WRLA Yardstick: Spring 2023

BUILDING & HARDWARE SHOWCASE RECAP

EMPLOYING THE NEXT GENERATION

CELEBRATING OUR SALES REPS OF THE YEAR

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURES— SHOWCASE RECAP

MASTHEAD

Liz Kovach

WRLA PRESIDENT

Chris Allinotte

DIRECTOR, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Rebekah Doerksen

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Carolynne Jansen

DIRECTOR, MEMBERSHIP AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Alisa Luo

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

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 March 2023

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.

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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

has started off quite busy— trade show season and business travel is in high gear and of course depending on how your business year runs you’re also looking ahead, doing some planning, and maybe even revisiting what some of your key areas of focus will be for the coming year or two. You might even be taking in the odd conference or speaker to keep the idea pool and inspiration to succeed alive and well.

I recently attended a conference in Winnipeg. It was a great opportunity to listen to some amazing entrepreneurs, and community leaders share their stories, journeys of hardships and how they learned through their failures and persevered as a result. One of my favourite quotes which I adopted during the pandemic is “everything is figureoutable”. These ladies left us feeling very inspired at the end of the conference with tips that we can apply in our day to day.

While I left feeling incredibly inspired, there was one little piece of that day left me a little bit annoyed if you will. One moment that stuck out for me was, during one of the excellent keynotes speeches, the speaker touched on her family and how her child was accepted into an MBA program and the other was in a third year apprenticeship program. Very different receptions from the crowd. The MBA news was received with hoots and hollers, while the third year electrician apprentice was received with dead silence. Now, it might have been the gender piece as we were at a Women’s Conference but still I thought to myself, why do we celebrate academics so highly yet look down on so many other professions and industries— especially when you are well aware that a lot of the successful people in that room didn’t necessarily have a law degree or an MBA, in fact many of them have not utilized their degree how it was originally intended?

YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE 2023

This put a fire in my belly for so many reasons, the main one being that there are so many career opportunities out there, yet as a society we try to channel our children at a young age to go down the path of university when there are so many other options for learning opportunities and career paths. (No disrespect is intended here but I think you know me well enough by now to understand the bigger meaning here).

As an organization we are inspired to change the conversation surrounding this and are working hard on ways to change the discourse.

So what’s up next?

Let’s Go Build (launching in April) will start off as a public awareness campaign for the industry; however, the campaign will be a catalyst for all future opportunities for WRLA over the next five to ten years. Our members need our support as they navigate the best way to attract, retain, and upskill talent.

While this opportunity will increase the awareness of the industry and opportunities within, it will not be a standalone program as we will be layering in professional development and education through our WRLA Academy to help ensure that your staff and prospective hires have foundational knowledge to help them launch a successful career. Connecting members to internship opportunities will connect students to opportunities that otherwise would not exist and will help provide warm leads on candidates for members to choose from.

We are committed to the long term success of this industry, of the independent dealers and we look forward to the support from our members and buying group partners as we develop and deploy the layers of member benefits with these new programs and initiatives.

Never before has there been a commitment to this extent by the WRLA and we look forward to your participation and engagement with these programs designed to support our members through some of their challenges.

While it seems like a distant memory, I would be remiss to not extend a huge thank you to everyone that joined us the WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase. This is the largest gathering for our members in Canada and we want to ensure that this continues to be a must attend event every year!

Liz Kovach PRESIDENT, WRLA

1 Let’s Go Build

3 Internship

2 WRLA Academy

4 Talent Poll

PHOTO: MARY-MARGARET MAGYAR

GAINING MOMENTUM AS PILLARS OF OUR COMMUNITIES

As this issue hits print, spring is now upon us and the WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase is now a distant memory of the past. What an incredible week that was had in Winnipeg this past January, with the two solid days of show floor activity, the wonderful educational sessions, the numerous networking opportunities, and the great Thursday awards night. Our 2023 show most definitely set our industry up to continue to gain the momentum we need to be pillars of our communities throughout Western Canada.

I was extremely invigorated to see the activity on Thursday and Friday on the show floor, along with the fantastic educational sessions put on before and during the WRLA show. It really had this feeling that the show was a priority to members, and they were excited to get out and network with their vendors, partners and friends.

During the show we had visits by Ministers and MLAs of the Province of Manitoba along with the Acting Deputy Mayor of the City of Winnipeg to explore the show floor. This was a great opportunity to connect with some of the policy makers for the Province of Manitoba

and The City of Winnipeg, showing them our membership, their products and/or services, and how we are impactful in building our communities throughout Western Canada. It was great to see them so active in engaging with our members on issues, their products and some of the innovations that are coming further into our industry. We really have them taking notice and we will ensure moving forward we are active in being that partner they need when they further develop policy and programs for our communities. Our Thursday evening reception was a great event! I want to congratulate all our Sales Rep award winners. It is great to see the Sales Representatives of our industry get recognition for the hard work they put forward daily to see our industry grow. To our retail dealers, if you have an incredible Sales Representative that is a partner in your business, please, this fall when the nominations come out, look at recognizing their work and putting them forward for this award. As well, congratulations to our 2022 Industry Achievement Award Recipient Steve Buckle. Steve, thank you for all that you do for our industry! I look forward to your constant support as our industry continues to grow and prosper for years to come.

Finally, as we enter the spring selling season, and the weather starts to improve, there seems to be a lot of optimism across the prairies for a great season ahead. With the return to normal inching closer, supply constraints behind us on most items, and immigration increasing, it appears our industry will continue to gain the momentum and success we have seen over the last few years.

I wish you all a strong and healthy 2023 in your businesses, and I look forward to connecting with you all this spring and summer at WRLA Industry events to get a better understanding of your business, and how the WRLA can continue to contribute to your growth and success.

Have a great year! And All the Best!

Andrew Reimer CHAIR, WRLA

PHOTO: ANTHONY FERNANDO

AD LAUNCHES THE CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTOR LEADERSHIP (CIDL)

Wayne, Pa.—AD today announced the launch of the Center for Independent Distributor Leadership (CIDL), a development program designed to prepare the current and future leaders of independent distribution with the competencies and experiences to build longterm, sustainable success for their companies.

“We listened to our owner/member community and found that many can benefit from organized training programs to prepare the next generation to lead,” said Marty McLaughlin, Chief Marketing Officer for AD and co-founder of the CIDL. “The CIDL will give AD members structured education pathways in leadership, sales and operations for up-and-coming leaders to gain core competencies for their future.”

The CIDL will complement and build on existing education offerings from trade associations. The new education initiative features three leadership certification pathways: Leadership Experience, Distributor Sales Leader and Distributor Operations Leader.

• Leadership Experience is a four-year certification program designed for rising and next generation managers who will lead AD member companies into the future. The certification brings together cohorts of 25 to 30 leaders to build upon the success of independent distributors and ensure the sustainability of the independent business model.

• The Distributor Sales Leader program provides sales professionals with a long-term development track including courses and interactive workshops to learn sales strategies ready for immediate field application. The certification program elevates sales teams to better sustain top-line revenue and increase sales growth in highly competitive markets.

• The Distributor Operations Leader program helps operations leaders learn and implement best practices that optimize profitability and performance of independent distributors. The certification program provides leaders with the roadmap, tools and network to drive sustainability and growth among their companies.

AD created each program’s curriculum in collaboration with instructors from top universities like Texas A&M University, leadership coaches and independent distribution thought leaders.

This group of industry experts will teach courses within the three CIDL certification pathways.

“We have amassed the preeminent experts in distribution to help independent distributors work on their business and further develop the talent that leads their growth.” said Brandon Hagen, Vice President of AD Member Education and co-founder of the CIDL. “These are great opportunities for companies to invest in their people and take active steps to shape their next chapter.”

In addition, the CIDL offers the Distribution Manager Development Program in conjunction with Texas A&M University’s Industrial Distribution Program. This offering delivers an introduction into the financial, operational and sales disciplines for emerging managers.

“AD stands with independents; and the future of independents, within each of our industries, will depend in great measure on how well we support and develop the great people who lead and work within them,” said AD Chairman and CEO Bill Weisberg.

Courses in the Distributor Operations Leader program and Distribution Manager Development Program are now open for registration. Additional program dates will become available on a rolling basis this year. AD owner/members can learn more about the programs at adhq.com/CIDL

VISTA EXPANDS INTO MINNESOTA MARKET WITH MINNESOTA VINYL AND ALUMINUM, INC.

Vista Railing Systems Inc., the market leader in exterior railing products that are both stylish & simple, is partnering up with Minnesota Vinyl and Aluminum in Shakopee, MN. This relationship represents significant growth potential for each company in a significant aluminum railing market.

“We are very excited to work with Minnesota Vinyl and Aluminum to make our Cable Railing system readily available in the Minnesota market.”, said Kalvin Eden National Sales Manager, Vista Railing Systems Inc. “They have been providing excellent service to the Minnesota market for several years, and they have a major customer base that our Cable Railing system will fit nicely. The addition will help round out their exterior railing offering to the market and open up new opportunities.

