Located in scenic Hardwick, Vermont Natural Coatings (VNC) has made its home in the heart of Vermont’s rural Northeast Kingdom. Pastoral views are complemented by a charming downtown. Here, signs of the past are interspersed with signs of new and growing industry.

Right off Main Street and adjacent to VNC headquarters is a house with over a century of local history. Built in 1906 during the town’s granite boom to serve as the town’s first filling station, the house on Gravel Street had fallen into disrepair. VNC president Andrew Meyer, a fifth generation Vermonter born in Hardwick, decided to turn it around.

At an Install, Sand and Finish training event held in the fall of 2015, 12 tradesmen and craftsmen from all over the country traveled to Hardwick to learn expert knowledge and participate in the restoration of the house to its former glory. During the training, the house served as a working demonstration of Norton/Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey® Professional Wood Floor Finishes and Norton Abrasives products. The house features VNC products on floors, stairs, walls, trims and more.

“When trainees come to Hardwick to work on the Gravel house, they are doing more than learning sand and finish best practices. After each day’s work is completed, contractors gather to enjoy time in local establishments with food and beverages right from Vermont. At our sand and finish events, they truly become a part of the local community.”

Ultimately, the Gravel house will be a “home away from home” for guests and friends of Vermont Natural Coatings. In the meantime, it’s the next step in giving flooring contractors the opportunity to grow their skills, sharing the progress of VNC with its neighbors, contributing to making Hardwick a better place to live and keeping the past connected to the future.