WRLA Yardstick: Building Better Retail (Winter 2022)

BUILDING BETTER RETAIL WITH

SEE YOU IN JANUARY LET’S GO BUILD! THE FUTURE IS FEMALE

AND COMMUNICATIONS

Rebekah Doerksen

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Carolynne Jansen

DIRECTOR, MEMBERSHIP AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Alisa Luo

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Myriah Martin

EVENTS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Travis Waite

DIRECTOR, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Martine Yzerman

DIRECTOR, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRES

Carolynne Jansen

DIRECTOR, MEMBERSHIP AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

204-953-1698 cjansen@wrla.org

Published December 2022

The WRLA Yardstick is the official publication of the WRLA and is published four times per year. It is mailed to all retail and associate members of the WRLA, 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 WRLA policy, nor does the publication of product information or any advertisement imply recommendation by the WRLA. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the WRLA.

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:

WESTERN RETAIL LUMBER ASSOCIATION

300-95 Cole Avenue

Winnipeg, Manitoba R2L 1J3

Phone: 204-953-1698

Toll Free: 1-800-661-0253

Fax: 204-947-5195 wrla.org

EXPERIENCE IS EVERYTHING

Building Better Retail is a “theme” that we have been working on for this year’s Showcase. Sure, we have had some fun themes for the show in the past, but I often ask the question—did those themes actually help anyone’s business? Don’t get me wrong, the experience is part of the journey and providing fun and positive experiences is a top focus for retail and travel etc. But ultimately—was there a positive impact on your business?

So, I’ve been thinking about what steps we could take to show our members that we truly care about the success of their businesses and their communities. While this was apparent during our response to Covid, we now need to place our focus on other opportunities.

What obstacles are present that prevent business owners from evolving their business operations? I looked back at an article from 2019 that was focused on Effective Merchandising and Store Design written by Rob Wilbrink from Burlington Merchandising and Fixtures (BMF). That article has a list of some great stats that are still relevant today. (The article is still available on our website if you are interested in reading it. (https://bit.ly/yardstick1) What I found most interesting was that the biggest gains in market share are generally made by dealers who have the financial ability and confidence to invest during recessionary times. This makes sense as dealers have time to work on their business when with it’s slower. It takes that time to focus and add value to the planning process.

With messages of both optimism and doom and gloom coming at us daily—depending on who you talk to—it’s tough to predict what 2023 will bring. We are certain that winter is upon us which usually means a little bit of a slowdown. This presents a great time for dealers to work on their business, attend the WRLA Showcase and explore some new options including store redesign, new technologies, e-commerce tech, CRM’s, new products and more!

To help start the conversation, the WRLA and BMF are partnering to introduce this year’s theme for the 2023 Showcase: Building Better Retail! We recently caught up with Sarah Hounslow of BMF and Marc Atiyolil from the Marc & Mandy Show to speak about the importance of customer experience. It was a reminder of how important it is to consider the needs of our customers along with some strategies to maintain the benefits of that focus. Tune into our most recent podcast to listen to what turned out to be an incredible conversation!

There are so many factors in building better retail and we invite you to join us at the 2023 WRLA Showcase to experience some of them! We have been working hard to ensure that we bring you value and can help you build better retail through:

• Connecting new tech providers to members at the newly created Tech Alley

• Continuing to meet with the government to help build a better economy and drive business through the LBM Industry

• Improving upon our education course offerings and bringing our learning program up to date

• Supporting our members with their onboarding with our newly built WRLA Academy

As we continue to remove roadblocks to building better business, we encourage you to meet us halfway and join us at the 2023 Showcase to build up your connections, build your staff team through training and education, take advantage of deals that will help set you up for the upcoming year and support the industry association that continues to support you!

Liz Kovach PRESIDENT, WRLA

SEE YOU IN JANUARY IN WINNIPEG

Where did 2022 go? What a year it has been with another roller coaster felt right throughout the LBM Industry with many highs and lows. As I put together this note, and by the time it hits print, a lot of us will be getting closer to, or already through, our year-end, navigating through our lessons learned in 2022 and our plans for opportunities in 2023. It is a great feeling knowing our industry has been an instrumental part of the growth and prosperity of our communities over the last 12 months as we continue to our new normal. This has allowed us to be a big part of growing our economy and creating good jobs right in our own backyards.

I am very excited about this year’s winter issue as it is giving our industry the opportunity to promote the incredible women within it who are instrumental parts of its success. As part of an organization that promotes inclusion and the ability for all to work their way up with a career in the LBM Industry, it is very exciting to see the WRLA take this opportunity to highlight the great work that all these influential members are contributing to the growth of our industry.

Secondly, this issue will highlight our upcoming 2023 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase that will be taking place this January in Winnipeg. This past March, the WRLA Showcase came back with a bang after the pandemic, and the level of excitement during and after the show, along with the great feedback the association received, has ensured we are on the right path to again connect and educate members for another memorable show in 2023. So, if you have not yet got your registration in, I highly recommend you reach out to Liz and her team to get registered, as it will be a great event.

This past November, the association hosted and attended with members two days at the Legislature, one day in Manitoba and the other in Saskatchewan. It gave our members the opportunity to discuss key issues and concerns directly with Ministers & multiple MLAs at the Provincial level on several topics from supply-chain, trade, immigration, and other topics important to our members and industry. The response we got was incredibly positive in opening further dialogue in the future and ensuring the government knows they have a trusted partner they can call on when developing policy. We will continue this dialogue with all levels of government, and will be reaching out in the future, as we continue to discuss policy at other Provincial Jurisdictions as well as at the Federal level. Please keep an eye on your e-mail for further details from Liz as they come out.

Finally, I look forward to seeing you all this January in Winnipeg and having the opportunity to hear from you how business has been in 2022, the success you had, what roadblocks you have faced, and what role the WRLA can play in ensuring a successful 2023 for all. Our vision will continue to be the avenue to Attract, Connect, Educate, and Advocate, and we will continue to serve our membership in all of these areas to ensure a healthy and prosperous LBM Industry for years to come.

See you in Winnipeg!

Andrew

CHAIR, WRLA

It is never too late to register for the 2023 Showcase! Scan the QR code on the right to register.

Reimer

WRLA IS ON THE AIR!

This past October, WRLA launched our new podcast! (It is currently called “The WRLA Podcast,” but stay tuned as we set an upcoming contest to pick a new name!)

Connecting with our members is one of WRLA’s four main pillars. It’s why we post on social media, and it’s why we send newsletters and eblasts to your inbox, and why we publish Yardstick magazine four times a year.

So why a podcast when there are so many other ways that we’re talking to our members?

Good question!

The answer is that a podcast, especially our podcast, gives us the opportunity to zero in on an interesting story at length and hear from the WRLA team, our members, industry experts, and more in an informal, conversational way.

In our first episode, we sat down with WRLA Board Chair Andrew Reimer, who talked about the WRLA, but also gave us some insight into being the third-generation Reimer to work in the Building Materials Industry. Our second episode, “Always be learning,” was a great deep dive into education and why we at WRLA believe so strongly in providing access to enhanced knowledge and training. Guest Martine Yzerman, one of the newest members of the WRLA team and our resident expert in education and training, had some thought-provoking insights about why it’s so important to keep learning.

One of the best things about the new podcast is how portable it is! In November, we featured our first live on-location episode from the Women in Trades conference in Winnipeg, where our host, WRLA president Liz Kovach, interviewed Carol Paul, Executive Director of Manitoba Construction Sector Council.

We’re endeavouring to put out new shows every other Saturday. You can find our podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other podcast app you might prefer. Make sure to subscribe to get new shows as soon as they’re out!

If you’ve got suggestions for podcast topics or would like to be considered for an upcoming interview, send us an email at marketing@wrla.org

LOWES CANADA MAKES A BIG MOVE

Big changes ahead for Lowe’s Canada and Rona! WRLA will continue to be there to support our members through these changes, and wish all locations continued success and growth!

Nov. 3, 2022—Lowe’s Companies, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Canadian retail business to Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm specializing in retail, consumer and distribution-related investments, for $400 million in cash, and performance-based deferred consideration.

Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian retail business operates or services approximately 450 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners, which include, Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt and Dick’s Lumber.

“The sale of our Canadian retail business is an important step toward simplifying the Lowe’s business model. While this business represents approximately 7 per cent of our full year 2022 sales outlook, it also represents approximately 60 basis points of dilution on our full year 2022 operating margin outlook,” said Marvin R. Ellison, Lowe’s chairman, president and CEO.

“We remain confident in our short and long-term outlook for the U.S. business, underscored by improved sales trends and strong profit flowthrough in the third quarter, as well as our expectations for solid business performance for the remainder of 2022. By executing this transaction, we will intensify our focus on enhancing our operating margin and ROIC, taking market share in the U.S. and creating greater shareholder value,” Ellison continued. “I want to thank our entire Canadian team for their hard work and dedication to our customers. We look forward to working with Sycamore Partners in executing a seamless transition.”

“We are honored to partner with Lowe’s to establish Lowe’s Canada and RONA as a standalone company headquartered in Boucherville, Quebec,” said Stefan Kaluzny, Managing Director of Sycamore Partners. “We look forward to working with the company’s management team to build on its 83-year history as a leading Canadian home improvement business serving families, builders, and contractors in their communities across the country.”

“We are excited to work with Sycamore Partners on this next chapter of growth for our business,” said Tony Cioffi, president of Lowe’s Canada. “Together, we will remain committed to supporting our associates, our Canadian-and Quebec-based vendors, and our dealer network.”

Lowe’s Announces Sale of Canadian Retail Business to Sycamore Partners

lowescanada.ca/en/news/lowes-announces-sale-of-canadian-retail-business-to-sycamore-partners-

2022 WRLA EDUCATION GRANT RECIPIENTS

There have been many ups and downs in a year that started with our first in-person WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase in two years. Thanks to the efforts of our members, it’s been more up than down for us at WRLA, and for 28 students—it’s about to get even better!

The 2022 Educational Grant Recipients have been selected and will soon receive a cheque from WRLA to help further their education. Open to all members, their employees, and their families, this program is designed to help individuals increase their knowledge and skills. In addition to helping cover university and college expenses, some of these grants will go directly to employees looking to level up their skills and help them advance in their careers. When we add our support to this kind of “up-skilling,” everyone benefits, as more knowledgeable employees can positively benefit the business’s bottom line!

This is the 22nd year of our educational grants program. Funding for these grants comes directly from the proceeds of our very popular golf tournaments. WRLA thanks everyone who sponsored and/or attended our tournaments. Your participation is why we can deliver on our promise to continue the grant program for 2022.

We offer our heartfelt congratulations to this year’s recipients:

• Aanalben Rutvijkumar

Bhatt

• Autumn Neufeld

• Barett Edenburn

• Brady Turner

• Carly Jo Olzewski

• Carter Robinson

• Cassidy Gaalaas

• Eina Tayag

• Hannah Beveridge

• Jessica-Rae

Brummelhuis

• Kaeleigh Kachmarski

• Kayla James

• Kristen Yacey

• Lauren de Graaf

• Liza Michelle Sy Jarme

• Logan Pelland

• Madison Tessier

• Magdalene Oleynick

• Matthew Joseph Cliffe

• Mikaela Lukie

• Nolan Coughlan

• Robert Preville

• Sam Bullerwell

• Sydney Codrington

• Taylor Kiel

• Tighe Strauss

• Ty Younge

• Yvette Chester

PHOTO:

WE ESTIMATE THAT IT’S GREAT TO BE BACK!

There’s something about getting together in person that can make the learning process that much more meaningful.

This October, WRLA held in-class sessions in Leduc, Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba. The latter took place right at WRLA head office, and it was great for our team to see so many of our members’ employees each day as we came in!

Students came together for five-day sessions that covered Estimating 1 (Decks and Garages), Estimating 2 (Residential Construction), and Principles of Yard and Warehouse management.

Based on how well attended these sessions were, we are looking forward to our next in-class sessions in 2023. We’re also planning a new slate of webinars to make sure that wherever you may be, you’ll have access to learning that can help upgrade your skills and knowledge.

Your next opportunity to get together with us for exceptional learning opportunities will be during the 2023 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase. Make sure to sign up soon to take advantage of these valuable sessions!

WELCOME TO WRLA

WRLA head office is growing! We’re so glad to be able to introduce you to our newest team members.

MARTINE YZERMAN

Martine Yzerman joined us as our Director, Professional Development on October 17.

Martine is excited to take on this role as it provides the incredible opportunity to empower, develop and support learning and training in the building industry workforce. Improving and developing self is one of her greatest values, and she is thrilled for the opportunity to share that value with the community at WRLA, a forward-thinking organization where the vision of advocacy, connection and education are at the forefront. Her passion and experience are a great addition to the WRLA as our Labour Study winds up. Building our education and training courses and resources to better serve our members will be a large focus for this and the coming years. Martine recently started teaching at SAIT and co-owns a cycling studio in Calgary.

Martine is based in Calgary, AB.

REBEKAH DOERKSEN

Rebekah Doerksen joined the WRLA on November 21 as our Executive Assistant!

Rebekah has a diverse skill set developed through her experience and is no stranger to the not-for-profit industry as she has spent the past 10 years working in similar roles. She has managed membership, events, and conferences, administered student grants, and communicated with donors among other tasks. She lives in Winnipeg and will work with the team in our head office.

We are very much looking forward to having both Martine and Rebekah support the WRLA through its next phase of organizational evolution and growth.

PHOTOS: TOP: CHRIS ALLINOTTE. MIDDLE: SUPPLIED. BOTTOM: ANTHONY MARK PHOTOGRAPHY

LET’S GO BUILD!

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON THE LUMBER AND BUILDING MATERIALS INDUSTRY

Chris Allinotte, WRLA

The wait is almost over! We teased our exciting new public awareness campaign in the Summer issue of Yardstick, and now it’s a reality.

WRLA presents, Let’s go build!

We’ve said for years that the Lumber and Building Material Industry is one of the best-kept secrets going. Well, it’s time to spread the word!

Let’s go build is a dedicated campaign designed to raise awareness of our industry and share the incredible diversity of available career options.

WHY WE CHOSE “LET’S GO BUILD”

The word “build” was carefully chosen because it has a depth of meaning that represents our industry wonderfully.

First and most directly, “build” refers to the literal act of building, whether at the factory level with our manufacturing members or right down to the individual customer swinging a hammer they purchased at a retail store. We are the Lumber and Building Materials Industry.

Build also refers to building community. In our over 130 years as an association, one thing has remained true—the LBM industry is integral to sustaining prosperity and growth in towns and cities across Canada. Houses, schools, hospitals—none of it could be built without the hard work, skills, and knowledge of WRLA members in their communities. Even the smallest towns still need access to lumber and building materials to maintain the homes they have and to build more!

The last meaning of “build” in this campaign is the most important. It refers to individuals being “built up.” A large part of this effort is centred on employment, and we’ll talk more about that piece in a moment, but we’re also committing to increased access to learning and sharing skills. One of the messages we’ll be sharing in the marketing and media you’ll see is that no experience is required to join our industry. There is a place for everyone, and our members’ businesses are more than willing to spend the time and energy to train newcomers. That’s not to say there aren’t places for those folks who come to the industry with a skill set that they are ready to put to work—we’ve got careers waiting for engineers, computer programmers, sales and marketing professionals—you name it! What we are telling the world with “let’s go build” is that there is a place for everyone in our industry and numerous opportunities for individual employees to advance their careers.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOUR BOTTOM LINE

Why are we doing this campaign? We want to attract new people to the Lumber and Building Materials Industry. Hundreds of jobs are currently available across our membership, and we need more employees to fill them. What can we do?

Here’s what we’re doing.

In the Fall of 2022, WRLA launched two Labour studies. One is in conjunction with the Government of Alberta, and the second is a similar study for our membership at large. We asked our members to tell us about their businesses, whom they’ve got working for them, whom they’ve hired in the past, and where they have gaps to fill.

We know that, in general, the current workforce in our industry is on the older side, with retirement looking likely for a great many folks in the next few years. Who will take up the slack? Where will the new generation of workers come from? How can a business continue to grow, thrive, or even—concerningly—stay open?

THERE IS A PLACE AT THIS TABLE FOR EVERYONE

The “Let’s Go Build” campaign will target groups that have not traditionally made up the majority of employees in the LBM Industry. We will share the news that our businesses are a great place for women to work, as they represent a smaller-than-average percentage of current employees. We’ll also be spreading the word to indigenous communities and to Canadian newcomers alike. There are so many people with a wealth of skills, experience, and a strong desire to get to work. We also want to get our message out to students across Canada. Beyond the main message, which has a strong “help wanted” focus, we’re going to make it clear that whatever a student dreams of doing, there’s a place for them in our industry to follow those aspirations.

WHAT, WHERE, AND HOW

So, what does “Let’s Go Build” look like?

The campaign has a unique style that you’ll see popping up on advertising both online and in traditional channels like magazines and radio. We’re proud of the campaign’s eye-catching visuals and colours and our great new logo. Everything that goes out with the campaign will have the goal of getting people to visit our “Let’s Go Build” website.

That website will feature photos and videos from WRLA members across Canada. It will tell the stories of our industry, and, most importantly, it will feature a careers page that people can use to apply for jobs in our industry right away! This careers page will feature links to our members’ own “help wanted” sections on their websites, organized by region so people can explore the opportunities in their own communities.

