bring our industry together in Edmonton.

Throughout the identity, geometric diamonds evolve and transform— small changes building on one another until something stronger emerges. The surrounding patterns repeat and rotate, reinforcing momentum and the idea that progress doesn’t always come from one enormous breakthrough.

From negotiation and influence to sales leadership, executive development, artificial intelligence, operational efficiency and modern selling, attendees can dig deeper into the skills shaping the next generation of businesses and leaders. And that’s before the Showcase floor even opens.

More often, it comes from showing up consistently. Learning the skill. Having the conversation. Making the connection. Trying again. And getting a little better every time. And yes, we’ll say it: cue Rihanna.

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Our members work hard enough to shine bright like a diamond.

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RISE & GRIND

RISE. GRIND. GROW. The 2027 Supply-Build Canada Showcase is being designed to reflect where our industry is right now—and where it’s going next. Four days. Two days of intensive business education. Two days of Showcase. A packed show floor. Leadership development. New ideas. Industry conversations. Hockey. Networking. Career development. Celebration. And thousands of opportunities to make the connection that moves you—or your business—forward. Because the strongest businesses, careers and leaders aren’t built in a day. They’re built every day. Join us in Edmonton, January 18–21, 2027, for the Supply-Build Canada Showcase. RISE & GRIND. Sincerely,

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Amanda Camara VP of Marketing & Business Development

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Schedule at a Glance Four days. Countless ways to connect, learn and grow. From immersive business education and leadership development to industry conversations, networking, the Rise & Grind Ice Classic, Forge & Form Gala and two action-packed days on the Showcase floor—there’s a lot happening in Edmonton. Here’s your first look at what’s in store for Showcase 2027. Plan your days. Find your opportunities. Get ready to RISE & GRIND. • Retailer Pass: $125 ($100 Before Nov 30) • ** NEW ** Architect, Engineer & Designer (design builders not eligible) Pass: $150 • Booth Passes (Includes Lunch, Show Floor Access & Keynote with Blake Wheeler)

Day 1

Monday, January 18, 2027 9 A.M. – 3 P.M. Expo Centre – Room 107

Business Course:

Lead the Win – Building Sales Teams That Perform with Caligiuri Leadership

9 A.M. – 3 P.M. Expo Centre – Room 108

Business Course:

Lead Under Pressure: People, Projects & Performance with Novus Global

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Day 2

Tuesday, January 19, 2027 9 A.M. – 3 P.M. Expo Centre – Room 107

Business Course:

Win the Sale: Practical Strategies for Sales people in the Field with R.M. Caligiuri

9 A.M. – 3 P.M. Expo Centre – Room 108

Business Course:

Marketing AI Bootcamp: From Prompt to Practice by Alex Varricchio from AI Engine Optimization Agency

9 A.M. – 3 P.M. Expo Centre – Room 109

Business Course:

Product Lines & Profit Margins: Optimizing Your Business for Operational Efficiency. One Outcome: Profit That Actually Shows Up with Blueneck Business Mechanics

5 – 8 P.M. Rogers Place – 10220 104 Ave NW

Charity Hockey Game: The Rise & Grind SupplyBuild Ice Classic in Support of CancerCare

6:45 – 10 P.M. Sabor Restaurant – Rioja Room 10220 103 St NW #109

Industry Insight Night: Executive Round Table, Sponsored by Novus Global

7 – 10 P.M. Sabor Restaurant – PDR Room 10220 103 St NW #109

Mastermind In-Person Dinner – U40 Leadership Program

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Day 3

Wednesday, January 20, 2027 7:30 – 9:30 A.M. Expo Centre – 101-106 (Ballroom)

Keynote: BEYOND THE C: Leadership Is Earned Featuring Blake Wheeler, Former NHL Captain & Executive Coach BONUS: see where the show is headed next for 2028 and 2029!

9 – 10:30 A.M. Expo Centre – Foyer/ Registration

Reg-ception

9:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M Expo Centre – HALL F, G & H

Show Floor Open

11:30 A.M. – 1:30 P.M Expo Centre – 101-106 (Ballroom)

Lunch

6:45 – 11:45 P.M. Rogers Place – 10220 104 Ave NW

Forge & Form Gala Evening

Day 4

Thursday, January 21, 2027

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8 – 9:30 A.M. Expo Centre – Room 107 & 107a

Lead Like You Mean It: Presence, Pivots & Power

8 – 9:30 A.M. Expo Centre – Room 108

Built to Innovate: Breaking Barriers to Building Innovation in Alberta

By Meaghan Hommy & Angela Galanopoulos of Ideate brought to you by the buildHER Women’s Council of Supply-Build Canada

9:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M Expo Centre – HALL F, G & H

Show Floor Open

12 – 1:30 P.M. Expo Centre – 101-106 (Ballroom)

Lunch

12 – 3:30 P.M. Expo Centre – HALL F, G & H

Career Fair, by Star Building Materials, a Qualico Company

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Moderated by Liz Kovach with the Safety Codes Council of Alberta

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Keynote: BEYOND THE C: Leadership Is Earned Featuring Blake Wheeler, Former NHL Captain & Executive Coach + See Where the Show is Headed Next! Kick-Off Breakfast Location: Expo Centre – Ballroom Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2027 Time: 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

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** Included with Booth Staff Passes & Retail Passes ** ** Registration Required **

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veryone sees the game. The performance. The pressure. The wins and losses.

What we don’t see are the thousands of hours behind them — the discipline, difficult conversations, setbacks, self-awareness and relentless work required to perform at the highest level and lead others along the way. Former NHL captain Blake Wheeler knows what it means to lead when the stakes are high. Over a career spanning more than 1,100 NHL games, Wheeler went from professional athlete to team captain, becoming one of the most prolific players in Winnipeg Jets’ franchise history. Today, he’s taking those lessons beyond the ice as an executive coach, helping leaders and teams perform at a higher level.

Blake Wheeler is an American professional hockey player known for his leadership, playmaking ability, and versatility. Born on August 31, 1986, in Plymouth, Minnesota, Wheeler was drafted 5th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2004 NHL Draft. However, he began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins before establishing himself as a star with the Winnipeg Jets, where he served as team captain from 2016 to 2022. A 6'5"power forward, Wheeler is celebrated for his combination of size, speed, and skill. He consistently ranks among the league’s top assist producers and has been an integral part of both the Jets’ even-strength and power-play units. Wheeler earned multiple All-Star selections throughout his career, represented the United Stares at the 2014 Olympics, and reached the 1,000 NHL games milestone in 2021. After spending 13 seasons with Winnipeg, Wheeler joined the New York Rangers in 2023, bringing veteran leadership to a young, talented squad. Off the ice, Wheeler is known for his community involvement and mentorship. As he transitions toward the later stages of his playing career, he has also shown interest in coaching and developing young talent.

At the 2027 Supply-Build Canada Showcase, Wheeler will share the experiences that shaped his approach to performance and leadership — and what his journey taught him about discipline, resilience, accountability, vision and the responsibility that comes with leading others. Because leadership can look very different from the outside. The promotion. The title. The captain’s C. Those are the things everyone sees. The real work happens long before that. As Canada’s building supply industry prepares for a significant generational shift in leadership, the next generation will be called upon to step up, take responsibility and lead teams through change. Blake’s message challenges us to think differently about what that requires — and what becomes possible when leaders combine a clear vision with the discipline and drive to bring others with them. Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a practice. And just like elite performance, it’s built one day at a time.

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Blake has begun a new chapter in his professional life coaching athletes with the executive coaching firm Novus Global. He and his wife Sam have been married 14 years and are raising 3 amazing children (Louie 12, Leni 9, Mase 7) in Greenwich, CT. They love traveling together and especially enjoy attending sporting events and concerts/Broadway shows.

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See what it takes to lead beyond the title. PLUS:

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Learn Where the 2028 & 2029 Shows are Headed Next!!

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Five Business Courses. Two Days. Skills That Pay Off Long After Showcase. What would change in your business if your sales team sold more strategically? If your leaders created stronger accountability? If your team knew how to put AI to work? If you could see exactly where your margins were being made — and where they were disappearing? This January, Supply-Build Canada is bringing five intensive, full-day business courses to Showcase 2027, built around the challenges that directly impact your business. Leadership. Sales. Artificial intelligence. Operations. Profitability. These aren’t conference sessions designed to give you a few good ideas before you head to the next event. They’re small-group, working courses designed to build practical skills that participants can take back to their businesses and put to work. And we’re making them accessible at a fraction of what comparable professional development would normally cost.

$600+ Training. $159.99 Through Your Association. High-quality, full-day professional development can easily cost $600 or more per participant — putting meaningful team training out of reach for many small and mid-sized businesses, particularly when multiple employees need to attend. By leveraging Supply-Build Canada’s network, industry relationships and the scale of the show, we’re able to offer each full-day course for just $159.99 per participant.

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And we’ve deliberately capped each course at 30 participants.

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Monday, January 18 | Leadership Day Lead the Win: Building Sales Teams That Perform 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Caligiuri Leadership | $159.99 | 30 seats Great salespeople don’t automatically become great sales leaders. Leading a high-performing sales team requires a different skill set: creating clarity, coaching effectively, using performance data, establishing accountability, addressing underperformance and building an environment where people consistently execute. Lead the Win is designed specifically for sales leaders in the building supply industry. Participants will work on the mechanics behind sales performance — from setting meaningful expectations and conducting better pipeline conversations to coaching different personalities, protecting margins and creating accountability without micromanagement. The course also tackles one of the hardest transitions in sales leadership: moving from being the person with the answers to becoming the leader who develops people capable of finding them. Participants leave with practical tools and a clearer approach to developing their people, improving sales execution and building a team capable of winning consistently. Ideal for sales managers, regional managers, branch managers, business development leaders and experienced sales professionals preparing to lead a team.

Lead Under Pressure: People, Projects & Performance 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Novus Global | $159.99 | 30 seats In construction and building materials, leadership isn’t a soft skill. It’s an operating system. Leadership decisions affect productivity, project execution, labour performance, customer relationships, margins and the bottom line. When expectations aren’t clear or accountability breaks down, the consequences show up everywhere: missed deadlines, rework, frustrated employees, customer problems and leaders who become bottlenecks for their own teams. Lead Under Pressure is an intensive executive leadership course for people operating in high-accountability, high-pressure environments.

