On 43 acres just north of Radium Hot Springs and alongside the Columbia River sits several long buildings surrounded by geometric patterns of stacked timbers. This well-ordered worksite is Brisco Wood Preservers headquarters, a company owned by Peter Mason that has additional production yards in Peers, Nakusp, and Sundre.
Known for their utility poles, Brisco Wood Preservers has been supplying utilities and communications companies since 1989. Their newer operation established in 2002, Brisco Manufacturing Ltd., produces Brisco Fine Line, specialty engineered products including wood beams, columns, and panels. This series of products is in high demand for residential, commercial and industrial construction because they have a consistent moisture content of less than 8 per cent and are among the most dimensionally stable custom-made wood products on the market. The massive beams produced by Brisco Manufacturing can bear loads far in excess of what can be borne by sawed logs, and when properly reinforced by concrete and steel, are an excellent choice for high-rise construction.
Both Brisco companies have well-established certified forest management and fibre sourcing systems, ensuring their wood comes from well-managed forests. They use the entire log in their manufacturing process and all wood waste is re-purposed or used to help fuel their mills. Having thriving, renewable forests is essential to their growth and the success of the communities they work with.