This week in Korea, BC Wood’s in-market representative, Mr. JC Lee, has been very active in wrapping up participation and exhibition at the 28th MBC Construction Expo at SETEC in Seoul. One of Korea’s premier building and construction conferences, the MBC show had over 350 exhibitors and approximately 150,000 attendees.

BC Wood worked closely with Canada Wood partners, Council of Forest Industries (COFI) and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), in displaying a unified booth representing Canadian wood product manufacturers. Five companies participated in the event in a joint effort to market Canadian products to the attendees of the event including Korean builders, architects, home-owners, distributors, and material importers. Exhibitors in the booth displayed products ranging from construction lumber to engineered wood timber products. For some companies, participating with BC Wood in the Canadian pavilion marked a first step into the highly competitive Korean market.

In addition to the highly visible space at the show, BC Wood and CMHC coordinated a wood products seminar for members of Korea’s building and construction industry. Member companies had the opportunity to present information about Canadian wood products and company capabilities to nearly 200 attendees at this event.

South Korea’s interest in wood products and construction reflects a strong wood history and affinity for the material. Korean consumers are growing more sophisticated and are looking into higher quality imported products that are environmentally compliant. With growing affluence and ongoing improvements in living standards, Korea is rapidly developing into a market with high potential for both wood frame construction and value-added wood products in the foreseeable future.

For more information about events in the Korean market, please contact David Pao at dpao@bcwood.com

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

I have always believed that there is a strong and growing market for unique and innovative wood products. The kind of stuff that makes use of end cuts or takes wood of little value and creates a higher value product. Some of the work that Judson Beaumont of Straightline Designs has done with beetle- kill wood making high value wall panels is a prime example of what I’m talking about (picture to the right). It’s unique, innovative, and most importantly in demand by the architectural and interior design sector who are always looking for new and interesting products.

Keeping this thought in mind, I attended the Surfaces 2012 trade event and conference in Las Vegas this past week. What I saw was inspiring as companies from across North and South America, and Asia Pacific showcased innovative products for the residential and commercial construction sectors. Innovative flooring and wall covering were on display throughout the convention center; this year there seemed to be a strong focus on wood products. What caught my eye was the vast array of wall paneling that was available. In discussions with manufacturers, these products are used primarily in the hospitality sector specifically for restaurants, hotel lobbies, and other commercial environments where design is a priority.

An example of this is the Colorado manufacturer, Everitt and Schilling, www.eandstile.com, who were showing a new line of reclaimed wall tile they call “trail mix”. They are taking end cuts and scraps of reclaimed lumber, laying them on a substrate in a variety of patterns with the end result being a 2×3 panel. Their product has been specified in a number of high-end commercial environments throughout North America, including the recent renovation of Gilleys Bar and Grill on the Las Vegas strip.

Offering a similar but more contemporary product line was Canadian manufacturer, Finium Co of Frampton Quebec, www.finium.ca. This firm is producing a wall tile they are calling “Friendly Wall” which utilizes end cuts of high-grade clear black walnut and maple from their flooring and molding operations. These prefinished end-cuts are placed on a lightweight backer strip and can easily be installed on any wall surface. Friendly Wall sells at approximately $12 – $15 a square foot and according to the manufacturer, they are having considerable success with this product in the US market.

Surfaces also provides a great venue to see new and innovative products from wood flooring manufacturers. I wasn’t expecting much “new” since I assumed that I had seen it all with engineered, hand scraped, reclaimed, and prefinished flooring which is readily available by manufacturers worldwide. For the most part that is what I saw, except for one company that in my opinion was the hit of the show. The company, Bole Floor Manufacturers, is a very cool wide-plank flooring company that has a factory in Amsterdam, Netherlands. What separates their product from the myriad of wide-plank solid and engineered product available is that their boards aren’t straight. According to the manufacturer, they are the first company in the world to produce hardwood flooring with naturally curved lengths that follow the trees natural growth. They use a priority optimization technology that scans each board and then individually numbers each piece. Like a puzzle, their technology allows the computer to fit the pieces together providing an individual and truly unique floor. It is a bit difficult to explain, so have a look at their work on their website: www.bolefloor.com

We here in BC are blessed with an abundance of world class fibre which for the most part is readily available. We have exceptionally talented manufacturers, combined with access to high quality fibre, which means we possess a competitive advantage that manufacturers from other parts of the world envy. Making the most of what we have through the design and manufacture of unique and innovative products will certainly help the value-added sector continue to grow and develop market share in the US.

