SUBSCRIBE
Follow us on Twitter
 |
|
Missed previous Wood Connections issues?
| Our archive gives you access to any issue at any time.
|
|
|
Happy New Year! We hope 2014 is a prosperous year for you!
If you have not been featured in our Spotlight section and would like to be, please email me at rmann@bcwood.com or call 604-882-7100. You do not have to be a member of BC Wood, or any other association to participate and it is free of charge.
If you are using Microsoft Outlook to view this email, you may not be able to see all of the images. In this case, you can view the webpage version of this email by clicking on the link at the top of this email "Having trouble viewing this email? Click here" or visit our Wood Connections archives and click on 'Wood Connections - January 15, 2014' Read below for highlights from the past two weeks. Also, feel free to send me news stories that you think our readers would be interested in. You can email them to rmann@bcwood.com |
Industry News
|
Make 2014 the year you make sense of social media. Don't play without a plan!
Telling your story for maximum impact and profit in the digital age is a daunting task if you don't have a clear objective and know how to use social media channels wisely. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google plus, Youtube, Instagram, Pinterest and Vine - how can you possibly keep up?
For busy businesses who often don't have a marketing agency to delegate to, being smart with your time and budget matters. This one-day session will help you learn to select the best channels to connect with your target audience, how to use those channels effectively, how to manage your time, and forget the rest - guilt free because you're marketing smarter, not harder!
Locations & Dates:
Surrey - January 28, 2014
Duncan - March 6, 2014
Kelowna - March 13, 2014
Click here to register or for more information.
 Jonathan Christian is the Creator and Chief Strategist at We Make Stuff Happen, a unique BC based Consulting Consortium helping businesses and non-profits locally and internationally tell their story through digital networks. A recognized Social Media Thought Leader, Jonathan brings tremendous energy, experience and enthusiasm to his sessions.
Jonathan has trained hundreds of local business how to "get and go Social" In many cases reducing existing marketing budgets but delivering a much higher ROI (Return on Investment) You'll learn that the real value of Social Media is ROR (Return on Relationship).
|
| Industry News | |
The value in charring wood surfaces goes beyond visual effect
The Globe and Mail - January 7, 2014  Before finishing their new Okanagan Valley home, a B.C. family set fire to it. Specifically, homeowner Jon Friesen and his father David took the house's siding - big boards of Douglas fir - and torched each piece to give it a charred, blackened surface. This sounds radical, but is an ancient practice that serves a purpose, and it is coming into favour in North America. In Japanese building, charring wood surfaces is known as shou-sugi-ban; this technique is valued because it wraps up wood in a layer of carbon that's highly resistant to mould, insects, water and even fire. It also creates a powerful visual effect. "It's a beautiful way to get a dark brown that looks like tree bark, and a far more interesting way to get it than with staining the wood," explains D'Arcy Jones, the Vancouver designer who created the Okanagan house. "The beauty of the wood is exaggerated." And since the region around the house experiences wildfires, the added fire-resistance of the charred skin is a comfort to the owners. (The exterior also features expanses of concrete block and cold-rolled steel.) The Friesens used a small propane torch to set fire to each 1-by-8-inch board, let it char to a medium brown, and then doused it with water. They brushed the surfaces, to remove the soot and achieve a smoother texture, to different degrees on different parts of the house (the surfaces that people can touch got a smoother finish). "It took love and elbow grease to do this," Jones says. "And when it's done, you have changed the structure of the wood forever." Click here to read the article |
| Tradeshow Tips/Advice | How to Put Your Name in Clients' Hands at a Trade Show
Skyline Tradeshow Tips - January 9, 2014
 If you've participated in even one trade show, you'll know that not every attendee is there to buy right away. So how do you get your name in their hands so you can tempt them to buy in the future? Give them something tangible to walk away with. Getting your foot in the door can be both simple and cost effective. Here's what you need to know:
The Basics Despite what some people would have you believe, print isn't dead. At the end of the day, you need potential customers to know how to get in touch with you, and business cards are still a fantastic way to easily distribute your contact information. The moment you make a connection with someone, whether it's just small talk or an in-depth conversation, hand them a business card. For customers who are on the go and don't have time to talk, place business cards in several easily accessible locations on your table or your tabletop display as well as in any goodie bags you hand out. The Freebies Giveaways and freebies are a great way to draw customers to your booth, but what you do with them when they get there is key. Consider using different items for different purposes. Click here to read the entire article |
Specifiers Program Update
| |
Roy Manion
Happy New Year!
