If you’re going to have a party, why not do it right and invite the entire community?
That’s just what Elias Woodwork did Saturday on the grounds of its Morden location as it celebrated 40 years of business in Morden-Winkler.
The company put a blanket call out to everyone to come enjoy inflatables, face painting, food trucks, and an evening of music that included performances from the Quonset Brothers, Leathers & Lace, and Canadian rock icons Trooper.
“We thought, let’s do something special, something a little more outrageous than just the standard thing,” says CEO Ralph Fehr. “So we started talking about bringing in some good name bands. And then we thought, well, if we’re doing that, we may as well open it up to everybody, not just our employees, because it really is the people of the area that have made it all possible for us over the years.”
In 1983, Ron Elias and brothers John and Ralph Fehr purchased Elias Woodwork from Peter Elias, who had started the business as a one-man cabinet shop from a garage on his side yard.
Over the years the company has grown in leaps and bounds, reliably doubling its manufacturing capacity and sales every four years and growing from its initial 2,000 square foot location in Winkler to increasingly larger shops in both Winkler and Morden today. They currently employ upwards of 450 people.
Today they manufacture cabinetry and millwork components for industry professionals all across North America, Fehr says, attributing the company’s success to the work ethic of people in this area.
“That’s, I think, the big reason why we do so well—the ambition of the people in the Winkler, Morden, Altona area,” he says. “We have such enthusiastic people who work so very hard.”
Photos by Ashleigh Viveiros/Voice
Elias Woodwork celebrated its 40th with a community party featuring performances from the Quonset Brothers, Leather and Lace (below), and Trooper (on the title). There were also food trucks and dozens of inflatable fun and games for the kids (below).