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This isn’t a day of leadership theory. Participants will work through the real mechanics of leadership: establishing expectations, creating ownership, communicating when the stakes are high, making stronger decisions under pressure and developing teams that can execute without constant intervention. Through real-world scenarios, facilitated problem-solving and live coaching, participants will examine where their leadership is accelerating performance — and where it may be unintentionally creating friction, dependency or execution gaps. Come prepared to participate. The objective isn’t to leave knowing more about leadership. It’s to leave leading differently. YARDSTICK MAGAZINE FALL Fall 2026 2026

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Tuesday, January 19 | Build a Stronger Business Tuesday turns the focus from leadership to three of the biggest levers affecting business performance today: technology, sales execution and profitability. Choose the challenge that matters most to your business.

Marketing AI Bootcamp: From Prompt to Practice 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Alex Varricchio, AI Engine Optimization Agency | $159.99 | 30 seats

Stop experimenting with AI. Start putting it to work. Most businesses know AI is changing marketing, sales and operations. Far fewer have figured out how to use it consistently enough to create actual business value. This is where that changes. Led by Alex Varricchio of AI Engine Optimization Agency, built by the team behind UpHouse, this hands-on bootcamp moves beyond demonstrations and theory into practical application. Bring your laptop. You’re going to use it. Participants will work directly with AI to build marketing campaigns, create content, strengthen emails and customer communications, develop sales messaging, research opportunities and create repeatable prompts and workflows. You’ll also learn something increasingly important: where AI gets things wrong, how to recognize weak output and how to use these tools responsibly. By the end of the day, participants won’t just have heard about what AI can do. They’ll have built an AI-powered process they can take back to their business and start using. No advanced AI experience required. Curiosity is.

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Win the Sale: Practical Strategies for Salespeople in the Field 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | R.M. Caligiuri | $159.99 | 30 seats Relationships matter in this industry. But relationships alone don’t close business. Great salespeople know how to create opportunities, uncover needs, communicate value, navigate objections, protect margin and keep a sale moving. Win the Sale is built for the people doing that work every day. Participants will sharpen the skills behind effective field selling: prospecting consistently, asking better questions, identifying opportunities within existing accounts, communicating value beyond price, handling objections, following up effectively and establishing clear next steps. The course is grounded in the realities of building supply sales, where trust, responsiveness, service, product knowledge, competition and price all influence the customer’s decision. It also tackles a costly trap: allowing price to become the entire sales conversation. Participants will learn how to communicate value more effectively, protect margin and turn strong customer relationships into meaningful business opportunities.

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Ideal for outside sales representatives, account managers, territory managers, business development professionals and customer-facing salespeople who want to win more profitable business.

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Product Lines & Profit Margins: Optimizing Your Business for Operational Efficiency. One Outcome: Profit That Actually Shows Up. 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Blueneck Business Mechanics | $159.99 | 30 seats You’re selling. You’re busy. So why doesn’t the profit match the effort? Sometimes the answer isn’t more revenue. It’s understanding whether the business you’ve built is actually converting revenue into profit. This intensive course attacks profitability from two sides. Part One: What You Sell Some of your highest-selling products may also be your lowest-margin, most operationally demanding or least profitable. Participants will dig into product mix, true margin visibility and the relationship between sales decisions and profitability to understand what is actually driving profit — and what may be draining it. Part Two: How You Deliver It A healthy margin on paper means very little if inefficient processes, inconsistent execution and poor accountability consume it before it reaches the bottom line. The second half of the course examines where operations can erode margin and how structure, process and execution affect profitability. By the end of the day, participants should have greater clarity around four critical questions: • What should we sell more of? • What needs to be fixed? • What should we stop doing? • Where are we actually making — and losing — money? Because sometimes more sales won’t fix the problem. Working harder won’t fix it either. You need a business designed to turn work into profit.

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Pick the Course That Moves Your Business Forward You don’t need another day away from the business filled with information you’ll never use. You need better leadership. Better execution. Better selling. Better systems. Better decisions. That’s what these courses are designed to deliver. For $159.99 per participant, your people get a full day of focused professional development that would typically cost $600+ per person outside of Showcase. That’s the advantage of an industry network: bringing together the expertise and scale to create opportunities that individual businesses couldn’t access as easily on their own. But small-group training means small groups. Each course is limited to just 30 participants. Choose the skill your business needs next — and put one of those 30 seats to work.

Business Courses at Showcase 2027 January 18–19, 2027 | Edmonton

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$159.99 per course | Maximum 30 participants per course

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Get Drafted. Hit the Ice at Rogers Place. Play for Something Bigger. 28 roster spots. Two industry teams. NHL ice. One incredible cause. Ever wondered what it would feel like to lace up your skates and hit the ice at Rogers Place — home of the Edmonton Oilers? This January, you’re going to have the chance to find out. As part of Supply-Build Canada’s RISE & GRIND Showcase 2027, we’re bringing the building supply industry together for the Rise & Grind Supply-Build Ice Classic in Support of CancerCare. And this isn’t your average industry hockey game. You’ll be playing at Rogers Place. On the same ice as the Edmonton Oilers. Get drafted to Team CertainTeed or Team TIMBER MART, pull on your jersey and play under the lights of an NHL arena — all while raising money for CancerCare. Better yet? 100% of net proceeds from the entire event will be donated to provincial CancerCare organizations.

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Players. Fans. Sponsors. One industry coming together for something much bigger than hockey.

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GET DRAFTED: TEAM CERTAINTEED vs. TEAM TIMBER MART We’re opening just 28 roster spots — 26 players and 2 goalies. Players will be drafted to one of two teams: TEAM

vs. TEAM

Then, on Tuesday, January 19, you’ll walk into Rogers Place, gear up and play where the pros play.

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$500 PLAYER DRAFT FEE Your player experience includes: • A roster spot in the Rise & Grind Supply-Build Ice Classic • Your draft to Team CertainTeed or Team TIMBER MART • The opportunity to play at Rogers Place, home of the Edmonton Oilers • A ticket to see the Edmonton Oilers vs. Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, January 17 • Post-game dinner and a drink following the Ice Classic • And the knowledge that event proceeds are helping support CancerCare

Tuesday, January 19, 2027 5:00–8:00 p.m. Rogers Place | Edmonton, Alberta

There are only 26 player spots and 2 goalie spots. That’s it. Registration opens October 8. When they’re drafted, they’re gone.

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If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to step onto NHL ice, this is your shot.

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FIRST, WATCH THE PROS. Before our industry takes over Rogers Place, we’re going to watch the professionals show us how it’s supposed to be done. On Sunday, January 17, the Edmonton Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place. Supply-Build Canada has secured 60 tickets in Sections 115, 127 and 128. Tickets: $240 Your ticket covers the game plus a contribution to the event’s CancerCare fundraising efforts. Come with your coworkers. Bring customers. Bring suppliers. Scout the ice. Then come back Tuesday and show Connor McDavid everything he did wrong.

vs.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 17 Edmonton Oilers vs. Winnipeg Jets Rogers Place | 6:00 p.m. 60 tickets available $240 per ticket

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 Rise & Grind Supply-Build Ice Classic Team CertainTeed vs. Team TIMBER MART Rogers Place | 5:00–8:00 p.m. 26 players + 2 goalies $500 Draft Fee You can watch NHL hockey. You can play on NHL ice. You can put your company’s name behind the cause. Or you can do all three. However you join us, you’re helping turn one incredible hockey experience into meaningful support for CancerCare. 28 roster spots. Two teams. NHL ice. 100% of net proceeds to CancerCare. GET DRAFTED. GET ON THE ICE. MAKE IT COUNT.

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Game on.

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The Innovation Awards Innovation isn’t born; it’s forged. It takes pressure. Purpose. Precision. And behind every breakthrough is the work it took to get there. Presented by

n 2027, Forge & Form comes to Showcase, bringing together Canada’s building supply industry to recognize excellence across retail, manufacturing, innovation and leadership.

Set against this year’s Showcase theme, RISE & GRIND, Forge & Form celebrates what comes from the work: the ideas that move businesses forward, the products that change how we build, the companies raising the standard and the people shaping what comes next. For one night, the ice at Rogers Place becomes the stage for one of the industry’s biggest celebrations. With more than 15 awards spanning retail, manufacturing, products, partnerships and leadership, Forge & Form will put the industry’s best in the spotlight through the stories of our finalists with every winner revealed live.

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RISE & GRIND celebrates the work. FORGE & FORM celebrates what it creates. Wednesday, January 20, 2027 Rogers Place | Edmonton, Alberta

Finalists announced in advance. Winners revealed live at Forge & Form. These awards are designed to recognize both individuals and companies, depending on the category. Whether it’s a person making an impact, a retailer raising the bar, a manufacturer innovating, or an organization doing something worth celebrating, we want to hear the story.

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Explore the categories below and nominate the people and companies setting the standard for what comes next.

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Retail & Dealer Awards Retail Design & Experience Award Recognizes a dealer that has transformed the retail experience through exceptional store or showroom design, merchandising, yard improvements, renovation or a new approach to how customers experience their business.

Contractor Engagement Award Recognizes a dealer building exceptional contractor loyalty through service, programs, education, events, technology or relationship-building.

Customer Experience Award Recognizes a dealer delivering an outstanding customer experience at every touchpoint — in-store, online, over the phone, in the yard or on the jobsite.

Retailer of the Year Recognizes a building materials retailer setting the standard for overall excellence through leadership, performance, customer experience, innovation, community impact and operational strength.

Best in Retail Leadership Award Recognizes an outstanding retail leader whose leadership, initiative and commitment have made a meaningful impact on their business, team, and customers. Open to leaders at all levels, this award celebrates individuals who strengthen performance, develop their people, adapt to change, and help move their organization forward. Ownership is not required.

Excellence in People & Culture

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Recognizes a dealer investing in its people and building a stronger workforce through workplace culture, recruitment, training, mentorship, onboarding and career development.

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Manufacturer & Vendor Awards Manufacturer of the Year

Recognizes a manufacturer demonstrating outstanding overall excellence across innovation, service, operations, growth and industry partnership.

Manufacturing Innovation Award Recognizes a significant advancement in manufacturing through automation, technology, materials, processes, production efficiency or another innovation that improves how products are made.

