It was a celebration of woodworking excellence during the 2021 AWMAC BC Awards on September 21. Among the night’s biggest winners was Stirling Woodworks Ltd., which took home a total of five awards for its work over several notable projects.
“This was a big win for us,” says Cameron Glegg, Project Manager with the family-owned custom millwork firm. “The pandemic hasn’t been easy for us — or anyone, for that matter — and it added an element of stress to everything we did. Even still, our teams worked extremely hard under challenging circumstances, so we’re all very honoured to be recognized.”
Stirling Woodworks is a family-owned custom millwork company based in Maple Ridge, BC. They offer a variety of services, from design and manufacturing to installation and quality control. They have manufactured award-winning architectural millwork for residential, commercial, and institutional projects, including Gold awards at the 2015, 2017, and 2019 AWMAC awards ceremonies.
This year, Stirling Woodworks received Service Level Gold, Quality Gold and Overall Quality and Service in a Residential Project for its craftsmanship on a private home in Kelowna. Alongside general contractor Ian Paine Construction and designer Begrand Fast Design Inc., Glegg and the team carried out extensive work on the private residence’s den and kitchen, which included installing a kitchen island, bar, and interior lit cabinetry.
“Our clients expect a very high standard of quality, which we make sure to deliver,” says Glegg.
The team also won Silver Quality in a Residential Project for its work at a high-end Vancouver home. The firm partnered with CE Miles Construction Ltd. and Box Interior Design Inc. to remodel several key spaces, including the kitchen, dining room, wine room, dressing room, and main bathroom.
“This was a large heritage home with very ornate features, so we had our work cut out for us,” explains Glegg. “In fact, one of the more interesting challenges was refinishing antique doors that came from a celebrity’s house in Los Angeles.”
Stirling Woodworks also received top honours in AWMAC BC’s Commercial under 500k awards category. It won Gold Quality for its work with CE Miles Construction Ltd. on the GBL Architects office project. The firm’s contributions included woodwork for the office’s kitchen, boardroom A/V cabinets, storage walls, reception area, and interior passage doors.
“Working with CE Miles is always a great yet challenging experience,” says Glegg. “Its president, Brad Wurmingler, requires a very high quality of standard, which is something we appreciate. Our team made sure to rise to that challenge, and the result is an office that the client absolutely loves.”
Crafting a reputation
Stirling Woodworks has earned more than a few AWMAC BC awards since it opened shop in 1986. When asked for the secret to its success, Glegg is quick to turn the spotlight on his team: “Very few shops have the luxury of having such skilled personnel. Our installation, finishing, and assembly teams are just incredibly talented, and it shows on every project we take on.”
“You can talk logistics all day, but at the end of the day, if the wood doesn’t look good, nobody’s happy,” he adds.
Glegg says the company is always thankful to receive recognition from its woodworking peers. Nevertheless, the real motivation is working towards end products of which Stirling Woodworks and their clients can be proud.
“The thing that truly pushes us is making sure that we’re nailing those aesthetic aspects of a project and reaching the level of perfection our clients require.”
Read more from our coverage of the 2021 AWMAC BC Awards in our overview of the Commercial under 500k, Commercial over 500k, and other categories.
Matt Bradford is a writer, editor, and longtime contributor at MediaEdge, publishers of Wood Industry e-digest and magazine. He has spent years reporting on the wood and construction industries and values the opportunity to provide insights into the secondary wood manufacturing community’s successes, challenges, and opportunities.