This is an aerial view of Chantiers Chibougamau Ltd. (CCL), Nordic Engineered Wood’s parent company.
NORDIC ENGINEERED WOOD Specializes In Black Spruce
By Terry Miller
Montreal, Que.—For nearly 50 years, Nordic Engineered Wood, headquartered here, has specialized in manufacturing Black Spruce I-joists and other products for the residential and commercial building markets. Throughout its existence, the family-owned company has been known for its competitive prices and high level of customer service.
Nordic’s heritage can be traced back to 1961, when Lucien Filion and five part-time employees began sawing timbers for the local mining industry, thus creating Nordic’s parent company, Chantiers Chibougamau Ltd. (CCL). From the outset, the company focused on providing quality wood products for the ever-changing market, which meant staying at the forefront of innovation and customer service.
CCL began optimizing production with finger joint (SPS-3) technology in 1994.
During the ‘70s and ‘80s, Chantiers Chibougamau shifted production from sawing mining timbers to random length dimension lumber. CCL also expanded its sales into the United States, invested in dry kilns and began optimizing production with finger joint (SPS-3) technology in 1994.
CCL invested in emerging curve saw technology in 1998. This expanded production capacity and helped optimize fiber production by utilizing small cross-sections of wood that would otherwise be unusable. The addition of a flange production line and tension testing in the late 1990s heralded the advent of joist production and the creation of Nordic Engineered Wood, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CCL.
Today, Nordic is known as a premiere solid-sawn I-joist producer, with proprietary small-block technology, consistent in-line tension testing, and the emergence of the first laminated solid-sawn flange joist, the NI-90x I-joist series. The company’s exclusive ENVIRO LAM™ process, which makes use of previously underutilized wood to maximize fiber yield, highlights the full line of Nordic Lam beams, columns and Tall Wall studs.
Pictured is an application of Nordic Joist and Lam beams at the Peel Youth Village in Mississauga, Ont.
Nordic Engineered Wood manufactures a complete line of I-joists, glulam beams, columns and provides LVL and rimboard for residential and commercial applications. The company uses 100 percent Black Spruce in its products because the species is lighter weight than most other species. Black Spruce has a track record in performance in the applications mentioned, and the species is known for having fewer natural defects.
Nordic specializes in APA approved products (NI-20, NI-40x, NI-60, NI-70, NI-80, NI-90x), with lengths up to 64 feet in all product lines, I-joist and glulam beams 9- ¼ length 24-inches, and grades 1650, 1950, 2100 and 2400 MSR.
Nordic’s family of engineered wood products allows discriminating specifiers to fully utilize one of the most substantial collections of sustainable wood solutions available from a single manufacturing source.
The firm’s technical services boast some of the finest talent in the industry. Nordic IPLAN software revolutionizes product specification and application, and Nordic Inventory Management software facilitates cutting, inventory management and purchasing. Training, specifier seminars and continuing education are integral to Nordic’s vision of providing market solutions.
Fielding Estate Winery in Beamsville, Ont., also uses Nordic Lam beams.
Demand for more refined architectural solutions led to the creation of Nordic Structures, which offers a whole new complement of straight and curved beams, arches and decking for use in non-residential projects. Already featured in timber structures, industrial buildings, sports facilities and office complexes, the company’s in-house architectural and engineering services redefine the potential for engineered wood construction.
Nordic’s manufacturing facility, which is located on 250 acres, features state-of-the- art equipment from COE, Doucet, Globe, Hewsaw and Endogger. The company operates eight dry kilns, including two high-temperature kilns, which offer 200,000 board feet of capacity per charge, and a 72-hour drying time. Engineered wood is dried to 12 percent moisture content, while lumber commodity products are dried to 18 percent or less.
Nordic’s manufacturing capacities include 140 million linear feet of I-joists, 50 million board feet of glued laminated products and 205 million board feet of dimensional lumber. The firm harvests its lumber from 2 million acres of timberland it manages under ISO 14001 and Forest Stewardship Council standards (Nov. 2008).
Pictured are I-joists, beams and headers (with rim-board samples).
Nordic Engineered Wood has been marketing Nordic Joist and Nordic Lam products since its inception in 2000. Attention to product development, quality and exceptional service have allowed the firm to grow into a supplier of international scope. Nordic’s expanding markets include sales offices supporting distribution partners from Western Canada to the southeastern United States, as well as international markets in Europe and Asia.
Albert Renaud, vice president of business development and sales, and Julie Frappier, director of technical services, are two of the firm’s initial personnel.
Nordic has established a permanent reload with full product mix capabilities for prompt shipment on mixed truckloads, to complement its direct railcar services. From its small beginnings, CCL, and its affiliate Nordic Engineered Wood, have grown to a major market contributor, employing over 700 people, dedicated to providing the best sustainable wood solutions to the building industry.
Nordic Engineered Wood is a member of APA – The Engineered Wood Assoc., ASTM International, Engineered Wood Products Assoc., Forest Products Society, National Assoc. of Home Builders, North American Wholesale Lumber Assoc.
This view of a sports complex shows an application of Nordic Lam beams.
(NAWLA), Northeastern Retail Lumber Assoc., Wood I-Joist Manufacturers Assoc. and the Wood Truss Council of America. The company introduces new products every six months or as the market requires, and exhibits its wares at such industry shows as the Building Component Manufacturers Conference, Lumbermen’s Merchandising Corp., NAWLA and the JLC Live Residential Construction Show.
For more information, contact Nordic Engineered Wood at 866-817-3418, visit www.nordicewp.com or send e-mail to info@nordicewp.com.
The NI-90x Ijoist series is the latest innovation from Nordic.
The addition of a flange production line and tension testing heralded the advent of joist production and the creation of Nordic Engineered Wood.
