Across the Yard Podcast

What happens when a family’s journey across continents leads to a thriving business in Canada? In this week’s episode of Across the Yard, we are joined by Rebekah Doerksen, Executive Assistant with Supply-Build Canada, as this week's temporary host, and Harry Sunner, owner of Durabuilt Windows & Doors, to talk about his journey from living in England to leading one of Canada’s most successful wind...

Every business, no matter big or small, deals with mundane, repetitive tasks. From processing invoices to managing warehouse & stock reconciliation. But what if you could handle all of that and focus on bigger projects at the same time? In this week's episode, Liz sits down with Mohan Mailvaganam, National Canadian Practice Leader at Xerox, to explore the company’s surprising evolution from a lega...

Did you ever imagine yourself in the building supply industry– or even owning a business in it? In this week's episode, Liz sits down with Rob and Joanne Lawrie, owners of The Lawrie Group of Home Hardware Stores, to hear the story of how they got started and built their business together. They talk about their early days, what it’s like running a company as a couple, and the challenges they faced...

With the Canadian election now behind us, the building supply and construction industry has a brighter spotlight than ever before in the public eye. But what does the road ahead look like? In this week’s episode, Rodrigue Gilbert, president of the Canadian Construction Association, sits down with Liz Kovach to unpack the election results and explore what this means for the industry’s future. They...

Do you ever wonder how you can better connect with people? Why people are the way they are? Or how to improve the workplace culture? Are you aware of how much time the human brain spends in survival mode? (you will be shocked to hear the stat!!!) On this week’s Across the Yard, Liz sits down with Dr. Eugene K. Choi, a Neuroscience-Based Leadership Coach, to discuss the science behind the survival...

All it takes is a spark to lose everything. So, what can we do to better protect our homes from fire? This week, Liz welcomes Mike Baker, CEO of BarrierTek, and Ewan Davie, Vice President of Sales, to break down the science behind engineering fire-resistant treatments. They share the research that led to them to create this innovative treatment, challenges they've faced, their upcoming plans for B...

It has been a perplexing week to say the least. For weeks Canada has been accused of many things and we fully expected sweeping tariffs to be implemented on the 2nd, however Canada and Mexico did not make it onto the sweeping list of announcements on April 2nd, yet there is no real sense of relief, and the uncertainty continues. As a business, it’s impossible to chart a course when the road map co...

Housing affordability has been a prominent topic of discussion for many years, but are we actually taking steps to get there? On this week’s bonus episode of Across the Yard, host Liz Kovach, Jim Tobin President & CEO of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Kevin Lee CEO of the Canadian Association of Home Builders (CHBA) discuss the current climate of affordable housing and the di...

At some point, we all encounter broken glass. Whether we break it, someone else does, or it breaks on its own, what solution do we have to solve that problem? To make it stronger, of course! This week on Across the Yard, Liz Kovach and Vince Croker discuss the thought process and motivation behind creating unbreakable glass, the possible impacts of tariffs, how insurance plays a role, and how ROCK...

We often hear that the Canadian economy is built on small to medium sized business, but they face some of the largest challenges to thrive and prosper. Join us as Peter Turkstra, owner of Turkstra Lumber and industry advocate, joins Liz Kovach on this episode of Across the Yard to talk candidly about the issues impacting his retail business in Ontario. The building supply sector is a significant e...

Let's Talk Tariffs Understandably, tariffs are at the top of everyone's mind right now. On again, off again, on again - it's incredibly hard to keep track of and, if you're a business owner, especially in the building materials industry, it's making it tougher than ever to make the right decisions. The spreading of misinformation and more voices than ever in the conversation, with varying degrees...

The Building Supply Industry is vast, and there are more options than ever for materials and finishings. So how does a new company break through? How do they bring their product to market and stand out from the crowd? This week, Liz sits down with Dean Petrillo and Kristyna Traynova from ABI Mouldings to hear their story. They discuss the beginnings and growth of the company, including how attendi...

What is the secret to being a great leader? When hard work is a given, what else do successful CEO's, coaches, and management do to lead their team forward? To begin to answer these questions, we invited Kevin Eastman, who coached the Boston Celtics to a World Championship in 2008, about what it takes to make the best The Best. He's also the author of the bestselling book. "WHY THE BEST ARE THE BE...