JOIN US, AND “LET’S GO BUILD!”

As WRLA members, you are already included in the campaign without any additional action on your part. Our marketing partner, Prospectus, is working on searching and listing our members’ career pages to list on the website, and your businesses are going to come up in searches. If you don’t have a career web page, we’ll work with members to find ways to list their hiring opportunities. That said, there will be opportunities for you to jump in and get more involved. Part of the campaign will include advertising and social media templates that you can customize and promote on your own channels and in your own market. You’ll be able to take advantage of our advertising spend to make sure this message gets seen and let people know that your business is a part of it.

Together we will build up our people, build up our members’ businesses, and build up the Lumber and Building Materials Industry!

WRLA COMPLETES FIRST-EVER MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE OUTREACH DAY

Five cabinet ministers. Four opposition MLAs. One party leader, and one deputy minister. That was the result of the Western Retail Lumber Association’s inaugural Legislative Outreach Day, held at the Manitoba Legislative Assembly on Friday, November 18.

For the first time ever, WRLA devoted a full day to meeting as many decision-makers at the provincial level as possible, with a view to informing them, and gaining support for key initiatives of importance to members. Advocacy is a key component in influencing public policy that affects WRLA members. This organization is advancing its outreach to build bridges to government, and to be top-of-mind for political parties as they develop platforms in advance of the 2023 Manitoba provincial election.

WRLA President Liz Kovach and WRLA members Chris Lee, Area Sales Manager at Owens Corning, and Gary Stevenson, Project Manager at Treaty One Building Supplies, spent the day at the Manitoba Legislature, briefing government officials on the work of the organization and the concerns of its members while working to cultivate positive relationships for the long term.

Kovach noted, “We wanted to familiarize legislators with our industry and its contemporary challenges. Those challenges include supply-chain bottlenecks, cost escalation, labour shortages, concerns around rail capacity, and the lack of trucking back hauls. We felt that leaders were responsive to our concerns.”

It was also an opportunity to advocate for a home renovation tax credit. Given its success in Saskatchewan it can be a powerful economic tool during an economic downturn, which is widely expected to occur in the coming months.

Chris Lee added, “Governments hear from a variety of interests and groups every day. Therefore it is especially important that we make our voices heard. Our industry needs to be at the table.”

In addition to meeting Deputy Premier and Economic Development Minister Cliff Cullen, the WRLA representatives met with Finance Minister Cameron Friesen, Environment Minister Jeff Wharton, Advanced Education and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes, and Natural Resources Minister Greg Nesbitt.

In the meeting with the Minister of Advanced Education and Immigration, Jon Reyes, Liz and the WRLA members spoke of the difficulty in finding technical personnel, and as a result of the meeting, connections will be made with Apprenticeship Manitoba. There are also opportunities via Express Entry, a program administered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The province is keen to grow Manitoba’s labour force, with immigration being key to that pursuit.

Prospectus Associates

The home renovation tax credit, undertaken by Saskatchewan in 2020, was a focal point during the discussion with Finance Minister Cameron Friesen. The Minister pledged to follow up with his staff and wanted to learn of the results of the Saskatchewan approach. It was noted that such a tax credit is often of minimal impact on government coffers, as receipt requirements ensure above-the-table work, resulting in tax revenue offsetting credit expenses.

Discussions with Ministers Cullen and Nesbitt centred around training and skills development, and efforts to advance “micro-credentials,” which are rapid training programs designed to provide specific skills which employers need. Liz made a note of the recent partnership with the Calgary Board of Education which, on apprenticeship, allows students to be paid for their work, with a 50/50 funding split between the school and the employer, while allowing students to gain valuable skills while also counting as course credits.

Environment Minister Jeff Wharton mentioned his many years in the trucking business and understood very well the difficulties WRLA members are facing in finding trucking back hauls. He also welcomed WRLA input, too, on recycled aggregate.

On the opposition side, WRLA also met with Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont and NDP MLAs Diljeet Brar, Matt Wiebe, Jamie Moses, and Lisa Naylor.

The New Democratic MLAs signalled full support for Centreport and also were interested in the LBM sector as a career path, given how WRLA noted the full gamut of career options and advancement available in the sector. The MLAs stated that their party will advance economic development in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner.

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont, who also attended the 2022 Building & Hardware Showcase, discussed opportunities for leveraging investment in Manitoba, methods for rebuilding in a post-COVID 19 world, and WRLA members pledged to provide the economic impact study to him, given his interest in this.

The Deputy Minister of Transportation, Sarah Thiele, and her staff also took a meeting with the WRLA delegation. Thiele noted how the government of Premier Heather Stefanson incorporated Transportation and Infrastructure into one department, given the government’s emphasis on trade gateways. Thiele noted that the province finally has a multi-year capital plan, designed to provide stability and predictability. Discussion ensued on the Port of Churchill and the repairing of the rail line, as well as the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, enabling a connection from Churchill to Mexico. This meeting also provided a unique forum to address rail capacity issues with a particular focus on winter programs by the railways.

WRLA plans to continue these outreach efforts in the coming years. Just four days later, Liz and WRLA members from Saskatchewan had an equally successful legislative outreach in that province, with similar results.

Kovach noted, “This needed to be done. Many other organizations are meeting with government on a weekly basis. Our members are extraordinary contributors to the Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Canadian economies. It is, therefore, incumbent on us to be as active as other industry associations. This experience taught us the importance of reaching out, making vital linkages and showing the government how we are a strategic partner.

WRLA members concluded their meetings by bringing attention to the 2023 Building & Hardware Showcase, being held in Winnipeg in January, and inviting the government officials to attend. Follow-up is occurring to ensure ample attendance by members of the governing party, the opposition parties, as well as key public servants.

All photos are supplied the WRLA. View a full album on the WRLA Facebook page.

Left: Liz Kovach and WRLA members meet with the Deputy Minister of Transportation, Sarah Thiele and her staff.

Right: Liz gets down to business with Finance Minister Cameron Friesen.

Bottom: Liz was joined by members Chris Lee and Gary Stevenson to meet with NDP MLAs Diljeet Brar, Jamie Moses, Lisa Naylor, Matt Wiebe.

LABOUR MARKET STUDY

Martine Yzerman, WRLA

Albert Einstein said, “if we knew what we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” Though it was said with tongue in cheek, Mr. Einstein was onto something. Together with our partner Malatest, and working on behalf of the Alberta Government, we have been busy collecting data from the Labour Study to gain better insight as it pertains to acute challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified workers in the LBM Industry.

The key objectives of the study were as follows:

• Identify the sector’s most critical labour market issues (e.g. skills/ training needs and gaps);

• Forecast future needs in terms of human resources and skills;

• Provide a complete understanding of any recruitment/retention issues;

• Assess effective strategies to support recruitment and retention; and

• Establish plans to better align the supply and demand sides of the labour market

Please note that, although we invited all of our WRLA members to participate, we are still awaiting responses from many of you. Thank you to those who have submitted your surveys. Based on your responses, we have been able to determine the following:

56%—had job vacancies open longer than three months

60%—of posted jobs were for general store staff, including retail salespersons, cashiers, store shelf stockers, forklift operators, truck drivers and other occupations

81%—hired new staff from traditionally underrepresented groups in the past 12 months

• Youth: 45%

• New Canadians: 72%

• Indigenous persons: 81%

• Women: 83%

83%—expected that there would be an increase in terms of FTE (full-time employees) positions in the next five years.

Your survey results are needed. The findings mentioned above are only from a handful of members. This project focuses on filling the labour gap and establishing key labour market information needed by the sector to facilitate the development of strategies to address human resource and skill shortages. Simply put—your input helps with our output!

Although these are preliminary results, it is interesting to note that 56 per cent of the respondents had vacancies open longer than three months, and 60 per cent posted jobs for general store staff. Perhaps herein begs the question. Are employers looking for a golden unicorn? We know that unicorns do not exist (certainly not golden ones); however, many skills are transferable and even something as simple as rephrasing your standard interview questions, could allow the interviewee the opportunity to highlight their transferable skills, and you might just discover that combined with their passion and energy you can ultimately teach them anything (a unicorn in the making).

Members of the WRLA have reported acute challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified workers in sufficient numbers, however, currently there is no further information available for the reasons behind this or corresponding strategies to address this issue. By filling this gap in knowledge, the survey allows relevant stakeholders to better align the workforce to meet more effectively and efficiently the current and forecasted needs of the growing market.

The global labour shortage is a challenge prevalent across all industries. The WRLA is working closely with our members to seek how we can support employers in understanding the challenges that our industry is facing when it pertains to the labour shortage.

Two of WRLA’s key pillars are Advocacy and Education, and we are making great strides as it pertains to both pillars. Firstly, we are actively engaging with various Boards of Education across western Canada to discover ways how we can bridge our future potential employees into the captivating world of the Building Industry. Ultimately our goal is to minimize the networking barriers for our members and high school students. Employers need guidance as to how they can capture and engage the attention of high school students and high school students need to see all the possibilities available to them when the traditional University/College route is not what they are seeking. Hence, we are excited to announce that together with the Calgary Board of Education, we discovered the CBE CAREERS program. This is a non-profit initiative to support employers in hiring students in specific skilled trades areas including the Building Industry. Currently, we have two of our Calgary WRLA members taking on High School students for the winter semester, which often rolls into summer and potential full-time employment.

Secondly, we are busy with the creation of online educational resources to ensure that our members always have access to relevant, modern and updated learning to upskill their employees. The content is driven, provided and audited by you, and the course creation, authoring and delivery is completed by the WRLA. Together, we will meet and exceed our members’ educational needs. Our vision is to provide learning pathways which allow employees to be in control of their careers and development. Gone are the days of rigid career lines. We are excited to create career pathways as moldable as putty. If there is a course you would like to see, please let us know! We are here to develop both the content and the workforce. Please stay tuned to discover all the courses you and your employees can register for to enhance your skill development.

Martine Yzerman is the Director, Professional Development for WRLA.

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS, NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Martine Yzerman, WRLA

Do you find yourself searching for candidates who have experience in a particular field with a certain skillset but coming up short? You are not alone. Many HR managers assume that industry-specific experience will shorten the onboarding process. Unfortunately, this approach can backfire and even worse, it may mean missing out on exceptional talent.

Most industries are actively trying to fill positions. Over 60 per cent of entry-level postings within our industry have been open for over six months. The time is now for hiring managers to review and reconsider their hiring practices. Interviewers need to look at being more flexible and creative when finding and interviewing potential candidates. Just as you are adapting your traditional hiring methods, allow yourself to look for transferable skills which could adapt to fill the post. Consider that your candidates’ transferable skills typically allow them to be adaptive, flexible, and critical thinkers (just to name a few). These skills will be invaluable now and in the future.

So, what really is a transferable skill? Let’s get clarity on ‘transferable skills’ and what it means. For example, regardless of the industry, clear communication is integral to successful teams and organizations. Other transferable skills, such as effective problem-solving and strong time management skills, are critical for any organization. These skills are applicable in a variety of different situations. Typically, candidates with diverse transferable skillsets are highly adaptable, think on their feet, and find creative solutions to company challenges. For example, a candidate who has worked as a customer service representative has likely established communication and interpersonal skills which are transferable to various roles.

Looking to create a dynamite team? During your next interview listen for some of the key transferable skills: adaptability, critical thinking, creativity, leadership, motivation, organization, problem-solving, research, teamwork, and interpersonal skills.

Don’t count out candidates with a diverse resume and a variety of work experience. Instead, look for a pattern in the roles. Did they work in marketing, customer service, and sales? They likely possess several transferable skills including strong people skills which are applicable to many positions. Be sure to let the candidate share how they handled a stressful customer interaction and listen to how the skills applied could transfer to the role you are trying to fill.

Before conducting your next interview ask yourself these questions:

Am I clear on the skills required for this role and what will make someone successful in this role?

What type of candidate would be a great fit on the team and exemplify company values? Remember that during the interview, it is critical that your hiring manager can clearly articulate the company values and feel confident that the candidate would be a great fit with the culture. An easy way to show your values is directly on your website. Can visitors to our site get a sense of your company culture? Remember when candidates align with the company values, you’ll experience engaged, empowered and valuable employees.

Growth is not only applicable to the company’s bottom line, but also top of mind for most employees. Are you able to effectively communicate what the company is doing about employee professional development and internal growth opportunities? Consider sharing employee development success stories on your website. Candidates want to know that the company they are interviewing is intentionally ensuring growth and skill development is available to them.

When you are searching for your next ‘employee of the year,’ ask yourself what transferable skills will set your team up for success. Hiring for transferable skills can help businesses create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Position your company to take advantage of new opportunities that arise, be flexible to change, and continuously flex your competitive muscle to ensure you are leaders in your field.

Lastly, what are we doing to attract people to our industry? How can we avoid competing for the same candidate? How can we collaborate on initiatives to minimize barriers for underrepresented groups? How can we effectively communicate to youth, Indigenous people, new Canadians, and women? Now is the time to demonstrate that we have a culture of diversity and inclusion. We need to communicate that the industry welcomes transferable and diverse skill sets. The WRLA is here to work together with you and tell everyone that the Building Industry is chock full of opportunities.

CANADIAN ECONOMIC OUTLOOK IN 2023

Travis Waite, WRLA

With 2023 right around the corner and so much fast-paced movement and uncertainty within the economy and markets, it's difficult to project where we may be in a year’s time.

There has been a lot of pessimism around the economy these days, and rightfully so. The past year has seen many challenges for Canadians, from coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, to the war in Ukraine and the resulting supply chain challenges, to the rapid ascent of inflation driving up the price of almost everything we buy.

My last article in the Fall 2022 edition of the Yardstick Magazine covered inflation and the Canadian economy in 2022. In this issue, I will be focusing on an economic outlook into 2023 in Canada, using the data that we have going into the year to try to make sense of what we may experience in the year ahead.

RECESSIONS AND THE CANADIAN ECONOMY IN 2023

Inflation has been a hot-button topic in 2022, and the one that I have been hearing about leading into 2023 is recession. Unfortunately, many of the top economists are now saying this is a likely reality for Canadians.

A recession is defined as “a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced.” Since this definition can be a bit vague and subjective, economists often use the standard of two quarters of negative GDP measure as the benchmark for an official recession, but there are other factors to look at, including non-farm payrolls, industrial products, and retail sales, among other indicators.

Recessions are a normal part of the economic cycle. The average recession lasts around ten months, though their effects can be felt for years.

It really is a chain effect that we see driving what is happening in the economy, all as a direct response to the period of growing inflation in 2022. As interest rates have gone up, consumer and business spending has gone down, causing business income to decrease and for businesses to scale back spending and operations. This in turn, impacts the unemployment rate due to layoffs and hiring freezes, which again drives consumer spending down.

LABOUR FORCE

A major challenge that Canadian businesses have been facing, and based on conversations with our members, one that the Lumber and Building Industry is not exempt from, is labour shortage. Over a third (36.9 per cent) of Canadian businesses expect to experience difficulty recruiting skilled employees in the next three months. These numbers are even higher for the construction (49.5 per cent) and manufacturing (47.4 per cent) industries.

Because of the high level of job vacancies, Canadian unemployment rates are below pre-pandemic levels, but have begun to trend upwards in the past few months, from a five-year low in July of 4.9 per cent, to 5.1 per cent in November.

The data on page 23 alone would seem to indicate that labour shortages are not an issue, but we are seeing record lows when looking at the ratio of unemployed workers per job vacancy and new hires per job vacancy in Canada. Similar to how the supply and demand of goods have become imbalanced in 2022, the supply of people ready and available to work cannot keep up with the demand for workers in the market.

This is expected to begin to level out in 2023 as companies will begin hiring freezes and layoffs. Experts are projecting unemployment rates to trend around 6.5 per cent in 2023, though this would still be below the average over the past decade. The Bank of Canada is watching these figures closely, as any signs of continued accelerated wage growth will likely further drive their inclination to increase interest rates.

One of the WRLA’s four pillars in its strategic plan is Attract. To help combat some of these labour issues in our industry, we have already begun investing in a new public awareness campaign with the goal of attracting skilled workers. We will highlight our industry’s sustainable careers and raise awareness of the benefits and opportunities that exist in the Lumber and Building Materials Industry.

SOME OPTIMISM AHEAD

Despite several negatives highlighted in my research for this article, there is optimism and silver linings to be found.

Even with the projected recession at the beginning of 2023, the Canadian economy is still expected to grow around 1.5 per cent according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Because of Canada’s strong economic fundamentals, many are expecting Canada to fair much better and bounce back faster than its peers, particularly the United States and United Kingdom. Economists are anticipating a “soft-landing,” with Canada returning to growth in the second half of 2023.

Approximately 83 per cent of small and medium-sized business leaders in Canada are optimistic about their company’s growth over the next year. Canadian businesses deserve a lot of credit for how they have continued to respond and adapt to the economic volatility of the past two years.

I share this belief that growth isn’t too far off. 2022 has been a year of extreme economic turmoil. I believe we’ve already seen the worst of this instability. That’s not to say that we’ve reached the bottom, and there is surely more adversity ahead, but signs are indicating that we are nearing the end of the storm.

As the pandemic has taught us to be prepared for the unexpected, there is a high level of confidence within our country that we can overcome the economic obstacles ahead, and I too believe Canadians will come out stronger on the other side of what 2023 has in store.

