Kalesnikoff Mass Timber formally opened their new modular mass timber production facility in Castlegar on June 5.
The 100,000-sq.-ft. facility takes the Kalesnikoff mass timber vision one step further by adding new products to be used for prefabricated walls, flooring, modules, and full modular construction for projects that include student and workforce housing, prefabricated housing, infrastructure, and commercial buildings.
The fourth-generation, 86-year-old, family-owned sawmill business first expanded into the mass timber market in 2019 with a $35-million manufacturing facility in South Slocan that produces pre-fabricated engineered building products in the form of glued-laminated beams and cross-laminated timber. On opening, it created 60 new jobs, but now employs 160.
This new facility, known as K-3, will create 100 more jobs. It is the first modular production facility of its kind in North America.
“This new facility represents a significant $30 million investment for Kalesnikoff, and we are thankful to Natural Resources Canada’s Investments’ Forest Industry Transformation program for contributing $3 million to infrastructure and equipment, and to the Province of British Columbia’s Manufacturing Jobs Fund for $6.725 million to help fund the approximately 100 new B.C. jobs that this is creating,” said Krystle (Kalesnikoff) Seed, the company's chief financial officer.
The building itself was built entirely out of Kalesnikoff's own mass timber, created from its own lumber, harvested from local forests.
"We are excited to begin production of our new product lines here in Castlegar, and it can really change the way construction is happening and will be accomplished in the future," said CEO Ken Kalesnikoff.
"The innovation, technology from that humble beginning of a single-cylinder pony sawmill to what we have evolved to today is absolutely amazing. Dedication, growth and passion have always been in our genes."
Ken added that the products are sustainable, precise, well-made, quick to assemble and a huge opportunity to move the company into the future of the construction industry.
Chris Kalesnikoff, the company's chief operations officer, said the benefits of the new products include building projects quicker, better, and with more cost certainty.
He thanked Castlegar's mayor, council and city staff for their hard work helping the company see the project go from vision to reality in just 12 months.
"That is an incredible accomplishment and I would challenge any other municipality and private business to show collaboration like that," said Chris.
Chris also recognized Oscar Farao, who first introduced the concept of mass timber to him in 2010, even though there wasn't yet a market for it at the time.
Mayor Maria McFaddin attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony and thanked the province for investing in the region and supporting job creation. She also praised city staff for "moving mountains to get the project off the ground."
"There are moments in time when you get to see something come to completion that you are proud of – this is one of those moments," said McFaddin.
"From council and the City of Castlegar, thank you to the Kalesnikoffs. And from myself personally, it is such an honour ... to get to work with a company and a family that has such high integrity ... you do put your employees first, you put your community first, before your bottom line, and that is a joy to get to be partners with."
You can check out some of Kalesnikoff's mass timber projects online at kalesnikoff.com/projects/.