Dealer Partnership Award Recognizes a manufacturer, vendor or distributor that goes beyond supplying products to become an exceptional partner in dealer success through service, collaboration, expertise and support.

Sales Representative of the Year Recognizes an outstanding manufacturer or distributor sales representative who sets the standard for dealer relationships, product knowledge, responsiveness, service and professionalism.

Made in Canada Award Recognizes exceptional commitment to Canadian manufacturing, sourcing, investment and supply-chain development while strengthening Canada’s building supply industry.

Best New Product Recognizes an outstanding new product that brings meaningful innovation, performance or value to the building supply industry.

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Products entered in the Showcase New Product Showcase will automatically be considered for this award.

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Industry-Wide Awards Open to dealers, manufacturers, distributors, and industry partners.

Industry Impact Award Recognizes an individual whose involvement with Supply-Build Canada has made a meaningful contribution to the association and the industry it serves. This award honours someone who has contributed their time, expertise and perspective to advance important initiatives, strengthen industry connections and support meaningful progress through Supply-Build Canada. Nominees are put forward by Supply-Build Canada staff and/or board of directors and evaluated through the Forge & Form judging process.

The Bold Move Award Recognizes a company that took a calculated risk, challenged convention, or made a significant strategic move that changed the trajectory of its business. From expansion and acquisition to succession, technology, new markets or complete reinvention, this award celebrates the organizations willing to make the moves that shape what comes next.

Emerging Leader Award Recognizes an emerging industry professional under 40, demonstrating exceptional leadership, initiative, ambition and the potential to make a lasting impact on Canada’s building supply industry.

Woman of Inﬂuence Recognizes a woman whose leadership, accomplishments, mentorship and influence are helping shape a stronger future for the building supply industry.

Catalyst Award Recognizes an individual whose vision, leadership, ideas and actions have created meaningful transformation across the building supply industry.

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The Catalyst Award represents one of Forge & Form’s highest individual honours, celebrating a leader whose impact extends beyond their own organization and helps move the industry forward.

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Who Will Take the Ice? Seventeen awards. An industry full of stories worth celebrating. Forge & Form finalists will be announced ahead of Showcase, with each finalist’s story brought to life before the winners are revealed live on the ice at Rogers Place on January 20. Know a retailer raising the bar? A manufacturer changing how it’s done? A sales rep every dealer wants in their corner? An emerging leader making their mark? Or a company that made a move worth recognizing? Nominate them for Forge & Form 2027. Because the future of this industry isn’t waiting to be built. It’s already being forged.

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How to Nominate Keep it simple. Tell us the story. Choose the award category, tell us who you’re nominating and share why they deserve to be recognized. What did they do? What makes it stand out? What changed because of it? Give us the story behind the person, company, product or idea. Nominations should include: • The Story: Up to 500 words telling us why your nominee deserves to be a Forge & Form finalist. • The Impact: Include results, examples or proof points within your story where relevant. Numbers are welcome, but not required. • Supporting Materials: Upload up to three attachments — photos, videos, testimonials, articles, supporting documents or anything else that helps bring the nomination to life. That’s it. No lengthy application. No formal case study required. We’re looking for great work, meaningful impact and stories worth celebrating.

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Self-nominations and nominations of others are welcome.

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Your trusted manufacturers rep agency and national 2-step distributor

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BRAND PARTNERS:

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Built to Innovate: Breaking Barriers to Building What happens when building innovation moves faster than regulation? At Showcase 2027, we’re bringing industry and regulators to the same table. Moderated by Supply-Build Canada President Liz Kovach and presented in partnership with the Safety Codes Council of Alberta and its Build Forward Alberta initiative, Built to Innovate will bring together building suppliers, manufacturers, innovators, government, regulators and Safety Codes Officers for a candid conversation about the future of building innovation in Alberta. From new building products and product substitutions to alternative solutions and emerging technologies, the discussion will tackle the real barriers that can slow innovation — including knowledge gaps, inconsistent interpretations and challenges navigating Alberta’s safety codes system. More importantly, we’ll ask: How can industry and government work together to make Alberta an easier place to invest, innovate and build? This is a rare opportunity for industry to hear directly from the people working within Alberta’s safety codes system — and for regulators to hear directly from the businesses bringing new solutions to market. Thursday, January 21 | 8:00–9:30 a.m. $25 registration add-on | Breakfast included | Limited to 50 participants

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Come ready to listen, challenge, contribute, and help move the industry forward.

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Lead Like You Mean It: Presence, Pivots & Power Built by women, for women — and friends of women in the industry. The buildHER Committee is bringing something new to Showcase 2027: an event open to everyone who wants to lead with more confidence, think faster on their feet and make stronger connections across our industry. Join professional improvisors and facilitators Angela and Meaghan from Ideate for Lead Like You Mean It: Presence, Pivots & Power — a 90-minute session built exclusively for buildHER. And no, you won’t be doing stand-up comedy. Instead, expect an energizing, informative and seriously fun workshop that uses an improvisor’s lens to tackle real leadership skills: owning the room, adapting under pressure, strengthening your presence and pivoting with confidence when things don’t go according to plan. You’ll leave with practical tools you can use immediately — and new connections with people navigating many of the same challenges you are. Thursday, January 21 | 8:00–9:30 a.m. $25 registration add-on | Breakfast included | Open to everyone | Limited to 100 participants

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Come for the breakfast. Stay for the laughs. Leave ready to lead like you mean it.

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Showcase 2027: Everything Exhibitors Need to Know This year, we’re challenging exhibitors to think beyond simply booking booth space. Showcase is your opportunity to get in front of retailers, launch what’s next, create conversations and give dealers a reason to seek you out on the show floor.

Exhibitor Registration & Online Booking Launches October 1 The Showcase 2027 exhibitor map will officially open for online booth booking on October 1 on a first-come, first-served basis. Booths are booked in 10’ × 10’ segments, giving exhibitors the flexibility to build the footprint that works for their brand. Booth Pricing • 10’ × 10’ Inside Booth: $2,000 • 10’ × 10’ Corner Booth: $2,300 Your booth includes pipe and drape; exhibitor staff passes and access to complimentary Showcase conference programming, including major show programming such as the keynote.

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Stay tuned for booking instructions and everything you need to secure your space.

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Your Exhibitor Guide: Everything You Need to Know

New Product Showcase — Sign Up Now!

Once your booth registration is complete, you’ll receive the Showcase 2027 Exhibitor Guide — your go-to resource for planning and executing your show presence.

Dealers want to know what’s next. Show them. The New Product Showcase is your opportunity to put your newest innovations front and centre for retailers attending Showcase 2027.

The guide will include important information and deadlines for: • Electrical and power requirements

Eligible submissions include products launching in 2026 or 2027, prototypes, new colours and finishes, product innovations, or products that are new to this market.

• Banner and signage hanging And this year, there’s even more reason to participate. • Exhibitor staff passes and registration • Move-in and move-out information

Every New Product Showcase submission will automatically be entered into judging for Best New Product, with the winner recognized at the Forge & Form Gala.

• New Product Showcase & Best New Product Award submissions • Show Specials • Exhibitor services, requirements and key deadlines • Additional show logistics and opportunities

This isn’t just about displaying a new SKU. New products are a major dealer draw because they help retailers identify emerging trends, discover new opportunities and bring fresh ideas back to their customers. If you have something new, innovative, or simply worth talking about, put it in the spotlight.

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Register first, then watch your inbox. Your Exhibitor Guide will walk you through the next steps and help make sure your team is ready for the show.

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Show Specials — Give Dealers a Reason to Buy

Want More Traffic? Amplify Your Presence

Have a standout promotion, show-only price, special package or limited-time offer?

Your presence at Showcase doesn’t have to stop at the edge of your booth.

Tell us about it.

Sponsorships and custom activations can help extend your brand across the show and drive attendees directly back to your exhibit, product launch or team.

Retailers are asking to see show specials, and we want to help put those offers directly in front of them. Exhibitors can submit their show specials through the Exhibitor Portal, allowing Supply-Build Canada to promote participating offers to dealers and help drive qualified traffic to your booth.

Our team can work with you to develop an activation around your objectives — whether that means building awareness, launching a product, creating an experience or simply generating more traffic. Think beyond a logo on a sign.

Put your best foot forward. A strong show special can turn a conversation into an order.

Past activations have included experiences like the Norske Coffee Station and Quik-Therm DJ Stations — memorable touchpoints that gave attendees another reason to interact with the brands behind them.

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Have an idea? Bring it to us. We’ll help you build the footprint and execute it.

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Hotel Information Coming Soon Official Showcase 2027 hotel information will be sent directly to exhibitors by email. Keep an eye on your inbox for hotel details and the passcode required to access the booking information on our website.

Don’t Just Exhibit. Make the Show Work for You. Book the right location. Launch something new. Promote an offer retailers can’t ignore. Create an activation people remember. Showcase 2027 is your opportunity to get your company, products and people in front of the industry — make your footprint count.

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NEW for 2027: Career Fair Thursday On Thursday from 12:00–3:30 p.m., the Showcase Career Fair will run alongside the regular show, with dealers and industry professionals continuing to walk the floor. All exhibitors will automatically be opted in as Career Fair booths. With 19% of our industry approaching retirement, it’s time to show the next generation what a career in building materials can look like. Last year, we welcomed 500 adults and teens exploring employment and career opportunities — and we’re building on that momentum. Connect with your HR team, come ready to talk careers and bring any current opportunities. You don’t have to be hiring — just be ready to tell your story.

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Let’s be stewards of our industry and show tomorrow’s workforce what we have to offer.

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WE ARE HIRING SCOPE OF POSITION: The Distribution Center Employee is responsible at various points, for order picking, loading, unloading, sorting, staging, transporting and otherwise handling products that come into and move out of the warehouse.

JOB TYPE: Full-time, permanent WORK LOCATION: Onsite – Unit A - 1 High Plains Trail, RISE & GRIND Rocky View County, AB T4A 3M6 SHIFT: Afternoons Monday to Friday 3:30 pm – 12:00 am WAGE: $22.80 per hour Moulure Alexandria Moulding Inc is an equal opportunity employer and will reasonably accommodate applicants with disabilities during the selection process. HOW TO APPLY: If you are interested in this role, please reach out to Ryan Jang at rjang@alexmo.com.

