HEAD OF THE CLASS: Newly-named WWPA Master Lumbermen (left to right) Mendocino Forest Products’ Gordon Watts, Sierra Pacific Industries’ Jose Armando Lavalle, Stimson Lumber’s Steven Coalman, Collins’ Everett Easley III, PotlatchDeltic’s Adam Bauer, and Idaho Forest Group’s Ezequiel Barajas, with WWPA director of Quality Standards Pete Austin. (Photos courtesy Taras & Alla snappr.com)
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WWPA honors Master Lumbermen
industry professionals were added to the Western Wood Products Association’s Master Lumberman roster during the group’s 2022 annual meeting in Stevenson, Wa. Quality Standards director Pete Austin presented the awards at the Industry Luncheon on May 25. Austin noted the Master Lumberman Award was a prestigious honor with only 431 individuals receiving the award in the past 54 years. Honored were: Ezequiel Barajas, Idaho Forest Group; Adam J. Bauer, PotlatchDeltic Corp.; Steven E. Coalman, Stimson Lumber Co.; Everett W. Easley III, Collins; Jose Armando Lavalle, Sierra Pacific Industries; and Gordon R. Watts, Mendocino Forest Products. In addition, several western mills were honored for outstanding safety records at their operations during the ceremonies. The Safety Awards were presented by Todd Payne, who noted, “Western lumber mills take great pride in assuring safe working environments. Keeping employees safe while at work can provide significant, bottom-line results for every operation. Today, we recognize companies that have ix veteran lumber
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achieved the highest level of safety within their facilities.” Chairman’s Awards for best five-year safety records (2017-2021) in three categories based on mill size were presented to Hampton Lumber Mills, Tillamook, Or.; Interfor, Molalla, Or.; and Western Forest Products, Vancouver, Wa. Best one-year safety records were recognized with District Awards, which went to Interfor, Longview, Wa.; Interfor, Molalla; Woodgrain Lumber, Pilot Rock, Or.; Montrose Forest Products, Montrose, Co.; and Stimson Lumber, St. Maries, Id. Hi-Q Mill Awards recognized mills’ commitment to improving the quality of the lumber they produce by documenting high grading proficiency among individual certified graders over a yearlong performance schedule. The 2021 Hi-Q Mills recognized C&D Lumber, Riddle, Or.; Hampton Lumber’s Cowlitz Division, Morton, Wa.; Idaho Forest Group, Moyie Springs, Id.; Interfor, Longview and Molalla; Sierra Pacific Industries, Corning, Ca.; Warrenton Lumber, Warrenton, Or.; and Stimson Lumber in St. Maries and Plummer, Id., and Tillamook and Gaston, Or.
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SAFETY 1ST: [1] WWPA 1st vice chairman Todd Payne presents Safety Awards to Western Forest Products’ Rich Frazer, to [2] Hampton Lumber’s Rodney Trammel, and to [3] Interfor’s Craig Groner. [4] WWPA president Ray Barbee and [5] chairman Chuck Roady welcome the attendees to the annual meeting.
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n The Merchant Magazine n July 2022
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