International Forest Products
Encyclopedia
International Forest Products Limited (Interfor for short) is one of the Pacific Northwest
's largest producers of wood products. The company's sawmill
ing operations have a combined manufacturing capacity of 1.6 billion board feet of lumber with sales to North America
, Asia-Pacific
and Europe
. Interfor is based in Vancouver
, BC and provides employment to approximately 3000 people. The company is publicly traded on the TSX.
Established 1979
Exporting: Yes
Primary Industry (NAICS): 113311-Logging (except contract)
Primary Business Activity: Manufacturer/Processor/Producer
Total Sales ($CDN) 500,000,000+/
TSX address: TSE:IFP.A
Website: www.interfor.com
Corporate Headquarters: Bentall Tower Four, 3500-1055 Dunsmuir St., Vancouver BC V7X 1H7 5
used for millwork, doors, windows, treated products, Japanese house components and bridge timbers. Interfor utilizes five species of wood in its products-Western Hemlock
, Western Red Cedar, Douglas fir, Ponderosa pine
and Lodgepole pine
.
(BC), Washington and Oregon
. In BC this includes two sawmills (Acorn and Hammond) on the Coast; two sawmills in the Kootenay
region (Grand Forks and Castlegar); and one sawmill in the Southern Interior region near Kamloops (Adams Lake). In the U.S. the company operates two sawmills and a remanufacturing
plant in Washington (Port Angeles, Beaver and Cedarprime). There are also two sawmills in Oregon (Molalla and Gilchrist).
Chain-of-Custody (CoC) certification tracks logs from harvest through the manufacturing process. Interfor mills have been independently audited by KPMG performance Registrar Inc. to meet Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) CoC certification requirements. In addition, select Interfor mills are also Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) CoC certified.
Third party certification to credible SFM standards has emerged as an innovative, voluntary tool to recognize good stewardship and promote continual improvement. Forest planning, harvesting and the Environmental Management System (EMS) that provides the structure for identifying, addressing and managing environmental issues are subject to annual external audits.
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is an international standard for certification of forest land. It is a comprehensive system of principles, objectives and performance measures - developed by scientists, foresters and conservationists - that combines the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soil and water quality.
Interfor maintains an Environmental Management System (EMS) for its woodlands operations as a component of its SFI Program. The EMS has been in place and fully functioning since 1999.
Awards and Accomplishments
Interfor was awarded an SFI Inc. Conservation Leadership Award (2009) for collaborative work with First Nations to implement land use plans in the BC central coast. Interfor was a co-recipient of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – Gift to the Earth Award (2007) as a partner in Coast Forest Conservation Initiative (CFCI). Interfor was awarded a Forest Leadership Partnership Award (2005) for collaborative work on land use plans for BC coast region from the United Nations Environmental Program – Millennium Business Award for environmental achievement.Interfor has maintained successful certification and surveillance audits by independent auditors (KPMG Performance Registrar Inc. and Smartwood)since 2001 (SFI certified) and select coastal operations certified to FSC BC Standard since 2009.
Source:
Forest Innovation Investment - http://www.naturallywood.com
BC Ministry of Forests - http://www.gov.bc.ca/for/
Forest Products Information Portal – http://www.planetfriendlycanada.com
Coast Forest Conservation Initiative – http://www.coastforestconservationinitiative.com
and other offshore markets, along with on-going production curtailments, have contributed to improved demand/supply balances and higher prices on most commodity
items. Total Sales ($CDN): $500,000,000 +
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
's largest producers of wood products. The company's sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
ing operations have a combined manufacturing capacity of 1.6 billion board feet of lumber with sales to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Interfor is based in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, BC and provides employment to approximately 3000 people. The company is publicly traded on the TSX.
Quick Facts
Canadian OwnershipEstablished 1979
Exporting: Yes
Primary Industry (NAICS): 113311-Logging (except contract)
Primary Business Activity: Manufacturer/Processor/Producer
Total Sales ($CDN) 500,000,000+/
TSX address: TSE:IFP.A
Website: www.interfor.com
Corporate Headquarters: Bentall Tower Four, 3500-1055 Dunsmuir St., Vancouver BC V7X 1H7 5
History
- 1930s began with a sawmill in Whonnock, BC.
- 1963 incorporated as Yorkston Lumber Co.
- 1963 name changed to Whonnock Lumber Co.
- 1967 converted to a public companyPublic companyThis is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...
. - 1967 name changed to Whonnock Industries.
- 1979 Sauder Industries acquired a controlling interestControlling interestControlling interest in a corporation means to have control of a large enough block of voting stock shares in a company such that no one stock holder or coalition of stock holders can successfully oppose a motion...
in Interfor (since transferred to the Sauder family's Mountclair Investment Corporation holding companyHolding companyA holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
). - 1988 name changed to International Forest Products Ltd.
