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A Hatton-Brown Publication

Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. 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

Volume 47 • Number 4 • May 2022 Founded in 1976 • Our 484th Consecutive Issue

Publisher: David H. Ramsey Chief Operating Officer: Dianne C. Sullivan Editor-in-Chief: Rich Donnell Senior Editor: Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor: David Abbott Senior Associate Editor: Jessica Johnson

Renew or subscribe on the web: www.timberprocessing.com

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Publisher/Editor Emeritus: David (DK) Knight Art Director/Prod. Manager: Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coordinator: Patti Campbell Circulation Director: Rhonda Thomas Online Content/Marketing: Jacqlyn Kirkland Classified Advertising: Bridget DeVane • 334.699.7837 800.669.5613 • bdevane7@hotmail.com Advertising Sales Representatives: Southern USA Randy Reagor P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 904.393.7968 • FAX: 334.834.4525 E-mail: reagor@bellsouth.net

20 34 46 58 62

NEWSFEED

Yet Another New Sawmill In The Works

CHECKING IN ON TP&EE

Portland Machinery Show Returns In September

VICKSBURG FOREST PRODUCTS

From Hardwood Lumber To Softwood Lumber

PLANER MILL BONANZA New Technologies At The Finishing End

MACHINERY ROW

A Few Words On The Big Merger

AT LARGE

New Leadership Lineup At Hardwood Group

MAIN EVENTS

Through The Summer And Beyond

COVER: Vicksburg Forest Products installed a Cone DLI and can-

ter profiler line as part of a Timber Automation turnkey project at the SYP mill in Mississippi. Story begins on PAGE 20. (Jessica Johnson photo)

Midwest USA, Eastern Canada John Simmons 32 Foster Cres. Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 1W1 905.666.0258 • FAX: 905.666.0778 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.timberprocessing.com Member Verified Audit Circulation

Western USA, Western Canada Tim Shaddick 4056 West 10th Avenue Vancouver BC Canada V6L 1Z1 604.910.1826 • FAX: 604.264.1367 E-mail: twshaddick@gmail.com Kevin Cook 604.619.1777 E-mail: lordkevincook@gmail.com

International Murray Brett 58 Aldea de las Cuevas, Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain Tel: +34 96 640 4165 • + 34 96 640 4048 E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net

Timber Processing (ISSN 0885-906X, USPS 395-850) is published 11 times annually (monthly except Jan./Feb.) by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscription Information—TP is free to qualified owners, operators, managers, purchasing agents, supervisors, foremen and other key personnel at sawmills, pallet plants, chip mills, treating plants, specialty plants, lumber finishing operations, corporate industrial woodlands officials and machinery manufacturers and distributors in the U.S. All non-qualified U.S. Subscriptions are $55 annually: $65 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: 800-6695613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.timberprocessing.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Timber Processing magazine are accepted and published by Hatton-Brown Publishers, 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 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. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. neither endorse nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Timber Processing. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertisement which it deems inappropriate. Copyright ® 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices. Printed in U.S.A.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to Timber Processing, P.O. Box 2419, Montgomery, Alabama 36102-2419 Other Hatton-Brown publications: Timber Harvesting • Southern Loggin’ Times Wood Bioenergy • Panel World • Power Equipment Trade

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THEISSUES

Dan Shell Senior Editor

HOW’S YOUR LOG SUPPLY CHAIN?

