Thunder Bay, On – October 1, 2008 - National and international forest industry leaders and value-added wood producers are set to gather at Growing Forest Value: Opportunities in Northern Ontario, October 15 & 16, 2008, at the Valhalla Inn in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Hosted by the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre, this two-day forum will bring together key forest industry stakeholders with value-added producers and investors to explore opportunities and generate ideas.
“This forum aims to influence Northern Ontario’s commodity manufacturers to embrace value-added opportunities to help create wealth and jobs,” says Allan Willcocks, Northwestern Ontario Regional Director with the Ministry of Natural Resources. “This session will help facilitate new business relationships, educate members of the forest products industry about new opportunities, and provide assistance to smaller businesses and entrepreneurs.”
Forum participants will hear entrepreneurs share their success stories in building successful, value-added businesses and engage in business-to-business networking. Industry leaders will lead nine breakout sessions offering specific expertise and insight in technology; marketing; business development; wood supply; and, new opportunities. Keynote speakers include:
- HGTV television personality and home improvement expert, Jon Eakes, will discuss products, opportunities and trends in the value-added sector.
Minister Donna Cansfield, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).
Ian de la Roche, President and CEO of FP Innovations Inc., will look at global & North American market opportunities.
Peter Woodbridge, President, Woodbridge and Associates, will provide details on the competitive situation and trends and discuss catching the next U.S. housing construction wave.
Bill Thornton, Assistant Deputy Minister, MNR, will discuss value-added manufacturing in Ontario - today and in future.
Eric Hansen, Professor, Oregon State University, will look at Finnish and North American attitudes and methods of innovation.
The $100 registration fee (GST included) includes all plenary sessions; a choice of three workshops; banquet dinner; two breakfasts; and, two lunches. Participants can register online at www.growingforestvalue.com.
Northern Ontario’s future success depends upon its ability to rebound from a collapsed primary wood manufacturing industry to capitalize on a resurgent and sustainable value-added wood manufacturing industry.
Growing Forest Value: Opportunities in Northern Ontario will provide a forum for business-to-business networking, allowing industry professionals to develop opportunities and learn more about current market trends and technologies.
“Most of us have seen the changes in the traditional forest industry over the course of the last five to six years…witnessed our dependency on the American market for raw, dimensional lumber,” says Bill Mauro, MPP, Thunder Bay-Atikokan. “This forum will help us to diversify and generate new ideas for value-added products, which could lead to job growth in the region.”
Value-added wood products account for approximately 60 per cent of Ontario's $18 billion (Cdn) forest products industry, which represented 2.9 per cent of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product in 2005 and provided direct and indirect employment for more than 275,000 people in Ontario.
“This forum will be very beneficial to show what market trends are doing around the world,” says Marianne Berube, Ontario Director of Wood WORKS!, an industry-backed initiative promoting the use of wood in non-residential markets, based in North Bay. “Participants will be able to see what is driving market demands and how we can benefit from other best practices.”
“There is a ‘green’ aspect of using wood”, says Dr. Steve Colombo, a research scientist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources at the Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research in Thunder Bay. Colombo is part of a group of scientists who assess the value of wood as a storage point for carbon.
“Wood is about 50 per cent of the carbon that came from carbon dioxide that trees took out of the atmosphere, which helps to reduce the greenhouse gas effect and slow climate change,” says Colombo. “An additional benefit of using wood is utilizing it in place of other materials, for example, steel, aluminium, bricks, and concrete. All of them have a higher energy footprint when produced compared to wood.”