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

I decided to try something a little different for this weeks’ article in the Wood Connections. In today’s fast paced world of social media, we are constantly bombarded with information; staying on top of what is going on in our industry can be tough. So to help out, I’m sending a market report direct from the source.  So to help out, I’m sending a market report direct from the source.

I’m currently – as in right now – at the Hospitality Design Show (HD13) in stifling hot Las Vegas. I have been wandering around the show, meeting with exhibitors and attendees and sourcing out the latest in wood products design being showcased from manufacturers from across North America and Europe.

Here are some of the things that I heard and that caught my eye.

Wood continues to have a significant presence at the show. From Flooring to Wall Panelling, furniture to sculptures, wood is everywhere. A company out of Portugal was showing some innovative wall panels made from a variety of species, the most interesting being a stacked oak panel manufactured from reclaimed wine barrels. They have used this product in residential and commercial applications across North America.

A flooring supplier from Anaheim is showing engineered flooring manufactured from Reclaimed materials including rusted metal laminated to a plywood substrate. I thought this was an innovative use and representative of “mixed media’’ where materials are combined to create unique products. I have seen wood and resin, wood and glass, wood and metal, and enamel painted wood used on a variety of products throughout the show; this certainly can be considered a trend at this years’ HD show.

BC Wood member and manufacturer, Martha Sturdy is leading the way in mixed media, showcasing wood benches and sculptures that have been fire charred and stained black, creating a very unique and different look.

This is some of the market info that I have found so far and I still have over half the show to walk. In reading this, if anything interests you or you want to me to dig up some further intel, please send me an email to dfarley@bcwood.com or text me on my cell at 604 728 8786.

Below are images from the show. Now back to walking the show.

Above image: Wood furniture

Image above and below: Martha Sturdy’s booth featuring fire charred sculptures and benches

Above image: Wall panels made from wine barrels

Above image: Enamel painted outdoor furniture

Above image: Wood sculptures from Europe

Above image: Metal and plywood floor

Above image: Wood, resin, and LED lighted table

Over the past year and a half, BC Wood has been working with its Canada Wood partners in Japan to build large-scale wood structures under the Canada-Tohoku Reconstruction Project. The first of these buildings was a small library completed in January. The second project was the high-profile rebuilding of the Yuriage Market which was the largest fisherman’s/farmer’s market in northern Japan before the 3/11 tsunami. The beautiful new facilities were just opened to the public on May 4th during the Golden Week holidays.

Since 3/11, the association that manages Yuriage had been able to keep the market alive by renting space in a shopping mall parking lot just outside the devastated area. However, both the tenants and the customers wanted to see a return to the Yuriage site so that they could have proper facilities while also bringing economic activity back to the desolation left by the tsunami. In fact, this Canadian funded project became the first reconstruction effort in the area and thus now stands as a beacon of hope for this once thriving community.

Opening day saw over 15,000 people overflowing the Yurage Market grounds starting at 6:00am. By the time of the official opening ceremony at 11:00, many of the vendors were sold-out. Walking past the many stalls, it was wonderful to see locals benefiting from our contribution. In fact, as Canadian delegates went past, you could hear a chorus of “arigato” from the vendors matched with heart-warming smiles. Many member companies worked hard supplying materials for this project and it made me very proud to see the results of all our efforts.

The market consists of three areas. The largest building is the “Maple Pavilion” which was constructed using Douglas fir glulam posts and beams while finished in high-quality WRC paneling, siding, and decking in addition to engineered white oak flooring and CLT panels used in a decorative application. The Maple Pavilion will be used as a food court and outdoor seating area in addition to being a gallery documenting the history of Yuriage as well as Canada’s contributing to its reconstruction. The main shops are housed in two long 2×6 structures, also clad in WRC, each with seven individual stalls. In front of these is an open area for additional vendors to set-up in tents. The market association is now applying for loans to build permanent structures there as well, which are also planned to be constructed using Canadian building products.

During this fiscal year, one more large project will be undertaken with the remaining funds from this initiative. Prior to the tsunami, many of the commercial buildings in this area were drab concrete structures. The Canada-Tohoku Reconstruction Projects will serve as demonstration projects of how Canadian wood products and technology can be utilized in developing warm and inviting facilities that encourage people to return.

