COMPANY PROFILE: MW Sharke in 2004,” Claudepierre says. “MW Sharke is the largest interior Canfor contractor north of Kamloops.” Building relationships has long been a priority for <strong>Finning</strong>, <strong>and</strong> it’s also a skill that the owners of MW Sharke have in spades. The men’s commitment to the business <strong>and</strong> to their community is evident, but they speak plainly about the dire situation the forestry industry now finds itself in. For instance, Canfor recently announced that falling dem<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> poor prices for softwood lumber were forcing the company to reduce production. As a result, shifts were cut at a number of plants <strong>and</strong> lumber production was reduced by about 600 million board feet. “We’re sort of working for nothing right now – working to pay the bills, but we’re hoping for better times. And we have the grocery business to get us through it,” says Elliot. <strong>Finning</strong> leaders know that the thous<strong>and</strong>s of Canadians who rely on the forestry industry are indeed going through some trials right now, <strong>and</strong> that’s why <strong>Finning</strong> has been trying to find new ways to show its support for this very important contributor to the Canadian economy. <strong>Canada</strong>’s forests support a multibilliondollar industry that directly or indirectly employs close to 900,000 people across the country. Industry employees range from those who live in communities such as Clearwater, where forestry is the only major source of employment, to those who rely on the urban construction industry for employment. In 2008, its 75th anniversary year, <strong>Finning</strong> (<strong>Canada</strong>) made a $10,000 donation to Kelowna’s Silver Lake Forest Education Society Building relationships has long been a priority for <strong>Finning</strong>, <strong>and</strong> it’s also a skill that the owners of MW Sharke have in spades. (SLFES) to support the society’s revitalization efforts. The SLFES is a non-profit society offering year-round, h<strong>and</strong>s-on, outdoor experience for youth, adults <strong>and</strong> educators. It emphasizes sustainable forest management through recreational activities <strong>and</strong> educational programs. Given the major challenges currently facing Canadian forestry, <strong>Finning</strong> chose to be a direct industry sponsor this year. The guys at MW Sharke are hoping for better times too, <strong>and</strong> they think that supporting their community is one way to contribute, to make a difference where they live <strong>and</strong> work. Clearwater, a town of about 5,000 is touted as the gateway to the famed 515,000-hectare Wells Gray Provincial Park. The park protects a gorgeous valley that water has cut from volcanic rock. It encompasses five major lakes <strong>and</strong> more than 200 waterfalls, including some of the most impressive in the country. These men clearly love their town, <strong>and</strong> they recently STOREFRONT: (L-R) Partners Sunderman, Elliot <strong>and</strong> Arndt in front of the store that helps them through slow times had a chance to show it by putting some of their newly acquired Cat equipment to good use for the community. A new, integrated health-care centre has been approved for Clearwater to replace the existing, aging hospital. The new facility will provide emergency care <strong>and</strong> comprise eight multi-purpose acute inpatient beds <strong>and</strong> 12 multi-level care beds. Needless to say, this facility will improve area residents’ access to care <strong>and</strong> improve their quality of life. A site was chosen recently, but then the project seemed deadlocked. The l<strong>and</strong> needed to be cleared to prepare for construction, <strong>and</strong> there seemed to be no plan or people in place to do it. “We just told them we’d use our equipment <strong>and</strong> go in <strong>and</strong> clear it for free, <strong>and</strong> they could hardly believe it,” says Elliot. “Not only did we do it for free, but we made them about $32,000 from the sale of the timber we took out.” More than half a dozen MW Sharke employees volunteered to help out with the week-long project. It’s projects such as this that are keeping Elliot <strong>and</strong> Arndt hopeful <strong>and</strong> positive. “We’re not ready to give up on logging yet,” says Elliot. “We believe times will turn around <strong>and</strong> we’ll be profitable once again. Sometimes you have to stick things out.” <strong>Canada</strong>’s forest industry: • Earns $80 billion a year <strong>and</strong> represents 2% of the country’s GDP • Employs 900,000 Canadians directly <strong>and</strong> indirectly • Exports more than $40 billion worth of material globally • Sustains more than 320 communities from coast to coast • Makes for an average annual wage of $46,300 (2005) • Earns governments 17 cents on the dollar • Invests more than $4 billion annually on capital improvements • Innovates constantly, in such diverse areas as bioenergy, nanotechnology, biochemicals, building products, <strong>and</strong> the environment Source: The Forest Products Association of <strong>Canada</strong> (FPAC) <strong>and</strong> <strong>Finning</strong> (<strong>Canada</strong>) 40 tracks & treads • Fall 2008 www.finning.ca
www.finning.ca Fall 2008 • tracks & treads 41
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