Wood Connections July 16, 2024

Announcements

2024 GLOBAL BUYERS MISSION™ (GBM) JULY UPDATE

Join us for our 21st Annual GBM from September 5th to 7th, where we will host international buyers and specifiers from all over the world, to meet our Canadian suppliers in Whistler. If you are an industry member and thinking about exhibiting to get yourself in front of these buyers and decisions makers – ACT FAST! We have 3 booth spaces left at this point and they will go on a first-come basis. Industry surveys from 2023 indicated an anticipated $34 million in new sales from contacts made at the GBM.

“The GBM was well organized, right down to the smallest of details. The location and the venues were fantastic and overall, it was such a wonderful opportunity to meet some new folks and even more-so to re-connect with the familiar faces in our industry.”

We anticipate many “new to GBM” Buyers again this year, and with hard work of our overseas staff, the continued assistance of the Federal International Trade Commissioner Service and the provincial Trade & Investment Representatives abroad, we expect an excellent group of Buyers from across the globe. We have also targeted a strong list of US wholesalers/distributors and building supply chains across the country and are getting some great feedback!

“We are big supporters of the GBM and will continue to invest time and energy in this show. In terms of time and cost, it is the best use of our marketing budget.”

As usual, we will host BC Wood’s AGM, and deliver WoodTALKS at the GBM – this year featuring the Resort & High-end Residential Symposium on Saturday - and the exclusive Building Connections program. All these activities are designed to expand our Canadian wood products industry’s business opportunities.

“BC Wood put on a great show at the 20th annual GBM, a well-organized and well-attended event in beautiful Whistler, BC. The broad selection of events, presentations, and combined tradeshow provided a great cross-section of industry professionals, buyers, and suppliers networking. A great opportunity to learn about the latest building trends and product innovations developed here in our backyard.”

As in the past, pre-registration is required to participate in the GBM, and we now have the online registration system open! If you haven't already signed up to exhibit/speak/participate in the GBM, please email gbm@bcwood.com and ask for your invitation.

To get more background and information on the GBM, click here for our website where you can also watch a short video from last year's event.

Questions? Call me anytime at 604-309-6683 or email gbm@bcwood.com. We look forward to you joining us for this exceptional event in beautiful Whistler, BC!

Learn More >

Mexico Market Trade Missions, October 6-12, 2024

Ken Hori | khori@bcwood.com

BC Wood is organizing a trade mission for BC Wood manufacturers and suppliers who are interested in pursuing export opportunities in Mexico. There will be two trade mission options, to either Mexico’s Industrial Wood Market, or to Mexico’s Resort & Architectural Market. These will involve full schedules of pre-qualified B2B meetings and site visits in selected cities. In conjunction with the trade mission, participating companies will be featured in the BC Wood booth at Expo CIHAC, in Mexico City, which is the most important construction, engineering, architecture design event in Mexico and Latin America.

For more information, contact Ken Hori at khori@bcwood.com before July 31st.

NEW Funding Available: Mass Timber Demonstration Program (MTDP)

Mass Timber BC | infor@masstimberbc.ca

BC Mass Timber is pleased to share that the Province of British Columbia and Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) are now seeking Expressions of Interest as part of the 4th call for the Mass Timber Demonstration Program. The Program is intended to maximize the use of mass timber in British Columbia (B.C.), to support jobs by fostering increased mass timber construction activities, to help position B.C. as a global leader in advanced wood product and system technologies and services, and to support B.C.’s economic development.

Successful applicants may be eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 towards specific incremental costs associated with designing and constructing mass timber or mass timber-hybrid buildings. The closing date to submit an Application via email to info@masstimberbc.ca is October 21st, 2024 by 4:00 pm Pacific Daylight Saving Time.

For more information about this funding opportunity and for access to application documents, please visit the program website.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@masstimberbc.ca

Learn More >

Wood First

Online Management Skills Training Courses from UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing

Jason Chiu | Jason.chiu@ubc.ca

The UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing is pleased to announce that we will be offering three esteemed Wood Manufacturing Council (WMC) Online Management Skills Training Courses starting on September 16th, 2024. These courses are designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals in the wood manufacturing industry.

Course Offerings:

Production Planning (8 weeks): Gain insights into efficient production workflows, resource allocation, and maximizing productivity. This course will equip you with the tools to streamline your operations and improve overall efficiency.

New Product Development (6 weeks): Learn the essential steps for developing innovative wood products, from concept to market launch. This course covers market research, design, prototyping, and commercialization strategies to help you stay ahead in a competitive market.