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

Last week, I had the pleasure of driving across the great State of Texas, meeting with builders and distributors in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. The southeast corner of the State, along with Dallas, continues to be the economic engine of the region leading the US in construction activity. This is readily apparent as you drive into the city of Houston. The suburbs surrounding Houston are abuzz with construction activity with new subdivisions and multi-family housing developments sprouting up throughout the region. Housing starts in the greater Houston region are up 27% over 2011 with 23,480 homes either being built or are under construction for the 2012 year. When you add in multi-family building and a strong light commercial construction sector, you can really appreciate how busy the region is.

What’s the best way to take advantage of this activity? As always, getting your product in front of buyers and end users is the first step. Two key building product distributors in the State are McCoy’s Building Yard and Tomball Forest Products.

McCoy’s is a family owned building yard and supplier to the residential and light commercial construction industry. They have 80+ stores spread throughout the States of Texas and Arkansas and as such, are significant players in the building industry throughout the region.

Like McCoys, Tomball Forest Products is a family owned timber and building product supplier active throughout the southeast region of Texas. Tomball is a two step wholesaler, selling softwood and dimension lumber materials to building across Texas. Tomball specializes in Western Red Cedar and currently works with a number of BC mills and remanufacturers.

In conversations with buyers from both companies, a common theme was heard. They are both extremely busy and have had strong sales activity. In fact, both firms mentioned that the last quarter represented the best sales over the last five years. They are cautiously optimistic that construction activity in the Texas market will continue to develop.

Finally, the good news is that BC Wood members will have the opportunity to meet with these two key players in the Texas market as both are expected to send buyers to the GBM this September. If the Texas market is of interest, or if you want more information on this or other markets in the US, please contact me at dfarley@bcwood.com

Welcome to the 10th anniversary of the Global Buyers Mission™ (GBM) – a three-day, invitation only networking/tradeshow event developed to bring together pre-qualified international buyers of wood products from around the world, with Canadian manufacturers of products that include finished materials, building supplies, and remanufacturing products.

The GBM continues to be the best business building event in Canada for wood products manufacturers interested in growing their export market opportunities – and developing new business relationships with architects, designers, developers, builder & contractors – and other exhibiting wood products companies. Response from our 2012 Exhibitors surveys indicated an estimated $48+ million in new business from attendance at the event.

To celebrate our 10th Anniversary, we are also putting on a little competition to see who can come up with the best booth design/display. This will be judged by a committee of your peers and international buyers, and the incentive is to win back the cost of one booth space! (That’s better than an ipad, right?!)

We are very pleased to be partnering once again with the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA) on the event, as they deliver their Cedar Summit program on the 4th and 5th. We will also draw the important architect / designer / contractor / builder decision makers with our popular Wood First program, which will run through the whole event. Last year, pre-qualified wood products buyers came from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Eastern Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

We will be back at the beautiful Whistler Conference Centre and have negotiated unbeatable hotel rates for our delegates in Whistler Village.

You will not want to miss this opportunity to showcase your products to over 250 pre-qualified international buyers plus North American specifiers!

Exhibit space is limited and will be available on a first-come / first-served basis. If you haven’t already registered, contact us for your online registration link at gbm@bcwood.com or call 604-882-7100. The link will include a floor plan showing the space and showroom layout for exhibitors.

In case you haven’t seen them yet, here are some links to a few short videos from last year’s event:

2012 Global Buyers Mission Video: http://youtu.be/75FB6QDMv1o
2012 Wood First Video: http://youtu.be/2oAK2n6Vf8U
2012 Global Buyers Mission Exhibitor Testimonials: http://youtu.be/C5j5u6ShUP8
2012 Global Buyers Mission Buyer Testimonials: http://youtu.be/c2Xwy8yRbio
BC Wood YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/BCWoodAssociation

Proposed Program Schedule

Thursday – September 5th
Association Business & In-Market Representatives Meetings
Evening Welcome Event at the spectacular Roundhouse Lodge at the Peak of Whistler Mountain for all participants

Friday – September 6th
Morning Networking/Tradeshow/Meetings
Afternoon WRCLA Sponsored Golf Tournament; Architects in-booth presentations; or Whistler free time
Gala Evening Event

