The art of public relations is just that, art.  There’s a real skill set to PR work, and sometimes the messaging is so subtle that you’re not aware that the spin machine is in full force.  Over the holidays I read a number of articles about our homes being overvalued, too much debt, and the ever popular too much mortgage debt.  The cynic in me wonders if there’s genuine concern by the authors of these reports or is this a Machiavellian tactic. (more…)

So a new year is upon us.  It’s been my experience that our year begins in earnest around January 15th.  Many in our industry, which includes suppliers and referral sources, are still away on vacation and it usually takes until the 15th of January to get everyone back into work mode.  So the reality is that January is always sluggish as it relates to volumes.  Every year I say the same thing to myself at the end of January, “we got some ground to make up”. This year will be no different.

But  it’s interesting what a difference a year makes.  In November of 2010, it was clear to me that 2011 was going to be a challenging year for Merix.  I knew  then that there would be periods during 2011 when we would have to sit on the sidelines and watch volumes go to our competition. (more…)

Well men, it almost that time of year to start thinking about Christmas shopping.  There’s still plenty of time left so there’s no need to be concerned.  The calendar gods are working in our favour because Saturday is Christmas Eve Day.  That’s a few extra hours of shopping if you’re starting your Christmas shopping on the 24^th.  Trust me, the 24^th is a great day to shop.  The malls are not as busy and it’s only men in the stores, and they’re on a search and destroy mission.  The good news is that there’s fewer items left, thus your options are limited, which means your head won’t explode trying to decide what to buy.  (more…)

I challenged myself this month to be positive when writing my blog.  I must confess it took some effort to always look for the silver lining but with some creativity and effort it can be done.  We deal with the realities of the real world every day, and we all have our own black clouds to deal with.  So I decided to ignore the black clouds this month.  An attempt to suspend reality?  Yip!   But that’s what this time of year is all about, i.e. immaculate conception, Santa Clause etc.  What I also do this time of year is to reflect on the year which is quickly coming to an end.  I have to say that 2011 was a challenging year, but a lot of great things happened to good people. (more…)

If you thought there was over exposure of all things Leafs today, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

In short order a good number people in Canada are going to become angry.  There will be moments when people in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg Montreal and Ottawa will want to put their foot through their collective TV.   Mobile devices may be thrown from balconies or car windows.  Some will rage at the never ending hyperbole.  I bare no responsibility for creating this anger but I feel compelled to apologize simply because of where I am located geographically.  My god, you’re about to live in a world where it’s all Leafs…all the time!

By now you’re aware of the unholy alliance coming together to purchase MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment).  Two bitter rivals, Rogers and Bell, came together to purchase the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Fund stake in MLSE.  Rogers and Bell purchased 37.5% each, for a cool $530 million.  (more…)