Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 6

86 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 6 so all excess chips are utilized in that process while all our bark goes to a biomass electric plant.” The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every industry sector, worldwide, and the timber industry has been no different. Although the lumber business was deemed essential and was not shut down, the pandemic did have some fringe effects on HHP’s business. “Shipping was a bit more difficult with the pandemic,” shares Marco, “and we also saw a reduction in production as more people stayed home to quarantine even as demand skyrocketed.” Besides the challenges related to the pandemic, HHP is also grappling with an industry-wide labor shortage, as fewer people seek careers in vocational trades. According to Joe, “We do see a general labor shortage but more specifically in specialized trades like machine operators, who typically require some industry knowledge and AUTOMATION • OPTIMIZATION • VISION INNOVATION FROM ONE END OF THE MILL TO THE OTHER 1-450-970-2113 service24@autolog.com LOG • GANG EDGER • BOARD EDGER GANG EDGER • BOARD EDGER • TRIMMER LINEAR PLANER OPTIMIZER P ROU D TO PA RT N E R W I T H H H P I N C . MORE THAN 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE DRYING AND DISTRIBUTION OF HARDWOOD 590, Sagard street, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville Québec, CANADA, J3V 6C2 450 461-1767 www.pfmes.ca Congratulations to HHP Inc. In keeping with this investment trend, the company has recently begun the first stages of implementing a state-of-the-art automated lumber grader from Comact, a first in the industry. “Traditionally, every piece of lumber is visually inspected by a person to determine the grade mark,” Joe explains. “Although it has been difficult to automate this task, the use of advanced scanners and machine learning has opened the door for such machines to enter the market, and we are among the first companies to adopt the technology.” As part of an industry that directly impacts the environment, HHP is doing its part to ensure sustainability by practicing responsible forestry and running a zero-waste facility. “Since we do some of our own logging, our foresters ensure everything is done according to forestry practice standards,” says Marco. “For debris or by-product, we are fortunate to have a partnership with a successful NH based wood pellet manufacturer,