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The Wood Innovation Group
Welcome to our monthly newsletter of wood innovation and events happening in BC. We have just migrated over to a new e-mail newsletter platform and are going to be exploring the format to use and would love your feedback.
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We are always open to supporting and posting content from our community, so if you have anything to share then send it our way to info@twigbc.ca
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Wood-First-Wednesday
Luppolo Brewing Co. 1123 Venables St, Vancouver
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The event is simple. Meet on the first Wednesday of each month at a different brewery in Vancouver for a mid-meek social and networking event. Meet others who work across the various wood-related industries in BC, and connect with friends and colleagues after work. More Info+
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Vancouver Island Wood Network
Creative Woodcraft, 1340 Fisher Road, Cobble Hill
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What started as a Wood-First-Wednesday in Victoria has transformed into the Vancouver Island Wood Network. Still taking place on the first Wednesday of each month, the Vancouver Island events will combine a social event with a shop tour. (more details below)
5:45 - 6:45 - Meet at the Cobblestone Pub - 3566 Holland Ave, Cobble Hill
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As part of the Shape program, we have developed some workshops to tackle areas of learning that are fundamental to the development and marketing of wood products. They are based on common questions, and gaps in knowledge that we consistently see when working with individuals and companies in prototype development and consulting. They are also very applicable for those working in companies who want to up their knowledge about wood manufacturing and processes to help them with current projects.
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Fail Safe: 3 Powerful Keys to Success in Marketing your Wood Product Innovation
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Thursday, April 27, 2023 | 10:00-11:30 AM - Online
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Attend this new virtual seminar hosted by BC Wood and Neil Godin to learn how to successfully market new wood product innovations. From marketing tips to industry specific strategies, learn key tactics for successfully introducing new products to the market! This seminar is beneficial for large organizations and sole proprietorships alike.
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Topics will include:
1. Proof of Market. Learn how to prove up the market for your innovation – throughout the development process -- while building potential sales at the same time.
2. Systematic Daily Outreach. Learn how to connect with your ideal potential customers -- and specifiers – without old-fashioned cold calling and selling.
3. “Triple-R Marketing.” Learn how to use “The Three R’s” – Repeat business, Referral Business and Customer Reviews – to grow sales of your new product organically and at virtually no cost.
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Cost: $55 per person or $30 for SHAPE program participants
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* If you can't attend the workshop online you can still register and the recording can be made available to you to watch at your convenience.
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Neil is a Vancouver based marketing, sales and service trainer. In a career that spans more than 40 years, he has worked with companies and organizations of all sizes and kinds – from small business to major corporations such as McDonald’s, Royal Bank, Shell, Telus, and BC Hydro. In recent years – driven by a vision for a more sustainable and diverse value-added forest industry in BC – he has specialized in working with businesses in the value added wood products sector. His clients include more than 40 companies across Canada, in virtually every wood product category – from architectural and creative millwork to wood windows and doors; kitchens; floors; log, timber and pre-fab housing, and many more. He has also served those who support the industry – including FPInnovations, BC Wood, TWIG, AWMAC, National Research Council Canada , and others. Neil believes that the future of the BC forest industry lies in product innovation.
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Wood Processing Workshops
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The series of online workshops we have developed with CAWP focus on important fundamentals of wood processing for wood products and projects. These workshops tie together processes that take place to transform raw material into a finished good. Not all of us have experience working in the shop and are familiar with all the tools, but the work we do requires somebody down the line to do this work. Having an understanding of these workflows helps with the design process and management of projects to optimize work, save on costs and increase quality. These workshops are valuable for people with a range of expertise who want to re-up their skills, or are new to working in on wood-based projects.
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Workshop #1 - Wood processing
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From raw material to part production and understanding production workflows to optimize your designs, and use of wood. This workshop starts with looking at the qualities, types, and sizes of wood that would be sourced for your projects and how you can go about preparing this raw material. It will then take you onto the shop floor where we will talk through the different machining processes that are used to size, surface and process material, and the things that need to be considered at this stage. We will cover some basics on the tooling for the machinery and the importance of using the right tool for your application and its effect on downstream processes such as finishing.
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Workshop #2 - CNC Machining
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Utilizing CNC cutting as a tool in design, production, jig making and prototyping to use this technology to your advantage. This workshop explores the various uses and applications for CNC cutting, the different machine types, tooling and software. CNC is amazing technology, but it's not going to solve problems for you or make your life easier unless you understand how it can be incorporated into your workflow. Today this technology is used on mass, with many shops being outfitted with machines for their application, from cabinets and custom woodwork to mass timber and timber framing.
