Promotions Promotions!
February 20, 2013 § 2 Comments
The 2013 B.C. Wholesale Lumber Association’s Annual General Meeting was held February 7th at the Delta Burnaby Hotel.
The culmination of a grueling campaign season this election year, the AGM was a highly anticipated event. In a decisive victory, we’re pleased to announce that Chris Sainas of Dakeryn Industries was elected President.
With roots going back to 1946, the BCWLA’s function “is to represent the interests of lumber wholesalers in British Columbia and to promote high standards of business conduct and integrity in the lumber wholesaling industry.” Annual association events include the prestigious Lumberman of The Year Roast in June, the BCWLA Golf Tournament, and Challenger Baseball (“Night at the Nat”). Dakeryn Industries continues to be a strong supporter of the BCWLA, underscoring the value and appreciation for the full-service wholesaler in ever-changing dynamics of global markets. Good luck Chris!
.. with BCWLA President Chris Sainas (2-20-13)
Fore!
August 29, 2012 § Leave a Comment
The 26th Annual B.C. Wholesale Lumber Association Golf Tournament was held yesterday at The University Golf Club. The sun delivered as promised, when the first of a dozen foursomes teed off in a Texas Scramble at 11:10am. I had the pleasure of golfing with Craig Nicholson (Marnor Transport), Ian White (Dakeryn Industries), and my dad, Ernie Harder (Retired). A very fine dinner followed at UBC, where BCWLA President Carl Dobler concluded his remarks by presenting the coveted cup to a most familiar team from Conifex Fibre Marketing, who cruised to their 4th consecutive tournament win at nine under par. A great day all ‘round!
Night at the Nat
July 25, 2012 § Leave a Comment
The BC Wholesale Lumber Association had guaranteed us sunshine for the Annual “Night at the Nat” last evening; we can report that an hour prior to the first pitch, the clouds cleared, seemingly on cue! This wonderful evening at the ballpark for lumber wholesalers and their families, featuring a private barbecue along with plenty of organic salads and a fine selection of icy cold local brews, has easily become a favorite BCWLA event of the year. Always a hot ticket, it has sold out every year since it began in 2007. Last night the BCWLA also hosted our friends from North Shore Challenger Baseball, as the Eugene Emeralds swept the Vancouver Canadians in a doubleheader which reportedly included a special appearance by the San Diego Chicken (long after the kids were in bed!). Another memorable time had by all.
Play Ball!
June 20, 2012 § 1 Comment
Sunny weather and a sell-out crowd are expected for the Vancouver Canadians home opener at beautiful Nat Bailey Stadium tonight. Single A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays and defending Northwest League Champions, the C’s will meet the Tri-City Dust Devils, single A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Team owner Jake Kerr, former CEO of Lignum Ltd, is featured in today’s Globe and Mail here.
Update: The B.C. Wholesale Lumber Association confirms this year’s “Night at the ‘Nat” is Tuesday, July 24th vs the Eugene Emeralds.
What a night!
June 15, 2012 § Leave a Comment
BCWLA President Carl Dobler welcomed a boisterous sell-out crowd at 6:40 pm, and Roastmaster Jack Hetherington, in fine form indeed, set the stage for three very entertaining roasters from West Fraser: Bill LeGrow, Andy McGibbon, and Mark Thomson (including a cameo by Mike Flanagan). Some images below of a most memorable evening in honor of the 2012 Lumberman of the Year, Joe Heath.
BCWLA Roast this evening..
June 14, 2012 § Leave a Comment
The 32nd Annual B.C. Wholesale Lumber Association Roast honoring 2012 Lumberman of the Year Joe Heath, North American Sales Manager at West Fraser, is almost here! Harderblog will be working the red carpet, there to catch every glittering entrance at the Vancouver Club starting at 5:00 p.m. A trading pause is already apparent in anticipation of the 5% export tax year’s biggest gala, with over twenty representatives from West Fraser alone scheduled for early departure ex Quesnel this afternoon.
Roastmaster for the evening is 2010 Lumberman of the Year and former BCWLA President Jack “Captain Canada” Hetherington. The three roasters are all from West Fraser: Bill LeGrow (Retired VP Transportation & Energy), Andy McGibbon (North American Sales), and Mark Thomson (Transportation Manager). Tune in tomorrow for a full review!