For more information on this show or on the manufacturers reviewed please feel free to contact me at dfarley@bcwood.com

By Roy Manion

While we continued our ongoing efforts to work with architects, designers, and now contractors, yours truly also travelled to Saskatoon the week of Jan 16th to participate in the Prairie Showcase, an annual event that has been held in Saskatoon in mid-January for the past 11 years. The reason given for the timing is that the weather is so cold (it was -35C with the wind chill factor bring it down to -48C) that there isn’t much going on, allowing companies to send key personnel to the show.

The Prairie Showcase is for members only; companies must belong to the WRLA to participate either as an exhibitor or as a buyer, and is designed primarily as a buying show.  Exhibitors are encouraged to have credible “show specials”. This has been a very successful format which has resulted in the show growing over the years to become one the largest of its kind in Canada. This was BC Wood’s first year of attending with the purpose of creating an awareness of BC’s value-added wood industry and products to the attendees. In this regard, we did have a number of retailers stop at our booth to inquire about specific products and where they might be sourced.

This can be an excellent show for BC Wood and some of its members (who are able to sell to major retailers) and we have added it again to our line-up of activities for next year – so keep it in mind.

Over and above the Prairie Showcase, BC Wood continues to call on architects and major contractors which included meetings with Bird Construction and EllisDon. We also attended a millwork seminar for the technical committee of the Greater Vancouver House Builders Association.

The last couple of weeks also included our working with a timber frame company on Vancouver Island to finalize and send out invitations for a tour and seminar event. Early response from the architect community for the event has been excellent.

For further information on anything in this article or if you wish to participate in the Architect Program, please contact me at  rmanion@bcwood.com or you can reach me at the BC Wood office

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This January’s cold snap has been blessing ski hills around the country with an abundance of snow after a slow start to the season. However, the Fukushima nuclear crisis still looms heavily over the prospects of resorts attracting foreign tourists. In fact, for 2011 the number of tourists coming to Japan fell 27.8%. Niseko has benefitted the most from inbound tourism over the past few years so it was safe to assume that it was also being hit the hardest by this steep decline in travellers. Therefore, I recently visited the area to find out what was happening and what the prospects were for a rebound.

The first thing that struck me driving around the area was the number of construction sites that seemed to be stopped. In meeting with local people I soon learned that developers quickly put the brakes on many projects after 3/11. However, unlike past boom and bust cycles the owners of these projects are now well financed professional developers. Therefore, they have both the capability to weather the tough short-term conditions and they also have the foresight to see that over the longer term the nuclear fears will dissipate and foreign tourists will return in large numbers. Everything that has made Niseko the most talked about ski resort in Asia is still there.

One positive outcome from the current downturn is that a central “village” may finally be built in the Hirafu area. Over the years many people involved with developments in the area told me that the shoddy shape of the main access to the Hirafu lifts and the lack of a Whistler type village area was holding Niseko back from reaching the next level as an international destination. Many of the old buildings lining the main road were owned by people waiting for the area to grow further but without the means to properly develop the properties themselves. It seems that several of them were persuaded by the bleak prospects last year to finally sell. Once that part of Niseko is redeveloped, the whole area will benefit greatly from it.

Another thing that seems to be changing is the attitude towards domestic travellers. One of the amazing aspects of the Niseko success story was how it could prosper while only catering to foreigners and completely ignoring the massive Tokyo market. Hokkaido was always seen as a clean and pristine area, but that image has been further reinforced by the fact that it was one of the few areas in Japan that was spared any fallout after the Fukushima explosions. By actively pursuing the Tokyo market, Niseko operators can not only fill more rooms now, they can also build a more diversified client based so that the area is less susceptible to future shocks from overseas.

