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BC Wood is pleased to announce that Nicolas Osenton, a member of the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS), will be embedded in BC Wood's office in an initiative designed to provide greater access for industry members to the services provided by the TCS through the Department of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Development.

The TCS helps Canadian companies navigate the complexities of international markets and make better business decisions. The TCS is on the ground in more than 150 cities worldwide, gaining market intelligence, uncovering opportunities for Canadian companies, and helping reduce business costs and risks. The TCS is a free service of the Government of Canada, that helps companies prepare for international markets, assess market potential, find qualified contacts, and resolve business problems.

The placement of a Trade Commissioner within BC Wood is in part of a larger initiative announced by the Hon. Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade. The Global Markets Action Plan, which was released by the government in November 2013, included a commitment to embed Trade Commissioners in the offices of trade associations for specific sectors that are strategically important to furthering Canada's trade efforts.

Nicolas is responsible for Forest Products, Architecture/Design, and Green Building in the BC/Yukon region. He has been with the TCS for 10 years, after an earlier career that included both Architecture and Management Consulting. Nicolas' work with the TCS to date has covered trade promotion for the forest products, building/infrastructure design services, and renewable energy technologies, as well as policy work on the softwood lumber dispute. He has lived and worked in Tokyo, London, Paris, Singapore, and Canada.

Feel free to contact Nicolas at nicolas.osenton@international.gc.ca for any questions related to international trade and follow him on Twitter (@n_osenton) for information and announcements specific to the forest, building, and design sectors. For more information about the Trade Commissioner Service, please visit the TCS online at: www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca.

Canada recently concluded free trade agreements with 38 countries, including the European Union with its 500 million consumers, and South Korea, Canada's first trade agreement in Asia. Together Canada's trade agreements provide Canadian businesses with preferential access to more than half of the global market place.

The Government of Canada is committed to providing Canadian businesses, especially small and medium sized enterprises, with the tools and the support to allow them to realize their full export potential.

Join International Trade Minister Ed Fast, and experts from all the Government of Canada export support agencies such as Canada's Trade Commissioner Service, Export Development Canada, the Business Development Bank of Canada and the Canadian Commercial Corporation at a unique workshop, delivered in partnership with Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, designed to provide all the information needed to succeed in today's international markets.

Date: November 21, 2014
Location: Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport, 8181 Cambie Road, Richmond, BC
Target Audience: Small and Medium sized Entreprises  

Cost: $50 

Speakers include:

• Honorable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade
• Jayson Myers, President & CEO, CME
• Peter Hall, Vice-President & Chief Economist, EDC

North Vancouver based Dakeryn Industries Ltd. is a wholesale distributor and remanufacturer of SPF dimension lumber. Dakeryn delivers on experience and expertise, servicing North America and international export markets. Established in 1991, Dakeryn has grown from 3 to 100 employees.

Current President Rob Chimko joined in 1994 and set the company on its current path. Dakeryn added Ray Stewart, Dave Wardle Jr., Chris Sainas, Brad Taylor, and most recently Brett Johnson to their partnership ranks. With each individual came a broader industry perspective. The acquisition of Mountain View Specialty Products, Abbotsford, BC in 2004 and Westmark Products, Spruce Grove, AB in 2006 positioned Dakeryn to play a leading industry role in remanufacturing and the distribution of lumber.

Mountain View Specialties manufactures premier quality primed fascia, trim boards, tongue and groove decking and paneling. Westmark Products is their largest distribution centre stocking inventory of construction and appearance grade lumber for the contractor, home centre, and industrial markets. Dakeryn operates additional reload facilities in Toronto, Montreal, and Island Pond Vermont.  

Dakeryn recently acquired 10 acres of land in Edmonton, Alberta where they are completing construction of a brand new remanufacturing plant and distribution yard.  

For more information, visit their website: www.dakeryn.com

BC Wood at this year's BAU Show - Munich, Germany, January 19-24, 2015

Brian Hawrysh

BAU is the largest and best known building products show in the European market. The BAU fair, held every two years, attracts over 240,000 attendees. Some 50,000 of these attendees come from neighboring Western European countries and the ex-Soviet Bloc countries. A unique feature of the BAU show is that it consolidates companies featuring wood products and wood building systems in one of its sixteen halls. So while the show is very large, the majority of potential customers for wood based products and building systems are concentrated in one display hall.

Throughout Western Europe and particularly in resort regions that have a high percentage of second luxury homes (such as the Alps in France, Germany, and Italy and the Pyrenees region of Spain and France), there exists good potential for manufacturers of log and timber frame homes. The BC handcrafted style, featuring large diameter logs and heavy timbers, have a unique appeal to these wealthy homeowners.

High quality, specialty lumber and building materials such as WRC decking, siding, and roofing and Douglas-Fir, Hemlock, and Western Hardwood lumber remain in demand in Western Europe and increasingly in the emerging markets of the Eastern post-Soviet bloc countries.

BC Wood plans to organize a relatively large display at the BAU fair for member companies and other Canadian forest products associations. Space is limited, so, for more information regarding the BAU show, BC Wood's participation and costs, please contact Brian Hawrysh at 604-882-7100 or directly at bhawrysh@bcwood.com.

