SAM AWARD WINNERS 2003

The best of the best

THE CALGARY SUN Homes Section

Spindles, Stairs and Railings

By Kathleen Robinson

Calgary Sun

With the creation of a stunning and innovative circular staircase, a new kid on the block grabbed the Best New Idea category at the 2003 SAM Awards.

The five-year-old company, Spindle, Stairs and Railings, couldn’t be prouder of the honour.

“This gives us credibility with builders,” says owner Kevin Halliday. “If we can make a stair like this, we can make anything. It proves we know what we’re doing. We’re becoming a leader in the industry.”

Halliday says the company decided to try something different. A design team headed by Al Suska spent about three months coming up with a circular stair that is free-standing, with no posts. It relies on a 54-ft. continuous stringer.

“Nobody has done this before. It’s pretty exciting,” says Halliday. “We took our time and got it right. It’s all one piece and it is just beautiful.”

And best of all, he adds, it is a quicker, better and more cost-effective way to build circular stairs and the stringer concept can now be applied to other projects.

“We can now build circular stairs in a small space. That means a lot more people can have them.”

Halliday says he hopes the SAM win will draw attention to the beautifully designed and crafted staircases his company produces. He notes that Spindle, Stairs and Railings was a finalist for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce 2003 Small Business of the Year, and was chosen by Venture magazine last year as one of the top 30 fastest-growing companies in Alberta.

“We manufacture our own iron and our own staircases, so it gives us great quality,” says Halliday. “We have the largest selection of iron spindles. It’s all standard pricing. Customers can even design their own spindles for the same price.”

If you want to try your hand at designing your own staircase, visit the company’s interactive website at www.greatstairs.com.