About Us
Workshop location: Okanagan, BC - Canada. Established business: Nov 2009
NOTE: We do not have a retail store. All customers are asked to order online either via our own website or our Etsy store.
See Contact page for email & mailing address
So where to begin ... well as of December 23rd 2018 our base was Invermere, BC which is 18km from the slopes of Panorama Mountain Resort in the East Kootenays. That's about 3.5hrs drive from Calgary city centre & 2hrs from Banff.
As of March 2024 we have relocated to the stunning Okanagan, BC not far from Big White ski resort.
Prior to that Barry was in the Whistler area for 15 years & before that various parts of Europe were home for extended periods.
These days the focus is on wood signs in a variety of shapes & sizes as well as other decor related products for both home and business. With two large format CNC machines we can accommodate a wide variety of products. With a background in high tech manufacturing / construction / IT / cabinet building / woodworking as well as ski instructing (since age 17) and ski racing it's fair to say Barry has a very diverse skill set.
I have to admit when I was still in the Whistler area back in 2018 and a buddy suggested I relocate out this way I had never heard of Invermere ... well I'm originally from Edinburgh, Scotland so I think that's a fair excuse plus it's a town of only 3200 or so full time residents. In the height of summer the population grows to around 40,000 though as there is a mass exodus from parts of Alberta for much of the year.
Banff is under 2 hours heading towards Calgary east across the Rockies via Kootenay National Park and about the same distance to Kicking Horse (Golden) heading west'ish. If like me you enjoy the mountains then this place is a great base from which to enjoy the various resorts and national / provincial parks. That's certainly what brought me here.
Oh and who is "the Team" ... well as I like to say it's a team of 3 these days; Me, Myself & I (plus Pumkin the cat) ... Barry: owner / wood worker / designer / coffee-boy / cat caretaker (or is it the other way around). Born in Scotland I relocated to Whistler in 2003 when I came for an extended ski vacation and forgot to go home. I had taught skiing part-time in Scotland since I was 17 and had run the university ski club until long after I was no longer a student. I certainly have very fond memories of those days.
Any way ... I have a very varied career background which starts with a degree in manufacturing engineering & industrial design. I've worked for a double glazing company in product development, in high-tech doing production control, as an IT consultant in UK, France, Netherlands, Australia, California, Deleware (nobody's career is perfect), and Vancouver, as a ski instructor & guide, and since 2009 as owner/operator of Advent Home Solutions ... the entity behind Advent Wood Products. I've actually taught skiing on and off since aged 17 with a few seasons at a couple of different resorts in BC.
I spent a few months in Australia, then a year in France (6 months in Paris & 6 months in Meribel in the Alps) before exporting myself to Canada. Since the mid 1990's I've been involved to some degree in home renovations & wood working. Fast forward to 2022 and I have two CNC machines at my 2400sqft shop in Invermere which is where you'll find me creating piles of sawdust when I'm not introducing myself to the local wildlife on my bike, skis, hiking boots or kayak.
Just for fun; this is my ski team from Scotland in the Austrian Alps when I was about 14 ... I'm the wee one on the far left. Check out the ski lengths!!
We are also active sellers on the Etsy platform so if that is your preferred platform for online shopping you will find us there too.
We also sell in person via our shop in Invermere, BC ... so if you're in the area stop on by.
So, what can we dream up for you?
