Quebec's wood industry by the numbers
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Quebec is home to more than 3,000 sawmills.

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DRUMMONDVILLE, Quebec – The forestry and wood product industries are powerful drivers of Quebec’s economy. The size and scope of these industrial-economic engines amplify why the return of Salon Industriel du Bois Ouvré (SIBO) this October will play a critical to connecting wood products manufacturers and suppliers.

Here are some quick facts about the Quebec wood basket. 

  • More than half of Quebec (nearly 900,000 km2) is covered in forests, a size nearly twice that of Sweden.
  • 20% of Canada’s total forested area is found in Quebec, which equates to about 2% of the world’s forests.
  • While 92% of forests in the province are owned by the government, the remaining 8% is divided between 130,000 small and large woodlot owners.
  • Approximately 28% of Canada’s real gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017 was generated by Quebec's forestry sector;
  • Quebec’s forestry sector exports nearly $12 billion of forest products each year, the second-largest amount of any province.
  • More than 140 forest-based and urban municipalities depend principally on forests for their economic survival.
  • 31% of Canada’s total forest industry employment is concentrated in Quebec.
  • Over 3,000 mills and plants produce a wide range of forest products all over Quebec.
  • Approximately 60,000 direct jobs are sustained annually within the province for Québecers.
  • Forest management workers in Quebec earn an average of $68,000 a year, compared to the provincial average income of $43,900.
  • The Quebec residential furniture industry is the biggest in the country, comprising 45% of the jobs in this sector in Canada.
  • The furniture industry, present in every region in Quebec, accounts for a significant part of the province’s manufacturing sector. In total, it represents roughly 25,000 jobs, making the furniture industry one of the top seven employers in Quebec’s manufacturing sector.
  • The residential furniture industry accounts for approximately 40% of all furniture industry jobs in Québec, in three sub-sectors: wood residential furniture, upholstered furniture, and furniture that was neither wood nor upholstered.
  • The United States is our major economic partner, receiving more than 90% of Quebec's residential furniture exports.

Sources: Government of Quebec, Government of Canada, Montreal Economic Institute, Natural Resources Canada; Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Export (MEIE).

SIBO 2022 will be held at the Centrexpo Cogeco in Drummondville. 

Learn more and register.
 

SIBO 2022 Registration

About Salon Industriel du Bois Ouvré (SIBO)
SIBO, historically the most important event for Quebec’s secondary wood products industry, provides an exclusive opportunity for manufacturers and distributors of woodworking machinery, tooling, software, cabinet hardware, lumber and board products, and much more to connect with manufacturers representing Quebec’s $8.2 billion wood products economy.

For exhibit space and sponsorship inquiries, contact Rob Roszell at [email protected] or Harry Urban at [email protected].

View SIBO 2022 exhibitor prospectus.

More upcoming Woodworking Network events
Executive Briefing Conference (EBC), Sept. 15-17, 2022, The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Wood Pro Expo Lancaster (WPEL), Oct. 13-14, 2022, Spooky Nook Sports Center/Warehouse at the Nook, Manheim, Pa.

Wood Machinery & Supply Conference & Expo (WMS), Nov. 2-4, 2023, International Centre, Mississauga, Ontario.

Closets Conference & Expo (CCE) co-located with Wood Pro Expo Florida (WPEFL), April 12-14, 2023, Palm Beach County Convention Center, West Palm Beach, Fla. 

 

 

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About the author
Rich Christianson | President/Owner/C-Level

Rich Christianson is the owner of Richson Media LLC, a Chicago-based communications firm focused on the industrial woodworking sector. Rich is the former long-time editorial director and associate publisher of Woodworking Network. During his nearly 35-year career, Rich has toured more than 250 woodworking operations throughout North America, Europe and Asia and has written extensively on woodworking technology, design and supply trends. He has also directed and promoted dozens of woodworking trade shows, conferences and seminars including the Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo and the Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference & Expo, Canada’s largest woodworking show.