PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/19/15 10:44 AM Page 1
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:49 PM Page 2
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 10:53 AM Page 3
TA K I N G
STOCK
THE UNEXPECTED MILL MANAGER
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Co-Publisher David H. Ramsey Co-Publisher David (DK) Knight Chief Operating Officer Dianne C. Sullivan
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Publishing Office Street Address: 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Telephone: 334-834-1170 Fax 334-834-4525
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Executive Editor David (DK) Knight Editor-In-Chief Rich Donnell Managing Editor Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor David Abbott Associate Editor Jessica Johnson Associate Editor Jay Donnell
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Production Manager/Art Director Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coordinator Patti Campbell Circulation Director Rhonda Thomas
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Advertising Sales Manager David H. Ramsey • (334) 834-1170
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES SOUTHERN U.S. Kathy Sternenberg • (251) 928-4962 ksternenberg@bellsouth.net Classified Advertising Bridget DeVane • (334) 669-7837 • 1-800-669-5613 bdevane7@hotmail.com MIDWEST USA, EASTERN CANADA John Simmons Mar-Tech Communications 32 Foster Cres. Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 1W1 (905) 666-0258 Fax: (905) 666-0778 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com WESTERN USA, WESTERN CANADA Tim Shaddick 4056 West 10th Ave, Vancouver BC Canada V6L 1Z1 604-910-1826 Fax: (604) 264-1397 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca INTERNATIONAL Murray Brett Aldea de las Cuevas 66 Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain Tel: +34 96 640 4165 Fax: +34 96 640 4022 E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net
N
ick Bohlke is not what I expected when I walked into the door of M. Bohlke Veneer in Fairfield, Ohio and asked to see him. As I’ve learned navigating through this industry these past several years, it takes all kinds and preconceived notions is not the best way to go into a technical interview. Still, I was taken aback. First, by his age. 25! Who is already a plant manager-turned president at 25? Second, once I found out his age, by his mature demeanor. This young man is going to be someone to watch in this industry. A graduate of the business school at Loyola University in Chicago, he has fresh ideas for M. Bohlke Veneer’s future. But it’s not just inside the front office where Bohkle feels comfortable. His knowledge of the machinery is well rounded. Partly because Manfred Bohlke, owner of M. Bohkle Veneer and who is Nick’s grandfather, had Nick work daily in nearly every facet of the business before Nick assumed a management role. Originally, Nick had no plans to enter the veneer business—going to school for general business administration. But after talking to his grandfather, Nick chose to step into the family business. First in the splicing plant, then the log yard, before finally spending time in the manufacturing plant; little by little he learned the ins and outs. For some it wouldn’t be unrealistic to assume that the owner’s grandson, who has assumed the title of President of MB Manufacturing, the manufacturing arm of M. Bohlke Veneer, at age 25, would meet some resistance. Instead, walking through the mill with Bohlke, watching him greet people at various stages of the process, from the lift driver to folks on the clipping line, the employees genuinely like him. It’s not hard to see that Bohkle’s warm but firm attitude is respected among colleagues. He will joke with you, but he’s definitely business-minded. As he says, there’s still some skin in
the game for him and his family. When I asked him about being the owner’s grandson and what he thought was important about his family’s business, he barely paused. He told me that one of the most important things about the business was that it is indeed still a family business. His grandfather still walks the halls all day, every day. Some larger family businesses, Nick noted, gradually move away from the close-knit family business atmosphere and it’s usually okay; the customer base doesn’t notice a big change and the employees are still treated the same. With M. Bohkle Veneer, he says, as a medium sized private business, if they were to ever shift away from their current model, they would lose the personal touch, perhaps disrupt the organization and perhaps the supply chain. “Personal” is who they are. On one hand, Nick is not just the owner’s grandson. On the other, he’s extremely proud of the fact that he is a member of his family’s impressive business, started in 1966 by his grandfather. At 25, as the story on M. Bohlke Veneer beginning on page 12 will make you aware, Nick has a lot to say grace over. That Nick stayed with the family business is great news, not just for M. Bohlke Veneer, but for the wood products industry overall. PW
JESSICA JOHNSON ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Ph: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525 e-mail: jessica@hattonbrown.com
PanelWorld • SEPTEMBER 2015 • 3
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 10:53 AM Page 4
(Founded as P l y w o o d & P a n e l in 1960—Our 474th consecutive issue) VOLUME 56 NO. 5
SEPTEMBER 2015
Visit our web site: www.panelworldmag.com
WHAT’S NEW Continuous Press
60
GEO DIRECTORY Veneer/Panel Suppliers
65
18
SMARTLAM Here Comes CLT
TAKING STOCK A Family Matter
3
UPDATE Optimistic Forecast
PANELWORKS Classified Advertising
68
EVENTS PELICE, TP&EE
70
6
QC Mill Machinery
34
PROJECTS Winston Photos
42
CLIPPINGS Key Personnel
56
COVER: M. Bohlke Veneer continues to fine-tune its hardwood veneer operation at Fairfield, Ohio and with new family leadership. Story begins on PAGE 12. (Jessica Johnson photo)
26
GOOD EARTH Remember 4FRI?
Panel World (ISSN 1048-826X) is published bimonthly by Plywood & Panel World, Inc., P.O. Box 2268, Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 (334) 834-1170, Fax (334) 834-4525. Subscription Information— PW is sent free to owners, operators, managers, purchasing agents, supervisors and foremen at veneer operations, plywood plants, composite products plants, structural and decorative panel mills, engineered wood products plants and allied export-import businesses throughout the world. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $50 annually; $60 in Canada; $95 (Airmail) in all other countries (U.S. funds). Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds). Subscription Inquiries— TOLL-FREE 800-669-5613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.panelworldmag.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe or renew via the web. All advertisements for Panel World magazine are accepted and published by Plywood & Panel World, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Plywood & Panel World, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses, or other liability resulting from any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Plywood & Panel World, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Panel World. HattonBrown Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertisement which it deems inappropriate. Copyright ® 2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. Postmaster: Please send address changes to Panel World, P.O. Box 2419 Montgomery, AL 36102-2419. Publications Mail Agreement No. 41359535 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6 Member, Verified Audit Circulation Managed By Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc.
4 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:49 PM Page 5
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:52 AM Page 6
UPDATE APA EXPECTS INCREASING DEMAND FOR ENGINEERED WOOD PRODUCTS
ing to stall in the eastern half of the U.S. during the first quarter of 2015. However, with mortgage rates below 4%, new home sales rose 9% versus the fourth quarter of 2014, an indication that new home demand is improving. Brighter employment prospects for young adults is leading them to head out on their own, adding to the strength in the demand for new apartment buildings. These forces point to the recovery in residential construction getting back on track in the second half of this year. “The biggest changes in the economic environment since a year ago are the strength of the U.S. dollar, the drop in oil and gasoline prices, and efforts by central bankers to stimulate their economies by driving down long-term interest rates,” says Joe Elling, market research director for APA. “This mix of events is likely to support lower interest rates in the U.S. than what was expected a year ago at this time. We are still in an unprecedented situation with respect to Federal Reserve policy though, and I remain concerned about the ability of the Fed to return its balance sheet to a more normal state without a major disruption in financial markets here and abroad.”
Critical to the strength in the demand for new housing is the ability of young adults to have the economic wherewithal to be on their own and, ultimately, to be able to own a home. Despite very favorable affordability conditions from a monthly standpoint, tight lending standards and heavy student debt burdens are constricting that group’s home-buying power. These conditions are expected to persist through the rest of the decade; thus, as housing starts return to their anticipated 1.5 million level by 2018-2019, multifamily starts are expected to account for roughly 36% of the total. Housing starts in Canada totaled just over 198,000 units in 2014. Canada did not experience a housing bubble like the U.S did, but, similar to the States, multifamily unit structures are accounting for a greater share of new residential construction compared to 10 years ago. The forecast calls for starts in Canada to run in the 180,000-190,000 unit range, with multifamily units accounting for around 40% of the starts. Nonresidential construction spending rose 3% in 2014 and is expected to gain momentum in 2015. Leading the growth through the rest of the decade is commercial building, following the increase in new housing development, and lodging, where occupancy rates are currently at all-time highs. State and local government budget restraints will tend to constrain the construction of education facilities. Manufacturing production rose nearly 4% in the U.S. in 2014. The strength of the U.S. dollar and the disruption at West Coast ports in the first quarter of this year will slow growth in 2015 to the 2 to 3% range. Looking forward, growth should average 3% yearly through 2019. Due to rising domestic demand for North American plywood and the strength of the U.S. dollar, APA anticipates that plywood imports, notably from Chile, will increase through 2019. Imports will account for 5% of North American plywood consumption in 2015. OSB exports rose 1% in 2014; export growth is expected to accelerate in 2016-17 as world economic PW growth picks up speed.
riven by a 12% increase in housing starts in the U.S., demand for structural panels in residential construction in North America is expected to rise 10% in 2015, while growth in the other end-uses is projected to be 2.5%, according to APA—The Engineered Wood Assn. North American production of OSB and plywood is predicted to hit 32.6 billion SF in 2015, an increase of nearly 8% over 2014. Glulam production is on the rise, up 2% in 2014, and is projected to grow 8% this year, to 255MMBF, and continue to increase steadily through 2019. In 2015, I-joist production is anticipated to increase to 750 million linear feet from 672 million linear feet in 2014. With steady increases in housing starts in the U.S., production is projected to reach 955 million linear feet by 2019. LVL demand will also benefit from sustained improvement in housing starts. LVL production in 2015 is forecast to reach 68.8 million cubic feet, from 63.9 million in 2014, and by 2019 output is projected to grow by 28% to 88 million cubic feet. From 2015 to 2019, APA expects increasing demand for North American engineered wood products. Structural panels are forecast to grow 19%, and other engineered wood products will see growth of 20 to 25%. Similar to 2014, extremely APA forecasts North American plywood/OSB production will reach 32.6 billion SF this year. harsh weather caused home build-
D
Report submitted by APA—The Engineered Wood Assn.
