31 minute read
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Frank Sanchez, ex-Builders First-
Source, has joined Ramona
Lumber, Ramona, Ca., in truss sales, design and estimating. Randy Agno has been named director of architectural services for Associated Building Supply,
Oxnard, Ca. Scott Barton has been promoted to
VP of national accounts relations for Kodiak Building Partners,
Highlands Ranch, Co. Amy Warren, Weyerhaeuser Co.,
Seattle, Wa., has been promoted to division general mgr. Kenneth Aromin has been promoted to the inside sales team at
International Wood Products,
Clackamas, Or. Terry Haddix, Patrick Lumber Co.,
Portland, Or., is the new president of the Portland Wholesale Lumber Association. She succeeds
Oregon State University’s Michelle
Maller. Jessica Standley, Oregon
Wood Specialties, is now VP. Dionne Vernon has been appointed
VP, talent management and Gui
Nebel VP, finance & treasury for
BlueLinx, Atlanta, Ga. Shree Iyer is now senior director, enterprise applications. Michael Morris has been promoted to senior VP of sales for Derby
Building Products, parent of Tando and Novik. Jenny Chambless joined Do it Best
Corp., Fort Wayne, In., as merchandise coordinator. Dylan Hopper is a new sales support coordinator.
Recently promoted were Lori
Cardelli to associate building materials trader; Joe Hutt, merchandise mgr. for building materials; and
Brittany Peavler, associate merchandise mgr. for hardware. John Williams will retire June 30 after 14 years as president and CEO of Domtar Corp., Fort Mill, S.C. He will be succeeded by Steve Henry, who in the interim will serve as executive VP and chief operating officer. Chris Freader has been promoted to senior VP of retail services for Orgill, Collierville, Tn. Geoff
McCaslin is now director, replenishment; Andrew Yount, director, vendor support; Jim Rivas, director, retail technology; and
Peter Kim, director, cybersecurity. Myron Boswell, VP of dealer sales, Northeast, has retired after 33 years with Orgill. Todd Nowels succeeds him, and Paul Dupont replaces Nowels as VP of dealer sales, Southeast. Laura Freeman is new as executive VP of human resources and chief human resources officer. June Yang was appointed to the board of SRS Distribution, McKinney, Tx. Dr. Healy Hamilton has been appointed chief scientist for the
Sustainable Forestry Initiative, effective April 4. Bella d’Ball is the new social director at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products,
Climax, Nv., according to owners
Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.
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Roseburg Forest Products, Springfield, Or., has agreed in principle with four law firms representing the majority of claims to settle the families’ property losses, personal injuries, and wrongful death claims arising from the Sept. 2 Mill Fire.
The blaze, which killed two and destroyed 118 buildings, was linked to a water-spraying machine used to cool ash at Roseburg’s wood veneer mill in Weed, Ca.
The four law firms—Reiner Slaughter Mainzer & Frankel; Parkinson Benson Potter; Singleton Schreiber; and Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy—represent more than 700 individuals impacted by the Mill Fire who hold real property and structure damage claims, personal property damage, claims, personal injury claims, bodily injury claims, and wrongful death claims, among other claims.
The lawyers intend to recommend the agreed-upon settlement terms to their clients and will await review and approval of the proposed settlements by the clients themselves. The terms of the agreement in principle stipulate that the amount of each family’s settlement, if agreed to by the family, will be confidential.
“We know we can’t bring back loved ones nor the homes that were destroyed, but Roseburg’s substantial settlement offers, hopefully, will provide the resources for homeowners to rebuild their houses and the community,” said Roseburg spokesman Pete Hillan.
PELLA ACQUIRES WIN-DOR
Vinyl window and door manufacturer Win-Dor, LLC, Brea, Ca., has been acquired by Pella Corp.
Win-Dor is sold nationally and specializes in expansive, multi-panel door systems. The brand and product offering will deepen Pella’s industry-leading vinyl portfolio. The demand for vinyl multi-panel doors is expected to grow as consumer demand for home remodeling projects persists.
Pella plans to take Win-Dor to the next level of growth with resources to expand its business— increasing production, hiring new employees, and improving process and productivity. Win-Dor team members, about 200, will continue to work for the company, serving its current customers through the WinDor brand name.
