Transcript Sales & Marketing Programs

Columbia Forest Products
Plywood
Division
• Eight Manufacturing Plants
– Largest HWPW footprint in North America
– Redundant capabilities; close to market centers
• Multi-Channel Path to Market
– Distributors, OEM’s, Home Centers
• In-field sales effort
– Intimate with customers
– Active with architectural
community
Veneer
Division
• Three veneer mills
– Largest capacity in North America
• 4th mill can be re-activated
• Rotary cut decorative hardwood veneer
– Supplies Columbia’s hwpw mills
– Sells directly to other hwpw, door and furniture
manufacturers
• Emphasis on
– Birch, Red Oak, Maple
Columbia is Unique
• Leading market shares in key products
– 60% Share in decorative rotary veneer
– 37% Share of domestic hardwood plywood
• Innovative products & technology
– PureBond® formaldehyde-free technology
– MPX® smooth core veneer
• Marketing strategies
– Business to Business & Business to Consumer
– Voice of the Customer
– Differentiation through Innovation
Columbia is Unique:
Product Awards & Recognition
•
•
•
•
Gifford Pinchot Award winner
Rainforest Alliance “Sustainable Standard Setter”
Home Depot Vendor of the Year
EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Award
– Greener Synthetic Pathway category
• MetaFore Innovation Award
• Sustainable Industries
– Top 10 Green Building Product
• BuildingGreen (Envir. Bldg. News)
– Top 10 Green Building Product
• Architectural Record
– Editor’s Pick
Columbia: An Early Adapter
• Columbia saw the writing on the wall 10 years ago
with the USGBC’s stance on formaldehyde and
VOC’s.
• The suppliers and our competitors were slow to
change and were content with the “status quo”.
• We took responsibility to find an alternative
adhesive and pursued it.
• Our employees, from top management to the
technicians in our mills, had to have the mindset
that they were going to make this work.
• This was not the flavor of the month, but a new
way of life.
Challenges
• Became “The Bad Guy” of our industry by
disrupting the “Status Quo”.
• Even when Columbia was making progress, the
industry pushed back even harder
– Made it more difficult to sell our veneers to our
competition.
• Capital needed for new equipment in our
facilities
• Tighter process controls in a new realm
• Staying on track even when there were bumps
in the road.
Benefits
• Product differentiation that was cost neutral.
• Easily met CARB Standards.
• Emissions from our manufacturing were
significantly reduced.
• New technology gave us a cost advantage.
• Cost avoidance in capital spending on equipment
to filter out emissions.
• Columbia now viewed as an leader and innovator,
not just a hardwood plywood producer
Innovation
• Innovation is an integral part of our company.
• Implemented lean manufacturing principles in 2008
and have realized over 45 million dollars in cost
savings.
• We evaluate everything we do, while focusing on
the needs of the customer.
• People bring ideas to us wanting our opinion.
• “Green Chemistry” is just a portion of our
innovative thinking
Investment in Innovation
• Invested in High-efficiency
lathes
• Alternative wood supplies
(Hybrid Poplar)
• Value added products
• Continued research on
adhesives
Expanding
Product
Mix
• New valueadded materials
and options
enable
customers to
reduce
operational cost
and complexity
New Brand Identity & Definition
Tagline:
Innovating Responsibly™
Mission:
Our ideas will be groundbreaking,
and our stewardship will be forever mindful
of the ground we live on.
Core Values:
• Customer service above all else
• Absolute integrity
• Share the success