6 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:49 PM Page 7
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 9:54 AM Page 8
UPDATE
PELICE WILL ADDRESS GREENFIELD PROJECTS rganizers of the 2016 Panel & Engineered Lumber International ConO ference & Expo have announced several
“If I Could Build a New Plant In 2016, wood plant in Omak, Wash., and is also Here’s What I Would Do.” building a new plywood plant in Martin will address the development of Louisville, Miss., known as Winston Plykeynoters from the structural panel segMartco’s new oriented strandboard plant wood & Veneer. ment of the industry. Keynoters from the being built in Corrigan, Texas. Brian Carlson, president of non-structural composite side will be anThe company currently operates OSB manufacturer Huber Ennounced soon. an OSB plant in Oakdale, La., gineered Woods LLC, will also The fifth biennial PELICE will be held which it built and started up in join the keynoters lineup. April 7-8, 2016 in the Grand Ballroom 2006. Its history with OSB dates Huber operates five OSB North of the Omni Hotel at CNN Center back to 1982 when it built and plants. Carlson has worked at in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Hosted by started up a plant in Le Moyen, Huber for 20 years and in variPanel World magazine, PELICE in 2014 La. It also operates a softwood ous capacities prior to his proattracted 420 industry professionals who plywood plant in Chopin, La., motion to president, including enjoyed 10 keynote presentations as well another greenfield project. as product and field sales diBrian Carlson as forecasts and technical presentations Swanson will address the rector, VP of sales & marketdelivered by 45 industry experts, supportnew plywood and veneer faciliing and overseeing business ed by 75 equipment and technology comty Swanson Group is building in Springdevelopment and strategy. panies that exhibited in the Ballroom. field, Ore. to replace the plant that a fire The remaining keynoters as well as the PELICE will be immediately preceded destroyed in July 2014. Swanson Group complete agenda of speakers and techniby the fourth biennial Wood Energy Conoperates veneer, plywood and lumber opcal session topics will be released in ference & Expo on April 5-6. erations in Glendale and Roseburg, Ore. September. “The 2014 PELICE was refreshing beSwanson Group also purchased Olympic As of early August, numerous equipcause it was the first one going back to Panel Products in Shelton, Wash. in ment and technology companies had al2008 where all the talk wasn’t about the March and is relocating those assets to the ready signed on as exhibitor sponsors of recession,” comments Rich Donnell, conew Springfield facility. PELICE. Leading the way is chairman of PELICE and editor-in-chief Also on tap is Kurt Liebich, Babcock & Wilcox MEGTEC, of Panel World magazine. “There was a CEO of RedBuilt and New which is a Gold sponsor not only lot of enthusiasm about projects-in-theWood Resources, both compafor PELICE, but for the precedmaking. I believe that enthusiasm will nies part of Atlas Holdings. ing Wood Energy Conference & continue into PELICE 2016 as housing RedBuilt manufactures I-joists, Expo. and remodeling markets continue to open web trusses and LVL at Early Silver sponsor exhibitors climb. There will also be a definite buzz several manufacaturing plants for PELICE include Baumer Inin the air at PELICE because it will be primarily in the Western U.S. spection, Biele Wood, Brunette, held right in the middle of the primary Liebich joined RedBuilt’s Cogent Industrial Technologies, season for the 2016 presidential election.” predecessor, Trus Joist, in Kurt Liebich Con-Vey, Dieffenbacher, ElecDonnell also notes that since the last 1994 and served in numerous tronic Wood Systems, Evergreen PELICE there have been a number of senior management roles. He remained Engineering, GP Chemicals, Globe Maproduction technology developments that with the company when Weyerhauser chine Manufacturing, Hexion, Imal-Pal, will be addressed at PELICE 2016, as acquired it in 1999, and was appointed M-E-C, Merritt Machinery/Meinan Mawell as developments in engineered wood vice president of Trus Joist and later VP chinery, Mid-South Engineering, Moistproducts, such as cross laminated timber, of marketing for Weyerhaeuser’s iLevel Tech, Raute, Sweed Machinery, TSI/ and in composite panels. division. When Atlas Holdings acquired Sigma Thermal, USNR, Venango Ma“We’ve rounded up a great lineup of the former commercial division of Trus chine, Veneer Services, Westmill Induskeynote speakers from the structural segJoist from Weyerhauser in 2009, it aptries, Willamette Valley, as well as ment of the industry,” Donnell adds. pointed Liebich as president and CEO Bronze sponsors Ventek and GreCon. “We’ll now turn our attention of the company, which they (Brunette, Cogent, Con-Vey, Dieffento the non-structural side for named RedBuilt. bacher, Evergreen Engineering, GreCon, additional keynoters.” Atlas Holdings also appointImal-Pal, M-E-C, Mid-South EngineerDonnell says two keynoted Liebich as president and ing, MoistTech, TSI-Sigma Thermal, Veers—Jonathan Martin, chairCEO of Wood Resources LLC, neer Services/Biomass Engineering & man & CEO of Louisianawhich later sold with two plyEquipment will also join B&W MEGbased Martin Companies, wood mills to Boise Cascade. TEC as exhibitors in the Wood Energy L.L.C.; and Steve Swanson, Atlas subsequently formed New Conference & Expo.) president and CEO of OreWood Resources with Liebich For exhibiting information, contact gon-based Swanson Group, Jonathan Martin as CEO. New Wood Resources Fred Kurpiel by e-mail: Fredkurpiel@ will speak under the heading: operates the long-running plyaol.com or call 678-642-1238. PW 8 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:49 PM Page 9
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:52 AM Page 10
UPDATE
NA COMPOSITES FAIRLY FLAT
North American composite panel shipments increased 0.95% to 5.839 billion SF (10.33 MCM) in 2014 from 5.785 billion SF in 2013, according to Composite Panel Assn. Industry shipments of MDF decreased 1.08% to 2.111 billion SF in 2014 from 2.134 billion SF in 2013. Particleboard increased 2.25% to 3.306 billion SF in 2014 from 3.23 billion SF in 2013. Hardboard and engineered wood siding and trim (EWST) increased 1.20% to 0.422 billion from 0.417 billion SF. Average capacity utilization rates in 2014 were 69.7% for particleboard, 79.4% for MDF and 69% for hardboard and EWST. Value-added shipments accounted for 30.6% of all particleboard shipments, with thermally fused laminate panels accounting for 66.3% of all North American value-added shipments, followed by cut-to-size panels at 19.3%,
North American MDF shipments slightly dipped in 2014.
Value-added shipments accounted for 18% of total MDF shipments, with moisture resistant panels comprising 35.2% and cut-to-size panels 34.6%. Looking at the 20-year historical
shipments summary, 1994-2014, particleboard’s previous shipments high was 6.14 billion SF in 1999, while the MDF shipments high was 2.672 billion SF in 2007. ➤ 52
10 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 11
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 10:23 AM Page 12
OLD SCHOOL HARDWOOD FACE VENEER MANUFACTURER APPRECIATES NEW SCHOOL WAYS Long running Ohio veneer company embraces technology, third generation.
BY JESSICA JOHNSON
Nick Bohlke, left, and Manfred Bohlke
FAIRFIELD, Oh. ick Bohlke, 25, is the third generation of Bohlkes to walk the halls of face veneer manufacturer M. Bohlke Veneer Corp. full time. He says at first he wasn’t going to enter the family business, but with a nudge from his grandfather, the founder and current owner, Nick knew it was the right choice. “There was and still is a lot of knowledge I have to obtain,” he says humbly. The company was started in 1966 by Manfred Bohlke, Nick’s grandfather, who still works every day. Manfred came to the U.S. as a log buyer for a German company, but after about a year he went out on his own, buying and selling logs back to Europe. Since then the company has seen nothing but growth. Alongside two partners, in 1979, Manfred started a veneer mill, at that time called Fairfield Veneer Mill. The mill primarily focused on custom cutting his and his customers’ logs. After two years of operations, Manfred bought out the partners and integrated it into M. Bohlke Veneer Corp. Nick Bohlke comments: “My grandfather was a log and veneer trader, now we’ve got 14 veneer slicers. It started out slowly, with a two slicer and dryer setup and grew tremendously from there. But as my grandfather will always tell you, his love is still in the logs—he enjoys looking
N
12 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 10:23 AM Page 13
Bar- coded log s are deb arked. Bohlke procures from a variety of sources.
One of multiple Ang elo Cremona dryers; Inset, portion of log yard at Fairfield
at trees more than anything.” Nick was not planning to get into the family’s veneer business, choosing to go to Loyola University in Chicago for other interests. Six years ago, his father passed away in an accident and Nick eventually realized the importance of continuing the family business, and decided to join the company. “I was forced to learn from the ground up,” the owner’s grandson says. “I started in our splicing plant where we are making a lot of 4x8s and cut-to-size faces.” Nick says that it was a good place to start to learn the veneer business. After the splicing plant, Nick spent the cold winter and warm summer on the log yard. After a year on the log yard, Nick headed into the veneer manufacturing facility to round out his knowledge. After some time learning the nuts and bolts of slicing and peeling veneer, Nick assumed responsibilities of plant manager after the previous manager retired at the end of 2014 and today Nick is the president of MB Manufacturing, as the manufacturing arm is called. Nick appreciates the plant operators, many of which have been with the company for more than 25 years. He says overall, the long-term employees have been in favor of the recent changes in the facility. One of the more recent changes has been the implementation of Merritt Ma-
chinery’s FlitchPrep machine. The Merritt FlitchPrep automates the previously manual process of cleaning veneer flitches prior to slicing. The entire machine is electrically and pneumatically controlled. The veneer flitch is indexed or moved forward a set distance after being centered on a conveyor. Then two cutter assemblies with blades attached mounted to a circular carriage are pneumatically activated to “float” over the flitch, following the taper or contours until the entire circumferential outer surface of the flitch has been clean ed. Cutting depth is adjustable and only takes a few minutes to change. MB Manufacturing has installed two FlitchPreps and is extremely satisfied with them. It not only eliminates a pretty dirty, strenuous job, but also gives a cleaner product while streamlining the process of preparing a log flitch. “You get, usually, a better yield and a cleaner product coming off the slicer,” Nick says. “The FlitchPreps are a very specific machine, but very good machines. They’re very high-tech compared to our industry.”
MILL FLOW The facility is mainly focused on slicing North American species. Nick estimates that the facility, running one shift, produces about 25MBF per day, which shakes out to be about 125,000
PanelWorld • SEPTEMBER 2015 • 13
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 10:23 AM Page 14
square meters of finished veneer. Eleven log buyers keep the mill well fed from a diversified list of farmers, standing timber holders, foresters and loggers. Once the logs arrive at the mill, they are sent to the log yard, sorted into their respective species by length and grade, and then tagged with bar codes for tracking through the manufacturing process. Logs are kept watered during the summer to prevent staining and cracking. Logs enter the sawmill to be debarked and sawn, halved or quartered, depending on application and grade structure. Once flitched, logs are banded back together and placed in more than two dozen cooking vats for anywhere between 24 hours and 14 days. Once the cooking cycle has finished, the flitches are prepped for production before being sliced by one of eight Cremona slicers—two half round and six vertical. Nick says when they first started the veneer mill, Italian veneer machinery manufacturer Angelo Cremona was selected to supply all of the slicing and drying machinery and it has worked out well. Each vertical slicer is outfitted with a Merritt Machinery vacuum flitch table, something Manfred Bohlke actually helped to invent. M. Bohlke Veneer’s standard thickness is 0.5mm,
Bohlke runs two FlitchPrep machines.
though customers frequently order thinner or thicker veneer, and the mill is equipped to handle it. In addition to the main veneer slicing plant, MB Manufacturing has a lathe peeling mill to handle burls and specialty woods. Burls are peeled using a custom built Merritt Machinery peeling lathe, complemented by a Taihei Japanese peeling lathe. Bohlke says the burl mill is very flexible. Following slicing, veneer sheets are either automatically fed or hand fed into one of 10 Cremona press dryers—
The mill runs two half round slicers.
species determines automatic or hand feeding. Veneer sheets are stacked into bundles and dimensionalized for two clipping and measuring lines. Bundles are trimmed and placed on a pallet for grading, sorting and selling. Across the street from the veneer manufacturing plant is the splicing plant. The facility is equipped with three crossfeed splicers with automatic trimmers, one longitudinal splicer, two double knife bundle guillotines, and an inline glue applicator. This advanced setup allows for the production of large quantities of faces with the precision to take on smaller custom orders. M. Bohlke Veneer has expanded its warehouse capacity numerous times, now numbering four adjacent warehouses and expanding yet again. Heated and air-conditioned showrooms accommodate veneer inspections. A veneer sample showroom displays more than 150 species. The company also operates a lumber warehouse that stocks more than 50 species of imported, mostly prime grade lumber in a variety of thicknesses. There is also a large inventory of live edge table top slabs for retail furniture applications. Sales-wise, Nick says the customer
Outfeed of vertical slicer; note vaccuum fl itch tab le in b ackg round
14 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 15
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 10:24 AM Page 16
One shift will produce 25MBF per day, or 125 m2 of finished veneer.
base is about 60% export and 40% domestic.
due to get a new Merritt Vacuum Flitch Table this fall as well.
MAINTENANCE
BIG FAMILY
The mill gets by with a slim, but dedicated maintenance team, six on day shift, two on night shift. Since MB Manufacturing is located in a suburb of Cincinnati, Nick says it’s hard to find qualified maintenance techs who aren’t already at other manufacturing plants in the area. So to combat that, Nick says they looked for machine operators who showed a knack for fixing things and would come in on weekends and help out with scheduled PMs. The facility shuts down in the summer for between two and three weeks for more in depth PMs, installations and other needed repairs and tweaks.
One of the things Nick is most proud of with regard to the business is the human element. Employees are treated like a family. Forty-five employees have more than 25 years of company service. “We hope it’s because they like working here. It’s important to have employees that will work hard and have a passion for what they are doing.” In total, the mill employs 110 in the factory, mainly on day shift. The half round slicer that directly feeds into the dryer runs two shifts. “The second shift half round machine is easy to operate and doesn’t need a large team.” Only six people work on the night shift. While Nick is very grateful that the mill has a very high retention rate, it does present a challenge. “We are an aging company. The biggest struggle we are
CAPITAL PROJECTS There are always a few capital projects in the works for M. Bohlke Veneer Corp, Nick says, and this year is no different. One future project will entail running another direct infeed conveyer into the dryer from the newest rotary slicer. In terms of concrete projects, the sawmill is getting a new roof. The facility is also expanding the warehouse capabilities and is building another general warehouse to add more covered storage. Nick says they are currently working with Cremona for electronic upgrades on many of the existing slicers. “The machines still slice quality veneer but the electronics need to be updated as technology advances from year to year. Cremona is working with us to upgrade those machines,” he explains. The factory’s largest vertical slicer is
M. Bohlke Veneer headquarters
Bundles are trimmed.
finding right now is finding enough good people that have some kind of hands on experience in manufacturing. It’s not a dying industry. There’s a lot of room to grow, there’s a lot of things we are doing—it should be appealing for young people that are interested in manufacturing. We’re looking for a certain type of person, a hard worker, but also a person with some mechanical knowledge, and that’s tough to find.” A veteran workforce has been accident free for the past several years. Plant operators and a supervisor meet every three weeks as part of a safety committee and discuss issues they’ve seen, things that might be a problem in the future, and overall comments about safety practices. It is a roundtable atmosphere over lunch that is well received among both supervisors and hourly employees. After each meeting the supervisor will compile the feedback and present it in the management meeting. Nick says that the meetings are not just about problems, but also gives people an opportunity to point out good safety practices. “It’s a good system for us. We’ve always been safety conscious.” But it’s not just about making the employees feel like extended members of the family. Nick translates that to the customers as well. A business school graduate, he is aware that too many big companies have lost their personal touch. M. Bohlke Veneer hasn’t. “My grandfather is still here meeting every customer, every day. He is still looking at logs and grading veneer. It’s the personal touch that shows there is still some skin in the game and that we care about our customers, vendors and employees. We care about growing the business.” PW
16 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/11/15 12:42 PM Page 17
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 4:21 PM Page 18
SMARTLAM BLAZES NEW CROSS LAM TECHNOLOGY TRAIL Young company SmartLam is the first producer of cross laminated timber (CLT) in the U.S.
