With the GBM over, BC Wood’s Japan office is now working on bringing members into the market through two major fall shows. One of course is the famed Japan Home Show (Nov 14^th – 16^th) that has been welcoming overseas suppliers for more than three decades. The other, the Osaka Living and Design Show (Oct 24^th -26^th), is a new show for us and is a part of our continuing efforts to brand Canadian wood products in the high-end, Japanese commercial construction and interior design market. This is the last chance for members looking to take advantage of these exciting programs. Only a few spaces remain so please act fast if you are interested.

Osaka Living and Design Show

After a long absence from taking members to trade shows in Osaka, BC Wood will be organizing a Canadian pavilion at the new but highly regarded Living and Design Show. Over the past few years we have participated in Tokyo Designers Week, but decided to change to L&D as it is more focused on B to B for interior design and also gives us a chance to target the lucrative but underserved Kansai region in Japan (all foreign competitors go to Tokyo). This area that includes Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe has a larger economy than all of Canada and is also experiencing a flourishing commercial construction sector. Another benefit of this show for members is that it better covers building products such as flooring and millwork.

Japan Home and Building Show

BC Wood will once again be organizing the Canadian wood products pavilion at the annual Japan Home Show. This year the show will return to its traditional November schedule and run from the 14^th through the 16^th at Tokyo Big Sight.

The JHS typically attracts about 90,000 industry people ranging from importers and distributors to builders and architects and has long been the highest profile building products show in the country, particularly for imported products. This year the organizers have decided to strategically partner with JAPANTEX which is one of Japan’s largest interior trend shows for professionals. With the JHS and JAPANTEX collocated together in Big Sight’s East Hall, it is expected that JHS exhibitors will see a dramatic increase in designers working on non-residential projects.

Also, we expect positive synergies from the HOSPEX show, catering to the owners/operators of medical and elderly care facilities, which will be run concurrently by the same organizers in an adjacent hall. Elderly care facility operators have been adopting 2×4 buildings more and more in recent years because of the perceived therapeutic benefits of wood framed buildings. COFI’s Japan Office has been very active in targeting this market on the structural side and we are endeavouring to find more opportunities for value-added products on such projects.

BC Wood will also be working with the Canadian Embassy on a program timed around the show to target the reconstruction efforts in the Tohoku region. As a result, members attending the JHS will also be able to take part in some match-making activities targeting local companies working on both non-residential and residential projects in the tsunami devastated communities.

This show offers a great opportunity for companies looking to enter the Japanese market and take advantage of the many positive trends we are seeing.  Products sectors covered: cabinetry, engineered wood, millwork, log and timberframe, packaged homes, as well as reman and specialty lumber including WRC.

For more information about either of these shows please contact Jim Ivanoff at ivanoff@canadawood.jp.

A few quick thoughts on two markets that are providing members with opportunities but truly are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

As most members know, BC Wood has been active in the Hawaiian Islands for the last decade. Hawaii has proven to be a solid market for companies that manufacture high quality products for the resort, light commercial, and high-end residential construction sectors. In particular, companies in the timber frame, millwork, and Western Red Cedar sectors have all developed sales and market share in Hawaii.

Since all construction materials need to be shipped into Hawaii, BC manufacturers are on an equal playing field with both domestic suppliers and manufacturers from the continental US. For BC companies wanting to develop a market in Hawaii, you can sell contractor direct or to established building product distributors.

One such company who has had considerable success supplying high quality building products to contractors throughout the islands is Seattle based Pacific Source www.pacsource.com

Pacific Source has a six acre yard and distribution facility in Snohomish, Washington and has smaller yards and showrooms on a number of the islands including Kauai, Maui, and Kailulu Kona.

If you’re looking to develop a foothold in the Hawaiian market, it may be worth your while to contact Pacific Source. The key is having a product that is both well suited to the Hawaiian market and is priced well enough that all parties can make a margin. Mark Mason, one of the original partners of the company is expected to be at the GBM next month in Whistler.

Now for the other opportunity, which by all accounts is a far cry from the exotic local of the Hawaiian Islands, is North Dakota. A while back I wrote about the building boom that is currently underway in the northwest corner of the State. Towns such as Williston, Minot, and Watford city are all experiencing extreme housing shortages as thousands of new oil field workers are flocking to the state to work in the booming oil and gas industry.

Today, North Dakota is the US’s number 2 oil producing state, having leapfrogged over Alaska and California. The discovery of vast reserves of natural gas and oil in the northern part of the state have led to a huge influx of oil industry workers moving to the region who require housing. Oil companies have tried to address the shortfall of housing by building temporary housing units known as man camps (picture below), but there remains a serious need for quality residential homes for this well paid workforce.

I will be travelling to the region over the next week to meet with builders, developers, and distributors to gauge the market opportunity for BC suppliers of prebuilt and panelized housing and related products. I will report my findings in an upcoming Wood Connections Newsletter.

For more information on either of these markets, please contact me at  dfarley@bcwood.com or on my cell at 604-728-8786.

Last November, BC Wood, with a small group of member companies, completed a very successful trade mission to Moscow to explore opportunities for value-added wood products in the Russian market, and to participate in the Fall Holzhaus trade show.

BC Woods’ members showcased log home and timber frame structures, factory built homes, high quality millwork, and specialty Western Red Cedar building materials. Members were able to engage with industry professionals from all over Russia and surrounding countries. Developers, architects, builders, distributors, importers, and designers were all in attendance at the show, many of whom came specifically to the show to speak to the Canadian manufacturers.

Based on the success of last year’s program, BC Wood is planning to return to Moscow and the Holzhaus show this coming fall, November 1st- 4th. Space will be available for BC Wood members wanting to participate in the Holzhaus trade shows and I would encourage any companies interested in more information to contact me at bhawrysh@bcwood.com or in BC Wood’s offices at 604-882-7100.

A reminder of BC Wood’s presence at this year’s Interior Design Show West (IDS West) – September 27-30th. Over the past couple of years, the IDS West has become the venue to see the best of international and local designs. BC Wood will bring together local companies that produce a full range of design-oriented products; everything from custom furnishings and architectural millwork, to cabinets, doors, mouldings, and flooring.

The objective will be to feature the individual companies by drawing more traffic to a centrally located “Design BC” pavilion. The pavilion will be an 1800 square foot of exhibition space, with BC Wood covering a good 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.

Principles, John Lore and Evan Sadler, created Live Edge Design in 2006 through a shared vision and out of recognition for the complimentary nature of each other’s styles.

John Lore started with Pickle Ridge Rustic Carpentry which specialized in twig and log furniture (now celebrated in his Forest Lodge Collection). Evan Sadler was known for his fine reproduction styles under the guise of his original company Sadler Fine Furniture. Both discovered their passion for working with local woods, but each was working at the opposite end of the spectrum: John was creating furniture from willow twigs, alder branches and driftwood; Evan, highly polished furniture using solid wood and traditional joinery techniques. Recognizing the many ways their work complemented each other, they decided to form a new company to create the best of an emerging, unique West Coast style. Now sole owner, John Lore continues to stay on the Edge of Design while maintaining the ethical standards in which Live Edge is rooted.

Live Edge uses wood from trees that have been brought down by storms and salvages what is left behind by companies looking for dimensional lumber. Their products are primarily made from local Bigleaf Western Maple, sought after by wood turners and musical instrument makers for its extraordinary figure and beauty. They also work with other woods like Arbutus, Elm, Cottonwood, and Walnut.

Everything from the cutting, milling, drying, design and product creation is done in their workshop and studio on Vancouver Island, Canada. The entire ‘Tree to Table’ process can take close to a year. Since it’s hard to wait that long for a beautiful piece, Live Edge will match their library of wood to fit your unique project, bringing it to your home or business in less than 2 months.

Award winning Live Edge Design caters to a strong regional and North American market, as well as working with international clients. Among their many clients, they have created unique pieces for Starbucks, Joey’s, and the Hilton Hotel. One of their unique projects was the floating ceiling for the 2010 Olympics. Communities from across BC sent Live Edge Design samples of wood that were representative of their area. Live Edge then incorporated it into creating the Spirit of BC ceiling which still graces the internal skies of the 2010 Commerce Centre on Robson Street in Vancouver.

Live Edge will be featured on CTV and Shaw. Stay tuned to their facebook page for updates: www.facebook.com/liveedgedesign.

For more information on the company, visit liveedgedesign.ca

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.

BC Wood will once again be organizing the Canadian wood products pavilion at the annual Japan Home Show. This year the show will return to its traditional November schedule and run from the 14^th through the 16^th at Tokyo Big Sight.

The JHS typically attracts about 90,000 industry people ranging from importers and distributors to builders and architects and has long been the highest profile building products show in the country, particularly for imported products. This year the organizers have decided to strategically partner with JAPANTEX which is one of Japan’s largest interior trend shows for professionals. With the JHS and JAPANTEX collocated together in Big Sight’s East Hall, it is expected that JHS exhibitors will see a dramatic increase in designers working on non-residential projects.