Judging from the start of January, 2014 looks to be another hectic year with the Specifiers Program, which is a good thing! Already, we have several lunch & learn sessions scheduled for this month. Our architect sessions in the Pacific Northwest have been booked and invitations are going out this week. Once that is done, we will then direct our efforts to the Alberta architects. Last but not least, plans for Buildex Vancouver have been finalized.
BC's Specifiers Program:
By the end of January we will have completed 5 lunch & learn sessions for the month. Three are overview sessions and two are on specific products. Two sessions are with firms we have never visited before, something that is becoming quite rare as we have held sessions with over 90% of the major architect firms that have an interest in wood. We expect far less activity in the lunch & learn area in February as we will be focusing on our US and Alberta programs, along with participating in the Buildex Show.
Alberta and Pacific Northwest Architect Seminars:
Our US sessions have received the Architect Institute of America (AIA) approval for the much coveted Health/Safety/Welfare learning units (HSW LU's), a major incentive for architects to join us. We have 5 companies from industry participating, covering 4 sectors so we are offering introductions to a great cross section of our industry. These US sessions will all be during the week of February 10th and will include Seattle, Portland, and Spokane. In Seattle, we are partnering with the Canadian Consulate and will be using their facilities. They are also assisting in contacting and promoting the event to architects in the Seattle area.
As the US sessions are a first for BC Wood, we are all quite excited about breaking this new ground. It was just a few short years ago that we held our first seminar with BC architects and now there is hardly an architect in the province that isn't aware of us. I look forward to the time when we can say the same for architects in the Pacific Northwest.
We are scheduling the Alberta sessions in March, simply because we are hoping the weather will be less challenging by that time. As mentioned, once the invitations have gone out to the US architects, we will then turn our efforts to the architect and designer community in Alberta.
Buildex Vancouver:
For those who may be unaware, BC Wood will once again be anchoring a "BC Wood Pavilion" consisting of 11 companies from industry who will be exhibiting along with BC Wood. All available BC Wood booths have been booked so we are looking forward to another great show.
As always, should you want more information on any aspects of the Specifiers Program please let me know by contacting me at rmanion@bcwood.com.
|
| BC Log Home, Timber Frame, & Country Living Show rebranding as the West Coast Living Expo |
Brian Hawrysh  While the BC Log Home, Timber Frame, & Country Living Show is not until March 2014, the effort to coordinate BC Wood's members participation in this event has begun. This year, the BC Log Home, Timber Frame, & Country Living Show will be re-branded as a featured section within the new West Coast Living Expo. The Log Home and Timber Frame Show has been held at the Tradex facility in Abbotsford for the past number of years and traditionally draws over 12,000 attendees, primarily members of the general public who have an interest in log and timber frame homes. The Abbotsford show has been the best attended trade event for BC Wood's log home and timber frame sector, with 12 to 14 members participating in the event over the past few years. The larger West Coast Living Expo will feature the best of the west coast experience; tourism, cuisine, retail, and outdoor living. This new event is expected to draw a larger audience than the old BC Log Home and Timber Frame show. BC Wood's participation in the 2013 show was marked by a general improvement in the public's confidence and attitude toward building. All exhibitors reported positively on the improved attitude of the attendees and the quality and quantity of the sales leads they generated from the show. While most of the exhibitors at this show are manufacturers of log and timber frame structures, there is an opportunity for manufacturers to promote other building and finishing materials including flooring, roofing, kitchens, doors, windows, and exterior finishing materials. The audience is drawn to the show to see a complete range of products; from log and timber frame shells to the materials that are need to finish them. Space is available for BC Wood members wanting to participate in the new BC Log Home, Timber Frame and Country Living section of the West Coast Living Expo. 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.
|
HOMESTYLES Show at Prairieland Park
March 20-23, 2014 | 
The HOMESTYLES Show at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon sponsored by the Saskatoon & Region Home Builders Association, is the activity identified by BC Wood's industry advisory committees as the best launch point for BC's wood products manufacturers move into the rapidly expanding single and multi-family construction market in Saskatchewan. With approximately 5,000 attendees and 250 exhibit spaces, it is the regions' largest construction trade show and draws professionals and consumers alike. The show features an exhibition area called TechStyles which showcases the latest in green and energy efficient innovations and technologies in the single and multi-family residential building industry. The Homestyles Show is an entry point for BC Wood companies to introduce new engineered wood products, prefabricated buildings, millwork and cabinetry products and energy efficient building materials into the Saskatchewan region. BC companies should look at this event to expand their business network into the Prairie Provinces and capture new market share.
