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TLA requesting participation in sustainability analysis report

Jan. 25, 2017 - Last week at the TLA's 74th Annual Convention & Trade Show, Premier Christy Clark and Minister Steve Thomson, Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO), announced a contractor sustainability review. The review is the result of the collective advocacy efforts of the TLA and other logging associations in the province to address the important issue of contractor sustainability. Before we can make changes for logging contractors, it is important to understand why, and this is what the first part of the review will accomplish.  

In the announcement, Minister Thomson identified an economic assessment and review of the contracting sector as the first phase of a four-phase competitiveness review to improve the health and competitiveness of the forest industry in British Columbia. FLNRO has selected PNL Consulting Inc. to conduct the first phase by providing a Forest Sector Contractor Economic Sustainability Analysis report. The objective of the report is to analyze the financial performance of logging contractors in British Columbia to establish a baseline understanding of the sector’s economic and financial characteristics and key economic drivers.

With your participation, the PNL report will aggregate and analyze annual year-end financial statements of contractors. No identifying information from any contractor – including name, financial statements, or individual performance – will be included in PNL's report. PNL’s process for data collection and analysis was presented to the Truck Loggers Association (TLA), the Interior Logging Association (ILA), the North West Loggers Association (NWLA), the Coast Forest Products Association (CFPA), the Council of Forest Industries (COFI), and the Interior Lumber Manufacturers Association (ILMA) for review and concurrence. 

Logging contractors are urged to consider participating in this confidential project by providing PNL with your financial statements from fiscal 2011 through 2015 (and 2016 if available). PNL will aggregate your financial information with other contractors and present the final analysis only in aggregate form. No contractor identity or confidential information will be provided in the report. PNL's report is due to government before the end of March 2017.  The more contractors represented in the report, the better the report will present the situation of contractors. There is no cost for you to participate in this process.

Participation in this review will be the one chance contractors will have to make a difference. We need this information from all sizes and types of contractors.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact me by email at david@tla.ca or by phone at 604-684-4291 ext 1. PNL will be travelling around the province over the next few weeks with the TLA, ILA and NWLA to meet with contractors to discuss this project. 

If you choose to participate in this process without further delay, please contact PNL Consulting: Aaron Sinclair, Janet Manke, and Emily Anderson to discuss the next steps or at 250.961.3114.

Thank you for your consideration to participate in this important process for improving the financial sustainability of contractors in British Columbia!

January 25, 2017  By David Elstone Executive Director Truck Loggers Association