JOB DUTIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: • Pick, organize and verify orders for delivery • Utilize appropriate lift truck equipment to prepare customer orders • Ensure accuracy and completion of orders within the contractual time frame • Verify the quantities, lot number and item description of each item selected for an order • Identify and read tickets, SKUs, UPC labels and reports • Correctly document and label all orders correctly through documentation including orders, packaging details, shipping labels, etc. • Wrapping and capping pallets of merchandise • Pick customer orders ensuring the correct number and products are accurate using RF scanner • Assist with internal cycle counts • Ensure accurate shipping when using transportation systems • Ensure accurate labeling on items being shipped. • Communicates with the supervisory team regarding any challenges that may impede the completion of the daily workload e.g., shortage of supplies / boxes / labels • Other duties as assigned

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

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• Due to forklifts and other heavy equipment traveling through the Warehouse, temporary cracks may appear in the floor, causing uneven walking surfaces. • Capable of physically demanding work and standing for extended periods. • Bend, stoop, reach, twist, squat, push, pull, move, and lift to 50lbs. • Warehouse environment can be dusty and noisy. • Fluctuations of temperature are common, some outdoor exposure during the workday/ • Wet floors may occur during rainy or snowy weather or at other times depending on what has transpired in the environment (i.e., cleaning of floors….). • Sharp and/or rough edges will typically be encountered. • Warehouse equipment and treated lumber may emit fumes. • Some equipment may require electric voltage. • This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phone and standard warehouse equipment such as hand trucks, box cutters and tape dispensers. YARDSTICK MAGAZINE FALL 2026

MAJOR SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES: • Basic computer skills; • Repetitive tasks; • Handle heavy up to 50 lbs.; • Physically demanding; • Standing for extended periods; • Attention to detail; • All necessary training will be provided; • Self-motivated and works well under pressure • Good communication and interpersonal skills

REQUIRED CREDENTIALS: • High School diploma or equivalent • Minimum of one (1) year warehouse distribution experience • Prior lumber experience desired • Must have basic math and analytical skills • Must be computer literate, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook • Self-started, pro-active and able to take initiative • Basic familiarity with construction tools and equipment • Ability to multi-task and prioritize work duties as required • Understanding and willingness to maintain HSE standards *Not a comprehensive list of duties. Duties may change without notice in management’s sole discretion 75

ATTRACT TALENT

Pavle Stelkic

Peyton Tytler

Ramadan Ali

Sam Draper

Thalia Ibarra-Antioquia

Fiyin Ajayi

Jonah Drake

Joshua Dawodu

Kade Andres

Markayus Colas

Building Experience, Confidence and Career Pathways This Summer Amanda Wright, Supply-Build Canada

The Supply-Build Canada Rising Stars Internship Program, presented by Star Building Materials, a Qualico Company, connected interns with hands-on opportunities across manufacturing, yard operations, sales and estimating. The goal? Give the next generation a chance to experience the industry from the inside, build confidence and get a better sense of where their skills and interests could take them.

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his summer, 10 young people across Edmonton and Calgary got more than a summer job: they got a chance to step into the building materials industry, try out different career paths, and build skills they can carry into whatever comes next.

ATTRACT TALENT

EDMONTON

CALGARY

In Edmonton, Peyton Tytler joined the team as a Manufacturing Labourer – Truss, where he learned how to organize and stack lumber, understand different wood grades and get a behind-the-scenes look at how trusses are built. For Peyton, the people and structure of the workplace were just as valuable as the technical skills. His favourite part was “how organized everything is” and how helpful everyone had been since he started. He also saw the experience as an important step toward his future career, noting that it helped him “develop more skills and improve my ability to work with others.” Meanwhile, Markayus Colas took on a Manufacturing Labourer – Joist role, gaining hands-on experience in the manufacturing environment. He was so busy he had no time to comment!

Calgary interns explored a similarly diverse set of opportunities. Ramadan Ali stepped in as a Manufacturing Labourer in the Joist department and gained real-world experience while developing communication, teamwork, time management and problem-solving skills. He came into the internship wanting to understand how a real workplace operates and saw the experience as a way to “build my confidence, and prepare me for future jobs.”

In the yard, Kade Andres and Joshua Dawodu got a closer look at the materials, orders and teamwork that keep operations moving in their Customer Service Attendant – Yard roles. Kade learned “how to organize well, how to build an order and how to be a part of a hard-working family,” while Joshua developed his knowledge of LVL grades and how different building materials are used in construction. He also learned an important lesson that applies to just about any career: “there is always more to learn or do.”

Fiyin Ajayi, Manufacturing Labourer - Truss also gained hands-on exposure to the building materials and construction industries, learning how materials are handled, how operations run and how different roles work together. For Fiyin, the opportunity was about gaining “valuable experience” while exploring future career interests and taking on new challenges. Pavle Stelkic joined the team in a Sales/Scheduling role, connecting his interest in engineering with the business side of the industry. He explored customer relationships, advertising and client retention while gaining a broader understanding of an industry he had previously known little about. He saw the combination of practical experience and education as an important foundation for his long-term career goals. Thalia Ibarra-Antioquia stepped into an Estimating/Admin role, putting her technical interests into practice while learning about project design, budgets, costs and building codes. She was particularly excited to see how cost considerations influence real projects and how teams develop solutions when challenges arise. Last but not least, Jonah Drake stepped in to a Manufacturing Labourer – Wall Panel role and Sam Draper helped out with Operations in the Lumber Yard. Much like their Edmonton colleague Markayus, their roles kept them too busy to interview. Together, these interns showed exactly why hands-on experience matters. They weren’t just learning about careers — they were trying them on, building confidence and discovering what might be possible. With new skills, real workplace experience and a better understanding of the industry under their belts, they’re heading into their next steps with a stronger foundation for the future. Thanks to Star Building Materials Calgary and Edmonton for being such strong supporters of our internship program, and thanks to Careers Alberta for working so hard to source excellent talent.

We are building out internships in all provinces we operate in. Like the idea but don’t know where to start? Keep an eye out for our internship starter kit which includes everything you need to have an intern except the student…and we’ll help find them too! Amanda W is always eager to help you build up your businesses, and help our next generation find their place.

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Career Fairs: Fall 2026 Y

ou talked, we listened! Going forward, Supply-Build Canada is changing up how career fairs are run to meet you where you need us. The primary focus will be getting the eyes of youth on the industry through more school fairs, and our all-ages events will focus primarily on areas that have not previously seen an association presence at career events, including rural areas. With Attract being one of our four strategic pillars, it matters that our efforts go where the industry will benefit most. Being able to build our own talent pool from the ground up is a sure-fire way to ensure the industry gets, and keeps, top talent and doesn’t get lost in the background. The website is updated regularly with upcoming stops, and we are always more than happy to pitch in for events your business may already be part of. Here’s what is booked so far this fall, with many more to come. With a commitment to at least five career fairs per province, we will be coming to a site near you soon! BRITISH COLUMBIA A series of career events with Southpointe Academy, dates TBD ALBERTA Two career fairs with Careers Alberta, one in the fall and one in the spring, dates and locations TBD SASKATCHEWAN Oct. 14: Opening Doors to Tomorrow in Prince Albert Nov. 2: See Your Future in Saskatoon Nov. 3: See Your Future in Regina

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MANITOBA Sept. 23: Asper School of Business in Winnipeg (pending) Sept. 25: Neepawa Home Hardware, as part of the Kultivation Festival ONTARIO Sept. 29: Engineering Job Fair at the University of Guelph

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“I know that I’m playing a role in the house that someone’s going to live in, where they spend and they cherish their every day.”

Why I Chose This Industry R

egan did not plan on a career in building materials. With a scientific background, for a while his plan was medicine. Today he works in contractor sales at Rona Rosenort, with a hand in purchasing and estimating as well, and while that career shift might not have been intentional, what has come after it has been. We asked him what pulled him into the industry, and what kept him here.

HOW DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT THE JOB? WAS IT A POSTING, WERE YOU REFERRED, OR DID SOMEBODY BRING YOU INTO THE INDUSTRY?

I was bored pursuing my Master’s and wanted to get a part-time job, so I started working at Rona in Winnipeg part-time, just in the electrical department, selling light bulbs, light switches and the like. Eventually, I thought, oh, I need to find something more stable to do now, because I do also need to make money to support myself.

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So, I applied for a full-time position doing contractor sales at a different Rona in Winnipeg, and then moved into management relatively quickly thereafter. Following that, I made the move over to Rona Rosenort to expand my skill set, because whereas in Winnipeg there was a heavy retail focus, Rosenort has a heavy focus on building. As a result, I’ve been learning significantly more about building materials, building codes, and the like. I’m someone who’s always trying to learn new things and apply them effectively.

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ATTRACT TALENT IS THERE A MOMENT WHERE IT KEYED IN FOR YOU, WHERE YOU THOUGHT, THIS INDUSTRY IS WORTH STAYING IN?

I’ve kind of been slowly eased into the position here, because I came from sales at Rona in Winnipeg, which is more retail focused, and here is much more heavily on the building materials. Here, I am currently helping with the build of my first full house – something that I’d never done in Winnipeg. This first house means a lot to me, and as such, I’ve gone three separate times to take progress pictures so that I can remember it, because it’s been really cool to watch it go from just a cement foundation to fully framed with windows and doors in. To me, it’s terribly satisfying, because I know that I’m playing a role in the house that someone’s going to live in, where they spend and they cherish their every day. That part feels really good, and I’m proud of that.

FROM WHERE YOU STARTED TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW, HOW HAS YOUR VIEW OF THE INDUSTRY CHANGED?

Initially at Rona, I pictured everything on a very small scale. Everything was a very, very small problem to solve. Someone would come in and want to do a bathroom remodel, and of course, to the people that are doing the remodel, it’s not small. That’s a big project for them. It’s a big investment. But when it comes to scale, bathroom construction is one small component of a condo suite. And one condo suite is a small component of a condo building, and so on.

“This is the perfect time to get into it, because now you can grow with them.”

Everything scales way more immensely than I had ever anticipated when I first got into the industry. And just seeing how critical this industry really is to a functioning economy – everyone needs a place to live. I went from doing quotes for bathroom remodels to doing quotes for 7,000-square-foot shops within the span of a year. That scale has been honestly exhilarating to witness and to start to learn.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO A YOUNGER PERSON WHO IS WEIGHING THIS AS A CAREER?