Buildex - Vancouver, February 19 & 20, 2015

BUILDEX Vancouver is one of Canada's largest tradeshows and conferences, welcoming over 13,500 design, construction, and real estate management professionals each year. Over 600 exhibits and more than 50 educational seminars impacting three distinct professional markets, all under one roof:

• Interior designers and architects
• Property and real estate management
• Construction and renovation

BC Wood is coordinating member participation at the upcoming Buildex Vancouver on February 19th and 20th, 2014. This event is for decision makers in the construction industry and is targeted towards professionals who need to know what wood products are available and how they can be used.  

The Buildex Show will give you an opportunity to talk to key architects, engineers, and the municipal officials on commercial, industrial, and residential projects.  

Who Should Participate?

Companies manufacturing finished building materials, pre-fabricated structures, and engineered wood products for commercial and large multi-family residential construction projects would benefit by participating in the BC Wood Pavilion at the 2014 Vancouver BUILDEX Show.

Very limited space is still available so please contact us as soon as possible if you are interested in exhibiting at this cost-shared event. Call Randi or Roy at 604-882-7100 or email rwalker@bcwood.com or rmanion@bcwood.com.

Cabin, Cottage & Backyard Show  - Abbotsford, March 14 & 15, 2015

The 2015 Cabin, Cottage & Backyard Show will encompass  everything under one roof, surrounded by spectacular log homes & timber frame displays and services; plus docks, decks, outdoor furniture, BBQs, hot tubs, solar/re-newable energy technology, and all the latest in outdoor and backyard products and lifestyles.

As a good BC Wood Member in standing, you will receive a 45% discount on the cost of standard 10x10 and 10x20 booths or a $1080 discount on bulk space booths of over 200 sq. ft. Click on the link below to review the Cabin, Cottage & Backyard Show  brochure: http://brochure.masterpromotions.ca/ccbs2015digitalbrochure/index.html

 

BC Wood members must be in the BC Wood Pavilion to participate in the discounted rates. Please review and don't hesitate to call Les Trendall at 604-864-6800 or email ltrendall@mpltd.ca with any questions.

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

Over the past decade at BC Wood, I have done plenty of tradeshows. The common denominator in each is that they take a lot of time, effort, and expense. After all of that effort, you question whether the return of investment justifies the expense. So in short, tradeshows, quite simply, are a pain in the arse; however, they can be an integral part of any marketing strategy. Even the most poorly organized and attended tradeshow can, and often does, net results. It can provide you with that one goldmine lead.  

It is with this thought in mind that BC Wood and member companies participated in the Denver Log Home and Timber Frame Show a few weeks back. Like always, BC Wood took care of the organization and logistics surrounding the event. We travelled to Denver and began the tedious task of setting up our booths, finally finishing in the wee hours the night before the show opened. We got back to the show early the next day to tidy up and put the final touches on the booth before we were ready to turn the "Open for Business" sign on.

After a couple of hours of the show being open, the first stream of attendees trickled in. There were incredibly long stretches where we talked to no one other than our fellow exhibitors. As often happens, we each began offering up excuses as to why attendance was so low; was it the good weather, rush hour traffic, or was it the "Cat Fanciers Show" in the other pavilion stealing away buyers? Over the three-day length of the show, 550 buyers attended the event. However, even though the numbers were low from an exhibitor's perspective, the quality of the attendees was high. Once the show ended, we went about the task of taking apart our display, packing it up, and shipping it back to Vancouver. Then we checked out of the hotel, dropped off the car rental, and piled on to a plane back to home.

So why have I gone to the effort to tell you all this?

Well here's the thing, I have spoken to all of the BC Wood members who participated in the event and each was happy with the show. In fact, three members commented that the limited number of leads that they got have turned out to be excellent. It turns out that the buyers that they met were motivated buyers, with one member expecting to sign a contract to build a log home for a buyer in Montana in the next few weeks. Other members have been busy quoting plans presented to them at the show or emailed to them after the event.

It all goes to show, that while tradeshows are a "pain in the arse", they continue to be an integral component of any company's sales and marketing objectives. As one wily sales veteran once said to me "it only takes one good lead to make any show a success".   

On another trade show note, BC Wood and member companies are currently in Chicago participating at the annual NAWLA Traders Market. The show floor is busy with buyers and sellers from across North America networking and creating sales as a result of the revived US residential construction market. There will be more on NAWLA in the next edition of the Wood Connections e-newsletter.

For more information on the US market please, feel free to contact me at dfarley@bcwood.com

Interzum Guangzhou 2015

 

After our well-received pavilion earlier this year, BC Wood is planning a return to Interzum Guangzhou from March 28th to April 1st in 2015 to give members another opportunity to build and expand their businesses in the still growing Chinese market. This annual event covers every facet of wood furniture and building products manufacturing including both machinery and raw materials. It is said to be the largest woodworking show in Asia. Over 1,100 manufacturers and suppliers are expected to occupy the 130,000-square meter venue with 60,000 visitors expected.

Interzum has been attracting pavilions from Germany, the US, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Sweden, etc over the past ten years, covering a wide variety of both softwood and hardwood species. Due to the show's importance to the Chinese woodworking industry, buyers/ importers of all types of wood products visit. Therefore, this show will be of interest to members supplying a wide variety of softwood & hardwood lumber including for uses in remanufacturing, concrete forming and wood construction. This show sells out quickly, so BC Wood will be booking space for members within the next month. For more information, please e-mail me at ivanoff@canadawood.jp.