September 2008

Spindle, Stairs, & Railings: Entrepreneur of the Year 2008

How do you become one of Canada’s fastest growing companies? “One job at a time,” says Kevin Halliday, who started his business in Calgary nine years ago.

“I started from scratch. We had a baby, a mortgage, and no money,” he recalls, “but we had our health and our family, and I thought, what’s the worst-case scenario? If it doesn’t work out, I’ll go to work at McDonalds, or work somewhere else, whatever.”

As it turns out, Halliday never did have to on the yellow and red uniform. He started handing out business cards at job sites, and made his first sale in a Home Depot parking lot. Since then, Spindle, Stairs, & Railings have become one of the largest stair manufacturers that produces and supplies it’s own wood in addition to providing custom milling, manufacturing, and installation. They’ve also recently expanded their offerings to include casings, mouldings, and even a new painting division.

What really sets them apart is their commitment to innovation – including online selection tools like the Spind-O-Meter and the Build-a-stair-Workshop, and an in-house training program Halliday created in order to meet the ongoing challenge of finding skilled labour in something of a niche industry.

“When people say, ‘If you build it, they will come,’ no, it doesn’t work like that. It’s not Field of Dreams!” he says. “Business plans are very important. You have to set your goals and think big, and whatever knocks you down will only make you stronger. It’s how fast you get up that counts.”

While Spindle, Stairs, & Railings continues to flourish, Halliday looks forward to using his entrepreneurial aptitude in a different way by becoming more involved in charity and community work, particularly the in the areas of autism and violence against women.

- Leisa Vescarelli

Spindle, Stairs & Railings is the largest stair manufacturer that produces and supplies its own wood in addition to custom milling, manufacturing and installing. Spindle, Stairs & Railings owns it's own tree farm and trains installers through its inhouse school.