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.

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.

Our 2012 Global Buyers Mission videos have now been uploaded. All of our videos can be seen on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BCWoodAssociation?feature=watch

Global Buyers Mission Video

Wood First Program Video

Buyer Testimonial Video

Exhibitor Testimonial Video

All of the companies who just exhibited at the 2011 Global Buyers Mission were able to experience the level of enthusiasm Chinese buyers have for Canadian wood products. BC Wood is now organizing another opportunity for members to target the Chinese market through the China International Exhibition on the Housing Industry (CIEHI).

Last September, BC Wood participated for the first time in the CIEHI. The show was very well attended and the participating companies reported some very good leads from Chinese builders, developers, and architects. A main theme of the show was green and energy efficient building with wood construction and building products featuring prominently throughout the show. A number of foreign log-home and panelized house manufacturers were promoting their products, in particular a large number of Russian log home builders. To maximize profile and traffic, BC Wood located its’ display area within the Canada Wood booth partnering with the Coast Forest Products Association and Council of Forest Industries.

BC Wood will be returning to the CIEHI show in Beijing this coming November 21st – 23rd. From our previous experience at this show, we expect that the best opportunities for new contacts and increased exposure in the marketplace will be achieved by manufacturers of prefabricated homes, log and timber frame structures, engineered wood products, WRC lumber decking and siding, and construction lumber.

For more information or to register, please contact Jim Ivanoff at ivanoff@canadawood.jp.

Click here for more information on the show

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.

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

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.

For the sixth year in a row, Whistler again hosted a B.C. wood industry conference last week — but a changing demographic in attendees offered an opportunity for resort officials to connect with international delegates interested in the resort.

The 2011 Global Buyers Mission (GBM), organized by the B.C. Wood Specialties Group, took place at the Whistler Conference Centre last Thursday through Saturday (Sept. 8 to 10). The event saw about 700 attendees including buyers from around the world and wood companies from across B.C.

According to organizers, about 70 per cent of buyers, attendees and sellers were participating in the conference for the first time. With the recent decline of American markets for B.C. wood, more buyers came from Asian markets such as China and Korea.

Those are areas Whistler has been trying to reach from a tourism standpoint, and at least one municipal official had the chance to promote the resort to a group of conference attendees.

Mike Vance, RMOW general manager of policy and program development, was asked to speak at the conference on behalf of the Council of Forest Industries, according to information provided by the municipal communications department.

The delegation of China-based land developers was interested to learn if they can build a resort like Whistler and use some of the municipality’s best practices as a model, a spokesperson said. Vance’s presentation focused on Whistler’s success as a resort, including its evolution, leading-edge practices and strong brand.

The group of about 30 people was also taken on a tour of the Whistler Public Library, the Rainbow neighbourhood and the Lost Lake Passivhaus to learn more about green and energy-efficient building features and the use of wood as a sustainable resource.

Whistler is a great place to host the GBM conference because it’s a really good showcase of B.C. wood and its uses, said Mike Cunningham, a representative for the conference.

“Look at the chalets, the residential homes, the construction — even the convention centre itself,” he said.

Besides Whistler’s abundance of wood, keeping the GBM in the resort helps to keep the invitation-only event small in order to keep that face-to-face interaction, according to Cunningham.

“For the buyers and the sellers the real advantage of this conference is that it gives them that opportunity to interact in a little more of a relaxed setting,” Cunningham said.

There was also plenty of opportunity for delegates to enjoy Whistler.

“They go golfing, they go up the gondola. Its spectacular scenery and they love it,” Cunningham said. “A lot of people bring their spouses with them too and compared to being somewhere stuck in a hotel, we intentionally design the conference with a lot of free time.”

It’s important to have the conference each year in order to attract new buyers and allow smaller B.C. companies to sell their B.C. wood products to the large international market, Cunningham added.

“For a large- to medium-sized company trying to sell to a huge market in China, if they have never done business in a place like that before it can be quite daunting for them to jump on a plane and fly over there and start looking for people to buy their product.”

Source: Whistler Question Local News – September 15, 2011

The Global Buyers Mission was a tremendous success for BC Wood’s China program as we had well over 35 delegates from China looking to source Canadian wood products. Participants expressed very positive reaction and enthusiasm in coming to Whistler and meeting with BC Wood members. Following the event, Mr. Jeff Li, BC Wood’s in-market representative in China, took several of the Chinese buyers on an extended mission program, visiting member companies on-site at their facilities. The program was well received both from members and the mission delegates.

As the momentum and energy of the GBM settles down, we are back to work making final preparations for the CIEHI show in Beijing. This will mark the first time BC Wood is attending the 3-day conference and we look forward to making new contacts and gathering market intelligence about China’s building and construction sector. For more updates on this event, follow us on Twitter @BC_Wood

The Global Buyers Mission is just around the corner and is expected to be a tremendous opportunity for BC Wood members to connect with customers from the Asian markets. By now, companies exhibiting should have the complete list of buyers that are registered and attending next week’s event. Currently, we are expecting over 38 buyers from China looking to meet with Canadian companies.

