Flexibility Key to Finewoods' Survival

Finewoods Flooring & Lumber Ltd. (Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia) was not completely spared during the recession, but the company cites its ability to adapt to changing markets as key to its still being around. "The worst is over, I think," co-owner Candace Christiano recently told The Chronicle Herald. "Markets change and you have to change with them; if you can't you're going to be down sooner than you want to," she added. To that end, the niche flooring manufacturer-it produces more than 500,000 board feet a year-has concentrated its efforts in European markets, working with a German company to offer flooring specific to European tastes.