Also, we expect positive synergies from the HOSPEX show, catering to the owners/operators of medical and elderly care facilities, which will be run concurrently by the same organizers in an adjacent hall. Elderly care facility operators have been adopting 2×4 buildings more and more in recent years because of the perceived therapeutic benefits of wood framed buildings. COFI’s Japan Office has been very active in targeting this market on the structural side and we are endeavouring to find more opportunities for value-added products on such projects.

BC Wood will also be working with the Canadian Embassy on a program timed around the show to target the reconstruction efforts in the Tohoku region. As a result, members attending the JHS will also be able to take part in some match-making activities targeting local companies working on both non-residential and residential projects in the tsunami devastated communities.

I am very excited about this year’s Japan Home Show as the housing market overall has been strong this year and the show organizers have been working hard to bring more value to exhibitors. This show offers a great opportunity for companies looking to enter the Japanese market and take advantage of the many positive trends we are seeing.  I will be booking booth space soon so for more information please e-mail me at ivanoff@canadawood.jp.

Above image: Marie Khouri

For the four-day duration of the Fair, May 19-22, 145,000 square feet of the Javits Center was abuzz with more than 26,000 interior designers, architects, retailers, designers, manufacturers, representatives, distributors, and developers. On Tuesday, May 21, the ICFF opened its doors to the general public, as well.

BC Wood’s talented contingent this year included: Mario Sabjlak, Brent Comber, Marie Khouri, vin de garde cellar systems, Diamond Stairs (new member), and John Ross Design. Judson Beaumont also put in a brief appearance as he happened to be doing an installation in New York during the show. He was kind enough to stay and help us with the teardown, too!

Everyone brought something new to the show this year and many have already been picked up and blogged through various media outlets. Check out Marie Khouri’s new La Chaise launched at ICFF and picked up by http://www.interiordesign.net/slideshow/2474-ICFF_Product_Highlights.php?photoId=392796&photoUrl=/photo/392/392796-Marie_Khouri_s_La_Chaise_made_out_of_plywood_.jpg

Diamond Stairs and vin de garde are on their way to LA to participate in Dwell Magazines showcase event at the end of the month, thanks to contacts made at the show in New York. Check out these great reviews: http://www.treehugger.com/interior-design/prefabricated-cantilevered-stairs-are-minimal.html and
http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/decor/article/1193291–everything-old-is-new-again

More than 500 exhibitors from all points of the globe displayed contemporary furniture, seating, carpet and flooring, lighting, outdoor furniture, materials, wall coverings, accessories, textiles, kitchen, and bath for residential and commercial interiors. This remarkable throng of exhibitors created an unparalleled opportunity to view a broad yet highly focused selection of the world’s finest, most innovative, and original avant-garde home and contract products side-by-side, all under one roof.

Buyers and reps came from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, and U.S.

Along with BC Wood, making their yearly pilgrimage to the celebrated design hub were contingents from British European Design Group (BEDG) (our very good neighbours, incidentally), Ceramic Tiles of Italy, Furniture New York, The Furniture Society (U.S.), IDSA New York (Industrial Designers Society of America), Inside Norway, Interiors from Spain, JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) and Portugal Brands.

Above image: Diamond Stars & Vin De Garde
Below image: Brent Comber

Above image: Brent Comber & John Ross
Below image: Mario Sabljak

By Daryl Holmes

Organized for the 35th time, TURKEYBUILD Istanbul is dubbed the biggest inter-regional building gathering that covers Turkey, Balkans, former CIS countries, North Africa, and Middle East. The exhibition was held from May 2nd to 6th, 2012 at the Tüyap Fair Centre and Congress Center, which is made up of 81,000 sq. metres and consisting of 12 exhibition halls. Attendance at this show was very high with total attendees recorded at 110,000 guests.

The following information summarizes the show and my market observations as they pertain to the value-added wood industry beginning with the core feedback that directly impacts you, the member.

BC Wood first attended Turkeybuild in the smaller market of Ankara in September, 2011 with the notion of returning for the signature event to be held in Istanbul. The valuable work undertaken in September set the stage for a very successful return to this market in early May. This show takes me back to the glory days of USA builder shows with the aisles full of qualified agents, buyers, architects, designers, developers, planners, and builders. In Turkey, industry continues to take firm steps forward. Turkey, which acts as an intercontinental bridge due to its geographical position, is an extremely important partner for BC manufacturers who wish to develop sales in this part of the world.

Where do the sales prospects lie?

At the show, four companies represented their products in the BC Wood booth space. We focused our display on products that we feel have the greatest competitive advantage in this area – Engineered Wood Products, Log Home and Timber Frame structures, PreBuilt Housing, and Remanufactured Products. Flooring and high-end furniture also received attention at this event.

