A few comments, suggestions, and ideas that may be of interest to industry…

A few weeks back, I attended the Multifamily Housing Conference and Trade Event at the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas. This event was organized by the publishing group, Hanley Wood who also organizes a number of other shows in the construction sector including: Surfaces, Deck Expo, and JLC Live.

The Multifamily show draws a small but influential group of builders, developers, and construction professionals who focus on the apartment, condominium, and hotel markets. Actual participation numbers were not readily available but show organizers expected that over a thousand attendees were at the 2012 event. In conjunction with the conference, Hanley Wood sponsored a product exhibition and trade show where manufacturers could showcase products targeted at the multifamily sector. Some seventy five companies participated in the trade event including BC Wood member, Woodtone.<br><Br>

The general consensus from the conference was that the multifamily sector was experiencing decent growth after the market collapse of 2008 and this sector is expected to lead the United States in construction activity over the next two years. The term value engineered was frequently heard suggesting that while the sector was experiencing growth, builders were looking for products that added to the quality of their project without adding any significant construction costs. As one builder aptly put it, “we want the look and feel of quality without having to pay an increased cost for it.” A difficult task for manufacturers looking to sell into the multifamily sector, but one it seems that buyers are now expecting.

The positive news coming out of the conference is the continued push back purchasers are having toward low cost product out of Asia. Buyers I spoke to believe that product out of North America offer higher quality and are an attractive selling feature to potential customers. Whether builders and developers are willing to pay the higher manufacturing costs associated with buying North American remains to be seen; however, I believe that there remains a good opportunity for select BC manufacturers to have success selling into the multifamily housing sector across the United States.

For more information on this event or other markets in the United States, please contact me at  dfarley@bcwood.com.

In late September, BC Wood participated with four members from the log home and timber frame sector in the Denver Log Home show, Sept. 30th-Oct. 2nd. The Denver show featured log home and timber frame displays, smaller out-buildings, and finished building products such as roofing, flooring, decking, and rustic furniture. Over the past few years, a number of BC Wood members from the log and timber frame home sector have used the Denver show to maintain a toe hold in the US market while they cut back on some of their other promotional activities during the slower economic times.

The BC log and timber frame builders have remained active in a number of regional markets in the US, like the Rocky Mountain States, because it has been one of the few areas that has shown some activity. The Rocky Mountain States, due to their close geographic proximity to BC, product acceptance, and the clustering of resort developments catering to a wealthy demographic, have continued to be a relatively strong market for BC producers.

The feedback from the members attending the Denver show was generally very positive. The number of attendees, while not back to pre-2008 levels, was definitely higher than they had been in recent years. Most exhibitors reported a more positive attitude from the attendees at the show. Individuals who had been hesitant over the past few years to take the final step towards building their projects came to the show ready to build.

So, is there really a light at the end of the dreary economic tunnel? Judging from the feedback from the attendees and exhibitors at the Denver Log Home show, we are probably through the worst of it. The recovery will be, without doubt, slow and sporadic. However, I see more and more positive signs coming out of the most recent BC Wood trade show events.

For more background and my own views on the Denver show, please do not hesitate to contact me at bhawrysh@bcwood.com

Over the next couple of months, BC Wood will be coordinating the participation of its members in the BC Log Home and Country Living Show in Abbotsford in March. Held at the Tradex facility in Abbotsford, March 9-10th, this show draws over 12,000 attendees, primarily members of the general public who have an interest in log and timber frame homes. The Abbotsford show has traditionally been the best attended trade event for BC Wood’s log home and timber frame sector, with 12 to 14 members participating in the event over the past few years.

This Abbotsford show features log & timber builders and a range of related products and services that go hand-in-hand with outdoor living. BC Wood’s participation in the 2011 show was marked by a general improvement in the public’s confidence and attitude toward building. All exhibitors reported positively on the improved attitude of the attendees and the quality and quantity of the sales leads they generated from the show.

While most of the exhibitors at this show are manufacturers of log and timber frame structures, there is an opportunity for manufacturers to promote other building and finishing materials including flooring, roofing, kitchens, doors, windows, and exterior finishing materials. The audience is drawn to the show to see a complete range of products, from log and timber frame shells to the materials that are need to finish them.

Space is available for BC Wood members wanting to participate in the BC Log Home, Timber Frame and Country Living show this coming March. I would encourage any companies interested in more information to contact me at  bhawrysh@bcwood.com or in BC Wood’s offices at 604-882-7100.