We see a heavy push toward people saying, well, go work in the trades, but we don’t see that same push to saying, well, how do we supply the material that those trades use? Because if we have an increased number of skilled labourers, which is happening, then we are going to have an increased demand for individuals that are able to satisfy the material requirements of those skilled labourers. And a lot of the older generation of those skilled labourers, the contractors, are slowly starting to retire, phase out, and we’re raising a new crop. From my experience, this equates to the perfect time to enter the industry since you can grow with the younger contractors.

You have to be willing to learn, but in order to learn, you need someone to teach you. You need somebody available who’s willing to walk you through the necessary steps, how to do the bathroom remodel, how to do a material list for a drawing, etcetera. Investing that time to sit down to make sure that everybody’s confident in what they’re are doing is critical for success.

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MOST OF OUR READERS ARE THE RETAILERS AND MANUFACTURERS WHO ARE TRYING TO ATTRACT NEW TALENT TO THE INDUSTRY. WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO THEM?

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ATTRACT TALENT

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If Every Line Points Back to You, You Don’t Have a Leadership Team Cody Miller, Novus Global

“WELL, THAT IS NOT GOING TO WORK.” Mark stared at the whiteboard, desperate and deflated. We had spent our first coaching session mapping the leadership system of his company. His name sat in the middle of the board. Nearly every line pointed back to him. Mark was a third-generation business owner operating with the same model his dad had used: everyone had his number, and nearly every important decision eventually found its way to him. That model had worked when the company had a handful of sites and clients. But the business had grown while the leadership system had not. Mark had become the infrastructure. And it was exhausting him and his team.

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ATTRACT TALENT We began building a leadership pipeline: changing how the company recruited, developed, deployed and reviewed leaders. Along the way, Mark learned three lessons that apply to almost every leader trying to grow beyond themselves.

1. VISION: GIVE PEOPLE SOMETHING WORTH GROWING INTO Leaders who become organizational bottlenecks often say they want growth, a healthier culture or more time away from the business. But “growth” is not a vision. Building a leadership culture requires people to change how they work, make decisions and relate to one another. That transformation is difficult. Vague aspirations rarely create enough energy to sustain it. For Mark, the breakthrough came when he began articulating the company he actually wanted to build. He wanted a core leadership team he trusted to make meaningful decisions without him. He wanted to enter markets beyond the specialized work his father and grandfather had built their careers in. And he wanted to pursue projects that would put the company on the map. As the vision became clearer, something changed. Mark stopped simply trying to escape the pressure of his current business and started building toward a future he wanted.

I facilitated this conversation between Mark and Cam, his VP of Construction. Cam rated his trust in Mark a five (as any good soldier would). Then Mark rated his trust in Cam to lead his team: “Three.”

That distinction matters. After recovering from the surprise, Cam asked what would make it a five. Your team cannot grow into a future you have not clearly defined.

2. TRUST: STOP TREATING IT LIKE AN ON/OFF SWITCH Delegation is usually described as a time-management problem.

Mark gave him specific examples. He explained how Cam’s communication with superintendents and clients sometimes violated their cultural values. Project managers were spending unnecessary energy managing around his reactions. It was an uncomfortable conversation—and one of the most valuable they had ever had.

More often, it is a trust problem. Cam now knew exactly what trust required. Many leaders think about trust as binary: “I trust her” or “I don’t.” But trust is far more specific than that. We often ask leadership teams to rate their trust in one another from 1–5 and then answer one question:

Eighteen months later, after intentionally rebuilding trust with Mark and his team, Cam was invited to apply for the company’s new COO position. Autonomy does not come from telling people, “I trust you.”

What would make it a 5? It comes from making the conditions of trust visible enough that people can grow toward them.

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ATTRACT TALENT

3. REVIEW: BUILD FEEDBACK INTO THE WORK Many organizations still develop leaders with some version of “throw them in the deep end.” Then they wonder why leadership quality is inconsistent. Leaders who build leaders create short, frequent feedback loops. Review does not need to mean another annual process or lengthy evaluation. Try these: After an important meeting, ask: What did we do well that we should repeat? What would we do differently next time? At the end of a team meeting, rate it from 1–10. If it is not a 10, ask: What would have made it one? Ask your team: What is one thing I could change that would make me more effective as your leader? Small reviews compound. Leading without them is like speeding down the highway while covering your dashboard. The information is available; you simply are not using it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Recently, I sat in on one of Mark’s executive meetings. They were reviewing their best quarter in company history. Mark smiled as he described the largest project the company had ever landed. He had never even been to the job site. That might once have terrified him. Now it was evidence that the system was working. Mark had stopped building a company that depended on him and started building leaders who could build other leaders.

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For owners and executives, that may be one of the most important measures of growth: Not simply how much the business can accomplish with you—but how much it can accomplish without you.

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With a firm belief in the transformative power of coaching, Cody is dedicated to helping teams overcome cultural challenges and build collaborative environments, as an executive coach at Novus Global. His journey into the space began as a client while he was an executive at a large construction company in Southern California. Witnessing the whole scale of this work, Cody transitioned to professional coaching in 2018. As director of the Novus Global Construction Division, Cody is particularly passionate about helping leaders in construction define their vision and actualize their potential. Cody’s deep understanding of personal and professional dynamics is complemented by his personal commitment to ongoing coaching. Outside of his professional life, Cody enjoys a close-knit family with his wife, Shauna, and their three boys—Milo, Kasen, and Renley. They love discovering new restaurants and coffee shops and spending time at local parks. At the core of Cody’s philosophy is the belief that empowering individuals leads to a cascade of transformation in both life and business.

EDUCATION

The Manager Makeover Sarah Winters, Kamloops Home Hardware Building Centre

he building materials industry has never been afraid of hard work.

Just like us, many of the businesses that make up our industry today were built through early mornings, late nights, and an unwavering determination to serve customers better than anyone else. Family businesses, like our own, were founded by people who simply refused to leave anything on the table. They worked harder, learned faster, and did whatever was needed to get the job done.

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PHOTO: SUPPLIED BY KAMLOOPS HOME HARDWARE BUILDING CENTRE

“The true manager makeover is defined by leaders who know how to inspire, empower, unite and genuinely care for people, this may well become the greatest competitive advantage our industry has.”

EDUCATION That grit remains one of our industry’s greatest strengths. But the workforce around us has changed, and so too has the role of a manager. For many years, the path into leadership was relatively straightforward. Become the best operator. Know your products. Solve problems. Show initiative. Put your hand up when something needed doing. Eventually, someone noticed and handed you the keys to a department. There was nothing wrong with that approach. In fact, at Kamloops Home Hardware, our CEO, senior leaders and many of our department managers all began their careers on the front line. They learned the business from the ground up, earning credibility through hard work long before they earned a leadership title. Those experiences continue to shape the leaders they are today. What we’ve learned, however, is that operational excellence alone no longer prepares someone for leadership. The skills that make someone successful as an individual are not always the skills required to help an entire team succeed. Today’s frontline manager wears far more hats than they ever have. They’re expected to coach, motivate, navigate conflict, develop people, build culture, manage performance, communicate through change, and inspire a diverse team. All while continuing to deliver exceptional operational results. That’s no small ask.

The challenge facing our industry today isn’t a lack of people willing to work hard. It’s that we’re asking managers to lead a workforce that looks very different than it did twenty years ago. Expectations have evolved. Teams are more diverse, communication styles have changed, and attracting and retaining great people has become just as important as attracting customers. Technical expertise remains the foundation, but it is no longer enough on its own. We believe today’s Rise & Grind isn’t simply about working longer hours or knowing more than the next person. It›s about building leaders who can build people. The grit, resilience, and work ethic that built this industry isn’t disappearing. It remains the foundation of everything we do. But, the true manager makeover is defined by leaders who know how to inspire, empower, unite and genuinely care for people, this may well become the greatest competitive advantage our industry has.

As our organization has grown, we’ve become much more intentional about how we develop future leaders. Rather than simply promoting our strongest operator, we’ve focused on building leadership long before someone steps into a management role. Our approach centres around four key principles.

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First, master the craft. Great leaders still need to understand the products, the customers, and the realities of the work. There is simply no substitute for spending the time to truly understand the industry and the communities we serve. Second, understand the business. We want future leaders to understand not only what we do, but why we do it. When managers understand the organization’s strategy, financial realities, customer expectations, and long-term vision, they’re able to make confident decisions independently. They begin thinking like leaders, united around a common goal. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Third, learn to lead people. Communication, coaching, accountability, feedback, conflict resolution, and developing others are not simply personality traits, they’re skills. And just like technical skills, leadership improves with practice, coaching, and intentional development. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, never lose the boots-on-the-ground mentality that got you there in the first place. The most respected managers in our business still jump on a forklift when the yard gets busy. They still help pull orders. They still serve customers. Not because they have to, but because we believe leadership happens shoulder to shoulder with our people, not several steps ahead of them.

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

Sarah Winters is the People & Culture Manager at Kamloops Home Hardware Building Centre, where she focuses on leadership development, training programs, and building a strong, people-first culture. Sarah has just completed her CPHR designation and is passionate about building practical learning pathways that help team members grow from entry-level roles into confident leaders within their community.

EDUCATION

“A specification writer bridges the gap between manufacturers and the design community.”

The Right Product Starts With The Right Specification 90

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

EDUCATION

IS YOUR COMPANY WINNING SPECIFICATIONS OR JUST WAITING TO BE QUOTED? In construction, the specification is more than a technical document; it’s the contractual definition of what must be supplied. While drawings illustrate the design intent, written specifications govern material requirements, performance criteria, installation methods, testing, and product substitutions. When conflicts arise, specifications often take precedence over drawings within the contract documents. That means one well-written specification can determine whether your product is installed correctly or replaced by a competitor.

