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DECEMBER 2017 | 37 Architectural Woodwork and retaining excellent staff has also been a constant priority; the culture within our company is a key marker in our success." Diversifying its client base has also proven to be hugely beneficial for Top 40. It currently ships millwork for clients across Canada such as Shoppers Drug Mart, Kal Tire, Sobeys, Overwaitea Food Group, Walmart, and for schools, hospitals, banks, casinos and many other venues. "And there have been wonderful show- case projects we've recently worked on, such as one for a client who purchased several penthouse apartments in Vancouver's Coal Harbour to the tune of $20 million, knocked down the walls to turn them into one amaz- ing unit, and got us to do all the woodwork in all the rooms," says Glanzer. "We also recently finished a year- long design-build project for a Chinese restaurant that included manufacturing truly gorgeous booths and a bar with an elaborate fish tank built in." Top 40's 25th anniversary this year has been enhanced by formal recognition for its work on the Kelowna Yacht Club, which features a strikingly ele- gant wood stairwell that garnered a Jack Sigurdson Gold Award in the small commercial category and a photo of which now graces the cover of the AWMAC Standards manual. "That manual is used throughout North America by our woodworking peers, so it's a huge hon- our to see that staircase immortalized," says Glanzer. Morinwood Manufacturing Inc. has always been one of the more prominent architectural millwork and finishing companies in Western Canada (its pro- vision of over two acres of wood feature walls and 52 linear kilometres of decorative glulam beams for the Vancouver Convention Centre expansion project has been widely publicized over the years), but owner Tom Morin calls 2017 "a fantastic year for us in the Lower Mainland. And in 2018 we'll be expanding our geo- graphical boundaries, with crews working on sites in the Okanagan, in the North, and products going south of the border too." Morin is also determined to keep growing the share of out-of-province work in 2018 and beyond. "Hospital work is a big component for us, and there are several significant projects that we've been preparing for in Western Canada," he says. "Part of our motivation is to keep the momentum going: we recently finished a five year design assist contract at BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital. It was our largest project to date. Several of my crew had their own kids there as patients, so it was deeply satisfying for them to be able to participate in building the new tower." Morin adds, "to keep growing at 15 to 20 percent every year we have had to be laser-focused on our training and recruitment programs." Morinwood's strategy is to go after co-op students and apprentices, and to invest in several years of training and mentor- ship. "We're also recruiting in Alberta, which I think is ironic, considering not so long ago our sector was los- ing talent to the oil sands." While health care projects are increasing, institu- tional jobs enable millworkers to flex their creative muscles and use a variety of materials to create a memorable visual esthetic. Towne Millwork Ltd. has carved out an impressive reputation in this sector (as it has in many other fields), with one example being the $2.3-million fit-out of the UBC Earth Sciences Building. For this job, Towne's use of solid maple veneers, plastic laminate and integrated glass in the laboratories com- plemented materials such as custom fabricated metal structures with powder coat finishes, chemical resis- tant epoxy and laminate modular casework. As for trends influencing the woodworking sec- tor in Canada, all parties agree that Corian is becom- ing popular due to its malleability to bend into curves, enabling the material to escape its standard usage as a countertop or benchtop surface. The steady decline in cost of LED technology is prompting many clients to demand that the lights be incorporated into millwork either on the surface or in recesses (which requires careful planning and design in order to address heat management). Similarly, technology such as sensors and other devices are increasingly being included in millwork designs. Architectural millworkers are also increasingly providing the engineering and wiring requirements on projects so that end users can use the latest tech- nology to maintain productivity in the workplace. Finally, as evidenced by the recent work of Top 40 and Morinwood, high-end millwork opportunities are on the rise, and in this regard Blum Canada is on hand to help with lift, runner and hinge systems that enhance any finished project. For example, Servo-drive from Blum is an electric support system that enables draw- ers and cabinets to lift and pull out with a single touch, and then close again effortlessly, with the fittings still fully functional in the event of power failure. AWMAC's Harskamp concludes: "It's so pleasant to be able to report good news, and the notion that the economy will continue to grow is even more heartening. We're looking forward to more boom times next year." A

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