About a year ago, Kultur Hardwood Flooring of Renfrew was
named one of the 50 best-managed companies in Canada.

Last week, the company closed its manufacturing operations
(Estate Hardwood Floors), leaving its hardwood floor products to be made
elsewhere, domestically and overseas.

The closure represents a loss of about 50 jobs, although the
manufacturing sector (solely located in Renfrew) was closer to 90 about a year
ago.

The good news is that the companys retail sector (Kultur
Hardwood Flooring) looks to reopen in Renfrew by the end of March.

The retail department will move across the street, from its
150,000-square-foot facility at 2
Innovation Drive, to 1 Innovation Drive and become a tenant of
the Renfrew Industrial Commission.

Its new space will include a retail showroom at Innovation Centre,
where other tenants are Ensyn, Ottawa Valley Glass, Marshalls, Deslaurier
Custom Cabinets, TIPs unLTD, and Bonnechere Excavating.

Fortunately, the Renfrew Industrial Commission had some
office space become vacant, said Dave Lemkay, RIC general manager.

We have worked out an arrangement as the company
reorganizes.

Kultur Hardwood Floors retains its 50 retail jobs across the
province. The eight local jobs include controller Wendy Stone.

Were hoping, obviously, to maintain our retail position
and grow it over the next 12 months, said Stone.

Kultur Hardwood Floorings 13 Ontario
sites include St. Catharines,
where its newest branch opens this month. The others are Ottawa,
Peterborough, Belleville,
Vaughan, Barrie,
Orangeville, Oakville, Mississauga,
Milton, Grimsby, Brantford and Renfrew.

The National Bank of Canada
has appointed the Toronto
firm, Grant Thornton, to wind up Kultur Hardwood Floors operations.

The biggest challenge, she said, will be the transition to retail
only, and dealing with the publicity surrounding the closure.

She said it was not her place to comment on whether the
manufacturing-sector employees have been paid in full for work.

The receiver (Grant Thornton)
is dealing with the employees, she said.

Calls to Grant Thornton, whose staff has been working at the
Renfrew site since last Thursday, have not been returned.

When contacted about the closure, Renfrew Mayor Bill
Ringrose said, These types of unfortunate events do occur, but Im hopeful
this will create an opportunity for someone to occupy that space.

The building, which is not owned by the town, is also
occupied by Ontario Power Generation.

Other Renfrew businesses to close in recent years are the Tele-Tech
call centre and Transworld Signs.

When Kultur Hardwood Flooring was named one of Canadas 50
best-managed companies for 2009, it was among 10,000 who applied for such
bragging rights among Canadian-managed, Canadian-owned companies with annual
revenues of over $10 million.

At the time, co-presidents Joseph and Joel Kember said the
companys keys to success included the availability of raw materials, product
diversity, technology and low transportation costs.

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Article source: http://www.yourottawaregion.com/news/article/960564--estate-hardwood-floors-closes