Ara works at the intersection of product, market, and customer. She leads Western’s go-to-market strategy, pilot projects, and commercialization planning for thermally modified Hem-Fir, helping shape the pathway from product development to market adoption.
Connecting product innovation with real customer needs.
Ara trained as a Chartered Accountant and joined Western Forest Products more than a decade ago in Corporate Finance. Since then, her role has expanded into sales, market intelligence, and customer strategy, including management of Western Red Cedar markets across the Pacific Northwest, California, and local B.C. regions.
At a time when the industry is navigating increased competition, pricing pressure, tariffs, and global market complexity, thermally modified Hem-Fir offers a new way to create value from a familiar coastal species. For Ara, the opportunity lies in connecting product innovation with real customer needs, opening the door to higher-value applications in architecture, exterior design, and performance-driven construction.
‘The experience is collaborative, fast-moving, and motivating. One of the most rewarding parts has been the cross-functional energy within Western, as well as the support and encouragement we have received from the local architecture and design community.’
Ara’s interest in design and architecture has also helped broaden conversations with market partners. Builders, architects, designers, distributors, retailers, and fabricators are engaging not only on product specifications, but also on performance, sustainability, supply confidence, and long-term value creation. Those conversations are helping define where thermally modified Hem-Fir can deliver the greatest impact.
Ara’s focus is on identifying early opportunities, collaborating with partners, and validating where thermally modified Hem-Fir can create real market value. Her work connects long-term strategy with practical feedback, ensuring innovation is grounded in real-world application.
For Ara, the initiative is more than a product launch. It is an opportunity to test, learn, and build a scalable platform that reflects where forestry is heading.
