How to Source CLT or Glulam from Mercer Mass Timber for a Project

Mercer Mass Timber is a North American manufacturer of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam (GL), and the practical way to source from them is to bring your project to them as a defined inquiry: what you're building, where, at what stage of design, and which products and volumes you need. The company positions itself as a manufacturer rather than a retail supplier, so the entry point is a project conversation, not a product checkout. The steps below cover what to prepare, how to make contact, and what to expect back.

What Mercer Mass Timber manufactures

Mercer Mass Timber describes itself as North America's leading manufacturer of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam (GL). Those two product families are the core of any sourcing conversation:

Because the company manufactures both, a project that combines CLT panels with a glulam frame can be discussed as one package rather than two separate supplier relationships. If you are still deciding between mass timber and other structural systems, settle that question first — sourcing talks are only productive once the structural concept is set.

Step 1: Define the project before you inquire

Manufacturers quote against a defined scope. Before contacting Mercer, assemble the following. Most of it you will already have if the project has passed concept design.

• Project basics: building type, location, size, number of storeys, and target construction timeline.
• Design stage: concept, schematic, design development, or construction documents. The further along the drawings are, the more precise the response can be.
• Structural scope: which elements you intend to be mass timber — floors, roof, walls, columns, beams — and the approximate quantities or areas of each.
• Product split: how much of the scope is CLT versus glulam.
• Performance requirements: fire rating, acoustic targets, span and loading conditions, and any exposure or moisture considerations.
• Delivery context: site access, expected delivery sequence, and who will handle erection.

If some of these are still open, say so in the inquiry. A manufacturer can work with a schematic-level scope, but it needs to know which numbers are firm and which are placeholders.

Step 2: Contact Mercer Mass Timber through its official channels

Mercer Mass Timber's website is the authoritative entry point for contact details and current product information. Use the contact route published there rather than third-party directories, which may carry outdated addresses or phone numbers. When you write, structure the message so it can be routed to the right person on the first pass:

1. Subject line: project name, location, and product interest (for example, "CLT and glulam inquiry — [project] — [city]").
2. Opening paragraph: one or two sentences on the project and what you are asking for — budget guidance, feasibility input, a quote, or a technical conversation.
3. Scope summary: the bullet list from Step 1, condensed.
4. Attachments: drawings or a scope document if available, with a note on their status (concept vs. issued for construction).
5. Ask: state the specific next step you want and any deadline driving it.

Keep the first message short enough to read in a minute; the detail belongs in the attachment.

Step 3: Expect a technical and commercial follow-up

A mass timber manufacturer's response typically covers two tracks, and it helps to know which questions belong to which:

• Technical fit: whether the proposed CLT panels and glulam members suit the spans, loads, fire strategy, and connection approach, and where the design may need adjustment.
• Commercial and program: indicative pricing, lead time, fabrication and delivery sequence, and how the panels will be packaged and shipped to site.

Come to that conversation with your structural engineer involved or available. Questions about panel layout, connection design, and erection sequencing are usually resolved fastest when the design team and the manufacturer are talking directly rather than through relayed messages.

Common sticking points

• Inquiring too early with no scope. "Tell me about CLT" produces a brochure; a defined project produces useful input. If you are genuinely at the exploratory stage, ask for a feasibility conversation and say that is what you want.
• Treating the website as a price list. Mercer Mass Timber's site presents the company and its products; it does not function as a self-serve store. Pricing and availability come from the project conversation.
• Leaving the structural engineer out. Mass timber design is tightly coupled to fabrication — panel sizes, splices, and penetrations are set by how the product is made. Involving the manufacturer's technical team alongside your engineer early avoids redesign later.
• Assuming one quote covers everything. Clarify whether a proposal includes fabrication only or also delivery, and who is responsible for erection. These boundaries vary by project and should be written into the scope discussion.

A workable sequence

Define the structural scope and product split → gather drawings and performance requirements → contact Mercer Mass Timber through the channel published on its website with a concise project brief → hold a technical call with your engineer present → use the manufacturer's feedback to refine the design → request pricing and program against the refined scope. Following that order keeps each conversation anchored to a real project rather than a general inquiry, which is what makes a manufacturer's response useful.