BY DAVID ABBOTT
COLUMBIA FALLS, Mont. martLam, LLC (SmartLam Technologies Group)—with a manufacturing facility in Columbia Falls and offices in nearby Whitefish—has the distinction of being the first and, for now, only U.S.-based company to pioneer production of cross laminated timber (CLT). There are a handful of other companies making CLT in North America, but only in Canada. One other U.S. company, glulam producer D.R. Johnson in Oregon, has announced plans to add a CLT line to its facility, but until it does, SmartLam stands alone. Developed in Germany and Austria in the mid-1990s, CLT is already in wide use in European construction, but has only in recent years begun to catch attention in the western hemisphere. Defined as a massive or mass timber product, this engineered wood is considered a viable alternative for concrete, masonry and steel in construction projects, both in commercial and residen-
S
SmartLam started three years ago making construction and oil rig mats.
CLT (cross laminated timber) panels are an alternative to concrete and steel.
tial buildings, especially multi-family and mid-rise (5-10 story) units. The advantages of this type of solid engineered wood panel are numerous. The design of the product offers good sound, seismic and thermal insulation. Fire resistance testing by the American Wood Council has shown CLT to exceed building code requirements for heavy timber construction. Fire chars the surface layer, insulating the interior of the panel so that it burns very slowly; it also maintains structural integrity at high temperatures for longer periods than steel. Also, because the large panels are often prefabricated, including door and window openings, it involves less installation time and less waste at construction sites. A CLT panel typically consists of an odd number of layers of kiln-dried lumber oriented in alternating directions, bonded together with adhesive and pressed into a rectangular panel. The panels are cut to size using CNC (Computer Numerical Controlled) routers.
SMARTLAM HISTORY Company president and general manager Casey Malmquist is among the four founders of the company. It all started in December 2011 with a discussion among several friends and associates who had grown interested in the technology. Malmquist had worked as a general contractor for more than 30 years, so with that background he brought the construction perspective into the conversation. Malmquist was approached by a group promoting the use of CLT in the U.S. to integrate CLT into a construction project Malmquist had going in the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota. Malmquist didn’t think that was the right time and place for that particular project, but he became intrigued with CLT and started researching it. “I told them that if you could find a commodity use for it, it could have possibilities.” In the course of his research, Malmquist learned that one of the Canadian CLT producers had started marketing the product for use in industrial matting. “That made a lot of sense to me,” he says. The group decided that this was the path they’d choose, at least to get a solid start. Malmquist and his three investors pulled the trigger that January, and by June 2012 had started putting the production line together, having initially acquired a mix of new and used machines used in European plants. By that
18 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 4:21 PM Page 19
fall, SmartLam was producing, and by summer 2014, the venture was in the black. Malmquist came on as president and general manger from day one. Scott Nagel currently serves as the CLT manufacturing plant manager.
DIVERSIFICATION SmartLam’s bread-and-butter thus far has been mats for use in the oil and gas industry and heavy civil construction projects—drilling rig platforms, crane mats, structural decking work surfaces, bridges and so on. The decline of oil prices in recent months has had a somewhat negative impact, slowing production, but fortunately SmartLam had already begun to diversify its product and customer base. “Our investors have been awesome and shown a lot of confidence,” Malmquist reports. “We’ve developed six different product lines so far, and we are continuing to explore others.” Construction material components, he points out, are the most obvious, but the company doesn’t want to bite off too much too soon. The plan is to supply CLT for a number of smaller construction projects, or a particular part of larger projects, before tackling anything on a grand and comprehensive scale. He points out that there have already been 10-story buildings in Europe made entirely of CLT. Stateside, a four-story hotel made of CLT is under construction near Huntsville, Ala., while other projects in Fitchburg, Wis., and Portland, Ore., are using CLT in the floor decking, walls or roof. SmartLam wants to ensure that its CLT is suited for these purposes. The standard for North American construction grade CLT—the ANSI/APA PRG 320-2013—was just completed this year, and has been officially adopted by the International Building Code, Malmquist notes. This should result in wider use of CLT materials in buildings in North America. “It is all coming together,” Malmquist believes. “So we are in the process of getting our plant, our process and products certified under the PRG 320 standard.” Aside from construction grade material, SmartLam is also making products for furniture lines and has an assortment of small building designs, with door and window elements already cut into the panel. A number of other projects are currently in development. Most of SmartLam’s production is manufactured per order, but because orders do come through for large quanti-
Most of the manufacturing line initially came used from European plants, where CLT has been used for years.
At this point, the process is still relatively labor intensive.
Glue trolley passes over each layer as the panel is put together.
PanelWorld • SEPTEMBER 2015 • 19
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 4:21 PM Page 20
SmartLam later built a second press, modeled on the one it originally bought.
Hundegger PBA panel cutting machine is the largest CNC machine available, Malmquist says.
ties of construction mats at a time, the plant always keeps an inventory of at least 1,000 mats on hand.
LEARNING CURVE Obviously, nobody at SmartLam came in knowing exactly what to do on day one. “It sounds like a simple concept, but it’s not,” Malmquist says. “It has hundreds of variables and, as in any manufacturing, you are dependent on the relationship between people and machines, so it is tricky.” Still, even though CLT is new to the U.S., it isn’t exactly new. It’s been around for close to 25 years, so Malmquist says a lot of information was available. The trick, he says, was in discovering how to adapt the European practices to the realities in North America. “These European companies are very vertically integrated, from planting the tree to harvesting and milling and then making CLT,” he explains. “We are a much more segmented market.” The fact that SmartLam has to buy its supply from sawmills, already kilndried and planed, brings up one of his chief concerns. “If we buy, let’s say, 10MMBF of 2x8 lumber, the day we purchase it, we’ve already lost a per-
centage, because it is not 2x8, it’s 1.5x7 ¼. If we plane it further, and finger joint it, you lose fiber at every step. Of that 10MMBF the finished product can be as little as 60% of a true board foot. That is a substantial difference between us and that (European) market.”
PROCESS SmartLam has relationships with about a half dozen mills within a 200mile radius, but 90% of the lumber supply comes from three mills: Stoltze Lumber, Vaagen Bros. and Canfor. Fir and larch are the primary species used. Optimum dimension is 2x8, as it requires fewer boards per layout. Also, Malmquist notes, SmartLam can get good prices for 2x8 material because it is the “redheaded stepchild of the construction industry.” Feedstock is generally between 8-20 ft.—most commonly 14 ft. The original press and fingerjointing line are composed of older pieces procured from Europe. Newer machines were later integrated into that existing line as the company grew, including a new press (fabricated in-house) and CNC machine. As such, the process at this point is still fairly labor intensive.
Lumber is loaded manually into the infeed board by board. Quality control starts here, as workers inspect each board, looking for excessive wane, splits or knots. Defects are marked, and those boards are sent to a defect saw for trimming. A moisture meter (part of the Dimter fingerjoint line) scans each at the infeed station. If there is any cupping, that board is placed with the cupped side down and every board receives a relief cut. The process really starts with a Grecon Dimter shuttle style fingerjointer. A packager grabs five boards at a time. Since they have been defected they may be different lengths, so the packager brings together the inbound edges with the back end of the previous package in the fingerjointing room. Because the fingerjointing is vertical, the board is positioned on its edge. The Dimter machine cuts the notches and applies the adhesive inside the fingerjointing room, then the package proceeds out the other side. The group of five depackages and separates into the fingerjoint press. The glued, pressed board exits to a highspeed four head Rex planer, so that all four faces are planed at once. “We want to take off as little as possible, since we are already dealing with a planed board, but we do need to make sure it is perfectly square,” Malmquist says. The finger joint adhesive reacts to the moisture and lignin in the wood, and the planing excites the lignin content, so the final layup and pressing has to take place within 24 hours of planing. “You can’t pre-plane a lot, it has to be a somewhat continuous process,” the GM adds. A cutoff saw—the final part of the Dimter line—will reduce the continuous board from the fingerjoint press into whatever length the operator programs, depending on the product desired (press capacity is 40 ft.). Pieces then move by chain to a stacker supplied by German company Minda. A three-wheeled Combi-lift, ideal for the longer pieces, can move fully loaded in one direction and then turn sideways and head that way. It moves boards from the stacker to one of the two presses. The original press, homemade in the early ’90s by pioneering Italian CLT producer Joma, is a 30year-old machine. SmartLam and Columbia Construction, a local machinery manufacturer, built the second press, a much sturdier and faster version modeled after the first press. Both are clamshell style hydraulic presses. A typical bundle might be 6x4x40.
20 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 4:39 PM Page 21
Workers hand-load each board, the CNC machine. This area with each layer oriented across features a Hundegger PBA the previous layer. Once one layer gantry-style panel cutting mais down and in position, the glue chine, designed to cut large trolley passes over, applying adpanels and beams. Malmquist hesive to one half of the panel says the Hundegger PBA is first, then shifts over to hit the the largest CNC machine other half on the way back down. available. The five-axis maAfter the adhesive is down, the chine features four tool heads, next layer is set up, usually short so it can cut a wide variety of pieces cross-oriented over longs. patterns. The layup pattern can be adjusted “Some of our products need according to the engineering valpost-fabrication processing, so ues desired. So, for instance, there after it is milled at the CNC, if might be two lengthwise layers it requires further work we followed by one configured in the bring into a custom work area,” opposite direction, and so on. The Malmquist explains. For inprocess repeats until the panel is Plant manager Scott Nagel, left, and president/general manstance, if it is to be a construcfinished. Up to nine layers of 2x ager Casey Malmquist tion mat, a worker would go to material can be loaded into the this area to weld on a pick up press at a time. (volatile organic compounds). point whereby the end user could hook SmartLam uses the only adhesive apPressing time is 2.5 times open the panel to a cable in order to set it in proved for construction grade CLT—a time—if it takes an hour to lay up and place on a job site. PurBond polyurethane resin made by orient the panel, it takes two and half SmartLam touts itself as a waste-free Henkel. It reacts to the moisture and hours to press it. As such, speed is a facility. Shavings and dust are sold to a lignin in the wood, so no catalytic profactor in production. “You try to do it as local Plum Creek MDF manufacturer. cess is required. The glue is kitchen fast as you can and get as many layers Trim ends and lower quality waste goes grade—“You can eat it, but I wouldn’t in as you can,” Malmquist notes. through a West Salem Machinery Co. recommend it,” Malmquist quips—as it The final stage in the process sees hammermill and are fed to a BCS contains no formaldehyde and no VOCs finished, pressed CLT panels moved to (Biomass Combustion Systems, Inc.)
⁄
1
PanelWorld • SEPTEMBER 2015 • 21
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 4:21 PM Page 22
A promotional photo taken this year is intended to convey graphically the strength of CLT.
biomass heater on site, used to heat the plant in the winter. In the summer the plant sells this material to Plum Creek. The plant requires a high level of maintenance, from changing lubricants to sharpening saws. When at full production—two shifts—SmartLam dedicates four hours daily to preventive maintenance. The plant typically works two shifts: two 10-hour shifts MondayThursday while all of every Friday is set aside for maintenance. “There’s a gazillion moving parts,” Malmquist says.
