North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Canada 2012

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31-33 - Manufacturing

This sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in the chemical, mechanical or physical transformation of materials or substances into new products. These products may be finished, in the sense that they are ready to be used or consumed, or semi-finished, in the sense of becoming a raw material for an establishment to use in further manufacturing. Related activities, such as the assembly of the component parts of manufactured goods; the blending of materials; and the finishing of manufactured products by dyeing, heat-treating, plating and similar operations are also treated as manufacturing activities. Manufacturing establishments are known by a variety of trade designations, such as plants, factories or mills.

Manufacturing establishments may own the materials which they transform or they may transform materials owned by other establishments. Manufacturing may take place in factories or in workers' homes, using either machinery or hand tools.

Factoryless goods producers (FGPs) that completely outsource the transformation process but own the input materials are classified to the manufacturing sector. FGPs that completely outsource the transformation process but do not own the materials are classified to merchant wholesalers in Sector 41 Wholesale trade. These units are in fact buying the completed goods from the producer with the intention to resell it. These units may design the goods being manufactured, and may have some say in the manufacturing process.

Certain activities involving the transformation of goods are classified in other sectors. Some examples are post-harvest activities of agricultural establishments, such as crop drying; logging; the beneficiating of mineral ores; the production of structures by construction establishments; and various activities conducted by retailers, such as meat cutting and the assembly of products such as bicycles and computers.

Sales branches or offices (but not retail stores) maintained by manufacturing, refining, or mining enterprises apart from their plants or mines for the purpose of marketing their products are included in Sector 41 Wholesale trade as merchant wholesalers.

321 - Wood product manufacturing

This subsector comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing products from wood. There are three industry groups in this subsector, comprising establishments engaged in sawing logs into lumber and similar products, or preserving these products; making products that improve the natural characteristics of wood, by making veneers, plywood, reconstituted wood panel products or engineered wood assemblies; and making a diverse range of wood products, such as millwork.

  • Exclusion(s)

    • logging; and chipping logs in the field (See 113 Forestry and logging)
    • manufacturing wood pulp, paper and paper products (See 322 Paper manufacturing)
    • manufacturing wood kitchen cabinets and counters, and bathroom vanities (See 337 Furniture and related product manufacturing)
    • manufacturing wood signs and coffins (See 339 Miscellaneous manufacturing)

3212 - Veneer, plywood and engineered wood product manufacturing

This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing softwood and hardwood veneer and plywood; structural wood members, except lumber; and reconstituted wood panel products. Veneer is produced as a thin sheet of wood of uniform thickness by peeling or slicing logs. Plywood is produced by gluing and compressing together, three or more sheets of veneer, with the grain of alternate sheets usually laid crosswise. Structural wood members are made by laminating, joining and assembling wood components according to specified engineering design criteria. Reconstituted wood panel products are produced by processes involving pressure, adhesives and binders. The laminated products produced in this industry may have layers of materials other than wood.

32121 - Veneer, plywood and engineered wood product manufacturing

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing softwood and hardwood veneer and plywood; structural wood members, except lumber; and reconstituted wood panel products. Veneer is produced as a thin sheet of wood of uniform thickness by peeling or slicing logs. Plywood is produced by gluing and compressing together, three or more sheets of veneer, with the grain of alternate sheets usually laid crosswise. Structural wood members are made by laminating, joining and assembling wood components according to specified engineering design criteria. Reconstituted wood panel products are produced by processes involving pressure, adhesives and binders. The laminated products produced in this industry may have layers of materials other than wood.

  • Exclusion(s)

    • manufacturing solid wood structural members, such as dimension lumber and timber; and preserving purchased plywood (See 32111 Sawmills and wood preservation)
    • manufacturing containers, such as fruit baskets and boxes, from veneer made in the same establishment (See 321920 Wood container and pallet manufacturing)
    • manufacturing gypsum board (See 327420 Gypsum product manufacturing)
321211 - Hardwood veneer and plywood millsUS

This Canadian industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing hardwood veneer and plywood.

  • Illustrative example(s)

    • panels, hardwood plywood, manufacturing
    • plywood mills, hardwood
    • veneer mills, hardwood

    All examples

  • Exclusion(s)

    • preserving purchased plywood (See 321114 Wood preservation)
321212 - Softwood veneer and plywood millsUS

This Canadian industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing softwood veneer and plywood.

  • Illustrative example(s)

    • panels, softwood plywood, manufacturing
    • plywood mills, softwood
    • veneer mills, softwood

    All examples

  • Exclusion(s)

    • preserving purchased plywood (See 321114 Wood preservation)
321215 - Structural wood product manufacturingCAN

This Canadian industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing structural wood members, other than solid dimension lumber and timber.

  • Illustrative example(s)

    • arches and beams, glued-laminated or pre-engineered wood, manufacturing
    • finger jointed lumber, manufacturing
    • glued-laminated timber (glulam), manufacturing
    • laminated veneer lumber (LVL), manufacturing
    • nailed-laminated lumber beams, manufacturing
    • parallel strand lumber (PSL), manufacturing
    • structural wood members, prefabricated (e.g., arches, trusses, I-joists and parallel chord ceilings), manufacturing

    All examples

  • Exclusion(s)

    • fabricating structural wood members at construction sites (See 23 Construction)
    • manufacturing solid wood structural members, such as dimension lumber and timber (See 321111 Sawmills (except shingle and shake mills))
321216 - Particle board and fibreboard millsCAN

This Canadian industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing particle board and fibreboard. Particle board is made from wood particles, which are often the residue from other wood processing operations, combined under heat and pressure with a water resistant binder. Fibreboard is made from wood fibres, bonded together completely or partially by the lignin in the wood.

  • Illustrative example(s)

    • fibreboard, manufacturing
    • hardboard, manufacturing
    • insulation board, cellular fibre or hard pressed wood, manufacturing
    • medium density fibreboard (MDF), manufacturing
    • particle board, manufacturing

    All examples

321217 - Waferboard millsCAN

This Canadian industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing waferboard and oriented strandboard (OSB). These products are made from wafers or strands of wood such as aspen, poplar or southern yellow pine, combined with a waterproof binder, and bonded together by heat and pressure.

  • Illustrative example(s)

    • oriented strandboard (OSB), manufacturing
    • waferboard mills

    All examples

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