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Orillia Home Hardware Building Centre Awarded for Community Service Excellence

John Locke and Bill Ecklund, Dealer-Owners of Orillia Home Hardware Building Centre, were awarded the 13th Annual Paul Straus Public Relations award during Home Hardware’s Semi-Annual Shareholders’ Meeting in St. Jacobs, Ontario. The award was to recognize their outstanding commitment to public relations and community service.

Awarded to Home Hardware Dealer-Owners who excel at making their stores more visible in the community, the Paul Straus Public Relations award celebrates the building of relationships and awareness within the community through innovative approaches to public relations.

Orillia Home Hardware Building Centre was recognized for its numerous contributions to the community, including: driving awareness and raising funds for health issues, supporting area youth through “Bowling for Kids’ Sake” and providing home grown vegetables from their garden center for the local food bank’s “Fresh Food” program. Each of these initiatives were successful due in large part to the creative public relations activities the store used to engage the community.

About Renee Changnon

Renee Changnon is the retail outreach coordinator for NRHA. She meets with retailers in their stores and at industry events and introduces them to the services NRHA provides. Renee previously worked as a member of the NRHA communications team. She earned a degree in visual journalism from Illinois State University, where she served as the features editor for the school newspaper. After college, she implemented marketing and promotions initiatives at Jimmy John’s franchise locations across the country. She enjoys exploring books with her book club, Netflix marathons and hosting goat yoga at her apartment complex. Renee Changnon 317-275-9442 rchangnon@nrha.org

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