Features Sawmilling
Forestry’s future leaders: meet Cédric, Samuel and David Bérubé

As more forest industry professionals reach retirement, it’s more important than ever that we highlight the next generation of leaders. CFI’s annual Top 10 Under 40 contest is our way of doing so. This year marks the ninth consecutive year we have scoured nominations from across Canada to find individuals who exemplify the best of our sector, from outstanding log haulers to sawmillers, foresters and others. The result is a list of high-performing professionals who are poised to lead the industry.

To acknowledge and highlight each winner’s contributions, CFI featured one of 2021’s winners every week for the past 10 weeks.

This week, our final week, we introduce readers to Cédric, Samuel and David Bérubé, a planing supervisor, transportation logistics manager, and purchasing manager for Bois d’oeuvre Cedrico sawmill in Causapscal, Que.

Bois d’oeuvre Cedrico will be able to count on not one, but three Bérubés to ensure its success in the future. Brothers Cédric, Samuel and David, aged 33, 25 and 22, respectively, will succeed their father Denis, the current president and CEO of the sawmill, in the next five to 10 years.

“When you are born into a family of sawyers, you cannot escape your fate! Even though our desire to ensure its longevity has only manifested itself in recent years, we have always been involved in the company,” says Cédric, the planing supervisor at the Causapscal plant. The eldest in the family, Cédric has held several production positions at Cedrico.

The youngest, Samuel, followed a similar path. He is currently in charge of the logistics of transporting finished products while he studies administration. David is completing a Bachelor’s in Finance at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, N.S., and finished a summer purchasing internship at the mill in August.

“Working for the company puts you in the shoes of the employees. We better understand their reality,” says their father.

This initiation is also an integral part of the company’s succession plan, which was entrusted to a specialized external firm. It’s no small task to have three brothers pick up the torch at the same time.

“This support facilitates certain discussions that would otherwise be difficult to have. Fortunately, our skillsets are complementary, so the burden of the company will be spread over several shoulders,” says Samuel.