IN MEMORIAM

Dorman Dane, longtime Southern California lumberyard manager, passed away Sept. 13 in Reno, Nv., after battling COVID-19. He was 100.

After completing the Santa Ana Junior College Aviation Program, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He spent 18 months as a bomber pilot in the Pacific, then spent the remainder of World War II as an instructor pilot and then a test pilot at an instrument flight school in Palm Springs, Ca.

After the war, Dane became a manager with Barr Lumber, Santa Ana, Ca., and then wholesaled lumber for Fontana Wood Products, Fontana, Ca.

SLB, USDA Intensify Promotion of Wood Products

The Softwood Lumber Board signed a Memorandum of Understanding that builds upon its relationship between with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to grow demand for wood products as natural climate solutions. The organizations will jointly explore and coordinate additional market development, research, technological advances, and other activities to expand the use of wood in the built environment.

“Since signing the original MOU in 2015, the SLB and USDA have proudly worked together on many notable initiatives to promote and grow markets for softwood lumber in residential, commercial, and multifamily construction. We look forward to continued collaboration and cooperation for the benefit of the entire softwood lumber industry,” explained Caroline Dauzat, owner of Rex Lumber and SLB chair.

Through increased partnerships and co-funding of joint initiatives, the SLB and USDA will achieve shared goals and objectives and deliver them at a rate that is more efficient and effective than working separately. Key initiatives to accelerate adoption of innovative wood building solutions include: • Continuing joint funding of WoodWorks. • Promoting carbon-sequestering wood as a means to mitigate climate change through responsible material selection. • Developing initiatives to expand understanding of embodied carbon, life cycle assessments, and the connection to forest management and wood construction. • Creating events to expand connections with large corporations who can use wood products to meet their sustainability goals. • Supporting university and young professional education programs by highlighting the benefits of forests and forest products and how to design and build with them. • Establishing support programs for real estate developers and owners by removing or addressing market barriers to using wood in new market segments. • Exploring strategies and connections to sawmill investment for locations that have lost infrastructure.

“Transforming buildings from carbon emitters to carbon sinks by incorporating sustainably harvested and produced wood products from public and private timberlands benefits the environment and the economy more effectively than many other climate solutions currently available. This MOU symbolizes the positive impact that industry and government can have when they align on a common ambition and the strategy to achieve it,” said Cees de Jager, SLB president and CEO.

The MOU was signed on Sept. 14 during a quarterly WoodWorks board meeting.

DMSi Celebrates Milestone

DMSi Software, makers of the widely used Agility ERP inventory and order management solution for building material suppliers, is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year.

In the decades since its 1976 founding, Omaha, Ne.-based DMSi has grown to be a leading provider of inventory and order management software for the building material supply industry. Partners Cal German and Jim Hassenstab have led the company since 1986 and shepherded its growth from a staff of five to over 230 employees. This consistent leadership helped DMSi develop its deep culture of service and passion for technology.

Along with excellent core software solutions, DMSi is consistently recognized by customers for delivering unparalleled service. The company supports 22,000+ end users across 2,000+ facilities and 800+ enterprises that range in size from $1 million startups to $5 billion industry leaders. Because quality software and services require quality people, DMSi places a premium on recruiting and retention; bringing on board only those who thrive in a customer-focused, service-oriented culture.