While 2011 was a terrible year for Niseko developers and lodging operators, there is some optimism returning. Apparently the number of inquiries from Australia and ex-pats in Asia has been increasing recently. Hopefully the Japanese government’s declaration in December that the Fukushima plants have achieved cold shutdown will encourage the Chinese tourists to also comeback. At the very least, the Japanese government is looking positively at 2012 by aiming to attract over 9 million inbound tourists topping the previous record of 8.6 million. Let’s hope they are right!

Later this year, BC Wood is planning to return to Moscow, Russia with a group of members to participate in the Holzhaus tradeshow, April 9-13th, 2012. These plans still must be approved by BC Wood’s government funders. However, given the early start to the new fiscal year, BC Wood must start now on the initial planning needed to make this event successful.
In November of 2011, BC Wood led a small, very successful trade delegation to Moscow to explore opportunities for value-added wood products in the Russian market and to participate in the Fall Holzhaus trade show.

Over the four days, approximately 11,000 attendees visited this Wooden House exhibition. BC Wood members were able to engage with industry professionals from all over Russia and surrounding countries. Developers, architects, builders, distributors, importers, and designers were all in attendance at the show, many of whom came specifically to the show to speak to the Canadian manufacturers.

BC Wood’s members showcased log home and timber frame structures, factory built homes, high quality millwork, and specialty Western Red Cedar building materials. Wood is an available and accepted building and finishing material in Russia and for BC manufacturers, the opportunity lies with specialty products. After only a short visit to this market, it also became very obvious that the concept of local partnerships was very important as there are many barriers to overcome in order to conduct business with confidence in this country.

Based on approved funding, space will be available for BC Wood members wanting to participate in the Holzhaus trade show. 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 as soon as possible.

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

October was an extremely busy time for BC Wood in the United States with 4 major trade events taking place in the month. Over the next few weeks, I will discuss the events and the potential market opportunities that arose from our participation.

First up was the AIA Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. BC Wood and 5 members participated in the trade event and the following mission in early October. Like most trade events that target the US residential and light commercial construction sector, this show was down in both participation and attendance. This year, 300 plus exhibitors and 1400 attendees were at the event, down by approximately 20% over previous years and is reflective of the reduced construction activity throughout the State of Hawaii. Nevertheless, this trade event still provides the single best opportunity for BC companies to network with builders, developers, and architects across the state of Hawaii and other countries including Guam, Tahiti, Micronesia, and the West Coast of the United States who have projects on the islands.

Following the event, we spent 3 days travelling between the Islands meeting with architects and builders and visiting construction sites, getting a 1st hand account of the market and potential opportunities that are available. The general consensus from builders and architects working on projects in both Maui and Kona is that the market is showing gradual improvement. Also, a belief that there is a pent up demand developing as their clients – ultra wealthy individuals, building luxury vacation homes – are tired of sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the economy to improve. As one builder described it, “the life quality ratio is starting to weigh on his clients”. Essentially, his target market is older, semi retired or retired professionals who have the financial ability to self-finance multi-million dollar construction projects. A number of his clients are weighing the consequences of waiting for the economy to improve vs. their remaining quality of life and have decided to start construction projects that were stalled after the market collapse in 2008. This is likely a problem most of us would love to have, but certainly bodes well for high-end residential construction projects to resume on the Islands.

Another observation that I found interesting, from one of the top residential and commercial builders on the Islands, was the changing demographic in the secondary vacation home market. The big Island of Kona, he suggests with the luxury resorts of Hualolai and Kukio, are where the “old school money” has vacation homes and property; think for example, Charles Schwab. The new rich, those who have made money in Silicon Valley and the Dot Com market, find these resorts stuffy and instead are investing in new developments on the Islands of Maui and Kauai. This builder is banking on the shift in wealth demographic and is expecting to focus on projects on these Islands.

Finally, most experts that we met expected to see good growth over the next few years as the economy continues to improve in the US and across the State of Hawaii. There are a number of projects that are on the drawing board and are expecting to begin construction in the Spring of 2012. I will continue to follow up with the builders and keep you informed when these projects are announced. As always if you have any questions or comments please contact me at dfarley@bcwood.com.

BC Wood has exhibit space available at the 2011 JLC LIVE Residential Construction Show. This show provides exhibitors with a platform to position their products and services in front of 2400 residential construction professionals including builders, remodelers, and general contractors primarily from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, including Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In addition to the exhibit floor, the show provides over 50 unique, educational sessions covering a full range of topics from business to construction techniques by industry leaders.

Date: December 7-9, 2011
Location: Portland, Oregon

For more information, please click here or contact Dave Farley at dfarley@bcwood.com.

For over 30 years the Japan Home & Building Show has been one of the most important events in the marketing calendar of foreign companies selling into Japan. However, this year there were many challenges facing the event, some resulting from the 3/11 earthquake while others were self-inflicted.

Several years ago the show organizers decided to change the date of the 2011 show so as to time it with the planned UIA event at Tokyo Forum. I personally expressed my concerns over this numerous times as I have seen how such date changes have hurt other shows. Especially with the JHS’ long history, everyone expects it to take place in November. However, they believed that holding it in conjunction with the UIA event would inject new energy into the show.

These plans were greatly complicated by the March earthquake. By having bumped up the show, the organizers also bumped up the recruiting period of the show to late spring, which was still the dark period when no one knew what tomorrow would bring. As a result, purse strings were tightened and I am sure the JHS had trouble signing up exhibitors.

The earthquake and the nuclear disaster also worried the expected 10,000 overseas UIA attendees. In April there was even talk of cancelling the UIA event. However, they moved ahead with it as the situation in Fukushima gradually improved.

As we set-up for the show, I wondered and worried about how it would turn out. As feared, the attendance fell dramatically, from 87,000 to 43,000. Luckily though the quality of the visitors greatly increased as many more architects came to the show for the first time. This was undoubtedly due to the cross-marketing with the UIA event. We even received many overseas guests who came for the UIA event. Overall, even though the overall numbers were down, we felt just as busy as last year since the architects were spending more time with us asking questions about products.

The other thing that I had been wondering about was how much traffic we would receive related to reconstruction efforts in the Tohoku area. Over the three days, we met with many builders, developers, and distributors from the earthquake/ tsunami affected areas and they seemed to be getting themselves prepared for the big reconstruction projects. I learned that developers from across the region and even other parts of Japan are buying up all the available elevated land near the coast for such projects. However, they are experiencing labour shortages and are thus looking at overseas suppliers that can help with packaged homes and other solutions.

Despite the drop in attendance, our members were very pleased with the results of the show. We were able to make a great number of new contacts including ones involved in the reconstruction efforts. This helps us prepare for the Nikkei Show next March where reconstruction projects will definitely be taking center stage.

For more information on the Japan market, please contact Jim Ivanoff at ivanoff@canadawood.jp

Register now for the 28th MBC Construction Expo in Seoul, Korea, this coming January 27-30, 2012. BC Wood will be taking space at this building and construction show to exhibit member products to Korean builders, architects, distributors, and construction material importers. The four-day event is expected to attract over 150,000 attendees as well as 350 exhibitors.

This trade event offers an excellent opportunity for BC Wood members to tap into the Korean market and take advantage of our expert in-market representative. Members that would benefit from this event include manufacturers and suppliers of remanufactured lumber products, prebuilt homes, kitchen cabinets, log home and timber frame homes, and engineered wood products.

BC Wood will be coordinating space for members at the event; advertising in key industry publications; managing event logistics; and organizing business networking opportunities. Space is limited so contact David Pao ASAP at dpao@bcwood.com to register.

For more information, please click here.

