started promoting it to architects, and it quickly found a market.
TO WINE HOLDERS…. Another unique source of wood that Mission Bell taps into: the giant wooden wine holding tanks that helped build the Napa and Sonoma Valley wineries. Current practice has wineries moving to stainless steel holding tanks, so the large wine-stained barrels are filling out a new niche for Mission Bell. “This is very high quality wood, clear with no knots – this was the best of the best, oak and redwood.” Mark notes that these products are often requested by wine connois- seurs or just fans. “It’s about 50/50, architects asking for a product based on colour or material – say, hardwood for flooring -- versus asking for something with a particular history.” ECOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY Mission Bell is a company built on a strong foundation of values. The product itself reflects a respect for the value inherent in natural materials and an ecological sensibili- ty, also reflected in their recent addition of solar panels, highlighted on their YouTube channel. The company name comes from the Mission at Santa Clara, near Morgan Hill where they are located. On their website, the company spells out a strong Christian mission. Glenn states, “We are rooted to integrity, relationship, responsibility in dealing with customers.”
Conversely, the company describes itself as a “technolo- gy company that happens to work in wood.” Glenn admits
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2018
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