Why Does The USA Continue Building Wooden Houses? The recent wildfires in LA destroyed over 10,000 homes and buildings, covering more than 150 square kilometers, with economic losses estimated at over $250 billion. Seeing the devastation on the news was heartbreaking, with almost no buildings spared. Some of my friends (not in the timber business)…

More Sawmill Closures in B.C., Canada Canfor, one of Canada’s largest softwood lumber companies, announced earlier this month that they will close two more sawmills in British Columbia. West Fraser, another major lumber company, closed a few mills earlier this year. Together, these mills produced about 2.5 million cubic meters of timber and employed over…

Weakening Orders Impact Southeast Asia Timber Trade As we embarked on this year, the business outlook was promising. We experienced a surge in orders for imported materials from our Southeast Asian (SEA) clients and a robust demand for SEA-manufactured products for export. Although it didn’t quite match the pre-COVID-19 era, it was a significant improvement…

Embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI)  Our industry is well known for its traditional practises and limited embrace of technological advancements. Having been born in 1960, I didn’t grow up with modern technologies like mobile phones or PlayStations, and I’m not particularly tech-savvy. However, I did realise at a very early stage after starting APP Timber that…

Proposed Land Bridge Project Southern Thailand Thailand’s new prime minister recently announced his government’s intention to reconsider the Land Bridge Project in southern Thailand, creating an alternative trade route for vessels to bypass the congested Straits of Malacca. Although this project has been contemplated since the 18th century, it never materialised until the current prime…