n between looking for extra employees to fill out another shift or solidify the one or two already in place, or perhaps looking for larger vaults to hold the cash they’ve been putting away thanks to record lumber prices, lumber suppliers would be smart to take a look at the health of the supply chain feeding their mills. Ensuring all those nice equipment investments meet projections and ROI numbers requires a consistent flow of quality timber. A mill’s relationship with its contractors or log sources can vary widely as well, from gatewood contractors to “closely held” contractors who work almost exclusively for a given mill or mills. There are also all sorts of financial arrangements with contractors, from cosigning loans to outright buying equipment to fronting repair work—we’ve heard it all. Most of the time it works as suppliers, customers, vendors and markets mesh. Of course loggers will quickly say they’re getting paid the same prices as 20+ years ago, while procurement people will point out timber is a commodity product. Years ago I remember a forester say the true cost of logging lies somewhere between a company crew and lean-running independent contractor. Probably so. But no matter how you look at it, both loggers and mills have the same logistical goal: Get the logs to the mills. And just as mills have been hit with labor and supply chain issues, loggers have as well as the entire industry grapples with pandemic impacts that continue, no matter how much we believe and want to be “over it.” Add the recent inflation run-up and loggers are taking it on the chin: According to a recent survey by the American Loggers Council, in the past year logging contractors have seen an average 25% cost increase across 20 items such as parts and equipment, and some items like fuel much more. Also, more than twothirds (69%) of loggers have seen labor price increases of 20% or more. Meanwhile, a recent Timber Harvesting magazine 2022 Logging Business survey shows 40% of loggers either broke even or lost money the past two years, and one out of five loggers (21%) rated their business health as poor to very poor. From a list of a dozen different issues, logging rates and log markets finished #1 and #2, respectively, when loggers were asked their top business concerns. This is not to make the mills out as the bad guys, as almost half (49%) of loggers report price increases the past two years. While it shows some mills are stepping up, it may not be enough across the supply chain. Even with the rate increases almost two-thirds of loggers (60%) reported passing up opportunities to expand in the past two years because of labor issues. Looking ahead, even more ominous trends are on the horizon: Almost half (46%) of logging contractors are age 60 or over, and almost three-fourths (71%) are 50 or older. It’s those ages that are driving the results of another question, as 37% of those who responded say they are planning to get out of logging in the next five years. One issue for loggers is there’s no clear path for growth, from the commodity price structure to the inability to pass along cost increases. As one logger commented, what business would make the kind of million dollar investments that loggers do with returns of barely 3% and an inability to pass along costs? Not many. At TP we’re all about exploring the latest technology and noting the investments mills make to apply it. There’s the old saw among old time sawmillers that the best log is the cheapest log, but as the industry continues to grapple with labor and supply chain issues, perhaps the best log is a healthier one for all segTP ments of the forest industry. Contact Dan Shell, ph: 334-834-1170; fax 334-834-4525; e-mail: dan@hattonbrown.com TIMBER PROCESSING

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NEWSFEED NEW SYP SAWMILL PLANNED FOR GLOSTER Claw Forestry Services, LLC announced that its affiliate will build a 250MMBF southern yellow pine sawmill in Gloster, Miss. within Amite County. The project represents a corporate investment of nearly $200 million and will create 131 direct jobs and support an addi-

tional 200 indirect jobs when operating at full capacity. The new mill will require in excess of 1 million tons of timber annually to produce the stated lumber output. The facility will be located on 65 acres of land, which includes the former Georgia-Pacific site. In connection with the new sawmill facility, efforts are under way to resume operation of the Gloster Southern Railroad. Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for infrastructure im-

provements and site development. Amite County also is assisting with the project. BID Group reports it has received the turnkey order from Claw Forestry Services to provide the greenfield sawmill. BID will manage, design, build, equip and provide full startup services. “We are excited to partner with the BID team to expand our manufacturing capacity with our first state-of-the-art turnkey lumber facility in the U.S. South,” Claw CEO Billy VanDevender says. “This project will employ the best complement of modern technologies to meet our growing consumer demand for the highest quality product, in a region where we own significant timberland acreage. Working with an industry leader like BID provides the confidence that this major project to further enhance our vertical integration will be done right and delivered on time.” The new operation will incorporate the full spectrum of BID’s “best-in-class” wood processing technologies including equipment, software, automation systems, AI-enabled optimization, and its plantwide Industry 4.0 solution, OPER8. BID’s Integrated Solutions Team will provide the design, engineering, planning, fabrication and installation services. The sustainment of the plant’s operational life cycle excellence will be supported by BID’s Aftermarket team through its Reliability Program. “We would like to thank the Claw team for their trust in BID, gained through a rigorous and extensive evaluation process, to deliver this project,” comments Travis McDonald, Executive Vice President, Integrated Solutions at BID Group. “We are humbled and honored that they have chosen to partner with us for their next major growth investment and ongoing operational excellence.” BID reports that work at the site will begin late in 2022 and startup of the sawmill is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024. Claw Forestry started in 2000 as a natural resource manager and has evolved as a major timberland owner and investments firm in the U.S. South. Its affiliate companies operate two sawmills in Mississippi—Vicksburg Forest Products in Vicksburg, and Southeastern Timber Products in Ackerman.

