Our company

Built in Duncan.
Built on experience.

Local manufacturing, practical collaboration and skilled textile construction.

Our history

Three generations.
Still going strong.

The Top Stitch story began in the 1960s, when John’s father—also named John—opened De Haan’s Upholstery in Duncan. The shop handled furniture upholstery along with a wide variety of other projects.

In 1974, John joined his father in the upholstery business. He started by doing the hands-on work of stripping old furniture so it could be re-covered, gradually learning the skills and techniques of the trade. After leaving De Haan’s Upholstery, John continued to take his commercial sewing machine wherever he went—even as far as Creston, British Columbia—in the hope of continuing the family business.

John de Haan Junior during his early days at De Haan’s Upholstery — John de Haan Junior · Early days at De Haan’s Upholstery

When John returned to Vancouver Island, he began working for a local business in the Cowichan Valley. He later joined forces with Shirlee Harris to establish Top Stitch Manufacturing Inc. They made a strong team: John brought his upholstery knowledge, while Shirlee contributed her experience in apparel manufacturing.

In 2005, Top Stitch began operating from a 250-square-foot bedroom in Shirlee’s home. Two other people played important roles in the company’s beginnings and day-to-day operations: John’s wife, Sabine de Haan—Top Stitch’s biggest supporter and a shareholder—and Shirlee’s husband, Mike Harris, a former accountant.

After years of hard work, the company was doing well and eventually moved into a larger space. John and Shirlee decided to expand Top Stitch’s services to include screen printing. This new direction required someone with strong computer skills, so John invited his nephew, Brent Rayner, to join the company.

Brent Rayner early in his career at Top Stitch — Brent Rayner · The next generation

Brent began working with Top Stitch in 2011 as a computer technician. He prepared images for screen printing and worked on the company’s website. Although the screen-printing side of the business did not grow as they had hoped, Brent was eager to become part of the family trade and learn the craft.

With no previous sewing experience, Brent began as a part-time employee while also working another job. His computer work continued, and he helped make Shirlee and Mike’s work easier while learning the basics of bookkeeping. Over time, Brent absorbed a wealth of knowledge. He progressed from apprentice to tradesperson and became an important part of Top Stitch’s future.

In 2017, Shirlee made the difficult decision to step away from the business and prepare for retirement. Around that time, Brent was offered a partnership in the company. Shirlee’s retirement also meant that Mike would begin stepping back from his role. Brent accepted the offer without hesitation and with great honour.

Sabine also played an essential role in this transition by transferring shares to Brent, helping ensure that the family trade could continue for many years to come.

Today, John, Sabine, and Brent—uncle, aunt, and nephew—remain partners in Top Stitch Manufacturing. Together, they are proud to carry forward a family trade spanning three generations. They look forward to the future and to continuing to provide high-quality products and services to customers across Vancouver Island and beyond.

Our approach

Practical

We focus on function, use and a clear path to manufacturing.

Collaborative

We work directly with clients to understand the requirement.

Reliable

Clear communication supports dependable project delivery.

Quality-focused

Construction details matter from prototype through production.

Why Top Stitch?

One idea.
Any scale.

From our well-equipped shop just south of Duncan, we serve private, commercial and industrial customers. Bring us an idea, an existing product or a unique challenge and we can help turn it into a practical prototype.

Our primary focus is industrial contract work, including stack cutting and production-line assembly. With industrial equipment and an experienced team, we can efficiently produce both short and large runs—with better unit pricing as quantities increase.

Bring us your idea →

Custom upholstery

Furniture repairs, recovering, fabric selection and in-person estimates backed by decades of local experience.

Temporarily unavailableDue to current production demands, we are not accepting custom upholstery projects at this time. We hope to offer this service again in the near future.

Custom prototypes

Practical development for original sewn products, from an early idea through a working first version.

Contract production

Stack cutting and production-line assembly for financially viable short and large manufacturing runs.

Why local manufacturing?

Closer to the work.
Closer to you.

Working with a local manufacturer creates a shorter feedback loop. Questions can be resolved directly, prototypes can be reviewed in context and quality remains visible throughout production.