CORE Landscape Products proudly announces that we are now B Corp and WBE Canada Certified! Our fearless leader and founder, Caroline Rutledge has paved (permeable, of course) the way for women in business for many years! We look forward to the many opportunities to connect with other Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), corporations and government organizations to provide our products and expertise.
Introducing the CORE Team!
We are a small, close-knit team based in the Comox Valley with a passion for sustainability. Our mission is simply to create a greener world for the generations after us. This is something we work hard to accomplish every day, but we know we can’t do it alone. We now have two of our members working out of office in Toronto, Ontario and Belgrade, Serbia. We’re growing CORE Landscape Products on a global scale, and with the right team we will get our message across and create lasting changes for generations to come.
Each member of our team brings with them a different area of expertise, which contributes to the success of CORE Landscape Products. On our quest to find the perfect CORE product for our clients, we will always go the extra Mile. We follow through by communicating with contractors and partners that provide us with expert advice and deliverable solutions. We have partners that offer living walls, custom home builds, aux boxes, sleeping barrels, resin binders and more. We feel these partners and our dealers are also an integral part of our expanding team.
We stand out from the competition by offering an array of eco-friendly products, while offering world class customer support - "the sales and support team at CORE is World Class" - Jonathan Scott, Property Brothers, HGTV 2022. We will be there, with you, every step of the way. From inquiries at time of purchase, through to installation and follow ups, we are here to support you through your project needs.
We are small but mighty, and look forward to bringing CORE to your neighborhood!
Caroline Rutledge, the founder of CORE is a trained Restoration of Natural Systems Technician and Fisheries Biologist. Caroline has worked extensively in the field of land development and fish habitat restoration for the past 25 years. She brings to the table extensive technical knowledge in these two fields of work that ensure your project has the best support possible. Caroline started CORE after seeing the effects that hard (impermeable) surfaces, along with poor development practices, had on our urban streams, storm sewers and groundwater aquifers.
Whilst biological consulting is a valuable tool to educating land developers on the effects their practices have on our 'watershed', Caroline believed that a bigger difference could be made by providing these same land developers with the right 'tools' to enact tangible and immediate change. By offering affordable alternatives to paving and other hard surfaces, it is possible to ensure that the negative effects of hard surfaces are either eliminated or alleviated. Caroline Rutledge works one-on-one with engineers and architects on larger civic project development to ensure a seamless solution in the planning and material supply stages. Her expertise is a valuable asset in public space project development.
Jackie Spedding, a Relationship Manager with CORE, focusing on customer service, project guidance and more. Jackie has worked in the field of sales/service for the last 22 years and is happy to provide guidance to CORE's wide range of clientele. Jackie works one-on-one with architects, engineers, cities, landscape designers, dealers, and homeowners. She finds appropriate solutions based on clients' needs, follows-up to make sure they are happy, and is always working to find and build new relationships. Through client feedback, Jackie will make recommendations to the owner on ways to improve business and add other needed eco-friendly solutions to our line. This year, Jackie will be re-locating to Belgrade, Serbia for 2 years, she will still be able to service her existing clients from there, as she will remain part of the CORE Team, and will also look for ways to expand eco-friendly products to more countries.
Sagar Nanda (Marketing and E-Commerce), has been a part of the CORE family for over 8 years now. Sagar has completed his degree in International Business and has been working in the field of sales, marketing and the e-commerce industry for last 10 years. Sagar has moved to Toronto, Ontario and has been working remotely and actively looking to expand CORE's eco-friendly products to the East Coast. Sagar manages all the CORE's websites and ensures you "See, Love, Purchase and Receive" your unique CORE products!
Megan Rutledge (Growth Strategist) is Caroline's daughter and has been raised alongside CORE Landscape Products. A recent graduate from Vancouver Island University with her bachelor's degree in Anthropology, Megan has traveled all over the world for her studies. She brings with her a passion for sustainability, cultural/community connections, and growing the family business.
Jade Cook, our Assistant Relationship Manager brings a unique perspective to the table. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Jade moved to Canada to finish her studies and begin an exciting career path someplace new after living in both Kenya and Greece. As a dedicated and ambitious business student, with a particular focus on sustainability, Jade is poised to make a significant impact with us. Her solid foundation in the industry, combined with a deep understanding of strategic marketing principles, consumer behaviour, market research, and digital marketing strategies, equips Jade to drive meaningful campaigns and engage our audience. Jade currently possesses a two year diploma in Sustainable Tourism and is eager to explore more of the sustainable side through CORE.
