Many so ern treaters slow to convert

If,/OOD preservers have until December 31,2OO3 to Y V discontinue treating with CCA for residential applications-and timing is everything. No one wants to be caught selling products their customers don't want or to be unable to produce what they do want.

So, here we are, 15 months after the impending phase out was announced, and the alternative chemicals have yet to take away a sizeable share of CCA's business in the South.

Wood Protection LP, Houston, Tx., treats with CCA in two cylinders and Osmose's ACQ, NatureWood, in a third. Yet, currently CCA accounts for 997o of their sales. (Wood Protection will convert a second cylinder to NatureWood by January 1.)

Texas Forest Products, Gilmer, Tx., which restarted the old Dean Lumber plant, only has one cylinder, offering CSI's ACQ Preserve. "Starting anew as a new company with a new name, and with only the new chemical preservative to offer, has been excruciatingly slow," admits Steve Dean. "We officially got the treating plant recertified on October l. Not until January did we sell our first truckload. Since then, I believe we have sold a total of eight truckloads of treated wood. Before we closed, we were selling at least l0 loads per day."

No longer a sawmill or a timber company, the new business does offer a full range of lumber remanufacturing services including custom kiln drying, planing, moulding, precision end trim, and truck/raiVcontainer reload.

Taylor-Ramsey Corp. continues treating with Wolmanized CCA at its Blackstone, Va., plant and eventually will switch to Natural Select (CBA, copper azole).

"We have not seen much inquiry yet for the new genera- tion preservatives, probably because of price," says v.p. Leland O'Brien. "As we get closer to the end of the year, I am sure that will change. I would say that we will be ready by then to treat with whatever chemical is required."

Cox Industries added Natural Select CBA at its Orangeburg, S.C., plant two years ago and expanded its Coleridge, N.C., facility last spring for CBA. Conversion strategies are in place for their other production facilities that serve residential markets and will be implemented as customer demand dictates.

"Overall, though, other than the playground manufacturing industry, we haven't been overwhelmed with demand for the alternative preservatives by retailers," says Bruce R. Palmer, Cox's v.p.-sales & marketing. "We did have several dealers last year who decided to convert soon after the EPA/chemical manufacturers' agreement as part of their own market strategies, and have been successful. They continue to supply Natural Select this year, as well. But most others have stayed with CCA and probably will as long as they can. I think it's fairly realistic to anticipate orders for CCA treated wood all the way up to December 3t,2003;' (Continued on page 9)

und some things ,i,uitn old

ll rou arc klol'irrg irtltl rrcu-gt'ttt'rati<ttr trcated rvootl" kroli at (ltrrt Ilt'arr \hclnatir.'.

I)r'olt'r'1r'rl Ilr Ilrt' n<lrld's lttading col-rpcr-ltast'rI prcst'r'rativr'. (to[)per azole. (]rr11 l]t'arr \llr'r'nlrlirc is our ortn ltrand o1'trt:att'tl lrtttrlx'r'.

It's Itt'rr liorn (lrrt lJcarr l,trrrtlrcr (,o." a ('orlrl)all\ trith rools strr'1t'hirrg bar'li to tht' l()-trO"s anrl a cotttllitnr llral ltits lorrg ittkrplcrl innoratiorts thitt Irt'nr'llt otIt t'ttstotllt'fs.

\\r' art' .till a lirrrrilr-t'tltt ('o1tll)illt\'.

\\t'slill tt't lt't'r Jritrrl lo stttislr t'ttstottlt'rs.

A.rrd rrc slill ol'lt'r ttrtr lt-ttstctl lirtcs ol (.(. \-trt'ated lurld, li:lrt'irrg, rlt't'k spt'r'iitllit's arrrl S\ [' ltrntber.

IJrrl rron wc also ol'li'r a trrtirlttt'rteu tthoit't'.