CANFOR PLANS UPGRADE OF URBANA SAWMILL Canfor Corp. announced it will invest $130 million USD to upgrade and expand 6

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NEWSFEED its sawmill and planer mill facilities in Urbana, Ark. The investment will capitalize on the abundant supply of high-quality fiber to enhance the manufacturing of high-value products, increase annual production at the facility by 115MMBF, and result in a meaningful reduction in the facility’s cost structure, according to the company. “We are excited to be investing in our Urbana facility with state-of-the-art tech-

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nology to modernize the work environment for our valued employees and significantly increase our ability to produce sustainable wood products that will meet the growing needs of our customers,” comments Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor. The upgrades include major improvements to the planer, sawmill and log yard and are expected to commence in the third quarter of 2022 and will take approxi-

mately 18 months to complete. The facility will continue to operate while the modernization project is ongoing.

BC OLD-GROWTH DEFERRALS TAKE EFFECT For the time being no harvesting will be allowed on nearly 1.7 million hectares (4.2 million acres) of old-growth in British Columbia as the province and First Nations throughout it develop a new approach to sustainable forest management. “Our government’s new vision for forestry is one where we better care for our most ancient and rarest forests, First Nations are full partners in forest management, and communities and workers benefit from secure, innovative jobs for generations to come,” says Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests. “By deferring harvest of nearly 1.7 million hectares of oldgrowth, we are providing the time and space we need to work together to develop a new, more sustainable way to manage BC’s forests.” The 1.7 million hectares figure is down from the BC government’s original intention to defer 2.6 million hectares. BC Council of Forest Industries stated the deferrals would have a devastating impact across the province, resulting in multiple sawmill closures, as well as pulp mills and value-added facilities. The government’s plan is based on recommendations from a panel of advisors with ties to environmental organizations. Known as the Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel, it has come under criticism from some sectors of the forest products industry. A recent independent study commissioned by COFI indicates BC has about 11.4 million hectares (28.2 million acres) of old forests, the majority of which— more than 75%—is already protected or is outside the timber harvesting land base. In November 2021, the Province announced it would engage with First Nations to find agreement on deferring harvest of old-growth forests. As recommended by the Old Growth Strategic Review, logging deferrals are a temporary measure to prevent irreversible biodiversity loss while a new, long-term approach to old-growth management that prioritizes ecosystem health and community resiliency throughout BC is developed. Government received responses from 188 out of the 204 First Nations in BC. To date, 75 First Nations have agreed to

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NEWSFEED defer harvest of at-risk old-growth in their territory. Seven First Nations have indicated they are opposed to any deferrals proceeding in their territory. More than 60 First Nations have requested more time to decide. As a result of these engagements, deferrals have been implemented on approximately 1.05 million hectares of BC’s most at-risk old growth, which are ancient, remnant and priority large stands

identified by the Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel. This includes areas where sales have been paused by BC Timber Sales while engagements with First Nations are ongoing. In total, more than 80% of the priority at-risk oldgrowth identified by the advisory panel is currently not threatened by logging because they are already protected, covered by deferrals or uneconomic to harvest, according to the Panel.

