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GORMAN GROUP EDGE / ISSUE #1 17
The computers are trained and monitored by mill personnel to perform specific tasks. Once defects are properly
identified, this information can be used manufacture and sort lumber into desired products based on value and
customer demand.
Fibre Utilization
The Gorman Group has always been driven by fibre utilization. Programs have been developed to use low-
grade fibre and transform it into products that add value. In 2018, Downie Timber invested in a manufacturing
line which chops low-grade Cedar and produces Cedar Fish Planks for the food industry. In addition, we
manufacture the components for thousands of elevated and ground planters produced by CedarCraft for
the retail market. “I like the value-added products that (we) offer and knowing that I contributed to that is
extremely rewarding,” says Trisha Best, Finishing-End Superintendent at Downie-Selkirk, “something new is
offered all the time.”
Efficiency
For the past 10 years, we have participated in BCHydro’s Sustainable Energy Management Program (SEMP).
The Gorman Group investments in energy efficient technologies yield over 10.1GWh of annual energy savings,
equivalent to the annual energy used by over 400 homes in British Columbia. These improvements range from
simply using LED lights to replace incandescent bulbs to more complex solutions implementing variable speed
air compressor systems which adjust the output based on the demand.
At Gorman Bros. Lumber, their wood-fired burner has been replaced with a new high-efficiency natural gas
burner. This reduces smoke and particles released to the atmosphere, but it also enables the burner output
to accurately match the demand from the kilns. This burner is equipped with modern controls and a flue gas
economizer which improves its efficiency by 6%.
Environment
Site emissions at Canoe Forest Products have been drastically reduced, the equivalent of removing 58 cars
off the road per year, since upgrading their dryers in 2019. This was achieved through more efficient heating
methods, modern controls, and better insulation. Currently, a new Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) is
being installed at Canoe Forest Products. This modern emission control equipment is used to burn off the
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which are released when drying Veneer. The chosen equipment is fuel-
efficient and will substantially improve the air quality of the facility and the surrounding area. Additionally, an
elaborate Groundwater Treatment Plant has been installed at Downie Timber, which ensures that any water
that exits the mill site is safe to the adjacent streams, rivers, and its inhabitants.
Our West Kelowna operation uses its 21 dry kilns and a drying cycle that
is 4 times as long as conventional mills to ensure the quality necessary
for our products.
