The Canadian Lumbermen's Association (CLA) and the Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA) have joined forces under one roof, creating a “one-stop shop” for the forestry industry, says the organization's new president.
The merger, which was announced Aug. 4, will be taking place during the next few months. It involves the CLA, which focuses on grading and inspection of forest products to move its organization from Ottawa to the OFIA's headquarters in Toronto. The OFIA is the forest industry's primary lobby group.
“In today's business climate, not only are our members looking for efficiencies, but also the associations that serve the sector,” says Jamie Lim, president and CEO of the OFIA, home of CLA Grading and Inspection.
“It's really going to, I think, make this sector work better, because now all of those different groups, rather than working in silos, are going to be coming together and meeting together under one roof.”
The new organization will still run under the names of its two
founding associations because they are well established and highly
recognizable in foreign markets, says Lim. The CLA has been operating
for more than 100 years and the OFIA for 65.
The merger will allow wholesalers and exporters who previously only belonged to CLA, which didn't do any government lobbying, to finally be able to have a say in public policy, says Lim.
Working alongside each other is more important than ever during these bleak economic days for the forestry industry, which was already struggling before the recession hit, says Lim.
“In a recession like this, when your market has just been so incredibly devastated, we've got to think, as associations, how can we do business differently to serve our members better?”
“It's in darkness that you sometimes see the light.”
Michael Gravelle, the minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry (MNDMF) applauded the merger. Gravelle recently became in charge of the forestry portfolio in Ontario when it was transferred from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).
Lim says although she habours concerns the entire forestry portfolio will not make a “clean break” from the MNR to the MNDMF, it makes sense for forestry resources to fall under the care of a ministry that is charged with economic development.
The joint association is currently working to establish marketing campaign for Ontario forest products, similar to commercials Foodland Ontario airs on national broadcasters.
