A Saskatchewan native, Mike St-Amand grew up in and around the world of renovation and construction. From an early age, he helped his father with all manner of projects of varying sizes, even going so far as to undertake the construction of some of the furniture for a restaurant his uncle bought.

Mike loves the world of construction and worked for 42 years total in the construction industry, his last 25 years in manufacturing of Millwork, before retiring in 2021. A few months later, Mike returned to work as a merchandiser in the building materials industry. Drawing on his thorough knowledge of industry players, he updates samples of various products, including Formica^® laminates, during commercial or residential launches, as well as samples of other brands that Formica Group markets, such as FENIX™, Trespa^® TopLab^® and Arpa for architects, designers, kitchen designers, and manufacturers.

“When I started out in the industry as a manufacturer, laminate designs and colours were few and far between, and the tools and materials for cutting and gluing laminates were very limited. Today, the opposite is true!  People can choose from a vast array of laminates and have access to a range of tools and adhesive types to suit their needs,” says Mike St-Amand.

Sustainability and his own ecological footprint have always been top of mind for Mike. Hailing from a family of lumberjacks and growing up in a province where agriculture and proximity to nature are part of the culture, Mike has continually integrated this concern into his work.

“I've always been partial to renewable, reusable and long-lasting materials. As far as I'm concerned, if you cut down one tree, you should replant four!” he says. Having worked in both the residential and commercial sectors over the years, he’s noticed a growing concern for sustainable development on the part of customers and businesses alike.

Increasingly, architects, designers and consumers deem “LEED” and “Well” certification important, with consumers being prepared to invest more in long-lived products with a low environmental footprint.

“High-quality products such as HardStop^®, Everform^® and Trespa^® can make all the difference to a project’s durability. Choosing materials that stand the test of time and wear well is crucial. Quite simply, the more durable the products, the smaller a project’s carbon footprint,” he says.

Having accrued a wealth of experience over forty years in the field and having had the opportunity to experiment with a broad range of products, he enjoys offering technical advice on the use, resistance and durability of various products. When he meets customers and discusses what's new on the market with them, he also enjoys highlighting the merits of the products he believes in.

For Mike, sustainability and product quality are essential criteria in the choices of designers, builders and customers, whether residential or commercial, to ensure our planet’s future.