Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/423872
Growth Spurt The cultural shift toward viewing architectural woodwork as the first choice for construction by Robin Brunet F rom the use of glow-in-the-dark resin inserts to complex wall curvatures for upscale retail stores, there is no end of design innovation in the North American architecture woodworking sector in 2014. But as far as Canadian tradespeople are concerned, trends take a backseat to jobs: and fortunately 2014 was a banner year in this regard. Greg Hesketh, president of Towne Millwork Ltd. in B.C., reports that, "we were so busy this year it almost hurts! We could add another 10 people to our shop floor – that is, if it was easy to find skilled workers." This is in stark contrast to 2013, when Hesketh characterized the market in Western Canada as "undergoing a slow but steady recovery." In Ontario, Richard Reynolds, founder and president of R&R Woodwork Inc., is heavily immersed in a variety of projects. "If I get three high-end residential projects a year combined with commercial jobs, then that's a great year for me – and 2014 is just that," he says. "The Toronto condo market alone is as hot as a potato." How does a market go from being in recovery mode to red hot in less than a year? In B.C. Hesketh credits the provincial government's ongoing promotion of the Wood First Initiative in part for encouraging developers to use wood products. "Plus, the economy is such that a lot of people who were sitting on projects have finally given them the go ahead," he says. Better still, they duly acknowledge the acumen of companies like Towne. "We're getting jobs because of who we are, not necessarily because of budget," says Hesketh. Then there's the recovering U.S. market. Many economists were surprised by fourth quarter numbers suggesting that the demand for new construction is a lot stronger than predicted. "At least half of our work is stateside, from San Diego all the way up to Juneau, and we hope it'll grow even larger," says Hesketh. But not everything is desirable about the recovery. "Lots of projects are on the go, and there's so much competition that people are bidding themselves right down to the bare minimum," says Reynolds. "So I refuse to participate in open tenders. Anyone with a good reputation and a long track record shouldn't need to, and fortunately I'm in a position where, in some cases, I come into a project on the strength of a handshake, which is a great throwback to the way business used to be in the old days." Reynolds and his team are busy working on family and sitting rooms, tea rooms and other areas of multi-million dollar private homes, a venue that enables them to showcase the beauty of wood – although, a current trend in the high- end residential sector is not without its challenges. "There's a big demand for reconditioned wood that replaces luxury wood like Macassar Ebony, which at $56-per-board-foot is way too expensive even for wealthy clients," says Reynolds. "The trouble with recon wood is that it changes colour in intense sun situations, and not for the better. That's why in addition to my daily routine I'm also finding myself urging clients to get special UV film on their windows." Echoing Reynolds' passion for hand-crafted detail, Mary Zhang, a representative for CAC Cabinetry & Millwork Ltd., reports that even in a residential market as cookie-cutter as Metro Vancouver has become, "there's still plenty of demand for handmade components. CAC built its reputation on the traditional woodworking skills of our carpenters, and recently we've been involved in everything from complex woodworking for Chinese restaurants and nutrition stores to high-end townhouses." Zhang says the only drawback with the intense demand for her company's services is that it's difficult to find experienced woodworkers. "Our team is extremely skilled and many are in their 60s, so we're focused on acquiring new people who have talent and are eager to be taught by the masters," she says. Morinwood Manufacturing Inc. is yet another West Coast millworker that has enjoyed a productive 2014; however, project manager Tom Morin concedes that "there are a lot of hungry people out there, and we've had to fight for every job we've won. Too many times it boils down to the lowest common denominator, and you have customers who have strict budget parameters yet expect high-quality results. The only way to cope with the latter is to develop close Wooden wall photo and detail shot: Vancouver Convention Centre; Surrey Memorial Hospital. Photos courtesy Morinwood Inc. december 2014 /47 Architectural Woodwork