About
In 1956, 300 men shared a dream: self-sufficiency through their own hard work. They purchased a large tract of land on the banks of British Columbia’s Fraser River, where logs from one of the world’s most prolific coniferous forests could arrive by tow and be lifted onshore to a massive manufacturing plant. The product was plywood. And the dream came true. Richmond Plywood Corporation Limited (Richply) began.
The dream took careful planning, as well as industry experts at the helm. The corporation hired a non-shareholder management team of seasoned professionals to work in tandem with a board of directors who oversee the interests of the company. The result? A winning combination that has steered Richply into position as the last remaining plywood mill out of 11 on B.C.’s lower mainland. And not only surviving, but thriving, employing over 400 people including the 282 shareholders who work in production.
More than fifty years later, Richply boasts one of the largest selections of plywood in Canada and an order file that rivals the largest producers in North America. Our mill peels an average of 480,000 cubic meters of logs per year, and with two high-speed lathe lines, three dryers, three presses, and a full range of other sophisticated machinery, turns out an annual production of approximately 225 mm 3/8’s. We produce panel products which end up on walls, floors, concrete forms, boats, furniture, signs – wherever high-quality plywood is used – in places as diverse as Japan, China, Korea, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, and of course all Canadian cities and towns. You name the location and chances are you’ll find Richply plywood there.
At Richply, we stand behind our products, and we stand at the front of an industry that takes pride in turning B.C. wood into high-quality, world renowned panels: time-tested Canadian plywood.
Environmental mission and strategy (ESG)
Environmental issues play an increasingly significant role in the harvesting and processing of forest products worldwide. We at Richmond Plywood take pride in our ability to meet or exceed governmental regulations and industry standards. The B.C. government’s comprehensive Forest and Range Practices Act is established as law to ensure the responsible stewardship of the full range of forest values. Legislation also outlines the operational roles and responsibilities of both government and companies.
Richmond Plywood purchases the majority of the logs we process into plywood from logs sold on the open log market, all of which conform to governmental regulations. We also process logs from our own Forest Licence areas where we practice sustainable land management that is environmentally sensitive, socially acceptable and meets the Forest and Range Practices Act. In 2004, the B.C. Forest Practices Board honoured Richmond Plywood with an award for practicing good forest practices at our Port Hardy operation on northern Vancouver Island. Richmond Plywood’s owners, managers, foresters and loggers can and are held personally liable for any failure to comply with the environmental and performance standards of the Act.