During the show, we spoke to many qualified representatives of local companies who were interested in the distribution of products; these contacts were spread around Turkey and the surrounding countries. All member companies received wide spread interest in not only distribution of products, but also direct sales opportunities.

While most construction taking place in Turkey is with concrete and steel, the appetite for wood products was high. Timber and lumber comes into the country from neighbouring countries; however, the reputation of Canadian wood products as being high quality meant that we received many enquiries about project based developments and high-end building materials. So, in short, the increase in development taking place in this market indicates a growing demand for lumber and wood products overall. It was encouraging to speak to many project managers and resort developers who did not see Canada’s geographic proximity as a barrier to discussing business deals.

How do I access these opportunities?

Obtaining access to these opportunities is not easy and won’t happen overnight. The key, as always, is to get active in the market and to get connected to local industry partners. Securing strategic partnership agreements with local agents is of the utmost importance. Relying on your website and word-of-mouth will not get you access to this market. Also, once you have made contact in this area, the key is to commit to follow up, and the required amount of engagement needed to realise sales.

Either as an individual company or in partnership with BC Wood and other industry groups, you will have success showcasing your products and gaining profile in this competitive marketplace if you make the decision to invest some time in a market strategy that puts you and your products in the path of these key decision makers.

Does Turkeybuild Deliver?

This show is without a shadow of a doubt the premium show to attend in this market. This show draws attendees from all over the Middle East and the local Turkish market, as well as Russia, Ukraine, and other neighbouring markets. Follow the money – this notion is so prevalent in this marketplace and based upon our success at this show, members have already secured sales. The Europe market is mature and very competitive; however, niche areas of the world continue to show an increase in opportunity for BC’s value added industry. The Turkey marketplace falls into this category and it is my opinion that business to business sales opportunities will continue to grow in this area.

Upcoming events in the Europe market include Holzhaus, Moscow (Nov 9-13), and BAU, Germany (Jan 17-20, 2012). For more information contact Brian Hawrysh at bhawrysh@bcwood.com  or email me at dh@themataigroup.com

BC Wood member Mandala Homes recently completed a pretty unique project. They just finished building BC’s first Energy Star qualified round house in Nelson, BC.

For 11 years, Mandala Homes has been designing and building pre-fabricated round and rectangular home packages in Nelson, BC and distributing all over the globe, with Canada and US being their main markets. Along with pre-fabricated home packages, they also sell decking, flooring, trim packages, pre-stained cedar siding, timber frame components and wood window & door packages.   Mandala Homes, with their triple-bottom line business model, makes every business decision by taking into account the financial, social, and environmental impact.

Lars Chose (above picture), owner of Mandala Homes designed and built the first Energy Star Qualified house in BC. The 2,300 square feet home includes three bedrooms, two and a half bath­rooms, a work­shop, two out­door rooms, and a stor­age room. The house is finished with West­ern Red Cedar sid­ing and trim and fir post and beams, while the inte­rior is fin­ished with West­ern Red Cedar ceil­ings, cork floor­ing, ceramic tile, fir trim, Yolo and Natura no-VOC paints, and no-VOC fin­ishes from EcoCrete and Ver­mont Natural.

This green pre­fab con­serves energy with deep over­hangs, LEDs and CFLs, an HRV, thick walls (R34), an insu­lated roof (R66), fiberglass-insulated dual-pane win­dows, sky­lights, solar tubes, an ICF foun­da­tion, and Energy Star appliances.

For more information on the specifications of this house, click here
For more articles on this house, click here

Later this year in September, BC Wood will be coordinating a tandem of cost-shared trade shows for the Log and Timber Frame Home sector. Member companies are able to participate in the Log and Timber Home Show in Dallas, Texas on September 22-23rd and on the following weekend, Sept 28-29th, in Denver Colorado.

The Log & Timber Home Show – Dallas Texas – Sept 22-23, 2012
The Denver Log Home Show – Denver, Colorado – Sept 28-29, 2012

The first of the two shows scheduled for September is in Dallas. The Dallas region was identified by the industry advisory group for BC Wood’s Log and Timber Frame Home sector as a priority market for this year. The reason to focus our collective effort on Dallas was not because there were a lot of log and timber frame structures being built in Dallas, but, because there were a good number of people living in Dallas who had a desire to own a log or timber frame home and had the financial where-with-all to purchase one.

The attendees at previous Dallas shows had a very desirable demographic make-up with 85% of the attendees being couples 35+, higher education, higher income, and skewing to the outdoors. Further, 80% of the attendees plan to build their log or timber frame home within the next 3 years.

The majority of the homes built by Dallas residences were located in the surrounding states of Arkansas, New Mexico, and the Oklahoma panhandle. BC Wood will support its’ members in our first venture into what is expected to be a very lucrative market.

