Award

December 2021

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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 | 35 P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y G R A SS C A N A DA Architectural Woodwork Despite numerous challenges, architectural woodworkers continue to pivot and weather every storm by ROBIN BRUNET I t's no secret that even during boom periods, it's always been tough for the architectural woodworking trade to retain new talent. That of course continues to be a challenge as 2021 draws to a close, in addition to the hardships brought on by the pandemic. According to an Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada (AWMAC) survey, a massive 72.7 percent of members polled said that throughout 2020 they had been directly impacted financially due to the government-imposed COVID restrictions, with a 30 to 50 percent reduction in sales not being uncommon. Now, although the economy is recovering, there are still large backlogs of orders in the supply chain, and looking ahead members cite as their main con- cerns price increases and lack of experienced, reliable staff – and of course the threat of more lockdowns. But none of this has stopped the sector – or AWMAC – from moving forward. Earlier this year the Association in conjunction with the Woodwork Institute released version 4.0 of the North American Architectural Woodwork Standards, which became effective in September and is considered the most comprehensive standards and installation guide yet. As for woodworkers themselves, they're moving forward by doing what all nimble businesses have done during the 18 months: pivoting. Tom Morin, owner of Victoria, B.C.-based Morinwood, says, "When the lockdowns first occurred we decided to take on some tenant improvement work: making offices more appealing to lure back staff, reconfig- uring spaces, and upgrading kitchens for safety and social distancing. Now, even though major projects delayed in 2020 have been reactivated and work is so intense that we're handling projects on top of each other, we've realized how much we enjoy tenant improvement: it's very much a case of us being able to help businesses express their brand." Morinwood's decision to maintain tenant improvement jobs has the added benefit of allowing the company to be more selective in other assign- ments. "GCs don't always make the best customers, and waiting 60 to 90 days to be paid is wearing a little thin, whereas working directly with owners is working out very well," Morin says, adding that while work in this realm has largely been confined to Victoria, "Once we get the process formalized we'll take it into Vancouver." As for the larger jobs, Morin notes that recent projects such as the Gateway Casino in Delta have been fulfilling to a company whose message to cli- ents remains: 'challenge us.' "The Gateway project gives us the opportunity to do a ton of interior fin- ishes, banquettes, feature walls– you name it," he says. "Better still, as the economy recovers we get to choose the projects where we can contribute the most." GO ON, Challenge Us Kelly Glanzer, manager at Top 40 Woodworks, says his company is in an enviable position in that "We didn't close for a single day during the worst of the lockdowns. However, there's no denying it's a struggle to recruit quality people, especially during a time when government handouts are still ongoing. Whenever we place ads for a job – even for front end administration – we receive less resumes in return." That Top 40 can successfully weather storms is no surprise, considering its innovative reputa- tion: it has grown to encompass three divisions (Commercial Millwork, National Store Fixtures, and Residential Kitchens, the latter featuring a unique kitchen showroom), and its manufacturing plant is focused on automation. Another challenge Glanzer and his team are coping with is rising prices and longer lead times. "We're all on allocations, and even the prices of hinges, slides, and other hardware are escalating," he says. "Plus, it's not uncommon to order six pal- ettes of something and only two show up." The outcome of this all-too-familiar scenario is that, according to Glanzer, "At the beginning of this year we were way ahead in our workload, but now in the second half it seems we're struggling to maintain our pace as demand really ramps up. Still, the return of demand is much welcome: we're booked all the way through 2022 and even into 2023, and currently we're busy on two large housing projects in the Lower Mainland." Glanzer adds, "We've gotten very creative in cov- ering ourselves, and so far we haven't had to halt any projects. It really is a matter of being able to pivot: for example, until everything goes back to normal we now use up to three different brands instead of one to obtain the required quantity. And we're extremely lucky in that we have GMs who are phe- nomenal in their support." Nova Pro Scala, double-wall drawer sides.

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