BC Wood will be ramping up its’ presence at the Interior Design Show West (IDS West) this coming fall September 27-30^th. In an effort to bring more attention to the growing strength of wood design and manufacturing in BC, BC Wood has partnered with the show organizers of IDS West to create a high profile “Design BC” pavilion. The pavilion will showcase BC Wood members and their products, everything from custom furniture and architectural millwork, to design-inspired finished products such as kitchen cabinets, doors, flooring and paneling. The objective will be to feature the individual companies, drawing more traffic to the centrally located space. BC Wood is currently working with the IDWS West show organizers to develop promotional strategies that will highlight the companies participating in the “Design BC” pavilion and promote the strength of the growing design sector in BC.

A total of 1800 square feet of exhibition space has been set aside for the “Design BC” pavilion, with BC Wood covering a portion of the hard costs for this sector wide display. If you plan to participate in the IDS West show this year, please contact me to see how we can save you money and ensure you higher visibility through the “Design BC” pavilion. Call 604-882-7100 or email me at bhawrysh@bcwood.com

Want more than your fair share of attention from delegates at the GBM this year? How about putting an ad in the Mission Program Guide, or supplying the pens for the delegate kits, or make a really big impression and sponsor the first drink at the Roundhouse on Thursday evening!

We have many opportunities available for you to get attention and exposure, whether you are targeting in incoming international buyers, our manufacturing exhibitors, or architects and builders. We have some ideas, but you might have some too! Give me a call and we can find the right thing to fit your budget. 604-882-7100 or toll free at 1-877-4BCWOOD.

(FYI – you do not need to be an Exhibitor to be a sponsor or advertiser)

For the Mission Program Guide Ad Form, click here.

You are invited to participate in a special networking event to kick-off the 2012 GBM, on Wednesday, September 5th.

As part of our Extended Mission Program, incoming international buyers will be participating in a private Sunset Dinner & Harbour Cruise aboard the MV Harbour Princess, departing Coal Harbour Vancouver at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, September 5th. This special “pre-event” Global Buyers Mission evening is with our participating International buyers from Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, India, Pakistan, Mexico, and Vietnam.

Due to the popularity of the event, we are opening registration early for all our industry members in BC. Please be advised that space is limited.

This is an excellent opportunity to meet the pre-qualified buyers, particularly if you are not already participating in the GBM in Whistler.

Click here for the registration form to guarantee your space on the Cruise!

I am pleased to announce that, effective immediately, Jim Ivanoff will assume the position of Director – Asia Pacific Region with BC Wood. Jim’s broader role within BC Wood will include the responsibility for the day to day operations of BC Wood in the Asia Pacific Region with specific focus on Japan, China, and South Korea. Providing support for its members in these Asian markets is a critical component of BC Wood’s mission and we will maintain our current staffing in Japan, China, and South Korea to carry out this mission. BC Wood’s representatives in these markets will continue their efforts on behalf of our members with an added level of coordination and direction from Jim in Tokyo.

As most of you know, Jim has been valuable asset to BC Wood and its members in Japan since he joined the BC Wood team nine years ago. Jim’s new role and responsibilities will help to integrate BC Wood’s program across the Asian markets and provide even better services for our members going forward. Please do not hesitate to contact Jim at  Ivanoff@canadawood.jp for any additional information on BC Wood’s programs in Asia this year.

BC Wood Specialties Group 2012 Annual General Meeting
9:30 – 10:15 AM, Thursday, September 6th, 2012
Whistler Conference Centre

BC Wood will be holding its’ 2012 Annual General Meeting on Thursday, September 6th at 9:30 AM at the Whistler Conference Centre in Whistler, British Columbia. All BC Wood members are encouraged to attend.

To register or for more information, please contact me directly at bhawrysh@bcwood.com or by phone at 604-882-7100 (toll free 1-877-422-9663).

We look forward to seeing you in scenic Whistler, BC for BC Wood’s Annual General Meeting on September 6th, 2011.

Vanport Canada, a subsidiary of Vanport International, is an independent marketer of softwood lumber into Asia. The company was established in 1997 in Vancouver, B.C. by Don McGregor as a lumber exporter, representing many B.C. sawmills and selling primarily into Japan.