Westminster Industries Ltd. was founded in 1975 by Dave Wasmuth in New Westminster. It is now one of the most respected and oldest, originally owned lumber wholesalers in the Lower Mainland. They are currently located in White Rock and have a distribution yard in Delta.

Westminster Industries works with the majority of the major and medium sized mills in BC and Alberta, distributing Hemlock, Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, and SPF to both domestic and international markets including Asia, Middle East, Europe, and Australia. Providing service to purchasers over this broad range of clients is a knowledgeable staff and experienced traders, including two traders fully conversant in all Chinese dialects. Westminster Industries is seen as a valued supplier to its long and growing customer base. They also have strong ties to the community through their various donations and charitable work, with the most recent being donations for the new White Rock Bike Park.

Since their start in 1975, Westminster Industries has been following the trends and adapting to the market. This, coupled with their experienced staff, has been the key to their growth and success. They recently updated their website to reflect current conditions and company adaptions. The website is now easier to function and educates the customer on what Westminster’s products and services are. To view their new website, go to www.westmin.ca

BUILDEX Vancouver is one of Canada’s largest trade expositions with over twelve thousand local design and construction professionals expected to attend this year. All under one roof, over 600 exhibits and more than 50 educational seminars address three distinct professional markets:

• Interior design and architecture
• Property and real estate management
• Construction and renovation

The show features products and services related to the design, construction, renovation, furnishing, and operations of all types of commercial and residential buildings. Reports from all of the companies attending last year’s Buildex indicated that all of their expectations were either met or exceeded.

BC Wood will coordinate a consolidated presence of member companies exhibiting at this year’s BUILDEX show, Feb 8-9th at the Vancouver Convention Centre. For more information regarding exhibition space and costs at the show, please contact me at your earliest convenience by email at bhawrysh@bcwood.com or by phone at 604-882-7100.

Recently the BC Wood Japan office welcomed some special guests to Japan: BC Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thompson and the Federal Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver. Working with our Canada Wood partners in Japan we arranged visits for Minister Thompson to see a large concrete building using over 1000m3 of wood in finishing applications, a large importer of WRC products, a senior’s home being built in 2×4, a pre-cut plant using hem-fir, the Tokyo Lumber Terminal, two temporary housing projects that were built with Canadian materials, and Sendai Port. Minister Oliver was also able to join some of these stops while also taking part in a customer appreciation dinner in Sendai for companies operating in the earthquake affected region.

The main event for the combined Ministerial Mission was a joint press conference in Tokyo to announce $4.5 million in funding to construct wood framed buildings in the tsunami devastated region of Tohoku as a part of Canada’s earthquake relief efforts. As the location of the project and the type of facility to be built has yet to be decided, we took Minister Thompson to the coastal towns of Onagawa (90% destroyed) and Minami-Sanrikucho (95% destroyed). Meeting with the mayors and other officials the Minister was able to learn about the magnitude of the tsunami as well as scale of the human tragedy. One story that will be hard to forget was about how the Mayor of Minami-Sanrikucho and 9 colleagues survived by hanging on to a steel fence on the roof as the tsunami crashed over and submerged them.  Sadly the other 50 workers at city hall were not as lucky and perished in the deadly wave.

Town officials were overjoyed by the news of Canada’s proposed donation and were quick to suggest ideas on the types of buildings that are needed. The Minister was also told that all of the homeless survivors were now in temporary housing units so the next major issue for this area is to rebuild their industries/economies. Until there are local employment opportunities, people will not be able to return to normal daily life. This is an important point that we will have to keep in mind as we review possible projects to be built with the Canadian donation.

Talking with both companies in Tohoku and other parts of Japan recently, it seems that the reconstruction efforts in the north are creating a shortage of carpenters across the country. The scarcity of workers and resulting higher labour costs are leading builders to look at importing wall panels as a part of house packages. The same phenomenon was seen after the Kobe earthquake with Japanese companies importing large numbers of house packages as well as North American carpenters.

