Ourbalance sheet is solid: we have access to financial resources that willallow us to continue to invest in our future, seize opportunities thatarise, and deal with unexpected events,” he added.Promising sustainable development initiativesIn addition to describing the many PEP program achievements and thestrength of RONA’s balance sheet, CEO Robert Dutton outlined theimportance of making RONA the sustainable development leader in theindustry. Although RONA has embraced many sustainable developmentdecisions and initiatives over the years, in 2008 the Company unrolled acomplete and consistent strategy in this matter.The RONA ECO line was launched in 2008. The brand guarantees RONAcustomers that the products they’re buying reduce their environmentalfootprint in comparison to traditional products across the entire productlife cycle. This is a first in Canada and RONA is the very first in theindustry to associate its name with products of this type This year, 50products bearing this brand name are available The goal is to reach 250products by 2011. In addition, RONA offers over 700 eco-responsibleproducts of various brands, with the goal of reaching 2,000 products by2011.On July 1st, all RONA stores will stop selling synthetic pesticides forcosmetic use. And after extensive consultation with the lumber industryand environmental groups, RONA adopted a new wood products procurementpolicy in 2008.
Hailed by many environmentalists, the policy has alsobeen recognized by Greenpeace as “the most demanding in North America.”FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATIONThis press release contains forward-looking statements reflecting RONA’sobjectives, estimates and expectations. Such statements may be marked bythe use of verbs such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate” and “expect”as well as the use of the future or conditional tense. By their verynature, such statements involve risks and uncertainty. Consequently,results could differ materially from the company’s projections orexpectations. For information on the nature of risk factors notspecifically discussed in this press release, please consult RONA’s 2008Management Report under the heading “Risks and Uncertainties.”ABOUT RONARONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware,renovation and gardening products. RONA operates a network of close to700 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes andformats.
With close to 30,000 employees working under its family ofbanners in every region of Canada and more than 15 million square feet ofretail space, the RONA store network generates over $6.3 billion inannual retail sales.Contacts:MediaRONA inc.Eva Boucher-HartlingDirector, External inancial CommunityRONA inc.Stephane MilotSenior Director, Investor opyright 2009, Market Wire, All rights reserved.-0-. By Radio Man – are the lifeblood of College Football Florida vs Georgia, Ohio State vs Michigan, Southern California vs UCLA, and Alabama vs. Auburn are just a few of the rivalries that make College Football a great spectacle. But what transcends conference rivalries and make College Football unique are the short, intense series between traditional powers that do not normally play one another. In recent years, Ohio State played Texas, Michigan played Oregon, and Louisiana State played Virginia Tech, to name a few.The Ohio State vs. Texas match ups were truly great because it brought two tradition-rich programs together during a time when both teams were contending for National Championships. The two games bolstered both programs on and off the field (see recruiting,) and gave their fans and alumni something to enjoy and look forward too all summer.
Now the question is why does Notre Dame appear to be shying away from scheduling similar match ups?Former Notre Dame Athletic Director Dr. Kevin White has left Notre Dame for Duke, much to the delight of many Notre Dame fans. White’s ideal scheduling model of seven home games, four road games, and one neutral site game brings in more revenue, no doubt. What it lacks is the ability to attract upper echelon teams for home and home series because like Notre Dame, they desire the financial windfall of playing seven (and sometimes eight – see Ohio State) home games.Ah, yes, greed. College Football is full of it, Notre Dame included, with or without Dr White running the Notre Dame Athletic Department.