
5 minute read
Wait & CCA
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4 Culpeper Wood Preservers 510 NfP
Culpeper, Va.
3 plants: Culpeper, Fredericksburg, Va.; Shelbyville, ln.;Columbia, S.C.
Treatments: CCA, ACO
Products: Lumber, Plywood, Timbers, Specialties, Posts
Prairie du Chien, Wi.
6 olants: Prairie du Chien, Janesville, Wi.; Lansing, Mi.; St. Paul, Mn.; Columbus, Oh.; Fombell, Pa.
Treatments: CCA
Products: Lumber, Plywood, Timbers, Specialties
Rocky Top Wood Preservers
Rocky Mount, Va.
3 plants: Rocky Mount; Streator, ll.; Hagerstown, Md.
Treatments: CCA, CBA, WR
Products: Lumber, Plywood, Timbers, Specialties, Pilings, Posts
McFarland Cascade
Tacoma, Wa
5 olanls: Tacoma; Sandpoint, ld.; Eugene, Or.; Broken Bow, Ok.; Electric Mills. Ms.
Trealments: CCA, CBA, Penta, Creosole, WR, Colorant
Products: Lumber, Plywood, Timbers, Specialties, Pilings, Posts
Pageland, S.C.
2 plants: Pageland; Henderson, N.C.
Treatments: CCA, ACQ, WR
Products: Lumber, Plywood, Timbers, Specialties, Posts
Tampa, Fl.
3 ilants: Tampa, Fort Myers, Orlando, Fl.
Treatments: CCA, WR
Products: Lumber, Plywood, Timb€rs, Specialties, Pilings, Posls
Sl. Clair, Mi.
5 plants: St. Clair, Lansing, Mi.; Seneca, ll.; Washington Court House, Oh.. Prentice. Wi.
Treatments: CCA, CBA, FRT, WR
Products: Lumber, Plywood, Timbers, Specialties, Pilings, Posts
Orangeburg, S.C.
I olants: Augusta, Ga.; Otangeburg, Eutawville, North, Sumter, S.C.; Coleridge, Cove City, Leland, N.C.
Treatments: CCA, CBA, Penla, FBT, WR
Products: Lumber, Plywood, Timbers, Specialties, Pilings, Posts
Wa.
5 olants: Washougal, Ferndale, Wa.; Fort Collins, Loveland, Co.; Medlord, Or.
Treatments: CCA, ACQ, FRT, WR, Colorant
Products: Lumber, Plywood, Timbers, Specialttes, Posts a6 lJ16 Bestway Enterprises
Cortland, N.Y.
142 125 +14n/o
5dAots: Lancaster, Ma.; Corlland, Gouvemeur, N.Y.; Stony Point, N.C.; Cresco, Pa.
Treatments: CCA, FRT, WR
Products: Lumber, Plywood, Timbers, Speciallies
14rz n.n South Inc.
Conway, S.C.
2 plants: Conway, Camden, S.C.
Trealments: CCA, WR
Products: Lumber, Plywood,Timbers, Specialties
"There could be a shortage of chemicals if everyone changes over at one time. People have been used to next day delivery. Treaters are starting to keep a lot of their inventory white, as it becomes harder trying to anticipate what people will want."
She adds: "A lot of people think if they wait it won't change. I try to tell them that won't happen, that the EPA said there's no reversal."
Mor, treaters are at least making tenative plans. Blue Ridge Wood Preserving, Moneta, Va., is "leaning towards ACQ," says general manager Ed Snodgrass. "We'll make that decision probably in May, so we have time to [convert] before the end ofthe year."
New South, Myrtle Beach, S.C., has tentatively targeted September to convert an initial cylinder to ACQ. "We have four cylinders, and we're not sure how many we'll convert, if we'll stay with CCA, or add another preservative," says Craig Forbes, v.p./sales manager.
Size does present an advantage. Universal Forest Products has a network of 28 treating plants across the U.S. In those plants, Universal currently treats with ACQ at three locations, borates at one location, FirePro fire retardant at two locations, and CCA at 24 locations.