Saturday – September 7th
Morning Networking/Tradeshow/Meetings

2013 Exhibitor Fees

BC Wood, WRCLA or Canadian Wood Products Association Member:
10 x 10 booth – $2,079 (includes 2 exhibiting participants)
Non-member:
10 x 10 booth – $3,129 (includes 2 exhibiting participants)
Each additional company participant: $400 / Spousal Program: $150 (includes 2 Evening events)

Exhibit Registration Includes:

• 2 full participants per booth space
• Basic electrical, pipe & drape, covered table & 2 chairs, carpet & Wi-Fi
• All meals during the event including the Thursday night Welcome Event at the Roundhouse Lodge & Friday evening Gala Event
• Full access to Thursday Association Programs
• Complete multi-lingual company listing in the Mission Program Guide

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like more information on the GBM or how it could benefit your company.

Design duo Michael Thomas Host and Tanja Hinder are the creative force behind mth woodworks, a local woodworking company based in Vancouver, BC. They combine salvaged Western Red Cedar tree stumps and birch branches with organic resin, creating one-of-a-kind furniture pieces that connect people with beautiful West Coast forests.

This success story started many years ago, when designer and builder Michael Host left his hometown of Vancouver, BC to pursue his passion – the design and construction of timeless furniture. His path led to places like Australia and New York where Michael became an accomplished furniture maker. His journey also brought him to Europe where he was inspired by the architecture and furniture designs. Michael spent many years studying and acquiring renowned and unique woodworking techniques.

Tanja Hinder, on the other hand, grew up in Switzerland. Fascinated by architecture and furniture design, Tanja soon found herself involved in many design-consulting projects. In 2001, she travelled to Vancouver where the paths of Michael and Tanja crossed for the first time. The rest as they say “is history!” Tanja eventually immigrated to Canada and become an aspiring furniture and interior designer.

Over the past year, they have been able to refine their construction techniques to enhance the longevity and durability of their designs. They also further developed their original concept in a new series of products that complement the organic shapes of their salvaged woods in a surprising way.

Today, mth woodworks’ mission is to connect people with BC’s beautiful surroundings by fusing together raw natural elements with organic resin.

“The inspiration for our designs comes from, well, EVERYWHERE. However, nature and travel definitely fuel our creative minds. To us, these are the most important ingredients for all our creations. Guided by clean lines and functionality, we are proud to offer “the bloom collection” and “the host collection” to a diverse clientele.”

For more information on mth woodworks, please visit: http://www.mthwoodworks.com/

Click below to watch a great video on how they salvage their wood:

If you can not see the video link above: click here

Responding to membership, BC Wood has secured a coordinated space at the Gas and Oil Expo to be held June 11-13, 2013 in Calgary, Alberta. BC Wood staff, along with some members, have walked the show in the past and feel it presents a good opportunity for exposure into the fast growing oil sands regions of Alberta, the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Montana.

About the Gas and Oil Expo

‘We’re a leading biennial event for the North American gas and oil industry. Held in the energy capital of Canada – Calgary, Alberta – the event offers opportunities for brand exposure, business development, education, and networking. Indoor and outdoor exhibits showcase emerging technologies, a diverse range of products and services, and leading expertise. The largest Canadian energy event of 2013, Gas & Oil Expo hosts over 500 exhibiting companies and attracts 20,000 registered attendees.’

BC Wood feels there is an excellent opportunity for companies that manufacture pre-fabricated homes, industrial products such as, rig matting & components, as well as finished products such as, cabinets, flooring, and millwork.

Growth in the oil and gas sector is creating significant opportunities in select regional markets in the western United States. For example, the State of North Dakota is in dire need of additional housing units due to an influx of refinery workers. The state’s population is expected to grow by 25% over the next 15 years. The ten energy development counties where the oil sands are located, are projected to grow by at least 50%. The North Dakota Housing Finance Agency projects household growth at 30% or 80,000 new housing units by 2025.

Given that the show is fast approaching, please contact BC Wood as soon as possible to hold a position at the show as space is limited. Online registration will be available soon.

