Senior Appointments at RONA and Creation of New Division Dedicated to Commercial and Professional Market

RONA inc. (TSX: RON), the largest Canadian retailer and distributor of hardware, home renovation and gardening products is pleased to announce that Michael Storfer will head up its new division dedicated to the commercial and professional market. Mr. Storfer joined RONA as President of plumbing specialist Noble Trade when the company was acquired earlier this year. In his new role, he will have overall responsibility for the Noble Trade banner and building materials specialist chains Curtis Lumber, Materiaux Coupal and Dick's Lumber (once the transaction closes in the next few days), as well as RONA's existing commercial and institutional sales team. Mr. Storfer will be part of the Senior Management Committee.

The commercial and professional market includes commercial accounts like manufacturers and office buildings as well as contractors, plumbers, electricians and other professionals providing renovation and maintenance services. In terms of volume, it represents a potential market of twice the size of the retail business.

"Our increased presence in the commercial and professional market in recent years is a natural extension of our business model. In our view, this market has such potential on its own that we felt it was best to consolidate all related operations into one single division," explained RONA President and CEO Robert Dutton. "And because of his in-depth experience in commercial and professional customer service, Michael Storfer has what it takes to help us make the most of it, especially in areas like plumbing, electrical, paint and materials, where RONA already has proven expertise," he said.

RONA is also pleased to announce the appointment of Christian Proulx as Senior Vice President of People and culture and Richard Brouillette as Vice President of Logistics.

Christian Proulx has more than 20 years of experience in human resources management at the senior corporate level, both nationally and internationally, mainly in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Before joining RONA, he held a similar position in a major telecommunications company. Mr. Proulx takes over from Jean Emond who recently retired after more than 10 years with the Company. He will be responsible for the management of all RONA human resources activities across Canada.

Richard Brouillette has more than 20 years of management experience in the transportation, warehousing, distribution and logistics sectors. Before coming to RONA, he held a senior management position at a major logistics company. Mr. Brouillette takes over from Pierre Pelletier, who retired from the Company after 14 years of service. He will be responsible for managing RONA's logistics operations from coast to coast.

"RONA is continuing to build for the future. These new members of our senior team join seasoned managers, many with years of experience at RONA," Robert Dutton added. "We will continue to vigorously pursue our growth plan right across Canada, based on the solid foundation we already have in place thanks to the expertise and dedication of our employees, who contribute to our success on a daily basis."

About RONA

RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products. RONA operates a network of more than 670 franchise, affiliate and corporate stores of various sizes and formats. With over 26,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada and more than 14 million square feet of retail space, the RONA store network generates over $6 billion in annual retail sales. Please visit rona.ca to learn more.

Contacts: RONA inc. Media: Eva Boucher-Hartling Director, External communications 514-599-5900, extension 5114 eva.boucher-hartling@rona.ca RONA inc. Financial community: Stephane Milot Senior Director, Investor Relations 514-599-5951 stephane.milot@rona.ca