Later this fiscal year, in February 2013, BC Wood will be coordinating a tandem of cost-shared trade shows in the Canadian Market. Member companies will be able to participate in the Montreal Wood Convention in Montreal and the Buildex show in Vancouver. While these shows occur on approximately the same dates, February 13-15th, the two shows target different audiences and are appropriate for different sectors with BC Wood.

Montreal Wood Convention, Montreal, Quebec
February 13-15, 2013

Buildex, Vancouver, BC
February 13-14, 2013

Buildex Vancouver is one of Canada’s largest trade expositions. The show focuses on the design and construction industry, and the manufacturers that supply the finished building materials required by these two sectors. Over 12,000 architects, interior designers, contractors, developers, engineers, and specifers attend the two day show where 600 exhibits showcase products and services.

The Buildex Vancouver show is an excellent opportunity for manufacturers producing custom architectural millwork, furniture, windows, doors, flooring, cabinets, as well as exterior finishing products such as wood roofing, siding, and decking.

In contrast, the focus of the 2013 Montreal Wood Convention is on commodity and specialty lumber products. This year’s convention will be in many ways the rebirth of the industry event that had a long storied history. For years, Wood Convention brought together industry representatives from the lumber industry to build key business contacts.

It is expected that the attendees to the Wood Convention will largely be Eastern based manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of lumber products. In addition, a number of representatives from European companies are also expected to participate in this event.

Space is limited for BC Wood members wanting to participate in these two events, so the sooner you respond the better. For more information regarding exhibition space and costs at the Buildex show and the Montreal Wood Convention, please contact me by email at bhawrysh@bcwood.com or by phone at 604-882-7100

It is once again time to gather the industry to get your feedback and suggestions on BC Wood activities for the next fiscal year, April 2013 to March 2014. We will be hosting the following meetings at our office in Langley and encourage you to participate and have a say in the cost-shared programs that BC Wood will deliver with industry participation.

If you cannot attend in person, please let us know and we will arrange for you to teleconference in to any meeting you have an interest in.

Log Home/Timber Frame Sector
1:30 Thursday, Nov 8th

Remanufacturing/ Specialty Lumber & Engineered Wood Products
1:30 Tuesday, Nov 13th

Furniture, Cabinets & Millwork Sector
10:00 Tuesday, Nov 13th

Pre-built Sector
8:30 Tuesday Nov 13th

We will also be hosting two special interest meetings:
India Market – 1:30 Wednesday, Nov 14th
European Market 1:30 Thursday, Nov 15th

Please join us and have your say regarding programs developed and delivered for next year! If you have any questions, or are not sure of your membership status, please contact us at 604-882-7100.

Social media does a lot for businesses:  It acts as a point of contact with customers, allowing for real time interaction, and is a wonderful tool for keeping them abreast of what your company is doing. By its very nature, social media is a prime tool for promoting your trade shows.  It gets visitors raring to visit your trade show booth…but only if it’s used correctly. Our video, Top 3 Social Media Don’ts While Exhibiting on the Trade Show Floor, covers the main pitfalls businesses face when using interactive media to promote their trade show efforts and gives tips on how to avoid them.  This trade show season, make social media work for you and enjoy the boost in visits to your trade show displayand sales you’ll see as a result!

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By Roy Manion

BC Wood continues to develop relationships with contractors and builders. As the readers may know, we are members of the Vancouver Regional Contractors Association (VRCA). Last Thursday, I attended a VRCA breakfast seminar sponsored by Wood Works BC on High Rise Wood Towers, the Next Step for BC. The speaker was Hubert Rhomberg, CEO of Rhomberg Holding GmbH and Cree GmbH, an Austrian company. The presentation was particularly interesting as the Rhomberg group built an 8 storey wood building in Austria (it went up one floor per day) and is one of three groups which have been asked to submit a proposal for the Tall Wood Tower in Prince George.

After the session, VRCA not only invited, but encouraged both BC Wood and Wood Works BC to utilize VRCA’s facilities to host group Lunch & Learn (L&L) sessions for their contractor members. As you may know, BC Wood has held a number of meetings and L&L sessions with several of the larger construction firms. These sessions have all been well received, and as a result, several firms have and continue to use BC Wood as a resource for information and product sourcing.