Date & Location:

Calgary, Alberta
June 11-13, 2013

Registration:

Please contact Scott Thompson at BC Wood for more information and to register: Office: 604-882-7100; Cell: 604-880-0060; E-mail – sthompson@bcwood.com. Please note, a deposit is required to register for the show.

We have another fiscal year behind us as April 1st marks the beginning of a new year for both BC Wood and the Specifiers Program.

Although we had a late start in 2012, the Program picked up considerable momentum beginning in October and continued quite a hectic pace through to March 31st, the end of our fiscal year. Although the major audience was the architect community, the program also experienced an expansion into the construction community with us joining and become active with the major construction associations in BC. As we look back, here are some of the highlights for the 2012 – 2013 year:

• We hosted almost 50 events, including lunch & learn sessions, group seminars, and tours.
• These events put us in front of over 800 architects and designers and their respective support staff, contractors, builders, and engineers.
• While Greater Vancouver is where the majority of events took place, we also held sessions for specifiers throughout the province including Victoria, Nanaimo, Squamish, Kamloops, Kelowna, Vernon, and Penticton. We were accompanied by industry representatives who each provided educational seminars on their respective products.
• One of our last events of the year was our first group session for the Independent Construction Business Association (ICBA) (picture below). For this group, instead of a lunch & learn, we held a “breakfast & learn”. This worked quite well for the contractors as it ended at 9:00am, thereby, allowing those that attended to minimize the time from the jobsites. Five companies from industry participated in the session and each gave 15 minute educational presentations on their respective products to the group. Afterwards, most stayed behind for 30 minutes or so to answer questions on a one-on-one basis.

• We have a group session booked for Mid-May with the other major construction association, the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA).

• We held our first group seminar for the CHBA, Sea to Sky Chapter, up at Whistler.

• In total, 24 companies from Industry participated in the Specifiers Program in varying degrees.

• Throughout the year, we were contacted by several architect firms requesting seminars on specific products which we arranged for industry representatives to present on. This epitomizes one of the major benefits of the program; follow up sessions are where relationships are formed between specifiers and companies, which in turns greatly increases the company’s profile and chances of having products specified.

• We fielded numerous requests from specifiers looking for information on specific products or where to source them. In these cases, we put them in touch with the appropriate companies. If the products are available, having high quality, made in BC products used on BC projects is a win-win for both the specifier and industry. Certainly, the specifiers are now aware of this more than ever before.

All in all, this was a quite busy and successful year for the Specifiers Program. My next Wood Connections article will cover our planned activities for the coming year. In the meantime, should you want to participate in the program for the upcoming year, or simply want more information, please feel free to contact me at rmanion@bcwood.com or you can reach me by calling the BC Wood office.

For the past three years, BC Wood has had a special partnership with the WRCEA for the Japanese market. This relationship has allowed us to deliver higher impact promotions through seminars and trade shows in order to introduce Western Red Cedar to a new generation of architects and designers. These efforts are targeted at the growing use of wood in exterior applications as new certifications and installation methods help WRC meet Japan’s tough fire-code regulations.

The WRCEA has developed an extensive library of resources and presentation materials which by working together with in-market distributors, we were able to localize into a comprehensive seminar program for Japanese architects. We first delivered the program on behalf of the WRCEA in 2012 in Tokyo and Nagoya and the feedback from both the WRC distributors and attendees was overwhelmingly positive. For this reason, we expanded the program for this year and delivered it in Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. Once again we had great turnouts in each city and were able to inspire participants through our lecturers’ great presentations on WRC projects both in Japan and around the world.

It was interesting to see local wood distributors who in the past had handled WRC take part. Speaking with these companies after the seminars, it was clear that they also have seen a renewed interest in WRC and are looking at putting effort into promoting the species again. Before the American housing bubble pushed up cedar prices, WRC was considered a standard species for decking. However, as Japan’s own wood first policies are creating more demand for wood products, many in the wood industry realize the potential to use WRC on the exterior of not only homes, but also commercial buildings, whether they are built in wood or concrete. I believe the positive reaction of the architects at the seminars helped further demonstrate this latent potential and will hopefully lead many of these distributors back into our WRC network.