In addition to biodiversity, many First Nations expressed interest in managing old-growth on their territory in support of broader, related values such as wildlife habitat, cultural practices, clean water, healthy salmon populations and species at risk. As a result of integrated land-use planning processes underway, deferrals have also been implemented on another 619,000 hectares of old-growth forests. The new Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship will have a crucial role to play in supporting the implementation of 14 recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review in partnership with First Nations. Government is working towards a new Old Growth Strategy for BC to be completed in 2023. Budget 2022 provides an additional $185 million over three years to provide coordinated and comprehensive supports for forestry workers, industry, communities and First Nations who may be affected by new restrictions on old-growth logging. This includes funding for short-term employment opportunities for contractors and their workers, rural economic diversification and infrastructure projects, bridging to retirement for older workers, education and skills training, and on-theground economic development and community support services.

WEYERHAEUSER PARTNERS IN SEQUESTRATION PROJECT Occidental’s Oxy Low Carbon Ventures (OLCV) and Weyerhaeuser Co. announced an agreement for the evaluation and potential development of a carbon capture and sequestration project in Livingston Parish, Louisiana. The lease agreement provides OLCV with exclusive rights to develop and operate a carbon sequestration hub on more than 30,000 acres of subsurface pore space controlled by Weyerhaeuser. OLCV will use the land to permanently sequester industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) in underground geologic formations not associated with oil and gas production, while Weyerhaeuser continues to manage the aboveground acreage as a working forest. The lease agreement, with the potential to expand acreage, is a pivotal step in OLCV subsidiary 1PointFive’s vision to develop a series of carbon capture and sequestration hubs within the U.S. 1PointFive plans to build, acquire and operate multiple sequestration hubs on the Gulf 10

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NEWSFEED Coast and across the U.S., some of which are expected to be anchored by Direct Air Capture (DAC) facilities, to offer storage capacity to point-source emitters, such as manufacturing sites and power plants, with a capacity to sequester up to hundreds of millions of metric tons of anthropogenic CO2. “We’re excited to work with Weyerhaeuser to grow this side of our business and help reduce carbon emissions.

1PointFive and its planned sequestration hubs are expected to be an expanding side of our business that will work with industrial emitters to capture, transport and permanently store CO2,” comments Richard Jackson, chairman of 1PointFive. “1PointFive is a comprehensive carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) platform that is working to deliver solutions to reduce global emissions backed by Oxy’s expertise

and experience in carbon management for more than 50 years.” The lease agreement marks Weyerhaeuser’s first step in building its carbon capture and storage (CCS) business across its land base in the Gulf Coast. Weyerhaeuser has identified multiple locations for potential CCS projects across a portion of its 7 million acre footprint in the U.S. South using proprietary geological data covering its lands. The expansion into CCS is part of Weyerhaeuser’s previously announced plan to grow its recently formed Natural Climate Solutions business, including through CCS, forest carbon offsets, renewable energy development, mitigation solutions and conservation. “We are excited to work with OLCV on this project, which combines a portion of our uniquely positioned Southern U.S. acreage and subsurface ownership with OLCV’s proven technical expertise in the management and sequestration of CO2,” says Russell Hagen, chief development officer for Weyerhaeuser. “This agreement represents important progress in advancing Weyerhaeuser’s strategic growth in carbon capture and storage, and it supports our broader commitment to sustainability and providing natural climate solutions across our land base.”

WEYCO PURCHASES MORE TIMBERLAND IN CAROLINAS Weyerhaeuser Co. is purchasing 80,800 acres of timberland in North Carolina and South Carolina from a fund managed by Campbell Global for $265 million. The acquisition is composed of highly productive timberlands situated in strong coastal markets and strategically located to deliver immediate synergies with existing Weyerhaeuser timber and mill operations. Additionally, the acquisition is expected to deliver portfolio-leading cash flow and harvest tons per acre within the company’s Southern Timberlands business. Key components include: —Fee ownership with 89% planted pine acreage and strong site productivity delivering attractive long-term timber returns —Well-stocked timber inventory with a mature age class producing attractive sawlog mix and average harvest of 6.5 tons per acre (or 520,000 tons) annually over the first 10 years —Expected average Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $160 per acre (or ➤ 30 12

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ON WITH

THESHOW After skipping a beat due to the pandemic, TP&EE is bound once again for Portland this year.