“We are excited to be a part of the Pella family. It is both a strategic and cultural fit that will enable our business and our people to grow. Pella has an outstanding reputation, and we’re pleased to be part of a strong organization with a rich history in the window and door industry,” said Gary Templin, who co-founded Win-Dor in 1990 with his brother-in-law, Wolf Wirthgen.
Hardwoods Distribution Inc. has rebranded as Adentra, Inc.
Deriving from the Spanish word “dentro” meaning “within,” Adentra represents the firm’s modern identity as a distributor of architectural design products used to create beautiful spaces to live, work and play.
“We believe the new name captures the overall value we have built—our extensive product portfolio, our critical role in providing supply chain expertise, and the benefits of scale we deliver across our vast network of customers,” said president and CEO Rob Brown. “While our corporate name undergoes a rebrand, our work with customers and vendors continues through our five flagship brands: Novo Building Products, Mid-Am Building Supply, Rugby Architectural Building Products, Paxton Lumber, and Hardwoods Specialty Products.”
The rollout includes a new logo, tagline (“Creating beautiful spaces where we live, work and play”), and website (adentragroup.com).
The rebranding initiative comes just over a year after HDI acquired Novo and Mid-Am, which expanded its markets beyond industrial distribution, architects and designers to pro dealers and home centers.
Effective Dec. 8, 2022, Adentra’s common shares began trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “ADEN.”
ARE YOU IN COMPLIANCE WITH CALIFORNIA PROP. 65?
------------ BY WESTERN WOOD PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION
CALIFORNIA Proposition 65 (Prop. 65) regulations required many businesses including wood products businesses to provide a clear and reasonable warning to California consumers. These businesses are the manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers producing raw wood products (sawn lumber, logs, plywood and composite wood panels, engineered structural wood products, and similar wood products) and selling directly or indirectly in California. Businesses with fewer than 10 employees are exempt. Wood products businesses located in and out of California should talk to their legal counsel about Prop. 65.
Prop. 65
Prop. 65, officially known as the Safe Drinking Water & Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, requires businesses to provide a clear and reasonable warning before knowingly and intentionally exposing anyone to chemicals that are known to the state to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is the lead agency administering Prop. 65. The California Attorney General’s (AG) Office enforces Prop. 65. The AG Office, district attorneys, and private citizens and law firms (including “bounty hunters”) have filed Prop. 65 lawsuits. Fine for violations is up to $2,500 per day per violation.
OEHHA’s Prop. 65 list of over 1,000 chemicals requiring Prop. 65 warnings includes wood dust, and others such as formaldehyde. Prop. 65 regulations provide safe-harbor warning requirements for wood dust exposures. Warnings that comply with the safe-harbor warning requirements are deemed by OEHHA to be clear and reasonable. Businesses have the flexibility to provide warnings through other methods they deem to be clear and reasonable, although they may need to defend such alternative warnings in legal proceedings if a plaintiff challenges the warnings as not being clear and reasonable.
The manufacturer, wholesaler and distributor of a product may comply with Prop. 65 either by affixing a label to the product bearing the Prop. 65 warning, or by providing a written notice to the downstream customers. A written notice must include all necessary warning materials such as shelf signs, and the company providing the notice must obtain confirmation of receipt. The notice must be renewed and receipt of the renewed notice confirmed annually. The retail seller is responsible for the placement and maintenance of warning materials they receive.
WWPA’s Prop. 65 Notification Service
To assist wood products businesses to provide Prop. 65 written notices to their customers, Western Wood Products Association has been offering the Prop. 65 Notification Service since 2011. It has been both cost effective and successful for our subscribers. As a subscriber to this service, you can expect the following benefits:
Potential Cost Savings: Sending warning notification and signage to each customer that is located in, or selling into, California and attempting to obtain confirmation of receipt of those materials is time consuming and labor intensive, not to mention costly when staff time and materials are considered.
Happy Customers: By using WWPA’s centralized notification service, the subscribing company’s customers receive a single warning notice rather than being inundated by notices from multiple suppliers.
Peace of Mind: The service was developed following guidance from the California AG office and OEHHA. WWPA has been successfully providing our notification service to the wood products industry for the last 11 years, making pursuit of compliance with Prop. 65 regulations much easier than trying to go it alone.