The second show where BC Wood will support its’ members participation is the show in Denver. Last year, six BC Wood members attended the Denver Log Home Show and expressed a strong desire to return this year. Over the years, many BC Wood members from the log and timber frame home sector have used the Denver show to establish a presence in this very strong market for recreational homes in the Rocky Mountain States region. As the economy in this region continues to build some momentum, I fully expect another strong level of participation from BC Wood’s members for the Dallas show.

Space is available for BC Wood members wanting to participate in these two up-coming shows. I would encourage any companies interested to contact me at BC Wood’s office at 604-882-7100 or at bhawrysh@bcwood.com.

On Friday June 8^th I was invited to take part in the Japan Log Home Association’s AGM and Design Award ceremony. Every year the AGM brings in log home builders from around Japan making it a great opportunity to catch-up with clients. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits this year as the strengthening Japanese economy has been driving housing starts higher.

The main topic of discussion at the AGM was the toughening of building codes for log homes to be used as public facilities. The Japan Log Association is working with the Japanese government to draft the updates, but a lot of the members were concerned that new rules would limit log structures. One particularly worrying development was that machine cut logs might require JAS certification (handcrafted logs would remain exempt) when only a very few companies are able to provide such material. However, this is only for public structures and these new demands are a signal of Japan’s own “wood first” initiatives starting to take hold leading to more opportunities for large-scale log structures. As a result, the government wants to make sure that such large structures will be built properly.

The interest in using log structures as public buildings was also clear amongst this year’s Design Award winners. Notable projects included an elementary school library building, a senior’s daycare facility, a medical clinic, and even temporary houses built in Fukushima after last year’s triple disaster. However, the most impressive award recipient to me was a beautiful WRC post & beam home supplied by our very own Peter Sperlich. Congratulations to Peter and his Japanese partner!

It has been many years since BC Wood organized a log home program in Japan so last week’s event made me think that this might be the right time to offer members such an opportunity. The Japan Home & Building Show from November 14^th – 16^th would be the ideal show to anchor such a BC Wood program around. Any log builders interested in such a program should contact me at ivanoff@canadawood.jp.

By Daryl Holmes

Over 1400 exhibitors were present at this year’s show, which continues to grow in size and attendance.  This show is a one-stop shop for anything and everything related to the sustainable construction and green building industry.  The timber zone was much larger than last year indicating that the profile of timber use in construction is becoming more and more prominent in this marketplace.  Many countries local to this market boasted large pavilions showcasing their products.  BC manufacturers were represented in collaboration with a combined Canadian Pavilion which featured companies from all across Canada.

The following information summarizes the show and my market observations as they pertain to the value added wood industry beginning with the core feedback that directly impacts you the member.

Where do the sales prospects lie?

The timber zone at the show was visited by a wide spectrum of key industry members including architects, designers, developers, planners, and builders.  Our display focused on showcasing Engineered Wood Products, Log Home and Timber Frame structures, PreBuilt Housing, and Remanufactured Products.  While these products were of primary interest to the attendees who visited us, I also received interest in high-end millwork and high-end furniture products.  Yes, distribution of some BC products is already mature and well established in the UK;  however, it was interesting to speak with a number of industry professionals who were interested in dealing direct with the manufacturer to develop project based relationships and partnerships.

Attendees from all across the UK, Ireland, and Europe were present at the show and in particular geographic areas like Eastern Europe, the Emirates, and Middle East were well represented. I spoke to a number of project managers and resort developers who were interested in making contact with Canadian companies to discuss upcoming construction plans.  On the local UK scene there remains an appetite for wood products and due to the focus of the show, there is no surprise that timber and timber products lead the pack as the first choice in construction. In this market, building industry professionals and consumers alike extol the virtues of Timber.  The viewpoint in the UK is:  Timber Products = Natural, Traditional, Sustainable, and Climate Friendly.

How do I access these opportunities?

Gaining access to these opportunities is not easy and by no means a short-term outcome.  The key to having your products and services gain profile in this competitive marketplace is to invest in a market strategy that puts you and your products in the path of these key decision makers and sales opportunities. Resources in today’s marketplace are scarce and it is difficult for local BC manufacturers to reach every offshore market. However, there are cost effective solutions that enable you to maximize your financial resources.  By participating in BC Wood programs, you will be able to gain first hand access and engagement in this marketplace.  For those of you not able to travel to the market, the most crucial component of your market access strategy is to secure local representation on the ground in this market. Whether you choose to hire a local representative or to partner with your peers, the engagement of a local industry professional is essential to getting your products exposure to the key people in Europe. Based upon the feedback and results from this show, I cannot emphasize enough how important this is. Relying on your website, word of mouth, and repeat sales alone will not enable you to expand your scope of sales opportunities in this large geographic market.