Over the years, Vanport Canada has developed a niche in providing customized, knowledgeable, and professional service to its myriad of customers. They have extended their operations beyond simple exports into a whole range of lumber-related activities and now use the expertise of their staff to manage numerous custom cut programs for their customers, mainly for the traditional home market in Japan. All Vanport Canada staff speak at least two languages, primarily English, Japanese, and Chinese.

This FSC certified exporter distributes Douglas Fir, Hemlock, and Sitka Spruce from British Columbia’s coastal regions to both domestic and international markets including Japan, China, and other Asian countries. They are currently seeing a growth in their exports to India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.

The North Vancouver-based company also has extensive experience working with First Nations groups in North America. One of their projects included assisting a First Nations Group in setting up a sawmill, designing cut specifications optimized for target markets, and training the mill employees and management staff in operations.

Vanport Canada also regularly recruits forest industry trainees from Asia to educate and assist in company operations.

By Ric Ptak

In my experience as a cabinetmaker of 30 years, I have seen many changes in the way millwork has been produced in manufacturing plants. One thing that has not changed is the care, skill, and attention to detail required in successfully installing woodwork so the optimum value in the completed project is realized.

The intent of this article is not to explain how to install millwork, but to provide a set of industry accepted guidelines that are incorporated in the methods and skills of installation. The methods and skills used during installation are not a secret. There are however, systematic steps to provide the end-user with a quality product.

The following are some of the best practises to incorporate in your next installation. You will benefit whether you are an end user (such as a home owner or client) or a contractor, sub trade, project manager, manufacturer, architect, or installer.

1. Design and Engineering: The success of any woodworking installation really begins here. Understanding the scope of work, the intent of usage and site conditions will have a dramatic effect whether the project runs smoothly with minimal rework and is capable of being used efficiently and ergonomically for the intended purpose.

Click here to read the entire article

It would be very easy to think that simply by building a beautiful trade show exhibit that many, many visitors will willingly come into your booth space. And for many years, that had been true.  But today, trade show attendees have become more skeptical and reluctant to leave the aisle and enter into booth spaces.

Not that people stay away from trade shows – trade show attendance is actually increasing.  But buyers at shows have become more skeptical because they have gained control of the buying process, thanks to the wealth of information available about products and companies on the Internet.

So while they still go to trade shows to shop for new products, it takes more to get their attention and get them to buy from you.

Here are three things that will persuade more trade show attendees to become your trade show booth visitors – and all three can be achieved with promotions:
Click here to read the entire article

Wood Works! BC will be holding the Summer Wood Cluster Seminars  in the Okanagan and Kootenays in August.

Plywood 101 – Paul Jaehrlich P.Eng. from CertiWood will provide a comprehensive overview of the Canadian plywood industry. Learn how to specify the right panel grades and wood species for the job including best practices for painting in exterior applications. He will also discuss the plywood manufacturing process and it’s quality control with an in-depth look at plywood’s engineering properties.

Mid-rise Three Years Later – Sukh Johal from Wood WORKS! BC will provide an update on where we are since the B.C. Building Code amendment in 2009 that allows for six-story light wood-frame construction. Learn about related design strategies for load transfer, shrinkage, and lateral design support including a summary discussion of a number of mid-rise projects.

This free, two-part luncheon seminar will be held in four locations across the Okanagan region:

August 13, 2012: Penticton – Penticton Lakeside Resort, Zinfandel Room
August 14, 2012: Kelowna – Prestige Inn, Regatta Room
August 15, 2012: Vernon – Prestige Hotel & Conference Centre, Okanagan Salon
August 16, 2012:  Kamloops – Four Points by Sheraton, Sundial Room

The seminars takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Register before August 3, 2012 by contacting Linda Shauer at lshauer@wood-works.ca.

Click here for more information 

Bioproducts could eventually be used not just for energy, but to build homes, planes and more

In resource towns like Castlegar in the West Kootenay, the future of B.C.’s forest industry is already starting to unfold. It’s all about sustainability and it’s on display in the lower emissions, shrinking environmental footprint and diversified revenue stream at Mercer International’s Celgar pulp mill, one of a number of B.C. mills that is beginning to tap the province’s forests for new bio-products – from energy to bio-chemicals.

The drive for a sustainable future, particularly among the developing nations, is expected to lead to more reliance on biofuels derived from what used to be termed wood waste; lighter vehicles and aircraft made from cellulose composites; and new demand for wood, rather than concrete or steel, as the building product of choice.

