Roman Markiewicz shows off the latest DeWalt tools.
Photos by Marc LaBossiere / Winnipeg Free Press
McMunn & Yates sales representative Dave Wyllie (from left), event co-ordinator Jayna Ives and McMunn & Yates CEO Jason Yates hosted the contractor appreciation event held on March 13.
The McMunn & Yates Winnipeg Contractor Appreciation event provides an opportunity for contractors to see some of the latest products.
The annual McMunn & Yates Winnipeg Contractor Appreciation event was held March 13 at the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre.
This meet and greet gives suppliers and manufacturers an opportunity to showcase their products at individual booths.
Jayna Ives, the event’s co-ordinator, filled me in on the hard work that goes into organizing and orchestrating these fun and informative shows, which also include a buffet dinner for everyone in attendance.
"I have had the pleasure and honour of managing these events for 15 years," Ives says, "we host events like these in Dauphin, Brandon, Yorkton (Sask.), Winnipeg, Steinbach and Keewatin (Ont.)," Ives says a great deal of advanced planning goes into the shows. "Setting the dates and selecting where we host the events comes first, then we start planning about 12 months out in some markets, and three months out is when the real work begins."
McMunn & Yates commercial sales associate Dave Wyllie, who is my regular rep, introduced me to Jason Yates, the son of Terry Yates, the man who started the company in Dauphin with brothers Gordon and Stan McMunn back in 1971. The company now has 19 stores and two truss-manufacturing plants serving contractors, commercial builders and retail consumers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and northwest Ontario.
Wyllie not only enjoys the events, but also sees the value in them.
"It’s an opportunity for our contractor base to see and showcase the latest and greatest products we’re introducing for the upcoming year, an opportunity to network with contractors and suppliers, and lastly, and most importantly, it’s an opportunity for us to show our appreciation for our contractor base." Wyllie has been with the company since 1990 and moved into commercial sales in 1999.
He ushered me over to specific booths showcasing new products by various suppliers he knew would pique my interest in anticipation of the upcoming deck-building season.
Dale Townsend from TAIGA Building Products described their latest product — the Trex Enhance Decking line, new for 2019.
"What Trex has done is meld the durability of composite with the affordability of treated wood," he says.
Similar to the other Trex lines, Enhance is value-priced for the budget-conscientious buyer — good news for customers, and just in time for deck season.
Another booth that caught my eye was Fiberon, an international composite and PVC deck manufacturer.
They also supply composite decking for a variety of lifestyle choices and price points. Goodfellow Inc. distributes Fiberon throughout Canada, and Goodfellow territory sales rep Julian Scott truly relishes these events.
"All tiers of the product cycle come together here," he says.
"McMunn & Yates employees and their contractors, distributors and manufacturers — it’s rare to get all facets of the industry in the same room."
Ryan Roper, area sales manager for Owens Corning, agrees the event is a great chance for manufacturers to get face-to-face interaction with the McMunn & Yates customer base.
"They do such a first-class job with everything from the food, to prizes, to the customer service they provide — I’m already excited for next year."
A sea of yellow tools drew me towards the DeWalt booth like a magnet.
The banner displayed a Stanley Black and Decker logo — which had me asking a few questions. With over 30 years of experience with the brand, territory manager Roman Markiewicz filled me in on the history.
"DeWalt is one of several product lines under the Stanley Black & Decker moniker, that also includes Stanley, Black & Decker, Irwin, Porter Cable and Bostitch," Markiewicz says.
Even though I’m a loyal DeWalt user this information was news to me — it’s always humbling to learn something new!
Jason Yates hammered home the great things his company is doing in the community.
"We put relationships first, whether it’s with customers working on a small home improvement project or a large commercial building," Yates says. "This is a great opportunity to connect with our customers, receive feedback on how we can improve and better understand what products they require."
Take it from this contractor — it sure feels great to be appreciated and McMunn & Yates and all its staff and stakeholders should be commended for putting on such a great event.
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