STONE WOOL INSULATION IS A TWO-PRONG SOLUTION FOR MEETING DECARBONIZATION GOALS

ROCKWOOL EXPLAINS HOW STONE WOOL INSULATION SUPPORTS DECARBONIZATION EFFORTS IN BOTH ITS MANUFACTURING AND USE IN ENERGY-EFFICIENT BUILDINGS

ROCKWOOL North America

Global decarbonization of buildings plays an important role in lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly amid intensifying urbanization. New high-performance building construction and deep-energy retrofits have the potential to significantly lower energy demand. Yet, to alter the trajectory of global warming going forward, it is essential that project plans address both operational carbon and the embodied carbon of each building. Operational1 carbon refers to the carbon emissions from the energy used in the building during its lifetime. Embodied carbon is the carbon emissions associated with the construction of the building and all of its building materials, throughout the building’s full lifecycle, including raw material extraction and transportation, manufacturing, transportation of products to build sites, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials. Buildings that incorporate strategies that include minimizing both operational and embodied carbon will have the greatest impact on meeting decarbonization goals.

Professionals in the building industry can support decarbonization efforts by working with manufacturers and placing preference on materials that are built on a model of promoting and prioritizing global sustainability.

PRONG #1—WHEN SUSTAINABILITY IS THE BUSINESS STRATEGY, NOT JUST A STANDALONE POLICY

The Building Materials Industry has come a long way when it comes to embodied carbon, and sustainability more generally, but the reality is that more needs to be done. Currently, buildings account for approximately 39 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions—28 per cent from operations and 11 per cent from embodied carbon.2 Yet, with the building industry poised to add 230 billion square meters of new construction worldwide by 2060 (equivalent to building one New York City each month for 40 years), it’s estimated that embodied carbon could account for roughly half of total new construction emissions between now and 2050.

Manufacturers must also do their part to move toward decarbonization such as aligning themselves with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), committing to measurable Science-based Target Initiatives (SBTIs), innovating materials and processes to offer more CO2 neutral materials with a longer lifecycle, and embracing circularity. ROCKWOOL has taken a leadership role globally, supporting 10 out of 17 UN SDGs and setting clear, auditable SBTi goals identified in our 2021 Sustainability Report.3

ROCKWOOL Group CEO Jens Birgersson says, “We’re proud to be among the few energy-intensive manufacturing companies whose science-based emission reduction targets (SBTi) have been verified and approved. These new targets build on the strong foundation that we are already a net carbon negative company. Though not many companies can make that claim, we also know it’s not enough, which is why we have committed to this ambitious decarbonization pathway.”

Further elaborating on ROCKWOOL’s decarbonization commitment and its impact on global targets, Jens Birgersson underscores the importance of action among every manufacturer and organization. He notes, “Achieving these emission reduction targets will be an important step in realizing the global ambition to reduce society’s greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. By demonstrating that an energy-intensive manufacturing company can achieve these targets, we hope to inspire others to take actions to help create a greener, more sustainable future.”

ROCKWOOL is committed to two global science-based targets, approved and verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi):

1. Absolute factory greenhouse gas emissions—Our goal is to reduce factory absolute greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 38 per cent by 2034

2. Absolute lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions—Our goal is to reduce non-factory, absolute lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 3) by 20 per cent by 2034

These emissions reductions, supplemented by our previously established sustainability goals, equate to an ambitious one-third reduction of ROCKWOOL’s lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions in 15 years. To date in our operations globally, we are on track to:

• Meet our goal of reducing CO2 intensity by 20 per cent by 2030

• Meet our goal of reducing water consumption intensity by 20 per cent by 2030

• Reduce our internal waste to landfill by 85 per cent by 2030

• Complete renovation of several office buildings to further reduce our energy demand and carbon footprint

ROCKWOOL is also making strides in innovation, particularly in strategies that reduce our factories’ direct emissions. For example, in North America, the electric melter at our Grand Forks, British Columbia factory is connected to a hydropower grid making it super-efficient and one of the lowest carbon-emitting ROCKWOOL factories in the world. The newly constructed factory in Ranson, West Virginia operates on award-winning flex fuel technology4, using natural gas instead of coal and most recently we also converted the Byhalia, Mississippi factory to natural gas.

Simultaneously, in addition to setting measurable targets, it is critical for manufacturers to track the embodied carbon of their building products and publish third-party verified environmental product declarations (EPD). EPDs communicate information about the lifecycle environmental impact of products during all phases of construction. There are different types of EPDs available in the market: industry-average EPDs are developed by industry associations for their representative product category; product-specific EPDs are developed by individual manufacturers, using a weighted average for the relevant regional manufacturing facilities; and factory-specific EPDs are manufacturer specific with individual performance values for the relevant regional manufacturing facilities. Even at the design stage it is important to refer to product-specific data to capture the most accurate life cycle performance for the project. ROCKWOOL is committed to transparency, making our product-specific EPDs as well as other documentation and certifications, readily available.

PRONG #2—THE PRODUCTS THEMSELVES CONTRIBUTE TO CARBON REDUCTION

Reducing operational carbon is a critical component of the total decarbonization effort, and adequately insulating buildings can play a significant role by increasing energy efficiency, reducing energy demand, thereby lowering GHG emissions. Therefore, insulation is a primary building material that can directly reduce the operational carbon of buildings over its lifetime.

The August 2022 Insulation Industry Opportunity Study5 by ICF International found that applying simple insulation measures to existing single-family homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities would be equivalent to increasing current wind production by 135 per cent or offsetting emissions from 40 per cent of all natural gas-fired generation in the United States. It also found that retrofit activity in residential homes alone could prevent roughly 10 billion tons of carbon emissions over a 50-year period (the minimum useful life of building insulation). On a manufacturer level, ROCKWOOL reports that the building insulation it sold in 2021 will save 100X the energy consumed and carbon emitted during its production.6

Not only do stone wool insulation products impact climate change, they support communities in building long-term climate change resilience. Modelling should reflect future climate conditions and building components that contribute to the mitigation of climate risks should be prioritized. Across the globe, more extreme

®

weather events are being recorded, with greater swings between temperature highs and lows. Buildings must now be able to help keep occupants safe and comfortable amid hotter and longer heat waves and deep freezes. ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation, shown to maintain its long-term thermal performance for more than 55 years, can help keep interior temperatures stable, longer, even in the event of a power failure. When we think of vulnerable residents like children, seniors or those facing medical challenges, this type of protection built in is invaluable, contributing to comfort, health and safety of building occupants.

For example, incorporating ROCKWOOL stone wool into the facade of the Ken Soble Tower in Hamilton, Ontario, as part of an overall retrofit strategy, helped the building meet EnerPHIT certification and contributed to a remarkable 94 per cent reduction in carbon emissions (compared to pre-retrofit). The super-tight building envelope with stone wool insulation will help maintain indoor temperatures even in climate extremes or in the event that active systems fail, keeping its senior residents safe. In fact, the building will stay warm in winter for up to two days (compared to two hours in a typical building) and below dangerous heat levels in summer for up to four days (compared to half a day in a typical building).

In fact, the thermal properties and dimensional stability of stone wool products do not change over time, so there is no degradation of their positive contributions to reducing operational carbon. Stone wool can also mitigate other risks, as well.

WHY STONE WOOL INSULATION?

For architects and builders, specifying stone wool insulation materials offers many benefits and contributes to multiple project goals, such as protection from fire, noise, and moisture, each of which can adversely affect the integrity of the building’s structure its long-term durability or the health and well-being of its occupants. In addition, they can enable decarbonization by selecting materials that can help reduce both the operational and embodied carbon of buildings, combined with the ability to simultaneously satisfy various code requirements and maintain design freedom.

For any new building or retrofit project, stone wool insulation should be considered for its flexibility in myriad applications as well as its impact in addressing the challenges of climate change. It’s important to work with a manufacturer, who authentically demonstrates a deep investment in sustainability and circularity.7

1 “Global Status Report 2018” (unep.org)

2 “Bringing embodied carbon upfront,” 2019 Report, World Green Building Council, Pg. 9 (worldgbc.org/)

3 “Sustainability at ROCKWOOL” (rockwool.com)

4,7 “Resilient by nature Sustainability Report 2021” by ROCKWOOL (rockwool.com)

5 The August 2022 “Insulation Industry Opportunity Study” by ICF International (insulationadvocacy.org)

6 “A net carbon negative impact” by ROCKWOOL (rockwool.com)

PHOTO: PHOTOS: ROCKWOOL ®

Above: Exterior continuous insulation helps reduce a building's energy consumption and heat loss.

Above: ROCKWOOL transforms volcanic rock, an abundant natural resource, into stone wool insulation.

HAMMER, SAW, DIGITAL STOREFRONT

WHAT’S IN YOUR TOOLBOX?

Chris Allinotte, WRLA

What’s in a name? For a company that makes it easier for other businesses to modernize, “Toolbx” is just about perfect. They offer multiple solutions, all customized to the unique needs of their clients.

Finding ways to help construction and building supply professionals do business better has been the mission of the Toolbx team since day one. In 2018, founders Chris Stringer and Erik Bornstein realized that there was an opportunity to provide a delivery service to the many job sites around the Greater Toronto Area. Construction companies would place their orders, and the team would pick them up and deliver it the same day. This saved countless hours of lost time at the building sites, which no longer would have to send out their own crew members to pick up needed materials. At first, they used their own personal vehicles, recalled Connor McCarra, Director of Customer Marketing at Toolbx. Later, as the operation grew, and they wanted to keep growing their capacity, the company subcontracted the actual delivery operation to fleets that could handle any size of materials order. The most important thing to come from these first days was the conception of Toolbx as a building materials platform. This software was the seed that would grow into the e-commerce solutions that they offer today.

Above: Dealer Success Manager, Christine Hall with Jerry Hoang, General Manager at VEF Supply.

Above: CEO, Erik Bornstein.

GROWING BUSINESS, GROWING SUCCESS

The delivery model was a success and soon the Toolbx team expanded their operation to Ottawa and Montreal, eventually signing partnerships with large retailers Lowes and Rona.

While the delivery business was proving very successful, there were opportunities that the team was discovering that would lead the company toward its current specialization in e-commerce solutions.

In making their delivery platform better and easier for their customers to use, the team discovered something interesting. Many of the stores they were working with to supply materials to the job sites had little to no online presence, and most of them didn’t have any sort of electronic shopping available. Toolbx built a custom store interface to make choosing the right materials and quantities as easy as possible. It was in building that first storefront that the next phase of their platform became clear. Adding to that, and lending a degree of urgency, the COVID-19 pandemic was taking over the world just two years into their operations and demonstrated the critical need for businesses to offer an e-commerce solution.

“Post-COVID, digital adoption accelerated to projected 2030 levels and consumers’ expectations increased significantly to wanting their order within hours, not days. We believe the trend toward digital is not only going to continue, but accelerate over the next five years,” said Stringer.

They set out to help all those small– and medium–sized businesses make the move to e-commerce. They set to work on a platform that will, “set up a building supply dealer on a single platform that empowers them to sell, deliver, and process payments online through their own e-commerce store.” says company co-founder and CEO Erik Bornstein.

While there are several e-commerce solutions on the market, the Toolbx team is happy to share the mission that makes the difference.

“We’re an end-to-end service,” says Scott Hamilton, Director of E-Commerce and Commercial. “We take the dealers through the process step by step, and teach them the “why” of everything we’re doing. At the same time, we’re providing a customized solution that is designed for the building industry, which eliminates a lot of unnecessary extras that can be confusing.”

In addition to providing a service that’s only going to get more in demand as time goes on, the Toolbx team is also proud to be helping out the small– and medium–sized dealers in a way that lets them maintain even footing with their larger competitors. “It’s nice to see that they’re getting a chance, where they might not have before,” says McCarra. “And it provides room for growth.

Taking a look at the Toolbx website, the process for setting up an e-commerce site is a credit to their promise of simplicity and guidance throughout, with a big, friendly “Get started” in bright yellow in the middle of the page. The site itself is also home to an industry blog that’s well worth checking on for monthly features, new products and innovations, and more.

WRLA members can get a much closer look at the Toolbx platform in January, where their e-commerce solution will be on display as part of “Tech Alley” at the 2023 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase.

The future is already here, and the future is digital. For those dealers that may find that a daunting prospect, it’s great to know that a partner like Toolbx is just a click away.

1 “A closer look at an innovative product.” LBM Journal, October 2022

2 “TOOLBX online ordering platform connects dealers with contractors.” (hardlines.ca)

PHOTO: PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Above: CEO, Erik Bornstein, and Co-founder & President, Chris Stringer.

Above: TOOLBX ecommerce customer—Jerry Hoang, General Manager at VEF Supply.

INDESTRUCTIBLE MISSION

Chris Allinotte, WRLA

With dealers located in most Canadian Provinces, and even a dealer in Costa Rica, ClearSecure is striving to be the #1 solution for residential and commercial glass needs.

RockGlass is the primary premium glass product manufactured by ClearSecure.

Since 2018, ClearSecure has been installing RockGlass and RockScreen in businesses, commercial properties, government buildings, residential homes, schools and heavy equipment.

President, Colleen Munro was frustrated and fed up with the ongoing issue of broken glass in her own heavy equipment. So, she worked tirelessly to develop a solution, and brought it to the market.

RockGlass was designed to help businesses address issues like graffiti and vandalism.

RockGlass is a shatter-proof, opti-clear product that is more than 200 times stronger, while still being much lighter, than ordinary glass.

It is also easier and safer to handle than regular plate glass or even tempered glass.

It can withstand any vandalism or weather event.

RockGlass can be installed 2 different ways.

You can have security panels retro-fit over top of your existing glass, or, ClearSecure can fabricate hybrid sealed units for you to replace glass that has already been broken.

In addition, their retro-fit framing system looks so good, you can barely tell it’s there once it’s been installed!

They stand behind their product as well. ClearSecure boasts a nearly unprecedented 10-year pro-rated limited warranty against any weather damage.

The company is built on honesty and integrity and is committed to providing superior service and to making homes and businesses as secure as possible.

In addition to producing and installing their innovative products, ClearSecure is also committed to giving back to the community. They provide on-the-job, paid, window glazing training, which makes it easy for new people to come on board regardless of previous experience.

ClearSecure also supports the Toba Centre. A Manitoba organization that aims to restore the health and well-being of those affected by child abuse through a coordinated community response.

As owner and president of Hugh Munro Construction, Ms. Munro has also developed many partnerships with Indigenous peoples and communities.

She brings her knowledge and expertise of this industry to these groups, providing education and training in an effort to help them become more self-sustaining.

“Today, security and safety products are in high demand throughout many industries and countries. Safety for our employees and their families is paramount. RockGlass is the solution to broken glass.”

—Colleen Munro, President and CEO of the Munro Group

Above: An employee working in the shop on RockGlass.

“RockGlass is an excellent product. I was impressed right away. We haven’t had any issues with break-ins or vandalism since installing it. Everything they say about the product is true. RockGlass hold up to its reputation”

—Hiren Shah, Operations Manager, McDonald’s Canada

GROWING THE INDUSTRY, ONE RELATIONSHIP AT A TIME

Chris Allinotte, WRLA

WRLA has selected the 2022 Industry Achievement Award recipient and we are pleased to announce that this year, that person is Steve Buckle, CEO of the Sexton Family of Companies.

The Industry Achievement Award recognizes members of the WRLA who have contributed to their business, the building supply industry, the WRLA and the communities in which they live. Since 1970 this award has been presented to individuals who have deserved and received the respect of employees, members, competitors, and suppliers in the building supply industry and who have contributed their time and energy to their community and the Western Retail Lumber Association.

Nominations for this award begin each year on April 1, and close in October. As part of the process, the nominee is asked to detail their achievements—specifically their contributions to our industry.

We were fortunate to get a few minutes of Steve’s time this month to chat about his career, the award, and the year ahead.

Steve’s career in the Lumber and Building Materials Industry has always been about connecting with people and fostering lasting business relationships, even from the beginning as he worked in sales with Armstrong Flooring in Toronto, Ontario. When asked what it is about the industry that’s kept him interested all these years, Steve had an answer ready to go.

Upon hearing that he’d been selected as this year’s recipient, Steve’s connection to the industry came through again, as he said he was deeply humbled to be included with the select few that have received this award before. “These are people who have helped shape the industry,” he added.

PHOTO:

Left: Steve Buckle in the Sexton Group office.

SUPPLIED BY SEXTON GROUP

—Brian Kusisto, Chairman, Sexton Family of Companies

As a leader at the Sexton Family of Companies, Steve demonstrates his commitment to people and connection through his actions every day. Not content to sit back in his office, he prides himself on being available, engaged, and responsive.

“Anyone in this industry can call me and I’ll answer the phone, I show up at all industry events, and when a Sexton member or vendor has an issue, I respond immediately.”

Under Steve’s leadership, the Sexton Group has doubled its membership. At Sexton, he works every day to get their members the best vendor program possible but also keeps the end supplier in mind, making sure they receive the volumes promised. Navigating these relationships between supplier and customer, making sure that negotiations run smoothly, and that both parties end up successful is the thing that Steve likes best. What’s more, he appreciates that this role has given him unlimited latitude to learn new things in an industry that is incredibly complex.

In recent years, the Sexton Family of Companies, along with our entire industry, has been faced with one of the greatest challenges in a generation. Luckily, with Steve’s leadership, the companies were able to work together and weather the worst effects—something he is proud to share.

