Canada Wood Technical Seminars Making Their Mark in Japan

By: Scott Anderson

Canada Wood Japan / APA representative

During July, COFI and APA-The Engineered Wood Association conducted online surveys of people who attended their technical seminars during the last calendar year. These included eight 2×4 and two mid-rise wooden construction and design seminars conducted by COFI and four APA seminars about utilizing Canadian OSB. Both surveys garnered very positive response rates, with 23% of the 149 attendees replying to the COFI survey, while APA gathered responses from 25% of the 92 people they contacted.

Some of the highlights of the survey results include:

  • Over 47% of the respondents to both surveys were architects/engineers.
  • Over 70% of the COFI survey respondents and 57% of the APA replies said the seminars helped them better serve their customers.
  • Over 97% of the COFI respondents said the workshop helped them better understand the benefits of the 2×4 construction method compared to other ways; for those new to 2×4 construction, over 79% said that by attending the seminar, they are more likely to use this method in future projects.
  • Over 95% of the APA replies thought the workshop gave them a better understanding of how to use OSB, and 57% said their use of OSB increased after attending the seminar.
  • 97% of COFI respondents noted that the seminar helped them gain a better understanding of the use of structural Canadian lumber and OSB panels in 2×4 construction in Japan.

Overall, we were happy with the survey results. By utilizing feedback about what kind of future seminars people are interested in, we will continue to improve our technical seminar offerings in the Japanese market.