Business Strategy and Reports

Across all CMAs, Q4 recorded 11,824 single-detached completions and 17,470 multi-unit completions. Absorption at completion remained the dominant mechanism in both segments, accounting for 66% of single-detached absorptions and 74% of…

Canada’s 2025 housing starts increased year over year on a raw annual basis, rising from 245,367 in 2024 to 259,028 in 2025 (+5.6%). That is a meaningful improvement, but it is not, on its own, a signal of broad-based acceleration. For…

Consumer Reports has released its first-ever ratings of kitchen appliance brands. The 2026 rankings are for cooktops, ranges, wall ovens, dishwashers and refrigerators. LG emerged as the top brand in several categories and is consistently…

At the end of each year, design minds forecast trends for the ensuing 12 months. Canadian furniture wholesaler and retailer Moe’s Home Collection surveyed nearly 500 interior designers, retailers and buyers to capture their insights on…

Winter is when Canadian shops get serious. Projects are in full swing, margins are tight, and every decision — from scheduling to quoting — can mean the difference between control and chaos. In this issue, we turn the spotlight toward…

Canada’s urgent need for affordable, accessible rental housing has exposed a disconnect between the architectural form of multi-unit residential buildings and the human experience of living in the spaces within them. Somewhere along the…

National starts climbed again in the third quarter, but record-low builder sentiment, layoffs, and a sharp pivot toward rentals point to a fragile pipeline for ownership housing—and a more selective outlook for wood manufacturers.

For cabinetmakers, furniture producers, and other secondary wood manufacturers, the federal budget lands at a tense moment. U.S. tariffs on wood products have escalated, yet Ottawa’s plan couples domestic demand stimulus with sharper…

Colour trends play a vital role in the furniture industry, influencing consumer preferences and shaping the overall aesthetic of interior spaces. In the year ahead, paint brands predict homeowners will look for colours inspired by nature.…

As the season of trade shows and forums unfolds, one thing is clear: Canadian wood manufacturing moves forward when it moves together. From national associations to local shop floors, connection remains our strongest tool.

Trade turbulence has become a defining feature of the modern manufacturing landscape—and nowhere is this more sharply felt than in small- and medium-sized export-dependent businesses. In Ontario, members of the Wood Manufacturing Cluster of…

Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing mounting pressure on multiple fronts. In a recent Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) survey, 71% of manufacturers identified trade uncertainty as their top…

Canada’s housing construction sector delivered a mixed message in the second quarter of 2025. On the surface, national housing starts rose nearly 13% year-over-year, marking a statistically strong quarter. But dig deeper, and a more…

Margins in secondary wood manufacturing often compress despite strong order books. To understand why, it helps to start with structure rather than symptoms. Michael E. Porter’s “The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy” offers a…

Statistics Canada’s advance estimate for April’s retail sales (pre-tax excluding the impact from the removal of the consumer carbon tax) showed a 0.5 per cent month-over-month increase, consistent with the underlying strength RBC has seen…

Equipment decisions in secondary wood manufacturing are often compressed into a few hectic afternoons. A sales rep’s rebate, a plant manager’s enthusiasm, and an owner’s gut feeling combine into what seems like a confident “yes.” Nobel…

Lumber prices spike, skilled labour is scarce, and technology lurches from manual jigs to five-axis CNCs overnight. Amid the churn, many secondary wood manufacturers pivot frantically—redesigning product lines, entering new niches,…

Early‑2025 housing data tell a story of contrasts rather than competition. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), 45,302 new homes began construction in Q1 2025 across centres of 10 000 people or more—an 8.6 …