“Although recent and continuing, I am proud of our performance during the Covid 19 pandemic. The situation called for quick action and excellent communication with our members. We worked collaboratively with suppliers and WRLA to make sure the best guidance was provided to the whole industry. The independent retailers in Western Canada fared better than most and I was proud to be part of that success in the face of adversity.”

“Steve has and continues to demonstrate great leadership, insight and commitment to the company, the WRLA and the building industry at large. He has always advocated actively that our organization should support the industry associations across Canada, participate in industry events and tradeshows and commit to sponsorships. In the 15 years I have known Steve he has always demonstrated a strong commitment to a set of values which are admired by most people.”

Right: Steve and Brian Kusisto pose in the Sexton booth at the WRLA Showcase.

BY SEXTON GROUP

ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

It’s not surprising that a person who values the humanfacing element of the business would have great advice for newcomers to the industry.

“It’s important to always remember who owns the business you want to work with,” Steve says. “The stakeholders drive the working environment, and it’s their goals they’re going to be concerned with.”

As we concluded our interview, Steve was asked about his outlook for the industry in the coming year, and his optimism and enthusiasm were clear. With supply chains beginning to return to normal, he sees demand—which has surged over the past few years—levelling off, but perhaps not as much in the prairies as in other places, pointing to the way that the industry at large, has remained strong in the face of adversity.

And that, ultimately, also comes down to the outstanding individuals that work in our members’ businesses and the strong, lasting relationships that leaders like Steve Buckle have made.

We will present Steve with his award at the 2023 WRLA Building & Hardware showcase during the Networking and Awards evening on January 19 at RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg, MB. Order your tickets now to join us for Canada’s biggest Building & Hardware show, and to celebrate an outstanding career with us as we raise a glass to Steve Buckle.

“I am extremely pleased on behalf of the WRLA Board of Directors to congratulate Steve on this incredible honour. Steve’s devotion and collaboration over his career to ensure the success of our industry is immense and should be celebrated. He represents our industry with the utmost professionalism, ensuring when in meetings, in front of the government or at events his focus is on the success of our industry.”

—Andrew Reimer, General Manager, All-Fab Building Components Chair, WRLA Board of Directors

Above: Steve Buckle and Founders of Sexton Group, Ken and Bette Sexton.

Above left: Steve and wife, Andrea LeBlanc, at the 2017 Sexton Conference.

Top right: Steve and member Gary Fletcher of Trail Building Supplies.

Above right: Steve embarks on a team building rafting exhibition with members at the 2015 Sexton Conference.

“Steve has been a big supporter of our programs and has been the first to put his hand up when we send calls to action to join committees, which is critical to get new initiatives off the ground. He values the role that associations like ours play in the industry and I am delighted to see him receive this recognition for his contributions. I wish him continued success and I look forward to continued partnerships and contributions.”

—Liz Kovach, President, WRLA

WESTERN POLITICAL ROUND-UP

Prospectus Associates

MANITOBA

The Progressive Conservative government led by Premier Heather Stefanson has now entered the final year of its mandate, with an election slated for fall 2023.

Current polling shows the opposition New Democrats, led by Wab Kinew, as the preferred choice for Manitoba voters. Suburban Winnipeg seats are necessary for the PCs to win. A September 2022 poll from Probe Research notes that province-wide, 44 per cent would cast ballots for an NDP candidate in their constituency, with 37 per cent selecting the PCs.

In the city of Winnipeg, which is crucial if the PCs are to maintain government, the NDP lead over the PCs is a commanding one: 52 per cent of Winnipegers would vote for the NDP, while 25 per cent would choose the Progressive Conservatives.

Stefanson became Premier just over a year ago following the resignation of Brian Pallister. Long-time MLA and minister Kelvin Goertzen filled in as Premier and interim leader while the race to succeed Pallister was occurring. The PCs won a commanding victory in 2016, after 17 years of NDP dominance in the province, and secured another substantial majority in the 2019 general election.

Premier Stefanson currently has the lowest approval rating of all Premiers, with 22 per cent of Manitobans signalling approval, according to research published in September by the Angus Reid Institute.

On November 15, Manitoba’s new Lieutenant-Governor, the Honourable Anita Neville, delivered the 2022 Speech from the Throne, which will be the last during this mandate of the PC government led by Premier Heather Stefanson.

The overarching priorities articulated in the speech include: fighting violent crime, strengthening healthcare, growing the economy and helping Manitobans. The speech additionally noted these specific goals:

• helping make communities safer;

• helping families make ends meet;

• strengthening health care and reducing surgical and diagnostic backlogs;

• helping make Manitoba more competitive;

• helping protect the environment, climate and parks;

• helping build stronger communities; and

• advancing reconciliation.

SASKATCHEWAN

This province’s political climate is much more favourable to the current government than is the case for its counterparts in Manitoba. Premier Scott Moe and his Saskatchewan Party colleagues were re-elected in 2020, and continue to enjoy comfortably high polling, which is uncommon for a political party that has been in power for 15 years.

Premier Moe has the highest approval rating of all Canadian premiers, with the Angus Reid Institute noting an approval rating of 57 per cent in September, a six-point jump from a survey conducted in June.

The New Democratic Party selected Carla Beck as its new leader last summer. Beck, a sitting MLA, succeeded Ryan Meili, who stepped down as leader and subsequently as an MLA. A by-election to replace Meili kept the seat in the NDP column, with Nathaniel Teed emerging victorious.

The government recently delivered its 2022 Speech from the Throne, which outlined the government’s upcoming priorities.

On the heels of impressive economic and population growth, the government is making moves meant to assert its jurisdiction, in response to clashes with the federal government, especially in relation to natural resources development. Public safety was also a featured theme in their resent address, and of particular note is the province’s plan to exit the retail liquor market.

Significant undertakings include:

• introducing The Saskatchewan First Act, to clearly define and defend Saskatchewan’s exclusive jurisdiction over natural resources and its economic future within the Canadian Constitution;

• amending the province’s Constitution by amending The Saskatchewan Act to state that Saskatchewan continues to retain exclusive jurisdiction over its own natural resources;

• continuing to press for greater provincial control over immigration, as has long been guaranteed to Quebec; and

• introducing legislation enabling Saskatchewan to collect its own corporate income tax.

ALBERTA

Danielle Smith recently won the leadership of the United Conservative Party (UCP) and thus became Premier succeeding Jason Kenney, who stepped down as a result of his lacklustre result in the party’s leadership review this past spring.

Smith had previously led the Alberta Wildrose Party, prior to joining the Progressive Conservative government of then-Premier Jim Prentice. When Smith failed to win a PC nomination in order to run in the 2015 election, many wrongly predicted the end of her political career, let alone surpassing her previous success by becoming Premier.

Smith has indicated that a variety of transformational changes will be implemented between now and the election which is slated for spring 2023. One of the most widely discussed planks of her leadership campaign includes the promise of an Alberta Sovereignty Act, which Smith has described as being necessary to assert provincial jurisdiction in areas where the province believes that the federal government has been hostile to its interests.

Premier Smith won a by-election on November 8 in the riding of Brooks-Medicine Hat, and personally introduced this act within weeks of taking her seat. In her mandate letter to Justice Minister Tyler Shandro, Smith wrote in no uncertain terms: “We must proactively protect Albertans from continued federal government overreach, including hostile economic policies that landlock our provincial resources, that chase billions in investment and thousands of jobs from our province, and that are detrimental to the short-term and long-term prosperity of Albertans.”

Shandro is also tasked with working with his colleague, Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, to launch an Alberta Police Service (APS), to replace the RCMP where applicable.

The Premier also dismissed Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Chief Medical Officer of Health, replacing her on an interim basis with Dr. Marc Joffe, an executive with Alberta Health Services (AHS) who will perform both roles concurrently.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Premier John Horgan officially retired on November 18, when David Eby was sworn into the role. The ceremony was held at the Musqueam Community Centre in Vancouver, and a cabinet shuffle is set to occur on December 7 in Victoria. The event marked the first-ever swearing-in hosted by a First Nation in British Columbia. Horgan announced his retirement earlier this year, though he remained at the helm as his governing New Democratic Party undertook a leadership convention to replace him. He cited his health as a determining factor, having recently battled with cancer, and despite his positive outcome, his stamina did not permit him to continue in the role. Horgan was elected with a minority government in 2017, held together by a cooperation agreement with the Green Party, but won an outright majority during the provincial election of 2020.

What was considered a competitive race between Eby and Anjali Appadurai morphed into a coronation once the latter candidate was disqualified, due to a conclusion by the party’s Chief Electoral Officer that Appadurai’s campaign had violated the rules of the race.

Eby previously served in Horgan’s cabinet and has indicated that he will ensure the province takes a more assertive role in social issues surrounding Vancouver’s lower east side. He had considered seeking the NDP leadership in 2014, but decided to back Horgan.

In late November, Finance Minister Selina Robinson delivered an economic update indicating the province is on track to have a $5.7 billion budget surplus, an astonishing turn-around from the beginning of the fiscal year when a deficit of $5.5 billion was predicted.

Since becoming Premier, Eby has made various policy announcements related to housing, cost-of-living pressures, crime response and mental health and addictions.

In the next provincial election, not expected until 2024, Eby will square off against Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon. Interestingly, the party name is expected to change. 80 per cent of party voted recently to change from “Liberal” to “BC United.” This will still need to be approved at a party convention that will occur in 2023.

Falcon was an MLA before and served in the cabinet of then-Premier Christy Clark. Shortly after winning the leadership, he won a by-election and returned to the Legislative Assembly.

In British Columbia, the Liberal Party is not formally affiliated with the federal Liberal Party, and its members include federal Liberals, federal Conservatives and others.

WOMEN IN TRADES CONFERENCE

Chris Allinotte, WRLA

Here’s a pop-quiz for you: in the Lumber and Building Materials Industry, what percentage of employees are women?

A. 33%

B. 4%

C. 17%

D. 25%

The answer, according to the most recent statistics compiled by the Canadian Construction Association, is 4 per cent.

Surprised?

For the majority of women who are working in our industry, this is not breaking news. So, the question then becomes, at a time when nearly every single business is looking to bring in new employees to support the growth and expansion of their operation—or in some cases, to make sure that the business can stay open—why wouldn’t we look at adding more women to the industry?

That seems to be a perfectly reasonable approach, so we have the “what” portion of “what should we do” figured out … but how? That is the real question.

A big part of the answer lies in events like the Manitoba Women in Trades conference.

On November 16, Manitoba Construction Sector Council welcomed over two-hundred guests and exhibitors to Winnipeg to hear from experts in the field, to have discussions and create connections, and to learn about the many opportunities for women to get into the trades. WRLA was in attendance as an exhibitor with president Liz Kovach and Director of Marketing and Communications Chris Allinotte operating our information booth. (More on that later.)

The day began with a warm welcome from Master of Ceremonies Delia Veronica Joseph, a mediator for the Manitoba Human Rights Commission who specializes in bringing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to the workplace. This was followed up by an opening

PHOTO:

Above: Chris Allinotte (left) and Liz Kovach (right) get ready to welcome conference attendees to the WRLA booth.

prayer by Elder Mae Louise Campbell, a member of the mayor’s Indigenous Advisory Circle, and Kookum Kaa Na Da Maa Waad Abinoojiiak Council: Grandmothers Protecting our Children. This was followed up by Winnipeg’s new mayor, Scott Gillingham, and the Hon. Rochelle Squires, Minister of Families, Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs & Minister responsible for Status of Women.

Everyone agreed that it was very encouraging to see so many attendees at the event and particularly great to see so many students in attendance. While there are opportunities for women of all ages to join the industry, making connections with youth while they are still in school has the benefit of letting them try their hand in various areas to find the right-fit job for them. Job satisfaction comes up a lot in articles discussing Gen Z and their attitudes toward current and future careers. It’s not enough for the youth to have a job to go to—they want to believe that what they are doing is making a difference.123

Engaging youth, particularly young women, was a major theme of the morning’s keynote session, delivered by Mary Van Buren, president of the Canadian Construction Association. Her talk, entitled, “I’ll have what they’re having. Taking your place at the table,” discussed the need for businesses to make a conscious effort to bring a greater diversity of employees onboard. She illustrated the point with a “then and now” photo of the Canadian Construction Association itself, which showed that even in the last ten years, the organization has gone from exclusively male to having a woman in the top leadership position, with several other women in key positions. She stressed that the opportunities are out there for women, but it will require work on behalf of businesses to make change happen.

Following Mary’s speech there was a panel discussion by four construction industry leaders, who spoke candidly about their experiences, observations, and ideas for positive change as women in a male-dominated industry.

Later in the morning, small-group breakout sessions created a great opportunity for attendees to get in on the discussion. One of these, Workplace Inclusion: Women in the Construction Industry—Building your HR Competitive Advantage—demonstrated that increasing diversity within an organization isn’t just a feel-good exercise—it makes proven, measurable business sense. With a growing cohort of consumers that demand to do business with ethical, socially conscious companies, those that choose to do things “the way they’ve always done them” may well find themselves losing out on a lot of sales.

Alongside the presentations and discussions was the exhibition floor, where organizations set up booths to directly engage the attendees and showcase just some of the options that are available within our industry. At the WRLA booth, Liz and Chris talked to conference guests about the unlimited options that are available on the supply side of the trades. With occupations that range from forklift driving to the C-suite of billion-dollar companies, there is a place in the LBM industry for every individual, every interest, and every passion. As an added bonus, we debuted our newest video at our booth, in which seven different women from within the WRLA membership talked about their experiences in the industry, the career paths that led them to their current positions, and what they liked most about what they do.

With events like Manitoba Women in Trades, and WOLF (Women of Lumber and Forestry) out west happening, and providing a place for women to come together, support each other, and connect each other to meaningful opportunities within the industry, it’s clear that there is incredible potential waiting for businesses to reach out and engage. WRLA couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it.

Want to hear more about the conference? Liz had a great interview with the organizer of the Manitoba Women in Trades event, Carol Paul, Director of Manitoba Construction Sector Council. You can hear the full conversation on our podcast. Check it out on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app. Make sure to subscribe—we’ve got so many more great guests lined up!

You can also check out our “Conversations with the Women of the Lumber and Building Materials Industry” video on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@wrlainc227

1 “What Does Gen Z Want in the Workplace?” (extensishr.com)

2 “What Gen Z Wants At Work Will Blow Your Mind” (forbes.com)

3 “What Does Gen Z Expect in the Workplace?” (businessnewsdaily.com)

Above: Liz Kovach of WRLA hosted a breakout session with Halee Fayerman of Bird Construction (second left), Tracy Hildebrand of City of Winnipeg (middle), Natalie Durocher of City of Winnipeg (second right) and Melissa Unrau of Qualico Canada (right).

“This event is so needed in the industry we chose to have our careers in. To be heard and acknowledged was so refreshing. And to know we are all in this together in empowering.

The speakers were fun, fantastic and relevant, the schedule of events flowed with ease, and the location was breathtaking.

You can tell a lot of thought and heart went into this event and even the smallest detail was executed perfectly in my opinion.

I for one cannot wait to see where this event goes in the future because this is only the beginning!”

—Michelle Thompson, PinkWood

Above: Group photo of the conference attendees.

WOLF CONFERENCE BRINGS TOGETHER THE WOMEN OF LUMBER AND FORESTRY

Chris Allinotte, WRLA

It is a fact of the Lumber and Building Materials Industry that there are way more men than women in related careers. It’s something that WRLA has been working to help our members address in a variety of ways, and something we’re going to be devoting even more resources to in the coming year.

But what about the amazing women who are already here? For them, it can sometimes seem a little lonely, being the only woman in an office, on a job site, or on a manufacturing line—to give just a few examples.

For Lauren and Kaitlyn Chimko, who both work at Dakeryn Industries, this wasn’t just an issue to be dealt with—it was an opportunity to create something special.

“An email went around from Jodie Porter (Taiga Building Products) on International Women’s Day,” Kaitlyn recalls. “We were frustrated by how spread out the women are in the industry and that opportunities to visit face-to-face were few and far between.”

Together they decided to build an opportunity to bring these women together in the same room to network, build community, and learn best practices both from their peers and industry experts. So, in 2019, Women of Lumber and Forestry, or WOLF, was born.

Rolling up their sleeves, Kaitlyn and Lauren made over 200 phone calls to potential attendees and sponsors. Ultimately 27 women attended from across Canada and the US. It was important for the organizers to include women from all aspects of the industry, while still providing value back to the companies sending their employees to participate. The final guest list included workers at every level and position from major mills, wholesale distributors, remanufacturers, and contractor retail yards. The ladies who attended help positions that ranged from CEOs, VPs, and mid-level managers, to lumber sales, purchasing, support, and more.

Kaitlyn and Lauren acknowledge the incredible support they received from their employer, Dakeryn, who became the event’s founding sponsor and host for the conference.

After their wildly successful first event, COVID reared its persistent head and the conference had to be cancelled in 2020. Restrictions were lessening in some places by the end of 2021, but getting tighter in others, so the event was still a go, but its growth as an industry event seemed to have been stifled before it really got going.

This year’s event put those fears to rest, as 48 women— double the previous events’ count—flew into North Vancouver to take their place at WOLF 2022!

Each year’s conference has dedicated education sessions that provide professional development for the attendees, as well as providing access to inspirational and thoughtful speakers.

Left: A beautiful view of BC.