Does EcoBuild Deliver?

Attendance at trade shows is a much talked about subject amongst you and your peers. As an industry member for many years I have attended many shows of which some have been well worthwhile and others, well, let’s just say they have not lived up to the hype of the show organizers. To assist you in your efforts to make well informed decisions on how to plan your marketing strategy, I offer some feedback on this show.

The show’s reputation as a signature event on the trade exhibition calendar was evident as we hosted visitors at the booth from all over Europe.  London is a huge hub for development, design, and project planning.  Along with qualified contacts from all over the UK and Ireland, attendees from France, Germany, Norway, Estonia, Ukraine, Belgium, The Netherlands, Latvia, Austria, Finland, Spain, and Italy showed interest in products from BC’s value-added manufacturers.  As mentioned earlier, we spoke to professionals from UAE, Eastern Europe, and Middle East as well. We were busy at the show, the aisles were full and those whom we spoke to were predominantly qualified contacts.  My goal at each show is to access the gate keepers and decision makers. These individuals were at this show and were not just kicking tires.

A bonus of this show is the fact it is a 3 day event which allows you, the member, to conduct pre and post show meetings and site visits with prospective clients, and only be away from home for 7 days.  Would this be a show I would recommend?  Yes. With the right amount of planning, industry partnership, and pre-show engagement in this market, you would gain valuable business to business sales opportunities; enough for sure, to gain a return on your investment.

Upcoming events in the Europe market include TurkeyBuild (May 2-6), Holzhaus, Moscow (Nov 9-13), and BAU, Germany (Jan 17-20, 2012).  For more information, contact BC Wood or email me at dh@themataigroup.com

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

This past weekend, BC Wood and member companies participated in the 2012 Anchorage Home Builders Show at the Sullivan center in Anchorage, Alaska. BC Wood returned to the show after a four year hiatus and the general consensus from members was that the event was positive. We met and spent time talking to numerous people active in the construction sector across the state, and through these discussions some interesting observations were made.

Alaska is a unique market, in part due to its geographic remoteness but also due to the independent spirit of the people who live there. Alaskans like to describe themselves as a hearty people, who believe strongly in being self-sufficient, and most importantly having government of all types stay out of their business. In speaking with a number of builders in the market, they often referred to Alaskans having a frontiersman or libertarian spirit.

The reason for discussing this is the potential effect it has on Canadian manufacturers and exporters selling into this market. With this spirit comes a strong ‘Buy American’ or even stronger ‘Buy Alaskan’ mindset from most consumers. The ironic part of this is nearly every building product in Alaska has to be imported into the market. So while Alaskans like to tout the economic benefits of buying locally, the truth is they, by necessity, are more than willing to buy from the lower 48 states and Canada as well. The key to selling into the Alaskan market is to align yourself with a good local partner, dealer, or distributor in the state so that any perceived issue around buying imported product can be nullified.

The show itself was well attended and good sales opportunities were developed for members in the prebuilt housing, interior products, and log home sectors. The attendees were a mix of consumers, builders, and general contractors who were keen to discuss upcoming projects in the residential and light commercial construction market. Due to the relatively short building season, many attendees that we spoke to were ready to make purchases in the next few months. The economic conditions in the state are improving and many builders were seeing increased activity as compared to the past few years.

According to the Alaska Home Builders Association (AHBA), the three main cities in Alaska, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Anchorage, are seeing the mainstay of construction activity with Anchorage accounting for over 60 percent of new housing starts. The renovation and remodeling market is still considerably stronger than new housing construction and the AHBA predicts that it will continue to drive construction activity for the next year.

Anecdotally, we met with a number of people who were looking to build cabins, vacation, and dream homes on property they have outside of the metropolitan areas in places like Homer and Skagway. Due to the significant challenges of building in remote areas and the with short building season, these buyers were drawn to the advantages of prebuilt and pre-constructed housing offered by members like Linwood and Pacific Homes or by Bigfoot Log Homes.

According to analysts, with the Alaska economy improving and with continued oil and gas development in the state, the outlook for Alaska is positive. Market opportunity for BC and Canadian companies wanting to sell into Alaska is favourable. As with most markets, finding a good partner in Alaska is critical to developing a long term sales into the state.

