TERRACE — Studies commissioned in the Northwest since the reces- sion of the early 1980's - have concluded that employment levels in the forest industry will recover only if local com- panies are able to diversify their production into more valuable. and labor- intensive products. Background studies for the Greater Terrace com- munity plan indicate be- tween 1980-and 1984, 520 direct jobs, more than one-third of the total workforce, were lost in the - Terrace area forest in- dustry. The plan goes on to conclude, ‘‘The job losses in the primary forest industry are perma- nent and will . not be replaced by other forest industry jobs unless there is a significant change in utilization of the forest resource.” The threat of further job losses due to technical change and the diminish- ing wood supply in the region has fired interest in the establishment of remanufacturing and secondary wood process- ing operations in Terrace. 2 Terrace Review — Wednesday, February 35, 1987 : help Products could include hardwood and softwood furniture stock, door jambs, window com- ponents, pallets, fencing material and a large array of other items that can be made out of the various . tree species growing in the Northwest... At a seminar held recently in Terrace, lack of reliable wood supply was identified as the primary obstacle to establishing a viable secondary wood industry . in Terrace. An over- whelming proportion of the forest in the region is under tenure to Skeena Cellulose and Eurocan/West Fraser, leaving small operators with minimal timber sup- plies. Many of the speakers at the seminar urged a more. cooperative attitude be- - tween the large forest companies and smaller secondary product mapu- facturers, woods industry Gene Smith, senior in- - dustrial development of- ficer for. the ' federal. Department of Regional Industrial Expansion (DRIE),. was critical of what he termed the “boatload ‘mentality”’ of the major ducers. Smith pointed out that because of the volume-oriented econom- ics of the B.C. forest in-. dustry, large sawmills do not hesitate to fill orders for a million board feet of dimension lumber and ship it off to far corners of the world. Small orders from local remanufac- however, receive consideration turers, little because the profit motive is absent and the mills are not set up to mill specialty items economically. Smith said his depart- ment’s policy is ‘‘par- ticularly warm’’ to people who want to get into a value-added business because such operations generate employment and, in export markets or domestic. export-replace- ment markets, assist Canada’s balance of payments in international . || trade. DRIE, he said,:pro- ] vides marketing assistance through — trade commis-. | ‘sioners in 76 foreign coun- = J. : tries and can also fund - new businesses through wood pro- — ‘Bruce. Veikle, ‘an ex- ecutive with Crestwood ‘Industries of Richmond, asked the audience at. the seminar to consider how people in other. countries | can purchase B.C. lumber products, ' pay transporta- tion costs and processing expenses, profit on the finished goods, femanufacturing of forest products in B.C,-is not just desirable, but necessary. ‘‘The day of the lumber trader is over,’” he said. Crestwood, Veikle. said, has been carrying on a lucrative trade with Japan for more company’s success with exported secondary prod- ‘ucts to close communica- tion between the marketing and production arms of the organization, an arrangement which he said assures that goods be- ing turned out at the Rich- mond plant are matched to orders. and consumer ‘and make a Veikle stated Volume ‘power, f than two decades. He attributed the : - trends in. the market. -Crestwood’s- line of products comprises a large variety of finished: goads - and manufacturing. com-— ponents from: kitchen. cabinets to prefabricated frame housing. ; Veikle said the North- west’s deficiencies in. ser-- vices and supply could be addressed through a cooperative. effort by. small manufacturers, purchasing he said, could change the attitude .. of primary milling com- ‘panies toward local pur- chasers such as resaw mills. Custom kiln drying and lumber dressing plants could be established here if a sufficient market were demonstrated. Veikle said similar services in Vancouver command .$80 ‘per thousand. board feet to custom dry° limber and another $50 per thousand to dress. Although these processes are an addi- tional ‘expense for ;pro-. ducers of goods, he TERRACE CENTENNIAL LIONS:CLUB . Attention Parents of students who attend: pointed « ‘out they also have | the potential to create new economic development and employment in the region. With regard to remarks of previous speakers about. the unexploited potential of fast-growing hardwoods of the North- west forest, Veikle startled | . the audience by. stating he- had $1: million worth of orders for alder lumber at Crestwood - that. he -is unable to fill; alder is commonly viewed in this - region ‘as a competitor species for conifers and either destroyed in ‘silviculture practice or harvested... by local ‘residents as a particularly clean-burning type. of firewood. On the world market, however, it is in demand. as lumber that finishes -well, is durable and attractive, has good machining qualities and a variety of applications. Veikle concluded by saying the money and markets are already in place for secondary and value-added products in the forest industry. “It’s just a matter of a little education,” he said. Thornhill Primary School Thornhill Elementary School Thornhill Jr. Secondary Schoo!- Copper Mountain Elementary School. low-interest loans. | “The government,”’ he said, ‘‘can only go so far. | We offer incentives, but . it’s ultimately up tothe in- |. dividual entrepreneur.” > J a There will be a Free Drug Awareness. Workshop held In "Thornhill Jr. Secondary School Library on WEDNESDAY, FEB, 25th, 1987 from 7-9 PM. ae Contact: Ken Mc Dames; Project Chairman at 638-1332 for te more Information, Sponsored by Terrace Lions Club. Smith concluded by say- ing that changes in at- titude can solve the supply problem and help the remanufacturers develop a cooperative strategy. “If you people get together and wrap your minds around this, there’s no doubt in my mind you can establish a secondary wood industry in Terrace,’’ he said. : OREM. LEE THEATRE Visitors view metalwork displays at Skeena Junior’ Secondar School during Clubs Night. 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