Above: Leaving the conference room, enjoying the BC outdoors.

FEATURE—WOMEN OF LUMBER AND FORESTRY CONFERENCE

Educational sessions at this year’s event included Sales Training by professional Sales Coach, Robyn Gooding, Teamwork and Communication with Angela Galanoupolos, who brought her experience with the legendary Second City to work for a very enjoyable exercise with the group. Later, Giselle Blackman, a Senior Human Resources Leader led a discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Everyone in attendance agreed that the sessions were valuable and they all enjoyed a high level of participation and discussion.

Though the WOLF conference is just three years old, it has already produced a tradition of its own that has become one of the favourite moments each year. The Jane Walker Awards were first given out in 2019 by Donna Whitaker, VP of Sales and Marketing at Interfor. Each year the previous winners choose another recipient to receive the award. They then present the awards to the people they chose, along with a few words about how that individual has inspired, supported, or mentored them in their career.

This year’s winners were two Americans and two Canadians:

• Julie Gravel, GreenFirst Forest Products, Toronto, ON

• Nikole Robbins, Universal Forest Products, Grand Rapids, MI

• Michelle Thompson, Pinkwood, Calgary, AB

• Laura Ebersberger, Universal Forest Products, Grand Rapids, MI

WHAT’S NEXT?

Now that the conference has begun to grow its yearly attendance, Lauren and Kaitlyn are looking toward the future. “We are doing our best to grow the event tactfully to support demand but keep the intimate/small group experience for attendees. It allows us to be comfortable and candid and the entire group gets to share all moments of the experience together.”

With that in mind, a large part of the planning for the 2023 conference, beyond market discussion, will be the attraction and retention of women in the industry. To this end, the organizing committee is also working on a scholarship program that will directly aid a woman in her 3rd or 4th year of post-secondary education with both a monetary bursary and the invaluable experience of connecting her to hiring managers and mentors at the conference.

As the industry enters a time of growth and renewal that will be driven by new employees entering the various LBM fields, it is reassuring and inspiring to know that events like WOLF are helping create the kind of lasting connections and community that promote long, satisfying careers.

All photos are supplied by Kaitlyn Chimko from Dakeryn Industries.

Top middle: Daily learning sessions.

Bottom middle: Interactive breakout sessions.

Bottom right: Lunch with the attendees.

“The WOLF conference is an amazing opportunity for forest industry women to connect, network, and mentor the next generation of industry women. The program, curated with women in mind, addresses topics and issues that we often encounter and provides tools and ideas on how to handle them.”

—Marta Chiavacci, Hampton Lumber Sales, Canada

BUILDING BETTER RETAIL —A CONVERSATION

Chris Allinotte, WRLA

WRLA President Liz Kovach sat down recently with Sarah Hounslow, President of Burlington Merchandising & Fixtures (BMF), and Marc Atiyolil, editor-in-chief of Home Trends Magazine, and one of the two hosts of the Marc & Mandy Show (CITY TV, GLOBAL). They got together to discuss what makes bricks-and-mortar shopping so different from the online version important and how paying attention to the in-store experience can have a tremendous impact on sales! Please enjoy some highlights from their conversation, and tune into the WRLA podcast for the full interview!

Liz Kovach (LK): So we’re here today to talk about “building better retail” and talking to experts who are helping to create some of those customer experiences that we really want to see to build brand loyalty.

Marc Atiyolil (MA): And I think it’s so important. It’s so timely because after, you know, the pandemic and everything, we want to have those customer experiences. We want to make sure that when you’re walking into a store, you see all these amazing displays and everything and that’s really what is making that difference between brick and mortar and online. I think we really need to have that

hybrid. You know, like it’s great when we have online where we have that instant service. So, you know, everybody’s used to that. But you cannot recreate a customer experience online. You’re talking to your computer, you’re talking to a chat box. That’s not fun. Like, who is it? It’s like a stock photo of a person. I’m like, is that really who I’m talking to?

LK: You made a really great comment earlier when we were speaking about, you know, the pandemic and brick and mortar and of course, people talking about the difference between brick and mortar. And you made a comment that if you’re wanting a product now, you want to go into a retail store where you want to later you’re going to purchase it online. So why don’t we talk a little bit more about that and the relevance of brick and mortar?

MA: Yeah. And you have such a great point, Sarah, to where you were saying that, you know, we’re always thinking about warehouse space. Right. And you can have so many different products in the warehouse, but if you’re not creating a customer experience, I should say when you’re walking into the store, then you never see it. So what are some examples that you have where you’ve done something?

Above: BMF President Sarah Hounslow and Marc Atiyolil, co-host of the Marc & Mandy Show, discuss retail with Liz Kovach.

Sarah Hounslow (SA): We have a great fixture system which will allow you to actually shrink that back stockroom and have everything kept in the overstock. And we’ve got a banner system that allows you to hide all of the unsightly overstock and keep your inventory levels where they need to be and improve your customer experience. Because if somebody comes in and you don’t have stock on your shelves, they don’t want to stick around and wait for you to go back to the warehouse and try to find it.

MA: So we’re very impatient.

LK: Yeah. Yes, we are.

MA: I feel like I don’t know if this is because I’m a parent or what it is, but I when I walk into a store and that’s that whole online presence, that’s happening is it’s creating consumers that want that instant result. We’re that fast-food nation where we want something right then and there, and if we don’t get it right away, then we get upset.

We’re very spoiled that way. We are. But what we need to do is with brick and mortar, we need to reinvent brick and mortar so that people feel like they have that customer service, that interaction, that face to face. And also, instead of having everything in the warehouse, maybe things that you haven’t sold in ten years, why don’t you bring it out and create these amazing displays?

You had a great example where you said, you know, if you’re selling, let’s say, lots of siding, why not do a siding display? When I walk into a store and as a designer, I want to see (big) samples. If you give me this little sample, I’m like, what am I going to do with this?

SH: It makes it really hard to make confident decisions quickly. And when they’re there in your store, that’s when you want to be able to engage them, upsell them, potentially. Allow them to make those decisions confidently and quickly so that you make that sale.

MA: And what a great way to upsell them, just like you’re saying is by having that display. Because if I go into a store, you show me an image on your computer screen, I could have done that from home. The only advantage that you have is that pop-up display, because then I can see the difference between, let’s say, a vinyl with a cement board and I can touch it and feel

PHOTO:

Above: The three met at the RBC Convention Centre to record the WRLA Postcast.

CHRIS ALLINOTTE

it and I can see what it’s going to look like on my house. If I look at a picture, I may not be able to see the difference. And a lot of times, consumers, we can’t visualize things. So you can explain it

LK: Like with paint swatches sometimes, right? If you don’t have the ability to even use a little bit of a sample and have a bigger size to really to really get a good visual of what it might look like when you’re going to go with these colors.

MA: So yeah, and then I was a brand ambassador for an actual paint company for years. And, that was one of the things when we come up with the colours of the year, everybody’s like, “I don’t know if that’s possible. Like, I can’t.”

SH: And most people wouldn’t actually use the color of the year, but it gets you thinking outside of your comfort zone.

LK: And you know, Sarah, you were talking earlier about how 80 per cent of the materials that are sold are lumber and building materials that are shown.

SH: Yeah, in a lot of these independent home improvement retailers, 80 per cent of the business is LBM and yet LBM is not really showcased inside retail stores. So allowing you to create displays, and larger samples, really your goal should be to become the destination in your market for these types of materials so that you’re the first place that people think about when you’re going to be shopping for siding or roofing or something like that.

MA: We’re always wanting to sell that house or that big package. But why not take some of the building materials and build a shed that showcases your siding, that showcases your lumber, that showcases all of it, because then it gives you an idea. Everybody’s always thinking like, you know, they want to sell the $200,000, $300,000, half a million dollar project. But if you can somehow do these pop-up displays for a weekend project … if I’m shopping there every single weekend when I’m building a house, I’m going to come back and it becomes brand loyalty.

LK: Yeah. So what are some of the barriers from your experience? Because both of you have experience on the retail side, a lot more than I have, in terms of setting up stores and working with owners. What are some of the barriers that you have found that have prevented people from making these changes to build better businesses?

SH: I think people just don’t know where to start and they don’t have the resources or the head offices that have the resources to be able to help them to renovate their stores and really think strategically about what they want to be in and what they don’t want to be in. And sometimes when you go through all of the categories that you carry in your store, some of the biggest, most important decisions to make are what to delete. What categories are just taking up space? A lot of these independent retailers, they don’t have the luxury of having the square footage that big box store has. So, to be able to really decide which categories you want to be competitive in and then do really, really well in those categories. But sometimes you get stuck in the day-to-day and you don’t have that.

LK: And so right now, that’s an interesting comment that you made, because right now there is a lot of business owners who are actually working in their business and not working on their business. And

it’s a challenge with the post-pandemic and labour and such. But this is a really good segue way because for January at our yearly showcase, the theme is going to be building better retail and BMF is coming on as a new sponsor. We’re really delighted about this partnership opportunity, and we really want to encourage people to take some time and come and work on their business. So what does “Building Better Retail” mean to both of you and why should people come and see you this year in January?

SH: So, to us, building better retail is more than just building better “retail.” It’s building better businesses, building better customer experiences, building more profitable businesses, brand loyalty, more engagement with your staff. All of these things are so important to building better retail and they’re really the building blocks to getting there.

LK: That’s amazing.

MA: The big thing is, I think that we’ve been we’ve spent the last couple of years kind of in survival mode. You know, we’re just like constantly changing and everything, but we just need to sit down and analyze our business. And I had a meeting with a friend of mine. He said, Marc, I don’t know what to do because him and his business partner couldn’t agree on where the company was going. And I said, ”how do you guys deal with that?” And he said, every single year the executive team sits down and we basically plan out the year. And it doesn’t matter how big or how small you are. You need to analyze it. Dollars and cents. Where are you making money? Where you losing money? That’s where you’re figuring out what you need to push and what you need to improve on and then building displays on how to upsell. If 80 per cent of your business is selling tables or two-by-fours, then it doesn’t matter what it is. You want to maximize that. What else can you sell them on? What are the complimentary products?

LK: Absolutely. Well, and we’re really we’re committed to building better retail and building better businesses because we realize that there’s so many facets to it. And so we are definitely going to have education sessions or opportunities for attendees to come and listen to our speakers that are not just designed for the owner, they’re intended for everyone so that they can be inspired and that they can realize there’s such a huge opportunity, even from a career perspective.

But thank you so much to both of you for joining us and to our members. I’ve learned a lot and I’m really looking forward to all of you coming in and seeing the building better. Retail spending a little bit of time with Sarah and her team talking about how they could work with you to perhaps build your store for that next legacy project.

MA: We’re looking forward to the show, as well!

SH: We’ll see you in January.

LK: Bye for now!

Remember to check out the WRLA Podcast: Building Better Retail episode for the full conversation! Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen to podcasts.

A CONVERSATION ON WELLNESS: HOW ARE YOU DOING?

Chris Allinotte and Martine Yzerman, WRLA

How are you really doing?

That used to be a phrase nobody put much thought to—it was the thing you’d say after, “Hello,” and before, “Great! Let’s get down to business.”

These days, not so much. Because we’ve all been through a world-changing pandemic, and for many of us, it’s still going on. When we say, “how are you doing?” these days, we could just as easily say, “are you okay?”

One thing that is incredible about the Lumber and Building Materials Industry is that it’s built on interaction with others.

There are not a lot of ways to order lumber, build a custom door, or sell a hammer without talking to people. That lack of interaction was one of the things we all felt most keenly when lockdowns were happening. On the flip side, and this is a question everyone can answer, how great did it feel when you went to your first gathering with people outside your house? How amazing was it to come together as an industry last March for the WRLA Showcase?

Bringing it back to the workplace, the culture and practices around illness are changing. Two years of “stay home if you’re sick” is starting to break through years of conditioning to stuff tissues up your nose and tough it out.

Most reassuringly, we’re starting to hear and have many more conversations about mental well-being, too. Incredible stress produces incredible reactions to stress. If you’re not thinking about these things yet, you’re not alone. But the time could be right to start doing so.

Recently, two of us at the WRLA sat down and had a conversation about health and wellness in the workplace. We talked about what’s been happening, what we’re seeing now, and where we think things are going. Read on, and feel free to send us a note at marketing@wrla.org and tell us what you’re doing at your workplace to make health and wellness a priority. We’ll print some of the answers we receive in our next issue!

Chris Allinotte (CA): Hi Martine. How are you doing?

Martine Yzerman (MY): I see what you did there.

CA: Let’s start with the most personal thing up front—we’re both Gen X’ers—which means that we both grew up at a time when most of us were taught that, unless you were near death, you went into work.

MY: I can definitely relate to that. If there’s anything good that’s come from the pandemic, it’s that taking your paid sick days doesn’t feel like you’re letting down the team. In fact, it’s usually the opposite, you’re helping them avoid getting sick, too. Odd to think it has taken this long to “normalize” being sick.

CA: When you put it that way, and I think back to all the times a cold or flu would whip through the entire office, I’m not sure how much time or money was being saved by having a dozen people barely able to work, instead of missing one person for a day or two.

MY: As well, I think I about the “money lost” in lack of performance. Thankfully things along those lines are starting to change for the better, too. People are talking more proactively about their health, too.

CA: We’re definitely having those conversations at WRLA. We recently finished a “30-in-30” challenge with the whole WRLA team.

MY: Right. We did (or tried to do) thirty minutes of activity a day, for all thirty days of November. It was tough, but having it be a team activity made it easier. It’s the accountability piece with your peers that always helps me. More fun.

CA: I ended up doing a lot of time on the treadmill, but by the end of the month, I found myself looking forward to it. Building up that habit.

MY: Fitness is one of my passions, so I bike, hike, you name it. Even then, creating that kind of everyday habit isn’t the easiest. I love how moving my body helps me work through most issues, a fresh new perspective, It’s so valuable to get moving.

CA: Definitely. I read that blog you sent me recently, “The employee mental health crisis.” We’ve been talking physical fitness mostly, but mental health is so, so important. People are under more stress than ever, and everyone needs some help sometimes.

MY: I loved that line, “It’s time to get comfortable being uncomfortable, embrace the awkward and jump in with both feet.” We need to be talking about and addressing the stress and anxiety people are experiencing.

CA: Yes to all of that. Especially to employers getting involved. Individual employees can raise issues, but nothing is going to get done without management moving things along.

MY: But we as employees can look out for each other, too. Most of us work as part of a Team, and we’re all really busy, but taking an extra minute to listen to each other—not necessarily offering solutions—but listening, can make a huge difference. Heck, even a genuine greeting in the morning can make someone feel better.

CA: And I’d imagine it’s even more difficult for those that are working remotely. I know there’s a lot of benefits that come with that, but it’s got to be a little bit difficult, not having that ready source of personto-person interaction. I know I felt it when we were in lockdown back in 2020. With you out there in Calgary, I’m sure you’ve had some downs to go along with the ups.

MY: That’s one of the reasons it’s been so important to stay active physically, and I also focus on staying emotionally and intellectually connected with my team as well. With our organization, Liz really makes the effort to make sure those of us who work elsewhere feel connected to the team, and that we get opportunities to come together as often as possible. That brings me to some of the other suggestions in that blog we mentioned.

CA: Things that employers can do to help promote good mental health at work.

MY: There were a lot of great suggestions. I think that article was written back when every meeting was a Zoom meeting but a lot of those ideas still apply. Like mental health days, for example.

CA: Right. The point being that, just like a sick day, it’s helping you be more productive overall by taking that time to rest and recharge, instead of getting burned out and having all your output get worse. They made a point to say that employers should absolutely do the same.

MY: How many WRLA members are small business owners? How many hours a day do those owners put in? It’s no wonder people are getting so stressed that they’re burning out. There’s traditional thinking that a day away is just going to cost the business money they don’t have, but what is the cost to the business if you are so overwhelmed that you start making mistakes and errors in judgment? Being your own boss has many perks; however, entrepreneurs can really benefit from having an accountability partner. Ensure that they are looking after themselves mentally and physically.

CA: It’s a tough call, to be sure, when there already aren’t enough staff to go around, but if there’s a way to make it work, the health benefits are there.

MY: Related to that one and bringing us back to remote work for a second—employers should also be looking at setting expectations for their salaried employees. When you don’t clock in and out, it can be really easy to keep working well past the end of the day. It’s especially common for people who’ve been working from home to end up working much longer hours than they’d be putting in at an office. It’s important to have a separate working space and to ‘put your things away’ at the end of the day. Make the distinction between work and home.

CA: The expectations you’re referring to are so important. Does that email really need an answer at 9 p.m.? Maybe it does, but in that case, it’s important to ensure that these are exceptions and not the norm. If it’s an on-call situation, which some businesses need to have—that’s a reality—there’s a need to make sure it’s not always the same person.

MY: It’s taking that step, on the employer’s part, to also hold off sending those after-hours emails that can wait until the next day, and to have those conversations about work-life balance. Employers need that mental break, too!

CA: All of these suggestions sound like we’re saying, “just work less, and take more time off.” But I don’t think that’s quite it.

MY: It’s down to a quality-over-quantity approach. If we’re taking care of people’s mental and physical well-being—or making it much easier for them to take care of it themselves, they’re going to be more productive when they’re doing their job.

CA: There’s some things that can be done while everyone is at work, too. One of these is to establish “no-meeting” days.