A few days prior to attending the VRCA breakfast meeting, we also met with the Independent Contractors Business Association (ICBA). The ICBA is an association that represents “open shop” construction companies. We have decided to join the ICBA as their membership is similar in size to the VRCA and provides us with access to additional construction companies. ICBA also encouraged us to use their facilities for group sessions.

In addition to these two associations, BC Wood is now working with the Canadian House Builders Association (CHBC), Sea to Sky (Whistler) Chapter and will be holding a L&L session in Whistler for their members on November 8th. Along with the CHBC members, we invited all of the Whistler architects. If all goes well, and we expect it will, we will look at a holding another session in Whistler with the CHBC in March.

Last Tuesday, we attended the Wood Solutions Fair and met with many architects and a number of companies in our industry who were exhibiting there. I also attended a seminar by Mateo Durfeld on Passive housing. Mateo is quickly setting himself up as the BC expert on passive housing.  After Mateo’s presentation, I then scooted over to the UBC Robson Square campus and participated as a speaker at CAWP’s Wood Tech Summit 2012. I gave a talk on marketing to architects.

This Thursday, November 1st, we are holding a seminar at UBC introducing a manufactured in BC hybrid solid wood curtain wall window system. Also speaking with me is an envelope consultant and a government representative on the requirements of the energy efficiency act and associated regulations. All in all, it looks like it will be a great session.

In addition, we are beginning plans for an Okanagan trip in February where we plan on holding group sessions and one or two individual L&L sessions in Kamloops and Kelowna. We already have two companies who have approached us to participate for the Okanagan sessions and we still have room for one or two more.

In the meantime, we are booking lunch & learn sessions primarily with the architect firms at their offices. We expect to do 30 more of these sessions by our fiscal year end, March 31st..

As one can see, the program continues to be very active. The interesting thing to me is that the group sessions we have held this year were all initiated by proactive participants in the program. We would encourage those who are reading this article who are not an active member of the Specifier Program to seriously look into it. You could benefit from exposing your products to the contractors and specifiers. For more information, feel free to contact me at 604-882-7100 orrmanion@bcwood.com

In the first installment on this topic, the importance of safety in the wood products manufacturing industry was discussed along with some of the costs associated with injuries in the workplace. While front line supervisors are responsible for productivity and managing costs, they often also have the direct responsibility of ensuring the health and safety of their workers. However, many supervisors, and companies do not have the tools to manage proactively rather than reactively. Fortunately, behaviors can be changed by implementing and using proper training methods such as Training within Industry (TWI) and others.

Every accident, whether it involves people’s injuries or not, results in costs. Invariably, these costs are either direct or indirect and they ultimately impact productivity and profitability. Direct costs of an accident include medical and/or indemnity payments. Indirect costs of an accident include supervisors’ lost time, spoiled product, unhappy customers, cleanup time, schedule delays, training new employees, overhead costs, legal fees, increased insurance costs and others. On average, indirect costs exceed direct costs by a 4:1 ratio.

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Located in the town of Hilversum, Netherlands, this cool woody recording studio was designed by Piet Hein Eek. Put together by his pal, an established furniture designer by the name of Piet Hein Eek, the structure features an absolutely fabulous facade of stacked logs. Even a row of clerestory windows get the full log treatment, and when opened they fill the compact interior with natural light.

Click here to view more images

Canadian cities, and in fact most major cities around the world, have been criticized of late for lacking soul. The modern, glass-clad aesthetic of many a modern structure, skyscraper or otherwise, has come under fire recently by more than one major architect, with Frank Gehry and Lawrence Nield leading the charge against ‘zombie buildings’ which lack cohesion, soul or substance.

Now, timber architecture is stepping in to fill that void. While timber has always played a role in industry developments new timber engineering has led to designs for timber skyscrapers in all corners of the globe. Plans for Michael Green’s Tall Wood Tower in Vancouver have earned an extended stay in the public consciousness due to the growing interest in timber design. Announced at the beginning of the year, Green’s 30-storey skyscraper will use Laminated Strand Lumber beams instead of steel beams, with the wooden components glued together in layers and able to withstand intense pressure.

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The 8th Annual IDSWest show was held in the New Vancouver Convention Centre, September 27th to 30th, 2012.  The Interior Design Show West (IDSwest) is Western Canada’s annual premiere residential design show featuring over 300 exhibitors showcasing quality cutting edge and original design products and services to an audience of industry professionals, architects, designers, consumers, and media. This is about a 30% increase in exhibitors from the past year and all the participants agreed, it was the finest one yet!