he Timber Processing & Energy Expo, which was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, is on tap once again, scheduled for this September 28-30 at the Portland Exposition Center in Portland, Ore. Nearly 160 equipment and technology companies have signed on to exhibit, and available booth space is dwindling fast as evidenced by the floorplan, which is shown on pages 16-17. With the event still four months out, there’s still time for equipment companies who are on the fence, or who have been too busy, to come in. “We’re looking at probably our biggest TP&EE in terms of exhibitor square footage that we’ve ever had,” comments Rich Donnell, show director and editor-in-chief of Timber Processing, which serves as the host of the event, which is produced by HattonBrown Expositions, LLC. Hatton-Brown has produced TP&EE since 2010 when the previous producer decided not to continue the event. “We’re a magazine publishing company and we hadn’t intended to do a sawmill show, but a lot of companies requested that we pick it up, so we did,” Donnell says. “It was one of the best decisions we ever made.” The event is scheduled every other year, but the pandemic nixed the 2020 show. The last one held, in 2018, attracted nearly 3,000 exhibitor and producer personnel from 38 U.S. states, six Canadian provinces and 17 countries. Attendee registration opens online this 14

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You might find some familiar faces at TP&EE 2022.

June 1 at www.timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com. “2018 seems like forever ago,” Donnell says, “when you consider all that has transpired since then, including the pandemic and the amazing run of lumber markets. And also in the new technologies that have taken hold since then, from profiling machine centers to continuous dry kilns and of course the advancements into digitalization, millwide communications and data processing. And not just with the mills, but most every supplier has also taken their inhouse technologies and processes to new levels. TP&EE will provide a great environment to measure where the industry truly is at this point in time.”

CONFERENCES In addition to the exhibits on the floor, TP&EE will host a one-day Sawmill Productivity & Efficiency conference on Thursday, September 29. A dozen speakers will address topics ranging from piecemeal startups to turnkey projects, as well as what the sawmill of the future will look like.

Also planned for Wednesday, September 28, is a conference on Mass Timber & Engineered Wood Products. A similar session was held at the 2018 TP&EE and this conference will provide an eyeopener on the developments of this segment since then. The agenda and speakers for both conferences will be announced in June.

PERSON OF THE YEAR Another feature of TP&EE, which proved to be highly popular in 2018, will be the presentation ceremony on the show floor of the Timber Processing 2022 Person of the Year. Eric Schooler, former president & CEO of Collins and former vice president of manufacturing at Hampton Lumber, will receive the award, as previously announced in the January issue of Timber Processing. Schooler is the 34th annual recipient of the award, and the ceremony is inviting all previous award winners to sit at the presentation stand and be recognized. Red Emmerson of Sierra Pacific Industries was presented the award at the 2018 TP&EE. TP

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EXHIBITORS’ LIST Acrowood ..................................................263 Akhurst Machinery .....................................327 Altec Integrated Solutions ..........................457 American Wood Dryers...............................214 ANDRITZ Iggesund Tools ............................219 Applied Mechatronics ................................861 Armstrong ..................................................809 Arrow Speed Controls.................................119 Arxada........................................................150 Autolog Production Management . ..........309-1 BEP Engineering Services...........................167 BGR Saws ..................................................907 BID Group ..................................................519 Biomass Engineering and Equipment..........911 BM&M Screening Solutions ........................266 BRUKS SIWERTELL.....................................130 Brunette Machinery Company ....................347 Brunner-Hilderbrand Lumber Dry Kiln.........167 Brunson Instrument Company ....................138 Buchanan Automation ................................913 California Saw & Knife Works ...................1053 Can-Am Chains .........................................761 Canadian Forest Industries .........................145 Carbotech .................................................359 Claussen All-Mark ....................................1009 Climax Metal Products..............................1031 Colonial Saw ..............................................427 Columbia River Staple– Intertape Polymer Group.........................949 CON-VEY ....................................................837 Connexus Industries. ..................................137 Crow Engineering .......................................935 Cut Tech ....................................................905 Delta Computer Systems ............................841 Diversified Plastics. ....................................925 DK-Spec...................................................1057 DO2 ...........................................................362 Dynamic Systems Technologies .................114 EBI Dry Kiln Duty Motors.............................155 Endurance Equipment ................................364 Evergreen Engineering ...............................113 EWTA ........................................................134 Fiber Pro ....................................................945 Fromm Packaging Systems ........................246 Gateway Graphics and Rubber Stamps .....1061 General Kinematics ....................................210 Gilbert Products ........................................737 Greg F. Smith .............................................123 Grizzly Sprockets........................................122 HALCO Software Systems...........................960 HewSaw Machines.....................................227 Hurst Boiler ................................................154 International Bar Coding Systems & Consulting .........................................821 In Stock Parts...........................................1037

