Wood is quietly replacing steel and concrete on job sites across North America, and Element5 has built the factory making that swap possible at scale. Since opening Ontario’s first mass timber manufacturing facility in 2020, the company has delivered engineered wood products for hundreds of projects, from affordable housing and schools to healthcare and commercial buildings, each one storing carbon instead of emitting it. Since 2024 alone, the mass timber used in Element5’s products has stored approximately 43,000 tonnes of carbon.A major expansion completed in September 2025 more than doubled the St. Thomas facility’s manufacturing footprint and brought in-house AI-powered optimization, and advanced lumber-scanning systems that maximize the value of every piece of lumber while reducing waste. By combining advanced manufacturing with a renewable building material, Element5 is demonstrating how industrial growth, resource efficiency and lower-carbon construction can work together.
Mass timber isn’t an easy sell against concrete and steel, but that’s the pitch Lee makes for a living. With a background spanning surveying, civil engineering, construction and business, he brings a practical understanding of how early design decisions affect manufacturing, constructability, cost and project delivery. As Element5’s Director of Sales for North America, Lee has worked on mass timber projects of all sizes and market segments, drawing on his deep knowledge of design for manufacturing and assembly to help project teams understand where mass timber makes sense, and how to turn its potential into successful buildings.
