Orillia Woodworking Another Success!

Orillia Area Community Development Corp. (CDC)

The Orillia Area Community Development Corporation (OACDC), who have been assisting small businesses in Orillia and surrounding areas for the past 28 years by making it easier to start, enhance and expand small businesses in our communities, has proven itself time and time again with success stories such as Orillia Woodworking.

Martin Stannus, an experienced general contractor, knows a thing or two about wood and building. That’s why he jumped at the opportunity to purchase Orillia Woodworking Inc. this summer.

“I had been looking for a manufacturing business for a while and when I came across this opportunity, being a builder, it just seemed like the right fit,” said Stannus.

He said the well-known and well-respected company’s competent, capable staff, coupled with its strong core business attracted his interest. And, with the help of a loan from the Orillia Area Community Development Corporation (OACDC), he was able to complete the purchase in June.

“We are grateful for the loan from the OACDC – that was a big help,” Stannus said. “We like Orillia and we see a bright future for Orillia Woodworking here,” he added.

Orillia Woodworking, which began as a pallet-making operation in 1988, has expanded over the years to two Progress Drive locations featuring two principal divisions: a pallet and crate division and a wood trim operation.

The company produces more than 100 different sizes and styles of softwood and hardwood pallets and shipping crates in practically any size or configuration. Orillia Woodworking is registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and approved as a manufacturer of "certified" pallets and crates for shipping beyond Canada and the U.S.A.

“We have an 11,000-square-foot plant just down the road from our main location that is dedicated to pallets and crates,” Stannus said. “Being certified is vital and is a key to this part of our business.”

Orillia Woodworking is also one of Ontario's leading suppliers of quality, unfinished solid wood trims and mouldings, as well as specialty wood flooring and wood siding.

“We produce both stock and custom trim, moulding, flooring and siding which are sold to retail outlets in Central Ontario and directly to builders and contractors,” said Stannus. “We have modern equipment and qualified staff that allow us to do custom orders of all sizes to meet even the tightest deadlines.”

Flooring continues to be a growing component of the company’s wood trim business.

“We manufacture a variety of flooring styles in species not limited to oak, maple, pine and ash in a variety of widths and thicknesses. We also manufacture a complete line of floor mouldings as well as baseboards, casings, quarter-round and other popular mouldings. All of our mouldings are solid wood with no finger-jointing,” Stannus said.

Orillia Woodworking uses only high quality, kiln-dried raw materials to minimize shrinkage. “Our profiles are cut using modern equipment to eliminate chatter, meaning minimal sanding,” Stannus explained. “This means the materials you get from us are ready for their final finish coat.”

Orillia Woodworking has a history of success and expansion over the past two decades – a legacy Stannus hopes to build on.

“We expect to expand the product line and to step up our marketing efforts,” said Stannus. “Right now, we have 15 employees and we would like to see that number expand as we grow the business.”

That potential for growth, fuelled by Orillia’s proximity to the booming Greater Toronto Area and supported by its knowledgeable and experience staff – many of whom have been with the company for the more than 15 years – made the purchase of the company attractive.

“If we just look at marketing to the GTA, that’s a market of five to six million people,” Stannus said. “Our quality and service really gives us a good edge in the marketplace; we just need to let people know that.”

For more information on Orillia Woodworking, located at 11 Progress Dr., visit owwinc.com or call 705-327-0700.

The CDC is a federally supported not-for-profit organization, working with community partners to develop and sustain the local economy through: business financing; business counseling; and community economic development projects. For more information about applying for a loan with the CDC or any of the other programs and initiatives that the CDC is involved with, please call 705-325-4903 or visit www.orilliacdc.com.