A new business model for supplying wood-processing plants

Investissement Québec - CRIQ came up with the idea of locating a triage and wood-processing centre upstream from plants so that wood fibre could be allocated to meet the specific needs of users. This would reduce the material lost with the current non-differentiated supply model and enhance the value of the products produced. The concept was put into practice in Québec’s Côte-Nord region in partnership with FPInnovations, the FORAC research consortium, and Québec’s Ministére de de l’Énergie et des Ressources naturelles. Five sawmills and a pulp and paper plant are participating in this “good wood, good plant, good use” initiative, valued at $1.1 million.

The initiative, certain to have a lasting impact, dovetails with the government’s desire to make better use of Québec’s wood fiber. A number of projects are currently underway in the regions of Côte-Nord, Abitibi, and Lac-St-Jean. The partners recognize that this new model—with its integrated approach to managing the forest product value chain—is a strategic tool that will ensure diversification of the Québec forest industry.