International Forest Industries ....................118 James G. Murphy .......................................147 JoeScan .....................................................337 John King USA ...........................................329 Key Knife....................................................921 KoneCranes Woodyar Cranes....................1046 Kop-Coat .................................................1056 L.G. Isaacson..............................................725 Lewis Controls............................................619 Lico Machinery ..........................................243 Lignomat USA ............................................383 Limab North America................................1011 LK Holzverarbeitungstechnik ......................505 LMI Technologies .......................................527 Logging & Sawmill Journal-Timberwest .....857 Lucidyne–A Division of Microtec.................319 Mac Chain..................................................941 Metal Detectors .........................................717 Mid-South ..................................................805 Mill Tech Industries ..................................1007 Modern Engineering ...................................164 MPM Engineering .......................................855 Mühlböck Drying Technology......................953 Murray Latta Progressive Machine .............729 Nelson Brothers Engineering ......................346 Newman Machine ......................................711 Nicholson Manufacturing............................143 NLine Energy..............................................250 Novilco . .....................................................409 OES Automation .........................................251 Oleson Saw Technology .............................403 Opticom Technologies.............................151-1 Optimil Machinery .....................................303 OSELA ......................................................955 Owens Corning-InterWrap .........................149 Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB).....132 Pantron Automation....................................350 Pape Material Handling...............................763 Paw-Taw-John Services.............................658 Peerless Saw Co. .......................................957 Piché .........................................................743 Platt Electric Supply....................................151 Porter Engineering .....................................637 Precision Husky..........................................163 Premier Bandwheel & Equipment .............1028 Pro Mac Manufacturing .............................369 Purakal Cylinders .......................................255 Radian Robotics .........................................375 Raptor Integration ......................................829 Raptor-Sundog RFID Staples ......................411 Rawlings Manufacturing ............................237 REA JET .....................................................751 Real Performance Machinery......................419 Redwood Plastics ......................................247 Reliability Resources ..................................379

Rogers Machinery ......................845, 847, 946 S. Huot ......................................................109 Salem Equipment (a subsidiary of Wellons).......558 Samuel Coding & Labeling..........................504 Samuel Packaging Systems Group .............503 Saw ADD....................................................853 Saw Control Systems .................................212 ScanMeg ...............................................309-2 SCS Forest Products by Finna Sensors .....1003 Sering Sawmill Machinery .......................1015 Serra Sawmills .........................................1013 Sharp Tool..................................................429 SiCam Systems ..........................................929 SICK Sensors..............................................253 Signode Packaging Systems.......................209 Simonds International ................................909 Slatercom Lighting Solutions ....................1051 Smith Sawmill Service................................159 SolaGen ...................................................1023 SonicAire....................................................269 SparTek Industries .....................................959 Springer Microtec .................................319.01 Starcyl Cylinders .......................................166 Stringer Industries......................................940 Taihei Machinery Works ...........................1018 Taylor Machine Works ................................105 Telco Sensors.............................................822 Temposonics............................................1036 TerraSource Global.....................................944 Timber Automation.....................................627 Timber Machine Technologies ....................385 Timber Processing & Energy Expo ..............437 Timber Products Manufacturers Assn. ........120 TS Manufacturing.......................................131 U.S. Metal Works .......................................863 US Blades...................................................807 USNR .................................................703, 811 Valutec Wood Dryers . ................................367 Vecoplan, LLC ............................................617 Verbruggen Palletizing Solutions ................859 VK North America .......................................917 Wagner Meters...........................................127 Webster Industries .....................................952 Wellons Group ............................................353 West Coast Industrial Systems....................825 West Salem Machinery...............................920 Westcoast Cylinders . .................................381 Westmill Industries.....................................643 Williams & White Equipment.......................817 Wolftek Industries ......................................259 Z-Tec Automation Systems.........................252 TIMBER PROCESSING