As reconstruction is picking up speed, the BC Wood Japan office is now beginning to focus on the March Nikkei Show with this unique situation in mind. That show will give members a great opportunity to get involved with reconstruction projects and also benefit from the overall strength of the Japanese housing market.

Once again BC Wood took some of Canada’s top designers to Japan to display their latest pieces at Tokyo Designers Week. This year’s contingent was made up by Judson Beaumont, Brent Comber, Marie Khouri, Mario Sabljak, and Martha Sturdy.

For the first time the show organizers gave us the highly prized location at the front of the main tent. For this reason, we developed a new open concept that replaced the walls between members with branded pillars acting as the anchor for each of the displays. It was a risky move, but as a group we decided that we needed a bold display that showcased a unified Canadian presence.

The decision proved to be correct as our space was always full and we received endless complements that our pavilion was the best at the show. Adding an additional element of excitement were the long lines of people waiting for Judson Beaumont to sign his drawings. It was surprising that we didn’t receive any complaints as the lines often snaked around neighbouring pavilions!

Over the past few we have held several receptions in collaboration with the Canadian Embassy to tie in our presence at Tokyo Designers Week with other Canadian companies selling design oriented consumer products in Japan. With our new open pavilion we decided to hold this event within our own space. While offsite talks and receptions are a great way to assemble industry people, this year’s format brought our guests into personal contact with the great work we had on display at the show. While a bit tight, this proved to be a very positive move. As always, we are also greatly appreciative of the Embassy’s support of our program.

Tokyo Designers Week is actually a large event held across Tokyo at many venues. We have always exhibited at the main venue, but this year we also took part in the Bamboo Expo which is a new event targeting only designers/architects working on commercial projects. With only 1200 attendees over three days it was much less “exciting” than the main venue, but what it lacked in quantity was made up in quality of the attendees. Also, the slower pace meant that we could have longer conversations with the attendees. As this was the first Bamboo Expo we expect that it will grow into a bigger and more influential event in the years to come.

One of our success stories from last year’s show was that a high-profile Tokyo gallery took an interest in Martha Sturdy’s work. This interest grew into them inviting Martha to hold her own art exhibition in their gallery during this year’s Tokyo Designers Week. The exhibition was very well received and some of the galleries clients are now looking to work with Martha. The gallery mainly represents European artists, but the great reception that Martha’s work received has made them to want to look at other Canadian designers as well.

IDSWest 2011 was held in the New Vancouver Convention Centre, September 29 to October 2, 2011.  The Interior Design Show West (IDSwest) is Western Canada’s annual premiere residential design show featuring 200 exhibitors showcasing quality, cutting edge, and original design products and services to an audience of industry professionals, architects, designers, consumers, and media.

An amazing array of both internationally renowned and local designers, critics, and popular magazine editors spoke throughout the 3 ½ day event, drawing standing room only crowds over the weekend.

We had an excellent representation of BC Wood members participating this year, including:

Barker Manufacturing Inc.
Bertuccio
Brent Comber Originals
Coulson Mfg.
Fine Line
Live Edge Design
Mario Sabljak Design
Martha Sturdy Incorporated
Matthieu LeBlanc
Sabina Hill Design
Stick & Stones
Straight Line Designs Inc.
Wide Plank Hardwood Ltd.

The displays and new products launched were stunning, offering the 30,000+ audience lots of ideas and opportunities to see what exceptional talent we have here in BC. Many of our members have already seen orders and requests from the event, making it one of the most successful Canadian activities that BC Wood participates in. Congratulations to all our members!

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

By Daryl Holmes

BC Wood recently led a group of members on a market development mission to Turkey which included participation at TurkeyBuild in the capital city of Ankara.  Product sectors represented included Log Home and Timber frame, Prebuilt Housing, and Remanufactured Lumber Products.