Members that are looking to connect specifically with a Chinese buyer that they are interested in are encouraged to connect with Mr. Jeff Li, BC Wood’s in-market rep in Shanghai at li@canadawood.cn . If members have any questions about the Chinese market and BC Wood program activities, please contact David Pao at dpao@bcwood.com

 Registration for the 8th annual GBM is now sold-out completely. We are delighted to host over 600 delegates to the event this year. The entire office will be in Whistler from Tuesday, September 6th to Sunday, September 11th.

Click here for a current listing of participating industry manufacturers and suppliers.

You can access the current list of registered buyers from Europe, Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, India, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Mexico, United States, Vietnam and Taiwan. Click here for the international buyer listings.

As many of you know, we are also delivering the Living and Building with Wood Forum on Thursday, September 8th, as part of the GBM Program. Participants include: architects & designers; municipal planners; engineers; developers and builders and will be attending to learn about how to use wood in both commercial and residential projects. Click here for a listing of LBWW participants.

The overall GBM Schedule of Events can be accessed by clicking here.

You can also check out BC Wood’s website (www.bcwood.com) for GBM info, lists of past buyers and exhibitors, and great event photos from 2009 and 2010.

We would like to thank our partners and sponsors, without whom this program could not be delivered: Platinum Partners: Natural Resources Canada Wood Export Program (CWEP); Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. (FII); and Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC); our Silver Partners: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau (CSSB); and our Bronze Partners: the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) and HSBC Canada. Our Corporate Sponsors this year include The Waldun Group, Howe Sound / Pallin Timber and BFL Canada Insurance Services Inc.

To those of you already registered, we look forward to seeing you on the Mountain!

For more information, please contact me at rwalker@bcwood.com  or call me at 604-882-7100.

September 8th to 10th in Whistler – Exhibit space is sold-out and you can click here for a current listing of participating manufacturers and suppliers.

You can access the current list of registered buyers from Europe, Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, India, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Mexico, United States, Vietnam and Taiwan and although we are still waiting for a few more confirmations, I believe our buyer list is 90% complete.  Click here for the listings.

The overall GBM Schedule of Events can be accessed by clicking here.

You can also check out BC Wood’s website ( www.bcwood.com) for GBM info, lists of past buyers and exhibitors, and great event photos from 2009 and 2010.

As many of you know, we are also delivering the Living and Building with Wood Forum on Thursday, September 8th, as part of the GBM Program.  Participants include: architects & designers; municipal planners; engineers; developers and builders and will be attending to learn about how to use wood in both commercial and residential projects.  They will also have the opportunity to meet the manufacturers and suppliers during the program at the GBM, who supply the materials to help them successfully complete their contracts. To see the list of registered participants, click here.

We must thank our partners and sponsors, without whom this program could not be delivered: Platinum Partners: Natural Resources Canada Wood Export Program (CWEP); Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. (FII); and Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC); our Silver Partners: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau (CSSB); and our Bronze Partners: the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) and HSBC Canada. Our Corporate Sponsors this year include The Waldun Group, Howe Sound / Pallin Timber and BFL Canada Insurance Services Inc.

To those of you already registered, we look forward to seeing you on the Mountain!

For more information on what registration opportunities are still available, please contact me at rwalker@bcwood.com  or call me at 604-882-7100.

Trade figures show the value of softwood lumber exported to China has surpassed the U.S. for the first time, sending powerful signals about the importance of the Asia-Pacific markets for B.C.’s economy and job prospects.

“China has become our most important market for lumber,” said Pat Bell, the former B.C. Forests minister and the current Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation.

May was a record-breaking month for B.C. softwood lumber exports to China with 746,000 cubic metres exported — up 157 per cent by volume over the same month last year. From January to May, B.C. exported 2.8 million cubic metres to China, up over double from last year in both volume and value.

“I was shocked,” Bell said. “I had to do the math three or four times to make sure that I was right.”

He credits the expansion to work by the province and forest industry to diversify the market for B.C. forest products by expanding into China.

“This is the result of years of hard work by the provincial government and industry,” Bell said.

“In only five months, we’ve shipped the equivalent of over 76,000 containers of wood to China — the equivalent production of approximately 14 typical Interior sawmills over this period. These shipments represent family-supporting jobs across the province and the continued success of our rural B.C. communities.”

Chinese lumber sales employing 10,000 in B.C.

Bell — who also represents the Prince George-Mackenzie riding, an area dependent on its saw mills — said it’s good news for B.C.’s forest industry.

“Mills are working today directly as a result of China,” he said.

Click here to read the entire article

BC Wood will be exhibiting at the China International Exhibition on Housing Industry (CIEHI) this September in Beijing. This event will focus on China’s growing construction market and the application of new housing and green building technologies. Attendees of the three day event will include major real estate and property developers from around various regions in China. The event is hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Construction. Other organizers also include the China Real Estate Association, Beijing Construction Committee, and Beijing Housing Technology Development Co.

BC Wood, along with Canada Wood partners, COFI and CFPA, see a strong potential for Canadian wood products at this event and will coordinate participation.

When and Where?  

