Rick Mostert
Rick Mostert started his business from a garage. Like some others in this industry, he started small, very small actually and with very modest means and then used his skills, dedication and a lot of hard work to build a business.
On the company website, they put it like this: “Over the years many things have changed at F.C. WoodWorks Inc. The building has gotten bigger, the staff has grown, and the machinery and technology has become more and more modern and up-to-date. But some things never change: Commitment to Quality; Doing what it takes to get the job done right; Servicing the needs of the customer; and the knowledge that these things should never change!”
It has proven a recipe for success.
Mostert is the first to tell you that if someone had told him more than 20 years ago - when he was building his first pieces of furniture in a neighbour’s, gravel-floor garage, equipped with only a small woodstove to keep him warm in Manitoba’s cold winters - that he would have millions in sales and employ 25 workers he would have called them crazy.
But here he is, running a company with a solid reputation for excellence and in the midst of adding yet another addition to bring the new total to 17,500 sq. ft.
F.C. WoodWorks Inc. specializes in the custom manufacturing of architectural millwork and is proud to be a member of AWMAC (Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada). Their products range in variety from plastic laminates and melamines to solid woods and veneers and their workmanship can be seen in hospitals, stores, banks, restaurants, hotels, offices and many other commercial buildings from Manitoba to The Caribbean. Mostert says he has made it the company’s mission to satisfy their clients and staff and provide the highest quality products and unparalleled service.
Hard work and dedication
Success didn’t come overnight and it didn’t come easy.
Mostert had to work for it and work he did.
Born and raised in the valley, that’s what locals call the lower mainland around Vancouver, B.C., Mostert decided to break with tradition – everyone else in the family, and it is a large family, stayed in B.C. – and spread his wings a little. Through a friend he got to spend some time in Winnipeg and absolutely loved it.
“If you haven’t been here or heard about it, you don’t know how beautiful and unique it is,” he says and adds that unlike so many people, he actually likes winter and the kinds of activities that go along with that.
And he says the old cliché, about it being a dry heat and a dry cold, are true. “You put on some warm clothing and you are good to go, I like it a lot.”
The fact that he also met his future wife Tessa there– they married in 1989 - sealed the deal.
In B.C. Mostert had been working in construction, mostly framing houses, but he also did some carpentry work. He needed to change jobs following a serious car accident, because climbing roofs was too hard on his legs. His father-in-law got him a job as a truck driver making deliveries for a food distributor. It went well and he helped grow the business, but Mostert knew all along that’s not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He liked working with his hands and making things with wood, which is why he decided to make some pieces on the side for friends and people he met through work.
A display case for his father-in-law and a wooden briefcase for a chef who needed something to transport his knives, were his first projects.
Then it was word of mouth, people talked to people, they knew what he could do and he had more and more requests. That’s when he decided to set up a small shop in a neighbour's garage.
“I just didn’t have any room to make these projects, so I talked to a neighbor and they let me use their garage. I started with a skill saw, that’s it,” he laughs.
It may be funny now, but that is how it all started and Mostert never looked back. He continued to work hard, making deliveries from 5 a.m. to 2 or 3 in the afternoon and then straight to the shop to work on projects, often until late at night.
In 1992, he finally decided to make his move and officially went out on his own, starting the business full time and focusing on custom kitchens and custom furniture.
He and his wife bought a new house and he built a large, two-car garage to house the shop. He hired his first employee a couple years later and never looked back. In 1995 he purchased a commercial property and built his first real shop, all 3,000 sq. ft. of it. Doing it all himself saved him a lot of money, but it also killed the business.
“You can do only so many things at once, so I pretty much had to start from scratch again,” Mostert says. And he did. Successfully.
In 2000, it was time for another expansion with a move into a new building. In order to accommodate the continued growth that resulted from having refocused the business on commercial work, which now makes up more than 90 per cent of their business, another expansion was needed just a few years later.
It’s all custom work, made to order and that’s just the way Mostert likes it.
“Every job is different, it keeps things interesting and there are some new challenges every day.”
What’s in a name
Mostert says he came up with the company name, F. C. Woodworks by using his first and second given name. But more importantly it also stands for ‘Founded in Craftsmanship,’ which is what he has always lived by. There have been a few occasions when he decided to redo something and/or to forgo the profit because that’s what it took to make it right. His staff is also well aware of the company’s high standard of excellence, and whenever something is not quite right with a job they are sure to point it out to him immediately. “They are quick to remind me of all the times I've pointed out things that were not quite right and that only the best will do,” Mostert says and adds that the company’ reputation hinges on quality and a tireless drive to make sure everything is delivered as promised. Of course the F.C. in the company name could also stand for ‘Fine Cabinets’ and in the very near future it may even stand for ‘Family Company’ as well because in addition to his wife who is the office manager and in charge of HR, Rick’s oldest son has started his apprenticeship there. Mostert also credits his staff and suppliers for playing a large part in the company’s success.
“Hiring the right people is paramount and what I look for are those with the right approach, attitude and skill set, because it's from that foundation that we get committed, long-term employees who take great pride in what they do.”
And being part of a strong association such as AWMAC (Architectural Wood Manufactures Association of Canada) has also played a big part in the company’s success. “We are heavily involved in the apprenticeship program as part of our training module, which is a four year program for certification,” Mostert says. “We are also involved with the Winnipeg Construction Association Student Expo, which provides high school students with an overview of the kinds of careers that are available to them in this industry.
Over the years, the company has received many compliments, but the best came from a leading architectural firm who told him that they know then can relax if F.C. Woodworks is on the job because they know it will get done right, with quality materials and workmanship and on time.
“That was really good to hear,” Mostert says. “Compliments are hard to come by in this business, you get paid, that’s usually your compliment. So it was really nice to get this one.”
Through all the changes and challenges over the years, Mostert says that he has been able to see his blessing and be thankful for them. “I think that is something that you should never forget to do.”
Right now the shop is bathed in blue as they are working hard on a large project for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers new 35,000-seat stadium, which is scheduled to open next year.
“It’s a great project and we are proud to be part of that,” Mostert says.
As part of that project they are doing all the millwork for the offices and the official Blue Bombers Store and as a result of that blue is the colour of the day as of late.
“This is the part of the business I like the most,” he says. “It’s always changing, there is always a new challenge and you never know what’s going to come next. It really keeps you on your toes and it’s never boring.”
At F.C. Woodworks.
An F.C. Woodworks project.
