(Vancouver, B.C.) British Columbia’s wood manufacturers have added a powerful e-commerce system to their international marketing strategy.
BC Wood, a not-for-profit trade association with over 600 value-added wood-product manufacturers in the province, today signed a partnering agreement with BuildDirect, the Vancouver-based world online building materials distributor. The agreement creates for the first time a single Internet source for the sale and delivery of BC-manufactured wood products.
“This agreement provides our members with an outstanding new opportunity to sell directly into foreign markets,” said Bill Downing, General Manager of BC Wood. “BuildDirect’s Internet platform is the world’s leading technology for the sale and shipment of building products, and BuildDirect’s one-stop customer service is the perfect business model for our diverse and geographically dispersed manufacturers,” Downing said.
“At a time when many BC communities are suffering from the crisis in BC’s primary forest industry, this is especially good news for the value-added wood products sector,” Downing added. “We’re confident that this new initiative will help the economies of many BC communities,” Downing said.
British Columbia’s value-added wood product manufacturers employ over 20,000 people and represent $4.68-billion in exports. Industry growth is projected to double sales in less than seven years to $10-billion. However, Downing said he is confident the BuildDirect e-commerce initiative will result in sales exceeding that figure, which is based on “an already healthy 10 per cent growth annually.”
“Having our members sell products with BuildDirect allows them to capitalize on a huge potential,” Downing said.
BuildDirect President Jeff Booth said the alliance with BC Wood is a major development for his company. BuildDirect launched its international sales only three months ago, after two and a half years of building and testing the procurement and logistics Internet technology designed specifically for the global construction industry.
“BC Wood is bringing us customers from their markets in China, India, Korea, Germany, Japan and the United States,” said Booth. “At the same time, BC Wood is also bringing us excellent suppliers that already have good reputations around the world for value and quality.”
About BC Wood
Established in 1989, BC Wood is a not-for-profit association with a membership of over 600 British Columbia value-added wood product manufacturers whose focus is to address the needs of small to medium-sized, growth-oriented firms, with essential training and marketing assistance not available from any other source. BC Wood has representative offices in China, Germany, India, Japan and the US.
About BuildDirect
Founded in 1999, BuildDirect.com is a comprehensive online destination for quality construction materials. The Company strives to be the building industry`s ultimate source for volume buyers worldwide by providing customers the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices. BuildDirect’s complete end-to-end solution for the purchase and delivery of products includes full customer service, product expertise, warranty support, worldwide delivery with shipment monitoring, and an integrated logistics platform supplying all transportation costs before ordering.
For more information contact:
Colin Laughlan
Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
BuildDirect
Ste. 1900 - 570 Granville Street
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada V6C 3P1
Phone: (604) 662-8100
Fax: (604) 662-8142
