Old World Crafumanship In Today's Designs Tru-Dry Timbers

Geo. M. Huff Lumber Company has teamed up with Forest Grove Lumber to become the exclusive Southern California stocking distributor of Tiu-Dry Timbers.

All FGL Tru-Dry timbers are dried in "Heat'Wave USA's RFV' kilns, which use clean, renewable energy and have zero emissions.

Tru-Dry timbers are dried completely and evenly throughout so you won't experience the sticky problems often encountered with beams that are not dried to the core. Combine our selection of Douglas fir timbers along with our skilled milling staff and you've got one ofthe best resources in Southern California.

despite a significant drop in production. Sawmills in the state produced 4.7 billion bd. ft.. some 23.57o less than in 2007. The wholesale value of Oregon's lumber was nearly 43Vo lower at $ I .26 billion.

Output from Washington statc mills declined 18.4% to 3.89 billion bd. ft. Calil'ornia lumbcr production totaled l 92 billion bd. fi.. down 16.8olc fiom 2001.

A similar decline was seen in other western states. Idaho lumber production fell 23.3a/c to 1.34 billion bd. fi. Montana mills' output dropped 15.4clo to 668 million bd. ft. Mills in South Dakota and Wyoming totaled 243 million bd. ft. and those in the Four Corner states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah produced 2l I million ft. Volumes in these states were combined to maintain confidentiality of individual mill data.

A 337o drop in housing starts shrank U.S. lumber consumpt ion to ,11.9 billion bd. ft.. down 19.84lc from 2007 totals, or a drop ofjust over l0 billion bd. ft. Housing starts totaled 906,000 in 2008, the first time starts have dipped below I million since World War II.

The downturn in lumber production and demand has continued into 2009. Western lumber production is down 26Vo so far this year and housing starts have declined by 467o. WWPA expects lumber markets to recover, although slowly, starting in 2010.

ProBuild Starts Specialty Unit In Wake Of ORCO Sale

ProBuild Holdings, Denver, Co., has taken over two former ORCO Construction Supply branches and hired ORCO's senior v.p. of marketing & business development to launch its own specialty building products division.

ProBuild Specialty Building

Products will provide hardware, fasteners, tools, concrete accessories, and ancillary products to framing, concrete, and specialty building contractors from facilities in Modesto and San Jose. Ca. "We'll assess customer needs to determine future expansion." said ProBuild's Carolyn Atkinson.

The venture will be led by v.p. Hal Look. who spent 23 years with ORCO and is the current president of STAFDA (Specialty Tools and Fastcncrs Distributors Association).

ProBuild created ProBuild Specialty Building Products based on feedback from customers. "We are confident that by lcvcraging ProBuild's supply chain and operational crpertisc, we can provide an attractive offbring to custorner.s seeking specialtl' building producrs and solutions." saicl Bill Myrick. chief opcrating officer.

Effectivc .Junc I ORCO nas acquired by White Cap Construction Supply/HD Supply.

Trinity Gets Back To Work

A rnonth after a Scpt. l2 f irc clestroyed Trinity River Lurnber's ntill in Weaverville, Ca.. thc companv leasecl the formcr Siller Brothers Sound Stucl Mill in Anderson, Ca.. ll'hich had bcen closcd firr two ycars.

"The mill in Andcrson is doing a srnall percentage o1'what we wcre doin_c in Weavcrville, but it's berrcr than nothin.e." saicl gencral ntanagcr

Dee Sandcrs. "lt's a \\'ay to keep providing custonrers 'uvith uood and kecp our cmployecs rvorking "

Sanclers is unsurc hor", long Trinity River will havc to lcase the rrill in Ande rson. "lt all dcpends on hori,' long it lakcs us to gct Wcavcrville back on line. Therc arc a lot of other lactors, too. that I can't share."

Insurance investi.lators arc still studying rcrrlins of thc fire. which $'as started by a welcler's torch. "lt has bcen r,cry frustrating," Sandcrs said. "Wc ll'ould likc to bc tclLring thc place dori'n right now ancl preparing to rebuilcl."

Dealer Ends Big Makeover

Aftcr tu,o years o1'rernodcling, Sheridan Buildin-t Matcrials & Fecd, Shcridan. Or.. is planning a -grand reopcnlng.

Mana-[cr Don Moon saicl that one rcason thc project took so long u'as that "we hunrl cr-rt e-r'erv piece of ct:dar that went on the fiont." Outside colors werc upciated to hunter green with rccl trinr, while thc interior is now beisc.

Thc cntirc.l,000 sq. ft. on thc ground floor was turnctl into a garden roorn for plants and plant supplies. "We tricd to tunt it into a store that u\lrnelt r.i,or-r'cl t'ccl contfbrtablc coming into." said Moon. "Wc already carrl'' pot(ing soils and plant rnix vear round. so vu,e're toing to bc ablc to brin-c it insidc ancl ntake it nice I'or people."

Roughly l.-500 sq. l't. of upstairs spacc was converted to lar-ecr itctls and contrilctor supplics. Othcr inrplovcmcnts includcd adcling a plywoocl shcd and widcning a gate to inrprovc access to the back litr cars.