You’re in Good Company: The WWPA Prop. 65 Notification Program is utilized by a wide range of producers and distributors, both large and small. MM
– For more information on the WWPA’s Prop 65 Notification Service, please visit www.wwpa.org/about-wwpa/services/ prop-65-notification-service.
LOOKING FOR WESTERN LUMBER?
LUMBER WHOLESALERS, retailers and distributors have a great online tool to help them locate the western lumber they need for their customers. The WWPA Online Buyers Guide was designed exclusively for them. The Guide is a searchable, interactive directory of WWPA member mills and the products and services they offer.
Users of the Guide can search by a number of specific products they are looking for. Select filtering categories to locate WWPA member companies by species, product type, services, or shipment methods. Once filtering categories are selected, a list of Western lumber mills is displayed. From there users can view the company profiles that have the products they need.
Profiles include mill locations and sales contacts. WWPA member mills, which are listed on the Buyers Guide, provide their information on a voluntary basis. No mills’ profile or product information are published without consent.
There are 80+ categories users can choose from on the Buyers Guide to narrow their search for western lumber. The detailed filtering system allows users to focus only on the products and services they need. For instance, a search for Douglas fir and Studs will pull up a wide list of mills, while a user focusing on Non-HRA Fingerjointed lumber will narrow the focus of producing mills.
In addition to products and services, users can filter in SFI and FSC certified mills in their search. SFI and/ or FSC certification ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.
The WWPA member mills listed in the Buyers Guide support a variety of services designed specifically for lumber buyers. This commitment to lumber customers should make WWPA member mills the first choice in buying Western lumber products.
Visit the Buyers Guide today at www.wwpa.org/ buyers-guide.
GET THE STATS ON WESTERN LUMBER
PUBLISHED ANNUALLY since 1948, The Statistical Yearbook of the Western Lumber Industry provides comprehensive information about the lumber industry operating in the 12 contiguous western states. The Yearbook includes a wealth of western lumber industry statistics, including industry profiles on each western state, U.S. production, lumber imports and exports, consumption and housing.
Western Wood Products Association maintains the most extensive database of western lumber information available in the world. The association collects statistical information from western mills, state and federal agencies, other wood products associations, and from a variety of other sources. Recognized worldwide for its accuracy and detail, WWPA statistical reports are widely used by the media, government, wood products industry professionals and consultants.
Western lumber production data for The Statistical Yearbook are compiled by WWPA using two questionnaires: the Annual Mill Operating Summary (AMOS) and the Profile of Western Sawmills. The questionnaires are sent to mills operating in the western US. The AMOS survey collects annual data on softwood lumber production activity by species, while the Profile details timber sources, distribution channels, processing patterns and marketing areas of lumber producers throughout the region. All questionnaire responses are confidential and no mill’s individual data is disclosed.
Timber resource statistics for the book are included through co-operation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Industry employment statistics are provided by the Employment Divisions of each western state. Also included in The Yearbook are foreign trade statistics for logs and lumber, U.S. housing construction information and estimates of U.S. softwood consumption by markets.
Subscribers to The Yearbook will find detailed Western softwood lumber production information under each section of the book. For instance, the individual State Forest Product Statistics sections include: Total Timberland in acres, Total Volume of Sawtimber and Estimated Wholesale Value. Also included in the section is State Lumber Production of Board Feet for the current publishing year and previous eight years. The section also lists State Profile data: Source of Timber, Species Produced, Degree of Processing, Mode of Transportation, Principal Markets and Distribution Channels. Additionally, employment data for the number of persons working in sawmills and lumber and wood products is included in the section.
The Yearbook includes a comprehensive listing of softwood lumber production by species for the western region, including production data for the Coast, Inland and California Coast regions for a nine-year period. The species and state section provides species production numbers for California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, plus mixed softwood production numbers for Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, South Dakota and Wyoming.
In the year 2021, western sawmills produced 39% of the annual U.S. softwood lumber output and supplied 28% of all lumber consumed in the United States. This makes The Yearbook’s collection of western lumber production data a valuable resource for industry professionals, economists and researchers. MM
– Additional information about WWPA statistical reports is available on the association website at www.wwpa.org/reports.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MARKET DIVERSIFICATION FOR U.S. FOREST PRODUCTS SUPPLIERS
IN DECEMBER 2019, I presented an update on the U.S. lumber market at a Japan Lumber Importers Association meeting as part of Softwood Export Council’s annual exchange to connect U.S. softwood lumber suppliers and Japanese importers. The changes in the U.S. market in just three years are striking, and they underscore the importance of international market diversity for U.S. softwood lumber suppliers.
Market fluctuations are a constant in the U.S. housing market. Over the past several decades, the U.S. has experienced a recession almost every eight years, while housing starts have plunged every six and a half years. In 2019, U.S. housing starts were still recovering from the 2009 global recession, repair and remodeling expenditures were down, and the Western SPF 2x4 composite price was $379 per thousand—far below a May 2019 peak of $582.
At the mill level, U.S. production was flat and mills in B.C. were curtailing production. The positive news at the time was that the Western SPF 2x4 composite price was projected to reach $407 per thousand during first quarter 2020. Due to a housing shortage, home equity levels were high and unemployment was low, which bode
------------ BY ROSE BRADEN
well for projected growth in spending on repair and remodel projects.
Who could have imagined that six months later, lumber prices would surpass $1,400 per thousand and
With 95% of the world’s consumers located outside of the U.S., exporting provides a way to lessen the impacts of domestic market downturns, and increase sales. According to EXIM bank, companies who export are 17% more profitable than those who don’t export.
Total US Housing Starts, 1958-2022
homeowners, armed with time on their hands and equity in their homes would cause a repair and remodeling surge at a level never been seen before?
After a very short drop in lumber production in keeping with COVID restrictions, U.S. producers focused on increasing production and supplying surging U.S. demand. Although international demand was also high, record high container rates and U.S. lumber prices, coupled with port slowdowns affected U.S. suppliers’ ability to compete in international markets—nor were most interested.
Fast forward to January 2023 and the U.S. market is again slowing as the lending rate reaches 7%, 2022 inflation is at 7.7% over this time last year, and housing affordability is at the lowest level since 1989. Most economists agree that the U.S. will enter a recession during first quarter 2023.
While U.S. demand during the COVID years was unprecedented and unexpected, international diversification is vital to long-term stability for U.S. lumber manufacturers.
Market fluctuations are a constant in the U.S. housing market. Over the past several decades, the U.S. has experienced a recession almost every eight years while housing starts have plunged every six and a half years. These highs and lows in the U.S. market are commonplace and the importance of international markets was clearly evident when the 2007 global recession hit, bringing with it a collapse in the U.S. housing market.
In 2007, U.S. forest products exports reached $5.2 billion—$698 million of which was softwood lumber. U.S. softwood lumber exports continued to increase in subsequent years while domestic lumber consumption declined 33%. While exports account for a small share of U.S. lumber production, for the hundreds of small, often family-owned lumber mills and wholesalers across the country, exports meant they could continue to operate in the black, retain employees, and outlast the downturn.
Exports are also important for large corporate lumber producers who must find new markets for large volumes of lumber coming online. This means creating new international markets—both geographically, and in terms of developing new innovative ways to expand consumption.
To grow international demand for U.S. softwood lumber, the Softwood Export Council (SEC) with support from its membership of U.S. lumber grading agencies and wood products associations, addresses trade barriers and educates international users about the benefits of, and methods for using U.S. products.
Opportunities for U.S. softwood lumber run the gamut—from opportunities for low-grade lumber for Mexico’s pallet, furniture, and construction (formwork) industries; clears in Pakistan; high-grade appearance and shop grades in North Africa and the Middle East; high-grade structural Douglas fir in Japan; and clears and shop grade for remanufacturing in Southeast Asia. The SEC also works to grow demand for structural grades
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Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Dec. 2022
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Dec. 2022
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Dec. 2022 and in non-residential and limited residential projects in select markets.
Exports Return as U.S. Prices and Shipping Rates Decline
U.S. export volume has almost returned to pre-COVID levels, a trend that is expected as U.S. lumber prices continue to soften, and distribution normalizes. Exports to China fell sharply following the U.S.-China trade war and U.S. shipments are down 88% from 2017 levels. Mexico has replaced China as the leading market for U.S. softwood lumber with almost 900,000 cubic meters valued at $286 million projected for 2022.
U.S. suppliers have benefited from increased nearshoring from international manufacturers, the U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Agreement, a shared border, and U.S. phytosanitary regulations which require that pallets entering the U.S. from Mexico be heat treated. Much of the lumber shipped from the U.S. to Mexico is used in pallets, and while pallet producers in Mexico prefer the dimensions of lumber supplied by producers in South America, the U.S. has benefitted from lower rail costs compared to ocean freight from South America, and a preference for U.S. softwood lumber quality and species characteristics.
U.S. species are also used in concrete formwork and interior millwork and furniture. As shown in the figure below, on a volume basis, western species make up over 50% of the softwood lumber shipped from the U.S. to Mexico.
Japan remains an important market for high-grade Douglas fir lumber. Despite a loss in market share to European lam-stock producers and domestic sugi, Japan is the leading international market for U.S. Douglas fir. As shown in the figure above, products shipped to Japan garner the highest unit prices of any international buyer, aside from the Philippines.
Although most of the U.S. lumber shipped to Japan is used in post and beam and 2x4 construction, a central challenge to U.S. suppliers is a reluctance to produce Japanese dimensions. The Philippines, however, emerged as a new high-value market for U.S. species when a large Japanese pre-cutter located operations
in the country and began importing lumber from the U.S. The Philippines is now the sixth leading international market for U.S. softwood lumber with Douglas fir, hemlock, and southern yellow pine the leading U.S. species used.
Asia is the leading region to watch with the world’s fastest growing population and the fastest growing number of middle class and wealthy consumers in the world. In 2022, 60% of the world’s population, or 4.5 billion people, resided in Asia. By 2050, analysts project that this number will grow to 5.6 billion.
Analysts also project that by 2030, 65% of the world’s middle class will reside in Asia, up from 54% in 2020. In response to this trend, as well as the importance of Southeast Asia as a manufacturing center, SEC participates in several trade shows throughout the region and holds trade missions, educational seminars, and U.S. supplier and buyer exchanges in Vietnam and Thailand. The association is also investigating new opportunities for U.S. suppliers in Cambodia and northern Vietnam, both emerging manufacturing hubs.
Pakistan/the Middle East is also an important region for U.S. suppliers. The SEC hosted its first inbound buyers’ mission from Pakistan in 2016 where it introduced importers and manufacturers to Douglas fir, hemlock, and eastern white pine. The country is now the leading international market for eastern white pine. The SEC has hosted two additional buyers’ mission since then and regularly helps buyers from Pakistan meet suppliers in the Western and the Northeastern U.S. 2022 was an incredibly busy year as COVID travel restrictions have fallen away and international buyers and suppliers were eager to meet in person. SEC organized booths at 15 international trade events, hosted inbound buyers’ missions from Pakistan and Mexico, and led a trade mission to Thailand. All resulted in short term sales for the U.S. participants and new partnerships for the international buyers. In 2023, the association will participate and lead outbound trade missions in Europe, the Middle East, Mexico, China, Japan and Southeast
Source: Trade Data Monitor
Source: Trade Data Monitor
Source: US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, January 2023
Asia, all of which are available to U.S. softwood lumber suppliers. area from the same time frame that was untreated when the fire To learn more about these events passed through. and the SEC, visit www.softwood.org. This spring, fire conditions were strained enough to implement Stage 1 fire restrictions on forest lands. On June 5, lightning ignitThe Softwood Export Council is ed a fire near the Mammoth Creek Village east of Cedar City. Bode a non-profit trade organization that Mecham, Cedar City Ranger District fire prevention technician, works to increase exports of Amerand a few interagency firefighters responded as part of the initial ican-made softwood products. We attack team. Most of the area hadn’t been treated yet and was represent U.S. softwood grading still thick with 200 to 300 ponderosa pine trees per acre. agencies, industry trade associations, Over the course of a few days, the fire climbed dangerously state export promotion agencies, and high to the top of the trees and burned toward the village threatothers with a stake in the global trade ening 280 homes, encroaching on the narrow fire break near Tomof softwood lumber and wood-based my Creek Canyon. With no way to safely manage the advance, building materials. With assistance Mecham shifted the bulk