MY: I think everyone agrees that sometimes you feel like you’re only ever attending meetings—which leaves you wondering how you’ll ever get the work done that you’ve been talking about. Holding one day in the week as a no-meeting day can give everyone a mental break.

CA: So it really comes down to a change of mindset, I think. Compared to the way things have always been done.

MY: It’s about treating people as individuals and realizing that the traditional practice of expecting people to leave all their personal challenges at the door is just not realistic anymore. Offering company-backed supports, we end up with a healthier, happier workplace. It starts with creating a psychological safe space for the entire team, which ultimately enhances the collective level of trust. This will ultimately allow everyone to feel safe to share and ultimately be more productive, effective and everyone wins in the end.

CA: Thanks so much for taking time to speak to me about these topics!

MY: Talking about this stuff is how good things happen.

CELEBRATING HIS 60 TH ANNIVERSARY IN OUR INDUSTRY

Chris Allinotte, WRLA

Sixty years ago, Syl Haisan jumped on the lumber train, and as of today, he’s still going strong.

“I’ve always enjoyed going to work,” says Syl, speaking from his office at C. A. Fischer Lumber in Edmonton. “Ever since the start.”

That start came at age 18, when Syl got his first job unloading boxcars for the M.D. Muttart Lumber Company. He remembers the first day clearly down to the day. “June 4, 1962. Two of us jumped into the boxcar, climbed up to the top of the stack and flat on our bellies started unloading.”

The family-owned company by then had made a name for itself in Alberta, western Canada, Ontario and the northern USA and building over 400 homes per year in the Edmonton area. By the time Syl joined, the company had dozens of companies that encompassed everything from supply to manufacturing, to retail sales.

At the time, Syl was happy to be working but was also eager to learn and try new things. He hadn’t been unloading at the railroad boxcar long before he was chosen by the drywall delivery driver to work on a

crew that delivered drywall to building sites. In remembering those days, Syl chuckled, “those drywall sheets weren’t as light as they are today, and we carried four sheets at a time, up to 10 footers. We were delivering four houses a day, too!” Of course, most of the houses were 1100 sq. ft. bungalows and bi-levels.

His strong work ethic led to a job working in the Planer Mill and then later to a place in the lumber yard, plywood warehouses, truck driving as well as a period of time at the plant that manufactured windows and doors. These places were much more agreeable to working during the long Edmonton winters!

Still, there was more to learn, and different things to try, so when the opportunity came for Syl to take advantage of a retail training course offered by the Edmonton Retail Lumber Association, he took it.

“We went to school at NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) every Friday from January to May.” During this course, he learned more about building materials, as well as sales techniques, estimating and blueprint reading.

PHOTO:

Left: Home Hardware 50 Year Golden Hammer Award 2012.

Above: Grande Prairie Home Hardware Building Centre (Hardlines 2022 Store of the Year).

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

By this time, Syl had become the manager at the plywood warehouse and oversaw the custom cutting of pieces for the prefab homes. The manager of the Muttart Manufactured Home Plant asked how the course at NAIT was going and Syl mentioned he was interested in the blueprint reading and estimating part, the manager offered him a job at the plant and Syl accepted. So, at the bright young age of 22 years old Syl began his journey in prefabricated home building— which proved to be intellectually rewarding. “I learned how to read the blueprints, worked in all phases of the plant, worked up to the position of layout man who sets up the templates so the walls could be assembled.”

Things took a rough turn in May of 1973, when a fire ripped through the prefabricated housing factory—destroying the entire operation, which took up an entire city block. “It burned everything,” remembers Syl, “the mill, the prefab plant, everything.” All told, the fire did $1.5 million in damages ($7.8 million in 2022 dollars).

Not to be deterred, the company started again from scratch, rebuilding its operation, and Syl was right there with them. His boss decided to retire and Syl was offered the Plant Manager position and after much thought and discussion, Syl accepted the overall plant operation Manager position. As they slowly replaced the capacity and started building and expanding their prefabricated home sales to the Yukon, NWT, Alberta and British Columbia, the company was able to take advantage of having to start over by installing newer, more modern equipment that increased their capacity. “We were able to produce up to thirteen houses a day, running 24 hours a day on shifts.”

Around this time, the Muttart company began selling their prefabricated components to other building supply yards. Syl and the owners of Muttarts started a company, called Alberta Building Components, which was to market to dealers the Muttart prefabricated product. “They were called ABC, so that the owner could feature his first grandchild, a baby boy in the ads,” said Syl, remembering, “playing with his building blocks.”

With these new business relationships happening, Syl made a new acquaintance that was to have a big effect on his career. “I struck up a friendship with Chuck Fischer, and Ken McCourt, who owned Pickardville Building Supplies after a few years they

offered me a position to set up a manufacturing plant in a large warehouse they owned in Westlock, Alberta and in the spring of 1988, I started with C.A.Fischer Lumber Co. Ltd.” (For followers of WRLA history—Chuck is a past president of our organization!)

Fischer Lumber was on its own upward trajectory of growth, at that time operating four retail building supply yards, product supplied by the buying group, TimberMart and now starting with a prefab and roof truss plant named Westfab Homes. Eventually, they leased the three-acre lot next door, which gave them their first retail building and hardware supply location in Westlock, which was named Westfab Home Building Centre. A few years later the Fischer group purchased another store in Westlock, Westlock Home Building Centre, a Home Hardware location. The Westlock Home Hardware store was changed to a TimberMart store and changed back to a Home Building Center, 17 years ago. Since then, all Fischer stores are under the Home Hardware banner. Eventually, Fischer Lumber grew to have fifteen Home Building and Home Hardware Building Centres in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Through all of this, Syl applied his knowledge, experience, and that same strong work ethic that got his feet moving towards the rail boxcar so many years ago.

Today, at age 78, he still enjoys working for the company. He oversees purchasing for the stores and has become as much a teacher as a constant student, training staff and certifying forklift drivers. One of his stores, Grande Prairie Home Hardware Building

Centre, was selected as one of Hardlines magazine store of the year for 2022.

“Maybe I’ll hang on until I’m 80,” Syl muses. “I built a new house several years ago, and I’m still working on it, so there’s that.”

WRLA congratulates Syl on achieving 60 years in the lumber and building materials industry. The wealth of experience and consistent enthusiasm he brings to the business is an inspiration to us, and to all our members.

Bottom: The fire that happened at Muttart prefabricating housing factory in 1973.

PHOTO:

Above: Syl Haisan in 2022.

MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY

JOHNS MANVILLE WINS OUTSTANDING VENDOR AWARD FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Sexton Group Ltd. Presented Johns Manville with their Outstanding Vendor Award for Sustainability.

Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality products for building insulation, mechanical insulation, commercial roofing, and roof insulation, as well as reinforcement fibreglass and technical nonwovens.

The company is continually working to increase the volume of post-consumer recycled glass used at its fibreglass insulation manufacturing plants. Using recycled glass in their manufacturing process keeps that glass out of landfills. Additionally, recycled glass takes less energy to melt, and glass is an excellent material, as it can be recycled over and over without any loss in quality or purity. By recycling glass into fibreglass insulation, there are energy savings both in the production and application of the insulation products. JM facilities have saved an estimated 13,100 tons of CO2 emissions and 7,800 megawatt hours of electricity.

During the previous three years, JM increased the average amount of recycled glass used in their fibreglass insulation products by 19 percent which improved their energy consumption for us and had a positive impact on the environment.

When asked how the average consumer can help do their part for the environment, Canadian Sales Manager Gino Allegro had two words to say, “Recycle glass!”

The biggest challenge in increasing the amount of recycled glass used in fibreglass insulation manufacturing is the availability of recycled glass. In Canada, glass recycling rates averaged about 61 per cent, while many European countries (or U.S. states with bottle deposit laws) see rates of 70 per cent.

Sexton Group Ltd. also presented awards to Owens Corning for Innovation and Taiga Building Products for Community Support.

Above top: Gino Allegro from Johns Manville accepts the environmental sustainability award from Sexton Steering Committee member Dave Jackson.

Bottom left: Russ Permann from Taiga Building Products accepts the community support award from Sexton Steering Committee member Marcel Lentze.

Bottom right: Mark Geres from Owens Corning accepts the innovation award from Sexton Steering Committee member Eric Toivanen.

OWENS CORNING NAMED ONE OF 2022 WORLD’S MOST ETHICAL COMPANIES ® BY ETHISPHERE

Owens Corning has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the 2022 World’s Most Ethical Companies. This marks the fifth consecutive year the company has been recognized with this honour.

Owens Corning is one of just three honourees in the Construction and Building Materials industry, underscoring its commitment to leading with integrity and prioritizing ethical business practices. In 2022, Ethisphere honoured 136 companies from 22 countries and 45 industries.

Ethisphere is a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.

“We are honoured to be recognized by Ethisphere for the fifth consecutive year,” said Executive Vice President and General Counsel Gina Beredo. “This is an achievement earned and shared by our 20,000 employees across the world who live our purpose each day with an unwavering commitment to ethical business practices.”

Sustainability is a key focus of Owens Corning’s strategic plan, with the company on track to be one of the first to have a circular economy through recycling shingles and using recycled glass in its insulation products. They have also committed to powering all their facilities with wind power or off-setting their power consumption with carbon credits where the wind power infrastructure doesn’t yet exist. They invite other manufacturers to switch to wind power as well.

AD ASSOCIATES PARTNER WITH RYAN’S CASE FOR SMILES FOR GIVING BACK EVENT

Wayne, Pa.—AD associates participated in a giving back event on October 5 supporting Ryan’s Case for Smiles, a volunteer organization dedicated to helping children and their families manage the stress and emotional impact of illness.

AD associates from the U.S., Canada and Mexico came together for a volunteer event at AD’s headquarters in Wayne, Pa., to sew 125 colourful pillowcases that improve the quality of life and bring comfort to young patients and their families. The pillowcases assembled by AD will be distributed to children in local hospitals in the Philadelphia area to improve spirits and give children and their families an emotional boost.

In addition, AD associates located in Indianapolis held a giving back event with their local Ryan’s Case for Smiles chapter to sew 24 pillowcases for children in their local area.

The AD team in Wayne also assembled 125 coping boxes filled with books, activities, and stress relief items meant to help siblings of young patients better navigate a difficult experience and limit long-term emotional trauma.

After the event, AD presented the leaders of Ryan’s Case for Smiles with a check for $9,510, in addition to donated supplies, to continue their mission of supporting children and their families who are managing challenging hospital visits. The donated funds were contributed by AD associates from multiple fundraising activities.

“When we come together to give our time, the AD community can do great things for incredible organizations like Ryan’s Case for Smiles,” said

Jeffrey Beall, President, PHCP Business Unit, and executive sponsor of AD’s Giving Back Committee. “Thank you to everyone from AD, especially the Giving Back Committee, and the volunteers from Ryan’s Case for Smiles for their support. We’ve made a difference by putting a smile on a child’s face and giving their family a bright moment in hard times.”

About AD

AD is the largest contractor and industrial products wholesale buying group in North America. AD provides independent distributors and manufacturers of construction and industrial products with support and resources that accelerate growth. Our 845-plus independent member owners span 14 divisions in the U.S., Mexico and Canada with annual sales exceeding $58.5 billion. AD’s 14 divisions cover industries including electrical, industrial, safety, bearings and power transmission, plumbing, PVF, HVAC, decorative brands and building materials. For more information, visit www.adhq.com

Above: Associate at AD’s Indianapolis location display their pillowcases crafted during the event, for young patients in their local area.

WHY YOU NEED THE WRLA SHOWCASE APP

Myriah Martin, WRLA

Back for the 2023 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase, the WRLA has continued to work on our interactive app to help you plan and maximize your show experience. The app will launch in early January 2023 (don’t worry we will email everyone details when it is live), and you can find and download it on Apple’s App Store or Google Play by searching WRLA or by using the QR code on the right. If you already have the app, that’s great! We will send out new login information for this Showcase.

So, why use an app?

YOU ARE IN-THE-KNOW

The most up-to-date Showcase information is on the app, including any last-minute changes or updates that you might need to know about. In addition, activating the push notifications lets us send you any quick notices of any changes or activities that are about to start.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

With so much to see and do, the app allows you to maximize your time by helping you plan your schedule. Make sure you see your regular suppliers while checking out new ones. Don’t want to miss that education session? Add it to your personal schedule and you’ll have a built-in reminder.

NEW PRODUCTS

Want to learn what is new for 2023? Check out the New Product area of the app. Learn about the great new products you’ll see featured in the New Product Showcase at the show, then go visit the exhibitor booth to learn more from the experts or to see a demonstration.

SHOW SPECIALS

The WRLA will be listing all show special on the app so you can get the best deals.

DON’T MISS OUT

In addition to our exhibitors, we have all the week’s activities planned out for your perusal. Check out the education sessions, networking events, contests and other WRLA happenings.

CHAT WITH OTHER ATTENDEES AND EXHIBITORS

You can create a personal profile. Once created, you can chat with other WRLA attendees and exhibitors. Message them to set up booth appointments, ask about a product or just organize a meet up while you’re in Winnipeg.

INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Never worry about misplacing your show guide as all the information is in the app.

Interested in attending the 2023 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase but have not registered yet? Don’t worry. Scan the QR code on the right to register.

WRLA REMEMBERS

ALEX GUY COAST DISTRIBUTORS

Working out of their garages, Alex, his wife Gillian and their partners established Coast Distributors in 1986.

With the company growing rapidly, it soon meant they needed to move out of their garages and into rented warehouse space. Following that, they moved into their own warehouse in Lantzville, north of Nanaimo. Although that warehouse has been expanded many times, it remains the company’s Island Distribution Centre.

Throughout the many changes, the company has seen it continues to run the way he intended. Built on honesty, integrity and exceptional service and with the support of his vendors and the outstanding team he built around him, that same business approach remains today, ten years after his retirement from Coast.

Always a firm believer in giving back to the community, his many philanthropic efforts will continue to help people for years to come.

Alex was a true business pioneer and will be greatly missed by his Coast Family but he will be missed even more by his loving wife of 48 years, Gillian and many other family and friends.

RICHARD JAMES SMITH FRIES TALLMAN LUMBER

Richard passed suddenly the morning of August 24, 2022 to the shock and sadness of his family and friends. Born April 9, 1968 in Saskatoon, SK, Richard was only 54 years old and is gone from us far too soon.

From a young age, Richard was quick to learn and excel at anything that was showed to him. One day learning to drive a standard, to the very next day driving heavy equipment with over a dozen gears; one day being shown how to ride a motorbike to the next day riding it on gravel roads to and from work—he had an amazing talent for absorbing things effortlessly.

Richard worked hard throughout his life, and was skilled and specialized in making doors of all descriptions. He shared his skill generously with everyone who needed help.

Everyone should be as lucky to have a Richard in their lives—someone protective, generous, and always present.

WRAY HEYWOOD WESTRUM LUMBER

With heavy hearts, we say goodbye to a good friend and former business partner, Wray Heywood. Wray passed away last week after a brief battle with cancer. We will miss his sense of humour and cackling laugh. The Westrum Lumber family wants to extend our sincerest condolences to the Heywood family. Cheers Wray.

GET TO KNOW THE SHOWCASE TEAM

WRLA

LIZ KOVACH WRLA President

Q: What do you like the most about what you do?

A: Aside from the member relationships and the learning opportunities gained during my time at the WRLA, I really love being a change agent and having the opportunity to work with and learn from so many positive, driven people and business leaders that are not satisfied with the status quo. Harnessing knowledge and experience from others successes and challenges; and collaborating with a committed team of staff and volunteers to create solutions for the betterment of an important industry has been truly rewarding and has helped me in my personal and professional growth. Creating opportunities to elevate the profile of the industry with the general public and especially the government has truly been rewarding and I look forward to the future opportunities we can create.

Q: What is one thing that you’ve learned about our industry in the past year?

A: Many things were learnt in the past year but one that stands out for me is that, when you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something that you’ve never done. Change is an inevitable part of life and to achieve the growth that we sometimes seek, it means taking steps to push through the barriers others put up, or fear of how others may react that will prevent us from maximizing our potential. Everything you want is on the other side of fear.

Q: What are your favourite winter activities—indoors or outdoors? (or both, if you’re feeling feisty!)

A: I love winter so have too many favourite activities. Snowmobiling, hanging out by the fire, scheduling wood cutting weekends at the cottage, playing hockey with my niece and nephew on the river, and of course taking my dog Lucy Liu for runs (she loves the cold) are on the top of my long list. Grateful that we get to experience 4 distinct seasons so like to make the most of them all! I also get caught up on a lot of TV shows as I spend a fair amount of time on the bike trainer in the basement…I’m now finally watching The Office.

CHRIS ALLINOTTE Director, Marketing and Communications

Q: What do you like the most about what you do?

A: There’s a lot to like, but my number one favourite thing to do is finding and telling new stories—and our industry has a wealth of them!

Q: What is one thing that you’ve learned about our industry in the past year?

A: I’ve been with WRLA since the summer of 2022, so everything is new. One thing I’ve noticed, and really admire, is how personable this industry is, and how real, lasting relationships are a cornerstone of everyone’s business.

Q: What are your favourite winter activities—indoors or outdoors? (or both, if you’re feeling feisty!)

A: We only end up doing it once a year or so, but getting out on the actual river to ice skate is an incredible experience—as is the follow-up of getting everyone together in the TV room with hot chocolate and a movie!

