BC Gov News

The Government of British Columbia is contributing as much as $1.5-million through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund to support five capital projects and one planning project that will see manufacturers expanding their operations by purchasing new equipment and supporting local economies by creating new jobs.

The six manufacturers receiving funds from the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund include:

• Penticton – Waycon Manufacturing Ltd. is a specialty metal fabricator that designs and manufactures heavy-duty equipment, machinery and custom parts and hydraulic systems for the forestry, carbon capturing and energy sectors. It will receive as much as $575,000 to expand its operations and buy new equipment to meet increasing demand and diversify its product offerings, while creating 12 jobs.

• Kamloops – International Steel Fabrication Inc. is a steel fabricator serving the forestry, oil and gas, mining and construction industries. It will receive as much as $275,000 to retrofit a former pellet mill and add equipment to its main shop that allows for increased production, the creation of 10 jobs and safer working environments for employees.

• Revelstoke – Selkirk Specialties is the remanufacturing arm of Downie Timber Ltd. that provides value-added remanufacturing for rough-cut and unfinished wood products produced by the Gorman Group. It will receive as much as $250,000 to support upgrades to the panel and post-laminator process that will create three jobs, improve production, increase fibre usage and produce new products to support long-term growth and viability.

• Vernon – Simolo Customs Ltd. manufactures low-speed electric vehicles and is Canada’s only manufacturer of street-legal golf carts. It will receive as much as $175,000 to expand its production facility and to buy new equipment that will result in the creation of 20 jobs at the company.

• Kelowna – Heartwood Manufacturing Ltd. builds office furniture, which it distributes nationally. It is receiving as much as $154,000 to upgrade equipment that will increase efficiency, production and sales, while creating three jobs.

• Surrey – CureWood Engineered Building Products Ltd. produces premium finger-joint precision end-trimmed studs and other value-added products, using hemlock off-cuts from nearby sawmills. It is receiving as much as $50,000 to complete operational assessments required to move into a new production facility and continue to scale up production.

John O’Connell, president, Waycon Manufacturing Ltd. –

“This investment will enhance our machining capabilities, enabling precise machining of large weldments and intricate pieces up to 22,000 pounds. This empowers us to serve customers in prototyping and heavy-equipment manufacturing, leveraging our engineering expertise for superior quality and faster turnaround. It also strengthens our commitment to creating skilled manufacturing jobs in the south Okanagan.”

Mitch Philpott, president, International Steel Fabrication Inc. –

“We would like to thank the BC Manufacturing Job Fund for helping us propel our mission forward and achieve impactful outcomes. The funding will assist us in upgrading and modernizing our manufacturing facility, which will increase capacity and efficiency, generate more job opportunities in our area and create a safer and more environmentally friendly operation.”

Marcello Angelozzi, general manager, northern operations, Gorman Group –

“The BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund funding will contribute to the glue-line product capacity at Selkirk Specialty Products and support adding value to the limited fibre supply through the upgrading of recovery and lower-valued products to high-grade engineered wood products. This provides direct support to our 37-person diversified workforce at the Selkirk Specialty plant, along with Downie Timber’s 229 total on-site positions.”

Jeffery Holomis, CEO, Simolo Customs Ltd. –

“This partnership helps us create local jobs by completing the expansion of our current facility and the building of an additional production facility in Vernon. We’ll also be purchasing new manufacturing equipment that will allow us to produce more products to ship locally and abroad, further solidifying Simolo Customs Ltd as a premier Canadian manufacturer.”

Jenni Duff, vice-president, operations, Heartwood Manufacturing Ltd. –

“We appreciate the support of the Manufacturing Job Fund as a critical partner to help us update machinery for increased efficiency and growth.  We are proud to keep striving to build more manufacturing in B.C.”

Mass timber is a clean and sustainable building product, making high-value use of B.C.’s renewable fibre with a lower carbon footprint when compared to traditional building products like steel and concrete. Mass-timber building products and systems can significantly reduce construction time and increase the supply of low-carbon buildings throughout the province.

Information about mass timber and the Mass Timber Action Plan:

• Mass timber is a sustainable building material that is engineered through fastening multiple layers of smaller-dimension wood together with glue, dowels or nails.
• Mass-timber products are solid, structural load-bearing components, such as columns, beams and panels, used to build residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
• This process can deliver as much as seven times the economic value when compared to milling logs for lumber.
• Mass timber can match or exceed the structural performance of concrete and steel, while reducing carbon emissions by as much as 45%.
• Since the components of mass timber are custom manufactured, it can reduce waste and reduce the time it takes to put up a building.

The Province has released the Mass Timber Action Plan Progress Update to reflect the ongoing efforts made to meet the increased demand for mass timber buildings by supporting growth in mass-timber manufacturing and expanding mass-timber training to create a skilled workforce.

The Mass Timber Action Plan positions B.C. to be a global leader in this high-growth sector, building on increasing domestic and international demand for the sustainable building material. The growing mass-timber sector will support more than 4,000 jobs in manufacturing, technology, forestry, design and engineering, and bring new jobs to communities throughout the province.

The Province also provies incentives for mass-timber sector growth and development through the Mass Timber Demonstration program, which provides funding for research and demonstration projects. So far, the program has invested more than $9 million into the design and construction of 19 building projects and eight research projects around the province. These projects expand the usage and knowledge of this new building material in our construction industry.

The Mass Timber Demonstration Program has recently opened the fourth intake for applicants and encourages builders and designers with interest in mass timber to apply.

Learn More:

To learn about the Mass Timber Action Plan Progress Update, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/government/ministries-organizations/ministries/jobs-economic-development-competitiveness/mass_timber_action_plan_progress_update_2024.pdf

To learn more about the Mass Timber Demonstration Program, visit: https://www.masstimberbc.ca/