What’s unfolding at Celgar is just the beginning, said David Gandossi, Mercer senior vice-president. What began as a symbiotic relationship between the sawmilling sector and the pulp sector half a century ago is evolving into a new bio-economy.

“Round logs and square lumber mean there are residual chips left over,” he said. The chips went to pulp mills, which converted them to northern bleached softwood kraft, the best pulp in the world. With emerging economies using more tissues, high-grade papers and similar products, demand for NBSK is increasing.

B.C.’s pulp mills, once considered dinosaurs that would be pushed to extinction by modern southern hemisphere mills producing pulp from eucalyptus, are in the enviable position now of producing a limited-supply product into a market that is expected to grow far into the future.

And then there is the bio-economy.

“What the bio-economy is bringing along is technological innovation, which means you use more of the wood and you get more value from it,” said Gandossi. “The first wave has been to produce electricity. When we cook the wood chips, 50 per cent of the wood becomes cellulose and 50 per cent is left over. It’s essentially a young fossil fuel. It just hasn’t been around for millions of years.”

Mercer, which also owns mills in Germany at Rosenthal and Stendal, is already moving into the next wave: the bio-refinery concept, where mills will produce pulp, green energy and bio-chemicals that will drive the future bio-economy.

Click here to read the entire article

What does a trade show on the skids, mathematical equations, and NHL players loving Kelowna have in common? Read below to find out.

I was in San Francisco last week for the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC). The city was abuzz, with restaurants, car rentals, and hotels at near capacity, so I was excited hoping that the show was turning the corner after being on life support the last five years. Well, like most things, my excitement soon turned as I realized all the buzz was for the Google app conference that was happening at the same time as PCBC. In fact, Google has taken over occupying three of the four massive building that make up the conference center. As late as 2005, PCBC filled these four buildings with the latest in construction and building products supplies, now PCBC is confined to ¾ of the south hall.

That being said, PCBC this year had all the excitement of a party in a kitchen because the small size of the place seemed much busier than it actually was. Show organizers listed some 5000+ attendees at this year’s event, which provided a good venue for networking between builders, architects, and suppliers from the Northern California market. It’s too early to tell what the change in location to San Diego will do to attendance next year, but suffice it to say, the show could not survive another year in San Francisco.

Last year, I did a quick survey of members to see how their “Bid-to-Close Ratio” and see how the downturn had effected their bottom line. As discussed, the ratio last year was skewed, with members bidding on a high number of projects, but closing with far less frequency than in the past. Most blamed the market conditions at the time, as buyers were checking prices with alternative suppliers, and manufacturers were said to be “giving jobs away” just to stay in business. This time, it seems that the bid-to-close ratio is beginning to return to normal, especially with higher value manufacturers in the millwork and engineered wood products sectors. One manufacturer that I spoke commented that while they are signing more contracts, delays on project start dates have impacted the ratio. The bid-to-close ratio is a benchmark for the overall health of the industry and having this ratio gradually return to historic averages is, I believe, reflective of an improving residential and light commercial construction sector.

Finally, on the celebrity front, it seems that we have a few members who like to rub elbows with the rich, famous, and powerful.   For example, Kelowna based BC Wood member, Norelco Cabinets, has developed a niche market building custom kitchens, high-end cabinetry, and millwork for NHL hockey players including Wade Redden, Jerome Iginla, and most recently that ginger-haired grinder from Philadelphia, Scott Hartnall. It turns out that Kelowna has become a hotbed for NHL players to live and train during the summer months and a fraternity of players have built homes on Okanagan Lake over the past few years.

Also hobnobbing with the rich and famous is Judson Beaumont of Straight Line Designs. His use of beetle kill pine in recent projects creating one of kind furniture and wall panelling attracted the attention of the Minister of Tourism and Trade, the Hon Pat Bell who stopped by his shop in Vancouver this past week to view some of Jud’s latest designs. It seems that Jud has become a favorite of Victoria’s political elite as he also was commissioned to build a beetle pebble wall a few years back for former premier Gordon Campbell.

We are very excited to announce that BC Hydro has signed up to support the GBM as a sponsor, as well as HSBC taking a higher profile role as another one of our Corporate Sponsors. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) has also recognized the value of the program for international market development and has significantly increased their contribution to support the GBM this year.