“At Minnesota Vinyl and Aluminum, we strive to have best in class knowledge and experience that allows us to be a relied upon supplier to all of the market’s railing and decking needs, which has resulted in long tenured mutually successful relationships with all our suppliers and our customers. Vista Railing Systems’ people and products fit into this same approach and will help us continue to grow our market reputation,” said Taylor Buker, Owner of Minnesota Vinyl and Aluminum, Inc. “We are excited and privileged to align ourselves with an organization with the same customer-first philosophy with years of knowledge and experience to offer the market. Always offer the best products and services to your customers and good things will happen.”

TIMBER MART HOSTS FIRST-EVER HYBRID BUYING SHOW

With over 1,000 dealers and vendors in attendance, TIMBER MART is hosting its first-ever hybrid national buying show on February 16 and 17 via its virtual cloud-based tradeshow platform, and at the Toronto Congress Centre.

“Due to convenient hybrid format, the member-exclusive deals and the valuable networking and business opportunities being offered, we’ve seen very strong attendance and support for our show this year,” says Bernie Owens, president & CEO of TIMBER MART. “We’ve applied the best practices from our last two virtual buying shows to this year’s event and maintained our focus on offering a true buying show—one that we believe has become one of the best buying shows our industry has to offer.”

In addition to the hundreds of TIMBER MART stores in attendance, 270 vendor booths filled the virtual and 70,000-square-foot show floor at the Toronto Congress Centre. New to the event this year, was a show app designed to hold pertinent event information like the schedule of events and show floorplan as well as facilitate online chat between attendees and appointment scheduling between dealers and vendors.

The in-person show floor featured a wide range of show displays and attractions, including TIMBER MART’s new pallet-buy area that presents a wide range of products for sale in pallet quantities. At the centre of the floor, the TIMBER MART area encompassed hubs for all of TIMBER MART’s services and programs, including: TIMBER MART LBM Distribution, dealer marketing, merchandising and banner support. In light of TIMBER MART’s partnership with the CFL, the CFL Grey Cup was prominently positioned on the show floor for photo opportunities as attendees enter the hall.

On Wednesday, February 15, TIMBER MART hosted dealers meetings, where members were kept abreast of the group’s activities. Later that evening, a welcome reception was held for attendees. Tonight, a networking and recognition reception will be held where select vendors will be presented with awards for their excellence in customer service, dealer support, product value and operations.

FALCON EQUIPMENT’S REGINA BRANCH IS EXPANDING

Falcon Equipment’s Regina Branch is expanding! Falcon Regina is growing by 6,600 square feet and adding 4 brand new bays to their shop including a drive through uptime bay for same day equipment diagnostics.

“We’ve had roots in Saskatchewan since 2010 and we continue to grow to better meet our customer’s needs. The expansion does not interfere with our regular hours, and we continue to offer equipment sales, rentals, service & parts support to all of Saskatchewan,” said William Worth, Branch Manager of Falcon Equipment Regina. “With this expansion we are going to be able to better accommodate our customers, old and new.”

Some of Falcon Equipment’s core product lines include Palfinger knuckleboom cranes, rail cranes, hooklifts, and truck-mounted forklifts, Boss railcar movers, Wilcox service mechanic packages, ETI bucket trucks, LaRue snow blowers, Henderson snow and ice equipment, and more.

The expansion is slated to be complete in June 2023!

Branch Information:

Falcon Equipment Regina 369 Sherwood Road, Regina, SK S0G 5K0 306-352-4266

BOOK YOUR COURSES

Your next opportunity to attend our revamped Blueprint Reading, Estimating Level 1, and Estimating Level 2 is here.

We’ll be offering the following sessions:

Regina, SK April 5 & 6 Instructor, Len Regier

Leduc, AB March 29 & 30 Instructor, Len Regier

To help us plan these sessions, we’re asking interested members to complete a quick survey (scan the QR code) that should take no longer than two minutes to complete, and will also let you tell us what other courses you’d like to see!

If you’d like to get registered for the sessions above, send an email to Martine Yzerman at myzerman@wrla.org today.

SEE YOU AT WRLA BUILDING & HARDWARE SHOWCASE IN 2024

The Building & Hardware Showcase is making its way back to Winnipeg, MB in January 2024. Our thanks to all the members, volunteers, and sponsors who made this year’s event such a huge success!

Make sure to mark your calendars, and if you are planning to exhibit, make sure to secure your preferred booth location early to avoid disappointment!

January 17 - 19, 2024

RBC Convention Centre, Winnipeg, MB

DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND: TRAINING THE NEW WORKFORCE

Martine Yzerman, WRLA

When you look at your business, how do you feel about the rapid change we’ve experienced in the last three years? We thought technology was pushing us forward rapidly before COVID, but during the pandemic, not a single area of our industry was left untouched. We had to adapt to an online world to survive. Most of us can name several businesses that couldn’t do so.

We’re facing new upheavals now in 2023. Whether as an aftermath of the pandemic or as a result of the generational shift, much of our workforce is hitting retirement age, and our whole industry is feeling the effects of the labour shortage. In a survey to WRLA members conducted in November 2022, 60% of respondents had at least one fulltime equivalent position open for six months or more. The needs are critical: to attract new talent, train them well, and retain and upskill them for new opportunities in the industry.

HOW WILL OUR MEMBERS RESPOND? THEY WILL INNOVATE TO SURVIVE.

The WRLA has established a relationship with the Calgary Board of Education’s internship program, “Careers.” The Cedar Shop, under the leadership of Mitch Wile, stepped forward to take advantage of this opportunity to increase its hiring prospects. Within a month of the first conversation, two high school students were designated to The Cedar Shop and soon after began training with Mitch and his team. During the slow season, they are training in each area of operations. When business picks up, they will focus on sales, and plans are already in place to hire them on a full-time basis.

Because of their experience, both students are eager to continue. They say they had never realized the opportunity for growth and the variety of work they can do in the building supply industry.

Mitch is happy that they’re enthusiastic, willing to learn, and that he has the opportunity to introduce them both to the business and to critical skills. He says, “There are so many young people that don’t know about us (Lumber and Building Industry). This is the future, and if we don’t grasp it, all our businesses are going to suffer.”

The Careers program is accessible to employers throughout Alberta in the building and trades industry. In addition to the Alberta Careers program, there are other Federal Government Programs available to our non-Alberta residents. If this sounds intriguing, please connect with the WRLA Director of Professional Development, Martine Yzerman at myzerman@wrla.org

WHY DOES THIS MATTER? WHAT DOES IT CHANGE?

Students aren’t the only new sector that we can introduce our industry (and its opportunities) to. Newcomers to Canada, women, and other underrepresented groups need to be at the front of our minds when we’re thinking about how to address our critical labour shortage.

Above: Mitch Wile from The Cedar Shop with the Olivia and Begaiym.

“Our goal is to gather the vast and rich resources we have available to us in LBM industry—the experience, knowledge, technology—and invest it back into the people who power this industry.”

However, these groups come with unique needs. Many are coming into the industry with no background in lumber or building material. Some will come in while they’re still learning English or may not have proficiency with standard Canadian building terminology. Good onboarding processes become critical.

Even Mitch, innovator extraordinaire, realized his onboarding process needed a significant overhaul when training students with no industry background. He had to have his staff rebuild all of their training processes from the ground up.

WRLA ACADEMY HELPS MEMBERS ATTRACT, RETAIN, AND UPSKILL THEIR WORKFORCE

WRLA sees the huge need and opportunity here. That’s why we’ve launched the WRLA Academy. Not only did our earlier course material need to be updated to keep up with our fast-paced industry, but our delivery processes needed to adapt. Some of you have noticed that our in-person Estimating Courses are now each taught in a single full-day session.

The WRLA is designing and developing an industry curriculum. The Terminology Fundamentals for Estimating course is designed to address the exact problem Mitch encountered when he was training his interns. The course provides insight into every component involved when creating a materials “takeoff,” which is ideal for those interested in becoming estimators and anyone new to the industry. Remember that your estimators are critical sales contributors to your team. Let’s ensure they are empowered and knowledgeable!

NEW COURSES FOR A NEW GENERATION

The Blueprint Reading course is another online course soon offered at the WRLA, which takes the in-person classroom experience to an online interactive course. It is a deep dive into all the components of a blueprint, including calculating vertical and horizontal dimensions, elevation, the importance of the ‘cut plane,’ and so much more! A final exam has been added to the course, which could be challenged without completing the online course for those who have had some experience reading drawings.

We encourage all those interested in becoming estimators to complete the online Blueprint Reading course and, if required, to complete the Terminology for Estimating. These online

courses offer interactive, micro-learning skill development, which allows students to learn at their own speed and immediately apply their newly developed skills on the job.

Currently, one of our members is piloting the Terminology course with a new hire who happens to be a newcomer to Canada. They have found, among many other things, that it paves the way to clear communication.

We couldn’t be more excited for 2023 and the many courses we are developing. Don’t fret—the in-person class experience is here to stay! However, we want to make sure that our members have access to knowledge both online and in-person as we eagerly await another exciting fresh new season on the calendar—spring!

