News Release For immediate release RONA Opens a New Big-Box in Ottawa: $20 million RONA Home & Garden store to generate 280 jobs Ottawa, May 29, 2002 RONA opened its 41 st retail warehouse store today, a $20-million-plus investment that will operate under the RONA Home & Garden banner in Ottawa. Located at 1880 Innes Road in the National Capital s Gloucester sector, the new big-box store with 135,000 square feet of retail space will create some 280 jobs. On hand for the official opening, with its traditional beam-cutting ceremony, were the M.P. for Ottawa Orléans Eugène Bellemare, Ottawa City Councilors Rainer Bloess and Michel Bellemare, RONA Inc. President and CEO Robert Dutton and other Ottawa-area dignitaries, along with dealer-owners, store employees and more than 1,000 customers. This ultra-modern store concept was designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to help our customers build on their imagination. This means creating a store that will make their projects easier and a whole lot more exciting when it s time to renovate their homes, Mr. Dutton explained. We have a winning formula on our hands, and that encourages us to pursue our expansion so we can offer it to as many Canadian communities as possible. Being a member of the RONA network has tremendous advantages, said Gloucester RONA Home & Garden Store Manager Chris Wellbrock. Among other things, we can rely on a hightech supply and distribution system. And since we can also count on RONA s unmatchable buying power, dealing mainly with Canadian manufacturers, we re in a position to offer customers not only a huge range of items, but also the best prices in the market, Mr. Wellbrock added. A store with exclusive features RONA Home & Garden Gloucester will carry some 45,000 different items in a 135,000 squarefoot store. Hardware, tools, building materials, gardening supplies, paint, and decoration products are all available under one roof. Exclusive features showcased in the store include: A 30,000 square-foot indoor lumberyard offering the highly popular drive-through service a major hit with customers at other RONA big-box stores in Ontario and Quebec; A 4,039 square-foot greenhouse next to a 25,000 square-foot garden center; A gigantic seasonal products area, one of the largest in the Ottawa region. /2
- 2 - This new RONA big-box also features specialized departments for paint, flooring, décor and furniture, doors and windows and more. Additional specialty services include kitchen design, lumber cutting and delivery. A new name for the best in home improvement service RONA Home & Garden is a warehouse-style home centre offering both an unbeatable selection of products and outstanding personalized customer service. Like all RONA locations, this store has been designed to satisfy customers from all walks of life, from home contractors and skilled professionals to hobbyists and weekend do-it-yourselfers. The new Ottawa store is the seventh location under the RONA Home & Garden banner, created in September 2001 as an inclusive name for all RONA big-box stores in Ontario. The new banner also covers existing stores. RONA officially announced today that the RONA Warehouse in the Nepean sector will adopt the RONA Home & Garden name. The 150,000 square-foot Nepean store is located at 585 Hunt Club Road West. RONA partners with the community At today s opening ceremony, RONA presented a $10,000 cheque to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre Foundation. The donation was made in connection with the Motorcycle Ride for Dad, which raises funds annually for prostate cancer research and education. Mr. Wellbrock and other members of the RONA Home & Garden management team took part in the event held last weekend. RONA is the leading distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products in Canada. RONA and its dealer-shareholders operate a Canada-wide network of 540 stores of varying sizes and formats under a variety of banners. With over 16,000 employees and some 10 million square feet of retail space, the RONA network generates close to $3 billion in annual sales, representing 13% of the Canadian market. -30- Note to the media: A photo of the event can be downloaded later today from the RONA website at www.rona.ca (select About RONA, then Press Releases). Information: Sylvain Morissette France Bouffard Director of Communications Sphère Communication stratégique RONA Inc. (514) 286-2772, ext. 10 1-877-599-5900, ext. 123 (514) 239-5280 (Cell) mors@rona.ca
