Sexton Group

What Sexton Group does

Sexton Group Ltd. is a privately held Canadian buying group headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, founded in February 1985 by the late Ken Sexton. The firm aggregates the purchasing power of 300+ independent building materials dealers operating 450+ retail locations across every Canadian province and territory, negotiating volume-based pricing and rebate programs with 200+ building materials suppliers on the members' behalf. Members include independent building supply dealers, hardware retailers, specialty dealers, and manufactured structure specialists, with no membership fees charged; revenue is generated through supplier-side program participation and rebate administration.

The core service portfolio comprises negotiated competitive pricing programs, centralized billing and rebate processing (marketed as the fastest payouts in the industry), supplier advocacy and member support, project pricing assistance for large bids, bi-weekly supply availability reports, and weekly commodity market intelligence. Underpinning operations is a centralized Member Portal built on the LBMX platform, providing 24/7 access to program information, price lists, invoices, historical purchase data, rebate tracking, and direct communication with the Sexton accounting team and vendor contacts.

The go-to-market model is sales-led and relationship-driven, with a dedicated Business Development team conducting direct outreach to recruit independent dealers across Canada, supported by member referrals, industry events and trade shows, and a bilingual (English/French) web presence. Sexton supports and maintains active relationships with five major Canadian building supply industry associations (ABSDA, BSIA, LBMAO, Supply-Build Canada, BMCC), reinforcing its position within the independent dealer institutional ecosystem. Leadership includes Eric Palmer as President, Steve Buckle as CEO of the Sexton Family of Companies, and Brian Kusisto as Chairman, with the Sexton family retaining ownership following the founder's death in 2019.

Name

Sexton Group

Legal name

Sexton Group Ltd.

Website

https://sextongroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sexton Group is a Canadian buying group that aggregates purchasing power for 300+ independent building materials dealers operating 450+ locations nationwide, negotiating pricing and rebate programs with 200+ suppliers on their behalf with no membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Buying Group Membership Services: Sexton Group generates revenue by negotiating volume-based purchasing programs with building material suppliers on behalf of member dealers. Members benefit from collective buying power, competitive pricing, and rebate programs. The company emphasizes no membership fees, making revenue primarily from the value generated through supplier negotiations and volume-based programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sexton Group operates a Canadian building-materials buying group that recruits independent dealers and negotiates volume-based pricing programs, rebate structures, and project pricing with 200+ suppliers on behalf of more than 400 member locations. Members access these negotiated programs through a centralized online portal that delivers price lists, invoices, rebate tracking, supply intelligence reports, and dedicated member-advocacy support with no membership fees.

