Canadian softwoods: a sustainable cost-effective option for manufacturers

Most recently, Phan Le Production, a well-established furniture maker based in Binh Duong, successfully trialed the use of Canadian western hemlock as a promising alternative.

The trial was part of the “Try Canadian Wood” campaign, a program that provides small quantities of wood for product trials so manufacturers can become more familiar with the properties and workability of Canadian softwoods.

The initiative is by Canadian Wood Vietnam, a government agency operating in Thu Dau Mot City in Binh Duong Province, which is dedicated to helping Vietnamese industry professionals’ source high-quality certified wood from Canada.

Their technical specialists work directly with manufacturers, stockists, traders, or importers to identify the right wood species and grade for a wide range of furniture and interior applications.

A bedroom set designed by Malene Lillelund Michaelsen made by Phan Le shows the unique versatility of western hemlock, which is able to take almost any stain and achieve a diversity of looks, colors, and tones. Photo courtesy of Canadian Wood Vietnam

According to Vince Tran, Country Director for Canadian Wood Vietnam, as part of the “Try Canadian Wood” initiative, the team works in close collaboration with Vietnamese manufacturers to better understand the design, colors, and overall appearance they are trying to achieve.

Canadian Wood Vietnam then helps their fabrication team understand the technical considerations of using Canadian wood as an affordable substitute for more expensive species they may currently be using.

“We can even help guide them through creating a sample prototype they can use as a proof of concept and as a direct comparison to hardwoods, such as white oak and ash,” said Vince.

Canadian softwoods are strong, durable, and easy to work with. Photo courtesy of Canadian Wood Vietnam

Easier to saw, plane, and sand than traditional hardwoods, Canadian-grown softwoods, such as hemlock, can speed up production and reduce costly equipment wear-and-tear.

Fabricators can achieve a similar look and feel for their designs using Canadian softwoods.

“They often remarked on hemlock’s strength, stability, and relative density and liked that it could provide a similar look and feel as hardwoods. Along with being easy to work with, hemlock is non-resinous and able to take any stain or paint color,” Vince added.

Canadian softwood species, such as Douglas fir, offer a unique, stand-out look that can serve as a market differentiator.

Douglas-fir is a strong, tight-grained option loved for its warm aesthetic and can be used for solid doors and door frames, furniture, and general millwork.

Vince said that there are Vietnamese-based furniture makers using Douglas-fir as part of niche product lines, allowing them to achieve a more exclusive look.

Spruce-pine-fir (SPF), referring to white spruce, Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine, and subalpine fir, all having common characteristics and properties, is grown in the interior regions of British Columbia, Canada.

This hardy species thrives in all sorts of environments, from waterlogged bogs to dry, sandy soils.

It can be used for solid doors, doorframes, furniture framing, and even modular housing.

It is also commonly used for a number of other general industrial purposes, such as packaging, crating, cable reels, and concrete forming.

“And when it comes to durable indoor and outdoor furniture and applications, Canada’s western red and yellow cedar species are unmatched,” he added.

Western red cedar is a popular species for outdoor furniture and projects and is also a great complement to interior finishes.

It exhibits outstanding decay and termite resistance, along with dimensional stability.

Yellow cedar is one of the world’s most durable woods, with exceptional longevity.

It has proven popular for furniture manufacturing, doors, door jambs, and window frames.

Douglas fir, a Canadian-grown, eco-friendly material, is versatile, easy to work with, and can be sanded to a smooth finish. Photo courtesy of Canadian Wood Vietnam

Along with these benefits, all five of these sustainably-harvested Canadian wood species can help Vietnamese wood fabricators meet the nation’s Timber Legality Assurance System requiring manufacturers to source wood products from legally logged forests.

In response to this decree, Canada has been identified as a trusted international supplier and recognized as a legal and sustainable provider of forest products.

Canada accounts for almost 35 percent of all certified forests globally—the largest of any country worldwide.

See more about the benefits of sustainably harvested, certified Canadian wood products here, or contact the Canadian Wood Vietnam team at [email protected] to learn more about the “Try Canadian Wood” program.

Canadian Wood Vietnam, a government-funded agency in Thu Dau Mot City, helps Vietnamese manufacturers source high-quality certified Canadian wood for furniture and manufacturing applications. Their Try Canadian Wood initiative allows manufacturers to test softwood species and identify suitable Canadian wood suppliers for stockists, traders, and importers. See more about Canadian Wood on the website.