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MAKING

A MOVE By Jessica Johnson

Former hardwood sawmill in Vicksburg gets a second act with pine focus.

VICKSBURG, Miss. here is a reason, or several of them, not many mills convert from cutting hardwood to cutting southern yellow pine— but that’s exactly what Vicksburg Forest Products (VFP) did when it purchased the Anderson-Tully hardwood lumber mill in Vicksburg in 2018. Tommy Stansell, a part owner in VFP and part of the forest products entity in 20

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Mississippi that owns and operates Southeastern Timber Products in Ackerman and Claw Forestry, agrees there’s a lot to be said for not going through the arduous conversion task, but he and his partners knew the wood basket and loved the site. In fact Claw Forestry is well known for its timberland holdings, management and investment skills in these neck of the woods. “We believed in the fundamentals,”

Stansell emphasizes. In 2019, Stansell and the VFP crew had the mill operational on pine, still with some hardwood capability if needed. It had some hiccups, but it presented the opportunities for growth and improvement. It also presented Stansell and the Board their shopping list. Up first? A new planer mill to replace the existing one, which was a little unusual in that it even had one. Somewhat simultaneously, Stansell

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Despite COVID and weather delays, the installation and commissioning moved forward with good speed.

brought on veteran mill manager, Larry Barrett, to lead the charge. Stansell recalls, “I basically had to sell him on this idea that, hey look, I know it is not that great right now, but we’re about to make a significant capital investment into the operation. He had material impact on the operations. When it started running better, we were feeling way more

confident about investing in the facility.” VFP’s Board began seriously looking at the other apparent needs the sawmill had. It was determined the mill should improve efficiency with optimization and increase production capacity, and, more specifically, put in a new small log breakdown system. Stansell and his team began soliciting equipment suppliers to

partner with on a turnkey job. It came down to two, with Arkansas-based Timber Automation winning the order and planning not only to install its brand equipment but other supplier technologies as well, such as a Cone-Omega DLI and profiling canter line. “We didn’t have to go as big with Timber Automation. Plus, Timber Automa-

The new line, combined with projects in the planer mill and installation of new continuous dry kilns, breathed life into Vicksburg Forest Products. TIMBER PROCESSING

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VFP mill management, from left, Michael Hill, Kevin McPhearson, Chris Farrens and Michael Williams

tion had joined up with Iron Code Engineering, in British Columbia, and they have really good controls. That was the one thing I was always concerned with— but I’ve seen Iron Code’s controls work,” Stansell says. Plus, Timber Automation had already done a lot of work inside the mill under the Baxley label when it was cutting hardwood. The new sawmill was brought on-line in October 2021, and by early spring 2022 was hitting the targeted goals of 150MMBF annualized with the next step reaching 180MMBF by the fourth quarter. This is based on a 65-hour week. Stansell says that if they were running the traditional sawmill schedule of two shifts, the mill would easily hit 230MMBF capacity annually. “Right now we run it at 65 hours because we are looking to add hours and make some more upgrades. We’re already in the process of talking about them.”

Improvements and adjustments throughout the mill have increased production capacity.

PROJECT PROCESS The Board signed off and the project officially began in March 2020. By now, everyone knows the story with projects that began around March ’20. The world was uncertain, and Stansell says the crew and the suppliers at Vicksburg were no different. Commenting, “We didn’t know if they were going to have to leave, or what. They were in our offices when COVID hit. But we decided to go through with the project.” The planer mill became operational in the first quarter of 2021. In the meantime, the new log merchandizing line and new 22

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Part of the existing sawmill, the large log side is the next phase of investment.

