Zac Hartley, chief operating officer of Burgundy Oak, speaks to Karen Unland of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB, at the ATB Entrepreneur Centre in Calgary on Sept. 12, 2018.

From Mom’s garage to the ATB BoostR stage to Dragons’ Den and beyond — that’s the trajectory of Burgundy Oak, a Calgary-based company that turns whiskey and wine barrels into unique furniture and home decor.

You’ll get to see the Burgundy Boys pitch the Dragons on Oct. 11 (on CBC at 8 p.m. MST). We can’t tell you how they did, but we can confirm after talking to chief operating officer Zac Hartley that this is a fascinating and growing business that hasn’t stopped innovating since it incorporated in 2015.

Hear more about “the coincidence made in heaven” that led to the company; the research-and-development work that left its mark on Zac’s hands; and the role ATB has played in Burgundy Oak’s success — all of that and more is in this conversation recorded at the ATB Entrepreneur Centre in Calgary:

Find your signature piece of furniture or unique gift, crafted from recycled wine or whiskey casks, at burgundyoak.com. You can also find the company on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and you can learn more about the Dragons’ Den process on YouTube.

If you’re looking for guidance to make your small business a success, you’ll find it at ATB’s Entrepreneur Centres. If crowdfunding sounds like a good way to test the market and prove your product’s value, check out ATB BoostR.

October is Small Business Month, which is why we’re shining a light on some small businesses that our founding sponsor, ATB Financial, has helped out. Watch for more Alberta Business Spotlights in the coming weeks.

Photo by Kevin Espenido of ATB. Podcast music is "His Last Share Of The Stars" by Doctor Turtle, courtesy of freemusicarchive.org.