"The bulk of our CCA production will be switched to ACQ between now and the end of the year," says Scott Conklin, vice president-wood preservation. "We will see the December 31, 2003 date come and go with no disruption to our customers; we are well prepared and will ensure that any products we sell are in accordance with the applicable label requirements,"
Multiple locations allow treaters to convert gradually through the year. Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, Ga., which has 12 treating facilities, has already switched two plants to ACQ Preserve-Rochelle, Il., and Richmond, In.-and will be switching other plants on a schedule later in the year, says Ed Galt, group manager.
"Our transition process is well underway with an estimated target date of late summer to early fall," says James Riley, Great Southern Wood Preserving, Abbeville, Al. "We're excited about the choices we'll be able to offer our dealers under the new guidelines-from CCA to NatureWood to borates."
Coastal Lumber Co., Weldon, N.C., is currently running CCA at all its facilities. "We have been installing the ACQ-compliant equipment over the winter and should be finished in the next 60 days," says Tom Evans. "Actual conversion will take place between September and the end of the year, depending on the location. While we may have some CCA products available after December 31, we expect to be at least957o ACQ."
Coastal will also continue offering fire retardant products from its Oxford, Pa., facility.
Eastex Forest Products, Houston, Tx., will upgrade, reconfigure and refixture its three cylinders to accommodate ACQ during the summer and then gradually shift production in the fall, possibly a first cylinder in September, a second in October and the third in November.
Fortress Wood Products cunently sells CCA and ACQ, and plans to convert its Greensboro, Henderson and Elizabeth City, N.C., facilities "to one of the alternative preservatives late this year," says Brandt A. Mitchell, v.p./general manager. "If demand increases for the altematives, we will go ahead and make the changes accordingly." r ln a more tenuous position are single-cvlinder treaters. Acme Wood Preserving, Princeton, W.V., currently uses creosote and CCA. "We do considerable industrial business," says CCA sales manager Dave Thompson, "but we do have one product-fence posts-that don't we have a clear answer on. So, we're waiting."
Fortress will also treat with CCA after the deadline for non-residential uses.
S.I. Storey Lumber Co., Armuchee, Ga., added a second treating facility in late November to use NatureWood. "It's working really we11," says chairman Hal Storey. "We'll keep CCA for industrial markets, and sell Nature Wood for residential applications. We chose not to convert, so we could do both."
"We're planning on changing one cylinder to an (undetermined) alternative preservative by the middle of this year," notes Barry Lindsey, sales manager, Valley Lumber Co., Hackleburg, A1. "The biggest part of our business is agricultural and commercial, so we will continue with CCA in our other cylinder."
Wood Preservers, Inc., Warsaw, Va., added CBA last year, but will also continue with CCA for industrial applications, which is the bulk of its business.
Likewise, Long Life Treated Wood, Hebron, Md., is in the midst of coverting one cylinder and will begin offering CBA "some time in the fall," says Pat O'Malley. Its other cylinder will remain treating CCA for industrial applications.
(In fact, in late March, EPA agreed to allow continued use of CCA for agricultural fence posts.)
Sentinel Industries, Calico Rock, Ar., also was waiting on a decision from the EPA regarding fence posts. "lt's looking favorable," says Jim King, v.p./sales manager.
"Our products are all agricultural, so the ruling on fence posts will determine if we switch," says Gregory Holcomb, president, Mt. Airy Wood Preserving Co., Mt. Airy, Ga. "The new chemicals may drive up the price of wooden posts to the point that we can't compete against composites. And, it's a significant investment to retool the facility. Would you go to that expense without knowing if you have a market?"
For a number of single-cylinder treaters, it's more practical to turn their backs on residential applications. Southern Wood Preserving, Hattiesburg, Ms., is staying with CCA. "About 907o of what we do is industrials, pole business," plant manager Joe Hartfield explains. "So what we'll have to do is find another l)Vo to make up for the loss in residential products."
Arnold Lumber Co., Bonifay, Fl., is "still at a crossroads," reveals president Chris Jernigan, but he predicts the single-cylinder operation will stay with CCA and concentrate on poles, pilings, and other heavy retention applications.
Gold Hill Wood Products. Rockwell. N.C.. is also undecided, but similarly is inclined to stick with CCA for commercial/industrial applications.
Others are getting out of wood treating all together. The reclassification of CCA is in part to blame for Pride Forestry's plans to discontinue treating operations within the next two months at its Raiford, Fl., milling complex. "We will send our materials to other resional treating