Jack Elliott
Early last Wednesday (Sept. 24), eight people gathered at the Roadside Restaurant in Rainy River to participate in the first local mini-seminar on value-added forest products.
Hosted by Percy Champagne, the Northwestern Ontario representative for FP Innovations, the group was treated to some stimulating information on what is happening in the forest industry not only locally, but also provincially, nationally, and internationally.
Champagne who has extensive knowledge and experience in the wood manufacturing area, including construction and start-up of the OSB mill in Barwick, noted products like pre-fab rafters and composite floor joists, which once were considered cutting-edge in the wood industry, are now “mature” products, widely used, and considered commodities.
Successful newer products manufactured in Northern Ontario considered innovative include an OSB panel laminated to a dense Styrofoam underlay in 2’x2’ interlocking squares being used to insulate cold basement floors while providing moisture resistance.
The manufacturer of that successful line is following up with a similar product designed to provide similar benefits to basement walls.
They have expanded successfully from a small, local initial market to a broader national and international operation.
Closer to home, two young entrepreneurs in Sioux Narrows using computer design and a computer controlled router table have combined their artistic and engineering skills to provide some of the area’s most distinctive and impressive tourist operation signage.
Watch for examples as you travel our area highways.
Champagne also touched on the challenges and pitfalls all entrepreneurs face in taking an idea from inspiration to a viable commercial operation, and covering some of the help available through FP Innovations and other agencies.
These include assistance to develop business plans, technical engineering assistance, and the extremely important area of marketing expertise.
“You must be able to successfully sell it,” stressed Champagne, underlining the importance of marketing to every manufacturer big or small.
Champagne also invited interested parties to register for the “Growing Forest Value” conferences coming up Oct. 15-16 in Thunder Bay.
Details are available from your local newspaper or from the website www.growingforestvalue.com
A second seminar was held last Wednesday afternoon in Nestor Falls, with two more held today (Oct. 1) in Emo and then Fort Frances.