An amazing array of both internationally renowned and local designers (including a fab fashion show), critics, and popular magazine editors spoke throughout the course of the event, drawing standing room only crowds over the weekend.

We had good representation of BC Wood members participating in our joint booth this year, including:

Brent Comber Originals
Coulson Mfg.
Kettle Valley Moulding & Millwork
vin de garde cellar systems
Wide Plank Hardwood Ltd.

The overall displays were great, offering the 30,000+ audience lots of ideas and opportunities to see what exceptional talent we have here in BC. Results received from members to date make it one of the most successful Canadian activities that BC Wood participates in. Congratulations to all our members for their hard work and ingenuity.

A special display sharing our space this year was the Picker’s Shack, designed by UBC students in Michael Green’s program. The fruit stand was designed for a Naramata orchard that wanted to increase their on-farm produce sales. They wanted something functional, well shaded, naturally ventilated, and moveable. The student’s goal was to rethink the modest fruit stand to attract more drive-by customers. The concept is a functional box with subtle complexity. Protection from the elements, display space, views, and seating are all accomplished through an operable wall system made from custom cut pine beetle infested lumber. The roof is made from reclaimed Canada Place roof fabric. When in its closed state, the fruit stand shows hints of the operable elements. When open, the operable elements reveal colourful surfaces that relate to the families heritage and the colours of agriculture. It was a hit at IDSWest, particularly the fresh apples, pears, and cider that were distributed by the students throughout the event.

To see the program and speaker highlights, as well as listings of all the exhibitors, visit their website at www.idswest.com

The world’s tallest residential timber building has topped out in Melbourne, builders lifting the last timber panel to complete the structure.

Taking shape near the water’s edge in Melbourne’s Victoria Harbour, Forté is being built with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) which has a structural strength akin to the traditionally used concrete and steel. (Read an in-depth report in Building Products News here).

While CLT has been popular in Europe for more than a decade, developers Lend Lease point out that Forté will be the first residential development in Australia in CLT. The 32-metre building, which rises over 10 storeys, is due to be completed in October this year.

Managing director of Lend Lease’s project management and construction business in Australia, Murray Coleman commented on the environmental benefits of using timber. “Concrete and steel buildings are carbon intensive but timber, as well as being renewable, has the advantage of storing carbon.Timbers used are also sourced from certified sustainably managed forests.

“With the structure being built entirely from CLT, Forté will reduce CO2 equivalent emissions by more than 1,400 tonnes when compared to concrete and steel – the equivalent of removing 345 cars from our roads.

Click here to read the entire article

By Iain MacDonald

On the first weekend of December, a group of architects, builders and wood products manufacturers will board flights for Zurich. The participants will spend the next three days traveling through some of the most picturesque parts of Switzerland, Austria, and southern Germany, with their ultimate destination being Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a small city located at the foot of Germany’s highest mountain, Zugspitze. The city hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics and is well-known both as a health spa and a premier winter sports destination. The group’s interest in the town however is somewhat different – every year the venue plays host to the Holzbau Forum, Europe’s largest international conference on wood building and design.

The Holzbau conference alone is sufficient reason to make the trip to Germany. Spanning three days, the event consistently attracts around 1,200 participants for presentations and discussions on emerging building technologies and best practices case studies. Always prominent on the agenda during the event is discussion of green building technologies and energy-efficient structures, driven by the stringent environmental legislation prevalent throughout the EU. The event is an excellent way for North Americans to gain insight into processes and technologies that are influencing building codes and design trends back here in Canada. (An English-language PDF of the conference program can be downloaded by visiting  http://www.forum-holzbau.com/ihf/garmisch_index.html and clicking on the British flag icon).

During the three days before their arrival in Garmisch, the group visits innovative production plants and exemplary timber architectural structures. This year’s tour will visit innovative building products companies such as Schilliger Holz,  Blumer & Lehmann, Lignatur and Baufritz, as well as landmark timber structures such as Shigeru Ban’s  Tamedia Office Building in Zurich and the 8-storey Life Cycle Tower in Dornbirn, Austria.

