This week, I received an update from Amazon in the United States. I received new information with purchase orders from Lehman’s in Dalton Ohio, House of Excellence in New Brunswick, Mercer’s Marine in Newfoundland and many stores in Quebec. I received an announcement from Unique Agency involving Canada & the United States.

I received an update from Kabir Bedi, the Lawn & Garden Buying Specialist with Amazon in the United States. This last year was another exceptional year for Amazon, as they seek to achieve their vision to be the earth’s most customer-centric company! As a result of their efforts and support from vendors like Trail Blazer, they’re achieving this vision. They continue to rank #1 in customer service and the most trusted brand in the US. They’re constantly looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact. Online shopping is inherently environmentally friendly and the efficiencies result in a greener shopping experience.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for the mutual partnership that helps both Amazon and Trail Blazer to achieve a shared vision for growth and provide the best customer experience possible. In 2013, the Trail Blazer team looks forward to continue working towards Amazon & Trail Blazer’s shared vision.

I received an e-mail this week, from Alyssa Salsburey, the Replenishment Buyer with Lehman’s in Dalton Ohio. Alyssa has worked with Trail Blazer products previous to Kaleigh Morris becoming our replenishment buyer. Kaleigh has now moved on to work at another company closer to her home. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Kaleigh all the best at her new company and I hope we cross paths again in the near future. I also look forward to working with Alyssa again, who is now taking Trail Blazer’s account back and has taken advantage of Trail Blazer’s fall booking discounts by placing a purchase order scheduled for delivery in June.

At Lehman’s in Dalton Ohio, being old-fashioned is always in fashion. That’s why their massive, 32,000-square-foot retail store contains four pre-Civil War era buildings, including a Buggy Barn cinema, where you can relax on Amish-made hickory church pews while learning about organic gardening, oil lamp restoration or wood stove maintenance.

Bernie Regenbogen informed me this week about the changes in Saint John New Brunswick. The stores that we have been supplying Trail Blazer’s Xtend-A™ Poles to have both been sold to House of Excellence from Prince Edward Island … not a supplier of our Poles. The store previously known as Paint Supplies & Decorating is now known as House of Excellence - McAllister and the store previously known as Colour Centre is now known as House of Excellence - Plaza. They join the stores in Charlottetown & Stratford Prince Edward Island under the same banner. Bernie tells me that House of Excellence’s Manager is Jack Webster.

I am very pleased that Bernie will continue managing the two stores in Saint John and continued supporting Trail Blazer by ordering some Xtend-A™ Poles for their Plaza location. I will deliver the poles to him next week to discuss the best way to offer Trail Blazer’s Nova Scotia made Xtend-A™ Poles to the Prince Edward Island locations.

We received a purchase order from Todd Davis with Sales & Purchasing at Mercer’s Marine in Newfoundland. Mercer’s distributes Trail Blazer products across Newfoundland and with there most recent purchase order we received this week, they’ll now be offering a new product called the Bed liner rake. The Bed Liner Rake is an item Trail Blazer previously offered and Todd will help us by selling some of the remaining 1,700 units we still have in stock. Todd will be adding the Bed Liner Rake to their product catalogue this year. They’ll be sold on a first come first serve bases and they’ll go fast, because Todd will be able to sell a lot of rakes …

Donald Turcotte in Quebec sent purchase orders after introducing Trail Blazer’s Xtreme™ Hatchets made in New Brunswick. Orders for MD Sports in Rawdon, J.A. St-Pierre et fils in Cabano, Rheal Pitre in new-richmond, Magasin J.O. Hubert in Maniwaki, Propac des 7 rivières in Port-Cartier, Propac Matane in Matane and Ferlac in Dolbeau.

Donald is with Unique Agency and announced a big transition. Unique Agency is now part of the Evans Group from the United States. This is a great opportunity for Trail Blazer to be managed in many more territories with fewer agencies. It won’t change anything for Quebec and Atlantic Canada. In 1990, founding partner Mike Evans began this sales agency with years of intensive experience in the shooting sports business. During the years since its inception, the agency has expanded to cover a 50 state territory for some of the shooting, hunting, outdoor and law enforcement industry’s most successful manufacturers … Is Trail Blazer next?

Also this week, we shipped to Trail Blazer’s newest distributor, Pyrene Bushcraft, located in the heart of Ariège in southwestern France. We began working with Grant Thornton & the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. Monica Furlotte, in supplier development, had a successful week. Curtis Levangie, president of Able Electric, made a big announcement.

I’m excited to announce Trail Blazer’s newest distributor, Pyrene Bushcraft located in the heart of Ariège in southwestern France. Ariège is a vast playground of mountains, forests, lakes and rivers to practice and test outdoor equipment. Franck Mourareau decided to settle in Ariège and work in the middle of the outdoors. Over the years he learned to appreciate the mountain life and nature activities like hiking, canoeing, backcountry skiing and fishing. After ten years of experience in selling mountain equipment, Frank decided to create Pyrene Bushcraft to offer specific outdoor equipment to meet your survival, bush craft & hiking needs.

I am very proud when I see the popularity grow for Trail Blazer’s Take-Down™ Buck Saw and Sawvivor™ Saw in countries around the globe. This week alone, we experienced our products being shipped to Canada, France, Germany and the United States. We also receive request for pricing from distributors in Canada, Norway & the United States.

Back at the office, we continue improving the financial and delivery performance of our business. We compare our performance to industry benchmarks regularly and continue implementing corrective action in all areas where we have unfavorable gaps. We heavily involve our management team and our supply chain in constantly improving our operating model. Most recently, I’ve been talking to Duane Saulnier with Grant Thornton about what we need to arrange for a discussion with Dale Thibodeau, our BDC consultant, and begin preparing monthly balance sheet projections, with a goal of reducing inventory & improve cash flow.

Trail Blazer continues improvements as Justin, Monica & myself met with Barbi and Tanya from the Halifax Chamber of Commerce this week. We discussed how they could assist us with in house training. We discovered that they will complement our efforts in strengthening our team and assist planning Trail Blazer’s growth & strategic plans.

Monica Furlotte, in supplier development, assisted the customer service department this week while Justin Caldwell was taking a well deserved personal day. Monica was previously in our customer service department and showed her experience when she successfully answered the phone … to help Kevin Heiszler with ATG Stores. She assisted Kevin in filling out their 2013 Annual Program Form. The result from her answers was huge!!! Trail Blazer products are now being added to the Lowes Canada product list, and this will be a great opportunity to grow our sales for 2013 once Trail Blazer products become live on the new lowes.ca.

Monica also made great progress in her own department with a new supplier for the material used in Trail Blazer’s Xtreme™ Bow Saw frames, our next big project. She successfully connected Geoff from Russel Metals with Don Paquet. Don is one of Trail Blazer’s production coordinators and has taken an interest in product development.

Over the past two months, I’ve been meeting with my dad, Curtis Levangie, to discuss how I may be of benefit to his company, Able Electric Ltd. This week, Curtis announced me as the Vice President of Able Electric and that I’ll begin implementing a new management system to report to his advisory board … quarterly. Starting with a weekly manager’s meeting to begin determining customer’s needs and how we can make them successful. To determine the required tools needed to achieve the determined objectives. Growth opportunities will be addressed after objectives are managed for three consecutive months.

I would like to take this time to thank both my parents, Curtis and Joan, for this exciting new position with Able Electric Ltd. I would also like to thank the entire Trail Blazer team. If it wasn’t for their continued success and dedication, I would not be able to take advantage of this great new opportunity and still be able to grow Trail Blazer products.

All the Best, Shawn Levangie