2024 GLOBAL BUYERS MISSION™ (GBM) UPDATE 

Randi Walker | rwalker@bcwood.com

The Annual GBM is fast approaching, and we are happy to announce that this September 5th to 7th, we will invite international buyers and specifiers to meet our Canadian suppliers in Whistler, to celebrate our 21st Anniversary!  

We anticipate many new Buyers this year, and with the help of our overseas staff, the continued assistance of the federal International Trade Commissioner Service and the provincial Trade & Investment Representatives abroad, we expect a good showing from across the globe.

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

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 on the GBM, you can watch a short video on our website.

Questions? Call me anytime at 604-309-6683 or email gbm@bcwood.com. We look forward to you joining us in Whistler!

Value-Added Accelerators Survey

Brian Hawrysh | bhawrysh@bcwood.com

The Ministry of Forests has developed a short survey to gather information regarding value-added manufacturing fibre needs to support developing fibre related solutions .This survey shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to complete and can be done anonymously.

Click here to complete the survey.

Sponsorships at the GBM 2024

Randi Walker | rwalker@bcwood.com

We're excited to announce the winning offers from the Global Buyers Mission (GBM) 2024 Sponsorship Auction.

This year, we conducted a sealed-bid auction to ensure a level playing field and to give every participating company at the GBM a fair shot at securing sponsorship opportunities. This format allowed every exhibitor to submit their one and only highest offer for their desired sponsorship opportunity, without the pressure of bidding wars.

Congratulations to the following companies who secured their sponsorships:

• Nametag Lanyards were won by Watkins Sawmills Ltd. / Saferwood
• Conference Bags were won by SPF Precut Lumber
• Water Bottles were won by Silva Timber Products Ltd.
• Coffee Sponsorship was won by Glandell Enterprises Inc.
• Outdoor Front Area Sponsorship was won by Watkins Sawmills Ltd. / Saferwood
• Pens Sponsorship was won by Glandell Enterprises Inc.
• First Drink on the Mountain was won by Daizen Joinery

We'd like to express our appreciation to all the exhibitors who participated and put in competitive offers.

Didn't win a sponsorship? There's still a chance to enhance your GBM 2024 experience! We'll be announcing additional sponsorship opportunities available on a first-come, first-served basis soon. Stay tuned for more information!

WoodTALKS at the 21st Annual Global Buyers Mission

Ken Hori | khori@bcwood.com

Date: September 5-7, 2024, in beautiful WHISTLER, BC. 

Join us in-person together with Canada’s Wood Industry and International delegates for seminars and workshops, trade show, site tours, networking receptions and more.

Up to 9+ Educational Learning Credits are available during WoodTALKS at the GBM. Do not miss out on the early bird discount, apply code WT2024EBGBM when registering. Discount available until June 30th.

Contact Ken Hori at khori@bcwood.com for more information.

BC Wood Interviews the Executive Director of the Forest Sector Transformation: Rachel Pollard

Forestry has been – and will always be – a key part of our economy and our identity in BC. Government’s vision is for a strong and sustainable forest sector. The key to this is manufacturers working to add margin and increase value in every step of the value chain. This is how we will maximize benefits to people and communities from the trees we harvest in BC. 

We know there are challenges, but we also think there are opportunities in working together. The current focus of our work is on stabilizing harvest levels to support the continuity of fibre supply, supporting the growth of secondary manufacturing, and managing forests for long-term resilience and sustainability.

While there is more to do, we have already taken action to support innovative, secondary manufacturers in accessing the fibre and capital they need to invest and grow their operations. 

Click the link to watch BC Wood’s interview with Rachael Pollard, Executive Director, Forest Sector Transformation with the Ministry of Forests to learn more!

Crafting Innovation: UBC CAWP and Magee Secondary School’s Design Challenge | A Partnership in Education and Fabrication Unleashes Student Creativity

Jason Chiu | Jason.chiu@ubc.ca

In an inspiring fusion of education, design, and cutting-edge technology, the Centre for Advanced Wood Processing (CAWP) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) teamed up with Magee Secondary School’s Design + Fabrication Program to present students with a unique and challenging project: creating a functional chair from a single sheet of furniture-grade plywood. This collaboration not only showcases the potential of modern fabrication techniques, but also serves as a significant learning experience for the young participants.

The project tasked students with designing and constructing a chair using just one sheet of plywood. The catch? Each chair had to be manufactured using a 3-axis CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine. This approach introduced students to the practical applications and immense capabilities of CNC technology, particularly in a nested-based CNC setting, where efficiency and precision are paramount.

Under the guidance of UBC CAWP’s technical staff, students were introduced to the basics of CNC machining, including the software and hardware involved. They learned about the design parameters necessary for CNC fabrication, such as material optimization, structural integrity, and aesthetic considerations. This comprehensive introduction was crucial in helping students understand the real-world applications of design and fabrication. Read more...

Launch of BC Wood’s online HR Toolkit

Rae Henderson | rae@exportspark.com

For small businesses, developing HR processes and procedures can be daunting, especially when they may not have the expertise. BC Wood is excited to launch their online HR Toolkit designed to help small to medium-sized VAW businesses recruit and retain the right people and ensure their teams’ performances align with their business goals and objectives.  

