Canopy goes
beyond the surface
Hood River forms ‘epicenter’ of sustainability, says owner of ‘green’ building materials firm

Photo by Christian Knight
Dan Nelson, co-founder of Canopy, leans on an office table made of Kirei, a wood substitute made from reclaimed agricultural fiber.

By JANET COOK
News staff writer
April 15, 2006

Dan Nelson’s company, Canopy, sources and sells sustainable building materials nationally and internationally. But Hood River serves as both test market and showcase for the growing company.

“Oregon is the epicenter of the sustainable building industry,” Nelson said. “And in Oregon, Hood River is very progressive. People here are strong proponents of building green.”

Canopy was founded a year and a half ago by Hood River resident Nelson and a business partner from Portland. Nelson had spent more than a decade in national sales and business development for an accounting software firm. But he’d stumbled on his passion a few years ago when he had an opportunity to help design a garden center in Portland.

“I got to choose the materials,” Nelson recalled. He began researching architectural and interior design products, and gravitated toward eco-friendly materials. “They’re just cooler – I ended up going all ‘green.’”

His business partner, Ann Barr, had a similar passion for sustainable design, as well as a background in marketing, distribution and production as a consultant for small businesses. With the increasing interest in eco-friendly building in Oregon and the Northwest, the two decided to launch Canopy in November 2004.

Photos by Dan Nelson
Products distributed by Canopy include recycled copper sinks handcrafted by family-owned workshops in Mexico (above), and Paperstone, used for tables and countertops like this one at Ground coffee shop (below).

“We knew we wanted to get this stuff out there – to get it out of the closet,” Nelson said. Canopy’s goal is to help builders, designers and architects find hard-to-source green materials as well as to be a resource for manufacturers of eco-friendly materials in getting their products to a wider market.

Canopy is a distributor for a dozen green products ranging from flooring and countertops to sinks and hardware. Its most popular product is Paperstone, a countertop material made from recycled paper and resin. Some of the more unique products Canopy distributes include recycled copper sinks handmade by family-owned workshops in Mexico, and Kirei, a wood substitute made from reclaimed agricultural fiber.

Canopy has headquarters both in Hood River and Portland. Nelson is in the process of moving the local office from its current location behind Ground Coffee on Oak St. to a new showroom at 110 Third St. which will open in May. Along with showcasing all the products Canopy distributes, the new space will include full cabinet, kitchen and bath design services courtesy of Imagine Design Works, an architectural design firm based in Stevenson, Wash.

“It will provide a one-stop shop for green cabinet, counter, flooring, hardware and sinks,” Nelson said.

The new showroom arose partly from local demand. Many Hood River businesses have incorporated Canopy products into their spaces – including several popular restaurants and coffee shops. That visibility, combined with word-of-mouth among local builders, has increased the demand for Canopy-distributed products in Hood River.

“Hood River has been an early adopter of these eco-friendly products,” Nelson said. To date, more than a dozen hotels and restaurants and more than 40 local homeowners have built or remodeled using Canopy-distributed products, according to Nelson.

“Hood River has more per-capita Paperstone installations than anywhere in the country,” Nelson said.

The rise in demand for eco-friendly building and design materials has led Canopy to begin designing its own products. The first one is a countertop material similar to Paperstone that will cost less. Nelson hopes to have it available to the market later this year. The company also is creating its own cabinet collection.

In the meantime, Nelson and Barr (the two now have a third business partner, Cathy Nehl, who works in the Portland office) will continue to seek out eco-friendly products to put under their “canopy,” and to get those products to the ever-growing market.

“That’s the fun part of it,” Nelson said. “It’s helping people build eco-friendly, having fun with it and doing something different.”

Canopy is located at 12 Oak St., Ste. 1A. In May, the company will be moving to 110 Third St. Contact Canopy at (541) 308-0400 or go to www.canopyhome.com