CANADA (News release) -- New support for a mass-timber production facility is protecting sustainable forestry jobs in Okanagan Falls, British Columbia (B.C.), Canada, and continuing to strengthen B.C.'s position as a leader in mass-timber innovation.

Through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund (BCMJF), the Government of B.C.'s contribution of as much as $7 million has provided an incentive for Mercer Mass Timber (MMT), a subsidiary of Mercer International, to invest in the future of their Okanagan Falls facilities, which MMT acquired one year ago. BCMJF funding will support the purchase of new advanced manufacturing equipment and completion of factory upgrades that will modernize the facilities, improve production efficiencies and scale manufacturing of a wider variety of mass-timber products.

As a result, MMT is rehiring employees that were laid off when the previous business shut down, supporting 28 local jobs to meet its production needs. MMT will produce cross-laminated timber in the Okanagan, enhance its production of glulam (glued laminated timber) by 25%, and improve the quality of the finished products, which are used predominantly as structural components for multi-tenant buildings.

"This support enables us to create jobs and boost the local economy, while solidifying B.C.'s position as a global leader in the mass-timber industry," said Brian Merwin, senior vice-president, Mercer Mass Timber.

"We're proud that Mercer Mass Timber's headquarters are located right here in B.C., and that their manufacturing footprint will be significantly expanded in the Okanagan," said Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. "Supporting innovative manufacturing projects helps secure good, local jobs and reinforces B.C. as a global leader in the production and use of mass timber."

The BCMJF is part of a series of programs the Province has introduced to support sustainability in B.C.'s forestry sector. To date, 72% of BCMJF projects are directly investing in forest-sector transition to high-value products, creating and protecting more than 2,500 forest-sector jobs. One in five wood-product producers in B.C. have applied to the program and are investing in their company's growth, representing more than 30% of the employees in this sector.

Mercer Mass Timber (MMT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mercer International, a global provider of renewable materials and energy.