Canada is one of the world’s six biggest producers of wood flooring strips, alongside China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil and Russia.  The major part of Canada’s wood flooring production comes from some one hundred businesses based mainly in Quebec (two-thirds) and Ontario (one-third).  Canada’s overall production in 2007 was approximately 400 million square feet of which 75% was exported (90% to the USA).

The Canadian industry has faced increased competition in recent years.  Emerging countries (especially China) are lower-cost producers who have quickly positioned themselves in the Canadian and American markets.  For example, Amercian imports from China went from $100 million in 2002 to over $1 billion in 2007.  China’s worldwide exports quadrupled between 2002 and 2006 to over $2 billion.  This trend significantly impacted Amercian flooring imports, which were assessed at $2.7 billion in 2007 as compared with $1.2 billion five years earlier.  A similar situation occured in the Canadian market when imports (Chinese and others) increased by 600% over the past decade.

Note that Chinese production, the main threat to North Amercian producers, in mainly (75%) destined for domestic use within China.  Engineered wood flooring, a product that sets the North Amercian industry apart from its rivals, is also undergoing tremendous growth.  It now represents over half of China’s production capacity, equal to 807 million sq. ft. (75 million m2).  This means that engineered wood flooring strips comprise a greater proportion of products imported from China.  The growth of China’s engineered flooring strip industry in attributed to the difficulty of procuring enough hardwood to make solid flooring strips. Of China’s exports, most goes to Europe (40%) followed by Canada (13%) and the United States (26%).

To read more about the North American Situation, Engineered Wood Flooring Strips (multi-ply), Wide Strips, Innovations in Finishing, the Green Revolution, Esthetic Trends in Raw Material, and Changes in Distribution Channels, please click here

Source: Woodworking – Vol 24, No 2, March/April 2010

A complimentary webcast on May 4, 2010 at 11:00am pst

As the economy gains speed and more stimulus funds flow, some contractors are finally recovering. “The Three Tenors” of architecture and construction economics will sing out their predictions and answer your requests in this lively, interactive webcast.

On May 4th at 2 p.m. (EDT), join Reed Construction Data, AGC, and AIA for the second part in the series, Construction Outlook: Ready for a Rebound? Listen while Jim Haughey, Ken Simonson, and Kermit Baker answer the following questions and many more:

• Will the momentum continue or is the industry likely to slip back once stimulus dollars dry up?
• How soon will private nonresidential segments come back?
• What are the prospects for different materials and regions?

GET THE CEU CREDITS YOU NEED!
Architects may receive one and a half (1.5) Learning Units (LU) for attending this webcast. The associated learning units, are available to both AIA and Non-AIA member Architects.

Click here for more information and to register for this webcast.

Jordan, Knauff & Company are pleased to present the second issue of the Foreign Competition Report for the U.S. Building Products Industry (the “Report”). The purpose of this Report is to provide building products companies a measure of the extent to which their segment is under pressure from foreign competition. By increasing awareness of these competitive challenges, they hope that U.S.-based building products manufacturers will be able to make impactful plans to prepare for this competition and to continue to thrive. Their approach to foreign competition is a market rational one. In other words, they do not advocate limiting or restricting the import of foreign products. Rather, they understand that other countries will be able to leverage their lower labor and structural costs and produce certain products more efficiently than can be done in this country. Natural market forces will cause all products to be manufactured by the most efficient hands.

Jordan, Knauff & Company’s  intention in creating this Report is to allow companies to identify product areas that may be under greater pressure from imports and focus their attention on the portion of their own product spectrum that is the least likely to be imported from another country. Fortunately, these will tend to be the most differentiated, highest margin products that a company offers. On the other hand, to the extent that companies may decide to outsource a certain portion of their products to an offshore provider, examining the largest producers listed in each product segment will offer guidance as to the best countries in which to seek a foreign supplier.

Click here to download the pdf version of this report.

With Earth Day right around the corner, the Southern Forest Products Association has developed a new publication that explains why wood remains one of the greenest building materials available.  SFPA’s new “Wood Facts” sheet illustrates the life cycle of wood building products; explains the role of Life Cycle Assessment in comparing environmental impacts of various materials; shows how wood products help reduce carbon emissions; and looks at the significance of certification programs.

You can download the 2-page PDF for free HERE

Source: Building Online – March 16, 2010

Architects seek wood that lightens a project’s environmental footprint.

Over the past decade there has been a dramatic upswing in the number of companies that want to build reputations as good corporate citizens. Natural, organic, and sustainable are all highly desirable characteristics in the wide world of products.  According to a 2009 study by accounting and consulting firm Deloitte Touche, 95 percent of shoppers would buy green provided they had the right information on an otherwise satisfactory item. But with the plethora of environmental claims by companies seeking to advance their products, “green,” “eco friendly,” “sustainable,” and the like are terms that have become confusing at best, meaningless at worst.  In order to keep from drowning in greenwash, the market has demanded greater transparency and verifiable evidence of sustainable performance all along the supply chain.

This article will discuss how architects can be reasonably assured that products, particularly wood products, are maximally sustainable. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and forest certification will be discussed in terms of their place on an architect’s sustainability agenda, and an LCA of western redcedar will be presented to demonstrate the level of research involved, along with results that can be expected from the life cycle approach.  Read More

There’s no constraining this closet and home organization manufacturer when it comes to improving efficiency and productivity in the workplace.  It’s been slightly less than two years since Richmond, BC-based STOR-X first embarked on a path toward lean manufacturing. Already, says STOR-X President Wolf Nickel, the company has seen significant reductions in inventory and material waste, as well as faster turnaround times.

Lean manufacturing is an ongoing process in which companies strive to eliminate waste in every area of production,
including work-in-process inventory and reducing non-value added activities. Read More.

Several cities exceeded expectations for housing starts in 2009.  Especially Edmonton saw more housing starts in fall and winter 2009 than CMHC forecasters expected. Only Greater Vancouver had fewer starts in 2009 than expected.

To view the January 2010 Western Canada Housing Market Tracker, click here.

FP Innovations has released a new study on Wood Flooring Trends:

Trendsetting is an important tool for enabling manufacturers to be proactive rather than reactive in their business. In this issue we track in the Wood Flooring segment. Trends revolve around offshore competition, new material supply, consumer preferences, the environment and other factors.

As a manufacturer it is up to you to pick and choose  the trends and opportunities that best suit your manufacturing, marketing and customer profiles. We hope this document can tip you off to new opportunities, alert you to some pitfalls and inspire your product lines.

Click the link below to read the complete document.

Wood Flooring Trends 09

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