WHY MANUFACTURERS NEED SPECIFICATION WRITERS

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A specification writer bridges the gap between manufacturers and the design community. With a deep understanding of the language, standards, and expectations of architects, engineers, and specification consultants, they present products in a way that aligns with design intent and project requirements. This technical credibility helps manufacturers build stronger relationships with consultants, improve product acceptance, and increase the likelihood of being specified early in the design process. A dedicated specification writer brings technical expertise that extends far beyond marketing or sales. They can ensure and assist with the following: • Products are correctly specified for their intended application • Review compliance with current codes and industry standards • Specifications are written to reduce ambiguity and substitution risk • Presented in language that architects and Consultants trust • Positioned to improve project success from design through construction • Increase specification acceptance • Improve installation accuracy • Build credibility with architects, engineers, and specification consultants Every application is different. A product that performs exceptionally in one assembly may be inappropriate in another. Understanding building science, code requirements, system compatibility, and construction practices is what separates a product description from a true specification. When your products are specified correctly, everyone benefits—from the design team to the contractor, owner, and ultimately your company.

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

EDUCATION

Quik-Therm Innovative Insulation Solutions has made specification support a core part of its commitment to the design and construction community. Despite being a relatively small Canadian manufacturer, Quik-Therm has invested in bringing two certified and registered specification writers onto its team. This investment allows Quik-Therm to engage with architects, engineers, consultants, and specification professionals earlier in the design process, helping identify project opportunities while providing knowledgeable technical support when it matters most. Rather than simply supplying product information, Quik-Therm can help design professionals navigate appropriate applications, performance requirements, code considerations, and system compatibility. The result is stronger specifications, better-informed product decisions, and greater continuity of technical support from early design through construction. Specifications Don’t Sell Products. They Build Confidence. Invest in technical specification expertise and make your products the right choice—before construction even begins.

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

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INVESTING IN SPECIFICATION EXPERTISE

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EDUCATION

“Insurance works best as a partnership. The businesses that engage proactively with their insurer are often the ones best positioned to manage risk and build resilience.”

Insurance 101 for Manufacturers: Building Resilience Beyond the Policy

Q: WHY SHOULD MANUFACTURERS THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT INSURANCE?

Alex Hawkins: Insurance should be viewed as part of your overall business strategy, not simply as a line-item expense. The right insurance partner can help reduce your exposure to risk by identifying exposures, strengthening loss prevention practices, and ensuring you have the right protection in place before problems arise.

Q: WHAT MAKES MANUFACTURERS UNIQUELY VULNERABLE COMPARED TO OTHER BUSINESSES?

Alex Hawkins: One of the biggest challenges for manufacturers is getting back into operation after a major loss. Unlike some businesses that can relocate relatively quickly, manufacturers depend on specialized facilities, equipment, and municipal zoning approvals. Even if replacement space is available, it may not be suitable for manufacturing operations. In many cases, critical machinery is custom-built or sourced internationally, resulting in replacement timelines that can stretch for months. That is why business interruption insurance is so important. Manufacturers should carefully evaluate whether the standard coverage period is sufficient. Given current rebuilding timelines and equipment lead times, many businesses benefit from extending their business interruption coverage beyond the traditional 12-month period.

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

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or manufacturers, insurance is often viewed as a necessary expense. But according to Alex Hawkins, Underwriting Director at Federated Insurance, the most successful businesses treat insurance as a strategic partnership that helps strengthen resilience, manage risk in an uncertain market, and protect long-term growth. Last year, Hawkins shared key insights into the unique risks facing manufacturers in an episode of Across the Yard and discussed with host Liz Kovach how businesses can prepare before a loss occurs.

EDUCATION Q: ARE PRODUCT-RELATED RISKS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR MANUFACTURERS?

Alex Hawkins: Absolutely. Manufacturers and wholesalers often supply products that become part of a larger system or structure. If a defect is discovered after installation, the consequences can extend far beyond replacing the original component. For example, a faulty plumbing valve installed in multiple homes may require drywall removal, repairs, repainting, and extensive labour before the issue is resolved. At Federated Insurance, we offer specialized Errors & Omissions coverage designed to address these types of costs and protect against potentially significant claims.

Q: HOW CAN MANUFACTURERS REDUCE EQUIPMENT BREAKDOWN RISKS?

Alex Hawkins: Advance planning is critical. Manufacturers should know exactly what to do if essential equipment fails. Do you have a backup machine? Can you rent production time from another facility? Do you have established contacts with suppliers who can expedite parts or replacements? Preventive maintenance also plays a major role. Electrical inspections, thermal scans of panels, and surge protection can help identify problems before they become catastrophic losses. The best time to develop a recovery plan is before equipment fails, not after.

Q: HOW CAN MANUFACTURERS NAVIGATE UNCERTAINTY AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT INSURANCE COVERAGE IN PLACE?

Alex Hawkins: In periods of economic uncertainty and rapid change, it’s more important than ever for businesses to regularly review their insurance coverage. Replacement costs, equipment values, and operational risks can shift quickly, meaning coverage that was adequate a year ago may no longer reflect today’s reality.

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At a minimum, manufacturers should review their policies annually, but it’s also worth checking in whenever there is a significant change to the business, such as purchasing new equipment, expanding operations, entering new markets, or moving facilities. A quick conversation with your insurer can help ensure your coverage keeps pace with your business and that there are no gaps when you need protection most.

Q: WHAT ROLE DOES CYBER INSURANCE PLAY IN MANUFACTURING TODAY?

Alex Hawkins: Every business has a cyber exposure, regardless of industry. Manufacturers are increasingly vulnerable to ransomware, fraud, social engineering attacks, and data breaches. Advances in artificial intelligence are also making cyber scams more convincing and much easier for bad actors to execute. Many business owners can underestimate the cost of a breach. Beyond operational disruption, organizations may face customer notification requirements, credit monitoring expenses, privacy compliance costs, and potential legal obligations. Reviewing cyber coverage limits regularly and understanding exactly what is included in your policy is essential.

Q: WHAT TRENDS ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF COMMERCIAL INSURANCE?

Alex Hawkins: We’re seeing a shift toward greater collaboration between insurers and business owners. Instead of simply responding to claims, insurers are increasingly helping companies identify risks, prevent losses, and build long-term resilience. At Federated, that means working closely with customers throughout their policy. Whether it’s reviewing coverage after a business expansion, providing risk management support or helping customers prepare for emerging risks like cyber threats and severe weather, our goal is to help businesses stay protected before a loss occurs. As risks continue to evolve, businesses can tap into the expertise of their insurance partner to help protect their operations and recover quickly when challenges arise. As a 100% Canadian-owned insurer, Federated Insurance is here to support you and your business. To learn more, visit federated.ca or call us at 1.855.436.0111.

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW This article is a condensed version of the discussion between Supply-Build Canada’s Liz Kovach and Federated Insurance’s Alex Hawkins.To hear more practical advice on how insurance can help protect your business, listen to the full Across the Yard podcast episode. Scan the QR Code on the right.

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

EDUCATION

Purchasing Is Profit NEGOTIATION SKILLS THAT SEPARATE STRONG LBM DEALERS FROM THE REST Mike McDole, Firing-Line LBM Consulting

n the lumber and building materials industry, profitability is often discussed through the lens of sales growth, gross margin, pricing strategy, customer retention, and operational efficiency. All of those areas matter. But one of the most overlooked drivers of financial performance remains purchasing. Too often, purchasing is treated as an administrative function responsible for placing orders, monitoring stock levels, and sourcing the lowest available price. In reality, effective purchasing is far more strategic. It directly influences gross margin, inventory turns, cash flow, service levels, and vendor relationships. In many LBM operations, stronger purchasing discipline can create bottom-line improvement.

The most successful dealers understand a simple truth: purchasing is profit. As purchasing touches every part of the business. Every buying decision creates consequences across the organization. When inventory is purchased too aggressively, cash becomes tied up in stock sitting on racks or in the yard. Carrying costs rise, turns slow, and flexibility declines. When inventory is purchased too conservatively, stockouts increase, salespeople scramble for substitutions, and customers begin looking elsewhere. Buy the wrong mix of products and valuable warehouse space gets consumed by slow-moving or obsolete SKUs. Buy at the wrong time and margins shrink before the first unit is sold. YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

EDUCATION Strong purchasers recognize that they are not simply buying products. They are balancing demand, margin, risk, service, and working capital simultaneously. That is why top-performing purchasing professionals think like owners, operators, and financial managers — not just buyers. Buy better, not just cheaper. One of the most common mistakes in purchasing is focusing too heavily on lowest invoice cost. A lower quoted price may appear attractive, but if that supplier struggles with fill rates, inconsistent lead times, freight surprises, damaged product, poor communication, or billing errors, the true cost can be much higher. Smart buyers focus on total landed cost, which includes … product cost – freight expense – payment terms – rebates – delivery reliability – damage rates – administrative burden – inventory carrying risk – customer service impact. For example, paying slightly more to a dependable supplier that consistently ships complete, accurate, on-time orders may generate more profit than constantly chasing the cheapest quote in the market. In the LBM industry, reliability has value, service has value, and speed has value. Great purchasers know how to measure that value. Timing matters in a volatile industry. Few industries experience the pricing swings common to lumber and building materials. Commodity lumber, panels, treated products, gypsum, and many imported items can change quickly due to supply constraints, mill curtailments, freight issues, weather events, labor shortages, tariffs, or shifts in housing demand. That volatility means timing matters. Effective LBM negotiation often includes the following principles: The best buyers do not pretend to predict every market movement perfectly. Instead, they build systems and discipline that improve decision-making over time. They monitor … seasonal buying trends - historical demand patterns – sales forecasts - vendor forecasts - transportation issues - competitive market activity. Most importantly, they avoid emotional decisions. Panic buying during upward markets often creates expensive inventory positions. Hesitation during soft markets can mean missed opportunities. Skilled purchasers remain steady, data-driven, and deliberate. The objective is not perfection, it is consistency. Negotiation is a core profit skill. Every dollar saved through effective negotiation goes directly to the bottom line. Yet many purchasing teams negotiate only when markets tighten or suppliers announce increases. That approach leaves money on the table. Negotiation should be an ongoing discipline built into the purchasing process. Strong negotiators prepare before every conversation. They understand annual volume, historical purchases, competitive alternatives, freight realities, category importance, and their acceptable walk-away points. YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

1) Negotiate More Than Price. Cost matters, but so do terms, dating, rebates, freight allowances, return privileges, co-op funds, training support, and guaranteed allocations. 2) Bundle Categories. Combining purchases across multiple product lines with a supplier can create leverage for better terms and rebates. 3) Use Silence Strategically. Many concessions are lost because buyers speak too quickly after making an ask. Silence often creates opportunity. 4) You Do Not Have to Accept the First Offer. Initial quotes from suppliers are commonly starting positions. Respectfully pushing back is part of the process. 5) Put Agreements in Writing. Clear documentation prevents misunderstandings and protects future margins and relationships. When practiced consistently, negotiation becomes one of the highest-return activities in the business.