After the Holzbau conference, the group will travel to Munich, where they will have the option to visit a permanent exhibition of 55 homes that showcase different construction methods. A trip to Munich would not be complete without a visit to one of the city’s famous beer halls. This recreational component will round out the tour on the night prior to the group’s return trip to Canada.

Researchers at UBC initiated the Wood Construction and Design Tour back in 2001, and it has grown in popularity with each successive offering. A maximum participation limit of 20 people will be imposed this year to allow plant tours to be kept to a manageable size. The cost of hotels, transportation and the conference (including meals at the conference) are normally approximately $2,600, depending on the size of the group. Participants make their own flight arrangements and pay for their own meals during the pre-conference tour. If you are interested in taking part in the 2012 event, we recommend that you contact CAWP early at  cawp@cawp.ubc.ca

Wood WORKS!BC Community Recognition Awards were presented to local government representatives today at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Victoria. The awards are presented annually to communities that have been exemplary advocates for wood. This may be demonstrated through the specification of wood in a community project and/or through visionary initiatives that work toward building a community culture of wood.

The 2012 recipients are:

AVICC — Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities: Cowichan Valley Regional District for the Kinsol Trestle, Trans Canada Trail

AKBLG — Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments: District of Elkford for the Elkford Community Conference Centre

NCLGA — North Central Local Government Association: Village of Telkwa for the Community Stage

SILGA — Southern Interior Local Government Association: Town of Princeton for the Bridge of Dreams

LMLGA –Lower Mainland Local Government Association: City of Vancouver for the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre

“These communities have demonstrated leadership and vision by embracing wood in their local projects, and we congratulate them on the wood design excellence they display,” stated Mary Tracey, Executive Director, Wood WORKS! BC. “They have highlighted wood products and systems in an array of project types and applications. They have showcased the strength, beauty and versatility of wood, and have demonstrated how using wood makes projects better, and our communities stronger.”  She continued, “Communities in B.C. are proud to use wood, as there is a strong historical context for its use.  However, the overwhelming reasons are the environmental and socio-economic benefits, further advancing our wood culture, and leading us to a more sustainable way of life in the future of this province.”

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On September 20th, 2012 the BC chapter of the Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada held their Awards of Excellence, celebrating the best in British Columbia architectural woodwork in many different sectors from residential projects to large commercial and institutional work.

AWMAC BC president Robert Macdonell was able to talk to the Journal of Commerce not only about the importance of the awards but also about larger trends in the industry including the increased use of wood in institutional projects and the wide variety of techniques used by companies in different sectors to use wood in new ways.

Jim Taylor, the president of Seagull Enterprises, was also able to talk to the Journal of Commerce about the work his company did on the Concord Pacific Presentation Centre in Richmond, British Columbia. That project earned Seagull Enterprises the Ed Fielder Award for Overall Excellence in Quality and Service in a commercial project worth more than $250,000.

Click here to watch the video

Some of British Columbia’s best architects, forest companies and construction firms came together to design and build several unique playhouses for charity.

The playhouses in the Canfor Playhouse Challenge were featured this year at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) in Vancouver, B.C.

Fair goers could try out the houses and vote for their favourite online.

“We were approached by Canfor for a place to showcase these amazing playhouses,” said Laura Ballance, spokesperson with the PNE.

Second place went to the Airplane House.

The People’s Choice award went to the team of Hughes Condon Marler Architects, The Haebler Group and Canfor Pulp for the Building Blocks House. The project earned 32 per cent of the vote.

The second place award went to The Airplane House.

Students and faculty from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) designed and built it. Canfor was the forest company.

British Columbia’s softwood lumber industry is finally on the comeback trail, fuelled by a recovery in U.S. housing starts and steady demand from China.

“The outlook for the softwood sector in general is quite positive over the next few years as we go through a growth cycle,” said David Elstone, a senior analyst with ERA Forest Products Research.

He is predicting U.S. housing starts of 835,000 in 2013 and 950,000 in 2014, up from an industry forecast of 746,000 this year. “We’re rising out of a trough in U.S. housing starts,” said Mr. Elstone, who noted that Vancouver-based lumber producers such as Canfor Corp., West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. and Conifex Timber Inc. will be among the beneficiaries of the market’s rebound.

With softwood lumber prices strengthening in 2012, producers are expected to report healthy third-quarter financial results.

The Random Lengths framing lumber composite price, which is closely watched by the forestry industry, averaged $264 (U.S.) for 1,000 board feet earlier this year, but surged 27 per cent since then to surpass $336 in September.