Our goal going forward is to gather the vast and rich resources we have available to us in our industry—experience, knowledge, and technology—and invest them back into the people who power this industry.

Let’s go build a strong industry together.

POLITICAL LEADERS DESCEND UPON 2023 WRLA BUILDING & HARDWARE

The WRLA continues in its quest to build relationships with provincial and federal decision makers, which helps ensure that the Association and its concerns are top-of-mind for those in charge. The 2023 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase was an overwhelming success, and that success extends to our advocacy efforts, which saw attendance this year from all three major political parties in Manitoba, including two senior cabinet ministers, as well as the involvement of the Premier.

On Wednesday, January 18, Andrew Reimer, chair of the WRLA board, and his fellow board members ventured to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly for a quick meet-and-greet with Premier Heather Stefanson.

On Thursday, Minister of Natural Resources Greg Nesbitt and Winnipeg’s Deputy Mayor Markus Chambers participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the show. Both Nesbitt and Chambers then visited around the showroom, for two hours, accompanied by Reimer and WRLA President Liz Kovach.

On Thursday afternoon, Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen spent an hour meeting with individuals and bearing witness to the innovative products and determined retailers stationed throughout Winnipeg’s RBC Centre. It is important to note that Minister Goertzen served as Premier of Manitoba in 2021, after Brian Pallister retired but prior to Heather Stefanson assuming office.

Day 2 was no less impactful with visits by Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont and his colleague, Dr. Jon Gerrard, who toured with Kovach.

NDP MLAs Dijeet Brar, Matt Wiebe and Jamie Moses and NDP candidate Rob Loiselle rounded out Friday afternoon.

On each visit, WRLA staff and board members took the opportunity to highlight the issues of important to our members, including: supply chain bottlenecks, rail constraints, limited trucking options due to the lack of backhaul, and advocating for a home renovation tax credit.

Also these discussions allowed our members to remind political leaders about the diverse and strong career options available in the LBM sector, and remind them of work being undertaken to ensure our labour force is strengthened by ensuring young people have the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in this sector.

The visits to this year’s showcase come just two months after the WRLA conducted Legislative Outreach days in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Such days enabled relationship building, which, in the case of Manitoba, continues to be strengthened by invitations to events such as the showcase and routine follow-up.

The more the leaders know us, the more responsive they are to our events, and more importantly, to the subjects we raise with them.

Advocacy requires sustained follow-up and engagement, and your WRLA team will continue to raise the profile of the Association, to ensure that our members have influence in the halls of power, for the better of our industry and the entire economy.

To that end, your association has also requested a meeting with Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew.

Your association wants to ensure that your voice is heard at the highest levels of government and will continue to work with all legislators, to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes.

STAFFING YOUR BUSINESS IN 2023

Stephen Borer, Partner, DMC Recruitment Group

As we settle into 2023, many of the staffing and recruitment trends in the industry have remained consistent with the previous ten years, albeit hiring needs are becoming more and more pressing.

PERENNIAL EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGES FOR THE INDUSTRY

• Succession planning remains the number one issue for many businesses across the industry.

• Building materials businesses continue in their struggle to attract talent from other industries. Not because it isn’t a great industry to work in—but because by and large building materials businesses are not effectively selling the advantages, opportunities, and the stability of working within the vertical.

• Immigration is Canada’s best opportunity for population growth and the addition of new workers. However, experience has shown, the building materials industry is behind other industries when it comes to offering a diverse and culturally attractive environment.

THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE ADDED ADDITIONAL STRESSES TO MANY ORGANIZATIONS

• The booming market has led to intense competition for talent.

• Demands from staff have shifted to include work from home requirements, flexible working conditions, increased pay expectations and other demands.

• Staff and employers are feeling the long-term burn out related to both Covid and the consistent booming economy.

• Job Boards have struggled to produce candidates for job postings, they have raised their prices significantly, and the overall quality of applicant has reduced as they suffer from less active candidates.

2023 LOOKS LIKELY TO ADD MORE COMPLICATIONS TO THE MIX.

• Interest rates have risen and may continue to do so.

• Softening of some sales results when compared to the past 3 “boom years.”

• Talk of recession is damaging confidence in the market and is resulting in employer hesitation with their longer-term hiring plans.

• Potential candidates are nervous to make career moves, resulting in a tightening of the available talent on the market.

However, there is good news for organizations prepared to tackle some of these issues head on.

ACTIONS THAT COULD PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYERS IN 2023

1 FOCUS ON TRANSFERABLE SKILLS RATHER THAN INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

For every available candidate with building materials experience, there are a hundred without. Think outside the box and focus on the skillset they require, rather than the product knowledge, connections or industry knowledge. That can be trained. Hire the heart, train the brain.

2 BUILD A TALENT PIPELINE

Talent pipelining might sound like a term more suitable for Fortune 500 companies, but it is not. Talent pipelining simply means working on hiring employees that with solid training and investment from the business, can climb the ladder internally over time. Don’t fill jobs, hire talent that can grow within your business and allow it do so by providing the culture and support required.

3 ENCOURAGE DIVERSITY BY CHANGING YOUR MENTALITY

Immigrants often travel a different career path than we have traditionally seen within building materials. They might have less (often more!) education, they might not have had some of the opportunities others had when they were younger, they might not have the consistency you would see in Canadian resumes. But look beyond the resume and you will often find extremely driven, bright and articulate candidates with huge potential. You need to ask tough questions of your selection process and see if it biases certain backgrounds rather than competencies and characteristics.

4 ADDRESS YOUR JOB POSTINGS

A job advertisement is exactly that, an advertisement. Too many people post job descriptions. It is still a market that favours the employee, so you need to sell the opportunity. Sell the culture, talk about the career potential, sell the team, talk about the support and training they will get, tell them what makes your company great.

5 ENGAGE A SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT PARTNER

Okay, I am biased. However, a specialist recruiter with deep networks in your industry is going to add value both when you absolutely must have previous building materials experience (please note above comments on this topic), or when you need a recruiter who can sell the benefits of working within the industry.

If the employment market does swing (and it does swing fast from favouring the employee to favouring the employer) then the market will become flooded by recruiters looking for new customers. These generalist recruiters will offer low prices, likely shorter guarantees (or non-honoured guarantees of any length), and will be starting from scratch on every search they conduct. You will waste a lot of time and effort “training” them on the industry.

6 IF THE MARKET SWINGS, TAKE ADVANTAGE

Warren Buffett’s advice is “to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” If the market does swing to being an employer’s market (where there are more candidates and less jobs available), it presents organizations the opportunity to attract and hire talent otherwise unavailable to them in other markets. Think long term, put great value on talent, it will be in short supply soon enough.

7 HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THERE ARE SOLUTIONS

Many of the owners that I speak with, particularly dealers, are only too aware of the staffing and succession planning issues that they face, but are unaware of the potential solutions provided by specialist recruitment firms. If you have no obvious successor within the business, a sale is an option—but it doesn’t have to be the only option. There are people out there with the capability to run a building materials business but without either the capital, or the risk tolerance to build their own.

The last 3 years have been extremely successful for the building materials industry, but not without challenges, particularly from a staffing and recruitment perspective. Don’t expect 2023 to be much different but do know that there are ways to mitigate those challenges with a strong talent strategy.

Stephen Borer is a Partner of DMC Recruitment Group, a specialist agency servicing the building materials industry in Canada and the USA. Stephen can be contacted directly at sborer@dmcrecruitment.com

NEED TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? NEED MORE EMPLOYEES? MAYBE IT’S TIME TO GET ONBOARD WITH ONLINE

Associates

The world is changing, and we must change with it.

It’s not news that people spend a considerable amount of time on the internet and digital media, and this has only increased since the pandemic. In 2021, Canadians spent an average of 326 minutes (five hours and 26 minutes) with digital media every day. This figure is expected to increase to 333 minutes by 2024

“BUT MY COMPANY DOESN’T HAVE A WEBSITE.”

Considering the amount of time people spend online, a website is no longer an option. Indeed, with potential employees and customers increasing their online usage, it’s essential for companies to have a digital presence—especially a website. Here are some benefits of having a website:

• 24/7 presence: Your website is always easily accessible to your target audiences. Even during non-business hours, potential employees and customers can access your website and get the necessary information. Even if you aren’t selling online, you’re giving people the information they need to know if they want to do business with you.

• Trust: People tend to believe what they see. They cannot always visit your brick-andmortar store, but they can visit your website.

• Most times, potential employees search for your brand online before sending in their resumes.

• Sharing your existing customer’s testimonials, reviews, awards, etc. on your website increases trust among target audiences.

• Brand awareness: Many consumers rely on the internet to research their purchasing decisions before making their choice. Your website acts as a platform to educate people about your business, products and services whenever they need it, helping to move them along their journey until they choose to buy from you.

• Customer support: Through FAQs (frequently asked questions) on your website, you can answer your customers’ questions even before they call or visit your store. You can also integrate your website with Google Maps so people can find you more easily.