For more information on Alaska or other markets in the United States, please feel free to contact me at  dfarley@bcwood.com

The Ainsworth Story:A resourceful family builds a world leader

The Ainsworth saga began humbly. In 1952, David Ainsworth and his brother Tom moved to BC’s Cariboo country, bringing a sawmill with them-a small one, that could be towed behind a tractor or truck. They set up in the forests of Williams Lake, then Clinton, and finally settled in 100 Mile House. Along with the brothers and David’s wife Susan, the company boasted three employees. They lived and worked in tents, moving into portable cabins as the business grew. Today, Ainsworth employs over 600 people and operates four manufacturing facilities across Canada.

Products carrying their signature AinsworthEngineered® brand are trusted across North America and are increasingly popular in Japan. After more than half a century, 100 Mile House, the site of Ainsworth’s first OSB mill, is still a centre of activity, and the home of one of their most advanced OSB operations.

Early in their history, David Ainsworth made the strategic decision not to rely on large, old growth timber such as Douglas fir, and instead chose to utilize fast-growing, small-diameter lodge-pole pine. This put him at odds with much of the prevailing opinion of the day, which doubted the viability of the smaller trees, considered a “weed” species by some. They feared the wood would warp and twist. They thought it would be impractical to work with the smaller logs-that they would be labour intensive to handle and weigh.

David saw things differently. He understood that old growth timber was a finite resource that would only diminish over time. He felt that the future was in fast-growing, renewable wood, and he went ahead with the decision to use lodge-pole pine for Ainsworth lumber.

David Ainsworth’s innovations and foresight set the tone for the company. AinsworthEngineered wood products are manufactured from a number of fast-growing, renewable woods, and also from pine-beetle killed trees that would otherwise be wasted. “Our wood resources are harvested from sustainably managed North American forests, and manufactured with virtually no waste.” Ainsworth is a strong supporter of “green” construction practices, and as a company, they are committed to sustainability in every aspect of their operations.

Today, although no longer a family owned enterprise, Ainsworth remains a leading manufacturer of engineered wood products including oriented strand board (OSB). The company operates four OSB mills located in 100 Mile House, British Columbia; Grande Prairie and High Level, Alberta; and Barwick, Ontario.

Ainsworth is a Canadian forest products company with a reputation for reliability, stability, and is unsurpassed in customer service to vendors, builders, architects, and homeowners.

For more information on Ainsworth and AinsworthEngineered products, visit their website at  http://www.ainsworthengineered.com 

As many of you know, we have confirmed the dates and space for the GBM this year and as usual, would like to offer the first opportunity and space allocation to last year’s participants, before we go public.  I am happy to say that we have secured the Whistler Conference Centre for September 6th to 8th, 2012.

We are very pleased to be partnering once again with the Western Red Cedar Lumber and Export Associations (WRCLA/EA) on the event.  This is a great opportunity to not only meet with important international buyers and decision makers, but also re-connect with your peers in the industry.

Registered Exhibitors will also have full access to the BC Wood & WRCLA Association programs scheduled for Thursday the 6th.

In case you have not participated in the past GBM’s, we put together a few short videos of the event last year:

2011 Global Buyers Mission Video: http://youtu.be/B0fS5puvTQA
2011 Living and Building with Wood Video: http://youtu.be/724QpufhNLQ
2011 Exhibitor testimonials: http://youtu.be/jft5iB9EEGI
2011 Buyer Testimonials: http://youtu.be/F5_iaRF-6mc
BC Wood YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/BCWoodAssociation

If you are a past exhibitor and want to guarantee your space for the 2012 GBM, please let us know so we can forward you the new “on-line registration link”, where you can select your number 1, 2 & 3 choices for space.  As you know, booth space selection is based on a first come-first served basis.

If you have NOT participated in the GBM but would like to be put on the invitation list, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I look forward to seeing you all on the Mountain this year!

Randi Walker
Director, Marketing & Communications
Tel: 604-882-7100
Toll Free: 1-877-4 BCWOOD
Email: gbm@bcwood.com

Coming next week, BC Wood will be participating for the second time at the Seoul Living Design Fair at COEX in the Korean Market. Last year, the small, but targeted exhibit showcased high-end designed furniture from British Columbia and was extremely well received. Members of Korea’s design community were very interested in the Design Canada theme and had a particular interest in the use of wood as a material. This year, we are taking a larger space and showcasing more companies and new products at Korea’s key design trade show of the year. Check back with the next issue of Wood Connections for the results of this event. For more information, contact David Pao at  dpao@bcwood.com.

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

I tend to be a glass half full kind of guy; an optimist by nature, which incidentally has been a necessity for my choosing the forest industry as my sector for employment. It is with this optimism in mind that I honestly believe that the US may have finally turned the corner and that their economy is on the rebound. I know, for those of you who have read my comments over the past few years, I can easily be accused of saying this every few months – but this time I mean it.