Fact Sheet Gloucester Address: 1880 Innes Road Ottawa ON K1B 3K5 Tel.: (613) 741-6331 Fax: (613) 741-2009 Number of partner-employees: 279 Selling area: 75,920 square feet (store) 29,896 square feet (indoor lumberyard) 4,039 square feet (greenhouse) 25,925 square feet (gardening centre) Store departments: (over 45,000 products) Colour Centre - Paint Decor and Furniture Doors and Windows Flooring Zone Kitchen showroom Hardware Tool Coral Plumbing Seasonal products showroom Greenhouse and gardening centre Building materials Indoor lumberyard with drive-through shopping Specialized services: Service to contractors and industries On-site cutting service Delivery service Kitchen design Store hours: Monday to Friday: 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
News Release For immediate release RONA celebrates Gloucester opening with plenty of community spirit $10,000 donation to the Motorcycle Ride for Dad Ottawa, May 29, 2002 At the opening ceremony for Gloucester s new RONA Home & Garden, Robert Dutton, President and CEO of RONA Inc., joined Chris Wellbrock, Store Manager, and Wayne Bent, Store Manager of Nepean s RONA Home & Garden, in presenting a $10,000 cheque to Garry Janz, organizer of the Motorcycle Ride for Dad, and André Lagasse, a member of the board of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre Foundation. Motorcycle Ride for Dad is a local event that raises money for prostate cancer research and education at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre. Members of RONA Home & Garden management team were among the 800-plus participants in the 100-km motorcycle ride, which took place last Saturday. Motorcycle Ride for Dad s mission is important, so I m glad RONA was able to contribute so soon after our arrival in Gloucester, said Chris Wellbrock. Helping organizations in our local communities is a priority for RONA, added Robert Dutton. We support a lot of humanitarian groups across Canada, and we re very happy to contribute to the invaluable work of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre. RONA is the leading distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products in Canada. RONA and its dealer-shareholders operate a Canada-wide network of 540 stores of varying sizes and formats under a variety of banners. With over 16,000 employees and some 10 million square feet of retail space, the RONA network generates close to $3 billion in annual sales, representing 13% of the Canadian market. - 30 - Note to the media: Source: Information: A photo of the presentation can be downloaded from the RONA website at www.rona.ca (select About RONA, then Press Releases). Sylvain Morissette Director of Communications, RONA Inc. Phone: 1 877-599-5900, ext. 123 Cell: (514) 239-5280 Chris Wellbrock Store Manager, RONA Home & Garden Gloucester Phone: (613) 741-6331
RONA HOME & GARDEN / GLOUCESTER OFFICIAL OPENING Wednesday, May 29, 2002 7:00 a.m. RONA and the store s management invite all the employees to an official breakfast Scenario NOTE: Tuesday, May 28, Alain Dupuis (cell. 514-232-2222) will come during the day to prepare the hot-air balloon promotions in the store. The caterer will deliver the tables. The audio supplier will come to install his equipment. 6:00 a.m. Installation of the Grand Opening balloons outside the store and on the roof. Arrival of the caterer for the employee s breakfast. Arrival of Sylvain Morissette to coordinate the event s preparations. 7:00 a.m. Coffee, juice and pastries will be served in the merchandise reception area. Official welcoming of the employees in their sections. Chris Wellbrock, Louis Turcotte, Michel Robin, Pierre Dandoy. 8:00 a.m. Sylvain Morissette invites the employees to the site of the official presentations Central lane, next to the materials counter. 8:05 a.m. Sylvain invites Chris Wellbrock, Store Manager, to speak. Chris welcomes everyone, underlines the presence of the VIPs (Pierre Dandoy, Louis Turcotte, Michel Robin), introduces his management team (Directors and managers) and delivers a message of pride to his staff. 8:15 a.m. Chris invites Pierre Dandoy, Executive Vice-President, Big-Box for RONA, to speak. 8:16 a.m. Pierre Dandoy s speech. RONA Home & Garden GLOUCESTER page 1
