Building Success
by Finding the Perfect Fit: Aligning the right people with the right jobs Written and photographed by Mary Savage
W
hen Roger Cundy, Barry Hanna and Bonnie Dolan decided to go into business, it wasn’t because they had a brilliant new invention.
Simply put, they followed their passion: to provide extraordinary service and quality products in an industry they knew extremely well. Roger and Barry met during the early ’80s while working in the lumber industry. Roger worked in contract sales and Barry worked in operations. During those years and while forging new business, they met Bonnie who was working in the manufacturing sector for a high-end mouldings company in sales and accounting. And although none of them realized it at the time, the colleagues would come together – about 10 years later – to form their own business. In 1993, the trio started Regal Building Materials Ltd. and they each brought about 20 years of experience to the table. It was the perfect partnership: contractor sales, operations and accounting, and their vision was to build the best business in the industry. Roger believed that success – in any market – came down to having the right people doing the right jobs, and 20 years later their track record is proof positive. Regal started as a modest five-person shop that operoper ated from two bays in a southeast Calgary business complex and it has evolved to become the city’s larglarg est supplier of interior doors, french doors, mouldings, locks, bathroom hardware and sheet goods.
The team at Regal Building Materials
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The three owners of Regal Building Materials
The new management team
Since 1998, Regal has won numerous SAM awards (Calgary Home Builders’ Association) – solidifying their vision and drive to provide the best service and products available, and today, Regal proudly holds about 25 per cent of the total market share. As the industry has evolved, one of Regal’s biggest challenges has been to continually educate their customers about the influx of new products, and they recognized the best way to solve this problem was to hold regular tradeshows. About 10 years ago, Regal started hosting such an event to showcase the new product lines. “The difference between the way business was done in the 1980s compared to now is that 30 years ago, there were only a few choices when selecting baseboards, doors, locks and hardware,” says Roger Cundy, CEO and president. “Today we carry hundreds of product lines.” Twenty years after opening the Regal doors, the business has become a sprawling operation that encompasses about 65,000 square feet, dispersed among 12 bays – all throughout the same complex. As part of Regal’s evolution and growth, they established a multi-family department about 10 years ago – spearheaded
and led by Barry Hanna. This successful part of the business also includes a supply and install department with crews of outstanding finishers and installers. As the city has grown and as it relates to the homebuilding industry, revised safety regulations have changed the way business is conducted. Regal was the first business – in their part of the industry – to become COR certified. They employ a full-time safety officer, John Geraldi, who is a 15-year employee. Likewise, Bret Hanna, service manager, heads up Regal’s customer service department and has been with the company for 20 years. Their staff of 70 brings a variety of skills, experience and knowledge to every job. And after spending a few minutes talking to the employees, it’s obvious every person who calls Regal home embraces the owners’ vision. Regal caters to a diversified clientele: general contractors, homebuilders, renovators and designers. Barry Hanna, vice president, has observed you have to be ready to look after the customer’s needs on short notice. “We’ve been yes-men for many years and there’s always a way to meet the customer’s needs: it’s all part of the service we offer.”
Congratulations!! Regal Building Materials on 20 years of business success from the Lo Gullo Group of Companies.
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Regal’s biggest year was in 2008, which saw about $22 million in sales. “When the recession hit, we had just come off our biggest year and that’s a lot of product going out the door. To get those orders right every time, you’ve got to have the right people in place,” adds Roger. “Success is about finding the right combination of people with the right attitude, and then everything comes together.”
