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New RONA Store Opens in Saskatoon

New store represents an investment of over $22 million, provides 115 local jobs

RONA inc. (TSX: RON), the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, officially unveiled its new RONA Saskatoon store today. The opening of the 73,000-square-foot store, located at Preston Crossing (1722 Preston Avenue North), represents a more than $22 million investment in Saskatoon and provides 115 local jobs, 40 of which are new positions.

The new RONA replaces an older 35,000 square-foot store that was formerly located at 286 Venture Crescent in Saskatoon.

'Saskatoon is a dynamic community, with services for people living both urban and rural lifestyles. These conditions are ideal for RONA's product and service offering,' commented RONA Executive Vice President, Store Operations Pierre Dandoy. 'We are proud to replace an older store with our new format store that offers expanded products and services to meet today's needs of Saskatoon consumers.'

'The people of Saskatoon have been wonderful supporters of RONA,' said Mr. Dandoy. 'They keep coming back because of the excellent service the store team provides and the expertise they know they can count on. This new store is one of the new generation of RONA stores, and it includes a tremendous range of products, brighter atmosphere, friendlier and more efficient design and our everyday competitive prices.'

Everything under one roof

Experienced do-it-yourselfers, first-time homeowners and tradespeople will find what they need in the customer-friendly, 73,000-square-foot store. Along with its generous sales area, the store boasts a spacious 13,000-square-foot garden centre, and a 130,680 square-foot drive-through lumberyard. RONA Saskatoon offers a full selection of over 35,000 different products.

'We're very excited about opening the doors to our new store. We look forward to greeting our existing customers from our old store, and welcoming new customers from the Saskatoon area, to an innovative store that features personalized service, a very well-planned layout to make finding products easier and quality products at competitive prices,' said store manager Gary Wyshynski. 'Our well-trained staff will give our customers a helping hand in completing their projects, offer them eco-responsible alternatives, and support them through a range of services, such as our cut shop and special contractor desk.'

RONA Saskatoon offers construction materials, finishing materials and specialized boutiques including paint, the latest decoration accessories, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, doors and windows as well as flooring.

Unlike anything else in the home improvement sector, RONA boutiques are designed to support the renovation process and make it more efficient. They allow customers to find everything they need to complete a renovation project in one single place. With the same idea in mind, RONA Saskatoon offers Project Guide service, a concept offering the help of knowledgeable, specially-trained staff who guide customers through the different stages of specific renovation projects. Meanwhile, the RONA by Design renovation and interior decoration concepts offer suggestions and solutions to carry on projects such as bathrooms, facades or kitchens.

Specialized services at the new RONA Saskatoon also include installation, kitchen design, a cut shop, delivery and a separate counter for contractors.

RONA, supporting youth in the community

Accompanying Pierre Dandoy, Executive Vice President, Store Operations of RONA at the opening ceremony were Mayor Donald J. Atchison, Ms Judy Junor, MLA, members of the RONA senior management team, store employees and many customers.

During the Saskatoon store opening ceremony, the RONA Foundation presented a $5,000 donation to the Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming. The RONA Foundation has been supporting this Saskatoon initiative in the past and believes in the program's mission of helping young people believe in themselves and achieve their full potential.

Created in 1998, the RONA Foundation provides assistance for young people aged 12 to 30 by supporting local organizations and projects that fight school dropout rates and illiteracy or that offer them training so that they can take up a trade or a profession.

About RONA

RONA, which is associated with service and quality, first initiated its presence in Saskatchewan in 2001. Today, the Company boasts a network of 11 RONA stores across the province located in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, La Ronge, Humboldt, Loon Lake, Macklin, Nipawin, Fort Qu'Appelle, Foam Lake and Moosomin. RONA has become a trusted destination for home renovation and construction, a dedicated employer and a caring partner across the Saskatchewan communities where the Company is present.

RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products. RONA operates a network of nearly 700 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats. With close to 30,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada and more than 16 million square feet of retail space, the RONA store network generates over $6 billion in annual retail sales. For more information, please visit www.rona.ca.

Digital photos of the opening ceremonies are available.