EXPANSION SmartLam is currently in the research and planning stages of building a new, larger facility at a different location, which will quadruple capacity over the existing plant. When at full production, the current plant can produce 12MMBF annually; the new plant is projected to turn out 48MMBF a year at full capacity. The proposed production increase—which Malmquist admits will take some time to grow
into—is supposed to make SmartLam the largest CLT producer in the world. The 2.5 times open time rule still applies, but because the new press line will be fully automated, open time will decrease from the current 45 minutes to 5 minutes, so an entire loading/ pressing cycle will go down to about 20 minutes. “We will be able to press double the volume of wood in a fraction of the time.” If all goes well, the goal is to have it up and running by summer 2016. “We are currently hoping to break ground on the building in September,” Malmquist says. He estimates it will take six to eight months to construct and assemble. Malmquist describes the work as both exciting and rewarding, and he gives a lot of credit to the work force. “We have had a lot of success with our people,” he says. “There is a tremendous work force in the forest products industry that has a long history in this area.” At full capacity, SmartLam employs 35 to 40 people on two shifts. It was nominated as one of the best places to work in the Flathead Valley in 2013, and as business of the year in 2014. PW
22 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 23
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 24
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 25
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:48 AM Page 26
REMEMBER THE USFS 4FRI PROPOSAL IN ARIZONA? IT IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND There were plenty of doubters as well as controversy, but now it’s picking up steam BY JAY DONNELL
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. ood Earth Power, an unknown to the forest products industry, is putting life into the U.S. Forest Service 4FRI project in Arizona In September 2013, the U.S. Forest Service moved the management and fulfillment of the Phase 1 4FRI (Four For-
G
est Restoration Initiative) contract to Good Earth Power (GEP). 4FRI was established as a collaborative effort by government, industry, environmental, education and community interests to restore forest ecosystems, protect local watersheds and wildlife, and mitigate the threat of massive wildfires through northern Arizona, while establishing a forest industry infrastructure. The project encompasses the Coconino, Kaibab, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto national forests and their ponderosa pine stands, and comes on the heels of devastating wildfires experienced in the state especially during the past 12 years. Good Earth Power AZ LLC (GEPAZ), based in Flagstaff, was created to oversee the Arizona operations of GEP and took over the 4FRI contract as part of its acquisition of the assets of Pioneer Forest Products. Pioneer was awarded the contract in May 2012, but failed to find financing for its operations (Pioneer had gained the contract over a proposed oriented strandboard plant project—a bidding and award pro-
Log yard at Heber, Ariz.
26 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:49 AM Page 27
Biomass plays an important role in the 4FRI program.
cess which at the time caused considerable discussion). When GEPAZ acquired the contract there had been very little movement or momentum. GEPAZ’s goal is to create a model for sustainable forest management and forest health not only in Arizona but in other applicable forests. Good Earth Power had never done sustainable development work in North America prior to this project, but has experience in community and energy development work all over the world including Africa and the Middle East. Jason Rosamond and Maya Minkova are the company’s co-founders. Rosamond has a background in growing businesses. The Phase 1 contract calls for the restoration of 300,000 acres of forests over a 10-year period. The agreement is the largest stewardship contract in Forest Service history. Shortly after taking over the 4FRI contract in September 2013, GEPAZ appointed Campbell Global (CG) to manage forest restoration operations. CG managed a little more than 3 million acres throughout the U.S. and Australia. The two companies worked together to begin restoration work in the forests and more than 3,000 acres were restored between January 2014 and June 2015, when the two firms parted ways as part of an amicable change in strategy. GEPAZ made a decision to bring all of the forest operations in-house and began a search to recruit and hire workers to expand its forest operations team, expand its Wirta Logging operation and replace CG staffers who were based in Flagstaff. More than half of those workers were in place by early July, including a new senior forester, Jay Smith, once the vice president of forestry for Southwest Forest Products. The Flagstaff office has also hired an administrator and a finance professional. Good Earth Trucking has added five drivers and seeks 11 more. Primary log supplier, Wirta Logging, has hired 10 more workers and is seeking a half dozen more. According to GEPAZ CEO Rosamond, “We took this project on to demonstrate that long-term forest restoration is economically sustainable through the private sector. The successful collaboration and support of the 4FRI stakeholder group is making that possible.”
CHALLENGES Good Earth Power has found the pole market to be lucrative.
Restoring 300,000 acres in 10 years is a lofty goal especially when you consider that there had been very little logging PanelWorld • SEPTEMBER 2015 • 27
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:49 AM Page 28
in Arizona over the past two decades. Each year there are target estimates for the USFS and GEPAZ, but they are essentially building an industry from scratch. “We need to build up every single component in the supply chain,” Rosamond explains. “The only hard stop is the 300,000 acres in 10 years.” Nearly half of those 300,000 acres have had their environmental reviews completed. The first Environmental Impact Study (EIS) was successfully signed in April 2015. Now the USFS and the stakeholder group are preparing to begin the second EIS. That process could take several years to complete. “This contract definitely has an article of faith around it and basically required GEPAZ to put money down and place their bet that the Forest Service will produce,” Rosamond says. When GEPAZ acquired the contract there hadn’t been much movement but they were still expected to start quickly, which was difficult because they didn’t have any boots on the ground in Arizona. They had to quickly outsource a
lot of the initial work to whatever capacity was available. One of the biggest challenges for GEPAZ has been keeping all of the elements of the supply chain moving at the same time. “You’ve got to build your sales while you’re building up your logging capacity, while you’re building up your manufacturing capacity and while you’re building up your trucking capacity all at the same time,” Rosamond says. The lack of logging in the state over the past 20-25 years has made it difficult to find not only logging capacity but even basic equipment such as chip trailers. GEPAZ has had to look to other states to buy trailers.
OPERATIONS
Rosamond is working to build an operational model that can work in any forest or region. “We immediately saw the potential to create a model that could be transported outside of Arizona to other regions of the West because the problems are essentially the same,” he explains. “Overgrown forests need to be thinned to mitigate disease and fire; problems like that are going to emerge in the face of climate change.” Currently, GEPAZ works with one primary logging partner. Wirta Logging, which moved from California. Wirta is running three sides and producing around 40 loads a day. They have the capacity to move 65 loads a day. “The plan is to continue to grow our logging force through Wirta Logging,” Rosamond says. GEPAZ is cutting an average of 30 acres per day and 625 acres per month. This is a much faster rate than they were cutting last year. GEP co-founders Jason Rosamond and Maya Minkova To date, 13 task orders
have received notices to proceed from the USFS. There are two active task orders: 1,046 acres in Kaibab, which has had 265 acres restored; and 1,482 acres in Apache-Sitgreaves, of which 1,080 acres are restored. An earlier task order, referred to as Ranch, was completed in 2014. To date, 4,012 acres have been restored, and the rate of restoration is expected to increase as additional capacity comes on. Sawlogs from east side task orders are shipped to the Lumberjack Mill in Heber, Ariz., which is owned and operated by GEPAZ. GEPAZ co-founder Minkova directed the successful renovation and expansion of an existing mill, which included the installation of a debarker and a planer, and a full kiln upgrade. Lumberjack had two shifts running in early July and a capacity of 100MBF per day. A third shift was expected to begin soon. Many of the employees at the mill have worked there for more than 25 years and the mill manager is Mike Herbert. Finished lumber is sold in the U.S., Mexico and China. Chips from the mill and forest are sent to customers in Arizona, California, Nevada and, soon, Korea. “We’ve got some equipment upgrades we want to do and we think we can probably get to 45,000 board feet per shift regularly,” Minkova explains. “Once we’re producing 180,000 board feet a day we will be using up all the task orders that are available.” A second pole peeler has become operational at Lumberjack, and the company is finding that the pole market is larger than anticipated. In June, GEPAZ opened an interim mill on an eight acre site in Williams, Ariz., which began taking logs from west side task orders. An ADCO canter was installed. Plans call for the addition of a planer and a kiln at the mill, which is operating as Good Earth Forest Products - Williams. Jeremy Johnson was named shift supervisor at the mill, where he will oversee more than a dozen workers. He was formerly a mill operator at the Lumberjack mill. Meanwhile, GEPAZ has announced plans to build a new, fully automated
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 29
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 10:03 AM Page 30
contract requires that all biomass be removed from the forest in a timely manner,” Rosamond says. “For every truckload of sawlogs that we move, there are three related loads of biomass that must be hauled from the forest and to a GEPAZ customer.” In early July, a representative of Good Earth Soils traveled to the Supai Village to consult with Havasupal tribal members on how to set up a composting system in their village. Supai VilAn OSB project proposal came close to getting the 4FRI award, but lumber prevailed. lage is located at the bottom of mill and processing center on a nearby model where the industry produces the Grand Canyon and is considered to 37-acre site at Williams. The $40 milenough profit to pay for restoration on be the most remote tribal village in the lion facility will be able to produce “lower 48.” The village is only accessigovernment land. 150MMBF per year and is expected to ble by foot, mule or helicopter. GEPAZ is hoping the biomass side of take 12 months to build. Site grading Good Earth Soils conducted a waste the operation will grow as well. GEPAZ was to begin in July. audit and worked out a collection scale is making significant progress in the de“We have to have the right resources and a logistics plan for the village. velopment of its soils business, which in place and the right people hired and Given the challenges and uncertainties operates as Good Earth Soils, LTD. In trained,” Minkova says. of 4FRI, few companies would have been January they partnered with Roots ComLori Martinek is the director of pubposting, LLC to produce a line of enwilling to put their money and reputation PW lic affairs and stakeholder outreach for riched soil products that will be sold and on the line the way GEPAZ has. This article has been slightly updated Good Earth Power AZ. She believes distributed throughout the Southwest. from an earlier version that appeared in one of the key differences with 4FRI is “Unlike previous stewardship proTimber Processing magazine. that the goal is to create a self-funding jects or a typical timber sale, the 4FRI
30 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 31
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/10/15 10:47 AM Page 32
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 33
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:49 AM Page 34
QC
ARGOS
With the new Chatter Mark System (CMS) Argos introduces a reliable and accurate inline solution for detection of all chatter marks and thickness deviations after the sander. The CMS uses the latest laser technology for non-contact measurements of chatter marks. The system can hold several tracks for measuring chatter across the Argos panel repair system panel width. The system is recipe-driven in order to define different combining high production speed and levels of chatter in different products. accurate precision with easy operations. Together with the Argos Surface GradArgos has incorporated a number of ing system, Argos can deliver a comfeatures that provides maximum flexiplete system for detecting surface debility for each of the different tool stafects, chatter and thickness measuretions. With the Argos Panel Repair ment in one system. System, users can expect a system that The new Argos Grading System outperforms other solutions in both pro(AGS) is a powerful and effective sysductivity and precision. tem for automating the inspection of all Visit argossolutions.no types of surface defects in decorative surfaces. The system is designed to hanBAUMER dle all panel sizes from small furniture components to full size panels. The Argos system generates multiple images from the panel using different light sources in different angels and direction, just like a human who changes the angle when holding the panel up against the light when looking for small defects. The different images, captured from the panel, are all processed based on being captured within the same panel. This eliminates the risk of false detection because of transportation inaccuracy that traditional pattern-matching systems are exposed for when comparing a captured Baumer MFC 4.0 Scanner and Optimizer image with a reference image. The AGS design is modular and flexible and can be retrofitted to most decorative lines Baumer Inspection scanners are operwith only minimal modifications. ating worldwide and have proven their The Argos Panel Repair System reliability in automated inspection dur(PRS) is a fast and accurate repair sysing the last 15 years with more than 500 tem for plywood and other wood panels. installations in furniture and flooring The system can easily be configured to productions. perform many different repair tasks like At the Ligna fair in Hannover, routing, face-putty and two component Baumer displayed scanner systems that fillers like polyurethane and epoxy. The focus on the improvement of quality first operation is to scan the panel for and productivity. The first system of defects. The Argos Grading System will that new generation of scanners is now determine if a panel is good, needs rebeing installed at a plant of the Kropair or is a reject according to customer nospan Group and another four scanners defined recipes for the specific product. will start up within the next three Each panel repair station consists of a months in two other plants. precise X/Y motion control system, The new scanners, MFC4.0, focus on
