Anyone who says you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure has clearly never worked with Westrose Interiors. What began as a friendship between two teenaged carpentry students in England has grown into one of Calgary’s most trusted commercial interior systems companies built on grit, craftsmanship and a relentless commitment to delivering on schedule.
Founders Tom Rose and Craig West met in carpentry college in the U.K. and quickly bonded over long days learning their trade and a shared work ethic. That friendship followed them around the world. When West decided to head to Australia on a working holiday, Rose joined him. A year later, they returned home only to face a recession that made steady work difficult to find.
Rather than wait for conditions to improve, they looked elsewhere. After researching countries where skilled trades were in demand and opportunity was real, Rose and West landed on Calgary, emigrating in 2011 with experience, ambition and a willingness to work hard.
That initial year in Canada tested everything.
“That first winter was brutal,” recalls Rose, founder and estimator at Westrose Interiors. “We struggled to find the right work and ended up roofing at minus 30 [degrees]. We were close to packing our bags and going home, when one good job changed everything.”
They stuck it out. Calgary grew on them, and so did their reputation.
Seeing the Opportunity Others Miss
Working together at the same company, Rose and West quickly earned promotions and were soon running large projects for their employer. Once they became permanent residents, a defining question emerged, and it’s one that many general contractors will recognize.
“We looked at each other and said, ‘Why are we running big jobs for someone else when we could be doing this ourselves?’” says Rose.
Shortly after, Westrose Interiors was born.
Like most successful construction companies, the early days meant wearing every hat – whether estimating, project management, site work – and Rose and West handled it all. They hired one employee, then another and the company’s growth was steady, measured and deliberate.
Today, Westrose Interiors employs more than 100 skilled professionals across the office and field, partnering with general contractors who demand high quality execution and absolute reliability. The company built its reputation by understanding what matters most on today’s jobsites: tight schedules, zero tolerance for rework and the real cost of delays.
Building a Downtown Reputation
Over the past decade, Westrose has become a leader in downtown Calgary’s commercial interiors market, taking on larger and more complex tenant improvement projects as their experience and reputation grew.
Their portfolio includes multi-floor office buildouts with tight timelines, high detail, and demanding coordination requirements, with notable projects for clients including Paramount resources, Fasten LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright, Stikeman Elliott, Pivotal Energy, BGC Engineering, KPMG, National Bank, AESO and Deloitte. Along the way, Westrose has earned recognition not only for craftsmanship, but also for onsite professionalism and strong COR safety standards. But the journey hasn’t been easy.
“We’ve never really had a ‘good economy,’” says West, founder and project manager. “Just before COVID, things were really taking off for us, then suddenly we were right back in the trenches.”
Resilience When It Mattered Most
For a company specializing in office interiors, COVID had the potential to be catastrophic. Projects paused, buildings emptied and uncertainty dominated the market. Westrose refused to panic.
Instead of resorting to layoffs or reduced hours, they found productive work for their crews and protected the team even as margins tightened. They doubled down on quality, service and client relationships, believing that how they handled the downturn would define their future.
That decision paid off. As restrictions eased, demand returned quickly. Over the last three years, Westrose has experienced its strongest period of growth to date.
Precision Work in Any Environment
Westrose Interiors provides a full range of interior systems, including suspended T-bar ceilings, acoustical and custom ceiling systems, demising walls, drywall, partitions and acoustic wall paneling. For smaller projects, repairs and renovations, the company operates a dedicated service division supported by a 10-van fleet, allowing rapid response while maintaining the same high standards as their large projects.
One area where Westrose truly stands apart is occupied-space construction. For clients who can’t shut down operations, Westrose has become a trusted partner. Their crews work methodically to install barriers, seal off work zones, control dust and leave spaces clean and safe at the end of each day, allowing businesses to continue operating without disruption.
“We’ve established ourselves as a company that can execute multi-floor downtown projects with tight schedules and high detail,” says West. “That comes down to the strength of our team. We provide a full-service solution.”
A Culture That Builds Careers
Westrose’s success is rooted in its culture: respect, integrity, craftsmanship and accountability. Rose and West hire carefully, ensuring their team takes pride in their work, collaborates effectively and contributes positively to both the jobsite and the company. Retention is high, and many employees have grown with the company over the long term.
The company is also committed to strengthening the industry itself.
“It can be hard to find companies that actively encourage apprentices,” says Rose. “We’re proud to take them on. Training the next generation to build the right way matters to us.”
Westrose continuously looks for ways to improve, whether through procedures, technology or safety practices, while raising the bar for interior construction in Calgary.
Trusted by Calgary’s Leading Clients
This commitment to quality and professionalism has earned Westrose a long list of loyal clients who return project after project. The company has partnered with general contractors who cater to professional services firms, financial institutions, technology companies, health care providers and energy companies, delivering precision drywall, custom wall systems and seamless interior finishes in some of Calgary’s most recognizable buildings.
In 2025 alone, Westrose completed more than 500,000 square feet of high-end tenant improvements, reinforcing its position as a premier interiors contractor capable of delivering complex projects on time.
Looking Ahead
After more than a decade of steady growth, Rose and West aren’t slowing down. With a strong downtown presence firmly established, the company is now expanding into industrial and health care construction, applying the same principles that built its reputation: reliability, craftsmanship and consistent results.
“It’s been a long 10 years in one breath, and a very short 10 years in another,” says West. “We’ve got a lot more to do. It feels like we’re just getting started.”
With experience forged through harsh winters, economic uncertainty and some of Calgary’s most demanding jobsites, Westrose Interiors is built for what’s next and general contractors know they can count on them when it matters most.