Sustainable forestry in British Columbia

Sustainability

Olympic Industries is proud to trade in a resource that is naturally sustainable and an environmentally friendly building material. Managed responsibly, our forests provide economic, social, and environmental benefits to communities around the globe. We work hard to ensure that the wood products that we trade in are sourced from properly managed forests to ensure the vitality of the industry for generations to come.

Used for thousands of years, wood is the original high-performance material for building projects of all shapes and sizes. Highly durable, strong and long-lasting, builders have turned to wood products because of their unique qualities, beauty and versatility. Responsibly sourced wood is the one and only renewable building material on our planet. It acts as a natural purifier, removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing the carbon that the growing trees have removed from the air. The production and processing of wood products use much less energy than other building materials, giving them a significantly lower carbon footprint than materials like concrete and steel.

Wooden buildings that have stood for hundreds of years offer a physical testimony to the performance of wood products and the skills of those who work and build with it. We are honoured to play a part in this legacy.

At Olympic Industries, our commitment to supporting sustainable forest operations is a core part of our value system. We also understand that our actions in the marketplace carry a significant level of responsibility. We take an active role in ensuring that the mills and customers that we work with share these values so that our forests can continue to be productive and ethically managed. With the growing uncertainty surrounding the future of our plant’s environmental health, it is critical that we do our part to protect and sustain healthy forests that last generations.

The vision for the future of our company includes a dedication to innovation and exploration of how we can balance environmental, social and economic values in the communities and regions where we operate. We’re proud of our achievements, and welcome the continual challenges and opportunities to make our planet better for everyone.

Certificates

Olympic Industries is proud to be PEFC certified, ensuring our forest management activities are aligned with best practices for environmental, social and economic impact.

325 million hectares of forests globally are PEFC-certified
750,000 forest owners are PEFC-certified globally
20,000 companies in the world benefit from PEFC Chain of Custody certification

An impressive example of wood craftsmanship in architecture. The building features wood panels, beams, cedar and pillars creating a visually striking and unique design. — The Wood Innovation and Design Centre Prince George, BC

Photo of a building showcasing beautiful lumber architecture, built using sustainably-sourced, high-quality wood such as redwood, cedar, or Douglas fir to ensure long-lasting durability and natural beauty. — The Wood Innovation and Design Centre Prince George, BC

North America's Sustainable forest management annual harvest in square kilometres ↓

The United States and Canada are world leaders in forest management practices. With more than 480 million acres, these two countries represent more than half of the world’s certified forests.

Certified forests are inspected annually to ensure that global best practices of responsible forest management are being adhered to. These standards include protections for wildlife habitat, water/soil resources and numerous other environmental safeguards.

Source: Naturally Wood

Corporate Responsibility

Olympic industries’ is committed to working with all First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people to provide strong backing for the process of Reconciliation.

By supporting inclusive dialogue, creating an awareness of the past, acknowledging the harm that has been done, and taking accountability for constructive actions moving forward, we are working to renew the relationship with Indigenous peoples, based on the recognition of equity, dignity, justice, and respect.

Olympic Industries acknowledges our responsibility to act on the:

Land Acknowledgement

Olympic Industries acknowledges that our corporate headquarters are located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Squamish Nation, Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Musqueam Nation. We recognize and respect them as nations in this territory, as well as their historic connections to the lands and waters around us since time immemorial.

Hectares certified under forest management practices ↓

Canada is a world leader in the independent certification of forest management practices, and has more certified lands than any other country. At a time when just 10% of the world’s forests are certified, Canada is home to more than 37% of all certified lands.

Source: Dovetail Partners using the Athena Eco-Calculator (2014)

Values in millions of hectares

Innovation

With architects, builders and developers facing the stark realities of climate change, there is a dire need for sustainable design, building materials, and construction methodologies. In our industry, this crisis is being met head-on through innovations in the field of mass timber construction. Largely ignored as a viable structural material in the age of modernism, recent years have seen numerous advancements related to mass timber across the globe. Modern timber structures are now able to reach the same scale and height as buildings constructed with traditional concrete forms or steel superstructures. This shift in thinking has the potential for mass timber to become the dominant material and hope for a sustainable future.

Given the unique position of Olympic Industries, working with both the end users and producers of wood products, we work to positively influence change and champion the usage of timber products as the key to the sustainable cities of the future.

Embodied effects relative to the wood’s carbon footprint across all measures ↓

Wood is the only structural building material with third-party certification systems in place to verify that products have come from a sustainably managed resource. The chart below showcases that wood has a lighter carbon footprint than other common building materials and is much less greenhouse gas intensive on a life cycle basis.

Source: Dovetail Partners using the Athena Eco-Calculator (2014)

Normalized to wood = 0.75

Charitable Initiatives

At Olympic, we understand that our success is closely tied to the well-being of our people. We are dedicated to supporting our communities through various initiatives focused on education, youth, health, and overall wellness. Our employees have the choice of where and how to contribute to causes that matter to them. This empowers them to give back in any way they can, creating a lasting impact to our communities.

Charitable Giving Policies

We uphold our Charitable Giving policies for our employees to encourage taking action and amplify the impact of their donations. For donation drives, Olympic matches employee contributions at 100%, donated directly to the charity. Our operations team receives one paid day per calendar year to volunteer at a charitable organization, community service project, or socially responsible initiative of their choice. Additionally, we offer to match employee volunteer hours with monetary donations at a rate of $25 per hour to the charitable cause or organization.

Education

We proudly offer annual scholarships, including the Olympic Industries ULC Award of Excellence at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and the Olympic Industries ULC Award in Football at the University of British Columbia. These awards recognize outstanding leadership and sales-oriented excellence, supporting the journeys and accomplishments of dedicated, awe-inspiring students.

Youth

Olympic contributes annually to local initiatives that enhance youth health, safety, and development, including charities such as BC’s Children’s Hospital Foundation, Kids Help Phone, Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver Foundation, Mackie’s Place, Canada Scores, and Young Guns Garage. Spearheaded by Matt Froese, a key member of our trading team, Young Guns Garage is a remarkable not-for-profit organization affiliated with Youth Unlimited, who provide a safe place for teenagers to develop successful skills and grow into upstanding individuals. By leveraging a shared passion for cars, Young Guns Garage cultivates personal and professional growth in an engaging manner.

Health & Community

Beyond our youth initiatives, we support health-related causes by donating to charities such as the BC Cancer Society and the CURE Foundation for breast cancer, and participating in BC Cancer Foundation’s Workout to Conquer Cancer. We advocate for mental health services through partnerships such as the Movember Foundation and Pathways Clubhouse, and support individuals with disabilities by connecting them with certified assistance dogs through charities like the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society. Our commitment to community extends to providing nutritious food to those in need through causes such as the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. We also support causes that offer emotional and wellness aid to First Nations in BC, such as the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

Mass Timber Project for a Vancouver based lumber construction project — Audain Art Gallery Whistler, BC

About Olympic

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