Safety and Human Resources Management (6 weeks): Ensure a safe and productive work environment by understanding best practices in safety management and human resources. This course addresses regulatory compliance, risk assessment, employee training, and fostering a positive workplace culture.

Enrolling in these courses offers the flexibility of online learning, allowing you to access materials and complete assignments at your own pace. You'll benefit from expert instruction, and learning directly from industry leaders and experienced professionals. The skills and knowledge you gain can be immediately applied to your work environment, enhancing your efficiency, innovation, and leadership in the wood manufacturing industry.

Enrollment Information:

Start Date: September 16th, 2024

Registration Deadline: September 9th, 2024

Registration: WMC Management Courses

Don't miss this opportunity to advance your career and improve your company's operations. For more information and to register, visit UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing.

BC Wood Program Updates

Compliance: 5 Ways an Employee Handbook Elevates Your Employee Experience and Your Business

Rae Henderson | rae@exportspark.com

For a small business, an Employee Handbook is central to an HR program; it provides key information to your team on important and necessary policies and procedures that govern the workplace. It is generally distributed during an Onboarding process, either as a paper document or electronically, and should include a sign off feature that documents an employees’ knowledge of, and agreement to, adhering to the policies and procedures.

However, it’s impact can reach beyond your HR program. Don’t miss an opportunity to expand it’s use, in the following areas, to benefit the business and engage and retain your employees.

Compliance Document: Protect your business by describing, in detail, the expectations of your employees’ actions and behaviours in the workplace and what they can, in turn, expect from your business.
Safety Manual: Be clear about all safety policies and procedures that govern your workplace and reinforce your safety culture.
Values Document: Create a sense of purpose by tying the policies and procedures to the values of your business, and what makes your business valuable to your customers.
Marketing Document: Use tone and visual appeal to align with your marketing strategies and your employer brand.
Communication Tool: View the Employee Handbook as the start of a conversation with your employee and is part of your communication strategy with the aim of building trust and outlining expectations.

Developing the content of your Employee Handbook as a multi-purpose tool will elevate your HR program and provide valuable information to your team. It will help engage your employees and build a sense of purpose, to increase productivity and profitability. If you are interested in getting help in developing your Employee Handbook, contact BC Wood at workforce@bcvalueaddedwood.com. You can also visit the HR Toolkit and download the Employee Handbook outline for guidance and ideas.

Part of the Workforce Development Project, the HR Toolkit content was developed to specifically address the HR needs of VAW employers’ and topics range from Workforce Planning, Performance Management, Compliance and Health & Safety. It includes detailed information and best practices as well as downloadable guides for easy access to content. Check out the HR Toolkit here.

Learn More >

HR Toolkit Coaching Opportunity

Rae Henderson | rae@exportspark.com

As an important component of the Workforce Development Project, BC Wood is providing members with coaching opportunities to help them elevate their HR functions for their business. If you are interested in receiving one-on-one coaching in the following key areas – HR Policy Compliance or New Employee Onboarding, contact us. We are looking for volunteer organizations who would benefit from help in either auditing their current HR policies and procedures to ensure compliance, or, elevating their onboarding program to create an experience for new employees that leads to deeper engagement and productivity.

To participate in this free HR initiative contact us at workforce@bcvalueaddedwood.com to register as space is limited.

BC Wood Korean Program for 2024/25

JC Lee | JCLee@bcwood.com

BC Wood has been bringing companies into the Korean market for over 20 years as one of our main initiatives. When COVID hit and Asian nations barred entry to foreigners for almost 2 1/2 years, we had to get creative and find new ways to support business development that could be done without travel. Several of these initiatives proved so effective that we continue to offer them as an alternative for members who do not have the budget and/or time to travel to the market. Whether you need some market research done or a market entry strategy along with client introductions, please contact our Korean representative JC Lee for a consultation.

In addition to further enhancing these remote market development options, BC Wood is proud to announce that for the first time since 2019 we will be able to deliver a Canadian pavilion at a major Korean industry trade show and have members co-exhibit with us. As with all the shows organized by BC Wood in Asia, we will make it as easy and affordable as possible for members to come over. Our Korean office will design the pavilion and member spaces so that you do not have to ship over any displays, etc. Just bring your samples with you!

Participation in this show also includes pre-show marketing support. We introduce their products to importers to gather leads and then also set-up meetings at the show. That way our members not only benefit from the traffic going by the booth, but they also will have pre-scheduled meetings with key contacts and thus greatly increasing the opportunities to find the right partners. Of course, we provide a dedicated translator to be in each booth for the duration of the show to help with all visitors and meetings.

