(Vancouver, B.C.) BuildDirect, Canada’s Online building products wholesaler, today announced its ranking as one of Canada’s PROFIT HOT 50 growth companies.
But Jeff Booth, president and CEO of BuildDirect, said he has mixed emotions about his company’s success. Booth is concerned that BuildDirect, a global Online wholesaler of building products, is selling more foreign products than Canadian ones – primarily into the USA, Canada’s main export market. “While we’re proud of our success, we wish we could represent more Canadian manufacturers,” he said. “Unfortunately Canadian companies in our sector have been slow adopters of ecommerce.”
BuildDirect was recognized as a Canadian Success Story in 2002 in the Government of Canada’s Innovation Strategy. The company forewarned the federal government of the situation which has eventuated in a Submission to the Innovation Strategy in 2002.
“We’re already moving containers between 25 countries on four continents, and unfortunately we’re competing against Canadian-made products,” said Booth. “I truly have mixed emotions over our success.”
The PROFIT HOT 50 is the definitive ranking of emerging Canadian growth companies. Published in the September issue of PROFIT and online at PROFITguide.com, the PROFIT HOT 50 ranks young firms by two-year sales growth. This is the fifth annual PROFIT HOT 50 ranking.
1 Success Story: Building a New Kind of Dot-Com
www.innovationstrategy.gc.ca/gol/innovation/stories.nsf/veng/ss01134e.htm
2BuildDirect Submission to Canada’s Innovation Strategy August 2002
www.innovationstrategy.gc.ca/gol/innovation/interface.nsf/vSSGBasic/in02245e.htm
Founded in 1999, BuildDirect has quickly become the world’s leading Online wholesaler of building products. Utilizing proprietary Internet technology for volume global shipments, BuildDirect is a completely new sales channel. The company maintains its corporate headquarters, technology center, and customer support services in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Visit BuildDirect.com
About PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success
PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success offers news, strategies, tips, interviews and other resources to CEOs of Canadian growth companies. Each year PROFIT– which currently reaches more than 460,000 readers nationally – hosts a number of events that bring together business leaders in the fast-growth segment and champions the interests of those leaders. PROFIT was founded in April 1982, as Canada’s first national magazine geared to entrepreneurs. Visit PROFITguide.com
For more information contact:
Colin Laughlan
Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
BuildDirect
Ste. 1900 - 570 Granville Street
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada V6C 3P1
Phone: (604) 662-8100
Fax: (604) 662-8142
Email: communications@BuildDirect.com
