Canfor Corporation is an integrated

forest product A forest product is any material derived from forestry for direct consumption or commercial use, such as lumber, paper, or fodder for livestock. Wood, by far the dominant product of forests, is used for many purposes, such as wood fuel (e.g. ...

s company based in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

History

The company traces its roots to the late 1930s when brothers-in-law John G. Prentice and L.L.G. "Poldi" Bentley (surname changed from Bloch-Bauer of the famous Bloch-Bauer family of Vienna, Austria) and their families left their native Austria just before the outbreak of World War II. They settled in Vancouver and built a small mill that was the beginning of the more than 75-year-old company. In 2006, the company was subject to a

proxy fight A proxy fight, proxy contest or proxy battle (sometimes even called a proxy war) is an unfriendly contest for the control over an organization. The event usually occurs when a corporation's stockholders develop opposition to some aspect of the cor ...

between billionaires

Jim Pattison James Allen Pattison (born October 1, 1928) is a Canadian business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he holds the position of chief executive officer, chairman and sole owner of the Jim Pa ...

and Stephen A. Jarislowsky, who owned 30% and 18% of the firm's shares, respectively. Pattison won and ousted CEO Jim Shepherd over Canfor's poor performance and declining share price, which saw Jim Pattison appointed interim CEO.

Current status

Poldi Bentley's son Peter Bentley (1930-2021) was the Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors. Canfor produces softwood lumber, specialty wood products, and

engineered wood products Engineered wood, also called mass timber, composite wood, man-made wood, or manufactured board, includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding or fixing the strands, particles, fibres, or veneers or boards of woo ...

. Canfor also owns a controlling share in Canfor Pulp Limited, which produces northern softwood

kraft pulp Kraft paper or kraft is paper or paperboard (cardboard) produced from chemical pulp produced in the kraft process. Sack kraft paper (or just sack paper) is a porous kraft paper with high elasticity and high tear resistance, designed for packag ...

and

kraft paper Kraft paper or kraft is paper or paperboard (cardboard) produced from chemical pulp produced in the kraft process. Sack kraft paper (or just sack paper) is a porous kraft paper with high elasticity and high tear resistance, designed for packag ...

in BC. As of 2016, the company has an annual production capability of 5.9 billion board feet of lumber, 1.1 million tonnes of northern softwood market kraft pulp, approximately 220,000 tonnes of BCTMP and 140,000 tonnes of kraft paper. Operations or offices are located in: Bear Lake, BC Camden, SC Chetwynd, BC Conway, SC Darlington, SC El Dorado, AR Elko, BC Fort St John, BC Fulton, AL Graham, NC Grande Prairie, AB Hermanville, MS Houston, BC Jackson, AL Mackenzie, BC Moultrie, GA Myrtle Beach, SC Prince George, BC Radium, BC Taylor, BC Thomasville, GA Vanderhoof, BC Vavenby, BC Washington, GA Wynndel, BC. On November 15, 2018 Canfor announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire a 70% share of the Vida Group, a wood products company based in Sweden. The prior owners of Vida maintain a 30% share and manage day-to-day operations. Canfor formerly owned the

Englewood Railway Englewood Railway was a logging railroad on northern Vancouver Island, Canada. Headquartered in Woss, British Columbia, the line ran from Vernon Lake, through Woss, and past Nimpkish Lake Provincial Park to Beaver Cove. It was the last opera ...

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...

, but sold it to

Western Forest Products Western Forest Products Inc. is a Canadian lumber company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. History Following its initial acquisition of the assets of Doman in 2004, the Company undertook a series of restructuring activities includin ...

in 2006. Canfor has 6,380 employees as of 2016. Canfor is a member of the

Forest Products Association of Canada The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is a trade association which represents Canada's wood, pulp and paper producers both nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. Canada's forest products industry i ...

References

External links

Canfor Corporation website

Canfor Careers website

Canfor Pulp website
{{Authority control Companies based in Vancouver Companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange Pulp and paper companies of Canada