of his team from fire defense to help the from the Foreign Agricultural Service, Garfield County sheriff’s office evacuate homes and preparing to we identify international opportunities, defend the first homes that would be impacted by the fire. educate buyers, and develop collaboAs fire moved down the Tommy Creek drainage, Meacham’s rative relationships with international task force leader reported that the fire encountered the decade old industry representatives and buyers. treatment area and the flames dropped rapidly from about 100 ft. tall to around 5 ft. Meacham said the dramatic change shifted his The Softwood Export Council and its members are team back to fighting the fire. They were able to control it quickly, actively involved in maintaining market access for U.S. the entire 700-acre fire completely contained in about 11 days. wood products, which includes participating in a range of More than three months after the Mammoth Fire the treated codes and standards activities and working with internaarea on the right shows the resilience of forested areas following tional governments to address codes that may limit the fires with intense flames that burn into treated areas. In addition use of wood. MM to the health of the trees, regeneration of the area depends on – Rose Braden is president of the Softwood Export Council (www.softwood.org). how severely the soil was burned, the photo on the left shows an area that will likely take years to rebound.
“When you look out there now, the area that was treated is the only area out there that is still green and growing,” said Mecham, who has been a wildland firefighter for 22 years. “[The defensible space] was pretty crucial to this community allowing everyone time to get out as well as saving all the homes here.”
Shared Stewardship Enables POD Work
The number of large fires in the last five years alone has states like Utah working to increase protection for residents. They are building critical community support by entering into Shared Stewardship Agreements that help partners identify and achieve common land management and protection goals.
Trees burned in high intensity flames lie across the ground on the south end of the Smith Fire Sept. 4, 2021. Cooperating agencies stood by to protect homes in the area while crews used strategic fire operations as weather allowed to help contain 100+-ft. flames.
In Oregon, partners used that common ground to develop potential operational delineations or PODS. POD lines don’t follow jurisdictional boundaries but follow roads, mountain ridges, fuel breaks and other land features firefighters can potentially use to
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PONDEROSA PINE LUMBER FACTS
------------ BY WESTERN WOOD PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION
PONDEROSA PINE (Pinus ponderosa) is one of the major softwood species in the U.S. West. Stands of ponderosa pine can be found from Canada to Mexico and from the Pacific Coast eastward to the Black Hills of South Dakota. The estimated production of ponderosa pine in 2021 represents 7% of the 14,700 MMBF (million bd. ft.) of the western lumber production, 3% of the 37,304 MMBF U.S. lumber production.
Grading Standard Lumber Grading Rules assure users of ponderosa pine and other softwoods consistent standards of quality, regardless of which mill produces the lumber.
Appearance Grades Ponderosa pine boards are graded primarily on appearance for a multitude of applications. There are three grades of Selects and five grades of Commons (WWPA Rules), and there are also Alternate Board grades (WCLIB Rules).
All ponderosa pine lumber is dried before surfacing to assure uniformity of the finished size. As with other pines, ponderosa can be subject to blue stain if a felled tree or green timber become too warm before it is dried. Blue stain does not affect strength and is admissible in some of the lower grades. It can be hidden with paint or enhanced with clear finishes depending upon user preference.
Structural Grades Ponderosa pine structural grades are used where light to moderate strength levels are required. The 2x4 and 2x6 nominal sizes are especially popular as decking material, once the lumber has been pressure treated with preservatives for outdoor uses.
Design values for ponderosa pine are those assigned to the species group Western Woods. Span ratings for joists and rafters for Western Woods are applicable to ponderosa pine for the same size and grade.
Factory Grades Factory and Shop grade lumber products are intended specifically for remanufacturing. The grades have evolved on the basis of U.S. millwork cutting sizes and are defined by the number of clear standard size cuttings which can be obtained by ripping and cross cutting the various grades.
Shown on the following page are photos of several grades of ponderosa pine lumber samples.
C&BTR Select is for the most part blemish-free. C&BTR boards are in demand as a top quality interior finishing material and for cabinet work.
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No. 2 Common is widely used for shelving, knotty pine paneling, siding, cornice soffits and fascia, and a wide range of other uses where a knotty type of lumber with a fine appearance is desired.
No. 3 Common is used for a variety of building purTwo New for Fastening poses. Characteristics are limited to assure a pleasing appearance combined with a high degree of serviceabilWafer-Head Construction and Finish Trim screws ity. It is often specified and sold as 3&BTR Common, from Simpson Strong-Tie provide contractors, home-which includes primarily No. 3 Common with some No. 2 owners and DIYers with versatile fastening solutions Common, and occasionally No. 1 Common, mixed in. that are ideal for a full range of home improvement projects from cabinetry to framing to installing trim and molding and more. The screws’ patented SawTooth point eliminates the need for predrilling, while a six-lobe recessed head makes driving secure fast, and easy. Available in #8 x 1-1/4”, 1-1/2”, 2”, 2-1/2”, and 3” lengths, the wafer-head screws provide a strong, reliable connection with little effort. The wafer head increases pull-through resistance to hold materials in place for the long term.
For projects that demand a faster fastener with a Stud grade is one of the four available in the Light finer finish, Finish Trim screws feature under-head Framing grading classification (2x2 thru 4x4 & 2x6 Stud). threads for cleaner countersinking and a compact, Ponderosa pine has approximately 2/3 the strength of low-profile cylinder head for a clean, concealed Douglas fir in the same size and same grade. Stud grade appearance. They come in sizes from 1-1/4” to 5”. is intended for vertical framing applications. n STRONGTIE.COM Additional information about ponderosa pine lumber (800) 999-5099 is available on the Western Wood Products Association’s website at www.wwpa.org/resources. MM
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MASTER LUMBERMAN Award presentation will highlight WWPA’s upcoming annual meeting.
WWPA GOING BACK TO BASICS FOR ANNUAL MEETING
WWPA’S 2023 annual meeting will be held April 16-18 at Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Airport in Portland, Or. The hotel is five minutes from Portland International Airport (PDX), with a free shuttle to PDX and tax-free shopping at Cascades Station a mile away. The MAX Red Line puts Downtown Portland a train ride away.
The WWPA event begins Sunday, April 16 with the Welcome Reception & Exchange Show. This meet-and-greet has been a popular introductory rendezvous for members and a great networking opportunity for associate members wanting to exhibit their products and services.
The event continues Monday, April 17 with breakfast followed by the Quality Standards/Technical Services committee meeting. The afternoon includes the WWPA Industry Luncheon and Awards Program, featuring the prestigious Master Lumberman Award.
The Master Lumberman Award recognizes outstanding lumber grading and quality control professionals who have contributed to their companies and the western lumber industry. Candidates must be nominated by his or her company, be a WWPA Certified Grader for at least 20 years, have extensive experience in all levels of lumber manufacturing, and hold supervisory responsibilities within their company. Out of the thousands of industry employees working at western mills, only a select few have achieved Master Lumberman status. Since the program began in 1968, only 431 quality control professionals have received the coveted honor.
Following the awards program will be the speaker session. Topics of interest include an economic update and outlook for the industry over the next couple of years, a focus on lumber exports, in particular the China, Japan and Mexico markets, a historical overview and impact of U.S. lumber grading agencies, and effects Mass Timber has played in the industry.
The day’s events will conclude with the Industry Reception & Exchange Show. Attendees will be able to enjoy a wide selection of hors d’oeuvres and Northwest wines and micro brews. Associate members will continue their tabletop exhibits during this reception. The meeting will finish up Tuesday, April 18 with the board of directors meeting, a closed meeting.
The 2023 annual meeting will be a return to basics for WWPA, as it will be the first stand-alone WWPA meeting since 2017, after successfully partnering with NAWLA in 2018 through 2020 and SLB in 2022. WWPA president Ray Barbee conveyed his thoughts on the upcoming WWPA event: “I’m excited about our 2023 meeting and working with several different organizations to put together an interesting as well as informative meeting for the membership.” MM
– For information on registration and hotel accommodations for the WWPA annual meeting, visit the WWPA website at www. wwpa.org/about-wwpa/annual-meeting or email WWPA at info@ wwpa.org.
