Award

The Ampersand, Calgary, AB Indigenous meeting circle. D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 | 35 Architectural Woodwork P H OTO G R A P H Y BY S ERG EI B EL S K I /CO U RT E S Y E X ECU T I V E M I L LWO R K ; TO P4 0 WO O DWO R K S Leaders in architectural woodwork ensuring wood's future by taking on complex and innovative projects by ROBIN BRUNET W e're busy in 2023 and there's more to come in 2024. That's the senti- ment of people in the architectural wood- working sector as the year draws to a close. Kelly Glanzer, manager at Top40 Woodworks in Kamloops, says, "Life is busy and gratefully so are we: thanks to our wonderful clients, 2023 is com- pletely sold out, 2024 is almost sold out, and we are booking into 2025. This year we've been producing a lot of work for hospitality, multi-family, retail, day- care, pharmacy, and office projects for Canada as well as into the U.S." Part of Top40's success is also due to ongoing self- improvement. "We are always trying to improve our LEAN manufacturing efficiencies with the philosophy 'What gets measured gets managed,'" Glanzer says. "We have already re-organized many of our internal systems for efficiency and workflow. Expansion plans in the New Year include adding another high-capacity CNC and edge bander with an advanced gluing system for improved quality. "Plus, over the last year we have rolled out a new web-based, data driven ERP system that gives us amazing forecasting, scheduling, manufacturing, and project management tools with communication between us beyond what we have ever had previously. Being web based it also allows us to employ much needed remote workers and attract quality talent." Tom Morin, president of Victoria, B.C.-based Morinwood, reports that "2023 was a solid year and we continue to be busy. That's due partly to the fact that we're not involved in residential construction, so the interest rate surge hasn't affected the institu- tional market." It's a far cry from just a few years ago, when the pandemic lockdowns caused huge increases in mate- rial and labour prices. As Morinwood heads into the New Year, Morin says material costs have stabilized, "and we're well equipped to pay even unskilled labour better than Victoria's living wage of $25 per hour – with skilled labour making between $40 and $50 per hour. If this is the new normal people kept insisting would result from the pandemic, I hope it contin- ues. Tradespeople deserve to make a healthy wage." Morin's company is known for its collaboration on the most challenging projects (the Vancouver Convention Centre and the BC Children's Hospital are prominent in its extensive portfolio of completed proj- ects), with a preference for design-build, P3, design assist, or IPD delivery methods. It orchestrates inte- rior finishes on institutional projects, and its scope includes architectural millwork, systems furniture, acoustic panelling, wall protection, and specialties. In the past Morin has commented that when one visits a new elementary school "it's built like a uni- versity building in terms of the level of finishes," and as such he is enthusiastic about having recently begun work on the new Cowichan Secondary School. "It's a project whose design incorporates a lot of First Nations themes, and we're able to use locally harvested wood to build a warm and welcoming environment for the students. My team is so proud to be part of a project that will be the heart of the community for decades to come." Morin is also gearing up for a New Year start on the Cowichan District Hospital replacement proj- ect, which he describes as "massive in size that will require wood to impart an inviting rather than an institutional ambiance. One highlight of this proj- ect will be a beautiful atrium whose design calls for extensive wood use." While such projects will keep Morin's firm busy "for at least the next several years," there's no escap- ing the challenge that has dogged the woodworking sector for many years now: attracting newcomers to the industry. "The irony that we have a skills cri- sis and yet zero wood shops in high schools is not lost on us," he says. "The expertise required to work with wood is increasingly rare, which keeps us in demand, but I worry about the future. "But as always, we're trying our best to rectify the situation. For the two Cowichan projects we'll be hiring kids between 18 and 25 and investing in their training in the hopes that they will have long careers in construction." Training new talent has become a priority for many millworking companies. Executive Millwork Inc. is committed to a continuous improvement culture that Carving Out Success For 2024

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