Canada’s largest mass-timber manufacturer will more than double its production—from 50,000 cubic metres to 100,000 cubic metres—after opening its new campus in St. Thomas, Ontario. It comes as Element5 has opened its new and improved facility, spending CA $107 million to expand its plant from 12,077 square metres to 32,516 square metres in partnership with Austrian timber specialist Hasslacher.
The upgrade will see the plant’s workforce grow exponentially, from just 15 employees in 2020 to over 325 by year-end, adding approximately 150 new positions and comes days after the government launched its $13 billion Build Canada Homes agency, driving demand for cross-laminated timber panels across the country.
“By tripling our plant size and doubling our capacity, we secure our position as North America’s leading mass-timber manufacturer,” said Element5 president Chris Latour. He noted that developers are increasingly relying on precision-engineered components to speed up construction and control budgets, and that the expanded facility will deliver ready-to-install modules with minimal on-site assembly.
Key to the upgrade is a new cross-laminated timber press line capable of producing ten- and twelve-layer panels up to 16 metres long, alongside automated finger-jointing and lamella-profiling stations for glulam columns and beams. Wood Central understands that advanced CNC assembly cells will fabricate flat-pack wall, floor and roof modules. “We ship ready-to-install modules that simply slot together,” Latour explained. “The precision tolerances we achieve offsite translate to faster builds and tighter budgets onsite.”
Ontario’s government backed the expansion with an $8 million loan from Invest Ontario, citing the project as proof of the province’s competitiveness amid U.S. tariffs on Canadian industries. Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli said, “Element5’s expansion will create over a hundred new jobs and bolster the province’s wood-manufacturing supply chain, increasing competitiveness and unlocking new opportunities for workers, builders and homeowners.” Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack added that the investment “reinforces Ontario’s leadership in advanced wood construction and accelerates our mission to build homes faster.”
St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston welcomed the news for the city’s 50,000 residents facing a severe housing shortage. “They are one of the most respected and fastest-growing building suppliers across North America,” he said. “At a time when housing is urgently needed, I’m proud to have Element5 in St. Thomas.”
