Don has been the CEO of Larch Wood Enterprises in East Margaree, Nova Scotia, since 2004 until present. He has taken it from a 4 person operation to 20 plus employees. Larch Woods products are exported world wide. Before That Don had a successful 35 year career as an independent builder, designer and cabinet maker in Ontario and Nova Scotia. Don moved to Cape Breton in 1985 from rural Ontario and never looked back.
After attending a hard wood conference in Port Hawkesbury in 2016, Don and Kari Easthouse from the Cape Breton Private Land Partnership approached Inverness Councilor Jim Mustard about forming a co-op dedicated to sustainable forestry and creating the opportunity for more value added wood products being produced in Cape Breton. Breton Forest Innovation Co-op was founded in 2017. The site of the former Fine Wood Flooring facility in Middle River, 22,000 sq. ft of buildings and offices was purchased with the help of New Dawn Enterprises and the Sydney Credit Union. They remain vigilant in promoting their vision and are currently working on a proposal for the Nova Scotia Forest Industry Transition Fund.