Expanding our Value-Added Sector: Custom Cutters and Processors
B.C.’s forest sector is built on innovation, and a recent regulatory change will help more local businesses turn B.C. fibre into high-value wood products while supporting jobs and economic growth throughout the province.
Read the full news release
On July 13, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar announced the expansion of the BCTS Value-Added Manufacturing Program to include custom cutters and custom processors. These businesses play an important role in manufacturing specialty wood products but, unlike many value-added manufacturers, they do not own or operate their own processing facilities. Instead, they partner with multiple processing facilities to make products such as specialty lumber, siding, trim, doors and other finished wood products.
Custom cutters and processors are an important part of the forest economy, transforming B.C.’s forest resources into specialized products that people rely on every day.
The change, flowing from the BCTS Review recommendations, creates a new registration category that better reflects how these businesses operate and provides them with greater access to fibre through BCTS. By supporting custom cutters and processors to access valuable fibre, the Province is helping strengthen B.C.’s value-added wood manufacturing sector, encouraging product innovation, supporting jobs and creating opportunities to diversify into markets beyond the United States.
“I am very pleased that this announcement finally recognizes the contributions made to our province from the custom cut group of companies,” said Tom Sundher, president, Sundher Group. “This is good news for the stability of small businesses in the forest industry, especially at the local level. It supports our ability to adapt much faster to changing markets or operating conditions than a national company or large sawmill can. It keeps the industry operating.”
The expanded program is one of several actions aimed at increasing the value derived from B.C.’s forest resources by supporting manufacturers that transform raw timber into specialized, higher-value products.
Learn more about the BC Timber Sales Value-Added Manufacturing Program.
Please visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/bc-timber-sales/economic-prosperity/bcts-review.
