Page 4 - Sep-Oct 2024 - REPORTER - web optimized2

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

FALL UPDATE!

REBECCA GRAVELLE

LBMAO Chair of the Board
Wood Works of Renfrew, Renfrew

ello all, and thanks for taking the time to read another events or just spreading the word, you are all appreciated.
Hedition of the LBMAO Reporter! Hard to believe another We had some wonderful Golf Tournaments on our Tour again
summer has come and gone. At least for me it is! But time also this year, as well as our Annual Peter Miller Memorial Cool Car
seems to move differently when you become a parent, am I Ride, and there are still more events to come. We’ve doubled
right? our upcoming training events for November and will be hosting
For my group of stores here in the Ottawa Valley, this sessions in both London and Coburg to give greater access to
summer was honestly one of our slowest in recent memory. our membership. We also have our Fall Vendor Tour coming
And from what I hear from a lot of my friends and colleagues, up November 7th so please check out our website for more
we aren’t the only ones. It has been a quieter year for a lot of information if you’re interested in any of these!
us. But hopefully all of you out there are weathering these If you’re wondering what else you can do to help, or how
times with some positivity. As I write this, my area has been to get more involved in the LBMAO – then please consider
experiencing some beautiful weather which should help attending our AGM in November! More details to come, but it
carry things forward through the rest of fall. And a lot of our will be hosted at Woodbine Racetrack and should be a fun and
customers seem to have more on the horizon for 2025 than informative event for all. The team in the office is hard at work
they did for 2024, so there is lots to look forward to. putting together a great time, and this is the best way to get
This time of year, I always try to take time to reflect on your voice and opinions heard on the future of the Association
what I am thankful for. This year our stores will be hosting a so we would really really love for you to attend!
Customer Appreciation event just before Thanksgiving to say Thanks again everyone for reading, I’m sending you all my
thank you to our customers; as it’s been a harder year for a best for a happy, healthy (and busy!) season ahead with much
lot of them too. And as I get set to enter my ninth year in this to be thankful for!
industry (wow!), I am grateful for all the lessons I have learned
and continue to learn. I have gained a deep appreciation for Cheers & see you soon,
the ebbs and flows of this industry, my colleagues’ resilience, Rebecca
and their ability to adapt and change with the needs of their
customers and communities, as well as for our vendor partners’
willingness to continue to go above and beyond for us to try to
ensure we can all be successful.
That’s part of what I love about the LBMAO – we’re all able
to come together and share ideas for the betterment of our
entire industry. So, thanks again to all of you who continue to
support the Association, whether it’s through attending our

4 LBMAO Reporter - September-October 2024 www.lbmao.on.ca