Journal of Commerce - Jan 15, 2015

The rising expectations for building performance on the design and construction sectors, along with code changes, construction impacts on neighbourhoods and tight timelines have initiated both incremental and revolutionary change in the construction sector.

The construction sector has changed tremendously in the last 25 years, but there are still many construction companies in B.C. wrestling with how to deal with the changes they know are coming.

One of these areas is off-site construction and, more than ever, those building in wood are experiencing significant change and tremendous opportunities.

Click here to read the entire article 

BC Local News - Jan 18, 2015

With a shortage of skilled workers in Canada becoming a growing problem, School District 22 and teachers are working together on a solution.

Getting students interested in working with their hands is just one of the steps they are taking. A Grade 6/7 class from Ellison Elementary School spent two days at Clarence Fulton Secondary working with the Grade 9 to 12 wood shop students, three shop teachers and former School District 22 superintendent Bob Peacock making wooden candy dispensers...

Tolko donated lumber for the project and Rona donated gift cards to help purchase tools.  

Click here to read the entire article

The Centre for Advanced Wood Processing's annual Open House is being held on Thursday January 29th from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, with the Co-op Presentation Evening following from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. All interested individuals are warmly invited to attend. There is no cost and lunch, refreshments and light dinner will be available throughout the day. 

We do ask that you please RSVP at the web page:  http://www.forestry.ubc.ca/students/co-op/about-co-op/events/ 

if you plan on coming out.

From 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm there will be informal presentations on CAWP activities, updates from some of our Department of Wood Science researchers, and a presentation on a joint UBC Wood Science/Engineering/Architecture timber shell structures research project. We will report back on our September 2014 wood building tour to Norway and highlight services available to industry from CAWP. Later in the afternoon machine lab activities will include a nested manufacturing seminar/demo by Homag Canada, as well as research project posters, 3D printing with wood and other machine demonstrations. A light dinner will be served at 5pm for those staying for the co-op presentation evening. From 6:00 to 9:00 pm students in the B.Sc. Wood Products Processing program will make short presentations on their co-op work term experiences. 

Registration opens at 12.30 pm and lunch will be served, with presentations starting at 1:00 pm.

Address: Centre for Advanced Wood Processing, Faculty of Forestry, Suite 2900, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver. We are on the main UBC Point Grey campus - directions and parking info can be found at http://cawp.ubc.ca/contact/

Questions: Call Jason Chiu at 604-822-0082 or Iain Macdonald at 604-822-1472

One-day Moulder Audits are now available to BC manufacturers at no cost!

If you're experiencing issues with your level of finish quality, throughput, changeover times, and general safe work practices, a Moulder Audit could be a good initiative for your organization.

The results of the Audit will provide an indication on the operational level of your moulder and it can be the foundation for increasing your profitability on this machine center. The Audit will summarize ways to:

• Improve your level of manufacturing quality.
• Reduce rework and scrap.
• Catch quality issues before they reach your customers.
• Help to improve machine productivity
• Set up best practices in you grinding room.

Our trained personnel will perform a one day Moulder Audit at your plant and provide a summary report to you. The Audit involves an evaluation of the mechanical condition of your moulder, best practices on grinding room setup, as well as tips on material handling and flow.

How do I book an Audit?

FPInnovations is working directly with Jim Strathern from J.S. Moulder Technology to provide this one time offer.

Spots are limited - contact Jim Strathern at jsmouldertech@gmail.com now to set up a time for your Moulder Audit, or Roland Baumeister at FPInnovations roland.baumeister@fpinnovations.ca

Euler Hermes is offering BC's wood industry trade credit insurance to protect companies against bankruptcy and slow payment losses.  They protect accounts receivables so that clients can safely sell more to domestic and foreign companies.  Credit insurance also helps companies to obtain additional financing and make better-informed credit decisions more quickly.

Euler Hermes has been in business in North America since 1893 and is proud to have had a local presence in BC for decades.  Their parent company is based in Europe, which is the world's largest trade credit insurance company.  This global presence allows them to make better credit decisions for their customers and approve higher limits than their competitors.  With offices in over 50 countries and a database of over 40 million companies, they are able to monitor and approve credit quickly and efficiently.

Their face-to-face customer service and global presence differentiate them as a partner in local and global trade.  They were honored as the best performing trade finance institution in the categories "Private Insurer In Trade" and "Export Credit Agency" in the 2014 Trade Finance Awards.  They were also named "Best Trade Credit Insurer" by Global Finance Magazine in 2013.

Euler Hermes has been able to provide more and more coverage throughout Canada and around the world.  Much of this coverage is available at rates that are lower than what was available two or three years ago. They have several new innovations launching that offer their clients additional value. For those that have considered credit insurance in the past, the time is now to re-evaluate as it is helping many of their current customers grow more quickly.  

For more information, visit their website www.eulerhermes.ca and contact your local wood products industry specialist Robin Carket at 

While the advantages of trade show marketing can be extensive, optimal success hinges on careful planning and strategic execution. Having a detailed plan of exactly what you need to do can help ensure that you optimize results yielded at every show.

Key Factors to Consider When Planning for Your Trade Show

When creating your best practices plan, it's important to consider several critical factors. Following these 10 simple tips can help you create a finalized plan that covers the most important components of any trade show you attend:

Create a checklist: Trade shows, and the display itself, require management of a slew of details and logistics. Creating a checklist of everything that needs attention before, during and after an event can minimize the chance of something important falling through the cracks.

Click here to read the entire article

A Happier New Year

 

The increase in Japan's consumption tax in 2014 was not kind to the housing industry. Overall, the market was probably down 10%. On top of that, the 2x4 housing industry suffered through inventory imbalances because of the labour action at the Port of Vancouver as well as a dramatically weakening Yen. After a so-so 2013, 2014 was thus seen as a tough year by most, with the only positive outlook coming from firming housing demand starting in the fall.

The traditional New Year's industry gatherings in Japan are a chance for everyone to discuss predictions and gauge which way the market is seen as going. From the ones I have attended so far, it looks like the mood is improving, but with a realization that the 850,000 housing starts level is the new norm. Looked at it another way, 2013 was simply an oddity juiced by pre-consumption tax increase demand. Oddly, even with demand for starts falling from 2013, trades people are still in short supply and there are many bottlenecks slowing down starts.

Conquering inflation has been Prime Minister Abe's greatest goal and many economists now see 2015 as the year Japan will finally beat deflation. The construction industry is already facing higher labour and imported material costs, so one of the main themes for 2015 will be dealing with the re-introduction of inflation. As one speaker noted, companies must now determine how to pass higher prices on, or become more efficient to absorb the increases. The long deflationary market has pushed companies to become leaner so it is unclear if there really is much potential for increasing efficiency to cover inflationary pressures. However, at least all of the public discussions about inflation are mentally preparing the country to pay more, so with stable demand supporting starts, this might finally be the chance for the housing industry to increase prices and enjoy healthier profit margins.

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, 2015. 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 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 2015 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.

Nikkei Show 2015 

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 business 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 for use 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.