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. Click here to check out the HR Toolkit.

To learn more about the HR Toolkit and its design and development, join BC Wood for a free webinar (date to be announced).

Free Coaching Session with HR Consultant

BC Wood is providing members with an opportunity to work with an HR consultant and receive one-on-one coaching in the following key areas – HR Policy Compliance or New Employee Onboarding. We are looking for 5 volunteer organizations who would benefit from help in either auditing their current HR policies and ensure compliance, or, elevating their onboarding program to create an experience for new employees that leads to deeper engagement and productivity. 

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity or participating in this initiative contact workforce@bcvalueaddedwood.com to register as space is limited.

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.

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).

“Made by Pacific” is a Vancouver-based company with over 13 years of experience helping businesses in the lower mainland achieve their construction goals. They focus on building strong relationships with their clients and take pride in offering consultations and working closely with clients to ensure a project's success. Their expertise ranges from end-to-end tailored solutions for commercial construction projects. From restaurants to retail stores, the Pacific team is Vancouver’s creative partner for smart construction. Learn more about “the Shop at Pacific” by watching this short video or find them on Instagram by clicking here.

Ventilated Interior Door from VanAir Wins Multiple Industry Awards

Sumeet Goswami | sumeet@vanairdesign.com

The innovative VanAir Door, launched throughout North America this year, has garnered several prestigious awards. The interior door’s unique design, and resulting ventilation and acoustic properties, have generated excitement within the building community, earning awards from Architizer, Green Builder Magazine, and BIMsmith.

Architizer A+ Product Award

The VanAir Door won the Doors & Hardware Popular Choice Award, one of only 5 products in the world to be nominated in this category. As an Architizer A+ Product Award winner, VanAir is recognized as an industry leader for architecture and design worldwide, validating the superior engineering and craftsmanship of the VanAir Door.

Green Builder Magazine Sustainability Award

Selected by the Green Builder Magazine editorial staff as a “Sustainable Product of the Year 2024,” the VanAir Door is recognized as one of the new products that make homes more efficient, resilient, healthy, intelligent, and safe. 2024 winners encourage sustainability through innovative technology or an improved version of a traditional technique. 

BIMsmith Best Building Product Award

Architects and designers from BIMsmith, the leading cloud-based building product discovery and selection platform for industry professionals and manufacturers, scoured the 2024 IBS/KBIS show floor in Las Vegas, identifying building product innovations. The VanAir Door was selected as a “Top Building Products to Watch in 2024,” chosen as one of the products the building design community should be aware of in the coming year.

For more information on the VanAir Door, visit VanAir or call 844 -757-6437.

FESBC Welcomes Application for Wildfire Risk Reduction and Enhanced Fibre Utilization Project Funding

FESBC

Kamloops, B.C. – The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) continues to accept applications to fund forest enhancement projects, year-round. In the Provincial Government’s Budget 2024, FESBC was entrusted with $60 million in funding; $20 million to be allocated each year over the next three years. Projects to receive funding are those whose primary goal is wildfire risk reduction, enhanced wood fibre utilization, or both, while also achieving additional benefits such as wildlife habitat enhancement, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from utilizing wood fibre, improving recreational opportunities, and rehabilitating forests.

“Forests are at the heart of our identity in B.C., and we are all responsible for ensuring their future,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests. “The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) has played a pivotal role in our work to support a strong and sustainable forest sector. FESBC is supporting projects that focus on better fibre utilization and wildfire risk reduction, helping to slow or stop the spread of wildfires by removing fuel from forests and also getting more fibre into the hands of the forestry sector. This provides jobs, keeps businesses running, and builds thriving families and communities across B.C.”

The funding will help local people who are interested in doing thoughtful forest enhancement work in their local communities. These initiatives have been crucial and have led to significant economic, environmental, and social benefits in communities through the 300+ projects FESBC has funded since its inception in 2016. Read more..

Canada unveils Mass Timber Roadmap at Parliament Hill

CFI Staff

Today in Ottawa, forest industry representatives unveiled The Mass Timber Roadmap, a strategic plan to boost Canada’s mass timber market to $1.2 billion by 2030 and $2.4 billion by 2035.

Developed by the Transition Accelerator with the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), Canadian Wood Council (CWC), and Energy Futures Lab (EFL), the roadmap envisions mass timber as key to green construction and economic growth. 

Saskatchewan invests $500k to grow Indigenous workforce in forestry

CFI Staff / Saskatchewan Government 

Aligned with Saskatchewan’s growth plan to boost Indigenous participation in the natural resource industry, the provincial government is investing in the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) to deliver two critical training initiatives aimed at addressing workforce needs and expanding the Indigenous workforce in the forestry sector.

Minister of Immigration and Career Training Jeremy Harrison highlighted the importance of this initiative, stating, “This investment will help fill the thousands of jobs our forestry sector is creating in northern Saskatchewan. Partnerships like this are essential to our labour market strategy, ensuring Saskatchewan people have access to the skills and training needed to fill the jobs our economy is creating.”