Between the numerous disruptions to supply chains, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a few other curve balls thrown at local businesses, it’s now more important than ever to support local.
Money spent in the community stays in the community. It feeds local families, keeps roofs over heads and comes back to the community through various initiatives.
With that in mind, as we head into the holiday season, we’ll be introducing – or reintroducing – our readers to some of the West Shore businesses that help make this community great. Watch each week for these profiles.
A greener way to play – Green Roots Play Equipment
Green Roots Play Equipment’s focus on Canadian-made, sustainable products has helped make the company a leader in outdoor recreational equipment.
The locally-owned company has completed an impressive list of public and private projects in the Capital Regional District and throughout the province since it began operating in 2009.
A passion for outdoor recreation and recognizing the importance for children to be active and outdoors in settings where they learn and play is a key to their success, said Samantha Erskine, who owns Green Roots Play Equipment with her husband, Karl.
“We are a small team dedicated to what we do and we’re committed to ensuring our customer service is top priority,” she explained. “We are very passionate about bringing communities together through play and providing children with fun, challenging and dynamic equipment that brings outdoor play back to life. We take great pride in our company values, our manufacturers and working with local communities and organizations to bring smiles to children’s faces. We are one of the few companies that offers 100 per cent Canadian-made products, and we pride ourselves in sustainable practices.”
That is achieved through partnerships with Canadian manufacturers that are environmental stewards that implement green initiatives into their manufacturing and operating practices.
Dealing with Canadian manufacturers also allows the Saanich-based company to avoid international surcharges and provide prompt delivery, noted Jared Noble, Vancouver Island sales representative for Green Roots Play Equipment.
Providing universally accessible playground equipment is of paramount importance as well, with all structures customized to suit the particular needs of the customer. Services include custom playground design, excavation and site preparation, instalment, playground surfacing, curbing, draining, and minor landscaping. Noble said Green Roots Play Equipment is proud to have had the opportunity to collaborate with a number of local First Nations on projects that were designed to address their individual needs.
When asked what advice she would give to someone starting a new business, Erskine stressed that they should be passionate and fully committed to the time it takes and what they do. “And always remember that every customer is important.”
For more information on Green Roots Play Equipment, the products they offer and some of the unique projects they have completed, visit greenrootsplayequipment.ca.
To read more about West Shore businesses, go to goldstreamgazette.com/local-business.