These seminars also offered us a great venue to promote the Global Buyers Mission (GBM) to architects interested in wood first inspired designs. We look forward to inviting some of them to our 10th annual event in Whistler this September!

BC Wood just recently received confirmation that the funding for our 2013-2014 trade show activities has been approved. We began this year’s proposal writing with some concerns over just how much our members would want to take on in the coming year. Our early December sector meetings with member companies provided some good input on how much companies wanted to do this year and where they wanted BC Wood to focus its’ efforts.

BC Wood took this input and put together a comprehensive package of market development activities. Upcoming activities will focus on expanding market share in the United States while maintaining the hard won presence we have gained in Asian markets and Eastern Europe. Recognizing the possibility of a new and emerging market opportunity in India, BC Wood has scheduled a mission and participation in a trade show in Bangalore in February 2014. The Global Buyers Mission, our 10th, will be a highlight, with over 200 buyers coming to Whistler in early September.

I would like to recognize and thank the staff of BC Wood for the extra effort they put towards writing these funding proposals. The result was that BC Wood has another strong program of approved trade event activities for 2013-2014. For those of you wanting to see the updated list of trade show activities, please visit the BC Wood website at www.bcwood.com and select Trade Events from the Programs & Services tab. Any comments or questions regarding these planned activities can be directed to me at bhawrysh@bcwood.com or by calling our office at 604-882-7100.

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

June 2013 is expected to be be a busy time for BC Wood with two major trade events that are important to the residential and light commercial construction sectors in the United States. PCBC and AIA National both take place that month and BC Wood, along with member companies will be exhibiting at both key events.

PCBC, a longstanding trade event for the construction sector on the West Coast of the US, takes place in the first week of June. This event draws builders, developers, distributors, and architects from across California and the Western United States. PCBC has traditionally been held in San Francisco, but for the first time in its 50+ year history, has moved to the sunnier climes of Southern California and the city of San Diego.

Show organizers made the difficult decision to move the event for a number of reasons; the primary being the decline in attendance in the San Francisco event since the downturn of 2008. Having the IBS builders event in Las Vegas for the next few years also factored into the equation.

Either way, moving the event to the San Diego market makes good sense. San Diego is one of the stronger markets in California with increasing construction starts in the residential and multi-family sectors. So far, interest and uptake in the event is very good, with the show selling out its original space and having to add floor space to accommodate new exhibitors. BC Wood already has 5 member companies exhibiting and has a small amount of space left. If this is of interest to your company, let us know as soon as possible.

*images from PCBC

AIA National is the American Institute of Architects annual conference and trade event that moves around the country each year. This event annually attracts 25,000 to 30,000 architects, engineers, and builders from both the residential and light commercial construction sectors. The 2013 AIA takes place the 3rd week of June in Denver, Colorado and is expected to be a well attended event. As with PCBC, BC Wood and member companies will have a significant presence at AIA and if you want to reach a target audience of US architects and builders, then this event is a cost effective way of doing so.

Both trade events are important for manufacturers to connect directly with their target audiences. If you are targeting builders, architects, developers, and distributors in the western United States, then you should seriously consider either or both of these events as a part of your companies market development strategy. With improving economic conditions and a stronger than expected construction market being experienced across the US, the time to develop market share is now.

For more info on these events or opportunity in the US, please contact me at dfarley@bcwood.com or give the office a call at 1877 422 9663

By Scott Buchholz

This past weekend, Abbotsford was once again home to the 2013 BC Log Home, Timber Frame and Country Living Show. The show exhibited many products and consumer goods, yet none more impressive than what was on display in the BC Wood Pavilion where the Log Home, Timber Frame, and Pre-Fab companies of British Columbia showcased their craftsmanship, innovation, and skill.

Participating members this year included: Artisan Log & Timber Homes, BC Timberframe Co., Big Foot Log Homes, Canadian Timber Frame, Daizen, Hamill Creek Timber Homes, Kettle River Timberworks, Okanagan Timber Frame, Pacific Homes, Sitka Log Homes, and Trout Creek Log Homes.

The LHTF sector stood out among the displays as fully and partially erected log homes towered over the trade event attendees, attracting large crowds and marketing the latest and greatest in timber home joinery, product, and design.

