What Permabois does

Permabois is a privately held Canadian manufacturer of premium hardwood flooring, headquartered in St-Jérôme, Quebec, and operating under the legal name PERMABOIS BOIS HUILÉS INC. The company is led by Philippe Dubeau and benefits from more than 80 years of Dubeau family expertise in wood flooring. Its core offering is solid and engineered hardwood flooring that is infused and saturated with natural vegetable oils (safflower, soybean, linseed) using a proprietary slow percolation process in which oils are air-dried for several hours to ensure deep, species-calibrated fiber penetration. A two-layer application—a pigmented base oil beneath a finishing oil—produces the company's signature finish. The product portfolio spans four wood species (European White Oak, Hard Maple, Hickory, Black Walnut), five grade/texture options, and five customizable oil-tint families, with multi-ply Baltic birch engineered platforms supporting dimensions up to 10¼ inches wide and 83 inches long.

The company operates a made-to-order production model with no finished-goods inventory, producing each order on receipt of purchase. Distribution is handled exclusively through a network of specialist flooring retailers and dealers serving the Canadian and US markets. Revenue is generated from quote-based per-square-foot pricing on hardwood flooring, custom color development for design-specific projects, and an attached maintenance ecosystem (Permaclean natural soap, Permalustre protector, and Touch-Up Kits). Customers are segmented primarily into residential homeowners and commercial applications, with secondary segments of interior designers and the specialist retailers themselves. Supporting services include custom oil finishing for staircase components, beams, and mouldings to harmonize installations. The company is a member of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), holds a 25-year structural warranty, and emphasizes eco-credentials aligned with the Kyoto Protocol and zero-VOC formulations.

The go-to-market relies on specialist channel partnerships enhanced by digital tools, including the Permavision room visualization partnership with Roomvo that enables customers to preview collections in their own rooms before purchase, and a bilingual (English/French) content presence targeting the Canadian market. Maintenance consumables and touch-up kits create a recurring replacement revenue stream and an ecosystem lock-in effect around the proprietary oil finish.

Name

Permabois

Legal name

PERMABOIS BOIS HUILÉS INC.

Website

https://permabois.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Permabois is a Quebec-based, family-owned manufacturer of premium hardwood flooring infused with natural vegetable oils, selling made-to-order, custom-finished flooring and millwork through specialist retailers across Canada and the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hardwood Flooring Manufacturing

NAICS

Hardwood Veneer and Plywood Manufacturing (321211), Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing (3212)

SIC

Millwood, Veneer, Plywood, & Structural Wood Members (2430)

akta.pro primary industry

Wood Flooring & Wood Veneer Products (IMADADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hardwood Plywood & Decorative Panels Manufacturing (IMAMACAB)

Keywords

• Oil-infused hardwood flooring
• Engineered wood flooring
• Natural vegetable oil finish
• Custom wood flooring manufacturer
• Premium hardwood floor refinishing

Headquarters

HQ city

St-Jérome

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardwood Flooring Sales: Permabois generates revenue through the sale of custom-made hardwood flooring products infused with natural vegetable oils. All orders are produced individually upon receipt, with no inventory stock. Products include solid and engineered wood flooring in various species (European White Oak, Hickory, Hard Maple, Black Walnut) with customizable oil tints and grades.
2. Custom Color Development: Special made-to-measure color development services for customers seeking specific shades to complete perfect decor. Additional revenue stream from customizing staircase components, beams, and mouldings with matching oil finish.
3. Maintenance Products: Sales of Permaclean natural soap and Permalustre protector for floor maintenance and regeneration.
4. Touch-Up Kit Sales: Permabois touch-up kits for homeowners to quickly cover scratches without additional cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Permabois manufactures premium hardwood flooring infused and saturated with natural vegetable oils (safflower, soybean, linseed) using a proprietary slow percolation and air-drying process. Products are made-to-order in solid or engineered formats across four species (European White Oak, Hard Maple, Hickory, Black Walnut), with multiple grades, customizable oil tints, and complementary maintenance products and finishing services for staircases, beams, and mouldings.

