Featured Speakers:

Carlo DeFrancesco
Carlo has extensive industry experience, having been involved in architectural wood manufacturing for more than 28 years. He has also been an active member of AWMAC (Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada), which publishes Architectural Woodwork Quality Standards Illustrated (known as the “QSI”), a quality standards manual for the North American architectural woodworking industry, in collaboration with the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI). Carlo previously served as G.I.S. Director and President of the organization’s Ontario Chapter. He is currently part owner and sales manager of Ontario-based Green Valley Woodworking Ltd.

Mark Warne
Mark is the Ontario Division Manager for Upper Canada Forest Products, the Canadian division of UCS Forest Group and Canada’s premier distributor of specialty products serving the architectural woodworking industry. Upper Canada Forest Products has taken a leading stance in minimizing environmental impact and making prudent use of natural resources. It has implemented a variety of company-wide environmental initiatives, including sourcing the broadest range of sustainable forest products and using environmentally friendly consumables and fuel-efficient vehicles.

Darren Cooke
Darren is Managing Director of Capital Underwriters, which he co-founded in 1992 after holding several senior management positions in the leasing industry. Darren is a specialist in developing vendor finance programs with a focus on manufacturing and production equipment. Based on this core specialty, he has established Capital Underwriters as an industry leader in the area of financing CNC wood, stone and glass production equipment. In addition to managing several key vendor accounts and direct clients, Darren works closely with Capital Underwriters’ new business development team to create and maintain new equipment vendor programs.