Prospectus

• Visibility: A physical store will usually be known by customers within a particular radius of its location—everyone in the neighbourhood knows about the store. However, when it comes to a business with an online presence, the visibility or the reach has no bound—suddenly you are showing up as a location for everyone in the city, and awareness just keeps growing from there.

• Enables you to access the power of digital marketing: A website will also help you target existing customers, prospects, and potential employees more efficiently by connecting it to your digital marketing efforts. This might include sending emails, buying digital advertising and social media, all linking back to your website and allowing you to interact with leads on the channels they use most.

• Web analytics: “Web analytics” is a formal term for “how well is my website doing what I think it’s doing? All website programs have reporting that will help you analyze the online traffic that comes to your website. You can find out how many potential customers and users visited your webpage, and what they were looking at. It also tells us where most potential customers come from, what they were doing on your webpage and how much time they spent there, etc. By monitoring how potential customers interact with your website online, you can pay attention to those parts of your website to increase your conversions (i.e. sales).

Advertising and engagement efforts will direct prospective employees to the website’s “Build Your Career” page and can filter and search for jobs and opportunities through Provinces and Cities/towns region so people can explore opportunities in their communities— or wherever they’d like to live:

A website is no longer intimidating to create and manage; with tools like WordPress, Squarespace and Wix, it’s easy to create and manage a simple website.

In the month coming, WRLA will be organizing a webinar on creating a “free” webpage and how to build a “Careers” page. WRLA is proud to count several e-commerce providers as members, and one of their website or ecommerce packages might be just what you’re looking for to get online and start supercharging your sales.

Our marketing and communications partner, Prospectus Associates, is also putting together a Digital Media Strategy Toolkit and a Job Posting Strategy Toolkit for members.

The timing is not coincidental. As you may or may not know, WRLA is all hands on deck right now with a new campaign, called “Let’s Go Build.” This initiative is designed to raise awareness of our industry and share the incredible diversity of available career options. The campaign will raise awareness through a dedicated campaign website, WRLA’s social media platforms, online and offline advertising, etc.

The “Let’s Go Build” 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 the “help wanted” sections of our members’ own websites—just like your new “Careers” page on your new website!

They’ll then be linked back to the members’ own websites and job openings pages:

“BUT I DON’T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT BUILDING A WEBSITE.”

HERE IS A QUICK PREVIEW OF HOW THE LET’S GO BUILD CAMPAIGN WILL WORK.

OUR GOAL IS TO ATTRACT NEW PEOPLE TO THE LUMBER AND BUILDING MATERIALS INDUSTRY. HUNDREDS OF JOBS ARE AVAILABLE ACROSS OUR MEMBERSHIP; LET’S FISH WHERE THE FISH ARE AND FIND THE EMPLOYEES TO FILL THEM.

5 TIPS AND TRICKS FOR FILING YOUR OWN TAX RETURN FOR THE FIRST TIME

Travis Waite, WRLA

It’s time for another round of Dollars & Sense. Before I get into it, I want to thank everyone who attended and participated in the 2023 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase. The feedback I received from members at the show was overwhelmingly positive and it was a great week connecting with staff, board members, exhibitors, and retailers. Your support allows us to continue to fund programs that help drive our industry forward.

With tax time just around the corner, it’s a good time to share pointers for individuals who are filing their own taxes for the first time. According to a recent survey, about 50% of Canadians pay a tax professional to file their taxes, with another 25% using family or friends to file.

When I was in high school, I was never taught how to file my own taxes or even balance a budget. I firmly believe that it is a disservice not to teach more of these life skills in school. Learning to file my tax return has served me much better in life than learning the formula to calculate the cosine of a right triangle, but I digress.

Even after I graduated with an accounting diploma in 2012, I relied on paying a tax professional my hardearned money to file my return until 2018, which likely took all of 15 minutes for the preparer to carry my prior year’s information forward and plug in my T4. It was no coincidence that was the same year I began working in the corporate tax department at PricewaterhouseCoopers and got to see first-hand just how simple it could be to do it on my own.

This is not to say that everyone should do their own taxes. Many people rely on professionals to file their taxes (and rightfully so) for a variety of reasons, including the complexity of their returns, the value of the time saved or the tax planning advice that they receive to maximize their returns. Often, the value of relying on a professional will outweigh the cost of the service.

HERE ARE 5 TIPS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO FILE ON THEIR OWN THIS YEAR:

1 FIND A TAX SOFTWARE

The evolution and popularization of computers have made filing taxes far easier. If you look at your past tax returns that were prepared by someone else, you may feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the return. Rest assured; your hired tax professional did not have to plug in every line item on the return. Rather, they use one of a variety of different tax software that are available to auto-populate the standardized information. This leaves you to fill in specific personal information and your tax slips. The software will then perform calculations and fill in the blanks.

My personal go-to software is Wealthsimple Taxes. They offer a user-friendly interface to collect information and even ask questions and provide search boxes to help find the forms that are applicable to your tax

return. The optimization feature helps to flag potential unused credits you may qualify for, and if you are filing with your spouse, it will shift credits and deductions that can be split to increase your return or decrease your tax obligation.

You can also manipulate the data (such as adding a higher RRSP contribution), to see how it will affect your return. Best of all, this software is completely free to use, doesn’t need to be downloaded, and you can e-file right from your computer.

2 GET ACCESS TO YOUR CRA ONLINE ACCOUNT

This is something that I recommend everybody do, whether you file your own taxes or not. The process to do so is not too cumbersome and you will find a lot of important information on your account such as your tax slips, your TFSA and RRSP contribution room, any balances owing or credits that you will receive during the year, and correspondences from the CRA like your notice of assessments.

Having access to this information makes filing much easier, as most of the information that you will need to input on your return is right there on your account.

3 USE YOUR PREVIOUS YEAR RETURN AS STARTING POINT

Once you have chosen your tax software to use, you may be stumped on where to collect all the information it asks for. Using your prior year return is a great place to start. You can copy over personal information that you may not have memorized, such as your SIN, and see which tax slips were used on your return.

Once you have done one year of taxes on your own, it becomes even easier to roll forward that information on the tax software you use so that it auto populates on your return and all you have left to do is to enter your tax slips.

4 FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH DEDUCTIONS

As mentioned above, you don’t need to be a tax professional to file your personal return. It is helpful however, to have a basic understanding of some of the deductions or credits that you may be eligible for. Tax rules are constantly evolving, so it is good to review what new rules have come into effect for the current year to make sure you are maximizing your deductions and credits.

5 KEEP TRACK OF IMPORTANT DATES

It is good practice to be aware of important dates and deadlines when filing your taxes. Filing late can result in penalties and interest and can delay receiving any benefits or incentives that you are eligible for. The CRA relies on the information from your return to calculate many of these incentives. There are also other deadlines, such as RRSP contribution cut-offs that are important to be aware of.

Remember, the filing deadline this year is May 1. Also, the deadline for self-employed individuals and their spouses is June 15.

MEASURE UP — JANUARYMARCH 2023

Rebekah Doerksen, WRLA

ATTRACT

WRLA BRANCHES OUT TO RECRUIT NEW EMPLOYEES TO THE INDUSTRY

WRLA has established a relationship with the Calgary Board of Education to participate in the Careers internship program. Mitch Wile from The Cedar Shop was the first to take advantage of this connection, and is training these high school students on all areas of operations and will focus on sales during the busy season. The students have been eager to learn about all the opportunities in the industry, and plans are already underway to hire on a full-time basis.

Mitch says, “If you don’t get involved with something like this, your business will be left behind. This is the future, and if we don’t grasp it, all our businesses are going to suffer.” Read the full story on page 14.

There will be an info session to get more Calgary members connected to the program, and we will research similar programs across our provinces to connect members to opportunities that will build a staff recruitment funnel.

To ensure the industry is represented at career fairs, the WRLA has connected members to opportunities in various regions to help recruit talent in a tough labour market. We have seen some uptake in Winnipeg.

Red River College Students in the carpentry and civil engineering programs participated in our show. Civil engineers often become spec writers for buildings and both RRC and the WRLA felt that this is an important connection to make. We will continue to expand on these relationships.

CONNECT

NEW MEMBERS

A big welcome to the new members who joined WRLA in the last 3 months!

• Suretorq Inc.

• Sanbec Canada Inc.

• Diamond Doors

• Novatech—Patio Doors

• Falls Hardware

• South Central Building Systems

• Triton Wholesale and Distribution

• Agassiz Builders Ltd.

• Ponass Lake Building Supplies

• Sunder Building Supplies Ltd.

• TC Truss

• Bulldawg Building Supplies Ltd.

• Select Lumber

• 16 Lumber

• West Coast Home & Truss Ltd.

• Turtleford & District Co-operative Association Ltd.—Maidstone

• Greatwest Maintenance Service Ltd.

• Turtleford & District Co-operative Association Ltd.—Turtleford

• Stonewall Home Hardware

• Wheatland Building Centre

• Northplex Ltd.

