Ken Kalesnikoff is set to step back from his role as president and CEO of Kalesnikoff Lumber, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
The company said in a statement that Chris Kalesnikoff will take over as president and CEO.
Krystle Seed will serve as chief financial and strategic services officer of Kalesnikoff Lumber Co. and Kalesnikoff Mass Timber Inc.
The two appointments formally evolve the company into the fourth generation of family leadership.
The company said Ken Kalesnikoff plans to turn his full-time attention to industry advocacy, but he will remain a principal and a director of Kalesnikoff’s external advisory board.
“I am incredibly proud of Chris and Krystle’s accomplishments, as well as the entire Kalesnikoff team’s, in transitioning the company from a sawmill and lumber focus to one of North America’s leading mass timber companies and now North America’s first fully integrated mass timber modular offering,” said Ken Kalesnikoff.
“Given global economic challenges impacting the forestry sector, and Kalesnikoff’s recent success, this felt like the right time to focus on supporting our industry and to make way for this next generation of leaders.”
Kalesnikoff has operated for more than eighty-five years. The company opened its first mass timber facility in 2020 in South Slocan, which has been expanded twice.
It also recently launched North America’s first modular mass timber facility in Castlegar in June.
Both facilities use timber from the company’s legacy and foundational sawmill operation in Thrums, making Kalesnikoff one of only a handful of fully integrated mass timber facilities in Canada and the U.S.
“Our growth in the last few years has been exponential and we’ve had an opportunity to work with exceptional partners and clients on many important and spectacular buildings including schools, community facilities, multi-storey housing and commercial buildings across North America,” said Chris Kalesnikoff.
“I’m grateful to previous generations for this opportunity and to our team as we move forward to expand the use of mass timber and modular prefabricated products and services.”
“Our father, Ken, is a visionary and generous leader, and we are incredibly grateful for his guidance and the opportunities he has created here at Kalesnikoff over the last fifty years,” said Krystle Seed.
“We’re excited to lead our exceptional team into the future and to continue his legacy as he shares his many skills with the broader sector.”
Kalesnikoff has 375 employees in the Castlegar region, Vancouver and throughout the province and has completed more than 400 mass timber projects in Canada and the U.S. since 2020.
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