Alaska's OK Lumber Files Chapter 11

OK Lumber, Fairbanks, Ak., tiled for bankruptcy July 3 l, due to increased competition frorn big-box retailcrs and high operating eosts.

Accclrding to court filings, owner Richard Kruckenberg obtained a $3 million mortgage fron.r Dcnali State Bank about l2 years ago. Hc's paid off about two-thirds and owcs about $l million, said his attorncy. Albert Dovbish.

"There's no rcason why OK can't survive," said Dovbish. "There's a lot that can be done." including rcorga- nizing old debt and rnoving to a smaller location.

Angie and Nornt Kluckenberg startcd OK Lumber in lr912. They retircd in 1996 and sold thc business to thcir son.

Stimson Selling Bonner Mill

Stimson Lumber. Portland. Or., has placed up for sale its shuttcred sawmill in Bonner, Mt.. ancl will go to auction if thcrc are no acceotable offers by thc cnd ol'september.

The pricc tag fbr the 170-acre conr- plex is $16 million. The sawmill shut down in the latc spring. after operating continuously sincc the I 880s.

"l'm hopeful sorncone will buy it as a sawmill. but ntost likely it will bc bought fbr another usc," said v.p. JefT Wcbber.

Any unsold assets. including equipment. will be liquidated at a two-day auction Sept.30 and Oct. l. Not for sale arc Stirnson's rou-ehly 100.000 acres ol. Montana timberland.

Scparately. Stimson expccts a minimum ninc-month closure fbr its idled finger.jointing plant in Libby, Mt.

BlueLinx May Lose G-P Lines

Bluclinx Holdings. Atlanta. Ga.. is workinr: to pcrsuude its prinrlrr; rupplier and 1'orntcr parent, GeorgiaPacific. Atlanta. not to drop it as a distributor.

G-P recently notified Bluel-inx that it wished to opt out of a supply promise agreed to whcn it spun off its LBM distribution division in 2002i.

G-P products. inclucling lumber, cn-gineered wood. and structural pancls. currently account lbr one-fburth of BlueLinx's total salcs. Scveral of the G-P-branded products are Bluelinx cxcl usi ves.

Veneer Plant Hit By Fire

Valley Veneer, Grants Pass, Or., was danraged during an Aug. 26 tire that apparently started when a cigarette was discardcd near sawdust.

Bosed in Annopolis, MD, Fletcher Wood Solutions is the lorgest monufccturer of defect-free, oppeoronce srcde

rodioto'tIETCHER'

pine products in New Zeolcnd. Dis- MOULDINGS tributing our cleor boords, mouldings, LIFESPAN treoted wood. ond lumber to the North Americon morket throuqh our Droven ond comoletelv inteoroted Gj supply choin, Fletcher Wood Solutions F,J I ru mointcins direct occess,. .,* ;t ;;" I i r jfl lorgest FSC certified pine plontotion forests in the world-

Afternoon winds quickly pushed the sawdust blaze into nearby greenery. sprcadin-e the fire up thc rnill's ,rrrtside uullrrnd into its attic.

Workers on their afternoon break noticed smctkc billowing from the attic and tried to douse it with fire extinguishers and a garden hose befbre firc crews amived.

Initial dama-ge estimates ran-tcd f rom $20.000 to S80.000.

Fresh Start For Former Pnlco

(Continued.fntnt yr,qe -) I ) earncd FSC certification and the respect clf environmentalists for Mendocino Redwood, were among the selling points the company used to win thc right to acquire Pnr.c'o. "We hope to duplicate the things wc do one county away," said Dcan. "The intent is to opcrate with a high standard of environmental stcwardship."

Maintaining these high standards is seconcl naturc lirr Humboldt's leaders, uho are mo\tl) Mcndocino vctcrans.

"We have high hopes that the past experience of these people will be highly relevant to the challenges we face," said c.e.o. Higgenbottom.

Mike Jani, who was president an( chief forester at Mendocino Red.l wood, now serves in these same roles at Humboldt Redwood. Jim Holmes, formerly president and chief operating officer of Soper-Wheeler, will take Jani's place as president of Mendocino Redwood.

Senior v.p. Mike Hottinger worked on a variety of projects at Mendocino Forest Products and is responsible for all non-forestry operations at Humboldt. Jim Pelkey, chief financial officer of the Mendocino Companies, has also assumed the same position at Humboldt.

Denny McEntire, long-time sales and marketing manager for now-idled Harwood Products. will serve as Mendocino's new manaser of sales and procurement.

Tom Schultz, who has provided operational leadership for Mendocino Redwood's lands for the past 10 years, is the new forest operations manager. Area manager Jon Woessner also had the same title at

Mendocino Redwood. Doug Mclsaac, who has managed Mendocino's Ukiah, Ca., sawmill for several years, is now mill operations manager of the Scotia sawmill.

As the new company moves for- ward, Dean is confident of success. "All we can do is duplicate what has worked at Mendocino Redwood, do a good job in Humboldt County, and hopefully earn the support of folks who are concerned about the forest." r

Call the experts: