Vernon

The TIR's split into two groups to visit with the local companies in Vernon and Penticton. In Vernon, the group consisted of Cathy Yao, K.S. Kim, John MacDonald, Pratap Raju, and Rolf Fyne. Here are the companies that the Vernon group toured:

• The Rise: The Rise is a 735 acre, master planned resort community on south facing slopes 3.5 km west of the city centre of Vernon, British Columbia. The $1 billion resort community is being built in phases over ten to 15 years and at full build out will comprise 660 resort residential units, 550 resort commercial units - hotels, condos, winery and vineyards, Golf Course and Clubhouse, recreational centres.
• Progressive Solutions: Software solutions for the wood products and building materials supply chain to help customers become more efficient, more productive and more profitable. Operations on three continents: North America, Europe and Australia. HQ in Vancouver, sales and branch offices across North America and in the United Kingdom.
• Tolko Industries: Founded in 1956, Tolko has grown from a small sawmill in Lavington, British Columbia, to become a company diversified by geography and product. Tolko manufactures lumber, unbleached kraft papers, panel products, co-products, biomass power, and a growing number of specialty wood products in its operations across Western Canada. In the past few years, Tolko has been extremely successful in diversifying from primarily a North American market to now approximately 50% of their products shipped to Asia. The company employs some 1,100 people in the Okanagan and approximately 3,500 worldwide.
• Rhinokore: Rhinokore is a composite company, located in a 110,000sqft facility in Spallumcheen, BC. They purchased the assets of Bigfoot Industries (RV Trailer Manufacturing Company). They produce a variety of products including composite mats, utilizing their proprietary honeycomb manufacturing technology.

Penticton

The second group of TIR's travelled south to Penticton, where they toured several local businesses. The group consisted of Kevin Tsui, Gordon Smythe, Avi Salsberg and Rainer Giersch:

• Slimline Manufacturing: Turbo-Mist Sprayers are market leaders of technology in air-blast sprayers using proven air delivery systems designed for professional agricultural use in orchards and vineyards.
• Nor-mar Industries: Brutus Truck Bodies by Nor-Mar Industries Ltd. are designed for the harsh forestry, construction, mining, and oilfield sectors of the rugged Canadian environment. This demanding landscape has led Brutus to develop heavy-duty truck bodies that utilizes the finest materials, construction standards, and equipment.
• Waycon Manufacturing: Waycon provides a full range of services from design engineering and manufacturing to turn key finished machinery operation. Specialists in the design and manufacture of industrial equipment, Waycon serves a wide range of industries including: Forestry (logging & sawmill), Mining, Environmental, Oil & Gas, Bulk Materials Storage & Handling, and Construction. The company started in 1987 with 2 employees and has grown to a full time staff of 46.