Our Family’s Story
In 2005, Marty and his eldest son Jake were both working for one of Ottawa’s top stair companies. While not unhappy with his position supervising the railing division, Jake felt he was capable of more and approached Marty with the idea of leaving the company to start their own, family based, business. The move would allow them both to branch out from the stair industry, which appealed to Marty because he was a cabinet maker by trade and life long woodworker.
A change like this is always a risk, but the upsides were too good to pass up, so in 2006 Marty and Jake bought a home just outside of Merrickville and turned an empty shell of a building on the property into a workshop. Campbell’s Woodcraft was born. The first 2 years were rough, with Marty and Jake butting heads a lot while working side by side and learning the ropes, but often times, that’s what family does.
Marty’s youngest son, Jay, would be the key to turning things around. By signing on to work with Marty on site, Jay created some breathing room between the founders and allowed Jake to devote more time to running the business. Jane, the matriarch of the family, took on day-to-day handling of the books and some client communication to further spread the load, allowing for a smoother operation overall. New contacts led to new opportunities, a new website led to a more diverse clientele, and less butting heads led to a happier family. With that plan, years of hard work and dedication to the craft and our clients, and two decades of experience under our belts, we find ourselves very comfortably in the bed we made (we also make literal beds).
Our Philosophy
Making a living means more to us than earning a paycheck. We are proud of our work and stick to a few guidelines to ensure we sleep well at night.
Respect the client and their home
Communicate openly and honestly
When mistakes happen, make it right
Stand by the work, always
The Little Things
There are a few simple things we always do that reflect what being a professional means to us. Not all trades share these ideals, but that's what sets us apart.
Show up on time or call ahead with an ETA
Cover floors and furniture near the work area
Clean up inside and out after the work is completed
Stick to the price quoted (unless discussed in advance)
Meet the Family
Jake Campbell
Founder
Marty Campbell
Founder
The Cool One
Jay Campbell
Still want to Know More?
We’ve got you covered. Check out some frequently asked questions.
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We are a family-owned and operated shop that has been serving the Ottawa area for over 20 years. We’ve built our reputation on two decades of word-of-mouth recommendations rather than traditional advertising.
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Fully licensed, insured, and WSIB compliant baby!
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Simple and straightforward. We pride ourselves on our communication so you will always know what to expect. You can discuss any concerns at any time. Pricing is up front and never changes unless you make a request for additional work. All of us are knowledgeable and easy to get along with... after some coffee.
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We enjoy working with clients from all backgrounds and pride ourselves on being inclusive, accepting, and accommodating.
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Oh boy! Someone’s really doing their due diligence. We prioritize buying local, sustainable and ethically sourced, and environmentally friendly whenever we can. Since we are a small family owned company, that’s virtually everything we buy. There are exceptions. If a client wants a wood that’s not grown domestically, it needs to be imported. For the sake of durability and ease of repair, our default finish is an oil-based, Canadian-made lacquer. We do offer an extensive assortment of green and low VOC finishes when requested or appropriate.
For the products we sell, all of the wood is sustainably sourced and Canadian with one exception: any exotic wood that is not grown in Canada is reclaimed. Brazilian Cherry is an unmatched material for durability in kitchen wares, so when we can, we obtain a load of Brazilian Cherry flooring that has been removed from a home and repurpose it to keep it out of the landfill. We reclaim a lot of the domestic woods we use as well. Wood is a wonderful resource and we feel a responsibility to use it wisely.
The food-safe finish we apply to our products is made by us from food grade white mineral oil and beeswax from a local apiary. Shout out to Lacelle’s Apiary in Mississippi Mills: your go-to source for all your beekeeping needs.