PHOTOS: TOP RIGHT: ALISA LUO. BOTTOM: MARY-MARGARET MAGYAR

REBEKAH DOERKSEN Executive Assistant

Q: What do you like the most about what you do?

A: My favourite part of my work is connecting with members and the WRLA team, solving problems, and thinking big about how we can support the industry going forward.

Q: What is one thing that you’ve learned about our industry in the past year?

A: I’m brand new in this role in the industry, but my partner is a home renovator and we’ve been on the other side of supply chain issues during the pandemic. I’m learning how interconnected all the members of this industry are.

Q: What are your favourite winter activities—indoors or outdoors? (or both, if you’re feeling feisty!)

A: My favourite winter weekend activity is a wintry walk. I was part of a winter run club one year and everything was a little too slippery for my comfort, but a walk on snowy trails is grand. Add in my kids and some stops for playing in the snow, and you’ve got a great afternoon.

CAROLYNNE JANSEN Director, Membership and Business Development

Q: What do you like the most about what you do?

A: One of the things that I specifically like about my job is that everyone in the team shared the same vision and is dedicated to the mission of the WRLA. This creates a workplace where everybody is there for each other and here is a genuine spirit of cooperation and shared goals all revolving around helping our members.

Q: What is one thing that you’ve learned about our industry in the past year?

A: I found out how resilient the relationships are that make our industry what it is. Challenges come and go, but it’s those personal connections that pull everyone together and through the good times and the bad.

Q: What are your favourite winter activities—indoors or outdoors? (or both, if you’re feeling feisty!)

A: My favorite part of winter is shovelling the driveway while my granddaughter plays in the snow. Not so much all the snow part but it’s great perspective to see her out there, cheeks rosy, happier then ever, having a blast and chatting away at me. It is a great way to make a mundane task much more enjoyable.

ALISA LUO Graphic Designer

Q: What do you like the most about what you do?

A: There are many parts of my job that I like. Firstly, I get to turn words and articles into an appealing and exciting magazine. Also, coming up with a design based on a concept is super rewarding. Lastly, it’s always fulfilling to see your design come to life.

Q: What is one thing that you’ve learned about our industry in the past year?

A: LBM Industry is more than lumber. Similar to building a house, lumber might be the base, but there are many other parts like windows and doors, installation, paints, etc. These can be referred to as the labour, the supply chain, and the new technologies our members develop. Anyone can join the industry.

Q: What are your favourite winter activities—indoors or outdoors? (or both, if you’re feeling feisty!)

A: Skating or walking at The Forks is nice. But most of the winter, I end up staying home and chilling. Baking cookies, watching movies and drawing. I am going to try crocheting this winter.

TRAVIS WAITE Director, Finance and Administration

Q: What do you like the most about what you do?

A: I enjoy the variety in my work that comes with working in a small organization. No two days look the same and I get to wear many different hats, which keeps the work interesting and engaging.

Q: What is one thing that you’ve learned about our industry in the past year?

A: I’ve learned just how resilient our industry is. There have been so many challenges in the industry this past year and seeing how our members are learning and adapting to these challenges is truly inspirational.

Q: What are your favourite winter activities—indoors or outdoors? (or both, if you’re feeling feisty!)

A: Definitely hockey, with snowboarding a close second!

MYRIAH MARTIN Events and Business Development Coordinator

Q: What do you like the most about what you do?

My favourite part about my job is working with the team and our members to help find answers and solve problems. Be it a login issue or trying to share information about an event or initiative I love connecting with people.

Q: What is one thing that you’ve learned about our industry in the past year?

Our industry is so much more than just Lumber. There are so many different paths a person can take to be involved in the industry and many skills are transferable from one role to the next. That and when one area suffers from supply issues, the ripple effect can be felt far and wide.

Q: What are your favourite winter activities—indoors or outdoors? (or both, if you’re feeling feisty!)

In most years you would find me skiing during the winter months. Right now that’s a little more than my body can handle so this year will be about strengthening and going to the pool and hot tub. But next year you can find me up at the hill, hitting the slopes.

MARTINE YZERMAN Director, Professional Development

Q: What do you like the most about what you do?

A: I love having the opportunity, every single day, to support in the skill development of all the members of the WRLA. I always say “knowledge is power, which is driven by curiosity”.

Q: What is one thing that you’ve learned about our industry in the past year?

A: Having only started in mid October, I simply didn’t appreciate how big the Lumber and Building Industry truly is. There are so many levels and layers within our membership base that it’s incredible to see how they all connect.

Q: What are your favourite winter activities—indoors or outdoors? (or both, if you’re feeling feisty!)

A: I love playing hockey both indoors and out and because I live in Calgary, I am spoiled with my proximity to the majestic mountains, skiing is a big family favourite as well.

THE WRLA SHOW PASSPORT —CONTEST AND CONNECTION

Myriah Martin, WRLA

This year the WRLA had the opportunity to go to the IBS show down in Orlando and we picked up some ideas along the way. One of them is a Show Passport, an opportunity to connect with members or areas of the show you might not normally experience and a chance to win some prizes just for doing so.

We have some fun and exciting new feature areas at the show this year that we think deserve some extra attention. For the first time ever, we are including a Tech Alley at the Showcase. An opportunity to see what technology is out in the market that might add that extra something to your business. I don’t want to give too much away (that will be in our next issue) but this is just one of the areas that you will have to stop by to get your Show Passport stamped to be entered to win two tickets to any show of your choice (valued up to $450) in the 2023 year and other prizes from our generous sponsors.

Other passport destinations include the New Product Showcase, an education session, Taiga Tavern, some new exhibitors, and the Prospectus booth, where you’ll get an exclusive look at our exciting upcoming public awareness campaign, “Let’s Go Build.”

One other “can’t miss” area of the show this year is the BMF booth. Burlington Merchandising and Fixtures is our co-presenter for this year’s showcase, and the driving force behind this year’s theme of “Building Better Retail.” Experts from BMF will be on hand to talk to you about your business and how you can optimize your stores for success!

Winners for the 2 tickets will be drawn on Friday at Noon from the completed and submitted Show Passports. Early entry draws will take place throughout the show.

We can’t wait to welcome everyone to this year’s Building & Hardware Showcase at RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg. If you haven’t yet registered, there’s still time to beat the admission line and get your tickets online at www.wrla.org or scan the QR code.

WEDNESDAY, JAN 18

BUILDING SCIENCE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY DAY GORD COOKE, PRESIDENT OF BUILDING KNOWLEDGE CANADA

Presentation Theatre, RBC Convention Centre

Session 1: The Compelling Energy Efficiency Trends in Building Codes and Programs

The Opportunities and Challenges of Part 9.36 of the NBC for the Building Supply Chain

This session will outline the history of energy efficiency requirements in national and provincial building codes and the compelling proposed requirements from now until 2035 as the industry moves towards net-zero energy objectives. The trend and the proposed changes present excellent opportunities, but also specific challenges for the building supply industry as designers, builders, sub-contractors and homeowners look for simple, cost effective ways to integrate the changes into their projects. During the session, participants will learn how common energy efficiency programs such as ENERGY STAR for New Homes and The EnerGuide Rating system foreshadow the code changes and provide helpful examples of technologies and building processes that meet ever-increasing code expectations. This session will demonstrate how the prescriptive and performance paths available in the energy efficiency section of the National Building Code, PART 9.36, can be used to help the building supply chain optimize costs. For example, the building supply chain will benefit from understanding how window glazing choices can be traded off against HVAC equipment choices to optimize costs, while reducing comfort complaints.

Session 2: Understanding

Building Science to Help Builders Make Better Decisions

This session will outline the fundamentals of Canadian building science that ensures homes are simultaneously safe, healthy, durable, comfortable, energy efficient and cost effective. Participants will learn the six basic physics rules of air, heat and moisture flow that every designer, builder and trade contractor need to be able to apply to the building material choices and construction process decisions they make. The session will help participants choose and recommend appropriate building materials for specific applications to lower risks and present opportunities for better building performance for their builder/renovator customers. This session will also highlight the wide range of tools, testing equipment and performance measures available to builders that help validate cost saving measures, evaluate trade partner performance, focus quality assurance initiatives and direct warranty and customer service work. These tools and techniques will be highlighted in this session as well as why the building supply chain needs to be aware of them to help clients be ever more cost effective.

Session 3: The Best Building Practices for Creating High Performance Homes

The Top 10 Building Material/Processes to Create Better Performing Homes

This session will identify the top 10 building materials or processes building material suppliers will want to make available to their customers over the next one, three or seven-year time frame to empower the construction of high-performance homes that meet the ever-increasing expectations of homeowners. The focus will be on materials and processes that improve energy performance, resiliency and carbon contribution while recognizing the need for cost-effective, buildable decisions. In addition, energy modelling examples will be presented to demonstrate how these materials and processes are often evaluated by builders and the energy advisors they consult with to meet code or energy program objectives. Performance testing of homes will be discussed.

EDUCATION WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

EDUCATION SESSIONS

WEDNESDAY,

JAN 18 (CONTINUED)

Session 4: The Perfect Wall—Both Above and Below Grade, and the Windows that are in Them

A Deeper Dive into High-Performance that Optimize Heat, Air and Moisture Flow

This session will demonstrate the three strategies for optimizing the performance of walls, including the strategic use of wood and different insulation types. The five key elements of advanced framing will be identified. Then the best techniques and materials for optimizing air and water management will be outlined, including alternatives for effective air barriers and the latest in water management detailing and the material options available to the industry. This session will also outline the opportunities available with the wide range of window glazing and coating choices and how they affect comfort, energy performance and moisture control. The session will include the latest recommendations for proper installation detailing in a variety of different wall sections.

THURSDAY, JAN 19

TRENDS IN LBM E-COMMERCE: IMPROVING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THROUGH DIGITAL

BRAD CUMISKEY, VP OF PRODUCT AT TOOLBX

RBC Convention Centre

There is no doubt e-commerce is top of mind for home and building supply dealers. The onset of the COVID pandemic laid bare the inadequacies within our industry to adapt to a sudden shift in online ordering penetration among contractors. Those that had invested in their digital strategy saw huge growth in their online sales over the last two years, while the rest were left scrambling to keep up. This session will offer practical advice on how to sell online as well as address common pitfalls, so you can be ready for the next evolution in B2B building materials procurement.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

PETE BARAN, CEO, CHIEF BUSINESS MECHANIC

RBC Convention Centre

It is never too late (or too early) to plan for the day you will eventually want to step back from running your business. Learn what really drives the value of your business to a buyer or investor. Learn what steps you can take to improve that value and your negotiating position. Finally, discover options for stepping back from the business that you may not have considered. As a special WRLA offer, attend this session, and get an exclusive invitation to obtain a free business assessment and Value Builder™ report—a $495 value. The presenter, Pete Baran, is the owner of Blueneck Consulting Inc., a business advisory and coaching practice that helps hardworking owner-operators to reach their business goals. A former Fortune 500 VP, CEO, COO, and partner in multiple successful businesses, he has helped many business owners add millions to their personal wealth. Come and find out how!

FRIDAY, JAN 20

TRENDS IN LBM E-COMMERCE: IMPROVING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THROUGH DIGITAL

BRAD CUMISKEY, VP OF PRODUCT AT TOOLBX

RBC Convention Centre

There is no doubt e-commerce is top of mind for home and building supply dealers. The onset of the COVID pandemic laid bare the inadequacies within our industry to adapt to a sudden shift in online ordering penetration among contractors. Those that had invested in their digital strategy saw huge growth in their online sales over the last two years, while the rest were left scrambling to keep up. This session will offer practical advice on how to sell online as well as address common pitfalls, so you can be ready for the next evolution in B2B building materials procurement.

WRLA ACADEMY

ESTIMATING (NEW COURSE) ADVANCED (MULTIFAMILY) NICOLE YOUNGE, SENIOR ESTIMATOR OF STAR BUILDING MATERIALS

RBC Convention Centre

Nicole brings with her 26 years of industry experience with the last 17 years estimating for Star Building Materials. Nicole’s start in the building industry began in 1996 with Totem Building Supplies. Over the course of 9 years, she gained experience in general sales, contract sales & designing engineered floors. After Totem, she spent a brief time designing floors with Weyerhauser before taking on an estimating opportunity at Star Building Materials. She is excited for this opportunity to share her estimating knowledge base with the WRLA community.

These classes are just a small portion of our new educational offerings. We will be sharing more details about our exciting new line up in 2023. We look forward to seeing you at these exclusive courses. All courses are included in the two-day show delegate registration. Rushed seating in effect. See the Show app for the most updated version.

AA.RICHARD TOOLS (STROME SALES)

Tim Hatch

timhatch@stromesales.com

204-586-0919

www.stromesales.com

ACCEO - HOME AND BUILDING SUPPLY INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS

Marc Leblanc marc.leblanc@acceo.com

514-868-0333 ext. 4216

www.acceorenovation.com

ACE CANADA

Mark Mossman

mark.mossman@peaveyindustries.com

519-859-4603

www.ace-canada.ca

AIRFAST DISTRIBUTORS LTD.

Brian Lotz brianl@airfastdistributors.com

604-866-9904

www.airfastdistributors.com

ALEXANDRIA MOULDING INC.

Jacob Gorski

jgorski@alexmo.com

204-295-9098

www.alexandriamoulding.com

ALL WEATHER WINDOWS

Verena Arnason

varnason@allweatherwindows.com

587-985-6732

www.allweatherwindows.com

ALL-FAB BUILDING COMPONENTS

Andrew Reimer areimer@all-fab.com

204-661-8880 ext. 1101 www.all-fab.com

ALLIANCE DOOR

PRODUCTS CANADA

Hardy Rahn

hardy.rahn@alliancedoorproducts.com

204-218-0705

www.alliancedoorproducts.com

ALLMAR INC. & RELIABLE OVERHEAD DOOR SYSTEMS

Mark Sorrenti mark.sorrenti@allmar.com

613-316-9835

www.allmar.com

AMERICAN EXPRESS

Scott Steffensen scott.steffensen@aexp.com

204-417-3053

www.americanexpress.com/en-ca/

AMVIC BUILDING SYSTEM

Troy Corbett tcorbett@amvicsystem.com

204-408-0498

www.amvicsystem.com

ARTSPAN INC.

Maurice Neufeld maurice.neufeld@artspaninc.com

204-331-1800

www.artspaninc.com/

ARW TRUCK EQUIPMENT LTD.

Trevor Steinke tsteinke@arwtruck.com

866-840-9365

www.arwtruck.com

AUTOSTAK

Paul Tagarelli paul@autostak.ca

905-719-3766

www.autostak.com

BBAILEY METAL PRODUCTS LIMITED

Stephanie Good mruffolo@bmp-group.com

647-466-9107

www.bmp-group.com

BARKMAN CONCRETE LTD.

Sean Galagan

sgalagan@barkmanconcrete.com

204-380-2287

www.barkmanconcrete.com

BC WOOD

Brian Hawrysh

bhawrysh@bcwood.com

604-882-7100

www.bcwood.com

BELANGER LAMINATES INC.

www.belanger-laminates.com

BELGARD CANADA (EXPOCRETE, AN OLDCASTLE COMPANY)

Daniela Soto daniela.soto@oldcastle.com

780-860-2925

www.belgard.ca

BISSETT FASTENERS

William (Bill) Kinchen bkinchen@bissettfasteners.ca

204-990-9997

www.bissettfasteners.ca

BOYD DISTRIBUTORS LTD.

Mike Segreto

mike.segreto@boyddistributors.com

780-451-8876

www.boyddistributors.com

BRANDT MATERIALS HANDLING

Greg Britton gbritton@brandt.ca

403-808-9472

www.cervusequipment.com/forklifts/

BUILDERS CHOICE PRODUCTS LTD.

Ron Yeomans ryeomans@builderschoice.ca

306-781-2099

www.builderschoice.ca

BUILDING PRODUCTS OF CANADA CORP.

Mike Russnak mrussnak@bpcan.com

780-440-7307

www.bpcan.com

BURLINGTON MERCHANDISING & FIXTURES

Mark Ehrlick

mehrlick@bmfonline.com

905-630-6445

www.bmfonline.com

BURROWS LUMBER INC.

Igor Roque Lafaeff

igor.lafaeff@burrowslumber.com

204-925-6223

www.burrowslumber.com

CCANADIAN ENGINEERED WOOD PRODUCTS

Scott Wetaski scott@cewp.ca

403-877-8752

www.cewp.ca/

CANADIAN FOREST PRODUCTS LTD. (CANFOR)

www.canfor.com

CANADIAN SPA COMPANY

Nigel Paskinov

nigel.paskinov@canadianspacompany.com

877-909-7727

www.canadianspacompany.ca

CAN-CELL INDUSTRIES INC.

Greg Love greg.love@can-cell.com

780-619-2381

www.can-cell.com

CANWEL BUILDING MATERIALS DIVISION

Randy Pearce

randy.pearce@canwel.com

780-453-9738

www.canwel.com

CASHIERPRO

Dave Pestill

dave.pestill@cashierpro.com

888-250-8135 ext. 706

www.cashierpro.com

CASP

Karyna Chudesnykova kchudesnykova@clac.ca

306-649-2522

www.apprenticesupport.ca/

CASTLE BUILDING CENTRES GROUP LTD.

Jennifer Mercieca jmercieca@castle.ca

905-564-3307

www.castle.ca

CEDARLINE INDUSTRIES LTD.

