A second shift is to start production at Canfor-Vavenby this week, according to company spokesperson Christine Kennedy.
“Canfor has hired our sawmill second shift employees and they are in training this week,” she said last week, “with production starting next week (Dec. 5). The planer will start its second shift Jan. 9.”
Kennedy said that once Canfor-Vavenby reaches full operating capacity on two shifts in both sawmill and planer, there will be approximately 145 employees total, including hourly and staff positions.
“Start up for the division is going well and performing to our expectations,” Kennedy reported.
The Vavenby operation is shipping chips to Domtar in Kamloops and has been since restarting the operation.
“We are reviewing our capital plans for 2012, and evaluating the potential and viability of a thermal oil energy system for the purpose of kiln drying lumber on the Vavenby site,” she added.
Canfor-Vavenby re-opened in September after a two-year shutdown.
The restart followed a $24 million capital investment in the sawmill and planer mill.
Canfor also announced last week that it will purchase two sawmills in the East Kootenays. For more about that story, see page A9 inside.