8:22 a.m. Chris thanks Pierre Dandoy. He gives out the day s schedule: - From 8:30 a.m. to 9:20 a.m.: every team within the different departments will have their picture taken with Mr. Dutton, President and CEO, Mr. Dandoy, Mr. Turcotte and himself, Chris; - Opening at 9:30 a.m.: Wayne Bent, Nepean Store Manager, will arrive in a truck (Boom Truck) and will give Chris a giant saw to symbolize the store opening at the beam cutting ceremony. - Chris says: At that moment, I will be at the front of store, next to the doors, for the official opening. You are all invited to stand on both sides of the main entrance to welcome and applaud our first clients. And some of you will have the responsibility to hand out gifts (measuring tape) to the first 1000 clients. - 11:00 a.m.: press conference, in the presence of some of the area s elected representatives (the MP, two municipal counsellors) and Mr. Dutton. - 11:30 a.m.: beam cutting ceremony. We will also organize promotions with customers all day: Lift off with RONA. Upon their arrival at the door, each client will be given coupons to participate in an activity. The client will have to try and lift off a mini hot-air balloon. A star product will be attached to that hot-air balloon and the person that will succeed in inserting enough helium balloons to lift it off will win the prize. Finally, we will also have clowns to amuse the kids. And let s not forget our investment in the community: We will hand out a $10,000 cheque to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre during the press conference. These are the day s activities. But I would like to remind you that today, beside anything else, is the first day we will be serving our clients. This is the most important aspect of this day. 8:30 Chris thanks everyone for their attention and invites them to get to their respective departments to finalise the store s preparations, and also to wait for their picture to be taken. RONA Home & Garden GLOUCESTER page 2
RONA HOME & GARDEN DE GLOUCESTER/ OFFICIAL OPENING Wednesday, May 29, 2002 9:25 a.m. Official Public and VIP Opening The managers and employees greet the public Scenario 8:00 a.m. Coffee and juice is set up outside the store by the entrance for the people waiting for the store opening (plan for 1 table with the caterer). 9:29 a.m. Wayne Bent arrives in the «Boom Truck» with the big saw. He steps down from the vehicle and approaches the main entrance. 9:30 a.m. Door opening by Chris Wellbrock. Picture taken with Wayne who gives Chris the saw. Wayne enters the store. Chris gives the first client the first measuring tape. Picture to be taken. The drummers start playing. Welcoming of the public by the employees. Hand out of the gift for the first 1,000 visitors. Hand out of the flyer. Hand out of the store plan. From 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Welcoming the visitors. Hand out of the gifts. Store visit. 10:45 a.m. RONA employees and Stéphane Larose of Sphère Communication welcome the VIPs and the media at the door. RONA officials at the ceremony s site will welcome them. The ceremonies will take place next to the materials counter, in the middle lane. RONA Home & Garden GLOUCESTER page 3
11:00 a.m. Beginning of the ceremony. The master of ceremony (MC) will be Jean Bruyère (CKTF Radio and Voice over specialist.) Welcoming and greetings mainly in English. 11:02 a.m. MC invites Chris Wellbrock of RONA Home & Garden Gloucester to speak. Chris introduces his main directors who join him next to the podium-ladder and thanks all the all the project managers of the new store. 11:06 a.m. MC thanks Mr. Wellbrock and invites Michel Bellemare, City Counsellor for the Beacon Hill Cyrville ward, to speak. 11:07 a.m. Mr. Bellemare s speech. 11:10 a.m. MC thanks Mr. Bellemare and invites Rainer Bloess, City Counsellor for the Innes ward to speak. 11:11 a.m. Mr. Bloess s speech. 11:13 a.m. MC thanks Mr. Bloess and invites Eugène Bellemare, Federal M.P., to speak. 11:14 a.m. Mr. Bellemare s speech. 11:18 a.m. MC thanks Mr. Bellemare and invites RONA s President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Dutton. 11:19 a.m. Mr. Dutton s speech. 11:24 a.m. MC thanks Mr. Dutton. 11:25 a.m. MC invites Messrs. Dutton, Wellbrock and Bent to come and hand out the $10,000 cheque to the local organisation. RONA Home & Garden GLOUCESTER page 4
11:30 a.m. MC invites Mr. Wellbrock, the City Counsellors, the MP and Mr. Dutton to proceed with the beam cutting ceremony. 11:31 a.m. The beam is installed. Chris Wellbrock cuts the beam. Photo-op. 11:35 a.m. MC invites the media and VIPs to visit the store. 11:35 a.m. A light buffet is served in the merchandise receiving area. 2:00 p.m. Beginning of the hot-air balloon activities. RONA Home & Garden GLOUCESTER page 5