RENFREW - Estate Hardwood Flooring of Renfrew is happy
to ride the wave of success.
And the wave of notoriety, after being recently named as
one of 50 best-managed companies in Canada.
The company was among 10,000 applicants for bragging
rates among private companies, which are Canadian-managed, Canadian-owned and
have annual revenues of more than $10 million.
Diversity in product and price are key to earning this
top-50 status, say co-presidents and brothers Joel and Joseph Kember.
There was rapid change in the marketplace, especially
in 2008 and 2009, but the Renfrew firm - which does business under the name of Kultur Hardwood
Flooring - weathered the storm,
and then some.
“It’s obviously a pat on the back,” says Joseph of the
company that manufactures, supplies and installs its own hardwood flooring
throughout North America.
“It boils down to us staying ahead of the curve, and
we’re diversifying our products. We have a scalable product, so as needs change
we’ve been able to make rapid changes with price and what products we have.”
Kultur Hardwood Flooring offers natural hardwood
products at prices of $1.99, $2.99, $3.99 and $4.99 per square foot.
“We produce a product that will fit 80 per cent of
Canadian people. It fits their budget,” he adds, noting the price preferences
of Canadians fell during the recent recession, and the Renfrew firm adjusted
accordingly.
The business is also expanding, with plans to jump
from nine retail stores in Ontario, to another
10 locations in Quebec or Ontario in the relative short term.
“Each of this year’s winners exemplified outstanding,
adaptive, strategic planning,” said Douglas A.S. Rankin, Deloitte partner and Ottawa regional leader of Canada’s 50 Best Managed program in
a news release.
“They are consistently one step ahead; be it
anticipating customer needs, managing their workforce or seeking growth
opportunities. It is this ability which has seen them through the recession,
and it is this ability that will see them prosper through the economic
recovery.”
Year 2009’s 50 best-managed companies generated
combined revenue of $9.8 billion, employed more than 39,000 Canadians, and had
an average revenue increase of 23 per cent over the previous year.
Winners will be honoured March 8 at the 17th annual
invitation-only symposium and gala in Toronto.
“It’s credibility and recognition for all our hard
work,” says Joel Kember, alluding to the 200 employees who come from across the
Ottawa Valley.
“I think (the honour) is largely due because all of
our competitors are dropping like flies because of the threat from China, while
we’ve carved out a recipe for success.
“We’ve been able to counter with diversity and technology,”
he says moments after walking past machinery that is being commissioned for a
new high-speed product line.
Keys to success, says the Kembers, include the
decision to settle in Renfrew
County where many of the
company’s raw materials are available, and where transportation costs are
lower.
Kultur’s prominent projects include the Royal Ontario
Museum in Toronto,
and the American Eagle stores across Canada
and the U.S.
The company, which opened in early 2004, runs an around-the-clock assembly
plant that occupies about 150,000 square feet.
The companies judged to be the best managed in Canada
include Bragg/EastLink communications of Halifax, Le Cage au Sports restaurant
and sports bar company from Boucherville, Que., Dillon Consulting in Toronto,
sodium sulphite producer Saskatchewan Minerals Inc. of Chaplin, Sask., and The
Driving Force vehicle sales, rentals and leasing company of Edmonton.