Record Staff

After winning a MISTIC (Mid-Island Science Technology & Innovation Council) Award in the Value Added Products category for the third time in five years, Woodland Flooring was nominated for a Business Excellence Award.

The Comox company received a forestry company-of-the-year nomination at the Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards, presented recently in Victoria. Another company won that award.

Woodland was the only Valley recipient at an Oscar-style MISTIC gala event November in Nanaimo.

Company owner Steve Roscoe says the award is a prestigious honour, representing how his business is seen to a peer group in the innovative business sector.

"We are all pioneers, reinventing the wheel and building better mousetraps by thinking outside the box," he said. "It鈥檚 a special award and I am thrilled to be a third-time recipient.鈥�

Woodland has been producing wideplank flooring from sustainably harvested forests in B.C. since 1998. The company sources its wood locally, mostly from natural forest mortality, creating unique styles of flooring from wind-fallen, fire-killed, beetle-killed and mature hardwoods.

The business has endured several market recessions, economic downturns and a softwood lumber dispute that resulted in the loss of 45 per cent of its business south of the border. Following the loss of the U.S. market, which coincided with the growing green movement, Roscoe said it became clear that working close to home was the key to future success.

"It was a leaner, greener plan that involved a more community approach but more importantly keeps every dollar made and spent in our community," he said. "It's the 100 mile diet for wood floors."

Woodland processes wood from green lumber utilizing computer-aided kiln drying, laser-ground tooling and custom finishing incorporating a natural vegetable-oil and wax finish. A variety of finishing concepts from Smooth to Antique Distressed to Rocky Mountain Resawn create aged-looking floors that are natural and casual.

鈥淚ts been a good combination of quality craftsmanship from our skilled employees, good wood source knowledge and attention to our customers needs that has made our products and company award-winning,鈥� Roscoe said.

The factory and showroom are located at 1584 Knight Rd. in Comox. The company website is www.woodlandflooring.com.

Woodland Flooring was among 12 winners at the sixth annual MISTIC Awards that represent the wave of innovation sweeping the region and creating sustainable business ideas on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the Gulf Islands.