Jade also possesses practical skills as a proficient photographer and content creator. This valuable skill set allows her to capture captivating visuals and develop compelling marketing materials, enhancing our brand presence. Jade’s ability to seamlessly blend their marketing and sales knowledge will be instrumental in maximizing customer engagement and revenue growth.
lan Rutledge, Videographer and Media Specialist. Ian comes to us with a lifetime of experience that only a Gen Z'er can claim. Now all those years spent on social media are being put to good use here at CORE. Ian manages all the media for CORE and enhances CORE's video line-up, ensuring 'How-To' videos are continuously updated.
Christa McMullen (Logistics Manager) has been with CORE from the start. As a valuable member of the team, Christa ensures that your questions are answered, your product is moving, and that you receive your product in a timely manner. Christa is also responsible for keeping our office running smoothly with her skillset in bookkeeping, sales and being a great liaise for CORE products and our wonderful clientele.
Earth Friendly Products
At CORE Landscape Products, we make it a priority to use recycled products wherever possible and ensure that all our other products are recyclable at the end of their life. By using our products, you are also using more local ingredients (i.e. using the CORE gravel grid enables you to use local aggregates). By doing so, we know that we are reducing transportation energy and waste while encouraging more Canadian/US architects, homeowners and contractors to adopt more eco-friendly development practices.
All of our products are manufactured in strict accordance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 18001 standards. These standards are implemented from raw material acquisition to delivery of the finished article.
By choosing permeable, eco-friendly products, we can: reduce waste, recharge the groundwater, moderate the Heat-Island Effect, the strain on our urban storm sewers, urban stream peak flow events, and much more. The truth is, we all have the power to change the conditions that are causing harm, and we can do so simply by choosing products that both meet our needs and are environmentally sustainable.
Quality of Service
What do you get when you blend great green products with super customer service? CORE Landscape Products! At CORE, we believe that every customer should be able to have their questions answered quickly, with kindness and with excellent technical expertise. Too often in this fast paced world, we feel jostled along to make way for the next paying customer.
At CORE, we believe that if you have taken the time to call us, we would love to talk to you! We also love working with architects, landscapers and homeowners from the design stage all the way to implementation (often years, making some great friends along the way). We believe that with the right support and technical expertise we can ensure that more folks are comfortable moving away from the Status Quo (just paving it) to a green, more eco-friendly landscape that is easy to install, functions as intended, and is durable, as well as cost effective. Simply put, our philosophy is that caring for our environment, whilst having a beautiful and functional landscape, is the best way to live.
History
CORE Landscape Products started in 2010 with only a handful of eco-friendly products, a small office, warehouse space, and a few friends. Today, CORE is a company dedicated to creating and supplying unique and innovative products, for both private and public landscape settings, that are more eco-friendly and sustainable than traditional products.
CORE Products
The CORE line was primarily based on the amazing honeycomb design; those bees know what they’re doing! From there, and with feedback from our clients, the line was extended to include a more extensive line of gravel and grass grids, natural illumination (CORE Glow), as well as long-lasting decorative privacy screens.
CORE Glow has taken on a life of its own, primarily to meet the need to reduce light pollution in public settings, add lights to areas where electricity is difficult (or costly) to provide, as well as give an aesthetically pleasing ‘night sky’ effect to almost any surface (indoor or out). CORE Glow can now be found in public trails/settings in Alberta, BC, Ontario, California, Texas and New York.
CORE Gravel and grass stabilized foundation installations can be found in some of the most creative public park installations in the US and Canada. We love working with forward-thinking city personnel, architects and landscape contractors!
Our newest product, CORE Privacy Screens, has yet to make its way into public settings, but our many homeowner clientele is currently enjoying their “outdoor art” with no maintenance. Ask us how CORE Privacy Screens can be incorporated into your public or private setting!
To this day, CORE Landscape Products is dedicated to providing great customer service from project start to finish, in conjunction with unique, eco-friendly, long-lasting products. Regardless of the company's growth and new product launches, CORE has always remained dedicated to its philosophy of doing the right thing for both people and the environment.
It’s more than a philosophy. It’s a promise.
Giving back where it is needed most.
With a focus on helping those who are trying to improve our environment, we have partnered with a number of groups and initiatives.
Haiti Ocean Project
This project is focused on educating Haitian youth about local marine mammal research and ecotourism. Haitian kids get the opportunity to attend our Haitian Ocean Project Sea Camp in the fishing village of Petit Goave. There they experience outdoor adventures including whale and dolphin watching, learning about the ecology of reefs and mangrove swamps. Their hope is to inspire young people to care about the world around them and to strive to make a difference. To donate to this project or to learn more click here.
CORE is also pleased to support the following amazing organizations:
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Habitat for Humanity
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Sous Les Paves [Quebec's part in conjunction with depave (USA)] - Parking Lots to Paradise - Free your Soil!
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Haiti Ocean Project
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Nothern Lights Wildlife Shelter
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MARS Wildlife Rescue
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Department of Veterans Affairs (USA)
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Veteran Affairs Canada
