Hank Ketcham, Chairman of West Fraser’s Board of Directors, announced that Ray Ferris, current West Fraser President and Chief Executive Officer, plans to retire on December 31, 2023.

Ferris has been with West Fraser for over 26 years in increasingly senior positions culminating in his appointment as President and Chief Operating Officer in 2018 and as a director of the Company in 2019.

During his tenure as Chief Executive Officer the company has grown substantially in sales, profits, product mix and geographic diversification. In addition, Ferris has driven the strong commitment to continual improvement in our safety, environmental and people programs.

Sean McLaren, current Chief Operating Officer, will be appointed to President and Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2024. McLaren has been with West Fraser and its predecessor companies for 35 years. West Fraser has benefited immeasurably from Ferris’ strong leadership and the Board enthusiastically looks forward to continued growth and success under McLaren’s leadership.

Bruks Siwertell Group has signed an acquisition contract for North American heavy machinery specialist, West Salem Machinery (WSM), effective July 1, 2023. The Oregon-based engineering and manufacturing company will continue to operate under its current name as a separate internal division within Bruks Siwertell.

“For our customers, the acquisition will deliver a broader product range of market-leading technology, uniquely able to match operational needs. Together with our Wood Technology business units in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia, it will also ensure our capability to meet customer demands for sustainability and digitalization,” says Peter Jonsson, CEO, Bruks Siwertell Group.

“We are looking forward to pursuing growth opportunities as part of a larger group with a global footprint,” continues Mark Lyman, CEO, West Salem Machinery. “We will work in close collaboration with all Bruks Siwertell Wood Technology units, complementing, strengthening and expanding our combined product and service portfolios for customers worldwide. WSM’s personnel will be fully retained and welcomed into the Bruks Siwertell Group.”

“The acquisition of WSM is a positive, strategic move that will immediately expand our presence in the U.S., and extend our global product and service offering, with an even more favorable mix of products, systems and services,” Jonsson explains. “Bruks Siwertell is a leading supplier of woodyard systems in the U.S., and by combining our industry presence and WSM’s, we can better reach both local and national U.S. industries, and beyond into international markets.

“All our brands share many core qualities, recognized and relied upon throughout installations worldwide. WSM is a company focused on high-quality, customized machinery manufacturing and its acquisition will perfectly fit not only with our equipment range, but also our company values. WSM personnel are an integral part of the acquisition, and we welcome Mark Lyman and his team to the Bruks Siwertell family,“ Jonsson says.

Founded in the Pacific Northwest, WSM started operations by supplying machinery to sawmills in the region and expanded into the recycling industry. Today, WSM is an engineering company, employing 70 personnel, with products that include grinders, shredders, hogs, hammer mills and screens, delivering everything from single machine installations to full-scale production lines.

The contract was signed on June 30, 2023. Following the acquisition, the Bruks Siwertell Group will have close to 500 employees.

Mercer International Inc. and its subsidiary Mercer Mass Timber, a manufacturer of timber building materials, completed the acquisition of Structurlam Mass Timber Corp. and its subsidiaries in mid-June. Mercer Mass Timber immediately takes possession and continues the operation of Structurlam’s manufacturing facilities, which will now operate under the Mercer Mass Timber brand, including a new production facility in Conway, Ark. and in Penticton, British Columbia, Can.

At the end of May, Mercer International received Bankruptcy Court approval of the acquisition for $81.1 million. Structurlam had filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

The Conway facility is a modern, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that was built in 2021 and has an annual capacity of approximately 75,000 m3; can produce both glued laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT); includes more than 280,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space; and is strategically located in the Southern U.S. in proximity to growing construction markets and with access to a large and high-quality regional wood basket.

The purchase also include three facilities located in British Columbia with a combined annual capacity of 40,000 m3 of glulam and CLT.

These assets complement Mercer’s existing Mercer Mass Timber facility in Spokane Valley, Wash.

“We are thrilled to welcome Structurlam into the Mercer Mass Timber fold,” says Brian Merwin, Senior Vice President of Mercer Mass Timber. “This acquisition will allow us to offer our customers a wider range of mass timber products, and to better support their projects with the addition of more cross laminated timber (CLT) capacity and glulam production capabilities. Our goal is to become a one-stop shop for all mass timber needs. The additional manufacturing facilities that the Structurlam acquisition brings will enable us to create greater efficiencies.”

A local paper in mid-June reported that the Conway facility had resumed production and will increase its pace as the order file heats up.

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