ATCO: The family business of Fruitvale

Family runs deeper than blood (and splinters)

Scott and Rebecca Weatherford with their two children, possibly the fourth generation of ownership of ATCO. — Photo courtesy Scott Weatherford

ATCO has been a major player in the wood product game for the last 60 years. In 2007, the company was taken over by the third generation of the family, Rebecca Weatherford and her husband, Scott. This year, ATCO has been named 2018 Canadian Family Business of the Year by the Family Enterprise Xchange.

The company is thriving as an independent family business in the B.C. forest industry, one that has seen an incredible amount of consolidation in recent decades. Multitudes of small and mid-size family businesses have vanished from the industry, as large international corporations have become dominant. However, despite these trying times, ATCO has been able to stay true to its roots by remaining as an independent family business and continuing to thrive and grow.

Producing unique products

ATCO prides itself on its unique timber processing. The timber is turned into flat sheets of veneer instead of rectangular pieces of lumber for use in a wide range of plywood and engineered wood products. This process allows the company to recover more of the log for its intended end use than what happens at a traditional sawmill. With those flat sheets of Douglas fir, larch, spruce, lodgepole pine and hemlock veneer, ATCO works closely with its customers in Canada and the U.S. to create engineered plywood and other unique and high-value wood products.

As forest managers, ATCO takes a long-term approach to the local region’s forests and conducts forest planning, harvesting and replanting activities. It has a proud history of having its forestry work certified under the third-party Sustainable Forestry Initiative standard, as well as having a very aggressive and robust replanting and silviculture program.

“We hope to soon expand our manufacturing operations to bring more value to the trees that we harvest with new products, expanded operations and an innovative manufacturing processes,” said Scott, ATCO’s chief executive officer. “With a remarkable team, an honorable legacy, a commitment to our region’s forests and an eye on innovative manufacturing, we have never been more excited about what the future will hold for ATCO Wood Products.”

ATCO’s nearly six decades of success as an independent family business in the B.C. forest industry has been rooted in its belief and practice of sustainable and responsible forest management. From ensuring that values such as water quality, wildlife habitat and recreation are properly accounted for in every harvest plan to replanting every site within 18 months of harvest, ATCO believes in forest management that allows the local forest resource to remain healthy and sustainable for generations to come.

Family functions

“Our family business takes the concept of family and applies it beyond the traditional and restrictive definition of blood relation,” Scott said. “We extend the concept of family beyond blood lines to our employees, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. We work hard to engage all of our stakeholders in the success of the business, finding unique ways to include everyone and share our success.”

The unique connections between ATCO and its employees gives rise to a tight-knit, team-based corporate culture where employees encourage each other, look out for each other and hold each other accountable for a job well done.

“While family businesses are a unique and extraordinarily beneficial business model to our communities and our society, they are also incredibly difficult to transition from generation to generation,” Scott said. “Few family businesses survive the transition from the first to second generation. Our business has not only successfully transitioned to third-generation ownership, but has also thrived and played an invaluable role to our community for nearly 60 years.”

To learn more about ATCO and its illustrious history, visit the company’s website.