Show space is limited and you should contact Dave Farley (dfarley@bcwood.com) or Randi Walker (rwalker@bcwood.com) at 604-882-7100 for more information.
|
|
Japan Market Update
| New Year in Japan
Jim Ivanoff
At this time of year in Japan, everyone is attending "Shinenkai," otherwise known as New Year's receptions. While it is fun to have a few bevies to celebrate the New Year, it is also an important time to catch up with industry acquaintances. This year, this is particularly important as everyone wants to know what the consumption tax hike from 5% to 8% in April will mean for the construction industry. So far in my discussions, it seems to be very optimistic. The biggest barrier to new house starts in 2013 was a lack of skilled labour, therefore even if bargain seekers wanted to avoid the tax hike in 2013, most couldn't do so. Furthermore, the renewed economic optimism derived from Abenomics has brought the wealthy Japanese out of hibernation and has them spending again. This bodes well for the high-end custom homes that BC Wood members' products supply. The companies most afraid of April are those supplying low-cost condominium units. For me, the surprising thing has been the positive talk around the Tokyo Olympics. With the large number of new facilities to be built and the spin-off wealth that this will create, many industry insiders expect a "construction boom" in the greater Tokyo area. It is expected that this will further drive up labour costs as well as material costs. As greater Tokyo is the world's largest metropolitan area with a population in excess of 35 million, such an economic stimulus will have a significant impact for the entire Japanese economy. While the tax hike in April is a cause for concern, the mid-term prospects for Japan look very promising. Therefore, it should indeed be a happy new year! |
|
Japan Market Update
| Nikkei Show 2014
Jim Ivanoff
 After a very successful Japan Home and Building Show, we are now starting to prepare for the Nikkei Architectural and Construction Materials Show that will be held at Tokyo's Big Sight from March 4th through 7th, 2014. With the Japanese housing market being the strongest in many years, companies are investing in new business development as shown by the fact that the Nikkei Show is already sold-out. Luckily with BC Wood's longstanding participation in the show, we have secured a pavilion in a prime location on behalf of our members. The Nikkei Show is the largest show of its kind in Japan and sees over 250,000 industry professionals over the show's four days. The show attracts a great number of architects, but is also well attended by importers, distributors, and both residential and commercial builders. Therefore, the show is a good fit for producers of cabinetry, millwork, house packages including log and timberframe, as well as lumber, engineered and remanufacturerd products. For more information, please e-mail me at ivanoff@canadawood.jp  |
|
Marketplace
|
In this section, you can post anything from a job postings (for employees looking for a job and employers), to machinery for sale/wanted, to a request for a particular type of wood or service.
If you would like to include a posting in our Marketplace section, please email me at rmann@bcwood.com or call 604-882-7100 and ask for Rumin.
|
|
| Upcoming Events | |
Jan 24-26, 2014: BIA Hawaii, Honolulu, USA
Feb 4-6, 2014: International Builders Show, Las Vegas, USA
Feb 19-20, 2014: Buildex Vancouver, Canada
Feb 19-23, 2014: Kyunghyang Housing Fair, Korea
Feb 21-25, 2014: IndiaWood, Banglore, India
March 4-7, 2014: Nikkei Architectural Materials Show, Tokyo, Japan
March 7-9, 2014: Billings Builders Show, Billings, USA
March 20-23, 2014: Home Styles Show, Saskatoon, Canada
March 22-23, 2014: BC Log Home, Timber Frame, & Country Living Show, Abbotsford, Canada (West Coast Living Expo)
March 28 - April 1, 2014: Interzum Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China
For a list of all trade and industry events, please visit our |
|
Sincerely,
Rumin Mann
BC Wood |
|
|