• Windsor Plywood—Grande Prairie

• Dawson Creek Co-Operative Union

• Global-Pointe

• Rossland Lumber

PHOTO: ALISA LUO

WRLA CONNECTS AT THE 2023 SHOWCASE

The 2023 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase took Winnipeg by storm on January 19 and 20 and was one of our most successful shows to date!

With 175 Exhibitor booths and 2,066 delegates—including 606 Retailers, the RBC Convention Centre was abuzz with networking, new products, show specials and great deals!

WRLA, and our partner for this year’s show, Burlington Merchandising & Fixtures (BMF), challenged our guests to think about “Building Better Retail” and rethink their in-person shopping experience to increase sales.

The events kicked off earlier in the week with WRLA Academy Courses on Tuesday and Wednesday before the show opened its doors on Thursday morning. On Thursday evening, attendees were treated to a spectacular networking event at the Delta Hotel, where we honoured our Salespeople of the Year and celebrated our Industry Achievement Recipient, Steve Buckle of Sexton.

We’re already planning for next year’s show to be even bigger—stay tuned!

EDUCATE

WRLA ACADEMY IS ONLINE!

The Blueprint Reading and the Terminology Fundamentals for Estimating courses are ready to launch!

These online courses are interactive and allow students to learn at their own speed. These courses will be a critical tool to support new hires!

• Blueprint Reading is a deep dive into understanding blueprints and will be essential for anyone new to estimating.

• Terminology Fundamentals is a great tool for anyone new to the industry or interested in becoming an estimator, as it walks through every component involved in creating a material takeoff. We encourage members to take advantage of this introductory low rate of $49 and ask that you send your feedback on how this tool has supported your onboarding process!

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE SHOW FLOOR

Over 130 people attended Education sessions at the WRLA Showcase. The most well-attended workshops were Getting your sales team excited to sell! with Joel Seibert, owner of Mountain View Building Materials, and Economic Outlook 2023 with Jim Allworth, Investment Strategist at RBC Dominion Securities. Thanks to the members who shared their time and expertise with our membership! We will continue to offer professional development opportunities for members so you can grow your business!

ADVOCATE

CONNECTING WITH GOVERNMENT, RAISING THE PROFILE AND BUILDING CREDIBILITY AS YOUR INDUSTRY VOICE!

The WRLA continues to raise the profile of the Lumber and Building Material Industry to all levels of government. This year, ten representatives from municipal and provincial governments attended the WRLA Showcase, hosted by Liz and WRLA board members.

Deputy Mayor Markus Chambers and Minister of Natural Resources and Northern Development Greg Nesbitt participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the show and toured the floor with Liz and board chair Andrew Reimer. Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen also spent time on the show floor meeting with members.

Liz also hosted members of the official opposition: Matt Wiebe, Jamie Moses, Diljeet Brar joined, along with their NDP colleague Robert Loiselle. And liberal leader Dougald Lamont and his colleague Dr. John Gerrard also toured the show with Liz Kovach.

While the Premier was unable to attend our show, board members had a chance to meet with Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson beforehand.

Thank you to all the members that allowed us to spend some time at your booths to showcase the innovation, industry magnitude and of course willingness to bring forward issues that are pain points for our members.

Board members also took the opportunity to dive deeper into industry specific issues identified during our 2022 Advocacy Summit which focused on supply chain and explore the opportunity for more at home manufacturing and distribution. CentrePort, located just outside of Winnipeg, was established to be a tri-modal hub for the transportation of goods. The round table participants included the Prospectus Group, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, and Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW).

To get involved in any of these initiatives, email wrla@wrla.org

HELP SAVE THE PLANET. GET PAID TO DO IT.

Chris Allinotte, WRLA

the Lumber and Building Materials Industry is not only a major contributor to Canada’s economy, but it’s also one of the best industries to be employed in. With that level of importance to the GDP comes a huge opportunity. When the LBM Industry makes a change, it has a massive real-world impact on the thousands of communities where we live and do business. These days, it’s impossible to ignore the need for sustainability and the overall reduction of carbon footprint. Individuals will always have a part to play, but businesses can lead the way and drive change.

Fortunately, the provincial and federal governments realize that while these kinds of changes are necessary—they aren’t cheap.

Here is a selection of incentives your business can take advantage of wherever you are. We’ve got at least one for every province—though there may be others available. Search for incentives on your provincial government’s websites. For now—check out these programs and start saving energy and money!

BRITISH COLUMBIA

B.C.’s public utility, FortisBC, offers the following rebates. These are just 4 out of 43 currently available programs:

• Installing EV charging solutions for workplaces or multi-unit residences: Up to $2,000

• Installing a high-efficiency natural gas boiler: Up to $45,000

• Installing air curtains at your facility: Up to $2,000

• On new buildings—rebates available for constructing high-performance, energy-efficient commercial or light industrial buildings: Up to $500,000

• Commercial Energy Assessment: FREE This energy assessment walkthrough will produce recommendations for improving energy efficiency, recommend upgrades, and advise on all the rebates that would apply

CleanBC offers a “Better Buildings” program that offers multiple incentives for both new construction and renovation with a handy tool to determine exactly what rebates you’re entitled to.

Links:

• FortisBC Rebates: https://bit.ly/FortisBC_01

• CleanBC: https://bit.ly/CleanBC_01

ALBERTA

Energy Savings for Business, offered by Emissions Reduction Alberta, offers a wide range of incentives for improvements to areas like HVAC, motors and drives, building envelope and windows, just to name a few. Incentives start at a minimum of $500, and go up to $250,000 per project.

• Parent companies can apply for up to $1,000,000 to cover the costs of products & services

Radicle, a division of BMO, offers a suite of software and dedicated training and advisors to work directly with businesses to reduce emissions and cut costs. For example, they will coach businesses on exactly what needs to be done to take advantage of solar energy credits offered by the province.

Links:

• Emissions Reduction Alberta: https://bit.ly/EmissionsAlberta_01

• Radicle: https://bit.ly/Radicle_01

SASKATCHEWAN

SaskPower offers Demand Response Program for industry, offering financial incentives for reducing power use, or shifting peak usage to alternate times, reducing stress on the power grid.

They also offer the Power Support Service (PSS) which will provide a free energy management audit and suggestions on how to reduce environmental impact and costs.

The Ministry of Environment is also currently working on a program that will provide incentives for sequestering carbon and selling greenhouse gas (GHG) offset credits.

Links:

• SaskPower Incentives: https://bit.ly/SKpower_01

• Ministry of the Environment: https://bit.ly/SKministry_01

MANITOBA

Efficiency Manitoba is a Crown corporation dedicated to energy efficiency and offers numerous incentives for residents, small and large businesses, as well as industry.

Most of their programs come with an application process, and many of the incentives come with an online calculator so you can see how much money you can potentially receive prior to applying.

Link:

• Efficiency Manitoba: https://bit.ly/MBefficiency_01

ONTARIO

Ontario Hydro offers an Electricity Rebate of 11.7% to Commercial accounts that use more than 50 kW but less than 250,000 kWh annually—this rebate is automatically applied if your business falls in that range.

Save On Energy offers small business incentives for switching to more efficient lighting and non-lighting equipment, up to $2,000 for lighting and $2,500 for other equipment.

EnergyRates also offers a searchable list of rebates and retrofit programs that can save you money.

Links:

• Hydro One Electricity Rebate: https://bit.ly/Hydro1_01

• Save on Energy: https://bit.ly/SaveOnEnergy_01

• EnergyRates: https://bit.ly/EnergyRates_01

QUÉBEC

Québec’s strategy is a comprehensive “2030 Plan for a Greener Economy” and is largely being accomplished through cap & trade greenhouse gas (GHG) credits and a push to “decarbonize buildings” including preferring wood as a low-carbon material in new buildings.

Links:

• Québec Climate Plan: https://bit.ly/QC_climate_01

MARITIMES

PEI offers Business Energy Rebate and New Brunswick Business Rebate Program. Newfoundland & Labrador Businesses can leverage rebates through “Take Charge NL”.

Links:

• PEI offers a Business Energy Rebate: https://bit.ly/PEI_energy_01

• New Brunswick Business Rebate Program: https://bit.ly/NB_Energy_01

• Newfoundland Power: https://bit.ly/NLtakecharge_01

YUKON

The Yukon has a Business Carbon Price Rebate that is applied for via your business tax return. There are lots of other energy efficiency programs available in the Yukon.

Links:

• Business Carbon Price Rebate: https://bit.ly/Yukon_Carbon_01

• Other: https://bit.ly/YukonEnergy_01

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES (NWT)

The NWT has a GHG grant program, as well as energy efficiency rebates. Apply on the government website.

Links:

• Government of North West Territories: https://bit.ly/NWT_Energy_01

NUNAVUT

The Nunavut Carbon Rebate currently pays half the Federal Carbon Tax on diesel and gasoline. Information on that program can be found on the province’s website.

Links: Nunavut Carbon Rebate: https://bit.ly/NUcarbon_01

TOGETHER, WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND WITH THE HELP OF MANY OF THESE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, IT’S EASIER THAN EVER TO WORK TOWARD A GREENER CANADA.

MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY

WE DID IT NORTH BATTLEFORD!

Home Hardware North Battleford (North Battleford, SK) volunteered their time to man the phones at the annual TeleMiracle telethon in support of Kinsmen Foundation charities. This year their efforts raised $6,130.83!

The money raised throughout the year and during the TeleMiracle telethon benefits the Kinsmen Foundation. They provide funding to the people of Saskatchewan requiring special needs equipment to maintain or improve their quality of life, as well as travel assistance to those needing to leave their community to access life-saving medical treatment. Funding is also provided to institutions and health foundations to purchase specialized, new or innovative equipment to improve health care.

TeleMiracle is a 20-hour annual telethon that is broadcast live in Saskatchewan. Despite only having a population of around one million people, the generous residents of the province have helped us raise over $153 million since 1977.

RONA SUPPORTS OPÉRATION ENFANT SOLEIL

The new “Maison Enfant Soleil” from Maisons Bonneville Homes was unveiled on February 5, a house that makes a difference in the lives of sick children in Quebec. RONA is honoured to be a partner of Opération Enfant Soleil again this year and to contribute to the remarkable work that its teams do every day. Opération Enfant Soleil raises money through the sale of tickets for a draw to win the “Maison Enfant Soleil” (“Sun Child House”) to provide equipment and appropriate care for all sick children in the province's major pediatric centres and regional hospitals.

TEAM CHAMBERLAIN TIMBER MART TAKES ON THE COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR

Team Chamberlain Timber Mart walked with many others in support of Gravenhurst Against Poverty (GAP) for the Coldest Night of the Year event!

They ended up surpassing our goal of $2000 as well so thank you to everyone who contributed to a great cause! Overall, GAP raised over $140,000 to help support those facing food insecurity, transportation barriers and/or mental wellness challenges.

Photo (left to right): Alain Dumas, Julie Beaulieu, Karine Lacharité, Mélanie Lussier, Jonathan Gendron (Opération Enfant Soleil)

MARC & MANDY’S COTTAGE GETAWAY

Marc Atiyolil, The Marc & Mandy Show

This past summer, Mandy and I embarked on a new adventure. We’ve undertaken many renovation projects together over our ten years of marriage but our long search for the perfect renovation project was unsuccessful.

That’s when we decided to build our family cottage and film the process. To say we were unprepared for the strain this adventure would put on our marriage and finances would be an understatement! It took some creative planning and out of the box thinking to bring our dream to reality.

As with any project, it’s all in the planning and that’s why we started working with Aaron and his team at L.A.W Electric to help plan out the electrical and lighting plan of the cottage space. Any good design has a well thought-out lighting scheme and their expertise helped make this a reality. We also knew that we wanted to integrate solar energy into the cabin so we worked with Lorena at Evolve Green to shed some light on how to create sustainable energy for this cottage project. When it came to insulating the space, we visited Olympic Building Centre for all our insulation and drywall needs.

The first hurdle we had to face was fitting all of our dreams into the project without going over budget. A small footprint helped keep the project within budget but required some creative design choices along the way to make our vision a reality! We wanted a space that could be used to entertain which, as you can imagine, can be tricky when working with less square footage. We knew that we didn’t want to visually break up the space with different flooring so we had luxury vinyl plank in Mineral Maple by Shaw Floors from our friends at Curtis Carpets installed throughout the space. This helped the worry of wear and tear over the coming years as the floor is virtually life proof.

PHOTOS: CHRISTINA PALMER

The first decision we made was to make the kitchen the focal point of the design and we enlisted the help of the design team at Gateway Kitchen and Bath to help achieve this. As you may know, we’re not big fans of overly rustic design therefore we wanted to create a beautiful, city meets country style kitchen with a large island that fills the majority of the open concept living area. The shaker style soft gray, almost white, doors contrasted with the black accents which help modernize the nod to rustic charm in the oak island. Our kitchen designer, Camelle also created a beautiful Chevron pattern in front of the island for visual interest and tie in the Chevron backsplash tile. We then paired the finishes with House of Rohl’s Graceline Pulldown black and gold kitchen faucet with their Shaws apron sink to complete the look. As the living room and kitchen are all located in the same open area, a beautiful inset cabinet was designed for the living room as a permanent furniture piece that mimics the look and feel of the kitchen to help tie the areas together. We are absolutely in love on how it all came together.

As entertaining at the cottage was top of mind, it was designed with full length covered decks along the front and back of the structure with large six foot black patio doors and black grille style windows from Ecoline Windows and Doors. This allows us to blend

the outdoor and indoor entertaining areas when hosting guests. The beautiful doors and windows also allow for plenty of natural light to filter through the space, keeping that open and airy feel. We finished the living room with a camel colored leather sofa, a rustic exposed wood coffee table and accent club chair in a blue velvet and accessorized the cottage with a beachy lake life vibe using stunning pieces from Solomon’s Furniture & Appliances.

Since the cottage will be mainly used for weekends and holidays, we were able to keep the bedrooms small. After all, most of our time will be spent outdoors so the bedrooms really do not need to provide much functionality beyond sleeping. Keeping the bedrooms small allowed room for two bathrooms, one for the primary bedroom and one for the children and guests.

The primary bathroom is designed to be a calm, spa-like oasis. Our inspiration came from Sico’s beautiful calming color, Cool Current (6199-42). The earthy green wall color creates that calm, welcoming feel while beautiful marble finishes and black accents keep the space feeling luxurious and modern. Mandy worked closely with our friends at Wolseley Canada on selecting all of these beautiful Kohler pieces from their Tresham collection. When we decided to build, we knew that we had to streamline the process as much as possible to keep on schedule. That’s why we loved how we were able to get everything under one roof from Wolseley Canada including all our plumbing pipes, fixtures and even our HVAC system to keep our cottage cool during the summer and hot on cold winter days. Their knowledge and expertise really took the stress out of planning our cottage oasis.

When it came to designing the kids’ bathroom, we wanted a bright and timeless space that they would enjoy! This bathroom features beautiful pieces from American Standards’ Town Square S collection. American Standard took all of the hard work out of the design process with their collections that are easy to choose from and most importantly easy to install. We loved the crown moulding design of the collection and how it was complemented with timeless finishes. As parents, cleanliness of our kids’ bathroom was also important and that’s why we were so impressed with how their toilet repel bacteria and even the overall design of the toilet makes it easier to clean!

PHOTO: CHRISTINA PALMER

The design of the cottage created a large, open loft area above the main cottage. Through-out the process, the plan was to use this space as a man cave that I could have as my own little getaway. As we neared the end of the build, we realized we had not thought about entertaining when weather was uncooperative. In the end, the decision was made to use the loft area as a flex space that would offer space for guests to gather as well as space that we could use as a family when weather did not permit outdoor activities. The room now houses a sitting area with a TV along with a table and storage space for games, toys and other items that we can use to create memories when stuck indoors. This flex area could also be used for additional sleeping space should we entertain overnight guests. For the exterior of the cottage, we wanted to continue that city meets country style so Mandy visited CanWel Building Materials as they carry some of the best exterior finishes in the country. We chose a stunning James Hardie siding in Countrylane Red as our main color which allows the cottage to really stand out among the forested landscape. Matt and his team at Above Code Exteriors installed the products flawlessly onto the cottage! Instead of pairing this with a traditional white trim, we chose a black accent that gives the look a more modern, urban feel and pairs well with our windows and doors. The black accents also help tie together the roofing shingle that I helped install with Agassiz Roofing. For the two decks, CanWel Building Materials helped us select two different deck tones from MoistureShield Composite Decking, Smokey Gray to frame out the decks and Cathedral Stone for their centres. This creates a beautiful mix of gray and beige to keep these decks looking timeless as trends evolve and change. One thing we really loved about MoistureShield is their Cool Deck technology which makes the material cooler than other composite decking. This feature reduces heat by up to 35% to help keep our feet cool while walking on the decks during hot summer days.

After 6 months of tirelessly working on our family getaway, it is finally complete and we look forward to enjoying it for years to come.

PHOTO: CHRISTINA PALMER

On January 19 and 20 of this year, WRLA members arrived in Winnipeg for our annual Building & Hardware Showcase, and it seems like this was one of the best years yet!

Over 2,000 exhibitors and retailers filled the third floor of Winnipeg’s RBC Convention Centre for two days, bringing with them special deals, new products, and a willingness to connect and renew relationships. Although we first went back to an in-person event in March of 2022, the feeling this time around, and the sentiments expressed by those in attendance, was that this year’s show really felt like a return to “normal”.

The week started out for the WRLA team as we welcomed our Board of Directors to Winnipeg, and took a moment to mark the well-deserved retirement of Mark Kuzma. Mr. Kuzma retires from Taiga Building Products after a career of over 35 years working and building relationships within the industry. In a so-good-we-couldn’t-have-planned-it coincidence, the board and WRLA team took a trip to the Canada Life Centre to kick things off, and were treated to a win by the Winnipeg Jets!

On Tuesday, January 17, we kicked off the week’s events with the debut of the all-new WRLA Academy. Instructor Mike Herperger, from Robinson Residential Design, led students through our new Blueprint Reading Course. This course has become a prerequisite for our newly upgraded Estimating Level 1 class, which now assumes blueprint knowledge and gets into the business of estimation right away.

Wednesday found the convention centre crackling with energy as everyone was finalizing their move-in and booth assembly. The overall look of the final show came into view towards the end of the day, and with the WRLA team getting the New Product Zone squared away to finish things up; the scene was set for the event kick-off.

PHOTOS: ANTHONY FERNANDO

ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET

Guests making their way to the show through Winnipeg’s heated walkways (which come in very handy during winter) were treated to literal red-carpet treatment as representatives from Tourism Winnipeg gave everyone a boisterous welcome.

At nine o’clock, the doors opened. Winnipeg’s Deputy Mayor, Markus Chambers joined Manitoba Minister of Natural Resources, Greg Nesbitt, WRLA Board Chair Andrew Reimer, and WRLA President, Liz Kovach to cut the ribbon and begin the show.

Immediately upon entering the doors of this year’s show, there was a level of excitement and enthusiasm that began strong and carried through the entire event. While we first returned to an in-person showcase in March of 2022, the timing and execution of that event were still subject to lingering health restrictions. Here in January of 2023, one of the comments we heard most was how great it was to be “back to normal.”

SO MUCH TO DO AND SEE

While eager attendees made the rounds of the booths, reconnecting with friends and taking advantage of oncea-year show special pricing, WRLA hosted a robust slate of programming both in our classroom and on the show floor. Our newest instructor, Nicole Younge, from Star Building Materials walked members through the completely revamped, enhanced, and upgraded Estimating Levels 1 and 2 on consecutive days.

In the workshop space, we welcomed Brad Cumiskey from Toolbx to talk about E-Commerce, and Pete Baran from Blueneck Business Mechanics held a master class on business succession. We also had a presentation from Dirk Propp at Immigrate Software who talked about the advantages and procedures for working with Canadian newcomers—a great asset to some of the labour shortages we’ve all seen recently. Joel Siebert of Mountainview Building Materials struck a particularly resonant chord with his seminar on getting your sales team ready to sell, delivering the presentation to a standing-room-only crowd.

Although the day was proceeding at a lively pace, almost everyone took time out to enjoy the fantastic Ukrainianstyle lunch provided by our sponsor, the Sexton Group. The catering staff outdid themselves, and everyone had something great to say about the food before heading back upstairs to the show floor.

One highlight of the afternoon was a gathering of “Ladies in LBM”. Attendees from all walks of the Lumber and Building Materials Industry came together. Facilitated by Liz Kovach, it was an hour full of networking and sharing stories of personal experiences in the industry. There was a goal set at the top of the hour to “leave with three business cards.” From all indications, it was a huge success!

AN AWARDS NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Thursday evening at the ballroom of the Delta Hotel, members were treated to a fantastic networking and awards event, full of food, drinks, and some truly special moments. We honoured four outstanding salespeople with Salesperson of the Year Awards (Check out their profiles on starting page 43!) and welcomed Industry Achievement Award Recipient, Steve Buckle of the Sexton Family of Companies, to the stage. Steve gave a stirring speech, and one by one, expanded the number of folks who were sharing the stage with him, from his family, to his associates, to his sales team, making sure that all in attendance knew that these relationships, these personal connections were truly the secret to success. Following the awards, the crowd got moving with music provided by Little City Band and a great time was had by all!

“I wish I could have been there Thursday it was the first time in my career that I did not attend the WRLA in full. I agree with it being the best. Everybody is now saying it should be in Winnipeg all the time, the best convention facility high ceilings, all windows, great restaurants, weather was awesome. People that did not show up will likely hear about how great the show was and will come next year, fantastic job to you and your entire staff.”

— Gino Allegro

PHOTOS: ANTHONY FERNANDO

THAT FRIDAY FEELING

The second day of the Showcase held more of the same, with some of the workshops being offered again to allow attendees to catch sessions they may have missed the first day.

As the day continued, WRLA was happy to see another delegation of politicians arrive to take in the show. We welcomed NDP MLAs Diljeet Brar, Matt Wiebe and Jamie Moses and NDP candidate Rob Loiselle, as well as Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont and MLA Dr. Jon Gerrard.

On each visit, WRLA staff and board members a highlighted the issues of importance to our members, while touring the floor. They talked about supply chain bottlenecks, and advocating for a home renovation tax credit. (Check out the full recap of our advocacy at the show in this very issue on page 16!)

As the show drew to a close, The Best Booth Award was announced, and for the second year in a row, we congratulate All Weather Windows! We also awarded the Best New Product of the Year to EcoPoxy. Congratulations to both of these outstanding companies for leaving a lasting impression on our show attendees! (Read EcoPoxy’s new product FlowCast SPR on page 40.)

WRLA thanks everyone who attended this year’s show, whether as an exhibitor, a dealer, or a special guest, and extends a special thank-you to our amazing sponsors, without whom none of this would be possible. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Winnipeg in January of 2024!

PHOTOS: ANTHONY FERNANDO

BEST NEW PRODUCT OF 2023 WRLA BUILDING & HARDWARE SHOWCASE—

“We are very honored and thrilled to win Best New Product for FlowCast SPR at this year’s WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase. Our team of chemists, engineers, and woodworkers put a lot of effort into creating a great addition to our casting epoxy line. We set out to create the best possible product for our consumers and retailers and we are very happy to have the product recognized this way.”

—Matt Sauerbrei, Sales Manager of EcoPoxy

EcoPoxy Inc.

ABOUT FLOWCAST TM SPR

FlowCast SPR is a two-component casting epoxy formulated for weekend woodworking projects. When used at one-inch thickness, the maximum volume, and under the recommended conditions, you can expect your projects to demold in just one day!* Use FlowCast SPR epoxy by itself for a water-clear finish or add our liquid or metallic pigments to create custom colors and effects. FlowCast SPR can be used to create beautiful small-scale live edge wood projects, such as coasters and serving trays. For larger projects (such as river tables) use our deep cast resin, FlowCast.

FlowCast SPR can be worked (trimmed, routed, sanded, and finished) using the same tools you have in your woodshop. With our ever-growing line of EcoPoxy® pigments and accessories, we can support you with everything you need for your small-scale epoxy projects. Visit us at www.ecopoxy.com/products/flowcast-spr for more details on FlowCast SPR!

*See our online Application Guide for details

SAVE TIME WITH FASTER CURING PROPERTIES

FlowCast SPR has been formulated to cure faster, making it the ideal casting epoxy for weekend projects. If you’re looking to save time when creating your small epoxy woodworking projects, then FlowCast SPR is the solution you’ve been waiting for!

FlowCast SPR can be used for various types of faster-curing applications such as:

• Serving Trays & Platters

• Drink Coaster

• Decorative Art Pieces

• Small Encapsulated Objects

• Small-Scale Live-Edge Casting Projects

PREMIUM FLOWCAST SPR FEATURES

Perfect for Small Project Pours

With the ability to cast from 1/4" to 1" thick per layer in pour volumes up to 2L, FlowCast SPR is perfect for small-scale live edge wood projects, and small-scale encapsulations.

Minimal Bubbles

FlowCast SPR’s low viscosity provides excellent air release allowing trapped air to rise to the surface, significantly reducing bubbles in the cured casting.

Water-Clear Clarity

FlowCast SPR cures to a highly desired transparent water-clear appearance. It can also be combined with our Liquid and Metallic Color Pigments, and Polyester Color Glitters to create custom hues, tints, shades, and effects.

Other features of FlowCast SPR include:

• Extremely Low-Odor

• Workable with Woodworking Tools

• Significant Bio-Based Content

WHO IS ECOPOXY?

CREATOR OF BIO-BASED EPOXIES

How did a small community of farmers become one of the bestknown producers of bio-based epoxies worldwide? Farming has been our livelihood for generations, but as in any industry, we learned that to survive in today’s economy we had to adapt and diversify. In 2009 we started distributing recycled and eco-friendly products, one of which was an unusual line of epoxies. Unlike others on the market, it had no strong odor and was both easy and fun to work with.

The supplier marketed it as “made from soybeans” and “the greenest epoxy available”. Realizing its potential, we helped grow the brand, eventually acquiring it in 2016. When we met directly with the manufacturer, however, we found the “green” product we had been selling contained none of the natural soybean oil our supplier had claimed.

This was our turning point. Instead of giving up, we hired chemists and assembled an amazing team that has developed EcoPoxy into what we had promised it to be, and more. In the years since, our product line has grown more than we had ever imagined possible. With our head office in Manitoba, Canada, and branches in Florida and Switzerland, EcoPoxy serves a diverse global market through a constantly expanding network of retailers around the globe.