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Workshop #3 - Wood finishing
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Understanding the types and applications of wood finishes and the process workflow that leads you to the best results. This workshop focuses on the final stages of the process, which deal with wood finishing and the various coatings, treatments and products that can be applied to wood. Finishes are applied for reasons such as aesthetics, durability, and functional purposes and so the preparation of your wood to receive a finish is extremely important. Making good choices in your finishing process can add years of life to your wood project or can be a distinguishing feature that has your product stand out in the marketplace.
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Cost: $30 per workshop or $75 for all 3
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If you are interested in registering yourself or someone from your team in these workshops, contact jason.chiu@ubc.ca.
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* If you can't attend the workshop online you can still register and the recording can be made available to you to watch at your convenience.
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Vancouver Island Wood Network
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TWIG on Vancouver Island
What started as an informal gathering of a Wood-First-Wednesday event in Victoria at Craft Brewery, coordinated with the help of Donna Shaw of Live Edge Design, and Mike Randall has evolved into something more. This first event in early much proved that there was an eagerness to create a platform on Vancouver Island for wood professionals to connect. Vancouver Island has a large number of shops, artisans, suppliers and manufacturers, but is missing the events and opportunities where these people can connect on the island. Many of them have to make their way to Vancouver for events such as IDS and Buildex to interact with other professionals. With the initiative of Marc deMontigny of Toolpath design, the follow-up event took place at their shop with a gathering of 25 people.
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Tour of Creative Woodcraft
The next event will take place on May 3rd at Creative Woodcraft, with a pre-networking event at the Cobblestone Pub, which is minutes from the shop. Creative Woodcraft has made some new upgrades over the past number of years which include an automated finished line and a new robot that was just setup and in operation this month.
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5:45 - 6:45 - Meet at the Cobblestone Pub - 3566 Holland Ave, Cobble Hill
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7:00 - 8:30 - Tour @ Creative Woodcraft - Creative Woodcraft, 1340 Fisher Road, Cobble Hill
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Creative Woodcraft was established more than 30 years ago in Cobble Hill BC. It started out as a shared passion between two entrepreneurs, operating out of a basement, and is now one of the most reputable shops on Vancouver Island.
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Since 1985, the company has seen steady growth and several key innovations have been added. We are using state of the art design software for all our drafting & cutlists and have added a new CNC router for cutting and drilling our cabinet parts. This technology allows for minimal waste and precision, resulting in top quality product at an affordable price.
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With over 11,000 square feet of shop space, and over 35 employees, we are able to take on small & large jobs with focus on custom manufacturing, quality construction, personalized service & customer satisfaction.
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Emily Carr Industrial Design Projects
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This past week we attended the final presentation from the 3rd year Emily Carr Industrial Design students, led by professor Christian Blyt. For this year's project, the class partnered up with Droplet Trailers to develop furniture and living fixtures for mobile campsites. The class was broken down into 6 groups to design a shower, a kitchen or a table for two wooden platforms. The platforms were made from thermally modified Hemlock, with donations made from Scotty Wood and Western Forest Products. The furniture and fixtures for the platform were made from Western Larch donated by Kalisnakoff and will be installed for further testing at two separate private campsites in BC.
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TWIG Futures
We have the goal of transforming TWIG into an independent non-profit organization so we can continue to expand and support people and communities across BC. In our current structure, we are supported by the Centre For Advanced Wood processing and the Wood First Program from Forestry Innovation Investment. This move to an independent organization would allow us to pursue and invest in new activities based on the gaps and needs we have observed within our industry. With this work we are seeking out people with skills and experience that would enable us to develop a strong organization. We are looking for people with experience on boards, governance, accounting, legal and leadership to contribute to our existing team who organizes TWIG on a monthly basis.
With the formation of this organization we can expand our impact as an essential organization that can be a contributor in developing the value-added wood industry in BC. This work takes place not only in the current industry, but in the future of the industry that starts with the emerging generations who are in school and studying at post-secondary. With our establishment as a non-profit, we would be the only organization dedicated entirely to innovation, and working on behalf of many organizations and companies across BC. Our focus on innovation at TWIG differs from the R+D practices that have been driving innovation, and looks more at enhancing the conditions to allow innovation to flourish. When people are connected and aware of one another they can access the skills in resources needed to push new ideas forward. The vision of TWIG is to create a province wide network and we need your support to do this.
If this is you and your are passionate about our mission we would love to hear from you. Please reach out and get in touch at info@twigbca.ca
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Got an idea?
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Do you have a concept, product, or prototype that you want to realize? TWIG can work with you to make this happen with financial support through The Wood First Program. Carried out through the Center for Advanced Wood Processing (CAWP) and its team of technical staff, we are able to provide an array of support on various wood-based projects. We already have some projects underway from this past year that will be ready to present in 2022.
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