Canfor Corporation is an integrated forest products company based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Canfor Corporation
Company typePublic
TSXCFP
S&P/TSX Composite Component
IndustryForest Products
FoundedVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
FounderJohn Prentice and Poldi Bentley
HeadquartersVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Key people
Don Kayne, CEO & President; Pat Elliott, CFO, Canfor and Canfor Pulp, and SVP, Sustainability
ProductsForest products
RevenueIncrease 7.68 billion CAD (2021) [1]
Increase 1.91 billion CAD (2021) [1]
Increase 1.34 billion CAD (2021) [1]
Total assetsIncrease 6.17 billion CAD (2021) [1]
Total equityIncrease 4.01 billion CAD (2021) [1]
Number of employees
7,391 (2021) [2]
Websitewww.canfor.com

History

edit

The company traces its roots to the late 1930s when brothers-in-law John G. Prentice and L.L.G. "Poldi" Bentley and their families left their native Austria just before the outbreak of World War II. They settled in Vancouver and built a small mill that was the beginning of the more than 75-year-old company.

In 2006, the company was subject to a proxy fight between billionaires Jim Pattison and Stephen A. Jarislowsky, who owned 30% and 18% of the firm's shares, respectively. Pattison won and ousted CEO Jim Shepherd over Canfor's poor performance and declining share price, which saw Jim Pattison appointed interim CEO.[3]

Current status

edit
Financial Information
  2010 2009 2008
Net Sales (C$M) 2, 436 2, 120 2, 610
Net Earnings (C$M) 161.3 -62.8 -345.2

Poldi Bentley's son Peter Bentley (1930-2021) was the Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors. Canfor produces softwood lumber, specialty wood products, and engineered wood products. Canfor also owns a controlling share in Canfor Pulp Limited, which produces northern softwood kraft pulp and kraft paper in BC.[4]

As of 2016, the company has an annual production capability of 5.9 billion board feet of lumber, 1.1 million tonnes of northern softwood market kraft pulp, approximately 220,000 tonnes of BCTMP and 140,000 tonnes of kraft paper.[5][6]

Operations or offices are located in:[7]

  • Camden, SC
  • Conway, SC
  • Darlington, SC
  • DeRidder, LA
  • El Dorado, AR
  • Elko, BC
  • Fulton, AL
  • Graham, NC
  • Grande Prairie, AB
  • Hermanville, MS
  • Jackson, AL
  • Moultrie, GA
  • Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Prince George, BC
  • Radium, BC
  • Thomasville, GA
  • Washington, GA
  • Wynndel, BC


On November 15, 2018 Canfor announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire a 70% share of the Vida Group, a wood products company based in Sweden. The prior owners of Vida maintain a 30% share and manage day-to-day operations.[8]

Canfor formerly owned the Englewood Railway on Vancouver Island, but sold it to Western Forest Products in 2006.[9]

Canfor has 6,380 employees as of 2016.[10]

Canfor is a member of the Forest Products Association of Canada.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e 2020 Financial statement canfor.com
  2. ^ "Canfor's Competitors, Revenue, Number of Employees, Funding, Acquisitions & News - Owler Company Profile". Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  3. ^ "Canfor CEO steps down amid shakeup". The Globe and Mail. March 31, 2007. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  4. ^ "Canfor - Lumber, Pulp, Paper & Sustainable-Wood Products". Canfor.com. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  5. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "Jimmy Got Mad". Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  7. ^ "Our Operations - Canfor's Manufacturing Facilities". Canfor.com. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  8. ^ "Canfor to acquire majority interest in vida group of sweden". Canfor.com. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  9. ^ "Values - Our Mission, Vision and Values" (PDF). Canfor.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  10. ^ "Workforce". Canfor.com. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
edit