Alberta Forestry and Parks is collaborating with Alberta Wood WORKS! and the Alberta Forest Products Association to administer the Alberta Value-Added Wood Products Program. The program received $2.25 million over five years to fund research, innovation and market entry for new products, ensuring optimal use of our forest resource and encouraging Albertans’ ingenuity while creating good-paying jobs.
Woodworking equipment creates decorative patterns on wood panels.
The program is also supporting a number of sector-wide initiatives that focus on research, training and education. This will strengthen and enhance the entire value-added wood products industry, allowing small business operators to thrive while stimulating the provincial economy as a whole.
“The Alberta Value-Added Wood Products Program represents a significant investment in our province’s small business operators and forest industry, ensuring responsible and efficient use of our province’s forest resource. I am excited to see what Alberta-grown innovation can accomplish with the natural resources our province provides.”
Value-added wood manufacturing refers to the process of transforming wood-based primary products such as lumber, chips or panels into semi-finished or finished goods such as siding, shakes and shingles.
“With over 500 value-added companies operating in Alberta, predominantly medium and small-sized enterprises, this sector represents a cornerstone of our economy. The recent investment by the Government of Alberta will provide invaluable support to these businesses, enabling them to thrive and innovate in an increasingly competitive market landscape.”
Alberta’s government remains committed to helping communities, small businesses and the forest industry thrive. The Alberta Value-Added Wood Products Program will help achieve this goal.
Following careful consideration of proposed initiatives, Alberta Wood WORKS! awarded funds to individual manufacturing projects in late 2023. Funding has been allocated to five companies for seven projects and an additional five projects were funded through the sector-wide initiative stream:
|
Proponent |
Project Description |
Value |
|
BarrierTEK |
Business development: Develop innovative web-based and mobile software solution to improve efficiency in managing wood products manufacturing and distribution processes. |
$97,500 |
|
Executive Millwork |
Business development: Implement an Enterprise Resource Planning software to optimize and increase the efficiency of information workflow between all areas of the company and provide greater production and financial greater, leading to geographic expansion and revenue growth. |
$226,350 |
|
Madera Forest Products |
Workforce development: Launch a training program for new hires, encompassing key areas like lumber grading, health & safety, and software proficiency – resulting in a workforce skilled in operating and maintaining select manufacturing equipment and software. |
$12,500 |
|
Western Archrib |
Market development: Increase awareness and acceptance of Alberta Spruce Pine glulam through an education and promotion program. |
$100,000 |
|
Western Archrib |
Workforce development: Train skilled workforce on new Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machinery to support increased production capacity offered by the new manufacturing facility. |
$8,350 |
|
Western Archrib |
Business development: Implement an Enterprise Resource Planning software to integrate various business functions, including manufacturing, inventory management, sales, procurement, finance and human resources into one unified system, resulting in enhanced efficiency and improved management of the production and supply chain. |
$350,000 |
|
WoodPecker European Timber Framing |
Market and workforce development: Implement several activities including the design/engineering of a new manufacturing facility, the recruitment and training of new employees, product diversification research and market development efforts to expand in the U.S. Northwest. |
$315,475 |
Sector-wide initiatives:
|
Proponent |
Project Description |
Value |
|
Canadian Wood Council |
Conference exhibitor space for value-added manufacturers |
$15,000 |
|
CHM – Fire Engineers |
Fire-treated wood research study |
$28,000 |
|
Forest Economic Advisors |
Alberta and Canadian value-added wood sector opportunities research |
$5,000 |
|
Timber Engineering |
Mass timber building fountains research |
$55,000 |
|
University of Alberta |
Aspen lumber structural/non-structural research with Zavisha Sawmills |
$81,000 |
|
University of Alberta |
Next generation wood buildings research |
$50,000 |
|
Western Wood Truss Association |
Develop a new approach to regulate quality control issues associated with manufacturing wood trusses. |
$44,000 |