Why the West? Liz is joined by Matthew Brennan from Greenfiber, manufacturers of cellulose insulation.

They talk about the company's expansion across Canada into the west, but that's just the beginning!

In this episode, Liz and Matthew get into the nature of reclaimed and recycled materials, the logistics and supply chain challenges that, while not unique to the west, are keenly felt across the prairies and beyond. What does it take to build climate-conscious housing while still being affordable and, above all, providing comfortable houses people want to live in? Listen to all this and more in this week's Across the Yard!

Links:

WRLA: https://www.wrla.org

WRLA Showcase: https://wrlashowcase.ca

Greenfiber: https://www.greenfiber.com

Why would a customer choose your store over your competitor? What sets you apart?

Liz is joined by returning guests Sarah Hounslow from BMF and Joel Siebert from Mountainview Building Materials. They discuss how Joel, in working with the merchandising experts at BMF, became a destination store that leads with their materials expertise. You may not be the one-stop-shop, but you can be the leading authority on the products you sell!

Joel talks about how that expertise leads to different product mixes at different locations and how you really, really don’t want to buy that vinyl siding if you want your house to stand up to Alberta weather.

It’s a great conversation, and you’re sure to take away some tips to make your business better today. Enjoy the show!

Make sure to subscribe on Spotify or your favourite podcast app to get new episodes as soon as they’re released!

Links

WRLA: https://www.wrla.org

BMF: https://www.bmfonline.com

Mountainview Building Materials: https://mountainviewbm.ca/

What are your customers thinking?

Knowing how people think when preparing for a purchase can give you a big lift in your sales strategies. Liz is joined by Lee Waltham of Brandish Inc. to talk about these subjects as well as the importance of brand recognition, customer feedback, and three questions you can ask today to start improving your business!

Enjoy the show!

Links:

WRLA: www.wrla.org

Brandish: https://brandishagency.com/

Lee Waltham: @leewaltham (LinkedIN)

What does it take to grow a product from idea to one of the world's leading professional tools?

Join us this week as we find out from Rolf Effertz and Blessy Liquido of TurnX tools. Learn how a chance encounter with a stubborn window shade kickstarted innovation and why today, nothing compares with the in-store experience.

Thank you to TurnX for a fabulous conversation about an even more fabulous product!

Links:

TurnX Tools: https://turnxtools.com/

WRLA: www.wrla.org

"Race to the bottom",

"Circling the Drain",

"Bleeding Out"

There are many ways to describe it, but everyone who runs a business knows the situation where price (and only price) seems to be the only thing that matters. Margins get thinner, needed expenses get trimmed, and growth? What growth?

Liz is joined by Joel Seibert of Mountainview Building Materials and Pete Baran from Blueneck Business Mechanics. They discuss the pitfalls of making everything about price and how you can break the cycle. Listen in and learn how to create strong customer loyalty, energize your workforce, and set yourself on a growth trajectory. Enjoy!

Have you ever thought about running a golf tournament? Maybe you want to support a local charity, maybe you're looking to get your customers all together in one place - maybe you just really, really like golf!

But where to start?

This week, Liz is talking to the WRLA Events team - Amanda Camara and Brenda Bourns, who have worked on dozens of successful golf tournaments about how they work, why they work, and what you should know before you host - or participate in - a tournament. They'll also give you some insights into how we're putting together the 2024 WRLA Golf "Tour" this year!

You definitely don't want to miss this one!

Links:

WRLA Events https://wrla.events/

Everyone loves events, but it can be an expensive proposition to participate in everything you want to do! How do you and your business make the most out of the opportunities present at an industry event?

We're joined by Jason, Mathieu, and Patricia from Acceo Solutions Inc., who talk about how they approach event marketing, and what they plan to get out of their presence. They highlight the strategies behind using their WRLA Showcase presence to roll out their new program, and how they used the "3 C's" to generate buzz!

Also, as of this week, our podcast has a name! Across the Yard will continue to bring you great interviews on relevant business topics, featuring top industry experts. Subscribe today, and we'll be seeing you across the yard!

This week's episode is one we've been looking forward to for awhile now. Let's get down to business and talk about sales! We're thrilled to have Brian Glen of Vicwest with us on the show to talk sales strategy, what it means to keep growing and adapting, and even how to run a successful sales team. (Spoiler: sometimes there are setbacks!)

Thanks for joining us - enjoy the show!

Links:

https://www.wrla.org

https://www.vicwest.com

Let's Go Build is WRLA's signature program to help recruit new talent into the Lumber and Building Materials industry. Promotion of this program kicked off last year with a public awareness campaign in newspapers, magazines, podcasts, and social media.

Now, in 2024, we're taking this program to the next level as we head out on the road for a series of Career Fairs and school information sessions, as well as offering our members access to our all-new Job Board. Chris Allinotte and Matthew Lucek, two members of the WRLA team leading the way on the Let's Go Build Program, join Liz to talk about the past, present, and future of this exciting campaign, and what it means for the LBM industry!

This week’s podcast is one you won’t want to miss! Liz is joined by Sarah Hounslow of Burlington Merchandising & Fixtures (BMF) and Lee Waltham from the Brandish creative agency.

They have a great discussion about what it means to step back and look at the big picture in your business, and why it’s worth taking the time to be strategic.

There's also a great chat about why it’s just as important for business leaders to take care of their own personal growth and wellbeing as it is for their team.

Links:

WRLA: https://www.wrla.org

BMF: https://www.bmfonline.com

Brandish: https://brandishagency.com/