Product overview

Permabois offers a collection of premium hardwood flooring products infused and saturated with natural vegetable oils (safflower, soybean, and linseed), using a unique slow percolation and air-drying process that allows oils to penetrate deeply into wood fibers. The product portfolio centers on four wood species (European White Oak, Hard Maple, Hickory, and Black Walnut) offered across five grade levels (Tradition Handscraped, Tradition Distressed, Tradition Brushed, Selection Smooth, and Select and Better Smooth) with five customizable oil tint categories (Natural, Neutral, Light, Rich, and Vibrant tones). Flooring is available in both engineered multi-ply platforms (with Baltic birch or 3-ply substrates) and solid constructions, in various dimensions up to 10 1/4 inches wide and 83 inches long. The ecosystem is supported by specialized maintenance products including Permaclean natural soap and Permalustre protector, plus a touch-up kit for DIY repairs. Custom services include color development, staircase components, beams and mouldings finishing. The company's unique value proposition is that oil-infused floors can be perpetually renewed without intrusive sanding through simple restoration procedures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• European White Oak Flooring Collections Hardwood flooring crafted from European White Oak, with whitish sapwood and heartwood ranging from pale beige to soft brown. Praised for its uniform color and fine grain, the species accepts natural oils exceptionally well and suits both contemporary and traditional interiors. Sold to homeowners, commercial specifiers, and specialist retailers via made-to-order production.
• Hard Maple Flooring Collections Hardwood flooring from sugar maple, featuring white sapwood with a slight reddish-brown tinge and heartwood with dark mineral streaks. Known for hard, closed grain with a soft uniform texture and a contemporary look combined with Permabois natural oils. Sold to homeowners and commercial buyers through specialist retailers.
• Hickory Flooring Collections Hardwood flooring from the walnut family with varied colors, patterns, and appearance. Features whitish sapwood with brown tinge and heartwood ranging from light brown to dark honey with purple mineral streaks; dense, hard, and fibrous with strong impact resistance. Sold to homeowners and commercial buyers through specialist retailers.
• Black Walnut Flooring Collections Premium hardwood flooring from black walnut, featuring heartwood ranging from light brown to dark chocolate with black streaks. Marketed as the most beautiful walnut species, offering rich natural colors, elegant texture, and warm sheen suitable for luxury residential and commercial applications.
• Engineered Flooring Platforms Multi-ply or 3-ply engineered flooring with Baltic birch plywood base or perpendicular wood stick substrate. Wear layers are dry-sawn hardwood ranging from 2.5mm to 4mm thickness. Available in 3/4 inch thickness and widths of 4 1/4, 5, 6, 7 1/2, or 10 1/4 inches with lengths up to 83 inches, and are compatible with nail/staple or glue-down installation as well as glycol radiant subfloors.
• Natural Oil Tints and Finishes Customizable oil shade palette across five tone families: Natural Tones (organic/authentic), Neutral Tones (classic/timeless), Light Tones (bright/fresh), Rich Tones (deep/sophisticated), and Vibrant Tones (energetic/dynamic). Applied as a base oil containing color pigments followed by a finishing oil, as part of the company's natural vegetable oil saturation process.
• Tradition Handscraped Grade Flooring A textured floor with ripple effects, unevenness, distressed effects, and transverse marks. Character grade with filled knots, pronounced color and shade variations, rippled and pressed beveled edges; each plank is different and unique. Sold to homeowners and commercial buyers seeking a rustic, hand-crafted aesthetic.
• Tradition Distressed Grade Flooring A textured floor with aged and distressed effects plus transverse marks (no ripples). Character grade with filled knots, pronounced color and shade variations, and wavy pressed beveled edges, marketed as a "perfect backdrop for any style."
• Tradition Brushed Grade Flooring Textured floor with brushed surface effects and filled knots. Character grade with pronounced shade and color variations and micro-v beveled edges, marketed as offering scratch camouflage ability with a traditional aged and rustic look.
• Selection Smooth Grade Flooring Floor with no surface texture, small healthy knots, natural shade and color variations, and micro-v beveled edges. Provides visual interest with a smooth surface and naturally oil-saturated fibers giving a silky sensation for cozy spaces.
• Select and Better Smooth Grade Flooring Floor with no surface texture, the most uniform appearance, slight shade and color variations, and micro-v beveled edges. Positioned as contemporary and Scandinavian-inspired — clear and uncluttered — combining aesthetics with functionality while remaining comfortable and warm.
• Permaclean Natural Soap Natural cleaning soap derived from soybean and coconut oils that cleans, nourishes, and regenerates the surface of oil-infused floors in a single step. Free of solvents, ammonia, and phosphates. Sold to homeowners and commercial buyers to maintain the appearance, durability, and performance of Permabois floors.
• Permalustre Protector A protective finish enhancer that combines occasionally with Permaclean to regenerate the oil finish and help the floor develop a remarkable patina over time. Sold to existing Permabois floor owners as a follow-on maintenance product.
• Touch-Up Kit DIY repair kit that allows homeowners to quickly cover most scratches without delay, additional cost, or risk of further damage to the floor. Designed to leverage the camouflage effect of oil-infused finishes for simple, in-home touch-ups.
• Custom Staircase, Beam and Moulding Finishing Custom manufacturing service that applies Permabois's natural oil finish to customer-supplied staircase components, beams, and mouldings so that all wood elements in a project share a consistent tint and protection. Targeted at homeowners, designers, and contractors seeking visually unified installations.
• Custom Color Development Service Made-to-measure color development service that creates custom oil tints for individual customers seeking a specific shade to complete their interior decor, extending the standard Natural/Neutral/Light/Rich/Vibrant palette. Targeted at designers and homeowners with specialized aesthetic requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Restoration costs 50%+ less than traditional sanding and varnishing
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Roomvo (Virtual Decorator)coreTechnology or IntegrationRoomvo provides the Permavision virtual room scene visualization tool that allows customers to see Permabois oiled collections in their rooms. Customers can upload photos of their own rooms and explore different flooring options in a realistic setting.
• European Natural Vegetable Oil ManufacturerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPermabois works in partnership with European leaders in the manufacture of natural vegetable oils, adhesives, and cleaning products with low environmental impact. These partnerships enable the company's eco-friendly oil infusion process.
• NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association)minorOthersPermabois follows NWFA installation guidelines and standards. The company references NWFA installation guides and recommendations for radiant floor systems installation. Technical specification sheets reference NWFA standards compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mohawk Industries: Global flooring giant with hardwood lines (Mohawk, Karastan, etc.). Overlaps with Permabois in solid and engineered hardwood flooring but competes through mass distribution rather than specialty bespoke service.
• Shaw Industries (Shaw Floors): Largest U.S. flooring manufacturer with broad hardwood, carpet, and resilient offerings. Comparable at the category level — competes in the same residential/commercial hardwood space but at vastly greater scale and dealer coverage.