Product overview

Sexton Group is a privately-owned Canadian buying group for building material dealers, hardware retailers, specialty dealers, and manufactured structure specialists. The core offering is a portfolio of services including: a buying group membership with no fees (offering negotiated pricing programs, rebate processing, and supplier advocacy through relationships with 200+ suppliers); a Member Portal providing 24/7 online access to program details, price lists, invoices, and rebate tracking; bi-weekly and weekly market reports for supply and commodity intelligence; and project pricing services for large bids. These services work together to help independent dealers compete against large multi-national chains by pooling purchasing power across 400+ member locations nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sexton Group Buying Group Services A buying group service for independent building material dealers, hardware retailers, specialty dealers, and manufactured structure specialists that negotiates competitive pricing programs and supplier relationships on behalf of 400+ member locations across Canada, with no membership fees.
• Sexton Member Portal (LBMX) Centralized online platform providing existing Sexton members with 24/7 access to purchase program details, price lists, current invoices, historical purchase data, rebate tracking, and direct communication with the Sexton accounting team and vendor contacts.
• Centralized Billing and Rebate Processing Central billing service that consolidates vendor invoices into single detailed statements for members and processes the industry's fastest rebate payouts monthly, supported by centralized IT systems for accuracy.
• Member Advocacy Services Advocacy service that leverages Sexton's relationships with vendors and suppliers to help members resolve issues, secure supply during shortages, and access responsive support that consolidated suppliers would not provide to an independent dealer.
• Competitive Pricing Programs Regionally negotiated pricing programs for lumber, building materials, and hardware categories, informed by market intelligence across 400 member locations, with ongoing price monitoring and mid-year renegotiation as needed.
• Project Pricing Services Service assisting members in securing project pricing for substantial jobs larger than regular operations, with rapid turnaround on pricing requests to support competitive bidding.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fastest rebate payouts in the industry
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• ABSDA (Atlantic Building Supply Dealers' Association)supportingOthersThe Atlantic Building Supply Dealers' Association is the collective voice and liaison for the independent building supply and home improvement industry focusing on dealer and supplier needs by providing and delivering quality services and benefits. Sexton Group is a proud supporter of this industry association.
• BSIA (Building Supply Industry Association of BC)supportingOthersThe Building Supply Industry Association of BC is an association of retailers and related suppliers, wholesalers, and manufacturers who strive to provide information and services for members, promote the industry and address issues of concern at all levels of government. Sexton Group supports this association.
• LBMAO (Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario)supportingOthersThe Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario, established in 1917, is a non-profit association comprised of Ontario retailers of lumber, building materials and hardware as well as suppliers. Sexton Group maintains active support and engagement with LBMAO.
• Supply-Build Canada (formerly Western Retail Lumber Association)supportingOthersSupply-Build Canada represents the interests of building supply retailers across Western Canada. The organization advocates for members' interests with government, attracts talent to the industry, educates members, and connects businesses to products. Sexton Group is a strong supporter of this organization.
• BMCC (Building Material Council of Canada)supportingOthersThe Building Material Council of Canada is a National Association comprised of passionate individuals that represent the interests of the Canadian Building Supply Industry as a whole. It provides a platform for collaboration to build a healthier industry and strong unified voice. Sexton Group supports this national association.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Orgill: US-based hardware distributor serving independent retailers through a hybrid distributor/buying-group model. Provides inventory, pricing programs, and supply chain services comparable to those Sexton delivers to Canadian LBM dealers, though at larger scale.
• RONA inc. Canadian home improvement retailer with corporate and dealer-owned stores. Operates in the same market as Sexton's members but as a vertically integrated retailer rather than a buying group, representing both a competitor to members and a potential acquirer of independents.
• True Value Company: US-based hardware cooperative (now merged into Do it Best in 2025). Operated a comparable cooperative buying model for independent hardware retailers in the US, providing supplier programs and member services similar to Sexton's value proposition.
• Do it Best: US-based hardware cooperative formed from the 2025 merger of True Value and Do it Best, serving 7,000+ member retailers. Operates a comparable cooperative buying model aggregating independent hardware and building material dealers with supplier programs and member services.
• Ace Hardware Corporation: US-based hardware retailer cooperative with ~5,000+ stores. Operates a similar dealer-owner cooperative model aggregating purchasing power for independent hardware retailers at much larger scale, though with US-only footprint and broader consumer hardware focus.
• Affiliated Distributors (AD): US-based buying group serving independent distributors across multiple categories including building materials. Operates a similar collective purchasing and supplier negotiation model at larger, multi-category scale with significant Canadian member presence.

Direct peers

• Castle Building Centres Group: Canadian lumber and building materials buying group serving independent dealers across Ontario and other provinces. Operates a near-identical cooperative purchasing model with supplier programs for independent LBM dealers, making it Sexton's most direct Canadian peer.
• Home Hardware Stores Limited: Canada's largest dealer-owned hardware cooperative with 1,000+ stores. Operates a similar membership/cooperative model for independent hardware and home improvement retailers, though with broader product scope and stronger consumer brand recognition than Sexton's LBM focus.

Regional players

• BMR: Quebec-based building materials and hardware cooperative with 325+ member stores. Operates a comparable cooperative buying group model for independent building material dealers, primarily serving Quebec and Eastern Canada, overlapping with Sexton's regional expansion focus.
• Patrick Morin: Quebec-based building materials and hardware retailer with multiple corporate locations across the province. Operates in the same LBM market as Sexton's Quebec members, representing a regional vertically-integrated alternative to the cooperative buying-group model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sexton-group-ltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/SextonGroupLtd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sexton Group