Mass Timber is gaining momemtum Elment5 LP - - St. Thomas, Ontario Business View Magazine

Tuesday,January24,2023    NorthAmerica|Oceania|Ca

ELEMENT5LP–ST.THOMAS,ONTARIO

October10,2022

Element5LP

Mass timber is gaining momentum

BusinessViewinterviewsPatrickChouinard,Founder/VPMarketingStrategy&CorporateCommunications,Element5,forourfocusonMassTimber Construction

TheconstructionindustryisoneofthemostsignicantcontributorstoCO2emissionsworldwide.Cementandsteel,keyingredientinbuildingmate accountfor16percentofglobalCO2emissions,equivalenttobillionsoftonsofCO2addedtotheatmosphereannually.

Whilebothindustriesarerapidlyinnovatingtoreduceemissions,evidenceshowsthattheycannotstemrapidlyrisingatmosphericCO2levels.Theon near-termremedyisalternativebuildingmaterialsandmasstimber,theworld’smostexibleandonlyrenewablebuildingmaterial,sitsatthetopof list.

Masstimberusesmoderntechnologiestoglue,nail,ordowelwoodproductstogetherinlayers,creatingrobust,durable,andsustainablebuildingm withahighstrength-to-weightratio.Thesematerialscanbelargestructuralpanels,posts,orbeamsthatareexceptionallystrongandversatileinthe applications.

Element5isOntario’s onlymasstimbermanufacturerandspecializesindesigning,fabricating,andassemblingmoderntimberbuildings.Thecomp itsheadquartersinLibertyVillage,Toronto,OntarioandaseparatemanufacturingfacilityinSt.Thomas,ON.

Element5supplies vetypesofmasstimberproducts:CLT(CrossLaminatedTimber),Glulam(GluedLaminatedTimber),CLIPs(Cross-LaminatedIns Panels),BoxxPanels,andNanoCLT.Thecompany’sservicesspanmanytimberconstructionareas,includingcostconsulting,designconsulting, engineering,fabrication,andassembly.

Althoughthermhastraditionallysoldmasstimbercomponents,itisnowmovingtowardsstandardizedbuildsthatintegratemostnishedpartsof structure.AsElement5VPofMarketStrategyandCorporateCommunicationsPatrickChouinardexplains,“WhensellingourCLIPspanels,werecogn hugeopportunityintheindustryforahigh-performance,prefabricatedenvelopepanel.Previously,wedeliveredthepanelstothesitewiththeCLTin layeronly;claddingandwindowsweresite-applied.We’recreatingafullyunitizedsystemwherethepanelsarrivewiththecladdingandthewindow doorspre-installedforfasterassembly.”

Besidessellingspecializedtimberproducts,thecompanyisalsodevelopingaffordablehousingsolutionswithcompletemulti-unitstructuraldesign candeliverasanoff-the-shelfbuild.

Element5hasrapidlygrownoverthelasttwoyears,fromjust10employeesin2021to85.Theentryofinvestorsistheleadingcauseofthisgrowth,wh alsoseenthecompanymovetoalargerfacility.“Lastyear,wemovedtoournew137,000squarefootfacilityinSt.Thomas,”saysChouinard.“Wearea buildinganotherequallysizedfacilityrightnexttothecurrentone.”TheSt.ThomasfacilityiscertiedtotheNorthAmericanstandardsforCLT manufacturingandhasbeenfullyoperationalsinceApril2021.

Asthecompanyhasgrownoverthepastyear,oneoftheareasitaddressedishiringnewstaffforitsfacilities.Althoughmostcompaniesaregrapplin laborshortages,especiallyforskilledtrades,Element5hasnot,andthere’sanexcellentreasonwhy.

“We’vebuiltamodern,collaborativeanddynamicworkenvironmentthatappealstoyoung,talented,highlyeducatedprofessionals,”saysChouinard peoplewehiretendtobemotivatedbythefactthatwe’rerevolutionizingtheconstructionindustryinawaythathasahugeenvironmentalbenet. addition,theyknowmasstimberisagreatbusinessopportunityandwanttogetinattheforefrontofanindustryinhugegrowthmodeandonetha makingpositivecontributionstocommunitiesthroughaffordablehousing.”

AnotheraspectofElement5’scorporateculturethatattractstalentedyoungprofessionalsisitsfocusonindependence,innovation,andcreativity–a workerstothriveintheirindividualcapacitieswithinthecompany.Thecompany’scorporateofcelocationintheswankyLibertyVillageaddstothis givingemployeesanidylliclocationwithallthetrappingsofamodern,stimulating,anddynamicworkenvironment.

Element5primarilymanufacturesCLTandGlulamatitsSt.Thomasfacility,besideslesserquantitiesofcomplimentaryengineeredwoodproducts.It torampupGlulamandCLIPsproductioninthenewfacilitycurrentlyindesign,withadditionalcapacitytomanufacturelargermembersandmore comprehensiveprefabenvelopepanels.

Oneinterestingthingaboutthecompany’soperationsisthatitsproductionwasnotaffectedbysupplychaindisruptionscausedbytheCovid-19pan andsubsequenteconomicshocks.“Surprisingly,thepandemicaffectedouroperationsonlytoaminimaldegree,”saysChouinard.“Wearefortunate controlofoursupplychain,fromtheforestoortothenishedproduct.OurlargestinvestorsarealsothelargestinvestorsinsawmillsinnorthernOn soalthoughElement5doesn’townforests,westillcontroltheentiresupplychain.”