Reports after the 2012 Denver Log Home Show suggested a growing sense that the worst of the 2008 ripple-effects were over and that a general feeling of profitable times were approaching. Fast forward 5 months later to Abbotsford, and it appears as though these sentiments were rightly directed as scores of serious buyers-and less “tire kickers”-lined the event hall to inquire into companies and determine the right builder for them.

A Strong attendance, serious buyers, and quality product added legitimacy to reports of a resilient BC housing sector and a rise in demand from the U.S. This upward trend is a welcomed one.

After speaking with a number of BC Wood Members who participated in the event days after it had finalized, there were reports of sales made, meetings scheduled to go over projects, and a general air of optimism for things to come. It was good to hear of a much busier show than last year, and the word that continues to be passed around is that we are trending towards more black and less red.

For more information, do not hesitate to contact me at sbuchholz@bcwood.com

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

Last week, I attended the Wood Solutions Fair in Seattle, Washington and was pleasantly surprised with the number and quality of attendees at this one day event. According to Woodworks staff, over 630 qualified architects, engineers, construction specifiers, and other key influencers in the light commercial construction sector attended the event. Attendees had a chance to participate in seminars that showcased new products and trends in wood frame construction and to meet with exhibitors displaying high quality wood and construction related products. The general consensus from exhibitors and attendees was positive and many architects came to the event armed with construction plans and blueprints. All in all, the Wood Solutions Seattle was a good event for companies looking to increase sales into the non-residential and light commercial construction sector.

I have been working with an architect in the Lake Tahoe market and in our discussions found it interesting how he is using some new software in the design of the multi-million dollar vacation homes that his firm specializes in.   He is using a software program, Innodraw, which utilizes laser technology to provide 3 dimensional, precise measurements of the interior rooms of his projects. These exact measurements are then forwarded to the architectural millwork shop that he works with. They in turn manufacture 95 percent of the product in their shop and are only on the jobsite for the install. The architect believes that considerable time and money is being saved by using this software, and he feels that a number of costly mistakes have been avoided as a result of the millwork supplier adopting the use of the software into the manufacturing process. For more information on the Innoware software, check out their website,  www. Innodraw.com.

Finally, a hearty congratulations to Mr. Doug Auer who has recently been appointed as the new CEO for Viceroy Homes. Doug, as many of you know, worked for BC Wood for a number of years as our in-market representative for the United States. He has a strong knowledge and specialized expertise in the prebuilt housing sector and will use these skills in his new role with Viceroy. We wish Doug all the best in his new endeavor.

As always, for more information on the topics discussed or on market opportunities in the United States, please contact me at dfarley@bcwood.com

Once again BC Wood organized the Canadian Pavilion at the Nikkei Newspaper’s construction industry trade show. This year, seven BC Wood members took part covering a variety of products including log & timberframe homes, kitchen cabinets, WRC, mouldings and flooring, as well engineered wood. Our Canada Wood partner, Canada Tsuga, took space with us as usual. We also included a special display on the Canada-Tohoku Reconstruction Project so that show visitors could see the efforts being made by Canada in helping to rebuild after the March 11th, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Having Japan’s most influential newspaper behind the show means that it will always be a well-attended event. The show is only open to industry people and yet attracted 242,353 visitors over four days. This represents a 2.6% increase in attendance over 2012. In total, there were 1,279 exhibitors (for a total of 3,640 booths) representing 13 countries. The show organizers are looking to further build this event by clearly branding it as a “Nikkei Show”. Therefore, from this year, they started using “Nikkei Messe” as the overriding name connecting the various sections such as “Architectural and Construction Materials 2013,” “Japan Shop 2013,” “Lighting Fair 2013,” etc.

Aside from the strong numbers, you could also sense the bullish housing sector in talking with the visitors. While there is a concern of what might happen after next year’s consumption tax increase, many people that I spoke with are now feeling optimistic that the economic recovery will keep housing starts strong past the tax hike. More importantly, participating members reported a good number of business leads and strong sales figures by the end of the show.

During the week, BC Wood also worked with COFI to put on a seminar for the Japanese committee members working on the new CLT JAS code. This is a crucial time in these deliberations as the first draft is expected to be tabled by this spring and the final draft brought into effect by next spring. Therefore, we seized the opportunity to have Colin Chornohus speak to the committee as Structurlam was participating in the Nikkei Show. Colin was able to address their questions about using mixed species such as SPF as well as the types of glue used in Canada and Europe.

