Ontario supporting $107M investment in mass timber manufacturing sector

The Government of Ontario welcomed an investment of $107 million from Element5, a homegrown mass timber manufacturer, to expand the company’s operations in St. Thomas.

This investment will create 150 new, good-paying jobs across the region and enable Element5 to double its production capacity, supporting Ontario’s domestic supply chain through the use of Ontario forestry products and meeting the rising demand for sustainable building materials and modular homes.

“Ontario’s forestry and wood manufacturing sectors support tens of thousands of jobs across the province,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade. “As our government delivers on our plan to protect Ontario, Element5’s expansion will create over a hundred new jobs and bolster the province’s wood manufacturing supply chain, increasing the forestry sector’s competitiveness and unlocking new opportunities for workers, builders and homeowners.”

As one of North America’s first fully automated timber plants that sources materials from Ontario, the new facility will be equipped with a glued-laminated and cross-laminated timber production line, allowing the company to boost the domestic supply of sustainable building materials and meet a rising demand for modular housing. In support of this investment, and as part of the government’s plan to build a more resilient forestry sector, Ontario is providing $8 million in funding through the Invest Ontario Fund.

“This expansion represents a bold step forward for Element5, our partners and the mass timber industry in Canada,” said Chris Latour, President of Element5. “We are proud to provide innovative, sustainable building solutions that help address Canada’s urgent need for affordable, climate-friendly housing and infrastructure. With our expanded operations, we are even better positioned to support communities across Ontario and North America.”

Featured image: (L to R) Khawar Nasim, CEO, Invest Ontario; Chris Latour, president, Element5; Christoph Kulterer, CEO, the HASSLACHER Group; and Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. (Invest Ontario)