With lumber prices remaining at near-record highs a fully integrated forestry company is pledging to help.
San Group recently started operating its mill in Port Alberni and says their lumber is not only the most environmentally friendly choice but likely the most affordable thanks to a discount offered to Vancouver Island customers.
Their lumber has recently hit retail stores on Vancouver Island.
“It’s really exciting for us to increase our brand and increase our market share to the local Vancouver island residents and businesses that we’re partnering up with,” said Bruce Molander, The San Group’s Port Alberni Mill Manager.
It comes as lumber prices soar.
Monday another record price was set at over $1,400 dollars per thousand board feet.
The San Group says it would like to help those feeling the pinch of high lumber prices.
“Our target is to provide some relief to Vancouver Island customers,” said Kamal Sanghera, San Group’s CEO.
It’s put out half-a-million board feet of lumber into the Vancouver Island market.
The company says not only is their product an environmentally friendly choice because their wood is cut and milled on Vancouver Island but it also wants to pass on what it saves from not having to ship their lumber from other parts of the B.C.
“We will provide that back to the customers and users so that’s not much relief but it’s five to seven per cent that we’ll provide to the Vancouver island customers,” said Sanghera.
“We’re big proponents of keeping it local. Keep the logs local, keep the jobs local and keep the manufacturing local,” said Molander.
An Alberni Valley builder says it felt scary buying the lumber when he started a home in Cherry Creek.
“But as we progressed through the construction it’s now doubled so we got the majority of the lumber done with at the beginning so we’re sitting pretty now,” said Charlie Maedel, owner of Maedel Construction.
Maedel says he’s always glad to see extra competitors in the lumber market that might help push prices down.
“It sounds promising. I’m looking forward to seeing what they produce. If they can provide us with a product that we can supply our customers with to make it more efficient for building and more affordable than I’m in
San Groups says it’s still trying to hammer out a plan with Vancouver Island retailers that would see their lumber on the shelves at a slight discount to competitors.
Kendall Hanson