All in all, it was a very busy and successful week!

By Scott Thompson

BUILDEX Vancouver, one of Canada’s largest tradeshow/conferences, welcomed over 13,000 design, construction, and real estate management professionals on February 13th and 14th to the Vancouver Convention Centre. Over 600 exhibitors and more than 50 educational seminars were presented to the interior design and architecture professions, property and real estate management, and the construction and renovation sectors.

BC Wood coordinated a centralized area for wood products manufacturers with 15 members joining us from the building and finished products sectors including Structurlam, Sitka Log Homes, Pacific Homes, Cedarland, SilvaPanel, Coulson Manufacturing, Woodtone, Masonite, Kettle River Timberworks, BC Timber Frame, Merit Kitchens, Brisco Manufacturing, Big Foot Log Homes, AWMAC, and Wideplank Flooring. Feedback to date has been very positive with respondents citing renewed optimism in demand for wood based building products.

We were very busy during the show as we met with over 40 architects, designers, and contractors; approximately 20 of which we knew and were afforded the opportunity of renewing relationships. The rest were new connections who we will invite to future BC Wood specifier related activities including the popular lunch & learn sessions.

We met with 12 international buyers looking for BC wood products. In each case, we requested they contact us with detail that we can pass on to our members. To date, 3 have done this.

We also met with companies that were both exhibitors and visitors to the show from the value-added wood industry that are not BC Wood members and used the opportunity to promote various association activities.

BC Wood plans to participate in the next Buildex show being held Feb 18th – 19th, 2014. For more information on this event, contact Scott Thompson at 604-882-7100.

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

The first few months of the calendar year proved to be extremely busy for the US program with our participation in the IBS show in Las Vegas which was immediately followed by the BIA Hawaii. While I admit there could be worse places to be in January than Vegas and Hawaii, having both events back to back provided a number of logistical and time challenges. The good news is that if you use these events as a barometer of market conditions in the US construction sector, then one could conclude that the market south of the border is finally getting better.

As discussed in the last edition of the Wood Connections, the IBS show has an impressive attendance, topping the 60,000 mark for the first time in five years. The same could be said for the Building Industry Hawaii (BIA Hawaii) trade event. While this regional event is small, interest and participation from the building community from across the Hawaiian Islands was strong. In fact, attendance at this years’ show was 20% higher than last year and up 45% over the past three years. Builders and other buyers who came by the booths were optimistic that market conditions were on the upswing and many were starting projects in the residential and light commercial construction sectors.

The Hawaiian market continues to be a prime location for BC grown softwood species including Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar (WRC), and Yellow Cedar. This was evidenced by a site visit to a new development on the Big Island of Hawaii. This project is a high-end residential development of 40 plus homes anchored by a private beach club and golf course. More impressive than the view was the use of WRC and Douglas Fir in the construction of the residences and commercial buildings. WRC is featured extensively in the project including WRC shingles in the roof, 12’’clear board and baton exterior siding, and VG WRC interior panelling; the project was a showcase for the species. The architect specified WRC in part due to the unique colour and weather resistance properties of the wood. Where structural timbers were needed, Douglas Fir was specified and is prominently featured in the golf club house and beach club buildings. See images below.

This project is expected to last for the next four to six years. There is an opportunity for BC Wood members to supply materials and finished products for this project. In fact, with improving market conditions being experienced across the US construction sector, there remains excellent potential for the BC Industry to develop and grow market share through participation in trade events such as IBS and BIA Hawaii.

For more information on these events or other opportunities in the US market, please feel free to contact me at dfarley@bcwood.com

The deadline for confirming space at the upcoming Turkeybuild show in Istanbul is fast approaching. For any company, who has not done so already, wanting to participate in the Turkeybuild show within the BC Wood pavilion, please contact Brian Hawrysh at bhawrysh@bcwood.com or in the office at 604-882-7100 by Thursday, Feb 28th, 2013.