Anotherfactorthatthecompany’sinvestorrelationshipsaddressesinfavorofElement5isthespikeinpricesoftimberproducts.“Thepriceoflumbe gonethroughmanypeaksandtroughsoverthelastfewyears,”saysChouinard.“Althoughwe’restillsubjecttovolatility,ourinvestorrelationshipssm outsomeofthepeaksandtroughs,resultinginmoreconsistent,predictablepricingforwood.Thisfavorablepricingputsusatasignicantcompetit advantageoverothermanufacturerswithoutthesamecontrolovertheirsupplychains.”

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WhereasElement5hastraditionallyprovidedmasstimberservicesforcustomprojects,itseesmoregrowthinstandardizedbuildingsthatitcanmas producequickly,efciently,andcost-effectively.Itspushintostandardizedbuildsisinformedbymarketintelligenceshowingamarketgapthatmass timbercanquicklyll.

“Thelightwoodframeindustryservesthefourstoriesandfewermarketniche,whiletheconcreteandsteelindustrydominatestwelvestoriesandab explainsChouinard.“However,themissingmiddleisthefour-totwelve-storyrange,whichiswherewe’reseeingahugeopportunityformasstimber becausethat’swhereitmakesthemostsense.”

Whilethecompanystillworksoncustomprojects,ithasdevelopedstandardizedprojectsthatitcallsProles,usingdesignsoptimizedforcertainbu andsuitedformasstimber.“Prolesbeganwhenwesatdownwithoneofourassociatearchitectstodevelopamasstimber,affordablehousingsolu saysChouinard.“Withoutanactualprojectinmind,wedesigned,engineered,andoptimizedthedesignstolowercostsandfacilitateconstructability Duringthisprocess,wesecuredanaffordablehousingopportunity–theYWCAinKitchener,Ontario.Wesubmittedaproposalforthedesign-buildp andourproposalundercuteveryotherbiddingaffordablehousingmanufacturerintheprovinceofOntario,includinglightwoodandprecastconcre

Withagreatneedforaffordablehousing,winningtheYMCAbidallowedElement5todispelthebeliefthatmasstimberismoreexpensivethanothe ofconstruction.“Toeveryone’ssurprise,wewerethelowestbidderandwontheproject,whichwedelivered,contract-to-occupancy,inunderayear.W haveproductizedthosedesignsandhaveahugepipelineofopportunitiesaspartofthesolutiontotheaffordablehousingcrisis.”

Thecompanyiscurrentlytweakingthedesignstosupplymarketsegmentslikeretirementhomes,studentresidences,andhotelsectors.Assistingth companyaredesignandarchitecturalpartnerslikeEdgeArchitectsledbyMattBowenandTyeFarrowofFarrowPartners.

Astheconstructionindustrygrappleswiththeaffordablehousingcrisis,Element5istransitioningfromashotgunapproachtoprojectstotargetingp thatbetteralignwithresolvingthiscrisis.Atrst,thecompanytriedtoapproacheachprojectasacleanslate,whichcamewithsomechallenges. Chouinardacknowledges,“Mostoftheprojectswewonweredesignedaseitherconcreteorsteelbuildingsbecausethat’swhattheindustryknows designanddevelop.We’dthengetthequestion,howmuchwouldthisbuildingbeifitwasinmasstimberandendupinvestingatremendousamo timeandenergyhandholdingthosebuildingsfromearlystagedesignthroughtomanufacturing.Wedecidedinsteadofcontinuingwithcustom-on projects,wewoulddevelopanaffordablehousingsolutioncalledtheAttainableSeries.Thesearepre-engineered,predesignedbuildingtypologies targetingthemiddle-market,whichliesattheepicenteroftheaffordablehousingcrisis.BecausewecanbuildtheAttainableSeriescompetitively,m wehavecreatedpartofthesolutiontotheaffordablehousingcrisis.”

Element5’sfuturelooksnothingbutrosy,atleastfromwhereChouinardsits.WithhundredsofmasstimberprojectsunderwayinCanadaandtheUn States,masstimberisnolongeratheoreticalconceptbutatsunamigainingmomentum.

“IfyoulookatEurope,masstimberisamajorpartoftheirconstructionindustry,puttingthemmaybe30yearsaheadofus,”saysChouinard.“Conside thattheNorthAmericanmarketismuchlargerthantheEuropeanone,it’samassiveopportunityforanyoneinthemasstimberindustryrightnow.

Element5,ourgeographicallocationinOntariogivesusaccesstotheCentralU.S.andtheEasternSeaboard,whileinCanada,weareperfectlysituate accessthevastforestryresourcesintheregion.Element5iscurrentlytheonlymasstimbermanufacturerintheprovince,creatingagreatbusiness opportunity,aswecouldnotbeanybettersituatedfortheunfoldingmasstimberrevolutionthanwherewearerightnow.”

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https://businessviewmagazine.com/element5-lp-st-thomas-ontario/

ATAGLANCE

Element5 LP

What: Full-solutionmasstimbermanufacturerandserviceprovider

Where: St.Thomas,Ontario

Website: www.elementve.co

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https://businessviewmagazine.com/element5-lp-st-thomas-ontario/