EDUCATION

“Growth is certainly important, but Improving purchasing execution can produce gains also.” Vendor relationships still matter. Strong negotiation does not mean adversarial relationships. In fact, the best long-term purchasing results usually come from suppliers who trust the dealer and vice-versa, communicate openly, and understand shared goals. Great vendor relationships reduce friction, improve responsiveness, and often provide early visibility into pricing or supply changes. That said, relationships should be managed professionally—not emotionally.

Poor purchasing decisions frequently create downstream pricing problems. Excess inventory often leads to discounting pressure. Inconsistent replacement costs can cause confusion on quotes. Product shortages can force reactive buying at unfavorable prices. On the other hand, disciplined purchasing supports disciplined selling. When buyers manage inventory intelligently and communicate cost changes promptly, sales teams can quote confidently, protect margins, and build customer trust. Stable purchasing processes help create stable pricing behavior across the company. Also, it’s important that sales and purchasing work closely together. Purchasing needs feedback from the field on such things as … competitor’s pricing, product quality, and alternatives that sales may see on job-sites. Purchasing and sales should be a two-way street. In that sense, purchasing is not a back-office role. It is a frontline contributor to gross margin performance. Strong judgement matters, but judgement improves when supported by tools. Every LBM purchasing function should maintain … accurate on-hands – suggested order quantities (e.g., min/max) – communication from sales on large orders – inventory turns targets by category – slow moving inventory review process – vendor scorecard. The goal is not bureaucracy. It is visibility. Better information leads to better decisions.

When performance is measured, performance improves, expectations become clearer, and accountability increases. Suppliers generally respect customers who run disciplined operations and make decisions based on facts. Purchasing and pricing are connected. Many dealers separate purchasing from pricing strategy. That is a mistake.

Final thought … in many LBM dealers, leadership looks first to sales growth when seeking stronger profitability. Growth is certainly important, but Improving purchasing execution can produce gains also. Smarter buying, stronger negotiation, better timing, healthier vendor accountability, and tighter inventory management all flow directly into earnings. LBM dealers that outperform in the years ahead will not treat purchasing as clerical work. They will recognize it for what it truly is … one of the most powerful strategic functions in the business.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike McDole is the founder of Firing Line LBM Advisors. Over his 40+ year career in the LBM industry, he has served in sales, operations, and senior leadership roles, including SVP of one of the largest independent LBM dealers. Currently, he works with dealers across North America to improve sales effectiveness, develop leaders, strengthen profitability, and build stronger organizations. Mike is also a frequent speaker, trainer, and contributor to industry associations. Mike can be reached at 774.372.1367 or mike@firinglinelbm.com. MIKE MCDOLE 27 Starr Lane, Rehoboth, MA 02769 www.FiringLineLBM.com

YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

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The best purchasers rely on vendor scorecards that track measurable performance such as … on-time delivery - fill rates - order accuracy claims resolution speed - pricing consistency - product quality - communication - service responsiveness.

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EDUCATION

The U40 Leadership Mastermind A LIVE, ONLINE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR THE NEXT GENERATION RUNNING SUPPLY-BUILD CANADA MEMBER BUSINESSES — BUILT FOR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY KNOW THE TRADE AND ARE NOW LEARNING TO LEAD IT. WHO IT’S FOR You already know the trade — maybe you’re the son or daughter of the owner, or you’re the one now stepping into a bigger role inside a Supply-Build Canada member business. What you’re still building is the leadership side.

You’re stepping into ownership You’re stepping — or being stepped — into a bigger role inside a family or member business. You’re ready to lead You want the parts of the job that aren’t technical: people, decisions, accountability.

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You know the trade You’re already comfortable with the technical or operational side of the business.

EDUCATION

HOW IT RUNS

YOUR IN VESTMENT

Each monthly session is built around three parts — technical grounding, peer discussion, and ongoing coaching on real problems. Every first Wednesday of the month.

$999 ONLY 10 SEATS The group starts Wed, Oct 7, 2026

30 MINUTES

Technical learning A focused block on the technical side of running the business — the fundamentals that support good leadership decisions.

60 MINUTES

Facilitated group discussion A guided conversation with peers who are navigating the same stage — stepping into leadership inside a family or member business.

60 MIN / MONTH

Group coaching A standing hour where participants bring real, current challenges from their own business to the group for coaching.

• Monthly technical learning + facilitated group discussion • Monthly group coaching on real business challenges • A seat at the in-person Showcase dinner, Jan 19, 2027

SAVE THE DATE In-person showcase dinner Tue, Jan 19, 2027 7:00 – 10:00 PM Sabor Restaurant, PDR Room The cohort meets in person once, during the Supply-Build Canada Showcase.

LED BY Blueneck Business Mechanics works with trades and service-based business owners who are done carrying the business alone. Practical, direct, and built for real-world ownership.

YOUR GO-TO FOR INDUSTRY EDUCATION MEET ANITA HOLTMANN, DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY EDUCATION Got a question about education or professional development? Anita Holtmann is your first call. As Director of Industry Education at Supply-Build Canada, she leads the association’s education portfolio, from online courses and webinars to certification programs and industry events. She brings more than 15 years in learning and development, a Bachelor of Education and a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Adult and Continuing Education.

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This fall, Anita is working with the Calgary Board of Education to bring our Building Fundamentals courses into Grades 9 to 12, with hands-on trade kits built alongside members and a pilot targeted for November. She is also raising awareness of the retail course suite and launching onboarding consulting, helping members design onboarding programs around their own processes. Reach out to her at aholtmann@supplybuild.ca.

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HR CORNER

Build With Purpose: The Strategy Behind a Benefits Plan That Lasts

group benefits plan is an important investment that can have a lasting impact on both employees and the organization. Too often, the conversation starts out with basic questions focusing on: What benefits should we include? How much coverage should we provide? What are other employers offering? While these are important questions to ask during the process, they shouldn’t be the starting point. The strongest benefits plans are built on a strategy. The time invested in developing that strategy upfront can make the difference between a plan that simply meets today’s needs and one that continues to deliver value well into the future.

START WITH THE “WHY” Before deciding which benefits to offer, take the time to define what the benefits program is intended to achieve. Is the goal to attract and retain talent? Support employee health and well-being? Help employees manage unexpected healthcare costs? Reduce the impact of disability? Provide flexibility? Manage long-term costs? Establishing these priorities creates the foundation for everything that follows. It may take more time upfront to step back and define the strategy, but that investment can prevent a plan from becoming a collection of individual benefits added over time without a clear purpose.

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UNDERSTAND WHO YOU’RE DESIGNING FOR

MAKE THE STRATEGY AN ONGOING PROCESS

A successful strategy also starts with understanding the people the plan is intended to support. Employee demographics, family status, workplace culture, geographic location and the nature of the workforce can all influence what employees value most. Understanding these factors allows employers to make thoughtful decisions about where benefits dollars can have the greatest impact.

Putting the work in upfront doesn’t mean the strategy is set in stone but rather provides a foundation for ongoing decision-making. Regularly reviewing claims experience, utilization, employee feedback and emerging healthcare trends can help determine whether the plan continues to deliver on its objectives.

The goal isn’t necessarily to offer more. It is to build the right mix of benefits around the needs of the workforce and the objectives of the organization.

BUILD FROM THE FOUNDATION UP Once the strategy and priorities are established, the plan can be built around them. This is where decisions about health and dental coverage, prescription drugs, mental health support, disability benefits, Employee Assistance Programs, paramedical services and flexible options come into play. Rather than evaluating each benefit in isolation, consider how the pieces work together to support the broader strategy. For example, an organization focused on employee well-being may consider how EAP resources, mental health support and early intervention can help employees access support before issues become more significant. An organization focused on long-term sustainability may look at prescription drug management, plan design and flexible spending options to ensure benefits dollars are being directed where they provide the greatest value.

DESIGN FOR CHANGE, NOT JUST TODAY Putting the work into strategy upfront also means thinking beyond the current plan year. The benefits landscape continues to change. Prescription drug costs are evolving, new treatments are emerging, mental health needs are increasingly part of the workplace conversation and employee expectations around flexibility and choice continue to grow. A plan designed solely around today’s needs can quickly become outdated. A well-considered strategy provides a framework for responding to change. Building flexibility into the plan through features such as Health Care Spending Accounts, targeted drug strategies and other plan options can help the program adapt as employee needs and the healthcare environment evolve.

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Sometimes the review will identify an opportunity to make a change. Other times, it may confirm that the current approach is working.

THE VALUE OF DOING THE WORK UPFRONT There is often pressure to move quickly when designing or renewing a benefits plan. But taking the time to step back, establish priorities and build a thoughtful strategy can pay dividends over the long term. When the foundation is strong, individual benefit decisions become easier. New challenges can be evaluated and changes in employee needs can be addressed without losing sight of the bigger picture. The goal isn’t to build a benefits plan that simply works today. It’s to build a strategy that can grow and adapt alongside your organization and your employees. If you’re considering how your benefits plan can better support your people and your organization, a conversation with a PIB Group Benefits Consultant can help you explore the opportunities and priorities that matter most.

If you have questions about your plan or want to explore ways to strengthen its value, a PIB Group Benefits Consultant can provide guidance and support. Contact Jacques Poirier at jacques.poirier@pib.com

Preferred Pricing for Supply-Build Canada Members! Get customized insurance solutions to safeguard businesses and employees across industries. From group benefits to commercial coverage, PIB ensures you’re protected at every stage. Trusted by Supply-Build Canada. Plus, enjoy exclusive member pricing! Scan the QR code to view the offers.

