Marc Robichaud to receive Retail Innovator Award

TIM-BR MART DEALER’S GREEN MARKETING EFFORTS RECOGNIZED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER

Monday, June 15, 2009 (Calgary, AB) –  It’s no secret within TIM-BR MART that Marc Robichaud of U.J. Robichaud TIM-BR MART in Meteghan Centre, Nova Scotia is ‘greener’ than most. And now he’s being recognized on both sides of the border. Today the company announced that Robichaud, a 5th generation retailer, will receive the North American Retail Hardware Association’s (NRHA) Retail Innovator of the Year award in the ‘Green Marketing’ category.

Over 10 years ago, Marc felt strongly that taking the company in an environmentally friendly direction could define them in the decades to come. Since then, he has worked to carve a niche for the company as leaders in ‘green’ and has been recognized locally, provincially and now internationally for his efforts.

Robichaud’s approach to being an eco-minded business is all-encompassing and doesn’t stop at the wide variety of future-friendly products he stocks on his shelves. He’s implemented store policies and practices (like ‘no idling’ for the delivery fleet and using wood scraps as a heat energy source for on-site buildings), he employs online selling and marketing tactics, and of course, walks the talk himself outside his store—literally—during his daily walks to work and a whole host of other personal practices that are green. Marc has become a ‘go-to’ person for customers, organizations and businesses seeking green speakers, and even the local radio station (they’re considering having him host a series of environmental clips on-air).

Marc’s view on eco-consciousness conveys a long-standing awareness: “I think my generation understood at an early age that we would have to create the change we wanted to see. We did not just wake up one day and say, ‘hey, we have to do things differently,’ but we grew up thinking that way. We realized that the planet could not survive if we did not treat it with more respect.”

A key plank in Robichaud’s multi-pronged eco-strategy is EnerGrade, a TIM-BR MART initiative which helps customers improve the energy-efficiency of their home. Marc and his team grabbed onto this program quickly and established themselves as the destination for people looking to undertake efficiency projects. They now help customers all the way from project planning, to home energy audits (essential to access government grants) to the project completion; he has also embraced EcoChoice, TIM-BR MART’s designation for products that are better for the environment.

“Marc is a fantastic Ambassador in bringing our retail environmental initiatives to life,” commented Steve Stremecki, Vice President, Retail Services at TIM-BR MART, adding: “He shows what can happen when a retailer chooses to see things a little differently and sticks to a vision and path. What’s admirable is Marc is trending to the future in a family business that’s over 140-years-old. To walk that balance between history and change—and be successful at it—that’s ‘retail innovation’.”

The NRHA’s Retail Innovator Awards are intended to honour the outstanding achievements of owners and managers of independently owned hardware and building supply stores in both Canada and the U.S. Marc Robichaud will receive his award at the NRHA’s annual conference in San Antonio, Texas next month.

In business since 1967, TIM-BR MART represents more than 740 Dealer locations across Canada, over $2 billion in annual purchases and over $3.4 billion in retail sales. TIM-BR MART’s focus is to be the buying group of choice for independent retailers, commercial dealers and manufacturers in Canada by combining their volume and purchasing at the lowest cost, understanding the needs of their Dealers, and offering a menu of value-added services. To learn more about TIM-BR MART, visit www.timbrmart.ca.

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photo accompanies release

For more information:

Aimee Feaver                           

aimee.feaver@timbrmart.ca      

website: http://ujr.ca