Technology is top of mind for everyone these days. It's changing the way we do everything, including retail. Diego Mazzone is on the show this week with Liz to talk about the advancements in the retail space that are using tech to elevate the in-store shopping experience. The inventory and pricing automations that JRTech Solutions offer with their electronic shelf label systems are freeing up empl...

Welcome to Season 3! Across the Yard is back for our new season with new interviews, new topics, a new brand, and we’re ready to rock n’ roll! Kicking things off, Liz welcomes performance coach Travis Thomas, author of “3 Words for Getting Unstuck: Live Yes, And” and his latest, “Confidence is Overrated: Why Courage is the Antidote and Feelings Make Cowards of Us All.” Liz and Travis discuss his b...

2024 is coming to a close, and what a year it's been! Liz, Amanda, and Chris from the WRLA team take a moment to look back on some highlights from the year, including the roll out of our new Building Material Fundamental Suite, our many new Affiliate partnerships, and our ever-present commitment to helping our members be successful. Then, we look ahead to 2025, and the upcoming WRLA Building & Har...

Let’s Talk Commodities. Across the Yard with Don Humphries from Sexton This week, we’re taking the plunge and talking about commodities and the lumber market. To guide us through it, we welcome guest Don Humphrey, National Commodity Wood Manager for Sexton Group Ltd. He and Liz talk about the regionality of the lumber industry, and how provincial regulations play a role in the success of mills acr...

Mental conditioning goes a long way. Your resilience and willingness to ask yourself tough questions can prepare you to deal with the pressures, stress, and even fear that come with running, or working in an organization. How do elite performers do it? What's the secret? Our guest today is Lauren Johnson. Lauren helps elite individuals develop mental toughness so they can perform their best regard...

One of the biggest pieces of a business' marketing puzzle is branding. Everything begins and ends with how your business represents itself. What message is your brand telling customers before they ever walk through your door or pick up the phone (or click that link, etc.) This week, Liz is joined by Kiirsten May of UpHouse, a branding agency located in Winnipeg, with dozens of successful rebrandin...

At this year's WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase, we're facing off for a great cause. We'll be holding the first ever Hockey for Habitat Event. Participating WRLA Members will be drafted to either Team TIMBER MART or Team CertainTeed. On this week's episode, Liz sits down with the captain of Team TIMBER MART - and the person who almost single-handedly conceived this event - Joel Hartung of The Lum...

The WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase is in Edmonton, Alberta for our 31st annual event. It's our first time hosting the show in Edmonton, so we invited on a guest who knows a thing or two about this wonderful city - Peter Cottan from Explore Edmonton. They talk about the significance of the show coming into the city, how the newly revitalized Expo Centre is ready to provide a world class experien...

This is our 50th Episode! We started Across the Yard (formerly the very creatively titled, "WRLA Podcast") to share with the world what we already knew - that the Lumber and Building Materials industry is home to so many incredible business leaders and employees. We've invited 50 episodes worth of guests to join us for a chat and, quite often, a few laughs. We've talked about the market, the natur...

It's no great secret that experience (or the school of hard knocks) is the ultimate teacher. While education and theory can impart critical thinking skills and a baseline of knowledge, there's no substitute for on-the-job experience. That's where internship can help - specifically the WRLA's internship program. This week, Liz is speaking to three recent students who found full-time employment thro...

"Am I the a**hole if I buy groceries with my company credit card?" "How many drinks is too many at a work function?" "Would I be the a**hole if I suspect something's up with the person that calls in sick every single Tuesday after a long weekend?" These are just some of the questions that can keep a manager or business owner up at night. Lucky for us, we've got people and culture consultant Natali...

"All you need is love ... and receipts" ~the Beatles' accountant, probably. Expenses are one thing that every business has in common. Regardless of your product or service, there are expenses involved with doing business, and keeping track of spending is one of the most important things you can do for your bottom line. If only it wasn't so much WORK. Our guest this week is Paul Ansloos from Expens...