After more than a century in business, reinvention is not new to Burritt Bros. Carpet & Floors. What is new is where the Vancouver company’s next chapter will unfold.
This spring, the fourth-generation, family-owned flooring company will move into the largest unit at Marine Landing. The 6,159-square-foot space spans two levels, with 4,652 square feet on the ground floor and a 1,507-square-foot mezzanine above. For Burritt Bros, it’s more than a relocation. It’s a strategic evolution rooted in history, experience, and a clear-eyed view of how their industry is changing.
Founded nearly 120 years ago, Burritt Bros is one of Vancouver’s longest-standing family businesses. “I’m fourth generation,” says CEO Keith Donegani, who has led the company for the past decade and marks more than 20 years with the business this March. “There aren’t many companies like that left in Vancouver.”
Over the years, Burritt Bros has grown beyond its retail roots. Alongside its residential business serving homeowners, the company operates Colin Campbell and Sons, catering to designers, architects, and builders, as well as Nature’s Carpet, a proprietary brand distributed to retailers across North America. What began as competing businesses ultimately became unified under one roof through acquisition and consolidation.
The ability to adapt has been essential. In recent years, the flooring industry, like so many others, has undergone a fundamental shift. Post pandemic, customers now increasingly start their search for flooring online, narrowing choices before ever stepping into a showroom. Large, traditional retail spaces have become less effective, while distribution, logistics, and curated, appointment-based experiences have grown in value.
When the company faced a looming lease renewal and a proposed rent increase of more than 100 percent, it forced a hard look at the future. “The rules had changed,” says Donegani. “But we saw it as an opportunity.”
For most of its history, the company had owned its own real estate. That changed in 2016 when they sold their long-standing space on Main Street and moved to a leased space on Fraser Street. Faced with an unreasonable rent increase, the company began searching for a space to buy that could support a smaller, more intentional showroom, administrative offices, and proximity to transit, while allowing warehouse and distribution operations to function separately. Marine Landing stood out immediately.
“We knew we needed to be creative and rebuild somewhere else. As soon as we walked into Marine Landing, we knew it was the one,” Donegani says. High ceilings, natural light, flexible layout, and a built-in mezzanine made the space ideal. The project’s amenities, including rooftop patio space, fitness facilities, and a dog run, were unexpected bonuses. Equally important was the location: close to SkyTrain, near its west side customer base, and positioned within a growing, mixed-use neighbourhood.
At Marine Landing, Burritt Bros & Colin Campbell will operate a trade-focused showroom by appointment, designed to support informed, face-to-face conversations after an online-first engagement. The new space will also reinforce the company’s role as a resource offering deep expertise in flooring, sustainability, and material sourcing. With a continued focus on natural materials, ethical procurement and wool carpet at its core, Burritt Bros & Colin Campbell see another shift on the horizon.
“This business has reinvented itself many times over the last century,” Donegani reflects. “Marine Landing gives us the foundation to do it again, this time with a space that truly reflects where we’re going.”
With buildout now underway and a planned move-in this June, Burritt Bros’ presence at Marine Landing represents exactly what the project was designed for: established businesses embracing modern space to support long-term growth, resilience, and evolution.