In the Turkish construction materials sector, wood products have approximately 20% market share with consumption mainly in private up-scale villas and some high end commercial resort style development. The consumption of wood in major residential housing projects and light commercial projects is low when compared to concrete and steel (for structure) or PVC (for windows/doors), however, as with most markets in the Eastern European area, the demand for wood is on the rise.  Both private and public sectors in Turkey are engaged in a shift (albeit a slow shift) towards a growth in the use of wood products.  Industry professionals and consumers alike have a keen interest in wood as a construction material, as was evident during the show in Ankara. The earthquake in 1999 has drawn attention to the importance of timber in construction, however; with the economic impact of the global meltdown, progress has been slow in the area of conveying the attributes of wood and educating key decision makers as to the benefits of using wood in construction.  There is without a doubt, an increase in construction taking place right now in Turkey as residents look to build homes on the outskirts of some of the major cities. Accordingly, a select group of builders, developers, and importers are currently involved in projects outside of the main city centres which are being built with wood. During our stay in Turkey, we were able to make contact with many of these industry professionals and discuss opportunities for BC products.

The show itself was very busy, which in the current global market place was encouraging for the members.  Although the Ankara show is a more of a regional show (with the main construction show being held in Istanbul in May), it drew attendees from all over Turkey and some surrounding countries.  Numerous Architects, Engineers, Builders and Designers engaged in discussions with the BC exhibitors.  The outcome of those interactions predominantly showcased the demand and desire for wood, while also highlighting the lack of distribution of products within the Turkish marketplace.  In a jointly hosted event with the Turkish Timber Association, members were also able to showcase their products to key importers and building materials distributors located in and around the construction hub of Istanbul. Response from these professionals was again encouraging, as products including Western Red Cedar, Prebuilt Housing, and Log Homes proved to be of high interest for regions all across Turkey, including the coastal regions of the Black Sea.

Where do the sales prospects lie?

A clear demand for wood products exists within the Turkish marketplace.  Much of the wood imported into Turkey is from surrounding markets of Russia, Ukraine, and Scandinavia. The key to accessing this demand for BC companies is securing partnership with local wood importers and distributors of other building materials.  This process will take some time and investment by BC Wood members and this show in Ankara was a positive step in the right direction.  Turkish building professionals are starved of opportunity to partner with Canadian companies and they are motivated to establish relationships with producers of high quality wood products. As with all new and emerging markets, finding the right partner is crucial in gaining market penetration.  Turkey’s current growth is expected to continue well into the next ten years and those members who continue to put time and effort into the Turkey market will be rewarded with sales and long term partnerships.

What is the market looking for?

WRC Lumber, WRC Shake and Shingles, Hand Crafted Log Homes, MDF, Plywood, Yellow Cedar, Hemlock, Douglas Fir, and Prebuilt Homes.

How do I access these opportunities?

BC Wood will distribute the show leads via the online Wood Supply Network. For more detailed market information contact dh@themataigroup.com

BC Wood is organizing participation at 28th MBC Construction Expo at the SETEC convention centre in Seoul, Korea from January 27-30, 2012. This building and construction show will have over 350 exhibitors and an expected 150,000 attendees. These attendees will include builders, architects, home owners, distributors, and construction material importers. This trade event offers an excellent opportunity for BC Wood members to tap into the Korean market. Members that would benefit from this event include manufacturers and suppliers of remanufactured lumber products, prebuilt homes, kitchen cabinets, log home and timber frame homes, and engineered wood products.

With a deep rooted history and affinity for building with wood, South Korea remains an important export market for British Columbia’s value-added wood products. In 2010, South Korea represented British Columbia’s fifth largest offshore market with 278,000 m³ of wood product exports. South Korea has experienced strong economic growth and recovery, in light of the recent global downturns, with growing affluence and continuously improving living standards. Korea is far from the labour intensive economy it once was and is now a global leader in design and technological trends. Korean consumers are growing more sophisticated and are looking into higher quality imported products that are environmentally compliant.

For more information about the show, please contact David Pao at  dpao@bcwood.com

StructureCraft Builders is a unique team of engineers and builders who work with clients and architects to design, fabricate, and erect carefully detailed building and bridge structures in timber, steel, glass, concrete, and other materials. Their staff of engineers, modellers, detailers, estimators, project managers, supervisors, and carpenters are all based in their 25,000 sq. ft. FSC-certified shop located in Delta, BC.