These changes recognize the value of the GBM program and the new business it brings to Canadian wood products manufacturers. We have also seen a dramatic increase from our exhibitors, in requesting we invite their targeted buyers from many different markets. Plus, we have just completed a strategic, targeted direct mail campaign to US buyers, which we believe, along with the efforts of the WRCLA, will bring us a substantial increase in American buyers, builders, developers and distributors.

If you have not yet signed up to participate, please call me at 604-882-7100 or toll free at 1-877-422-9663. There is still some booth space available and this is the best, most cost-effective opportunity for you to meet buyers from all over the world that might want to buy your wood.

A significant number of buyers from China, India and Pakistan have already signed up to meet our manufacturers. Will you be there?
 

By Roy Manion

I just returned after spending most of June in Europe, primarily in Croatia where my wife was born. One of many features of Europe that is immediately evident to most North Americans travelling to that continent is the architecture – and the age – of many of the buildings there. Along with the architecture of these buildings, one didn’t have to look hard to see a large amount of wood used in these buildings including timber frame, millwork (most had wood windows and doors), flooring, ceilings, and panelling.

For example, the hotel we stayed in Delnice, a small town in North Western Croatia, was several hundred years old – I was told 500 years old. This hotel was a timber frame structure imbedded into a combination of stone and concrete foundation and walls. As you may be able to see from the picture of the dining room, the interior walls, floor, and ceiling also were wood.

Surprisingly, this was not uncommon throughout Croatia. Everywhere we went, we saw wonderful uses of wood being used, whether the buildings were institutional, places of worship, commercial, or residential (including my wife’s 250 year old family home). For the most part, the wood was in excellent condition. When these buildings are eventually torn down, I am sure this wood can be salvaged and reused in new buildings which will most likely last for additional centuries. All in all, for me this was great reinforcement that our activities in promoting the use of wood as a viable and long lasting building material are on the money.

GLOBAL BUYERS MISSION

As I am sure you will be reading in other parts of the Wood Connections, preparation is in full swing for the GBM. We are looking for another strong representation from the architect and designer community. We are also expecting to see good support from the construction and engineering communities.

Once again, we will have a strong program set for our Wood First Forum on Thursday. We have some great speakers committed to the program including three amazing speakers from Europe, thanks to our friends at CAWP. Last year we introduced what turned out to be a very successful mini-seminar series for the architects and designers given by 20 exhibitors at their respective booths. Since this was such a success, we are continuing with it this year. Expect to hear more about this in the days to come.

For further information on the above or any issue related to the Specifiers Program, please feel free to contact me at rmanion@bcwood.com.

This October, the Centre for Advanced Wood Processing and Wood & Wood Products magazine will hold a major educational gathering for value-added wood products manufacturers at UBC’s Robson Square campus, right in the heart of downtown Vancouver.

The event will feature a full-day conference on industrial wood finishing on Monday the 22nd, followed by a dual-track program on Tuesday with one session on building business competitiveness and a second on manufacturing technologies and production efficiency.

Speakers will include technical and business specialists and seasoned industry professionals who will each present practical advice for making the best use of people, technology, and market information to improve efficiencies, find and retain new customers, and grow and sustain revenues and profits. The event will include tabletop displays from prominent suppliers of materials, technologies and services.

Visit the CAWP website at http://www.cawp.ubc.ca/Home/WoodTechSummit2012.aspx   to view the latest program information, or contact cawp@cawp.ubc.ca to join our event mailing list.

Sort of like the bumper sticker that asks ‘How’s My Driving?’, FPInnovations has developed a benchmarking tool that uses a company’s own data to identify strengths and weakness within their current operations, and provide recommendations for action.

Confidential benchmarking studies are established, well recognized methods that provide individual companies with the information they need to prioritize their improvement efforts. The information collected during benchmarking establishes a framework for businesses to measure and improve their performance year over year, and compare their performance to others in their industry sector.

Maintaining confidentiality during benchmarking is crucial. A company is not individually identified, nor is individual company information released to the public. Only aggregate sector information is used to compare an individual company’s performance to that of the sector

Recently, FPInnovations has been working closely with Canadian businesses in the Kitchen Cabinet, Millwork and Furniture sectors to define the performance criteria most useful to company owners and managers.

