Today Ted speaks with Dave Farley, Director of U.S Program at BC Wood, not-for-profit trade association that has represented British Columbia’s value-added wood products industry for over 25 years. BC Wood’s mandate is to assist BC’s secondary wood product manufacturers to grow faster by helping them access and exploit markets they would not otherwise enter.
The trade association is made up of approximately 300 wood product manufacturers. From start to finish, BC Wood deals with manufacturing CLT (cross-laminated timber) and mass timber products all the way to high-end finish products.
With 18 years of experience under his belt, Dave has seen a number of changes in the forest industry, from the perspective of both manufacturers and consumers.
For one, the “wood pile” is getting smaller for a number of reasons, including considerations around sustainability, logging, and the management of old growth (trees that are at least 200 years old).
Trends come and go, but as long as a manufacturer focuses on doubling down on the key strengths of wood (such as its ability to be manipulated in a wide variety of forms) while seeking to find innovative ways to buffer its weaknesses (such as its level of softness), that manufacturer will go far.
Finally, Dave speaks on the future of the wood industry. He says that there is a universal push to look beyond profit and implement initiatives such as finding solutions for sustainability and partnering with the First Nations.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
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Key Quotes by Dave: