Left to Right: Hal Hanlon, Chief Lynn Kenoras and Greg Smith
BRITISH COLUMBIA – Adams Lake Indian Band (ALIB), Gilbert Smith Forest Products (GSFP), & Woodtone Specialties (WSI) are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the three parties.
The agreement between ALIB, a primary lumber manufacturer in GSFP, and a secondary remanufacturer in WSI will reinforce existing relationships and guide work going forward to achieve mutual objectives. The three parties’ objectives include increased development of regional & local economies, supporting ongoing forest management and manufacturing/remanufacturing work, sustainable utilization and management of the environment and its natural resources, and exploring ongoing opportunities for future development.
“The Adams Lake Indian Band is pleased to sign this agreement and looks forward to building a strong partnership with Woodtone and Gilbert Smith leading to long-term full-time opportunities for our membership and our corporations,” said Chief Lynn Kenoras.
The MOU establishes a framework for the three parties to identify opportunities for cooperation, joint ventures and shared decision making. This relationship will promote fibre security, value-added manufacturing, and long-term local employment.
“We are very proud of this agreement, especially as it will lead to the strengthening of our rural and Indigenous communities, a value GSFP has always been committed to,” said Greg Smith of GSFP.
This partnership represents committing to a supply chain linkage from the forest through to high value finished products that are produced exclusively on Secwepemc territory in the interior of British Columbia. The intent is to create a direct relationship between Indigenous Forest tenures, a primary manufacturer, and a major value-added wood products manufacturer that all operate within 200 km of each other. This collaboration represents the ideal forest-to-finished product business model and executes the partners’ shared vision for the future of forestry in British Columbia.
All three partners are pleased to be elkstwecw (working together) and are committed to a long-standing relationship built on trust and respect.
“This agreement is extremely exciting for Woodtone from a strategic business perspective and even more exciting, is the opportunity for our company to become a meaningful partner in the First Nations reconciliation process,” said Hal Hanlon of WSI.