optimization of productivity by three novel technologies: l Q-brain, a new way of classifying defects l Q-life, a new database system to analyze the production process l Newly designed cameras are based upon high resolution and high sensitive CMOS sensors, which are developed and produced by Baumer Inspection. Q-brain works in a way that the images taken by the scanner are automatically analyzed and sorted according to their cause in the production process. Q-brain has been trained to classify all images and to find characteristics in order to distinguish between defects like heat streak, resin spot or doubled paper. For all different kinds and reasons of defects specific alarm levels are set to interfere and interact with the production process. Q-life database is a powerful tool to analyze the quality of production for each production lot, for each shift and for each kind of defect. Q-brain is a tool to monitor constantly production while Q-life supplies a high number of statistics to analyze additional potentials to optimize the production process. The new scanner MFC4.0 is focused on optimization of production and resources. The target of that new generation of scanners is not only the automation process of board production by automatic inspection, but even more the optimization of the applied resources. Baumer made calculations as to how much money could be saved by the reduction of poor quality by 0.1 – 0.2%. The savings at a standard board production in a standard short cycle press line are more than $200,000 (U.S.) per year. Baumer Inspection is proving these numbers with the first scanner installation of the MFC4.0 system. Visit baumerinspection.com
ELECTRONIC WOOD SYSTEMS Electronic Wood Systems of Germany reports the successful market launch of its non-contact panel scale, Conti-Scale X. The system utilizes special X-ray technology and is installed after the hot press. It not only measures the scale weight, but also the area-weight distribution of the finished
34 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 35
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:49 AM Page 36
QC panel delamination, where you may have, for example, 20 sensors controlling a 2500 mm wide board, but which can barely monitor 20% of the board because each sensor is only able to cover 25 mm, and i.e. 500 mm of the board. This newly designed system on the other hand is able to control the whole width of the board. 2) Controlling the density profile is essential for MDF quality. The CDP700 analyzer is rapid, exConti-Scale X is equipped with eight channels tremely accurate and able to anafor continuous weight distribution measuring on lyze boards over a thickness range finished wood panels. of between 3 mm and 60 mm, a range which no other on-line system can equal. Unlike other analyzers, panel. Only a space of 330 mm (13 in.) the CDP700 mounts both sensors in the conveyor is required for installabelow the board, a technical solution tion. Several systems have already which protects the sensors from the vabeen installed and results show a very pors released by the board; hence they significant savings of raw material belast longer and performance is not cause the panel area-weight data can compromised. This system may be inbe used to help optimize the forming stalled both prior to and after the diagprocess and to avoid over dimensioonal saw thanks to its rapid scanning ning (excess wood and resin). speed. Production results also show the scale 3) The PSD (Press Security Device) weight measurement of master panels is is designed to protect continuous pressmuch more accurate than panel weight es from foreign objects (pebbles, wire, measured by standard load cell scales, resin chunks, plastic lumps, etc.) and especially for thin panels. Panels do not other dense objects that could damage need to stop to be measured. Panel vithe belt; particularly important when bration is not an issue. producing thin panels. The X-ray sysConti-Scale X can be installed in partem provides full mat width coverage ticleboard, OSB, MDF and HDF lines and mat density is accurately displayed behind continuous or multi-opening in 3D. The best performance is achieved presses. The system auto-calibrates after when the system is used in conjunction every panel. A specially designed opewith the MWR, a “piano” which, with rating system extends the life of X-ray its 20 plus motorized “keys,” automatitubes and is safe. Conti-Scale X is also cally regulates transversal fiber distribusuitable for all panel widths, lengths, tion. thicknesses and densities. Measured 4) ISO30X (On-Line X-ray Mat Dendata is formatted in the sequence of the sity Gauge) performs an accurate onpanel forming process and can be diline weight per surface unit analysis and splayed on a PC and also process conis an essential device for managing and trol PLC systems. controlling mat formation. Visit electronic-wood-systems.com. 5) WinThick (Thickness Gauging
IMAL-PAL Imal-Pal offers a complete range of online and laboratory quality control equipment : 1) Full Blister Control Detector: Current technology utilizes a limited number of control channels to detect Imal-Pal Full Blister Control System
System) has been fully upgraded to achieve a much better all-round performance, especially in terms of accuracy and reliability. The Imal measuring sensors are so reliable that they come with a three-year warranty. The measuring gauge adjusts to line speed and product thickness through the application of a new pressure modulating system, to accomplish accurate measurements without ruining the surface of the board. More than 10 WinThick systems have been sold to the most important groups in North America for installation at press outfeed and on the sanding line. The group also manufactures a full set of laboratory equipment such as the IB700 board property tester, DPX density profile meter, Lab Formaldehyde Tester, Fibercam and Screencam, for analyzing the granulometry of wood particles and fiber, and many others. Visit imalpal.com.
METRIGUARD
Metriguard Model 820 Panel Performance Tester
Metriguard emphasizes structural panel quality control testing machines. With an automated test sequence, data recording and storage and network connectivity, these machines are key to quality control programs in multiple structural panel manufacturing plants, regardless of which agency provides certification. The Model 820 Panel Performance Tester performs concentrated static, impact load and deflection tests of full size panels, consistent with PS2. Panels from .25 in. to 1.125 in. thick and test spans from 16 to 48 inches are easily accommodated. Metriguard offers the Model 830 Panel Bending Tester for ASTM D3043 (Method C) testing. Panel sizes of 2x4 ft.
36 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 37
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:49 AM Page 38
QC and 4x4 ft. can be tested in both parallel and perpendicular orientations. Sizes from .25 in. to 1.25 in. can be tested for deflection and ultimate strength. Metriguard’s Model 840 Rail Shear Tester evaluates edgewise shear strength in OSB panels. ASTM Test Method D1037 is used to simulate shear stress in wood I-joist members. Hydraulic clamps grip along the length of a 3.5 in. x 10 in. specimen, avoiding the timeconsuming drilling and bolting required by alternate methods. The Model 840 is an ideal replacement for older machines that are lacking key safety features. Parts, repairs and service are readily available to keep these vital machines operating and contributing to panel producers’ quality programs Metriguard also manufactures equipment for grading and sorting veneer for use in laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and structural plywood. Visit metriguard.com.
VENTEK
Ventek multi-point diverter system
Ventek Inc. and Elite Automation Ltd. Multi-Point Diverter System (MPDS1) helps green end automation become reality rather than just wishful thinking. Using data provided by the NV4g (veneer defect scanning system) the system can precisely track and sort trash into the haul back and divert fishtail/random onto the trays The MPDS does away with the tipple section and the cumbersome transition to multiple trays by loading each tray from discrete divert points. Configuration is dependent on customer requirements. Areas of recovery/productivity gains include: —Improved random recovery: First, by eliminating trash from the green
chain, pullers don’t have to sort through pile-ups to pull good random veneer and adding capacity to the tray system. Secondly, by providing the green chain with a slower, constant flow of material eliminates stopping the green chain while pullers sort through veneer, or let good veneer go over the end — Reduced sheet width variance: As the peel gets into a solid ribbon the diverter has control of the veneer and is maintaining a constant speed, eliminating clipping errors due to changing speeds through the clipper. Reducing sheet width variance can improve recovery. —Reduction in downtime: A substantial amount of downtime is associated with plug ups at the diverter, tipple and stacker due to random pieces of veneer being caught up in these areas. The MPDS system all but eliminates these issues resulting in more uptime: —Increased production: Due to the nature of the green chain it is either “all or nothing” with periods of excess veneer at the green chain followed by nothing. Eliminating trash at the diverter along with proper loading of the trays results in less load on the trays, and a constant flow (slower) at the green chain allowing for increased speed at the clipper —Reduction of manpower: Decreased material (no trash) at the green chain coupled with the ability to decrease green chain speed substantially results in less manpower needed. With the ability to properly sort and load random/fishtail onto the trays while removing trash from the stream, random and fishtail veneer can now be processed automatically. Ventek’s NV4g Veneer Defect Scanning & Grade System is quickly becoming the industry standard as the most accurate green veneer grading system and clipper control available. It can achieve 95% on grade performance at production speeds in excess of 500 FPM. The NV4g is designed with specialized camera and lighting to separate itself from other veneer graders. This gives enhanced defect recognition and performance through varying background color and changing light conditions. The system has proven to handle a wide range of variables. It uses an industrial hardened PC with dual proces-
Robotics and fixed automation from Willamette Valley Co’s PRE-TEC Div.
sors and Windows platform which enables the use of standard software and hardware and also makes the system upwardly mobile with advances in technology. The system also comes with production reporting and “what if” grading analysis—a flexibility that allows mill managers to respond immediately to changing market conditions. Visit ventek-inc.com.
WILLAMETTE VALLEY Willamette Valley CO. (WVCO) provides a broad range of products that includes polyurethane patch for plywood, moldings and laminated beams; epoxy products for plywood siding, paint grade plywood and hardwood flooring; and a variety of putties which are water based, used for smaller defects and cracks in plywood, moldings, flooring and furniture. WVCO works with major wood producers to develop methods that upgrade their finished products, reduce labor expense and improve throughput and quality of their products. WVCO is recognized internationally as a leading integrator of robotics and fixed automation through its equipment division PRE-TEC. Engineers at PRE-TEC collaboratively devlop flexible automated systems for better product painting, stripping, sealing and wrapping. Visit wilvaco.com.
38 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 39
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 40
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 41
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:49 AM Page 42
PROJECTS
WINSTON PLYWOOD & VENEER COMES INTO FOCUS The new Winston Plywood & Veneer mill in Louisville, Miss. is one-third completed and will eventually total 285,000 square feet. According to company officials, the building is unprecedented for a plywood facility with an innovative focus on safety, people and environmental considerations. The building’s design is dynamic with nearly 60 ft. ceilings that will help circulate the air and provide the ability for trucks to pull directly into the facility. Production is expected to begin in early 2016 with an annual production capacity of 400MMSF.The facility will be a full-product mix mill with rated sheathing through high-end products with a concentration on southern pine. The operation will also entail veneer sales. In April 2014, a tornado destroyed an existing facility at the site. Winston Plywood and Veneer is an operating company of New Wood Resources LLC, which is owned by Atlas Holdings LLC. (Log yard development and mill construction photos were provided to Panel World by Winston Plywood & Veneer.)
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 43
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:52 AM Page 44
PROJECTS LP WILL CONVERT OSB MILL TO SIDING
The Board of Directors of LouisianaPacific Corp. has approved the funding necessary to convert the company’s Swan Valley, Manitoba oriented strandboard (OSB) facility into a mill that produces LP SmartSide siding. The conversion will begin late this summer and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year, pending regulatory approval. “We have had record shipments of SmartSide for each of the past three years and converting Swan Valley to SmartSide production will allow us to provide product for that growing market well into the future,” LP Executive Vice President for Siding Brian Luoma says. LP Swan Valley will be the company’s first SmartSide siding mill in Canada. Plans call for it to be capable of producing panel and lap siding, in addition to producing OSB panels based on market conditions.
“Selecting Swan Valley is a testament to the people who work here,” Plant Manager Kevin Betcher says. “We have more than 19 years of experience in manufacturing OSB from a safety, quality, environmental and manufacturing perspective.” LP will spend more than $80 million on the conversion and add 40 jobs. The mill currently employs 160. LP Swan Valley will become LP’s fifth strand siding mill, joining Hayward, Wis.; Tomahawk, Wis.; Two Harbors, Minn; and Newberry, Mich. LP operates fiber siding mills in East River, N.S., which produces the LP CanExel siding brand, and Roaring River, NC.
PROTEAK, FINSA CONTINUE ALLIANCE Spain’s Financiera Maderera, SA. (Finsa) has acquired 5.2% of Proteak, and the companies have also signed a cooperation agreement, which includes
the joint operation of the new Proteak MDF plant, technology transfer and the commercialization of Finsa products in Mexico. Projected to be operational in the second half of this year, the new $200 million Proteak MDF plant near Huimanguillo in the state of Tabasco, Mexico will have a production capacity of 280,000 m3 per year. “This alliance will significantly shorten the learning curve representing any new project, ensuring cost efficiency, quality and volume of production,” says Omar Nacif, Deputy General Director of Boards in Proteak. Finsa is the largest Spanish producer and wholesaler of boards, resins, melamines and veneers among other products in the Iberian Peninsula. It operates 12 factories, has 2,750 employees and annual sales of USD 1 billion. Proteak is the largest forest industrial company in Mexico and Central America with 18,000 hectares of plantations in Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia. Proteak is securing 100% sustainable wood
44 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 45
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:52 AM Page 46
PROJECTS for the plant from its own certified eucalyptus plantations “We are very proud of this alliance with a world class producer with so much experience,” says Hector Bonilla, Chairman of Proteak. “The participation of Finsa again validates the strength of our MDF project and of Proteak as a solid company.”
Machinery began arriving last November. Dieffenbacher is supplying the majority of it, including a 25 MW energy system. It will be fueled with wood waste. The plant is Proteak’s first large-scale industrial plant for wood-based products. In March, Proteak received approval for a credit line, the funds of
which will be used for the planting and maintenance of up to 6,000 hectares of eucalyptus plantations in the southeast region of the country. The plant’s initial annual production was expected to be 200,000 m3. However, after reviewing its competitive advantages, Proteak and Dieffenbacher have collaborated to increase capacity to 280,000 m3. Proteak expects to be able to supply up to 30% of domestic demand for MDF through import substitution.
