Reported

Gillfor Manufacturing acquires Teal-Jones Surrey sawmill, says hundreds of jobs are preserved

Gillfor Manufacturing has completed its acquisition of the Teal-Jones Group's Surrey sawmill, Sumas operation and TFL 46 timber licence under a BC Supreme Court order. The company says hundreds of jobs are preserved, without giving a specific count.

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Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on woodbusiness.ca.

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Gillfor Manufacturing has completed its acquisition of the Teal-Jones Group's Surrey small log sawmill, Sumas operation and TFL 46 timber forest licence under a BC Supreme Court reverse vesting order, Wood Business reported November 2.

The acquisition was completed under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, a federal insolvency law that lets a company restructure under court supervision. The BC Supreme Court issued the vesting order on September 18, 2026. Pre-closing claims through October 30, 2026 go to the insolvency estate, managed by court-appointed monitor Ernst and Young Inc., not to the new owner.

Jobs and the Teal-Jones name

The company's release, as reported by Wood Business, says hundreds of jobs are preserved. No specific number was given. Wood Business said the Teal-Jones Group name continues under Gillfor, and the same contact people remain.

Gary Gill, identified in the release as chairman of the Gillfor Group, was quoted in Wood Business: "With the transaction complete, we look forward to putting it behind us and focusing on the future, returning this business to long-term success."

What this means for Surrey

The Surrey operation is a small log sawmill. For workers at that site, Gillfor Manufacturing is now the employer. The handover follows a period of insolvency proceedings that began when Teal-Jones entered the CCAA process.

Wood Business described the article as being based on the company's press release. The article did not include comments from workers or from a union, if one represents workers at the site. The release thanked the previous owners, Tom and Dick Jones, for their contributions to the forest industry.

What you can do

Workers at the Surrey sawmill who have questions about their employment under the new owner can contact Gillfor Manufacturing directly. The court-appointed monitor Ernst and Young Inc. handles pre-closing claims. Surrey residents with concerns about operations at the site can contact the City of Surrey.

Questions this story answers

What operations did Gillfor acquire?

Gillfor Manufacturing acquired three operations from the Teal-Jones Group: a small log sawmill in Surrey, the Sumas operation, and TFL 46, a timber forest licence. Wood Business reported the acquisition was completed under a BC Supreme Court reverse vesting order granted September 18, 2026, as part of a CCAA insolvency proceeding.

What is a CCAA insolvency proceeding?

CCAA is the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, a federal law that lets a large company reorganize its debts while staying in business. A court supervises the process. In this case, a BC Supreme Court order allowed Gillfor to take ownership of the Teal-Jones operations, with pre-closing claims going to the insolvency estate supervised by Ernst and Young Inc. as court-appointed monitor.

How many jobs are preserved?

The company's release says 'hundreds of jobs' are preserved. Wood Business reported this figure directly from the press release, with no specific number given. The site has not independently verified the job count or spoken with any workers at the site.

Does the Teal-Jones Group name continue?

Yes. Wood Business reported that the Teal-Jones Group name continues under the new ownership and the same contact people remain in place. The release also thanked the previous owners, Tom and Dick Jones, for their contributions to the forest industry.

Who is Gillfor Manufacturing?

Gillfor Manufacturing is a BC forest products company. Gary Gill, identified in the press release as chairman of the Gillfor Group, is quoted in the Wood Business article saying the company looks forward to 'returning this business to long-term success.' The release also thanks the previous owners, Tom and Dick Jones.

What happens to claims against Teal-Jones from before October 30, 2026?

Wood Business reported that pre-closing claims and liabilities through October 30, 2026 go to the CCAA insolvency estate. Those claims are directed to the court-appointed monitor Ernst and Young Inc., not to Gillfor.

Is the Surrey sawmill open and operating?

The Wood Business article reported the acquisition as final. It did not say whether the Surrey sawmill is currently running or when it will return to full operation. Residents or workers with questions can contact the Gillfor Group directly.

What can Surrey residents or workers do with this information?

Workers at the Surrey sawmill now have a new employer, Gillfor Manufacturing, following the completion of the acquisition. Residents who live near the sawmill or buy from local forest businesses can note the ownership change. The transition was managed through a court process, and ongoing operations are under the new owner.

Sources

The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.

  1. Wood Business: Gillfor Manufacturing finalizes acquisition of Teal-Jones Group Surrey, Sumas and TFL 46 operations, November 2, 2026woodbusiness.ca
  2. BC Supreme Court CCAA proceedings (cited in Wood Business article)bccourts.ca

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