Element5 to double production with $107M expansion

Key Takeaways:

• Element5 opened a $107-million expanded mass timber facility in St. Thomas, doubling its plant size and production capacity with a new Glulam production line
• The expansion will create 150 new jobs, growing the workforce to over 325 and strengthening Ontario’s forestry supply chain
• Element5’s mass timber products reduce construction timelines, costs, and carbon emissions while supporting Canada’s need for climate-friendly, modular, and affordable housing

The Whole Story:

Element5, a leading North American mass timber manufacturer, officially opened its expanded St. Thomas facility on Wednesday, marking a major milestone in the growth of Canada’s advanced wood construction sector.

The $107-million project includes a new state-of-the-art glued-laminated timber (Glulam) production line and expands the plant from 130,000 square feet to more than 350,000 square feet. Ontario is contributing $8 million through the Invest Ontario Fund to support the expansion, which is expected to create 150 new jobs, bringing the company’s workforce to over 325 employees.

“This expansion represents a bold step forward for Element5, our partners, and the mass timber industry in Canada,” said Chris Latour, president of Element5. “We are proud to provide innovative, sustainable building solutions that help address Canada’s urgent need for affordable, climate-friendly housing and infrastructure.”

Element5, founded in 2015, has delivered more than 300 projects across Canada and the United States, including student residences, luxury condominiums in New York City, arts centres, Indigenous community projects, libraries, offices, and multi-residential housing. The company has also developed a flexible, mass-timber design for multi-unit housing that reduces costs, shortens construction timelines, improves quality, and cuts carbon emissions.

The St. Thomas plant is Ontario’s first certified manufacturer of cross-laminated timber (CLT), and the expansion doubles the facility’s production capacity from 50,000 cubic metres to 100,000 cubic metres annually. When the plant first opened in 2020, it employed just 15 workers; today, the workforce has grown to 175 highly skilled professionals.

Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli said the expansion will strengthen the province’s forestry supply chain and create new opportunities for workers. “Ontario’s forestry and wood manufacturing sectors support tens of thousands of jobs across the province,” Fedeli said. “Element5’s expansion will bolster the wood manufacturing supply chain, increase the forestry sector’s competitiveness, and unlock new opportunities for workers, builders, and homeowners.”

The expansion includes a new 57,000-square-foot lumber sorting building equipped with MiCROTEC’s “Goldeneye” multi-sensor quality scanner, a two-storey, 18,000-square-foot front office built with CLT produced on-site, and large Glulam beams up to 80 feet long and 9 feet deep sourced from Element5’s parent company, Austria-based HASSLACHER group. In total, the materials used in the project sequester 625 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

“The opening of our new site in Canada marks a major milestone — for Element5 as well as for the entire HASSLACHER group,” said Christoph Kulterer, CEO and owner of the HASSLACHER group. “Canada offers the perfect conditions: access to high-quality raw materials, a growing market, and a clear commitment to sustainability. We have come here with a long-term vision — to stay, and to help shape the future of building with wood.”

Khawar Nasim, CEO of Invest Ontario, said the project supports Ontario’s priorities in affordable housing. “This project advances that focus by supporting a homegrown mass timber supplier that is instrumental in meeting the growing demand for affordable, modular construction,” he said.

With mass timber increasingly recognized as a sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional building materials, the expansion positions Element5 as a leader in Canada’s growing advanced wood construction sector.