About
The Start: 1927
Gulick Forest Products is a third generation family business and mainstay of the Ottawa Valley lumber industry. Our history dates back to 1927, when Leonard Gulick began working with his father, Christy Gulick, cutting timber from his bush lot. Leonard continued to pursue the logging operations and eventually operated his own business known as Gulick Lumber. He was involved in bush operations, and purchased his first Crown Timber Licence in 1948. Gulick Lumber worked closely with the Ministry of Natural Resources, then known as the Department of Lands and Forests. His company also bought timber from private bush owners and was involved in buying, selling and trucking lumber.
Second Generation Joins the Business
The family business continued to grow when Leonard’s son, Glen, joined the business, which helped expand the company’s logging operations. In 1963, Glen purchased his first sawmill and the company began to manufacture their own lumber. In 1968, Glen formed the company known today as Gulick Forest Products Ltd.
In 1970, Gulick Forest Products installed a slabwood chipper. It allowed them to purchase slabwood from surrounding mills in order to produce chips for the pulp and paper industry. This was the first major initiative to use the full tree in lumber operations. In 1971, the company installed a roundwood chipper producing chips from the low-end pulpwood material.
A year later, GFP built a new sawmill to handle larger volumes of logs which increased their sawing capacity and expanded their bush operations. At this time, the Crown Timber Licence held by Leonard Gulick was transferred to Gulick Forest Products.
GFP purchased A.E.Quade Ltd. in 1978, thereby adding another Crown Timber Licence, planing mill and sawmill to their operations. Bush operations continued under the two separate Crown licences before eventually combining to one licence under GFP. The planing mill at A.E. Quade Ltd. continued to operate until 1996 when a new planing facility was built at the Gulick Forest Products location.
Third Generation Joins the Business
In 1992, Glen’s son, Grant, joined the business. Grant went to Memphis, Tenn. in 1993 to study his license to be a certified hardwood lumber grader. GFP has since been a member of the NHLA, following the guidelines and rules with all their lumber according to NHLA standards. (National Hardwood Lumber Association)
Two years later, Gulick Forest Products began hauling Crown timber to the sawmill in treelength form. This change eliminates much of the waste that can be left in the bush, and leaves a much cleaner footprint upon completion of the harvest. Hauling treelength from GFP’s Crown license allows trees to be cut into the desired log length to produce the specific length of lumber that markets demand at the time of production.
In 2000, GFP expanded lumber production once again. A new sawmill was built to handle smaller, lesser quality sawlogs harvested from their Sustainable Crown Forest Allocation. The new sawmill dramatically increased production, enabling GFP to improve their position in the industry. Shipping was expanded to include over-seas markets, as well as the US and Western Canada.
In 2002, three new 50,000 fbm capacity de-humidification dry kilns were added to enable the drying of their own lumber. This was a MAJOR step in solidifying GFP as a large, dependable supplier of kiln dried lumber to many different customers within the lumber industry.
2013 brought the addition of a “HEAT TREAT” system in one of their existing dry kilns. This meant GFP could supply “heat treated” material that meets CFIA & CLA requirements for the purpose of exporting lumber globally.
Many changes and upgrades continue to be implemented to enable GFP to continue to supply its customers with a quality product and ensure their sustainability in years to come.