A seasonal slowdown is inevitable as colder weather reduces demand for lumber at construction sites, but prices are forecast to stay robust, compared with last year’s fourth quarter.

While much of the focus in 2012 has been on the U.S. housing market being on the mend, the trend of strong demand from China in recent years is expected to continue.

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Demand for reclaimed materials up as buyers seek out beams with character

There’s a lot of spilled beer and good memories on the back of a flat-deck truck at Western Reclaimed Timber’s property beside the Fraser River in Maple Ridge.

Stacked on the truck is about 2,000 board feet of laminated structural beams — known as “glulams,” layers of woods bonded together — removed during construction work at the Fraser Arms Hotel on South West Marine Drive in Vancouver.

“They’re excellent,” allows Western owner Bruce MacDonald, who’s been in the wood-recycling business for 25 years. “Nothing wrong with them at all.”

Crews remove nails from the beams and use metal detectors to probe for potentially dangerous metal bits not visible to the naked eye. The beams will be visually graded according to knots and cracks, then milled into a variety of wood products that could include tongue-and-groove flooring, timber frames, table and counter tops, decking for boats, and wraps for steel beams.

The wood may be old — made from ancient Douglas felled around the 1950s — but in today’s wood-construction market, old has never seemed newer. “The old look is in,” MacDonald confirms. “It’s highly sought after.”  The human history of the wood also adds value to the product.

Some of the more recognizable structures from which Western has reclaimed wood include the Woodward’s Building and Drake Hotel in Vancouver, and the historic Glenrose Cannery on the Fraser River in North Delta, which was dismantled due to construction of the South Fraser Perimeter Road.

“People are often more interested in the story behind the wood than the wood itself,” MacDonald notes.

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For the past several years BC Wood has been promoting design related products in Japan such as furniture and millwork. We have been successful in having such products specified into several high-profile projects. Recently even one of Japan’s top department stores came to us as they were interested in using some pieces in a display.

Isetan’s flagship Shinjuku store attracts wealthy, fashion conscious shoppers from across Kanto. The Canadian Embassy in Tokyo has worked with them to promote Canadian apparel and recommended BC Wood when Isetan was looking to create a stylish, woody atmosphere to launch a new line of clothing.

We introduced them to a variety of furniture pieces as well as millwork options, but the store’s designers knew they had found exactly what they were looking for once they saw Brent Comber’s work and the WRCLA published Cedar Book. Using selected pieces from Brent as well as a selection of WRC products, Isetan was able to create a sophisticated yet woody display. The store felt that their customers really enjoyed the warmth of the Canadian wood products. Hopefully this will encourage some of their clients to consider using Canadian materials for their own homes in the near future.

As always, BC Wood greatly appreciates all of the support given to us by the Canadian Embassy. We look forward to more such collaborative efforts in the future.

Last week, BC Wood Specialties Group hosted the 9th annual Global Buyers Mission in Whistler, BC. Among the 19 international delegations that attended were timber importers from India looking to replace current wood sources with Canadian wood products. After attending the successful Global Buyers Mission, the India delegation visited BC value-added wood manufacturers as part of their extended mission. One of the companies they visited was International Forest Products (Interfor) Acorn Division in Delta, BC. The Acorn mill is an export sawmill dedicated to manufacturing high value squares and timbers that are used in housing and industrial applications across global markets.

Dave Hayer, MLA Surrey-Tynehead, opened the event on Tuesday at Interfor by welcoming the India delegation to BC. He stated that one of the goals of BC’s Job Plan is opening up markets abroad for BC goods. “Helping companies like Interfor make connections with new companies overseas is one of BC Jobs Plan initiatives that we have been focused on.” Mike De Jong, Minister of Finance, took the podium on behalf of Premier Christy Clark and Minister Pat Bell to further explain the BC Job Plan strategy and outcome.

Following the opening speeches, the India delegation attended two seminars, went on a tour of the mill, and learned about grading standards at Interfor. The seminars, delivered by John Leahy from Canadian Mill Services, dealt with the phyto-sanitary rules for sending forest products from Canada to India and BC’s tree species and wood products. The mill tour lead the delegation through the mill, letting them observe how a log is remanufactured into a timber product. Lastly, the delegation was shown the different types of wood species Interfor remanufactures at their plant and how they are graded.