ECOPOXY’S FAMILY OF PRODUCTS

EcoPoxy is an industry leader in researching and developing high bio-content epoxies and resins, made from annually renewable resources. With our world-class research & development facility based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, we’ve been able to formulate, test and deliver several kinds of high-quality bio-based epoxy systems.

FlowCast (www.ecopoxy.com/products/flowcast) for example, our most popular product, is designed for thick pours and longer curing times. It sports some of the same features of FlowCast SPR such as consistent curing properties, minimal bubbles, and a water-clear finish when cured.

UVPoxy (www.ecopoxy.com/products/uvpoxy), an epoxy coating system, was designed with UV stabilizers to help prevent yellowing over time as the epoxy is exposed to UV light naturally. It cures to a natural water-clear, high-gloss finish that looks stunning once cured.

We also feature many more products and accessories suited to your epoxy needs! For more information on FlowCast SPR, other products, and accessories, visit our website at www.ecopoxy.com

MARK WANDY

TAIGA BUILDING PRODUCTS

With a career spent exclusively in the Lumber and Building Industry, Mark Wandy is no stranger to hard work.

“I started pretty much from the ground up,” he said, “working on an assembly line at a roof and floor truss manufacturer in a small town in Saskatchewan.

From his experience on the assembly side, Mark moved on to become part of the design team, before heading to Regina and a position with Gang-Nail Truss. From there he tried his hand at the retail side of things at a lumber store before getting into purchasing—a position he held for the next five years. At that point in his career, the opportunities for a change of scenery and lifestyle beckoned Mark and his wife to make the move to Kelowna, BC, and through his already extensive network of industry contacts, he found himself a new home at Taiga, where he’s been ever since.

In response to receiving this award, Mark was “pleasantly surprised,” adding, “that for someone to take the time to do that, to nominate me, is a huge honour.”

Looking at the 2022 sales year, which led to Mark getting the award, he acknowledged that it was a very busy year. “The pandemic really turned our industry upside down,” he said, “Dealing with supply shortages, allocations and price increases. It was a challenging year, especially for my customers. It seemed like every call I made, something was delayed, or going up in price. It was a lot of one-to-one conversations.”

Mark credits his retail store background with giving him the skills he needed to navigate some of the more challenging conversations over the past year.

With 2023 just beginning, Mark is looking forward to a continuing trend of things getting back to normal, especially with regard to the stability of pricing and availability. In a year that may still be a bit of a reset from the pandemic, he’s particularly looking forward to getting to see more of his customers face-to-face again this year. “That’s

what this industry is built on.”

When asked what advice he would give to a younger version of himself or someone entering the industry, he said, “That’s hard to say because I started in this industry so young, and it led me to where I am today” and added, “If I were in a different industry I would have told myself that, ‘hey, this is such a great world to be a part of,’ and to get in sooner.”

Mark credits the relationships he’s made in the industry for helping him get to where he is today.

PHOTO: ANTHONY FERNANDO

JODIE PORTER

TAIGA BUILDING PRODUCTS

It’s an understatement to say that Jodie Porter knows the Lumber and Building Materials Industry very well. Becoming Assistant Branch Manager and Sales Manager at Taiga’s Edmonton branch last year and winning the WRLA Salesperson of the Year Award for Alberta are just two of the latest achievements in an over 28-year career in LBM.

Starting with Canwel Building Products while she was in University, Jodie found her way into the industry on the accounting side. Through that position, and by the nature of our industry’s strong focus on relationship building and networking, Jodie soon found other opportunities calling and made a jump to lumber trading. While this was the first step in what would prove to be a career she loves, Jodie also faced the additional challenge of being one of just a handful of women in the industry, particularly on the trading side. Today, Jodie still finds a lot of fulfillment in those relationships and in playing the game of watching and working with the lumber market. “It’s really great being able to put together these deals. It gives you a real sense of accomplishment.”

When she found out she was receiving the Salesperson of the Year Award, Jodie said she was overwhelmed but very happy. It was especially gratifying to be recognized for her work as a woman in the industry. She was touched that her customers would take the time to note their appreciation for her work through a nomination. “This is a giant step forward for women in the industry,” she said. “And the fact that there were two women this year just is awesome.”

Taking a step back to examine how 2022 went, leading up to her nomination and receipt of the award, Jodie reflected, “It was like a rinse and repeat of 2021.” She noted the impact that the pandemic had on her work, as well as the industry. “You’re always working at this heightened level of, ‘what’s next?’ and you never get to quite come down from the stress. But we saw the results at the end of the year. It was a really spectacular year.” As an added highlight, 2022 was also the year she got promoted to her current position, “So that was really good for me, too!”

Looking at what lies ahead this year, Jodie acknowledged the industry is likely to see a bit of a downturn in the beginning of 2023, especially in the commodities where she does her work, though she was optimistic about the industry and Alberta in particular, having the diversity of resources in the province to shield them from the worst of the fluctuations. From a professional development standpoint, Jodie is hoping to see more localized support and networking opportunities come together for women in the industry, much like the WOLF (Women Of Lumber and Forestry) conference that happens each year in BC.

When asked what advice she would give to a younger version of herself or someone entering the industry, she said, “Take a deep breath and go for it.” It’s advice that she’s followed herself, and she credits that ability to stop, breathe, and get moving for the success that she’s had so far, with no plans to slow down any time soon!

PHOTO: ANTHONY FERNANDO

JIL REID

ALL-FAB BUILDING COMPONENTS

As the Territory Manager for Central and Northern Saskatchewan, Jil is a veteran in the LBM industry, from her beginnings working at her family’s Home Hardware store to working the retail side of a lumber yard in Saskatoon. From there, she made the move to wholesale and found her calling, working in-store, and creating relationships. After nearly 8 years working to gain traction as an outside sales rep and facing an additional degree of difficulty as a woman in the industry, Jil accepted her current position with All-Fab, which let her focus on using those sales and relationship skills that she finds most fulfilling.

In response to receiving this award, Jil said it was a rare moment for her as it struck her speechless. “It seemed very surreal,” she added. “I’ve been through a lot in this industry, and it’s nice that the people that matter to me—the customers—it feels rewarding to know that I make a difference to them like they do to me.

Thinking back to the year in sales that culminated in her receiving the award, Jil reflected that it was a “hectic year, but very good.” She noted the improvement in supply chain issues and some strategic changes that set the company up for success going forward. Looking ahead to 2023, Jil is looking forward to growing her customer base this year and

SASKATCHEWAN

especially getting back out on the road to see people in person this year.

“I think it (the industry) is going to be very similar to last year, so if you want to do any growth, you’ve got to add to your customer base.

When asked what advice she would give to a younger version of herself or someone entering the industry, she said, “Stick with it. Know your goals. It will happen for you.”

For women entering the industry, Jil had this to add, “find support, find the right environment that will help you grow.”

PHOTO: ANTHONY FERNANDO

ROB ST. ONGE

ALL-FAB BUILDING COMPONENTS

Even from the beginning, when he was working with Roofmart, Rob St. Onge gravitated to outside sales. When he was twenty-five, Rob was promoted to provincial sales manager for IKO Industries, which he says gave him a lot of experience in the overall market in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. From IKO, he moved to Warehouser, and expanded his product lines to “pretty much everything but windows, doors and drywall.” further. That wealth of knowledge makes his an exceptionally capable sales representative and a key member of the All-Fab team.

When he heard that he’d been selected as the Manitoba Salesperson of the year, Rob was very appreciative. “I was surprised, shocked, humbled,” he said. “It’s amazing how you feel. It was very gratifying.”

Thinking back to the sales year that was 2022 that culminated in Rob receiving this award, Rob smiled as he recounted that the past year was organized mayhem. “Just trying to keep things moving forward in a chaotic industry,” he mentioned. “It didn’t slow down for us as much as we were anticipating. Even though the market is slowing down now, there’s still a lot of excitement that’s out there.”

As we near the end of Q1 in 2023, Rob is looking forward to getting back to enjoying the social side of the business, both in visiting customers and in taking part in the special events, golf tournaments, and trade shows that had been put on hold over the past few years. When asked about his predictions for the industry this year, he’s looking forward to increased challenges, but sees real opportunity for increased success as well.

With the benefit of his many years of experience in the industry, Rob is looking at the year ahead in sales with cautious optimism. “It’s strong. it’s going to be a little bit of competition out there trying to keep the business that we’ve had, and the business we’ve earned over the past couple of years, and with the market slowing down a bit, it’s going to be a little more challenging. I’m looking forward to that challenge and what it brings—another great year.”

When asked what advice he would give to a younger version of himself or someone entering the industry, he said, “Don’t give up. Always be thankful for the challenge. The one thing I’ve learned is that not every day is the same. There’s some bad days where it doesn’t matter what you touch, something’s not going to go right, and there’s other fortunate days where you have the Midas touch.”

As a final thought, Rob gave this piece of advice to those joining the industry or working their way up in their careers, “Never give up. Hard work and talent will always beat great talent that’s not working. There’s always something to learn. As long as you’re willing to keep learning and keep growing, I don’t believe there’s any end to where you can go as far as success goes.”

PHOTO: ANTHONY FERNANDO