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Turuss facility up-and-running in Ontario

The lumber – white oak, red oak, walnut, hickory, ash and hard maple – is purchased both locally, and in at least five American states, and is brought to the 410,000-square-foot facility, where it is sorted, graded, dried and prepared for container shipment to China, according to The Hanover Post.

Purchased by the Li family of China in February 2012, the Chesley facility is just one part of the Turuss (Canada) Industry Co. Ltd. operation, which includes GRS Investments and six retail stores in the Greater Toronto Area, warehouse and storage facilities in Markham and Mississauga and the Li family-owned manufacturing operations in China, which employ over 2,000 people.

The Chesley investment, made in February 2012 for an undisclosed amount of money, represents the next step in the long term plan of Mr. Li. After looking at many investment opportunities in North America, the former Durham Furniture plant, at the south end of Chesley, was selected.

One of the major tasks facing the new ownership was refurbishing the giant kilns, used to dry lumber. Six of the eight kilns are now operational. Prior to their use, the lumber was air-dried outside.

In December, approximately 60 truckloads of lumber – each carrying 7,000 to 11,000 board feet (MBF) of raw lumber – were trucked into the Chesley facility and since beginning operations in Chesley, 61 containers of lumber have been shipped back to China, Huang said. The loads leave from ports in either Toronto or Vancouver and normally take 23 days to reach China.

Looking into the future, assistant general manager Daniel Huang says a coating line will soon be operational in Chesley. Eventually – three to five years from now – hardwood flooring will be manufactured in Chesley and also some furniture.

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