Four mid-Island RONA stores, including the retail outlet in south Nanaimo, were sold Monday by the Cowichan Valley’s McKinnon family to the parent arm of the home-improvement giant.
Grant McKinnon said the sale, for an undisclosed price, allows his family to focus on its busy Pacific Truss and Pacific Homes operations.
Pacific Truss is touting its new line of Pinkwood trusses as the island’s distributor of the flooring products treated against mold and fire.
“We do all the engineering for it,” he said of the Alberta-made I-joist product – priced similar to traditional wood joists — for residential, commercial and industrial uses.
Meanwhile, McKinnon is stoked about the sale of his four stores – including those at Cowichan Commons retail mall, Cobble Hill and Campbell River – to the corporation’s Montreal-based brass.
“We’re still the landlord and own the land and the buildings,” he said of the “win-win” deal.
“RONA buys trusses from us. Business is growing and RONA will take it to that next stage.
“It’s good news for staff. Rona wants to double its sales in the next five years and there’ll be more RONAs on the Island.”
The sale doesn’t threaten any jobs at RONA, McKinnon noted.
“Customers and staff won’t see any difference.”
The McKinnons switched their Home Hardware franchises to RONA outlets in 2006.
– Peter Rusland, Cowichan NewsLeader