Ron Tu rtu@cedarline.net

604-561-4747

www.cedarline.net

CENTURION LUMBER

Tom Casey tomcasey@centurionlumber.com

403-474-5759

www.centurionlumber.com

CENTURY ALUMINUM RAILINGS

Ken Scott kscott@cendekrailings.com

778-516-6250

www.centuryrailings.com

CERTAINTEED CANADA

Kyle Akerstream kyle.j.akerstream@saint-gobain.com 204-430-6356

www.certainteed.com

CGC INC.

Roy Peirce mymorris@usg.com

905-630-7688

www.cgcinc.com

CHANNEL-EX

Ben Rusuisiak ben@channel-ex.com

604-416-1450

www.channel-ex.com/

CHERRY INSURANCE

Rob Robinson rrobinson@cherryinsurance.net

306-653-2313

www.cherryinsurance.ca

CLEARSECURE MANUFACTURING & DISTRIBUTION

Vince Croker

vince@rockglass.ca

204-510-2270

www.unbreakablewindows.com

CLOVERDALE PAINT

Wayne Hoogenboom whoogenboom@cloverdalepaint.com

403-896-1621

www.cloverdalepaint.com

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBA

Derek Pott derek@constructionsafety.ca

204-775-3171

www.constructionsafety.ca

CREATIVE DOOR SERVICES LTD.

Shelley Austin saustin@creativedoor.com

780-732-1780

www.creativedoor.com

DDAKERYN INDUSTRIES

Kaitlyn Chimko

kaitlyn_chimko@dakeryn.com

587-991-8056

www.dakeryn.com

DELROC INDUSTRIES LTD.

Derrick Gray dgray@delroc.com

604-613-1938

www.delroc.com

DFM WEST

Eric Dalton

eric@distdfm.com

604-942-1035

www.dfmwest.ca

DMC RECRUITMENT GROUP LTD.

Stephen Borer

sborer@dmcrecruitment.com

778-802-3530

www.dmcrecruitment.com

DOMTEK BUILDING PRODUCTS

Tyler Mancini tyler@domtek.ca

204-791-9699

www.domtek.ca

DOORTECH MFG & DISTRIBUTION LTD.

David Doty ddoty@doortechltd.ca

204-633-7133

www.doortechltd.ca

DOVER FINISHING PRODUCTS INC.

Peter Martin pmartin@martind.ca

514-420-6034

www.dfp.ca

DUCHESNE

Bruce Filek bruce.filek@duchesne.ca

902-456-7965

www.duchesne.ca

DUMAWALL® GROUT-FREE WATERPROOF

WALL TILES (DELCAN)

Patrick De Leeuw sales@delcan.ca

403-553-3632

www.dumawall.ca

DUPONT CANADA

Niki Duncan niki.duncan@dupont.com

416-819-3238

www.dupont.com

DURABUILT WINDOWS & DOORS INC.

Henny Sunner

hennys@durabuiltwindows.com

780-266-8283

www.durabuiltwindows.com

EEAB TOOL COMPANY

Matt Tudor

matt.tudor@eabtool.com

587-998-9000

www.exchangeablade.com

EXHIBITOR LIST

ECOPOXY

Matt Sauerbrei matt@ecopoxy.com

204-262-3400 ext. 737

www.ecopoxy.com

EDGE EYEWEAR

Wendi Weaver

wendi.weaver@edgeeyewear.com

801-928-0057

www.edge-dealer.com

EFFICIENCY MANITOBA

Bailey Smith energyteam@efficiencymb.ca

204-944-8181

www.efficiencymb.ca

ELI-CHEM RESINS CANADA LTD.

Heidi Werschler heidi@elichem.ca

204-793-9446

www.elichem.ca

EPAK INC. HOMEGUARD BUILDING PRODUCTS

Ryan Roper ryan.roper@epak.ca

204-998-7058

www.housewrap.ca

FFALCON EQUIPMENT

Michael Hawkes

mhawkes@falconequip.com

306-580-5171

www.falconequip.com

FOX BLOCKS ICF & TRUEGRID PAVERS (DIV. OF AIRLITE PLASTICS CO.)

Ron Funk

ron@foxblocks.com

604-309-8511

www.foxblocks.com

GGAF CANADA

Greg Griffen greg.griffin@gaf.com

204-905-1541

www.gaf.ca

GENTEK BUILDING PRODUCTS

Melissa McEwan melissa_mcewan@gentek.ca

403-640-0906

www.gentek.ca

GH THE LEVELLER

Colette Heschel heschel@sasktel.net

306-741-0774

www.ghleveller.com

GILLFOR DISTRIBUTION (AFA)

Geoff Keats gkeats@afaforest.com

403-261-9900

www.gillfor.com

GOODFELLOW INC.

Wes Clifford wclifford@goodfellowinc.com

403-252-9638

www.goodfellowinc.com

HHARDLINES DISTRIBUTION

Ian Williams hardlinesdistribution@gmail.com

905-510-6555

HOLLAND IMPORTS INC.

Darren Crowther darren.crowther@hollandimports.com

250-217-9727

www.hollandimports.com

HOLMES GARAGE DOORS

www.holmesgaragedoor.com/

HOLZ TECHNIC

Antonio Lo Conte antonio.loconte@rothoblaas.com

604-788-9788

www.holztechnic.com

HOME HARDWARE

www.homehardware.ca

IIKO INDUSTRIES LTD.

Todd Bannatyne todd.bannatyne@iko.com

250-212-7742

www.iko.com

IMPERIAL BUILDING PRODUCTS

James Ram

james.ram@imperialbp.ca

778-951-4974

www.imperialbp.ca

IMPERIAL MANUFACTURING

Barry Beznoski & Rhett Pearce bammktg@mts.net

204-255-1800

www.imperialgroup.ca

INSTONE DISTRIBUTION

Jason Duniec

jason@instoneproducts.ca

403-408-9602

www.instoneproducts.ca

JJACKFIELD

Vy Hoang

vy.hoang@jackfield.ca

877-378-2515

www.jackfield.ca

JELD-WEN WINDOWS AND DOORS

Christine Beech

cbeech@jeldwen.com

416-346-2563

www.jeld-wen.ca

EXHIBITOR LIST

JOHNS MANVILLE

James Fulcher

james.fulcher@jm.com

204-941-1953

www.jm.com

JOHNSON LEVEL & TOOL (HULTAFORS GROUP NORTH AMERICA)

Alex Chretien achretien@johnsonlevel.com

514-754-2060

www.johnsonlevel.com/

KKAYCAN

Wade O’Reilly wade22@kaycan.com

902-880-9288

www.kaycan.com

KENNEDY FLOORING

Lou Kennedy

lou@kennedyfloorings.com

204-981-9898

kennedyfloorings.com

KERMODE FOREST PRODUCTS LTD.

Bayley Tsumura bayley@kfp.ca

604-525-9123

www.kfp.ca

KERRIDGE COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS

Paul Neff paul.neff@kerridgecs.com

705-321-5865

www.kerridgecsna.com

KEYSTONE PRODUCTS

Frank Hofer

frank@keystoneproducts.ca

204-981-2782

www.keystoneproducts.ca

KING CANADA INC

Ted Fuller

tfuller@kingcanada.com

519-580-5877

www.kingcanada.com

KOHLTECH WINDOWS & ENTRANCE SYSTEMS

Sheldon Penman spenman@kohltech.com

780-298-0039

www.kohltech.com

KUNY’S LEATHER (HULTAFORS GROUP NORTH AMERICA)

Craig Smallwood csmallwood@kunyonline.com

204-793-8500

www.kunysleather.com

KÜRSTONE FUSION COUNTERTOPS INCORPORATED

Tim Sawatzky info@fusioncountertops.com

204-324-3972

www.kurstone.com

LLANCASHIRE DISTRIBUTION

Mike Boyd

mike.b@lancashire.ca

306-581-6988

www.lancashire.ca

LEPAGE (DIVISION OF HENKEL)

James Hunt

james.hunt@henkel.com

403-835-6236

www.lepage.ca

LOAD LIFTER MANUFACTURING LTD.

Joe Birt

j.birt@load-liftermfg.com

905-642-9756

www.load-liftermfg.com

LP BUILDING PRODUCTS

Preston Boyce

preston.boyce@lpcorp.com

306-501-9754

www.lpcorp.com

LUXWOOD SOFTWARE TOOLS

Lloyd Sherwood

lloyd@luxwood.ca

888-755-2020 ext. 304

www.luxwood.ca

MMAC SKYLIGHTS

Doug Rutherford

doug.rutherford@macskylights.com

780-435-3761

www.macskylights.com

MADERO

David Rae

canada.orders@madero.ca

800-667-6977

www.madero.ca

EXHIBITOR LIST

MAGNUM FOREST PRODUCTS

Mike Froese

mike.froese@magnumforestproducts.com

204-992-3563

www.magnumforestproducts.com

MAKITA CANADA INC.

Wade Cadger

w.cadger@makita.ca

204-694-0402

www.makita.ca

MARCO INDUSTRIES & MARCO INDUSTRIES PYTHON

Bobby Keefe bkeefe@marcoindustries.com

800-800-8590

www.marcoindustries.com

MAYFAIR LUMBER

Randy Aikens

r.aikens@mayfairlumber.com

www.mayfairlumber.com

MCLEAN LUMBER

Curtis Butala

curtis.butala@mcleanlumber.com

403-279-2580

www.mcleanlumber.com

METAL ROOFING & SIDING EXPERTS

Holly Fletcher

holly.fletcher@metalexperts.ca

780-464-6410

www.metalexperts.ca

METRIE

Tim Colosimo

tim.colosimo@metrie.com

204-330-1431

www.metrie.com

MITEK CANADA

Marty Smith

marty.smith@mii.com

587-943-1431

www.mitek.ca

NNATIONAL FOREST PRODUCTS LTD.

Willie Schrader willie@nationalforestproducts.com

403-969-4262

www.nationalforestproducts.com

NEW-LINE HOSE & FITTINGS

Denis L’Abbe dlabbe@new-line.com

604-455-5400 ext. 264 www.new-line.com

NORSKE TOOLS LTD.

Rachel Lu rachel.lu@norsketools.com

778-888-5995

www.norsketools.com

NUCOR HARRIS REBAR

Jeff Lea jeff.lea@harrisrebar.com

604-308-5346

www.harrisrebar.com

OODL CANADA INC.

Tom Newton tom.newton@odl.com

905-880-5293 canada.odl.com/

OKAPLY INDUSTRIES LTD.

Dale McILveen dmcilveen@okaply.com

403-608-9542

www.okaply.com

ORGILL CANADA

Colin Carey colin.carey@orgill.com

587-337-1341

www.orgill.ca

OUELLET CANADA (STROME SALES)

Tim Hatch

timhatch@stromesales.com

204-586-0919

www.stromesales.com

OWENS CORNING CANADA LP

Chris Lee

christopher.lee@owenscorning.com

833-540-0212

www.owenscorning.ca

PPACIFIC PANEL INC.

Lane Johnson

lane@pacificpanel.ca

403-203-0009

www.pacificpanel.ca

PARAGONE INC.

Patrick Gauthier

pgauthiermaximum@gmail.com

514-996-3612

www.gonats.ca

PHOENIX FENCE CORP.

Geoff Galbraith geoff@phoenixfence.ca

780-447-1919

www.phoenixfence.ca

PLASTI-FAB LTD.

Dean Kolench dkolench@plasticab.com

204-223-6116

www.plastifab.com

PLY GEM CANADA/ MITTEN BUILDING PRODUCTS

www.mittensiding.com/en/

POLYWEST LTD.

Kasey Riddell kriddell@polywest.ca

204-924-8274

www.polywest.ca

POWERHOUSE BUILDING SOLUTIONS INC.

Scott Emo scott@power-house.ca

604-542-9926

www.power-house.ca

PPG ARCHITECTURAL COATINGS CANADA INC.

Amin Oliva aoliva@ppg.com

514-606-7426

www.ppgac.com/

PRIMCO LIMITED

Tyler Yelland

t.yelland@primco.ca

306-491-1010

www.primco.ca

PRIME FASTENERS & PRIME FASTENERS (FASTEN MASTER)

Darren Sveinson darren@primefasteners.mb.ca

204-633-6624

www.primefasteners.ca

PROGRAMMED INSURANCE BROKERS INC. (PIB)

Jeff Kidd

jeff.kidd@pib.com

226-220-2245

www.pib.com

QQUIKRETE/TARGET PRODUCTS LTD.

Mara Marsden mara.marsden@quikrete.ca

604-417-2188

www.targetproducts.com

RRED RIVER POLYTECHNIC

Alireza Kaboorani akaboorani@rrc.ca

418-719-8983

www.rrc.ca

REGAL IDEAS

Andrew Pantelelides andrew@regalideas.com

905-929-7155

www.regalideas.com

RESISTO

Brett Miller bmiller@resisto.ca

204-232-5462

www.resisto.ca

RICHELIEU

Martin Robert mrobert@richelieu.com

514-444-4361

www.richelieu.com

ROCKWOOL

Pamela Jay pamela.jay@rockwool.com

905-749-3024

www.rockwool.com

RONA

France Berthiaume france.berthiaume@rona.ca

514-219-7132

www.rona.ca

ROYAL BUILDING SOLUTIONS

Mical Kasweka mkasweka@westlake.com

416-728-0755

www.royalbuildingsolutions.com

SSCHLAGE CANADA (ALLEGION CANADA)

Jean-Guy Chiasson

jean-guy.chiasson@allegion.com

403-392-1150

www.allegion.ca

SENTRY BUILDING INNOVATIONS

Bob Woykin

bwoykin@sentrybuilding.com

604-616-7743

www.roofnado.com & www.saharahousewrap.com

SEXTON GROUP LTD.

Laura Fisher

lfisher@sextongroup.com

204-694-0269

www.sextongroup.com

SHERWIN WILLIAMS CONSUMER BRANDS GROUP CANADA

Grant Adams

grant.p.adams@sherwin.com

306-713-0732

cbg.sherwin-williams.ca

SIKA CANADA

Bobby Cliffe cliffe.bobby@ca.sika.com

403-999-2228

www.sika.ca

SILEX WINDOWS (SILEX FIBERGLASS)

Zhen Liu

zhen@silexfiberglass.com

204-788-0648

www.silexfiberglass.com

SIMPSON STRONG-TIE CANADA, LIMITED

Mel Stratechuk mstratechuk@strongtie.com

780-886-0861

www.strongtie.com

SIS PANELS BY NEXXGEN BUILDING SYSTEMS

Peter Amoroso

peter@nexxgenbuildsys.com

587-586-9201

www.sispanels.com

SPACIO INNOVATIONS INC.

Javier Marc Hofman sales@spacioinnovations.com

431-777-9931

www.spacioinnovations.com/

SPECTIS MOULDERS INC.

Kenton Pilek kentonp@spectis.com

204-388-6700 ext. 25 www.spectis.com

STEEL-CRAFT DOOR PRODUCTS LTD.

Tony Hedley thedley@steel-craft.ca

403-827-0895 steel-craft.ca

STELLA JONES INC.

Tyler Blondeau tblondeau@stella-jones.com

204-841-0356

www.stella-jones.com

TTAIGA BUILDING PRODUCTS

Joni Hirtle jhirtle@taigabuilding.com

403-200-0150

www.taigabuilding.com

TIMBER MART

Randy Martin randy.martin@timbrmart.com

587-880-3129

www.timbermart.ca

TOOLBX

Scott Hamilton scott.hamilton@toolbx.com

709-749-4038

www.toolbx.com

TOP DECK LEVELER (PGT GLOBAL INC.)

Rey Laferriere info@topdeckleveler.com

204-781-5170

www.topdeckleveler.com/

EXHIBITOR LIST

TOURISM WINNIPEG

Keely Shumka

keely@tourismwinnipeg.com

204-954-0999

www.tourismwinnipeg.com

TRADEMARK INDUSTRIES

Errol Suttner

errol@trademarkindustriesinc.com

905-532-0442

www.trademarkindustriesinc.com

TRIMLITE

Eddie Choe

eddiec@trimlite.com

403-835-6928

www.trimlite.com

TRUNORTH DECKING

Jon Hensen

jon.hensen@trunorthcomposites.com

289-698-3325

www.trunorthdeck.com

UU2 FASTENERS

Kurt Hogard

kurt.hogard@u2fasteners.com

807-630-5711

www.u2fasteners.com

VVICWEST BUILDING PRODUCTS

Jaana Reinikka

jreinikka@vicwest.com

587-334-4401

www.vicwest.com

VIPCO INDUSTRIES LTD.

Colleen Ferrell colleen@vipco.ca

403-279-7501

www.vipco.ca

VISTA RAILING SYSTEMS INC.

Davis Slifka

davis@vistarailings.com

403-542-8991

www.vistarailings.com

WWESTMAN STEEL INDUSTRIES

Greg Gardenits ggardenits@westmansteel.ca

780-218-6893

www.westmansteel.ca

WESTREND EXTERIORS INC.

Kent Wingerak kent@westrend.ca

250-682-1088

www.westrend.ca

WEYERHAEUSER

Francis Laderoute francis.laderoute@wy.com

780-886-7019

www.weyerhaeuser.com

WHITE CAP

Patrick Dorcas patrick.dorcas@brafasco.com

289-541-6772

www.nca.ca