To complement both the remote market development program as well as the trade show participation, BC Wood will also be publishing a new version of its Korean language brochure. For a very small investment, members can get their company’s information and products in front of Korean importers and distributors for the next several years. It is the simplest way to promote yourself in the Korean market as this brochure will be used at all BC Wood organized trade events and during outreach activities.

Companies interested in the Korean remote market development initiatives or the upcoming March 2025 trade show are asked to contact JC Lee at JCLee@bcwood.com for a consultation via Zoom or in-person around this year’s GBM.

Japan Home and Building Show 2024

Jim Ivanoff | ivanoff@bcwood.jp

As many in the Canadian forest products sector already know, the Japan Home and Building Show is the most important industry focused trade show covering everything from lumber and log homes to finished building materials. If you want to enter this market or expand your presence here, this is the one show that you need to be at. This year’s edition runs from November 20^th through 22^nd and as always, the BC Wood Japan Office will be organizing the Canadian pavilion on behalf of our members and the industry.

Our mission is to assist members in making their trips as productive as possible while reducing the stress and uncertainty of exhibiting at an overseas show. We will assist with all the logistics required for setting up your display, including the design and the preparation of Japanese language marketing materials. There is no need to ship displays to Tokyo. With long established corporate rates in convenient areas such as Shibuya, BC Wood can also simplify and reduce the costs of your travel arrangements.

Also, doing a trade show with the BC Wood Japan Office’s support is very different than exhibiting somewhere on your own. First of all, we maintain a database of over 20,000 industry contacts in Japan. We leverage this database to specifically find potential clients who are interested in your products. We then engage these contacts on your behalf well before the show ever starts. That way, you will have three days of qualified meetings at the show pre-scheduled for you. We further promote your company by rolling out an online campaign prior to the JHS that reaches over 8,000 industry people subscribed to our Japanese eNewsletter as well as our SNS audience in Japan.

Please contact me at ivanoff@bcwood.jp and we can set-up a time to chat about this year’s program and how BC Wood can help you expand your business opportunities in the Japanese market. You can also watch our video report on the 2023 Nikkei Show to get a feel for what the JHS will look like.

Watch the Video Report >

Japanese Market Lead Generation Campaign 2024

Jim Ivanoff | ivanoff@bcwood.jp

During COVID-19, the BC Wood Japan Office developed many new programs to support members even if they could not attend trade shows directly. One initiative that proved to be very successful was our Lead Generation Campaign. It is a cost-effective, multi-pronged, promotional campaign that markets your products both directly to over 8,000 of our industry contacts across the country as well as at all BC Wood Japan organized trade events for a two-year period.

Participating members only need to submit their contact information, brief company/product profile, logo, and image/ product shot. BC Wood will use this information in several mediums to help promote your products. First, we will produce a 1/4 page company introduction in our soon-to-be updated professionally produced Japanese language brochure, which will be used in all outcalls/client meetings, seminars, inquiry responses, and trade shows until 2026 (5000 copies will be printed).

This information is also used to produce an article for two editions of our Japanese eNewsletter that will reach over 8,000 of our contacts each time. These buyers will be invited to contact the BC Wood Japan Office for more information and an introduction to your company. We will be able to track who interacts with your article and then proactively follow up with them on your behalf. This content will also be reused to create a company listing on our well-visited Japanese website and will be displayed there for the next two years.

We will also distribute your company information and collect inquiries for you at this fall’s Japan Home and Building Show. Members can send their own brochures and small hand samples to be put on display in the BC Wood space at the show. Full contact lists will be provided in English after the show.

Act fast to be a part of this unique, hybrid virtual trade show opportunity. For pricing and more information on this program, please contact Jim Ivanoff (ivanoff@bcwood.jp).

Industry News

85 Years of Business in the West Kootenays and still Going Strong — Kalesnikoff Mass Timber Products and Lumber

The Nelson Daily

Kalesnikoff mass timber products and lumber recently celebrated 85 years of business in the West Kootenays.

The company, started in the 1930s by three immigrant Russian Doukhobor brothers, for years has tried its hand at many timber-related ventures and now does milling and mass timber construction.

Ken Kalesnikoff, President and CEO, says the company’s success is due to its stellar employees, constantly adapting, and getting into value-added wood products.

“One of the very unique things that we have going is the generations,” he said of the four-generation business.

“We’re very fortunate to have two children who are very engaged in business. We have five grandchildren and hopefully one or more will continue the legacy. I would love this company to go on for another 85 years.”

Kalesnikoff mass timber products and lumber celebrated its 85th anniversary by hosting a variety of celebratory functions for its employees, which is fitting because according to Ken Kalesnikoff, President and CEO, the employees are primarily to thank for the company’s success. Read more..