UNIBOARD FOLLOWS INVESTMENT PATH Uniboard is investing more than $7 million at its Mont-Laurier MDF plant. The investment will increase the productivity of the plant through the use of wood fiber mat-preheating technology, according to the company. “This process innovation is a first for North America and will allow Uniboard to better service our customer base in Canada and the United States. This cutting edge process technology will continue to position the Mont-Laurier MDF/HDF plant as a North American leader,” the company states. James Hogg, president and CEO of Uniboard Canada Inc., says the announcement at Mont-Laurier, Quebec is in line with previous announcements of major investments improving productivity at Uniboard’s mills in Sayabec and Val-d’Or, totaling some $90 million of growth investments over the next two years. Uniboard earlier announced an investment of more than $29 million at its Sayabec plant, including a wood fiber mat-preheating unit to expand capacity in particleboard line 2, as well as a new short-cycle thermally fused laminate press adding capacity for high-end surface structures and finishes. Those investments will be implemented in early 2016. Since its original startup as Panval in 1982, Uniboard’s Sayabec plant has seen a series of investment and expansion steps leading to today’s highly integrated mega site with two particleboard lines and four high speed shortcycle thermally fused laminate (TFL) presses. In 2012, Uniboard was acquired by the owners of Kaycan Ltd., a leading manufacturer of building prod46 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 47
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:52 AM Page 48
PROJECTS ucts in North America, with its head office located in Montreal, Quebec.
NORBORD COMPLETES ENERGY PROJECT After a 12-day shutdown, the new thermal oil furnace and revamped dryer system at Norbord’s Cowie, Scotland
OSB plant was installed, tested and back on line, on schedule and with no accidents, according to the company. The $11 million project involved more than 100 contractors on site dismantling and removing the old plant and installing new equipment. The project took the equivalent of 15,000 manhours to complete and involved up to 20
trades working across the site to meet the tight deadline. In addition to installing the new burner and dryer system, Norbord installed a dust-cleaning system so that waste wood dust generated at the site could be used as the primary fuel source.
BATTENS PRODUCER INSTALLS GRADING LINE John Brash and Company Ltd. is setting a standard in modern wood manufacturing by creating a scanning line for graded roofing battens used in the home construction industry. System TM was charged to develop the mechanical portion, while the grading scanner is a multi-sensor quality scanner, Goldeneye 500, from Microtec. The project represents the first solution certified to grade roof battens to the new quality standard, according to the participants. Goldeneye 500’s latest laser scanning and color camera features ensure that all JB Red Roofing Battens are graded to the newly revised BS5534:2014. A pigmented treatment then gives the batten its recognizable color. “John Brash has been at the forefront of embracing BS5534:2014 because it embodies the highest standard that we set for ourselves a decade ago,” comments Chairman Christian Brash. John Brash is the only company in the UK where roofing battens are manufactured, treated and certified to BS 5534:2014 at a UK location, under stringent UK regulations. John Brash made the investment ahead of the introduction of new British Standards at its site in Lincolnshire. The company installed a Goldeneye camera and laser scanner, as well as upgraded the handling line. The Goldeneye 500 scans wooden battens 30 times faster than the human eye, which allows the company to increase production of its market-leading JB-Red battens. Even at a speed of 280 meters per minute, the Goldeneye ensures batten meets the requirements and complies with the standard. Chris Watson, managing director, states, “We have run extensive trials and testing on wooden roof battens using Goldeneye, and we are absolutely assured of the accuracy of the grading process. We have complete faith that every single piece of JB-Red that leaves our premises meets BS5534:2014.” The investment means that the roof-
48 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:53 AM Page 49
PROJECTS The experts of CMC Texpan and Siempelkamp saw potential for optimization in the vertical and horizontal wind and weight distribution in the mat. Furthermore, the goal was to reduce the pressure loss in the wind distribution system and, as a result of it, the power consumption of the fans. The accessibility and maintenance effort of the system could also be simplified. An additional challenge was to design the system in such a way that, in the case of a plant upgrade, the EcoFormer would fit exactly in the space of the traditional wind former. This has been achieved, according to the manufacturer. The new EcoFormer SL is equipped with two small fans in the lower sector as well as two slightly larger ones in the upper sector. With these fans, the wind speed can be controlled individually and precisely at different height levels inside the wind chamber. The fans create the wind flow needed for the distribution of the surface layer particles. An intermediate chamber provides for uniform distribution of the wind flow to a PARTICLEBOARD MILL perforated plate positioned behind the RUNS NEW FORMER chamber. This principle provides a preRussia’s Uvadrev-Holding OAO recisely controlled wind speed distribuports successful operation of its new tion inside the entire wind chamber and CMC Texpan EcoFormer SL (surface as a result of this, an even more uniform layer) in its new particleboard line supforming of the surface layer. This alplied by Siempelkamp. Other customers lows the plant operator to save signifihave ordered the EcoFormer SL for cant amounts of material and produce their new and/or existing plants, accordhigh quality boards with low power ing to Siempelkamp. consumption. All of this adds up to CMC Texpan further developed its yearly savings of around 500,000 euros proven wind former to provide an even depending on the plant size, according more uniform forming of the surface to Siempelkamp. layer during particleboard production, The EcoFormer SL also provides an with the lowest possible energy conadvantage in saving energy. Due to the sumption. innovative design, the pressure loss is reduced allowing the use of smaller fans with lower energy consumption. The new forming system is extremely maintenancefriendly due to the fact that it is easily accessible. The short and round wind nozzles minimize possible dust deposits and simplify the cleaning Uvadrev-Holding OAO operates an EcoFormer SL. of the system. ing industry won’t have to worry about onsite grading for roofing anymore, so they can spend more time doing what they do best: fixing battens to roofs and installing quality roofs. This is especially important because the onsite grading of roofing battens for both new roofs and re-roofs is no longer an accepted practice. John Brash is accredited under both Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). In the short span of time since the new grading standard came into practice, John Brash has seen demand for graded battens that are compliant with BS5534:2014 exceed company forecasts. “Having the capability to nearly double the speed at which we can grade wood is critical to the growth of our batten business and having the flexibility to add extra shifts at our facilities means that we can easily treble the production of fully BS5534:2014-compliant roofing battens.”
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 50
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 51
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:53 AM Page 52
UPDATE
CPA also reported that 91.9% 10 ➤ of particleboard producers in North America reported having their panel products CARB Phase 2 certified, while 4.7% were CARB exempt (NAF or ULEF). For MDF, 87.1% reported having panel products compliant to CARB Phase 2 and 12.6% were CARB exempt.
ROSEBURG PLANS MOVE TO SPRINGFIELD Allyn Ford, president and CEO, of Roseburg, announced that the company will be relocating its corporate headquarters to Springfield, Ore. from Dillard, Ore. in September 2016. Roseburg
purchased an office building in Springfield and the Executive Team then spent significant time evaluating how to best maximize the benefit of the office to meet increasing obstacles and future needs. Ford outlined a number of considerations in why the decision was made to move the corporate headquarters to Springfield: —The increasing challenge attracting and retaining high level technical and professional staff, as many prefer to live in and work in a more urban community. —The benefit of being closer to a major airport, with improved accessibility for both staff who travel extensively for Roseburg, as well as for bringing customers into visit. —The more frequent access to financial and legal services that assist Roseburg. Even though the headquarters will move to Springfield, the Dillard office will remain the location for the company’s Western Region Operations and Resource group. The company is in the process of identifying which administrative departments and functions will most benefit by this relocation and expects to have final plans in place and communicated soon. Ford stressed that it is his intention to thoughtfully plan and execute this move with minimal disruption to employees and customers. Roseburg Lumber moved its headquarters from Roseburg, Ore. to Dillard in 1956 across the street from the Dillard sawmill. The company began sawmilling at Roseburg in 1936, led by legendary Kenneth Ford.
FINSA EXPANDS SUPERPAN OUTPUT Siempelkamp has been retrofitting a Siempelkamp particleboard plant for the manufacture of superPan for Finsa at Nelas, Portugal. Finsa actually moved the particleboard plant from Cella, Spain. Siempelkamp has extended the continuous press by 6 m to increase production capacity, equipped the prepress with an additional de-aeration zone for improved pre-compacting of MDF surface layers, and performed various modifications to the cooling and stacking areas and added improved control systems. 52 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:53 AM Page 53
UPDATE SuperPan is composed of MDF surface layers and a particleboard or chipboard core. SuperPan is said to be suited for a number of decorative finishes such as paint, lamination, oil-finish and digital print.
ENVIROS COME DOWN ON BIOMASS A number of environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Dogwood Alliance and Greenpeace, collectively signed off on a letter to the director of the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, DC, registering their objections to the use of biomass combustion for power generation as a compliance measure in the Clean Power Plan (CPP). They say biomass-based power generation should not be included in the CPP as a compliance measure because EPA has not identified a rational basis for considering biomass combustion as part of the “best system of
emission reduction.” Power plants burning wood and other forms of biomass emit about 3,000 lbs. of CO2 per megawatt hour, an emissions rate that is approximately 50% higher than that of a coal-fired power plant, according to the letter. The letter discounts the theory that burning biomass to generate energy either results in emissions that will be recaptured as trees grow back, or avoids emissions that otherwise would have occurred if the biomass were to decompose. Even if emissions are reduced by regrowth later in time, the letter states, or if emissions that would have occurred later in time are avoided, the offsetting reductions are significantly delayed—on the order of years, decades, or more than a century, depending on the material used as fuel. The emission reductions typically attributed to power plants that burn biomass “are therefore uncertain, speculative, and dislocated,” and cannot be relied upon.
PanelWorld • SEPTEMBER 2015 • 53
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 54
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 55
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:53 AM Page 56
CLIPPINGS
MARTCO’S PLYWOOD MILL IS SAFE
Martco L.L.C.’s plywood facility in Chopin, La. has been recognized by APA—The Engineered Wood Association as being the safest North American plywood mill in the APA safety program. Known in the marketplace as RoyOMartin-Plywood, the plant won the Annual Safety and Health Honor Roll, First Place, Division 1—Plywood; and 3-Year Safety Award 2012-2014, Division 1—Plywood awards through the 2014 APA Safety and Health Awards Program, in which 76 APA-member wood-product facilities across the U.S., Canada and abroad participated. According to APA, “The APA Safety and Health Program is designed to be the premier safety award program for the structural panel and engineered wood industry in North America. It encourages and recognizes operational excellence with the goal of reducing injury and illness rates year over year.” Shown here are several members of RoyOMartin-Plywood’s leadership team and plant safety committee. In the center, shaking hands, are APA President Ed Elias, left, and RoyOMartin-Plywood Plant Manager Jeremy Burford, right, with RoyOMartin Vice President of Plywood Joe Mackay standing behind the award.
VENEER SERVICES ADDS PARTRIDGE Continuing to build on its history of bringing bright minds and advanced technology to its business, Veneer Services announced the addition of Michael Partridge to its team. Partridge joins Veneer Services/Biomass Engineering & Equipment as Product Specialist. Clients will benefit from his 36 years of experience in the primary/secondary rotary and sliced production fields, along with 24 years of experience in commercial and industrial plywood production. Partridge has had the opportunity to develop a varied skill and knowledge base in the veneer industry, from raw material purchasing through veneer and finished plywood production, including equipment purchase and design in every phase of operations. In addition, his past management responsibilities at Rutland Plywood, Columbia Forest Products, J. Paul Levesque, Calley & Currier, Northern Michigan Veneers and, most recently,
56 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:53 AM Page 57
CLIPPINGS 20 years as manufacturing facilities superintendent for Birchwood Best, rounds out Partridge’s extensive qualifications. “We’re extremely excited to bring Mike on board,” says Dane Floyd, Veneer Services president. “His experiences and fresh outlook will only push us further out in the forefront of our industry. We know our customers are going to benefit greatly from his expertise. He’s going to become an invaluable member of the Veneer/BE&E team and help us continue to create game-changing products, services and experiences for our customers.”
