NELSON, B.C. — Spearhead, a Nelson, BC-based family-owned timber fabricator, is investing $60 million in a new production facility housing a highly specialized glulam manufacturing line and advanced CNC machining technology — purpose-built to drive innovation and push possibilities in mass timber construction and advanced timber fabrication.

With construction already underway, the new facility sits immediately adjacent to Spearhead's existing operation just outside of Nelson, British Columbia, which is a site the company has called home for almost 30 years.

The company said that the facility and equipment will serve the full dynamic range of Spearhead's work, from complex freeform timber structures to high-end residential and commercial construction. Automated laminating capabilities will utilize locally sourced softwoods, mixed species, and hardwoods to produce glulam in straight, curved, and double-curved layups up to 80 feet in length.

Through this expansion, Spearhead said it is creating over 60 new full-time jobs in Nelson, taking the company’s headcount to more than 120 and further establishing its role as one of the region’s largest employers. The project has already received $7.5 million in provincial funding from the Manufacturing Jobs Fund, reflecting broader recognition of mass timber’s role in Canada’s forestry and construction future, with additional funding partnerships to be announced soon.

“This is the right project, in the right region, at the right time. It’s a launchpad for innovation while supporting economic success for Canada," said Ben Hall, partner, Spearhead.

Over the past three decades, Spearhead has delivered technically advanced and architecturally ambitious timber structures — from landmarks within Ottawa’s National Capital Commission core, to the Aspen Art Museum in Colorado, to the Temple of Light in Crawford Bay, BC. Building on that momentum, Spearhead is now forging a new era of innovation and sustainability in timber construction through next-generation technology, while ensuring the company's roots in craftsmanship continue to guide its growth.

Spearhead said it will be one of the only laminators in North America able to produce zero VOC glulam, meeting growing demand from projects with stringent indoor air quality and sustainability requirements.

Ledinek Engineering, a European manufacturer of wood-processing technology based in Slovenia, will deliver the complete glulam line this spring. The facility will also house a new Hundegger K2i CNC, which is a CNC-controlled joinery machine used in timber construction for precision cutting, milling, and drilling of various wood products. Spearhead's third Hundegger and the latest chapter in a relationship with the German manufacturer that began when Spearhead purchased its first machine in 2001. Installation and commissioning of the laminating and machining equipment is scheduled to begin this summer, with product certifications expected in early 2027.

The project team includes Leckie Studio as the architect of record, Fast + Epp as engineer of record, and HR Pacific as the general contractor. Spearhead is also working closely with Neue Holzbau, a leader in the engineering and fabrication of complex timber structures, to introduce GSA glued-in-rod technology to North America through Spearhead’s new facility.

“Spearhead’s expansion is a powerful example of what happens when innovation, skilled workers, and B.C. wood come together. Their new $60-million facility will help anchor B.C. as a global leader in mass timber, while creating more than 60 new, good-paying jobs in the Kootenays. It is an important focus of our Look West strategy, which sets a 10-year target of tripling the amount of B.C. wood used in construction to support forward-looking manufacturers, like Spearhead, who are strengthening local supply chains, adding value to our forest sector, and building a cleaner, more sustainable economy for people across B.C," said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth.