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ST. THOMAS, ONT. — Ontario-based Element5 has announced that its new factory has achieved international recognition as a certified manufacturer of cross-laminated timber (CLT).

Element 5 is Ontario’s only CLT manufacturer. A recent statement explained its new plant in St. Thomas, Ont. received certification from PFS TECO of Cottage Grove, Wis. for the production of CLT under the ANSI/APA PRG 320-2019 Standard for Performance-Rated Cross-Laminated Timber.

The ANSI/APA PRG 320 standard covers the manufacturing, qualification and quality assurance requirements for CLT in Canada and the United States.

Element5 began construction of its new 137,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the second half of 2019. Despite the challenges arising from the pandemic, the factory was constructed on schedule and its automated manufacturing line was installed, commissioned, and certified on the company’s originally projected timeline.

“It is an amazing milestone that was achieved through extraordinary collaboration and dedication by the entire team. A special appreciation for our excellent Quality team and PFS TECO for the strong partnership,” stated Chris Latour, vice-president of manufacturing engineering, in a statement.

Now that the testing and certification process has been successfully completed for V2 Grade 5-layer CLT made from Spruce-pine-fir, certification of the company’s other panel layups is expected to come quickly, the firm said.