Click here to read the entire article

More than $2.3 million is being invested this year in the Wood First! Program, an initiative to promote the use of British Columbia wood products in commercial, government and mid-rise buildings.

According to the 2012-2013 Wood First Investment Strategy, funding will go towards growing the culture of working with wood in British Columbia, maximize wood use in public and private projects, and strengthen capacity for production of high-quality wood based products and building systems.

Funding will also go towards accelerating adoption of emerging wood-based products and building systems, and positioning B.C. as a world leader in sustainable and innovative wood-based products and building systems in design, production, and application.
Source: Journal of Commerce – July 5, 2012

Sort of like the bumper sticker that asks ‘How’s My Driving?’, FPInnovations has developed a benchmarking tool that uses a company’s own data to identify strengths and weakness within their current operations, and provide recommendations for action.

Confidential benchmarking studies are established, well recognized methods that provide individual companies with the information they need to prioritize their improvement efforts. The information collected during benchmarking establishes a framework for businesses to measure and improve their performance year over year, and compare their performance to others in their industry sector.

Maintaining confidentiality during benchmarking is crucial. A company is not individually identified, nor is individual company information released to the public. Only aggregate sector information is used to compare an individual company’s performance to that of the sector.

Recently, FPInnovations has been working closely with Canadian businesses in the Kitchen Cabinet, Millwork and Furniture sectors to define the performance criteria most useful to company owners and managers.

These criteria range from qualitative factors, such as the presence of safety programs and sales and marketing practices, to quantitative criteria such as total sales, and average manufacturing labour rate. For example, businesses have indicated that they would be interested in knowing their sales per employee in comparison to their peers, while others have indicated that having a sense of their average labour rate in comparison to the sector would be useful to them.

Through an interview with company owners and managers, a set of questions in ten areas that cover such topics as ‘Sales and Marketing’, ‘Human Resources’, ‘Operations’, ‘Quality’, and ‘Lean Manufacturing’ are asked. In addition, information to calculate Key Performance Indicators is gathered.

Following the interview, collected information is used to generate a set of individual performance graphs under each heading. These graphs also show how activities and performance in each area are inter-related. A summary table shows how the company compares with other companies within the same sector. Based on the results so far, some interesting information is emerging, notably in terms of sales per square foot of manufacturing space and sales per worker. Individual indicators for inventory, materials and manufacturing labour as a percentage of sales are also generating keen interest from benchmarking participants.

What is most exciting is that the first participants have already begun to implement improvement efforts that were identified through their benchmarking activity. Some of the efforts companies are focusing their actions on include addressing quality issues in order to reduce call backs, implementing Lean Manufacturing principles to improve product flow and gain manufacturing efficiencies, increasing training activities to reduce labour costs, and undertaking other process improvements to reduce manufacturing costs.

Stephanie Roll, VP of Alberta-based Executive Millwork has this to say about her experience with the benchmarking tool. “Our Management Team found the summary information that you delivered quite accurate and beneficial and are looking forward to further evaluation and input from FPInnovations. We recognize that there are several areas that we require further support and continued growth in, to remain competitive”.

Over the next three months, FPInnovations is seeking additional companies who wish to benchmark their performance. Companies that participate will be interviewed by a local FPInnovations Industry Advisor from which a customized report that compares their company to that of the sector, as represented in an aggregate form will be produced for them.

While the first benchmark report with a company can identify areas of improvement, to be fully effective, annual benchmarking provides the information to truly gauge if improvement efforts are making a difference.

To find out more about the confidential benchmarking tool and how your business can benefit, contact roland.baumeister@fpinnovations.ca

Your company’s trade show exhibit is the focal point for any conference or event you’re attending, but it won’t be the only thing representing your business.  You and the rest of the staff will also get plenty of attention.  By understanding the dress code for any event, you can ensure you’ll be putting your best foot forward and impressing attendees.


Dress For The Trade Show Exhibit Event

Although most venues don’t have a formal dress code, they usually have fairly clear guidelines that attendees and exhibitors are expected to follow.  In most cases, casual clothes are frowned on; exceptions include sports themed events and recreational events such as boat shows.  For professional conferences (medical, legal, etc.) you should always dress as though it were an important day at the office.  If you’d wear a suit to meet your CEO, then a suit is best for a trade show booth.

Click here to read the entire article