VAN HORN JOINS BAXLEY HOLDINGS Tom Van Horn has accepted the position of Capital Sales Account Manager for Baxley Holdings. Van Horn has worked in the sawmill industry for more than 23 years, starting with HEMCO as a field service technician in 1992. He moved to Hi-Tech Engineering as field service technician and PLC programmer. In 2004 he went to
SIEMPELKAMP’S GRIESCHE RETIRING Ralf Griesche, Director of Marketing & Communications at Siempelkamp Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH, Krefeld, Germany, is retiring effective September 30. During Siempelkamp’s customer recognition party at the Ligna show in Hannover, Germany in May, Dr. Dieter Siempelkamp held a laudation of Griesche and his work. Griesche’s career spanned 17 years at Siempelkamp. Prior to that he was the marketing manager of wood based panel pro- Ralf Griesche ducer Pfleiderer in Neumarkt, Germany. “Retirement means for me to have more time for the family and myself, having time for things to do I never did,” Griesche comments. Griesche and his family will live in Krefeld and in France alternately. “Ralf was the perfect communications man,” comments Rich Donnell, editor-inchief of Panel World. “When I went to him for more information, additional photos, clarifications, whatever it was, he always delivered and in a timely fashion, understanding our deadline demands. I wish him the best. And I hope his replacement is as equal to the task.” work for well known southern pine lumber producer, Jordan Lumber Company, which allowed him to spend more time with his young family. At Jordan he filled many key roles ranging from technology manager, capital projects manager and
operations manager. Van Horn’s extensive background in PLCs and real world mill experience is a huge asset and will help Baxley Equipment/Price LogPro communicate with their customers.
PanelWorld • SEPTEMBER 2015 • 57
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 58
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 59
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_ASM2_Layout 1 8/6/15 2:18 PM Page 60
W H AT ’ S
NEW
NEW GENERATION CONTINUOUS PRESS DIEFFENBACHER INTRODUCES CPS+
Dieffenbacher formally introduced its CPS+ continuous press at the recent Ligna show.
also means up to 25% higher capacity. THDF production using the new press is safer than ever despite the high speed. An X-ray sensor monitors the mat immediately before the proven Dieffenbacher double hinge press infeed. If mat flaws or distortions are recognized, the press cylinders are immediately released and the press stops automatically. The brake system was also reinforced for this purpose. • Faster Heat Transfer: Mats are subjected to high pressure, even in the press infeed. The load on the heating platen is correspondingly high. Dieffenbacher heating platens are protected from damage Drum diameter on the press infeed is increased. by hardened protection platens. A he inventor Thomas Alva Edison new feature is that the first protection once said: “If there is a way to do it platens with which the mat comes in better…find it” and that is exactly what contact are also equipped with heating Dieffenbacher has done. After more than ducts, making them thermoactive. This 25 years of experience in the construcenables heat, as well as pressure, to be tion of continuous presses and approxitransferred from the press to the mat at mately 150 presses put in operation, Dian earlier stage. The effect is considereffenbacher has fundamentally revised able. The resulting surface temperature its CPS continuous press with new techis around 20° Kelvin higher right at the nologies to gain improvement in perforbeginning of the procedure. This allows mance and reach a perfect panel. the mats to be heated through to 100°C Since the first presentation in public 10 to 20 seconds earlier. l Rigid Yet Flexible: The frame at Ligna 2015, the new CPS+ has been brought to market successfully. Metrostructure of the CPS+ is similar to the Ply of Thailand ordered the first CPS+ previous CPS. The modular frame made as part of a package for a new particlefrom four frame elements has been reboard plant, and in July placed an order tained. In the CPS+, the new internal for a second CPS+ for THDF produccylinders are already pre-installed in the tion. The third CPS+ for particleboard upper frame assembly, which reduces build time. This modular design offers is going to a well-known customer in several advantages compared to oneSoutheastern Europe. piece window frames. Firstly, it reduces • Quick And Safe: The new maximum maintenance and repair times. Secondspeed of the CPS+ in thin panel producly, it enables subsequent extension of tion is 2500 mm/s. This is an increase of the press with minimal downtime as 25% compared to its predecessor. This
T
Modular frame design with integrated pre-assembled pressure cylinders
long as the foundation and press pit have been prepared. l Product Changeover Without Interruption: A feature of the CPS proven over decades is the extrainment of the frames while thermal expansion of the heating platens. This is also an important quality characteristic of the new CPS+. When the heating platens expand due to increased temperature, all frames—installed on sliding platens—move along with the heating platens, including the internally mounted cylinders. This allows product changeovers that also entail a change in temperature of the heating platens to be carried out without interruption, i.e. without being run out. l Optimum Pressure Distribution: The Parallel Press Gap System minimizes any “breathing out” effect in the as yet unhardened panels between the
The heating platens are defended by protection platens.Yet, in order to ensure a quick heat transfer to the mat, the protection platens are heated as well.
60 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/11/15 12:42 PM Page 61
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_ASM2_Layout 1 8/6/15 2:19 PM Page 62
W H AT ’ S
NEW
two banks of cylinders. This has also been standard in the CPS for many years. The forces of the top cylinders and the opposing forces of the lower frame elements are offset in a longitudinal direction. To do this, the thickness of the heating platens and roll platens, the number of cylinder banks and the top and bottom frame intervals are defined and coordinated so that the pressing gap between the frames only has minimal variation and always runs almost in parallel. Uniform pressure distribution in the longitudinal direction saves huge amounts of resin. Further consequences are excellent thickness tolerances and outstanding surface quality of the wood-based panels. l All Under Control: The press cylinders impact directly on the heating platens from above. The cylinders at the left and right borders of a bank act individually or jointly depending on the intended application. They are used to adjust product width purely hydraulically. The central cylinders in a cylinder bank
The arrangement of the cylinders and frames ensures a constant parallel press gap.
are controlled either individually, in pairs or in groups depending on pressure zone. If necessary, this can be fully automated with the advanced Proguide+ control system. The cylinder banks are also fitted with different numbers of cylinders in the longitudinal direction. They sit offset in relation to one other and so homogenize the surface of the produced panels. l Safe Steel Belt Operation: A further important innovation of the CPS+ is the automated orthogonal adjustment for flawless steel belt operation, which is continuously measured. If the steel belt is operating under load, a motorized
mechanism affects the operation of the rolling rods. The rolling rods have their direction altered by tenths of a millimeter so that the steel belts automatically return to their ideal running position. This not only increases the operational reliability and service life of the steel belt and machine parts, it can also increase the availability of the plant and reduce the use of resin. The diameter of the steel belt drums on the press infeed has been increased by 15%, the number of guide rollers optimized, and the steel belt guidance made smoother in the backward direction. All of these changes significantly
62 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 63
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_ASM2_Layout 1 8/6/15 2:19 PM Page 64
W H AT ’ S
NEW
Proven modular frame design allows easy access to inner parts for maintenance.
reduce undesirable kinking and bending influences on the steel belt and ensure a correspondingly longer service life. l A Clean Machine: Ease of maintenance was also considered when developing the CPS+. The supply side and maintenance side of the press are clearly separated. This makes it much easier to access the press and its internal components. PW Wear parts can be replaced very quickly. Article submitted by Dieffenbacher.
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
GEOs_0915.qxp_GEOs_Jan04.qxd 8/7/15 10:08 AM Page 65
VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS
EUROPE ■ Austria
DIRECTORY ■ China
PT. SENGON INDAH MAS Manufacturers of High Quality Plywood
Shanghai Lion Wood “Providing Industry Co., Ltd. Value & Cost
• High Grade Hardwood Plywood Savings With – HPVA Grading, All species, NAUF, High Quality Products” CARB, UV, FSC – Whole Pc X Bands, Composed Core – 1/8" - 1-1/2" Thickness: 6', 7', 8', 9' & 10' Lengths • Platforms – VC, MDF xBanded VC, FSC • Paper Laminated Plywood • Veneer Edge Banding – up to 3.0mm – UV Contact U.S. Direct Sales Agent Industrial Wood Products Inc. • Tel: 703-435-6486 Fax: 703-435-6489 • mlubina@iwpwood.com SW–COC-001600 ©1996. FSC “Responsible Forest Management”
KAOCHUAN
■ Taiwan
GREAT GIANT INC.
■ Germany
■ Poland
VENEER AND VENEERED PRODUCTS
Taiwanese Enterprise in China
Tel: +86-573-89110999 Ext. 218 Fax: +86-573-89110599 Email: kaochuan@kaochuanwoodwork.com Website: kaochuanwoodwork.com
We are an Austrian veneer producer with 50 years of experience in the export of veneer and Layons. We produce all European species but are strong in exotic veneers also.
• HARDWOOD PLYWOOD—HPVA Grade • ALL SPECIES—CARB/NAUF • CORES: VC, Lumber Core, Combi Core, MDF • PLATFORMS—Veneer Core & Lumber Core • DOOR SKINS Contact U.S. Direct Sales Agent Industrial Wood Products, Inc. Tel: 703-435-6486 • Fax: 703-435-6489 mlubina@iwpwood.com
WOODWORK CO., LTD. • FANCY: On Plywood/MDF/PB/BB • VENEER: Custom-cut, Layon, Parquet • PLYWOOD: Hardwood, Poplar, LVL, Marine
www.veneer-world.com
Find more information at www.frischeis.com helmut.spaeth@frischeis.com
■ Indonesia
ASIA
The world of veneer at
260 Dachang Road Niao Song District Kaohsiung, Taiwan 833 Tel: 886 7 3790270 Fax: 886 7 3790275 E Mail: jc.giant@msa.hinet.net
CARB : TPC 6/CARB-ATCM/M013-HWPW008
AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA
■ India
■ Spain
M P VENEERS, INDIA “Teak People”
Recognized Export House by Govt. of INDIA Recognized Environmentally Friendly An ISO 9001-2008 Co. Enterprise by Chamber of Commerce, FMPCCI Manufacturer of TEAK sliced veneers • In clipped and Bundled 0.5 to 2.5 mm • Spliced Faces 0.5 to 1.4 mm • Panel Size : 50” x 99”/123” and Counter front or any size required. FEQ TEAK LUMBER – Rough & Random Sawn OR Even Qtr Sawn on Edge or Face Teak Decking S4S - QTR - 9mmx36mm; 10mm x 48mm or any size required Thickness 3/4 to 12/4 Phone: +91 755 246 1243 • Fax: +91 755 246 8197 Website: www.mpveneers.com Email: exports@mpveneers.com
PRODUCERS OF SLICED AND ROTARY CUT VENEERS
SUPPLIERS OF FSC SPECIES SPECIALISTS IN AUSTRALIAN & PACIFIC VENEERS FSC & PEFC ECO-CERT Veneers from around the world Over 150 species in stock Reconstituted veneer/spliced faces/rotary veneers Website: Email: Tel: Fax:
www.briggs.com.au admin@briggs.com.au +61 2 9732-7888 +61 2 9732-7800
www.fsc.org FSC™ C004099 The mark of responsible forestry
• All figured species (Eucalyptus, Anegre, Sycamore...) • All pommeles and African species • All burls (Ash, Elm, Olive, Walnut, Oak...) • Bookmatched jointed burl faces.
We supply furniture, panel and architectural grades. VALENCIA – SPAIN Tel: +34-96126 5400 Fax: +34-96126 5144 timbercom@timbercom.com
5/15
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
www.timbercom.com
GEOs_0915.qxp_GEOs_Jan04.qxd 8/7/15 10:08 AM Page 66
VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY ■ Switzerland
NEXT CLOSING: SEPTEMBER 23, 2015
■ United States
A new “Dimension” in Veneer & Plywood
Dimension Hardwood Veneers, Inc.
Rotary & Sliced Veneers 509 Woodville Street • Edon, Ohio 43518 Main Office - Tel: 419-272-2245 • Fax: 419-272-2406
■ Idaho
Dimension Plywood Inc.
Knotty Idaho White Pine Western Red Cedar Red Alder Clear White Pine & Ponderosa Pine Clear Vertical Grain Douglas Fir, Hemlock, & Cedar
NORTH AMERICA ■ Canada
P.O. Box 339 Post Falls, Id. 83877 208-773-4511 FAX 208-773-1107 email: info@idahoveneer.com
Custom Architectural Plywood & Face Veneers 415 Industrial Blvd. • New Albany, IN 47150 Tel: 812-944-6491 • Fax: 812-944-7421 www.dimensionhardwoods.com FSC-C041275
Reserve your space today. Call Melissa McKenzie 800-669-5613
■ Indiana
■ Ontario
Amos-Hill Associates, Inc.