I was down in Northern California this past week and met with a number of builders, architects, and distributors in the region. The feedback and general consensus was that the construction market is improving and they were busier now than they have been in the last two years. I usually can get a pretty good gauge on the activity in a given market by first talking to the architects. They are the first link in the distribution chain and if they are busy, it is a fair assumption that the builder and distributor will benefit from the work in the following months. Of the three architects that I met, two had five or more projects that they were working on, primarily in high-end residential construction , and the third architect had two residential projects and one light commercial project on the books for 2012.

On the builder and distributor side, things seemed a little less busy; but that I was told was due to it being winter months and that construction activity is generally slow during this period. That being said, numerous builders were gearing up for a decent spring and summer construction period. Upcoming projects were evenly split between new home construction and renovations. During site visits with builders, I counted over 115 residential and light commercial projects underway in the Lake Tahoe region which I validated with a quick check at the local planning commissions. Many of these projects were of high dollar value, with residential construction in the $400/square foot and above range.

On the distribution side, the general manager of Tahoe Truckee Lumber Company (TTLC), commented that business is up 22% over this time last year and about 28% over the previous few years. He commented on the market, suggesting that many of the projects were for Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who have cashed out stock options and were investing in real estate and secondary vacation homes in the Tahoe region. Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay area is approximately a 2.5 hour drive from Lake Tahoe, up the I 80 highway. Similar results were discussed with the sales crew at Tahoe City Lumber and Reno Building supplies.

While this is but a snapshot of the construction sector in the Western US, most analysts and industry insiders believe that the US market is on the rebound and that residential and light commercial construction is expected to grow over the course of the year. It will be interesting to see if the same optimism and construction activity is being experienced in Southern California when BC Wood and member companies participate in the Wood Solutions fair this week in Long Beach, California. I will keep you posted. For more information on the US market, email me at dfarley@bcwood.com

Turkeybuild, Istanbul, Turkey – May 2-6th, 2012
Brian Hawrysh

“High quality, specialty lumber and building materials such as WRC decking, siding and roofing, Log/Timberframe, and prefabricated house packages will be of interest to the Turkish lumber importers, architects, and builders.”

Despite the difficult turbulent economic conditions evident in Western Europe over the past year, a majority of the new emerging East European economies have displayed a relatively strong economic performance. The strongest of these economies has been Turkey. Turkey is the fastest growing OECD market and the region’s top performer. A study by Goldman Sachs (2009) projected that Turkey will be the ninth largest economy in the world and the third largest in Europe by 2050. 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 a growing affluence, Turks are rediscovering their traditional preference of wood construction 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 and started by participating in the Turkeybuild show in Ankara last September. The four BC companies and BC Wood’s representative attending the show reported that there was very strong interest shown in BC’s products and services by the local timber and building materials distributors, as well as the Turkish construction and design professionals. The products generating the most interest were WRC exterior finishing, solid wood interior millwork and flooring, prebuilt housing, and log homes. Turkish companies showed a great deal of interest in partnering with Canadian companies that produce innovative, higher quality wood products. As with all new and emerging markets, it was noted that finding the right partner is crucial in gaining market penetration.

Based on Turkey’s expected long term economic growth and the early success of BC Wood’s first entry into the market, BC Wood is planning to return to Turkey. This coming fiscal year, 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. The Istanbul show is not only a much larger event than last year’s Ankara show, Istanbul itself is a much larger market and the commercial center of Turkey, providing better opportunities for BC companies.

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, and prefabricated house packages will be of interest to the Turkish lumber importers, architects, and builders.

For the 2012 Turkeybuild, BC Wood will coordinate a display of member companies and other Canadian forest products associations. For more information regarding this event, BC Wood’s participation, and costs please contact Brian Hawrysh at 604-882-7100 or by email at bhawrysh@bcwood.com

BUILDEX Vancouver, one of Canada’s largest tradeshow/conferences, welcomed over 13,000 design, construction, and real estate management professionals on February 8th and 9th to the new Vancouver Convention Centre. Over 425 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 was pleased to see a 20% increase in participation over last year, with 10 members joining us from the building and finished products sectors including Structurlam, Unison Windows, Cedarland/SilvaPanel, Trout Creek, Barker Manufacturing, Daizen Joinery, Moulding & Millwork, Coulson Manufacturing, Woodtone, and Wideplank Flooring. Feedback to date has been very positive, with 50% respondents citing an expected $715,000.00 in new sales from the leads made at Buildex this year.

For the most part, we received inquiries and interest from the industry professionals looking for “new” products and ideas. From results and feedback so far, it was a great event for our participating members and we plan to be back again next year with a concerted “Wood Made in BC” presence.