About 90 B.C. companies, many focused on value-added wood manufacturing, will get the chance to impress foreign buyers at the eighth annual BC Wood Global Buyer’s Mission trade show September 8 to 10 at the Whistler Convention Centre.
“We’re bringing in qualified buyers of wood products from 15 countries,” BC Wood CEO Brian Hawrysh told Business in Vancouver September 2.
“Whistler is ideal for us because it has an international reputation with a lot of our Asian buyers in particular. Our largest contingents are from Asia, particularly China.”
Last year the trade show attracted roughly 650 people and resulted in more than $20 million in direct sales, which in turn generated forestry jobs and revenue for the B.C. government.
This year’s show focuses on Asia-Pacific markets, in part, because recent government trade figures show that lumber exports to Asia surpassed those to the U.S. for the first time.
In addition to those who own value-added wood manufacturing companies, B.C. delegates at the show will include architects, engineers and interior designers.
Glen Korstrom
Twitter: GlenKorstrom