Date: September 27-29, 2011  
Location: Beijing, China

Why should you come?  

• Cost savings for BC Wood members
• Gain in-market exposure and first hand market intelligence
• Opportunity to meet key builders and developers in China

Who should participate?

Manufacturers of:

• Glulam and heavy timbers
• Prebuilt homes
• Outdoor wood products (Western Red Cedar)
• Landscaping products
• Exterior siding and panel products

Market Opportunities

• The rise in China’s middle class is credited for a growing and increasingly important import market. The country’s rapidly growing middle class has spurred strong domestic consumption of housing and material goods.
• Over the past 10 years, there has been rapid growth in China’s use of imported wood products.
• Despite the global recession, the China market is continuing to grow with GDP growth projected to continue at up to 8.5% per annum.
• China’s new policies, focused on improving energy efficiency and environmental impact of structures, make wood building systems an increasingly attractive option, with benefits such as carbon reduction and seismic stability

Save the date and register now!

For more information or to register, please click here  to download the registration form and fax to 604-882-7300 or contact David Pao at 604-882-7100 or dpao@bcwood.com

Interest for Canadian wood products from Chinese wood buyers is very strong judging by this year’s list of incoming delegates to the Global Buyers Mission in September. In an update from our in-market rep, Jeff Li, there are over 40 buyers signed up to participate at this year’s event in Whistler. These companies represent key players in the Chinese wood industry, as well as several new companies looking to learn more about Canadian companies. This year, the group will include key wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers, but will also include several Chinese builders, architects, and developers.

Also in September, BC Wood will participate for the first time in the 10^th China International Exhibition on Housing Industry (CIEHI). This event will take place in Beijing from September 27-29, 2011 and will focus on real estate and property developers from around various regions in China. This event will be focused on new housing construction and green building technology (low carbon homes) in the Chinese market. The event is hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Construction. Other organizers also include the China Real Estate Association, Beijing Construction Committee, and Beijing Housing Technology Development Co.

BC Wood, along with Canada Wood partners, COFI and CFPA, see a strong potential for Canadian wood products at this event and will coordinate participation. Companies interested in getting into the Chinese market that would find value in this event include manufacturers of:

Glulam and heavy timbers
Prebuilt homes
Outdoor wood products
Landscaping products
Exterior siding and panel products

For more information about the Chinese market and the CIEHI event, please contact David Pao at dpao@bcwood.com

Jeff Li

The Chinese government issued rules that restrict real estate investing in major cities about half a year ago. Residents in major Chinese cities are permitted to buy a second apartment, but were required to put a larger down payment in order to receive the preferential loan rates. With skyrocketing real estate prices in major Chinese cities, it has become too expensive for average citizens and the younger generation.

Once these regulations were put into effect, the effects were soon felt in several industries, especially for building and construction. While China continues to demand higher volumes of SPF and Hemfir lumber from Canada, this sector has been impacted as well.

After speaking to several key importers of Canadian softwood lumber, it seems that many are having a difficult time. Chinese demand has not been as high as expected and there are growing levels of inventory in Eastern China. In addition, the log prices from Russia have also been decreasing which will bring more competition for Canadian species

Coming up this July is the 13th China International Building and Decoration Fair (CBD 2011) in Guanzhou. This is the largest trade event in Asia for the building decoration industry. The four day show takes place at the Pazhou Complex in Guangzhou and is expected to draw 120,000 domestic and international attendees. The show itself is segmented into several products areas. BC Wood is currently looking into exhibiting at this event to explore opportunities for Canadian companies interested in entering this rapidly growing market. Products of interest would be within the household decoration and building products areas including wood doors, windows, kitchen cabinets, and millwork.

For more information on this event, please contact David Pao at dpao@bcwood.com

BC Wood and our partners at Canada Wood just wrapped up another year at the Woodmac/Woodbuild/Furnitek show in Shanghai. We had great support from members with the largest group yet for BC Wood’s China program. A total of 8 member companies from British Columbia and 2 companies from Ontario and Quebec attended the show to promote wood products from Canada. For several companies, it was the first time to attend a show in China and experience this growing market. The four day show took place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre attracting 360 exhibiting companies and 16,730 industry attendees.

Despite the slow economic recovery and challenging times ahead, Canadian companies had a strong, unified presence at this event. Other countries that normally attend this show did not have major exhibits which raised many questions about the conditions of other competing wood suppliers. One thing that was for certain was the overall success that Canadian companies are having in China. Whether it was dimension lumber or Western Red Cedar, the ongoing talk at the show was the number of containers that are entering China. The demand in China is definitely there, but that raised concerns among both buyers and exhibitors about the availability and stability of long term supply.

With China’s growing economy recently surpassing that of Japan, it was no surprise how much attention and enthusiasm is on this market. According to a recent article in The Economist, China will surpass the United States as the biggest export market for wood by as early as 2013. The downturn in the US housing market greatly impacted our export sales closing mills and costing jobs. Today however, the demand from China has reopened mills and created new jobs for the industry.

For more information on BC Wood’s activities in China, please contact David Pao at dpao@bcwood.com or 604-882-7100.