December 10, 2008

Carlo Bin Receives the J. M. Martel Lumberjack Award

Carlo Bin Receives the J. M. Martel Lumberjack Award

Carlo Bin of the Olav Haavaldsrud Timber Company of Hornepayne Ontario is the 2007 recipient of the J. M. Martel Lumberjack Award, the presentation made annually by the Ontario Lumber Manufacturers’ Association to recognize the outstanding lumberman of the year.

In his remarks at the December 3, 2008 presentation in Toronto, OLMA President David G. Milton noted:

This year’s recipient has been involved in the Ontario sawmill industry – in one disguise or another – all his working life – over thirty years. In that time he has come to be regarded as a sawmillers’ sawmiller, a fine company, community and family man. In keeping with his attitude, the committee has chosen to make this presentation with little fanfare and with a quiet approach.

This year’s recipient has served as an officer and as a director of the OLMA. His firm is one of the founding members of the OLMA in 1966. A strong community supporter, he has been instrumental in ensuring that the fabric of his town and its spirit are foremost. Known for his support of all of the people in the mill, he is likewise a much loved and respected husband and father.

The Ontario lumber manufacturers’ association is the industrial trade association representing the interests of the province’s independently-operated non-integrated sawmillers in quality of production, public forest policy and international trade issues.

February 14, 2008

ONTARIO SUPPORTS NEW SAWLINE
McGuinty Government Investment To Create New Jobs In Hornepayne
HORNEPAYNE — Ontario is strengthening the local forest industry by helping Olav Haavaldsrud Timber Company Ltd. invest in innovation and create jobs in the Hornepayne area.

The province is providing a $5-million loan guarantee in support of the installation of a new $7-million saw line that will boost the competitiveness of Haavaldsrud’s Hornepayne facility. The new line will increase the number and size of logs that can be processed while achieving productivity and recovery gains in lumber production. The investment will help secure over 100 existing jobs in the mill, and create about 10 new jobs. The loan guarantee is in addition to a $700,000 grant announced under the Forest Sector Prosperity Fund last summer, and $2.1 million in other provincial assistance announced in January.

“We are helping to secure jobs at the Haavaldsrud facility and to create new positions,” said Mike Brown, MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin. “The new equipment helps to make the company more competitive in what is a very difficult market. I salute the Haavaldsrud family for their commitment to this community.”

“Our government is working with the businesses in Ontario’s north to create more opportunities for hard-working Ontarians and their families,” said Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield. “The Loan Guarantee Program is helping our forest sector become more competitive, and creating and securing good jobs right here in Northern Ontario.”

“The new saw line we’re installing will boost the competitiveness and efficiency of our operation here at Hornepayne,” said Carlo Bin, administrator and head of lumber sales for Olav Haavaldsrud Timber Company. “We would not be able to move forward without support from the McGuinty government.”

The investment comes from Ontario’s Forest Sector Prosperity Fund. It and the Loan Guarantee Program are part of the McGuinty government’s $1-billion plan to help forest companies invest in the future of their business and prosperity of local communities.

To date, the Ontario government’s forest sector investments have created or secured 4,770 jobs and leveraged $376 million in investments province-wide.

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/csb/news/2008/feb14nr_2.html

February 14, 2008

Nineteen months ago, fire disrupted the lives of our workers, their families and our community. The Olav Haavaldsrud Timber Co. Ltd. committed to its employees and the community that it would rebuild and resume operations as quickly as possible.

Continued capital investment in the sawmill and forest industry is necessary to combat the pressures faced by the industry. The Company saw the interruption in operations as an opportunity to make the necessary changes to combat these pressures.

The new saw line we are installing will boost the competitiveness and efficiency of our operation at Hornepayne. It incorporates the latest in sawmill technology, increasing recovery by approximately 33% and together with better utilization of the wood supply, increase production by 40%.

Today’s announcement demonstrates this government’s commitment to strengthen the local forest industry. We are thankful to the government for their contribution to this very important initiative and for sharing this Company’s vision for the future. We would not have been able to move forward without the support of the McGuinty government.

Carlo Bin

January 28, 2008

News Release
Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
January 28, 2008 - 008
Hornepayne Mill Expansion Helps Retain And Create Jobs - #910104
McGuinty Government Invests In New Saw Line

HORNEPAYNE – The Ontario government is helping the Olav Haavaldsrud Timber Company rise from the ashes of a devastating fire by investing in a new saw line.
A provincial investment of more than $2.1 million from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) and the Northern Ontario Grow Bonds Corporation will allow the company to process smaller logs into marketable lumber products, keep more than 100 jobs at the mill and create as many as 10 new ones.
“In August 2007, I was delighted to announce that our government would provide $700,000 to help rebuild this major Hornepayne employer following a devastating fire at the sawmill operations two summers ago,” said Algoma Manitoulin MPP Mike Brown. “Today’s additional investment in a new saw line will further help stabilize the local economy and bring new jobs in the region.”
“Our government is committed to investing in businesses that help grow the northern economy,” said Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle, who also chairs the NOHFC. “I am very pleased that the province’s support for this expansion project will secure jobs and help the company improve efficiency and competitiveness.”
These initiatives are part of the government’s Northern Prosperity Plan for building stronger northern communities. Learn more at: http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndm/npp_e.asp
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Contacts:

Anne-Marie Flanagan
Minister’s Office - Toronto
(416) 327-0655

Michel Lavoie
MNDM - Sudbury
(705) 564-7125
www.nohfc.com

http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/MNDM/pub/newrel/NRSearchView.asp?NRNUM=8&NRYear=2008&NRLAN=EN&NRID=4769

January 28, 2008

NOHFC & NOGBC Announcement

The project includes the replacement of a sawline, upgrade to the trimmer optimizer and the replacement of approximately 30% of the sawmill building which was severely damaged by the fire on July 11, 2006.

The new sawline is expected to be in operation by mid February and the project to be completed in March.

The new sawline is a significant upgrade incorporating the latest in sawmill technology. The new equipment will be capable of processing logs from 8cm to 50cm at increased feed speeds. Through increased recovery of approximately 33% increase processing speed and better utilization of the wood supply, lumber production will increase by 40%.

Continued capital investment in the sawmill and forest industry is necessary to combat the pressure faced by the industry in today’s economic climate. This $6.6 million investment is essential to remain competitive and to provide stability for the employees, the community and the region it supports.

Today’s announcement demonstrate this government’s commitment to assist in capital investment to create a stonger and more prosperous forest industry in Northern Ontario.

Carlo Bin