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Carry the Advocacy Forward: Softwood Lumber Advocacy Efforts the Big Push in the U.S. and in Canada

Jay Dion, Supply-Build Canada

anadian softwood lumber mills act as both Canada’s lumber exporters and the domestic suppliers. When a lumber mill is curtailed or closed due to weak market demands, or punitive U.S. tariffs and duties are implemented, a Canadian builder, distributor, or retailer that counts on that supply feels the impacts. Not only does the building supply chain feel the effects, but, if a mill closes, local communities suffer (e.g., restaurants, shops, transportation companies, and tax revenue). This is why Supply-Build Canada treats the softwood lumber dispute between Canada and the U.S. as an issue that should concern Canada’s building material industry.

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ADVOCACY

WHY DO SOFTWOOD LUMBER EXPORTS IMPACT DOMESTIC SUPPLY? As mentioned, Supply-Build Canada’s members produce, distribute, and sell Canadian lumber, which is critical to building. Our concern with the softwood lumber trade file is that its effects on domestic supply are being overlooked. Lumber producers that export are the same producers who supply Canada’s lumber. Due to a limited market, Canadian producers have leveraged part of their business success by exporting to the U.S. The current combined 45.16% duty and tariff rate implemented by the U.S. on Canadian lumber has caused a reduction in export demand. This has forced the closures and curtailments of Canadian lumber mills, which, in turn, impacts domestic supply. A loss in lumber supply is an issue for the entire industry because an estimated 44% of construction costs of a single-family home are affected by lumber prices and availability. For instance, during the pandemic, lumber experienced extreme price volatility. Demand dropped sharply at the outset because of a brief economic collapse, and mills curtailed production in response. When demand surged back, those curtailments and employee COVID-19 safety requirements limited how quickly mills could recover. This sent prices soaring, and businesses were unable to purchase and supply wood products to build. Similarly, current U.S. duty and tariff rates on softwood lumber are forcing mills in Canada to reduce production, which has impacted export supply, and could impact domestic supply. This could create pandemic-like conditions as demand to build increases. Supply-Build Canada has continued to advocate on this issue throughout the summer to both Canadian and American officials, with a trip to D.C. in July.

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TRIP RECAP On July 21 and 22, Supply-Build Canada’s advocacy team made its second trip this year to Washington, D.C., continuing that campaign directly on Capitol Hill. The team was joined by U.S.-based partners, including the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, and by fellow Canadian association representatives Kim Haakstad (President and CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries), Jason Krips (President and CEO of the Alberta Forest Products Association) and Ian Dunn (President and CEO of the Ontario Forest Industries Association). The objective was to continue to educate key Congressional committees and member offices (Republican and Democrat) on the importance of the use of Canadian lumber in U.S. homebuilding, and the impact that duties and tariffs have on U.S. affordability. With home affordability and housing supply being the top political issue in the U.S. going into midterms, Supply-Build Canada hopes to encourage both the U.S. and the Canadian governments to resolve the softwood lumber dispute. Furthermore, Supply-Build Canada met with like-minded U.S.-based organizations, such as Home Depot USA and the National Association of Home Builders, to collaborate. The outcome was that Supply-Build Canada’s affordability message was well received by both Democrats and Republicans, and positive progress was made to collaborate with U.S. organizations.

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ADVOCACY

EDUCATION THROUGH ADVOCACY

SYP: Only produced in the U.S., SYP compared to SPF is denser and heavier, has superior strength, is more prone to warping, and is harder to work with. SYP is used by homebuilders for outdoor applications (e.g., decks, fencing, and siding), sheathing, and engineered beams. SPF: Mostly produced in Canada’s cold-weather climate, SPF has a superior strength-to-weight ratio, is lighter to handle, is dimensionally straighter, is less prone to warping, and is easier to work with. Common uses of SPF in the homebuilding process include framing, wall studs, joists, and roof trusses.

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During Supply-Build Canada’s advocacy, we focus on educating government on the different types of lumber it takes to build a home. In the U.S., the two main types of lumber are Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) and Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF). Outlined below are the different characteristics and preferred application of each type:

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How Policy Decisions Travel from Government to Your Business Jay Dion, Supply-Build Canada

hen government makes policy decisions, business operations can be impacted. For example, a supplier reworks a product line to meet a new energy code requirement, a yard manager recalculates margins after a shift in softwood lumber duties, and a manufacturer adjusts to new temporary foreign worker requirements to retain its employees. None of these changes started in a warehouse or a boardroom; they started with an election promise, a committee room, or a stakeholder consultation. Being able to have a concern heard, or to share input as part of a solution, is how industry receives favourable policy changes. Over the past year, Supply-Build Canada and its members have participated in consultation processes through roundtables and written submissions. For example, we have organized and participated in roundtables and submitted written input on topics regarding Build Canada Homes initiatives, steel and lumber freight subsidies, counter-tariffs on steel and aluminum, improving Canada’s transportation networks, the temporary foreign worker program, high municipal fees in B.C. and Ontario, and building codes in Manitoba and Alberta.

WHAT IS POLICY AND WHERE DOES IT BEGIN? Governments are elected largely on the strength of solutions they promise for the problems that voters have identified, such as housing affordability, the cost of living, jobs, and climate change. Once in office, governing means managing the campaign promises and problem solving as issues arise. Almost everything that governments do (or choose not to do) can be considered “policy,” which impacts Canadians and Canadian businesses. For example, Ontario’s first-time home buyer HST rebate changes for new housing outline how policy was created to help housing affordability in Ontario: a government response to housing affordability pressure from voters, which translated into a policy that attempts to reduce the cost of a new home for first-time homebuyers. In short, policy exists because a problem became visible enough that addressing it became politically necessary.

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YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

ADVOCACY

WHAT GOVERNMENT DOES NOT KNOW, IT CANNOT CHANGE A government’s agenda (whether municipal, provincial, or federal) is limited by what is brought to its attention. If the building materials industry is not on the radar, government will not be aware of industry issues and will not be able to make policy changes that benefit businesses. For instance, a labour shortage on job sites, supply chain issues that will impact building objectives, or issues with provincial building codes are rarely thought of by policymakers unless someone tells them.

THE CONSULTATION PROCESS: THE GOVERNMENT’S MECHANISM TO BECOME AWARE OF WHAT IT DOES NOT KNOW Once government decides an issue is worth addressing, it establishes some form of consultation, such as comment periods, technical working groups, task forces, and committee hearings, which are designed specifically to use outside expertise that the government does not have in-house. This provides the opportunity for industry to provide input, and a method to influence how the government addresses the issue. For example, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) sought expertise on what building materials can and cannot be sourced within Canada for its Buy Canada policies. HICC approached Supply-Build Canada to seek member expertise. A roundtable was held and input was gathered. As a result, HICC is currently working on a report for the minister that will include member feedback from the roundtable. Seeking industry input exists because governments know that the people running yards, mills, and manufacturing lines understand the ins and outs of their industry, something government cannot experience on its own. Governments invite industry, technical organizations, and members of the public to bring their expertise to the policy-making process.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED BY SUPPLY-BUILD CANADA

WHY THIS MATTERS AND WHEN TO ACT Government mostly acts on what it knows and what is brought to it. In both cases, there is opportunity for industry to influence policy decisions, which creates a case for organized advocacy, something that Supply-Build Canada offers. The building materials industry is the third largest GDP contributor to Canada’s economy and should have its voice heard. As an association representing 1,300 member businesses, Supply-Build Canada brings expertise in the building materials industry and is ready to help governments create and change policy that makes sense for the building sector.

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ADVOCACY

Labour on the Line: A Temporary Foreign Worker Program That Helps the Building Materials Industry Jay Dion, Supply-Build Canada

“Supply-Build Canada estimates that the building materials workforce will lose 20% of its workers to retirement by 2028, without a hiring rate sufficient to offset it.” YARDSTICK MAGAZINE Fall 2026

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ADVOCACY

A POSSIBLE SOLUTION?

ecruitment in Canada’s building materials industry is not always easy. Businesses in the industry need workers, and Canadians are not always interested in filling positions. Plant and mill operators, warehouse personnel, commercial drivers, and yard workers who keep manufacturers, distributors, and retailers supplying the materials the construction sector depends on are in demand. Supply-Build Canada estimates that the building materials workforce will lose 20% of its workers to retirement by 2028, without a hiring rate sufficient to offset it. For years, Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has been used by industry to fill those gaps. However, over the past few months, Supply-Build Canada members have described the TFWP as ineffective and complex to navigate.

There is a need for more workers in the building materials industry, and a desire to be able to retain temporary foreign workers who are necessary for business operations. This issue is not exclusive to our industry, as other industries, such as agriculture, hospitality, and construction, need access to more workers and an effective TFWP. As a possible solution, in August 2025, working in coordination with the Canada Employment Insurance Commission and the Commissioner for Employers, SupplyBuild Canada joined a coalition of major employer associations on a policy paper calling for a Canadian International Workforce Program to replace the TFWP. The proposal is specific: extend LMIA work durations to five years instead of the current short-term cycle; restore the workforce cap to 20%; build a clearer, points-based pathway to permanent residency that rewards Canadian work history, language proficiency, rural employment, and employer support; and expand programs targeted at specific regional and sectoral needs. Supply-Build Canada will continue to work with members and the Commissioner for Employers, and provide workforce development supports with the objective of improving the industry’s workforce to close the retirement-hiring rate gap.

The TFWP exists to fill labour shortages in specific industries and regions with workers hired from abroad for a defined period. Businesses can access the TFWP only after demonstrating that no Canadian worker is available or willing to fill the position. However, the Canadian government has reduced the number of available permits and approved positions. In a recent podcast with Supply-Build Canada, Ivanna Didyk, a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, explained that Canada’s 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan aims to reduce Canada’s temporary resident population to less than 5% of the population by the end of 2027. The plan reduces the TFWP target for 2026 by 27%. In addition, the government has slowed existing processes. For example, Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) processing now exceeds 80 business days, and a work permit can add another 20 weeks. In total, it can take up to eight months before an employee can begin working. This means fewer opportunities to hire and retain workers, and a slower hiring process. By reducing the number of temporary foreign workers, the government has left businesses allocating resources to extend a work permit by adjusting job titles and descriptions, or to relocate the employee to meet classification requirements. The cost of not being able to secure a work permit for an employee can negatively impact business operations, as the employer risks losing a well-trained employee while the worker could lose legal working status in Canada.

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MEMBER CORNER

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Our legacy was built on real-world grit since 1939, and it still drives every stitch today.

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