A FULL SERVICE PLYWOOD & VENEER COMPANY WE OFFER: Short turnaround time, In-house veneer mill—ROTARY, FLAT CUT, RIFT and QUARTERS, Custom pressing capabilities, Architectural specified plywood jobs, Huge veneer and core inventory, Over 100 natural species and engineer veneers in stock, All sizes and thicknesses–6'x4' to 5'x12', Internal logistics for fast on-time deliveries Contact us: Birchland Plywood-Veneer Ltd. TeL: 705-842-2430 • Fax: 705-842-2496 Visit www.birchlandplywood.com to view our “Live Log Program”
■ Quebec
Quality Veneers Manufacturers of Decorative Hardwood Veneer Domestic and International Markets Species include: Walnut, White Oak, Red Oak, Hard Maple, Cherry and Birch “Quality is the Lifeblood of our Business” 112 Shelby Ave. ◆ P.O. Box 7 Edinburgh, IN 46124 Phone: 812-526-2671 ◆ Fax: 812-526-5865 E-mail: info@amoshill.com Website: www.amoshill.com The mark of responsible forestry FSC Supplier: SCS-COC-002445 * SCS-CW-002445
Producers of fine veneer for the global market, since 1892
Cherry Maple White Oak Walnut Hickory Red Oak Exotics Indiana Veneers Corporation
1121 East 24th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46205 Tel: [317] 926-2458 Fax: [317] 926-8569 Url: www.indianaveneers.com Email: sales@indianaveneers.com
COLDWATER VENEER, INC. WEST POINT VENEER Veneer Showroom/Warehouse Oak ● Cherry ● Hard Maple ● Walnut Ash ● Poplar ● Imports
Manufacturer of high quality veneers. Specializing in engineering flooring blanks and stiles and rail components. Lengthwise sliced hardwood veneer and cut-to-size veneer from 1/7" to 1/50" Walnut, Cherry, Maple, Mahogany, Red & White Oak, Eastern White Pine, Hickory, Aromatic Red Cedar, Birch, V.G. Fir, Alder 300, 6e rue Nord, Daveluyville, Qc, Canada G0Z 1C0 Tel: (819) 367-3100 Fax: (819) 367-3199 placages.beaulac@beaulacfils.com www.beaulacfils.com
Jack Freese Tel: 502-767-4761 • Fax: 812-725-1169 1201 Bridgeport Road Jeffersonville, IN 47130 www.coldwaterveneer.com
CURRY VENEER SALES
1014 EAST SIXTH STREET NEW ALBANY, IN 47150 Email: bradblcveneer@gmail.com “Hands On Personalized Relationships”
Locate veneer & plywood products and services worldwide.
SUPPLIERS OF: HARDWOOD DOMESTIC VENEERS Carrying a diverse line of Cherry and Walnut to supply your every need Imported Veneers Including Recon Veneer (Veneer Style) and Rotary Okume FSC Species Available
5/15
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
GEOs_0915.qxp_GEOs_Jan04.qxd 8/7/15 10:08 AM Page 67
VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY RSVP is proud to offer a full line of imported and domestic veneer that includes burls, crotches and highly figured woods. If you would like more information pertaining to these products or others we offer please contact us directly or visit our website.
1285 Indianapolis Rd. • Columbus, IN 47201 Ph: 812-375-1178 • Fax: 812-375-1179 www.RSVPveneer.com
■ Minnesota
Universal Veneer Mill Corp.
BUFFALO VENEER & PLYWOOD CO. Quality Plywood, Six decades strong! Stock Panels Counter Front Panels All Thicknesses and Cores NAF, FR and MR Availability Domestic and Imported Veneers CARB P2 Certified 501 6th Ave. NE - Buffalo, MN 55313 Tel: (763)682-1822 Fax: (763)682-9769 Email: sales@buffaloveneerandplywood.com Website: www.buffaloveneerandplywood.com
Manufacturing and Sales Sliced Harwood Veneers Custom Cutting Available 1776 Tamarack Road Newark, OH 43055 Ph: (740) 522-2000 Email: info@universalveneer.com
■ Pennsylvania
■ Mississippi
■ Kentucky ESTABLISHED 1972
■ Ohio Proudly serving our clients in the hardwood plywood sheetstock, plywood component, solid wood component, face and core veneer markets for over 40 years. Looking forward to applying our worldwide knowledge and resources to help create the solution you need. inquiry@pittsburghforest.com Office: 724.969.5000 375 Valleybrook Rd, McMurray, PA 15367
Locate veneer & plywood products and services w o r l d w i d e .
■ Michigan
COLDWATER VENEER, INC.
■ Virginia
Sliced Face Veneers
WEST POINT VENEER
Oak ● Carolina Pine Cherry ● Hard Maple ● Walnut Dean Calhoun ■ Dave Counterman Don Steffey ■ Rob Taylor Randy Taylor ■ Ward Harris Tel: 517-278-5676 • Fax: 517-279-7104 548 Race Street Coldwater, MI 49036 www.coldwaterveneer.com
NEXT CLOSING: SEPTEMBER 23, 2015
A new “Dimension” in Veneer & Plywood
Dimension Hardwood Veneers, Inc.
Rotary & Sliced Veneers 509 Woodville Street • Edon, Ohio 43518 Main Office - Tel: 419-272-2245 • Fax: 419-272-2406
Dimension Plywood Inc.
Custom Architectural Plywood & Face Veneers 415 Industrial Blvd. • New Albany, IN 47150 Tel: 812-944-6491 • Fax: 812-944-7421 www.dimensionhardwoods.com FSC-C041275
Manufacturer of sliced face veneers
Carolina Pine is our speciality Oak • Cherry • Walnut • Maple • Ash • Poplar
Robert van der Meulen ■ Samuel Agcanas Tel: 804-843-2900 ■ Fax: 804-843-2554 320 Dupont Street West Point, VA 23181 Custom Cutting Available Member of the Coldwater Veneer Group www.coldwaterveneer.com
5/15
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWsept15pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/7/15 9:50 AM Page 68
5394
60 Wilson Ave., Suite 101 Timmins, Ontario, Canada P4N 2S7 Tel: 705.360.5525
1635
4809
Complete Engineering Services for the OSB, Particleboard, MDF, Plywood, LVL, Sawmilling and Biomass Industries. Offering Services in: • Conceptual Design • Budget Preparation • Feasibility Studies • Procurement • Detail Engineering – Civil/Structural – Mechanical – Electrical • PLC / HMI Programming • Project Management • Construction Management • Startup Assistance
www.cmaeng.com • info@cmaeng.com
5515 S.E. Milwaukie Ave, Portland, Oregon 97202 503-230-9348 Fax: 503-233-2051 www.kh2aengineering.com Email: kh2a@kh2aengineering.com CONSULTANTS & ENGINEERS FOR THE FOREST PRODUCTS INDUSTRY Feasibility Studies, Cost Estimates, Complete Project Design, Structural, Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Design
1009
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DIRECTORY
The Feltham-McClure Co., Inc. 2151 Wembley Place • Oviedo, Florida 32765 407-366-9333 Office • 407-366-4900 Fax www.thefeltham-mcclurecompany.com
Veneer Lathe Service - All makes, models and peripherals for all end products. Installation, Laser Alignments, Retrofits, Rebuilds and Troubleshooting Peel Problem Troubleshooting and Rectification Lathe Training Seminars - Operational and Maintenance Representing: Demco Manufacturing and Doyle Tool & Gauge
9926
PANELWORKS
1248
9237
WYSOCKI CTS VENEER, INC.
Rotary-cut, cut-to-size, northern hardwood veneers. No job too large or too small. Let me quote on your needs. Call or Write: Walter Wysocki 8109 County Line Rd. • Armstrong Creek, WI 54103 (715) 336-2351 • Fax: (715) 336-2050 Email: acbison@hotmail.com 2037
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Specializing in confidential career opportunities in the Forest Products industry
JOHN GANDEE
Management Recruiters of Houston Northeast
Tel: (800) 985-5191
gcopeland@mrihouston.com • www.mrihouston.com
Gates Copeland 281-359-7940 • fax 866-253-7032
Jon Olson
& ASSOCIATES, INC Depending on Circumstances / Needs
“Your Success Is Our Business” Serving the Wood Products and Building Materials Industries For more than 21 years.
Custom search & recruitment services for the complete range of composite panel and related careers in the U.S., Canada and Europe. www.olsonsearch.com
4231
jon@olsonsearch.com
Contingency or Retainer
MICHAEL STRICKLAND & ASSOCIATES LLC Executive Recruiters Wood Products/Building Materials Industries Mike Strickland mike@woodproductjobs.com 601-529-2157 • www.woodproductjobs.com Fees paid by employer
Top Wood Jobs Recruiting and Staffing George Meek
Toll Free 1-800-536-3884 www.johngandee.com Austin, Texas
THE Forest Products Group
3220
geo@TopWoodJobs.com www.TopWoodJobs.com (541) 954-8456
8187
SEARCH NORTH AMERICA, INC. IT'S YOUR MOVE...
FOREST PRODUCTS RECRUITING SINCE 1978
The Jobs You Want — The People You Need WWW.SEARCHNA.COM
3779
CONTACT CARL JANSEN AT 541-593-2777 OR Carlj@SearchNA.com
68 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
1615
Executive – Managerial – Technical - Sales
2200
Recruiting Services
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 4:07 PM Page 69
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_ASM_Layout 1 8/11/15 12:11 PM Page 70
EVENTS SEPTEMBER
AUGUST 2016
2-4 • Wood & Bioenergy Exhibition, Conference and Fair Centre Paviljonki, Jyväskylä, Finland. Visit bioenergyevents.fi.
24-27 • International Woodworking Fair, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Visit iwfatlanta.com.
9-12 • FMC China 2015: Furniture Manufacturing & Supply China 2015, Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, Shanghai, China. Call +86-21-64371178; visit expo.fmcchina.com.cn.
SEPTEMBER 2016
OCTOBER 17-20 • APA-Engineered Wood Assn. annual meeting, The Coeur d’Alene, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Call 253-5656600; visit apawood.org.
APRIL 2016 5-6 • Bioenergy Fuels & Products Conference & Expo, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 334-8341170; e-mail dianne@hattonbrown.com; visit bioenergy show.com. 7-8 • Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE), Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 800-669-5613; visit pelice-expo.com.
A
●
D
●
L
●
I
●
▲
17-19 • EWTA Info Fair, The Coeur d’Alene, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Call 253-620-7237; visit engineeredwood.org.
Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
N
●
K
▲
13-15 • Composite Panel Assn. Fall meeting, Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff, Alberta, Canada. Call 703-724-1128; visit compositepanel.org.
28-30 • Timber Processing & Energy Expo, Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, Portland, Ore. Visit timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com.
Easy access to current advertisers! www.panelworldmag.com/adindex.html Don’t forget to bookmark this link!
This issue of Panel World is brought to you in part by the following companies, which will gladly supply additional information about their products. ADVERTISER Altec Integrated Solutions Angelo Cremona S.P.A. Argos Solutions BASF Baumer Inspection GmbH Berndorf Band GmbH China Foma Group Con-Vey Keystone Corvallis Tool Cross Wrap Custom Engineering Dieffenbacher GmbH Electronic Wood Systems Fezer Forest Products Journal Grecon Hashimoto Denki Hexion Huntsman Imal S.R.L. John King Chains Limab Lindauer Dornier GmbH Lundberg Meinan Machinery Works Merritt Machinery Metriguard Mid-South Engineering Pal S.R.L Paratherm Peninsular Cylinder Progressive Systems R & S Cutterhead Manufacturing Raute Wood Samuel Strapping System Sandvik Process Systems SASCO Chemical Group Sherdil Precision Siempelkamp Gmbh SonicAire Spraying Systems Sweed Machinery Taihei Machinery Works U S Metal Works USNR Ventek Wemhoner Surface Technologies Westmill Industries Willamette Valley
PG.NO. 5 47 41 39 52 59 50 56 57 58 43 7 31 22 62 45 55 23 33 15 10 64 31 44 61 17 54 64 15 48 41 71 21 25 63 72 9 40 2 46 35 53 30 21,57 11 51 49 37 53
PH.NO. 604.529.1991 +39 02660381 +47 916 694 25 734.324.6660 +49 7531 99430 847.841.3300 +86 10 6354 0820 541.672.5506 541.929.2234 +358 17 287 0270 814.898.2800 +49 0 7262 65 103 +49 5151 5574 0 +55 49 3561 2222 855.475.0291 503.641.7731 281.741.0410 888.443.9466 281.719.4916 +39.059.465.500 +44 197 768 1910 +46 31 58 44 00 +49 8382 70 30 425.283.5070 +81 562 47 2211 716.434.5558 509.332.7526 501.321.2276 +39 0422 852 300 610.200.8584 800.526.7968 612.788.8081 815.678.2611 604 524 6611 800.667.1264 +46 26 26 56 00 800.332.2594 519.727.4010 +49 2151 92 4636 336.712.2437 800.957.7729 866.800.7414 +81 568 73 6421 800.523.5287 360.225.8267 800.279.3331 +49 5221 7702 0 877.607.7010 541.484.9621
ADLINK is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.
70 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 71
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0915_JAG.qxp_Layout 1 8/6/15 3:50 PM Page 72
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!