For a little more background on the Turkeybuild show…

Turkey remains one of the strongest of these regional economies within Europe. Turkey also has a long history and affinity of building with wood, which gave way to a focus on concrete construction in the post WWII period. With their growing affluence, Turks are rediscovering their traditional preference for wood construction, particularly, in higher-end residential and recreational home construction.

For these reasons, BC Wood decided to explore opportunities for BC’s value-added sector in Turkey. Last May, four BC companies and BC Wood’s representative attended the Turkeybuild show and reported that there was very strong interest shown in BC’s products and services by the local timber and building materials distributors. The products generating the most interest were higher-end solid wood building products and interior finishing materials. Turkish companies showed a great deal of interest in partnering with Canadian companies that produce innovative, higher quality wood products.

During the period of April 24-28th, BC Wood will attend the Turkeybuild show in the country’s economic centre, Istanbul. Last year, the Istanbul show drew over 110,000 visitors, many of them from the neighboring Eastern European and Islamic countries. At Turkeybuild, exhibitors can showcase a full range of building materials and systems. High quality specialty lumber and building materials such as WRC decking, siding and roofing, log and timber frame homes, and prefabricated house packages will be of interest to the Turkish lumber importers, architects, and builders.

This week I had the opportunity to meet with a very interesting company; Vancouver Urban Timberworks. They specialize in producing products from hard and softwoods. What sets them apart is that their products are made from discarded trees around the local area.

In and around Metro Vancouver, there are hundredsof trees that are coming down for various reasons which could be quite costly for the individual or company to discard. Starting out in their North Vancouver driveway three years ago, Eric and Danny began retrieving these fallen trees free of charge. They then transformed these trees into unique wood products including large slabs, furniture, and other custom products.

One of their projects included producing a boardroom table made out of reclaimed and salvaged timber from the Squamish Valley in BC. After retrieving the tree, they reclaimed the usable timber, milled it into slabs, transported it in their biodiesel powered trucks, kiln dried it, CNC’d it flat, and finished the table. Click here to watch a quick video on the production of the table.

With the support of their community, they have moved their business out of the driveway and into a retail location that will soon house an exquisite showroom. They are steadily adding and upgrading their equipment and inventory to increase their capacity and meet a high demand.

For more information on Vancouver Urban Timberworks, visit their website: http://vancouverurbantimberworks.com and their facebook page: facebook.com/pages/Vancouver-Urban-Timberworks/245145348849853

After a successful show in 2012, BC Wood returned to the MBC Show in Seoul, South Korea from January 25th to 28th. MBC is one of the largest construction shows in Korea with 312 exhibitors this year and over 170,000 visitors comprised of builders/architects (39%), interior designers (32%), manufacturers (6%), and distributors (4%) according to the organizers data. Products on display at the show included everything from structural materials and construction equipment to windows, doors, and finishing materials.

The Canadian pavilion was once again organized by BC Wood’s Korean representative, JC Lee. While there were other overseas exhibitors at the show, only the Canadian exhibitors enjoyed a branded pavilion. A total of six BC Wood members took part covering a variety of species and lumber products as well as kitchen cabinets and siding products. The BC Wood booth was used as a reception desk for clients coming for appointments as well as to disseminate information on Canadian wood products and recruit buyers for the September GBM.

As always, JC lined up meetings for the attending members with key clients. However, this year he also arranged an opening day reception inside the pavilion in order to create a networking opportunity for members with invited Korean wood industry VIPs. Both the BC Government Office in Seoul and the Canadian Embassy were partners in this event. Over 100 Korean clients attended this event.

BC Wood also organized an architect’s seminar on the day before the show in collaboration with KIA (the Korean Institute of Architects) in order to promote the use of Canadian wood products in commercial building projects and particularly for facilities being built for the Pyungchang Winter Olympic Games. The event was held at the historic Old Seoul Rail Station and was attended by close to 100 KIA members. Attendees were able to learn about the various wood solutions offered by Canada while we were also able to gain access to high-value specifiers and influencers in the Korean architectural community. BC Wood is planning to further develop this target segment by taking part in the KIA Convention this October. Please contact Jim Ivanoff (ivanoff@canadawood.jp ) or JC Lee (lee@canadawood.or.kr ) for more information on this upcoming event.