This week, I was working with customers in my home town of Dartmouth Nova Scotia and as far away as New Zealand. I received updates from our valued sales reps in both Ontario and Quebec plus sales reps in Kansas and New Jersey USA. We meet financial objectives again for the 8th month in a row and at home, there are some big changes with my family.

Close to home, I received word from Craig Walker withWalker’s Livestock Feed & Supplies Limited in Dartmouth Nova Scotia that he attended the Halifax Seed Show and received a catalogue from our booth. Walker’s Livestock Feed & Supplies presently offers Trail Blazer’s pruners & shovels made in Nova Scotia in their store. I received a request from Tom Kennie with Fraser’s Pro Home Centre in Berwick Nova Scotia for some extra copies of Trail Blazer’s product catalogues, enough for their five stores to offer to customers. We’vereceive requests from dealers for catalogues to share with customers and learn more about “The Story of Trail Blazer”.

I spent a full day this week, following up with Home Hardware stores, after the fall market last month, in Barrington Passage, Berwick and Weymouth Nova Scotia. While stopping at Ace Hardware in Saulnierville, Carl’s Store in Tusket, Lequille Country Store in Annapolis Royal and Tim-Br Mart in Meteghan Center and Yarmouth Nova Scotia.

I visited Danny Ritchie at Lequille Country Store in Annapolis Royal Nova Scotia and he ordered some of Trail Blazer’s Xtreme™ Mini Hatchets, Xtend-A™ Blades and Xtend-A™ Saws for the hunting season going on now. These three products along with our Take-Down™ Buck Saw are extremely popular among the hunters. Talk about hunters!!! Take a look at Martin Savoie. Martin doesn’t just produce Trail Blazer’s Xtreme™ Ergo Hatchets very well in New Brunswick. Martin has demonstrated he’s also a successful moose hunter. I look forward to our meeting next week, by the look of that monster … He will have meat to share.

From New Zealand, I shared information with Gaston Monge-Grassi with Silex Tools in Richmond. Gaston is looking for the most economical shipping options to receive Trail Blazer products made in Dartmouth Nova Scotia Canada. I look forward to when Silex Tools begin supplying Trail Blazer Products to the New Zealand retailers in spring 2013.

Back in Canada, I received word from Ian Crozier with G. H. Factory Sales in Surrey British Columbia that he would propose our Reverse D-Handle Snow Shovels to their sales reps in the Maritimes. G.H. Factory Sales was our very first national Canadian distributor for Trail Blazer’s snow shovels, Made in Nova Scotia. I received a request from Judi Martin with Home Hardware Stores Limited in St. Jacobs Ontario, to send some extra replacement springs for the Mark’s Choice Xtend-A™ Pruner to Quincaillerie Home Hardware in Rimouski, Quebec. All of Trail Blazer’s products and parts are backed by our unconditional life time warranty.

At home there are some big changes with the Levangie family. First, My wonderful wife Dawna has begun working at Costco in Dartmouth Crossing. I wish her nothing but the best and know she’ll be great … because she is. Second, My sensational son Travis became a wide receiver for his high school football team, known as the Prince Andrew Panthers.

I attended my son’s football game Friday night with his sister Victoria and grand father (my dad) to cheer him on during a great game. Dawna was working that night and was wishing she could have been there, but luckily she was able to catch the end of the fourth quarter since Costco is close to the football field and Trail Blazer’s factory & head office. With all my business travels over the past 17 years I appreciated what she’s feeling when missing our kids events. Back to the game, I must say Travis not only had the best game of his life … He made the catch of the game!!! He was so happy and I was so very proud of him!!!

While we continue to do our best at Trail Blazer Products Limited, in both servicing our present customers and finding new ones, we can not truly be successful without the continued support of our valued sales reps and distributors. That is why continuous communication with both our sales reps & distributors are very necessary to grow.

This week, Steve Atkinson, our sales rep located in Paola Kansas inform me that he’s developing an early order program for the Mid West distributors. Trey Smith, our sales rep in Woodstown New Jersey is looking forward to the Meyers show this week. Shawn Cropley our newest sales rep in Toronto Ontario informed me that he will be presenting Trail Blazer’s products to Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Lowes, Costco and TSC Stores for spring 2014. Donald Turcotteour sales rep located in Richelieu, Quebec informed me that he has a presentation to do next week in Quebec City with the Canac-Marquis Hardware chain of 21 stores in Quebec.

Back at the factory, Trail Blazer’s Xtend-A™ Pole manufacturing is still continuing despite delays in receiving material. Trail Blazer’s Reverse D-Handle Snow Shovels have begun shipping for the winter season and spring production preparations begin. Plus more environmentally friendly packaging is started to be used in place of plastic blisters.

Paul’s team continues to build the inner aluminum tubing for the Home Professional Paint Poles while waiting for the threaded cone tips & fiberglass to be delivered from suppliers. Don’s team begins shipping Reverse D-Handle snow shovels while I look at their inventory requirements for spring production. The Reverse D-Handle Snow Shovels & Home Professional Paint Poles will be in the December & January Home Hardware Flyers. Spirits are apparently up, Liam Conrad & Matt Dobec, members of our production team and Betty Millard our shipping & receiving coordinator are caught on photo doing … I have no idea what they’re doing.

Back in the office, I called all the staff into the shipping & receiving area and jumped onto the delivery table to tell everyone how pleased I was with their successful performance, not only in September … they have met the financial objectives for the past eight months in a row and are working very hard to do the same in October. Well Done Team!!!!!!

All the Best, Shawn Levangie