At a ceremony Tuesday morning in St. Thomas, Element5, officially opened its new state-of-the-art glue-laminated production line and expansion of its mass timber manufacturing facility in the city’s north end.
Element5 is the province’s first certified manufacturer of cross-laminated timber, and the expansion more than doubles the size of the plant from 130,000 square feet to over 350,000 square feet. It will create 150 new jobs, increasing the company’s workforce to over 325 employees.
The expansion doubles the facility’s production capacity from 50,000 cubic meters annually to 100,000 cubic meters annually of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued-laminated timber (Glulam) products.
Chris LaTour, Element5 president called the plant expansion, “A bold step forward.”
With little in the way of fanfare, Element5 has become a significant success story less than five years after constructing its $50 million plant on 40 acres of land on Dennis Road.
Even more impressive is the fact the company itself has been in existence for only a decade.
It was founded in 2015 when it purchased a small cross-laminated timber (CLT) manufacturing company in Ripon, Quebec and began production.
In February of last year, the Hasslacher Group, based in Austria, announced it was acquiring a stake in Element5.
Hasslacher is one of Europe’s largest and most prominent timber companies and is a global innovator.
The family-run enterprise has a workforce of 2,000 and its stake in Element5 will result in what was being billed as a “mass timber powerhouse in North America.”
Hasslacher Group CEO and owner Christoph Kulterer explains the expansion into North America.
He added, “We have come here with a long-term vision.”
Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Rob Flack added, “Today’s investment further bolsters Ontario’s role as a leader in advanced wood construction and will play a pivotal role in our mission to build homes faster.
Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade stressed that the expansion of the Element5 operation in St. Thomas will bolster Ontario’s wood manufacturing supply chain . . . unlocking new opportunities for workers, builders and homeowners.
Completing the St. Thomas expansion is a two-storey, 18,000 square foot front office, using CLT produced by Element5.
To date, Element5 has completed ten affordable housing projects, with another ten currently under construction or in development.
In the past 10 years, Element5 has delivered more than 300 projects across Canada and the U.S.
Written by Ian McCallum
