Element5, a producer of mass timber products based in St. Thomas, has successfully finished a $107-million expansion of its manufacturing facility. This move will double its production capacity and create 150 new jobs.
Announced on September 17, the project features the installation of an advanced glue-laminated timber (glulam) production line, along with a new 57,000-square-foot building dedicated to lumber sorting. Additionally, there’s a two-storey office space covering 18,000 square feet that showcases cross-laminated timber (CLT) made by the company.
This expansion increases the total area of the complex to over 350,000 square feet and boosts its production capability to 100,000 cubic metres each year for CLT and glulam products.
The growth will also require more staff, adding 150 jobs and raising the total employee count to 325.
The Ontario government contributed $8 million from the Invest Ontario Fund towards this initiative. This is in addition to the $3.46 million provided by the province in 2024.
The expansion is also backed by its parent company, Hasslacher Group from Austria.
“This expansion represents a bold step forward for Element5, our partners, and the mass timber industry in Canada,” Chris Latour, president of Element5, said in a news release.
“We are proud to provide innovative, sustainable building solutions that help address Canada’s urgent need for affordable, climate-friendly housing and infrastructure. With our expanded operations, we are even better positioned to support communities across Ontario and North America.”
Glulam and CLT are engineered wood products made up of layers of wood glued together with adhesive to form strong construction materials. Glulam is primarily used for large beams and s while CLT serves as flooring, roofing, and wall material.
The company mentioned that this expansion marks an important milestone since it started in 2020 with just 15 employees.
<p. Back then, while located in Ripon, Que., Element5 teamed up with White River Forest Products to establish a reliable supply chain for their factory needs.
Apart from producing glulam and CLT products, Element5 designs and assembles mass timber buildings. They have completed over 300 projects so far including luxury condos, arts centres, offices as well as firehalls and Indigenous community initiatives.
The firm has also delivered on ten affordable housing projects so far with another ten currently being built or developed.
The province stated that Element5’s growth would not only enhance local supply chains for forestry goods but would also meet increasing demands for sustainable building options and modular homes.
This aligns with its recently launched Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan aimed at boosting wood use across various construction endeavors in Ontario.
“Ontario’s forestry and wood manufacturing sectors support tens of thousands of jobs across the province,” Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s minister of economic development job creation and trade said in the announcement.
“As our government delivers on our plan to protect Ontario; Element5’s expansion will create over 100 new jobs while strengthening our wood manufacturing sector making it more competitive while opening new opportunities for workers builders and homeowners.”
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