A new business in Strathcona is streamlining urban living through well-designed storage solutions.

Strathcona is home to a vibrant community of design and manufacturing businesses. Here, artisans and craftspeople work with their hands and technology to create and build the things that enrich urban life. There are some exciting newcomers that are contributing to this growing sector in the neighbourhood, and Express Closet at 526 Clark Drive stands out. Express Closet is a custom cabinet and storage solutions company with a clear mission: to simplify people’s daily lives by enhancing their organization and storage capabilities. We sat down with owner Alistair Mellen to learn more about his business and his journey as a new business owner in Strathcona.

What inspired you to get into the business of custom closet organization? And what sets your business apart? 

My dad started the company in 2005. I would help him on the weekends in highschool. After I came back from university I helped him out for about a year full time. At that time he asked me if I wanted the business, and I agreed. That was seven years ago. It’s just me now, and I think what sets my business apart is that I have a really fast turn-around time which is important for a lot of people. My customer service stands out. I’m there from the beginning to the end and I always like to do little extra things to help people, like hanging pictures for them if they want. 

What’s your favourite part of working in this business?

It’s always awesome when my closet solutions make a really big difference for people. They might have had a crazy cluttered closet that just didn’t work at all before, and so when they tell me how big a difference it’s made in their life that’s pretty great. I love doing design for more complicated closet projects, like custom wardrobes, or kids desks and just anything where I get to work with fun, funky spaces.  

How do you see the future of custom manufacturing evolving? What role do you think technology will play in your industry? 

My products all involve CNC work, so they’re designed to be cut by a computer assisted cutting tool. I think the automation of that will continue to get better and better. The product comes in four by eight sheets, and there’s basically a robot that will take those sheets, put it on a platform, cut all the pieces, take the pieces off, take them onto the drilling stage, and it’s a whole controlled process that’s all automated. The end product has nice edge banding and drilling already done. I think that area is where the most advancement is going to happen. On a large scale, we might start to see more automation when a whole condo development goes up. But I think as far as individual renovations for single family homes or apartments, it’s always going to be a person involved in the craftsmanship. 

Can you share more about the materials you use and how you select them for your custom closets?

There’s two key components. There’s the board itself, which is a particle board core, and then there’s the finish that’s applied to it. All of my products come from Canada. I’m always focused on sustainable forestry practices and recycle as much as I can. That’s really important to me. I won’t take any product that hasn’t been certified sustainable. Often particle board is a leftover product from the milling process. Usually the off-cut woodchips are pressed into a board, so it’s an inherently sustainable process. Another impact to consider is what kind of glue is used, and I definitely avoid anything with formaldehyde. For the finish, it depends on what people want. The most used basic white one is actually made in Burnaby. Most of my in-house finishes are all done on the West Coast. 

How does your work impact or engage with the community?

Ideally one day I would like to do all the closets for affordable housing initiatives. Usually those projects want basic wire shelves because they are cheap to put in. But if you’re living in a small apartment, a single wire bar and shelf just doesn’t work for like 90% of people. I’d like to be able to do the kind of closets I create, but do it at the price of wire shelves and really make a difference for people. So that is a goal to be able to have enough business that I could actually do these kinds of community projects at the same price point as the wireframe. 

How long have you been in Strathcona and what makes this neighbourhood special to you?

I started mid-summer last year, so I’ve been here for about six months. I think the mix of manufacturing, artists, and interesting food places and breweries makes it a really fun neighbourhood. All the business owners I’ve met have been really welcoming. Within the first two weeks of taking this place over, Union Wood Co down the block did a block party where all the business owners in this block had their doors open and everyone could mingle, which was awesome. I’m currently helping my business neighbour do some renovations at her place, so there’s been all kinds of connections! 

What do you see as the opportunities and the challenges of being in this neighborhood? 

I think it’s very much an up and coming place with a lot of potential to be a really interesting culture zone of Vancouver. As it grows, and new modern buildings move in, I hope it doesn’t lose that. As for challenges, I think there can sometimes be a stigma for the area, but which is kind of unfounded for a lot of it.  

Any advice to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start a business in this district?

It’s easier to meet fellow business owners and they are more welcoming than you think. Have conversations because you never really know where they’re going to go. For example, I just ran into my business neighbour and it turns out they need some extra storage space. So I’m going to help them store their stuff since I have the extra space right now and that can help support my rent. So by talking to other business owners you’ll often be surprised by what kind of opportunities open up. 

What more would you like to see from the Strathcona BIA?

After looking at the website and learning more about what you do with the trash pick-up and graffiti removal, that’s all great. One suggestion would be creating a bit more community for people who are looking for it – like a semi-annual gathering to help get more connected to other people in the district. I’ve also been blown away by events like Eastside Culture Crawl, when all the studios in the area open up. I think it would be cool if that was a more prominent part of this place’s identity, perhaps more events or initiatives that bring life to the industrial side of the neighbourhood and all the many small businesses doing interesting things here. 

Learn more about Express Closet on their website.