From left: Tyler Craig, Gordon Smith, Aaron Olson and Ilona Stigrad
COBBLE HILL – Nothing feels better than beating the odds.
Yet a Vancouver Island premier cabinet and millwork shop has done it in a series of hat tricks.
The business has come a long way since its inception in 2005, reflected company founder, Gordon Smith. A lifetime in residential design and applications of exceptional woodwork prompted Smith to initiate Cowichan Woodwork. He thrives on challenge and the company is fortunate to have grown a staff with a similar, creative mindset.
Today, Cowichan Woodwork has close to 30 team members and two of those early employees, Aaron Olson (2007) and Tyler Craig (2011) are now majority owners in the enterprise. Gordon highlights that these are two outstanding and talented people now managing this dynamic business moving forward.
CWW struck gold three times at the Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada (AWMAC) awards in Vancouver. Smith, Olson and Craig collected the top award for Excellence in Service, the top award for Excellence in Quality, and the top award for Best Overall Residential Project.
The owners emphasize that the awards are shared with the entire CWW team from the designer, Coleen Walters, to the highly skilled craftspeople who collectively contributed to this outstanding achievement. Square One Developments of Tofino was the contractor.
Gordon Smith addresses crowd at AWMAC Awards
While attending the event, Smith was asked what he thought CWW’s chances were of winning.
He replied, “This is a top class event and all AWMAC member companies and AWMAC projects are already at a high level as it is the most comprehensive millwork standards system in North America. We are fortunate just to be on the short-list! However, the closer the judges consider detail, complexity and execution, the better our chances are of winning.”
The celebration was attended by almost 600 architects, design professionals, millwork and cabinet companies, contractors, and suppliers. It takes several years of inspections, education, testing, and peer-review to achieve AWMAC certification.
CWW’s main focus continues to be fine residential cabinetry, however, the company remains versatile. Examples would be several unique millwork designs over the last few years that also required exceptional furniture. The fabrication staff includes exceptional furniture makers who contribute to superior quality and extraordinary results in every aspect of their work.
Cowichan Woodork building
Smith has strategically positioned the firm with three independent business streams. Beyond residential cabinetry is parallel production in commercial millwork, which requires a distinct format in such areas as administrative duties through to manufacture and installation.
Further, CWW designs and manufactures school furniture that is sold primarily in North America by another company. CWW has also transported full shipping containers of these items to Australia, Dubai, Hongkong and Tokyo as well as throughout the U.S. These three revenue corridors have helped the company weather the 2008 recession, then Covid, and now market volatility and uncertainty.
From its beginning in the original Cowichan Joinery Building in Cobble Hill, the enterprise has now expanded to a large, new, purpose-built shop and showroom across the road. As well, CWW operates with full time design staff from their Nanaimo studio.
CWW continues to develop their market through their new, dynamic leadership, the talented and experienced design team, and their professional and knowledgeable craftspeople.
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