A Maple Ridge company was one of the beneficiaries of the provincial government's recent announcement of support for forest sector manufacturers.
Cedarland Forest Products, based on 256th Street, will receive as much as $1.3 million to buy and install new high-temperature kilns and a moulder, allowing the company to diversify its wood fibre sources to include underutilized species, and reduce its reliance on old-growth cedar.
Cedarland produces lumber and profiled cedar products including siding, decking and panelling. The new initiative will enable Cedarland to produce new thermally modified wood products, access new markets, and create 23 new forestry jobs.
“Support from the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund will help Cedarland install new advanced equipment, keeping us on the leading edge of re-manufacturing," said Jeremy Hamm, general manager.
"We will now be able to produce high-end finished products from a variety of B.C. species, while adding value every step of the way.”
Through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund (BCMJF), Victoria is contributing as much as $5.1 million toward seven forest-sector capital projects and five planning projects in communities throughout the province. These projects are to support forest-product manufacturers to innovate their business lines and grow their operations. The fund has a mandate to create and protect jobs, strengthen local economies, and diversify the range of wood sources used to manufacture high-value, made-in-B.C. forest products.
“B.C. has some of the most creative, innovative and motivated forestry companies on the planet,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “The BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund helps businesses scale up, increase productivity and create new jobs by getting the most value out of every tree we harvest.”
