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ENDCAP F LE AN INDUSTRY “LIFER” CARRIES THE TORCH FOR COMMUNITY NEAR AND FAR Russ Jones, a RONA dealer who owns three stores in British Columbia, has been working toward the same goal since he was 13 years old. Jones spoke at last year’s Hardlines Conference about the impressive and storied career he’s had in the home improvement industry and how his philosophy has remained the same throughout. BY GEOFFREY McLARNEY W hen Russ Jones began his career in the home improvement industry at the age of 13, he never would have guessed how far it would take him. Jones, who co-owns Coast Builders RONA on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast with his wife Tess, told last fall’s Hardlines Conference that his first job at Vanderhoof, B.C.’s co-op in 1980, was the start of a lifelong career. “It’s the only job I’ve ever had, and I’ve loved the journey.” He was working in management at a Revy store when RONA bought the banner in 2001. “Overnight, we became this national brand,” he recalled. “RONA doubled down and stepped up in a big way.” Nearly a decade later, RONA became a major sponsor of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The company’s involvement in the games led to one of the most memorable days of his life, when he had the “once-ina-lifetime opportunity” to run with the Olympic Torch. “Karen Magnussen, who was an Olympic figure skater, handed me her flame from her torch and I got to run with it in my community of North Vancouver,” says Jones. Having passed by a RONA store on his way, Jones obtained the organizers’ permission to head back there afterward, still bearing the torch. “They built a podium for me and all the employees in that store got a chance to hold the torch.” RONA’s sponsorship of the games helped not only athletes, but also supported young people in the region who face obstacles entering the workforce. The company set up a fabrication shop for the Winter Games and employed local at-risk youth to build equipment and gain experience in a trade. But Jones’s sense of community runs farther afield. He and Tess, who moved away from her family in the Philippines at a young age, got a chance to give back to them. After the Olympics, Jones said, “I had the courage to go to my bank and pull $150,000 out of the value of my house. I gave it to my wife, and she took it and went to the Philippines and she built a home for her family.” Jones was overcome with emotion as he related how the project secured Tess’s entire extended family’s housing situation. That experience in turn gave Jones the confidence to take the next step in his career. With Tess’s permission, he sold their house in order to buy their first store. “We risked everything to buy that store,” Russ Jones, pictured with his wife Tess and their children, was an Olympic Torch bearer during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. he recalled. Jones, who had prided himself on leaving home at age 17 and living independently since, went “back at the age of 43 into [his parents’] little retirement home in Madeira Park and moved into their basement with [his] whole family.” “Once again, we used our home as an ATM,” Jones said. “And I became the firstever RONA employee to purchase a RONA store.” He promised Tess they would soon buy another house. “Instead, I bought her another store.” Coast Builders now has three locations— in Madeira Park, Sechelt and Gibsons— growth Jones says was only possible thanks to Lowe’s support. As his business has grown, his philosophy has remained the same. “Really, for me, it’s all about making a difference.” 50 SECOND QUARTER / 2019 Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly www.hardlines.ca
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Page 1 and 2: H A R D L I N E S . C A C O N N E C
Page 3 and 4: PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Michael McLar
Page 5 and 6: CONTENTS VOLUME 9, NO. 2 SECOND QUA
Page 7 and 8: EDITOR’S MESSAGE SIGRID FORBERG,
Page 9 and 10: SOCIAL MEDIA CORNER It’s a little
Page 11 and 12: WE MAKE OUTDOOR SPACES LOOK THEIR B
Page 13 and 14: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Stay in the kno
Page 15 and 16: WRLA SHOW DRAWS DEALERS, FEATURES L
Page 17 and 18: GROWING OUR BUSINESS SO YOU CAN GRO
Page 19 and 20: You need to be there. “The retail
Page 21 and 22: You need to be there. “We’re al
Page 23 and 24: B randing might seem like a corpora
Page 25 and 26: *1/8" Max. Wall Thickness (mild ste
Page 27 and 28: know how successfully it resonates
Page 29 and 30: and unwilling to spend time learnin
Page 31 and 32: Working for our members every day.
Page 33 and 34: Expansion Award HONOURING A COMPANY
Page 35 and 36: the marketplace to move products wh
Page 37 and 38: I n the hardware and building mater
Page 39 and 40: YOUR BUSINESS IS BETTER OFF WITHOUT
Page 41 and 42: The NRHA’s research shows spendin
Page 44 and 45: SELLING TO PROS F LE Burnco Landsca
Page 46 and 47: SELLING TO PROS F LE five percent o
Page 48 and 49: AD INDEX ADVERTISERS: SECOND QUARTE
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