NAWLA John J. Mulrooney Memorial Award
June 8, 2012 § 2 Comments
The NAWLA John J. Mulrooney Memorial Award is the industry’s highest honor. It was created in 1979 as a testimony to the life and career of John J. Mulrooney, who was the North American Wholesale Lumber Association’s Chief Staff Executive from 1960 to 1979. Awarded annually, it recognizes an individual “who has truly made a difference” – both in the forest products industry and in the community (Past Mulrooney Award Winners master list).
Louis F. Huettl (1983) – Photo credit: NAWLA
In 1983, the recipient of this prestigious award was Louis Huettl, Sales Manager at The Pas Lumber Company (Winton Sales). I have learned that “Lou” was one of the early key industry people in the B.C. Interior. Well-loved and well-remembered by industry, he was a fierce supporter of wholesalers and the wholesale role in distribution. At the same time, he was also evidently one of the most outspoken skeptics of the lumber futures market!
The same year Lou Huettl was honored by NAWLA, the B.C. Wholesale Lumber Association honored him with a special dinner at the Terminal City Club. With a nod to Lou’s Iowa roots, Ernie Harder (Col-Pac Lumber Company) paid tribute by parodying a song made famous by The Music Man. The live audio recording of “Trouble” from that evening can best be described as a classic. Retrieved from the archives and carefully restored, it is now available at the link below in digital format. Listening to it now offers an indication of the passion, and early apprehension and misgivings that were expressed by Lou Huettl and many others who were skeptical of the value of the futures market in trading lumber at the time.
“Ya Got Trouble” live at Terminal City Club, 1983 – E. J. Harder
1980 – First Annual BCWLA Roast
May 31, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Ernie Harder and Phil Tindle
The First Annual B.C. Wholesale Lumber Association’s Lumberman of the Year Roast was held at the Terminal City Club in Vancouver on May 15, 1980. Archived images of that evening are provided by Roastmaster Ernie Harder (Col-Pac Lumber Company Ltd), who went on to either MC or present at more than twenty BCWLA Roasts in the years that followed. Ernie recalls that Charlie Widman (Cooper Widman) and Paul Plant (Ralph S. Plant Ltd), reportedly fierce wholesale competitors back in those days, found common ground to roast original honoree Phil Tindle (Ralph S. Plant Ltd). A complete list of Lumberman of the Year recipients is available here.
The 32nd Annual BCWLA Lumberman of the Year Roast, honoring Joe Heath (West Fraser), will be held June 14th at The Vancouver Club. Stay tuned for more Roast updates!
NAWLA Vancouver
March 27, 2012 § Leave a Comment
I’ve enjoyed the lunches opportunity to be part of the planning committee for the upcoming NAWLA Regional Meeting Thursday April 12th at The Vancouver Club. At our meeting today, the three speakers were tentatively confirmed as follows: Paul Jannke (Economist with Forest Economic Advisors LLC), Dave Newstead (Euler Hermes Group), and The Honourable Pat Bell (BC Minister of Jobs, Tourism, and Innovation). Stay tuned for a full review at Harderblog!
BCWLA Smoker Wrap
January 26, 2012 § 3 Comments
Thomson’s first priority was to address the unfolding Burns Lake tragedy and the devastating impact on the people of Burns Lake. There’s serious concern for both the immediate and long term futures of the community. Thomson then touched on B.C.’s recent trade mission to China, India, and also Japan – having led the forest delegation. While acknowledging that credit tightening policies in China have contributed to a slowdown, he was upbeat about continued growth opportunities. Re. Japan, he said this ‘mature market’ would see renewed demand for J-Grade when post-tsunami construction shifts to building permanent homes. He also noted the honour at having been in Tokyo, to announce $4.5 million in funding to construct wood framed buildings – a “legacy project” – as part of Canada’s relief efforts. By this point his audience at the smoker was likely craving a more revealing ‘insider’s’ report on his travels, but it wasn’t to be!
Thomson then plugged the provincial government’s jobs plan, telling us to ‘stay tuned’ for strategies specific to the forest sector, to be revealed in the coming weeks. In the face of ongoing arbitration in the Interior, he was pleased with the recent extension of the softwood lumber agreement with the U.S. – but didn’t elaborate. Finally, he talked about the inevitable tightening of timber supply, citing growing pressures on annual allowable cuts as salvage logging of beetle-killed pine dwindles.
The highlight of the evening was President Carl Dobler’s announcement of a $5,000 donation to the people of Burns Lake on behalf of the B.C. Wholesale Lumber Association. The donation was matched by the North American Wholesale Lumber Association. Steve Thomson added his $500 honorarium from the BCWLA, bringing the donation total to $10,500.
