Solid Local Partnerships Help Fuel Smooth Start-Up

Although sometimes it feels like we are in an Element5 bubble – a feeling that arises from the whirlwind of start-up and is enhanced by physical distancing protocols of the pandemic – the truth is we are part of something greater. The mass timber revolution taking hold today is supported by the efforts of a figurative army of individuals and organizations working together for a common cause.

We are grateful for the warm welcome we received from the City of St. Thomas and the fantastic support from the local and regional suppliers who have been true partners during this start-up adventure. We made a commitment to locally source as many products and services as we could and that decision was not only good for the community, it was also good for us.  We are privileged to be working with many fantastic partners who have proven to be excellent collaborators; their engagement with us and their flexibility throughout the early days of establishing our supply chain strategy has been integral to the success we’re seeing in St. Thomas.

Building a factory from the ground up is no small undertaking and, despite the uncertainty of the global pandemic, we have been able to stay on schedule thanks, in no small part, to our contractors’ and suppliers’ commitment to moving forward. It was the gratitude for this outpouring of community support, expressed by our Materials and Supply Chain Manager, that inspired this post.

Of course, our gratitude is not limited to the support we are receiving in St. Thomas. We also acknowledge the multitude of research scientists, educators, code and building officials, government agencies, architects, engineers, builders, and project owners whose collected body of work has made it possible for Element5 to enter a market that is not just ready to support our new mass timber factory but anxiously awaiting it.

At Element5, we are more than just mass timber fabricators.

We are innovators, collaborators, and construction industry “disruptors” producing advanced wood systems that are helping transform the built environment.

Our team of detail-oriented professionals expertly optimizes timber building systems, following design principles that ensure each project delivers maximum economic and social value, and then we precision-manufacture versatile, value-added mass timber building components made from sustainably-sourced Ontario wood.

We believe mass timber is the essential building material of the 21st century and that the next big step in sustainable development is off-site construction. Factory-built mass timber solutions made from sustainably sourced wood products are the key to the significant gains in construction efficiency and building performance that we need, not only to improve our built environment but also to reduce its carbon footprint.

We are revolutionaries pushing for transformative change the construction sector. We believe this change will not only supercharge the forest products industry and make it the economic engine of a sustainable, green economy, but also result in better buildings with spaces that people connect with: beautiful, inviting schools, workplaces, and residences that are responsive to the human condition and help people thrive.