Direct peers

• Wickham Hardwood Flooring: Canadian engineered and solid hardwood flooring maker selling through specialty retailers. Strong peer due to shared Canadian manufacturing heritage, multi-species offering, and dealer-channel go-to-market.
• Hallmark Floors: U.S. manufacturer of hardwood flooring offering engineered platforms with handcrafted textures and oil/finish options. Peer in the premium engineered hardwood category targeting residential specialty retailers.
• Appalachian Flooring: Canadian-made solid and engineered hardwood flooring producer offering custom finishes. Comparable family-run specialist flooring brand focused on quality hardwood species and dealer distribution.
• Vintage Hardwood Flooring: Manufacturer of premium engineered hardwood flooring in multiple species and finish options. Closely comparable peer with a focus on quality construction, customization, and North American specialty distribution.
• Mirage Floors (Boa-Franc): Canadian premium hardwood flooring manufacturer based in Quebec. Most directly comparable peer — also produces prefinished hardwood planks for residential and commercial markets through a specialty dealer network in North America.
• Lauzon Hardwood Flooring: Quebec-based manufacturer of solid and engineered hardwood flooring with premium finishes. Direct competitor serving the same North American specialty retailer and homeowner segment with comparable product breadth.
• Kährs Group: Swedish pioneer of engineered multi-layer wood flooring with a broad international distribution network. Comparable as an engineered hardwood platform specialist focused on sustainable, durable wood floors.

Others

• Rustic Wood Flooring Supply: Wholesale distributor of unfinished and prefinished hardwood flooring in North America. Adjacent peer serving the same installer/dealer ecosystem that Permabois depends on for last-mile distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PermaboisHardWoodFloors

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Permabois