Allied Steel helps couple's flooring business get some elbow room .

After 19 years of operating their successful flooring business from their home, Wayne and Marie LeGrow decided it was time to expand.

The couple hail from St. John , the largest city in Newfoundland , Canada , and one of the oldest cities in North America . The pair started their business, Union Flooring, when Wayne decided to take his skills as a floor installer and put them to work at his own company.

As for being a co-owner of Union Flooring, Marie says, "I didn't mind us starting the company, as long as I didn't have to do too much."

The company was a success from the start, growing to a current staff that fluctuates between 10 and 18 people, and does commercial flooring throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The company has provided flooring for hospitals, schools, gymnasiums and even a Wal-Mart store.

But with that growth came an operation in desperate need of more storage room. The couple had operated the business from their home and a nearby storage facility. In 2002, they began their search for options for constructing a building on land they had in Donovan's Industrial Park near their home.

In his research, Wayne discovered an 80- by 120-foot Allied Steel building for sale that he thought would be a perfect fit. "He showed a local contractor the building and the price - and the contractor said, 'That's a great deal!' so we decided to buy it," says Marie.

Once they had the land and the building ordered, Marie says that Allied Steel worked with the couple to get the plans ready.

"Allied told us to check out the plans with a Canadian engineer so it would meet our codes," Marie says. "So our contractor helped us get it up to Canadian code and made some changes for doors and windows. Allied sent us back revised plans that worked perfectly."

This was the first time the couple had ever purchased a building. Marie says they appreciated the way everyone at Allied worked with them to help the process along.

"We had never done this before, so it was great to work with Allied Steel, who were really a good group of people," Marie says.

The building arrived on time in November of 2004. A contractor was hired to help erect the structure, which was completed in December.

The couple now have the room their business desperately needed, and it will help them accommodate the growth they forecast for the business. They are also considering renting out part of the space to another business.

"We put in sheet vinyl flooring, hardwoods and even rubber flooring all over the area, sometimes a 12-hour drive away," Marie says. "It's great to have all this room now."

She says the couple are so pleased with their building and the experience of working with Allied Steel, they've become a couple of unofficial company spokespeople.

"Already three other companies have asked us where we got our building," Marie says. "We're happy to tell them that it's from Allied Steel."