Thirteen years ago, Gerry Epp formed StructureCraft Builders to design and explore more building ideas with architects, often in conjunction with their associated firm, Fast+Epp Structural Engineers. The first project they took on was the stainless-steel-and-Parallam trussed roof of the Vancouver Aquarium expansion in 1998. Since then, StructureCraft has been engaged by architects and design-build teams for projects which require exposed structures, usually involving wood in a significant and innovative way.  These 50+ projects cover all types of structures including timber buildings, facades, atria, and hybrid footbridges, as well as WoodWave structural panels, timber panel systems, composite concrete-timber, lathe milling, and custom castings.

As design-build specialists in architectural timber structures, the StructureCraft Builders team combines their significant experience in structural engineering, 3D modeling, detailing, project management, timber procurement, shop fabrication, and site erection of complex wood structures to design and construct each project to the highest standards, throughout North America

They work with their clients from the design phase which begins with understanding both the vision and the overall project constraints. Working together, they introduce ideas which can both enhance the architecture and lead to efficient structural solutions. They also work with the client to develop concepts which, through 3D models and renderings, are eventually developed into drawings. Structural testing is carried out on certain projects before fabrication, which takes place in the controlled environment of their shop. They then erect all of their projects to ensure the final product reflects their high standards. Their unique methodology of pre-planned “constructible” design, timely material procurement, and creation of a custom kit of parts and assemblies results in a rapid and accurate installation for each project.

Many of their projects have won awards for both architect and design-builder, including the unique WoodWave roof of the 2010 Olympic Speedskating Oval; the Arena Stage Parallam-and-cable façade in Washington, DC; the “Footbridge of Dreams” in Princeton, BC; and the Central City timber structures in Surrey, BC.

They are currently wrapping up construction of the free-form, orchid-shaped roof for the VanDusen Gardens Visitors Center (picture to the left). The 71 unique all-wood panels of this Living Building Challenge project were completely pre-fabricated in their shop, including glulam beams, lumber rafters and ceiling joists, plywood skin, sprinkler piping, electrical conduits, thermal and acoustic insulation, and laminated plywood ceiling battens. The Center will open to the public this fall.

StructureCraft Builders are committed to creating excellence in architectural structures for their clients.  The results can be viewed on their recently updated website at www.structurecraft.com where you will find detailed descriptions of their design-build process, their staff, their products, examples of their completed projects, and their awards received.

BC Wood just finished exhibiting at the 10th International China Exhibition on Housing (CIEHI) in Beijing last week with a group of member companies. The show was very well attended and participating member companies reported some very good leads from Chinese builders, developers, and manufacturers that attended the event.

The show definitely had a green building and construction theme and wood was prominently displayed throughout the show. We noticed several log homes and other wood frame houses on display being promoted by other countries including Russia.

Canada was well represented by the joint Canada Wood booth that included partnering associations BC Wood, Coast Forest Products Association, and Council of Forest Industries. Overall, it was a very good event and something to consider for next year. For more information on this event or other activities in the Chinese market, contact David Pao at dpao@bcwood.com.

With the GBM behind us, you might have thought it was time to sit back a bit. Nothing could be further from the truth; we have an ambitious fall schedule of trade shows in the works. We are finishing the month with BC Wood members participating in the Turkeybuild show in Ankara, the Denver Log Home, the Japan Home Show in Tokyo, and the Interior Designs West show right here in Vancouver.  Through the next ten weeks, we will deliver an additional 7 trade shows. The remainder of the fall schedule includes the following events:

These trade shows are an opportunity for BC companies to get their products and services in front of potential customers from all over Europe, the US, and Asia. Cost savings and in-market support are available to BC Wood members participating in these events. For more information regarding these market development activities and those scheduled for January through March, 2011 see “Trade Events” under the “Programs and Services” icon on BC Wood’s website at www.bcwood.com or contact me directly at bhawrysh@bcwood.com.