- 1995 buy Weldwood Operation
- 1996 close Bay Lumber Operation
- 2000 sell Flavelle Mill
- 2001 Buy Primex Mills
- 2001 Close Fraser Mill
- 2002 Close MacDonald Operation/Open Sumas Operation
- 2004 Close Squamish Operation
- 2005 Buy Crown Mills
- 2005 Buy Floragon Mills
- 2005 Close Marysville and Field Operations
- 2006 Sell Saltar and MacKenzie Operations
- 2008 Buy Portac
- 2008 Close Queensborough Operations
Corporate Structure
- Duncan K. Davies-President (CEO)
- John A. Horning-Senior VP (CFO)
- Sandy M. Fulton-Senior VP
- James E. McMillan-Director
- E. Lawrence Sauder-Chair
- Bill Schulte-Vice President Coastal Woodlands
- Richard J. Slaco-Vice President;
- John P. Sullivan-Director;
- Stephen D. A. Williams-Vice President
Products
Interfor produces lumber for residential, commercial and industrial applications. The Company also specializes in products manufactured from Douglas Fir and HemlockHemlock
The word hemlock may refer to:*Hemlock, several poisonous plants in the Apiaceae family :**Hemlock , two species, one formerly used as a method of execution**Water Hemlock...
used for millwork, doors, windows, treated products, Japanese house components and bridge timbers. Interfor utilizes five species of wood in its products-Western Hemlock
Western Hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla. the Western Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California.-Habitat:...
, Western Red Cedar, Douglas fir, Ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
and Lodgepole pine
Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...
.
Sawmills
Interfor has sawmills in British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
(BC), Washington and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. In BC this includes two sawmills (Acorn and Hammond) on the Coast; two sawmills in the Kootenay
Kootenay
Kootenay , Kootenai , is alternately spelled Kootanae or Kutenai...
region (Grand Forks and Castlegar); and one sawmill in the Southern Interior region near Kamloops (Adams Lake). In the U.S. the company operates two sawmills and a remanufacturing
Remanufacturing
Remanufacturing is the process of disassembly and recovery at the module level and, eventually, at the component level. It requires the repair or replacement of worn out or obsolete components and modules. Parts subject to degradation affecting the performance or the expected life of the whole are...
plant in Washington (Port Angeles, Beaver and Cedarprime). There are also two sawmills in Oregon (Molalla and Gilchrist).
Environmental Record
Interfor's forest operations have been independently certified to internationally recognized standards.Manufacturing
Sawmills are Chain of Custody (CoC) certified.Chain-of-Custody (CoC) certification tracks logs from harvest through the manufacturing process. Interfor mills have been independently audited by KPMG performance Registrar Inc. to meet Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) CoC certification requirements. In addition, select Interfor mills are also Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) CoC certified.
Woodlands
Interfor's BC coast and Adams Lake Woodlands have been certified to SFI since 2001.Third party certification to credible SFM standards has emerged as an innovative, voluntary tool to recognize good stewardship and promote continual improvement. Forest planning, harvesting and the Environmental Management System (EMS) that provides the structure for identifying, addressing and managing environmental issues are subject to annual external audits.
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is an international standard for certification of forest land. It is a comprehensive system of principles, objectives and performance measures - developed by scientists, foresters and conservationists - that combines the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soil and water quality.
Interfor maintains an Environmental Management System (EMS) for its woodlands operations as a component of its SFI Program. The EMS has been in place and fully functioning since 1999.
Awards and Accomplishments
Interfor was awarded an SFI Inc. Conservation Leadership Award (2009) for collaborative work with First Nations to implement land use plans in the BC central coast. Interfor was a co-recipient of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – Gift to the Earth Award (2007) as a partner in Coast Forest Conservation Initiative (CFCI). Interfor was awarded a Forest Leadership Partnership Award (2005) for collaborative work on land use plans for BC coast region from the United Nations Environmental Program – Millennium Business Award for environmental achievement.Interfor has maintained successful certification and surveillance audits by independent auditors (KPMG Performance Registrar Inc. and Smartwood)since 2001 (SFI certified) and select coastal operations certified to FSC BC Standard since 2009.
Source:
Forest Innovation Investment - http://www.naturallywood.com
BC Ministry of Forests - http://www.gov.bc.ca/for/
Forest Products Information Portal – http://www.planetfriendlycanada.com
Coast Forest Conservation Initiative – http://www.coastforestconservationinitiative.com
Financials
Interfor is well-positioned to withstand further market uncertainty and to take advantage of opportunities that are expected to arise in the next future. In particular, increased demand from ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and other offshore markets, along with on-going production curtailments, have contributed to improved demand/supply balances and higher prices on most commodity
Commodity
In economics, a commodity is the generic term for any marketable item produced to satisfy wants or needs. Economic commodities comprise goods and services....
items. Total Sales ($CDN): $500,000,000 +