A Glimpse Inside the Regal Operation As you enter the main door, the 1,000 square-foot showroom provides their clientele with a never-ending selection of product lines. From mouldings and doors to locks and bathroom hardware fixtures, the showroom serves to showcase new products in an ever-changing market. But the heart of the company is found beyond the showroom walls and the first stop is the shipping department, which is an integral component of the Regal operation. Matt Lewis heads up shipping and operations, and he has been with Regal for 13 years. “We like to keep our people around for as long as possible and we invest in our people to provide proper training,” says Roger. “In our industry, when a mistake occurs it’s a big deal and it means having to correct it right away.” Around the corner is one of the sales departments where Susan Hanna oversees this aspect of Regal’s business. Susan, a 20-year employee, is joined by a sales team where they work with large homebuilders and contractors to facilitate a high volume of finish-
ing packages. Regal has seven such sales departments. Across the parking lot, Regal has two more bays that warehouse all their mouldings – an expansion to accommodate their growing inventory. Standing inside the massive warehouse that out-stocks any big-box retailer: row upon row of mouldings fill the warehouse. “These bays used to be stocked with oak and maple, but during the mid to late 1990s there was shift toward MDF. The majority of our mouldings are MDF now and it’s price that has driven the changes within the industry,” observes Roger. Regal carries between 80 to 100 different profiles of mouldings, and many profiles turn over on a daily basis. The majority of their stock is pre-sold, but they still stock wood profiles in an MDF market. Across another parking lot is the door warehouse and on any given day, Regal has about 3,500 doors in stock. The 14,000-square-foot warehouse carries over 20 different styles. They stock, machine and deliver 85,000-plus doors annually. Larry Ferris, door shop foreman, came to Regal about four years ago, but he’s been in the industry for 36 years. Larry oversees a team of five to facilitate the volume of doors that roll through Regal’s warehouse – with a capacity to machine about 400 doors per day. When Regal started the business, they sold a lot of oak and mahogany doors, but Alberta’s semi-arid climate meant products like mahogany would warp, and these factors have played
Congratulations Regal Building Materials on 20 years of Successful Business! From your loyal support team at ABBL Hardware!
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Congratulations on 20 years! Proud supplier to Regal Building Materials for 20 years
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showroom to the right. Between the employees and customers, Regal’s front office is always on the move – helping customers, filling orders and assisting the clientele perusing the showroom. Although many of the products lines have evolved and changed in 20 years, there are a few things that remain the same: Regal’s philosophy in providing the best service in town. “We still have the same customers, but the faces have changed,” reflects Bonnie Dolan, secretary/treasury. “With many of our long-standing customers, we are now working with the second generation. Internally, we are engaging our own succession plan.”
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a role in the evolution of the moulded panel doors. “MDF doesn’t crack and warp the way wood does,” explains Barry. “Wood has a memory whereas MDF has no memory – MDF retains its shape.” Regal makes their own french doors – something they’ve been doing since the company’s inception. The department is headed by Steve Dodsley, who has been with the company for 18 years. “French doors are such a detailed product that you’ve got to have the right systems in place to complete the order properly – it always comes back to controlling the quality of the product. Our biggest cost with anything is having to redo a job, but we rectify a job faster than anyone in town,” adds Barry. About 15 years ago, Regal had an opportunity to foray into the wire shelf and mirror business and it has proven to be an excellent addition to the company. Regal Shelf and Mirror Ltd. provides custom products that are cut, assembled and installed on site, offering a cost-effective storage solution for any space. Additionally, they offer glass and mirrors for vanities, showers and closet doors, and in keeping with Roger’s philosophy, the glass division was introduced when a longtime colleague brought his expertise to Regal. Harris Glass oversees the glass department manufacturing and he has been with the company for 12 years. Crossing the parking lot again, the tour finished back at the front door: the contractor sales desk to the left and the
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Bronco Industries Inc. In recent years, the Regal owners have been gradually folding the next generation into the business. “We’ve hired very capable young people to take over, their performance is excellent and they are running the business exactly how we envisioned it,” adds Bonnie. “We have instilled our philosophy in them – this is what has made us successful and this is what’s going to keep Regal successful. As the second generation takes the reins, we wish ‘good luck’ to Michael Cundy, Aaron Wilkins, James Aucoin, Matt Lewis, Dave Hanna and the team.”
And as Regal celebrates their 20th anniversary, they pause from the workday to extend a sincere ‘thank you’ to all the customers, employees and suppliers who have contributed to two decades of success.
403-253-2010Bronco | sales@regalbuilding.com Industries Inc.
www.regalbuilding.com
Roger and all the “Congratulations staff at Regal Building Materials Ltd. on your 20th Anniversary Clark Davies
”
Bronco Industries Inc.
Risk Services Coordinator
7988 - 82nd Street, Delta, BC V4G 1L8 Tel: 604-940-8821
) 4 03.62 0.2418 * clark.davies@federated.ca
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