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sawline were being connected into the existing building. It was operational by the fall about one year after construction started. In between VFP brought on-line two A.W. Stiles continuous (dual path) non-reversing fan (NOREV) style kilns, with the space to add a third one. The old operation had 28 batch kilns in place that were too low temperature for the new material being dried. Construction of the small log line started out slow, plagued by weather delays, but once the concrete was poured and things really started moving, commissioning came up quickly. “The

team made adjustments during installation which made the process happen with minimal interruptions,” Barrett comments. Timber Automation had staff on-site for a few weeks following startup, while programmers with Iron Code stayed and then scheduled time to come back and make sure everything was working properly a few weeks later. “It allowed our guys to learn and operate it, then they came back in and fine-tuned everything,” Stansell says of the process. Barrett was really impressed by this method from Iron Code, and it helped

Planer management, Daniel Barrett, left, with Jeff Baggett

make the transition smooth. He says, “The programmers are the ones who trained our guys how to run the machines. Ryan and David did a great job explaining how the machines functioned. This made it easier for the operator to understand what to look for when the machine had a problem during operation and how to correct the problems sooner.” The construction and installation process helped Barrett become aware the 160-employee team was up for a challenge moving the facility forward away from slower, antiquated processes and into a high speed, high capacity facility. “The team at VFP stepped up. The majority of the crew has just worked at this sawmill, making the learning curve longer than expected in some areas. So, the change to a higher production mill was an adjustment. There will continue to be obstacles with the current changes and as future projects are done. But the crews have 100% buy in and have not backed away from the challenge,” he says.

MILL FLOW Inbound logs are scaled at the log yard, and then either put in wet or dry storage depending on what the mill is currently running. From there, logs are carried to the log deck from Price LogPro, through a a Valon-Kone 27 in. debarker, MDI metal detector, and the Timber Automation scanning package on the 5 saw merchandizer line. Logs are bucked and sent to either the new Cone-Omega line (15 in. down on the butt end) or the existing headrig side (anything larger than 15 in. but smaller than 33 in.). The 4-sided canter line supplied by Cone-Omega’s Cone Division includes Timber Automation optimization and Iron Code controls. The line consists of a Cone 24

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That the hardwood mill had a planer mill eased the conversion to the new planer mill line for finishing pine.

DLI with a dual roll log turner mounted on the infeed end. The DLI features full positioning for lift, shift, tilt and skew/slew. The DLI presents the log to the 4-sided canter section and then on to the quad profiler and quad shifting saw section. The cants pass over the spline remover and then onto the outfeed roll case for further downstream processing. Powered vertical rolls mounted on the spline remover frame keep the profiled boards against the cant and onto the roll case screw rolls. The profiled boards come off the roll case onto floor chains and then onto belts to be delivered to the trimmer line chains. The center chains exit the roll case and enter a slat chain conveyor to start the linebar positioning. A VSA infeed conveyor is next with powered bedrolls on the linebar side and powered press rolls. With the cants against the linebar, they enter the profiling 4-6 in. VSA. The VSA features a top and bottom profiler on the infeed side to profile 4 in. boards on the top and bottom of 6 in. cants. The guide setup on the arbor allows for a standard stack of 7/4 above bedline with a bank of 5/4 saw below bedline that can shift up when required. The top stack can also shift up to allow a 4 in. or 6 in. cant to be produced at the bottom of the stack. All finished boards exit the VSA and onto the slat chain conveyor and are kicked off onto the trimmer chains below. The entire line is run by one operator in a single cab. All the sideboards and center cant boards are produced in one pass and are trimmer ready, no edger required. Following primary breakdown is the

Tommy Stansell, left, with Larry Barrett

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existing Timber Automation (Baxley) trim line, with optimization, 60 bin sorter, and new GBI stick laying stacker. Before explaining how larger logs are broken down, Barrett and Stansell are quick to say, “We’re going to rip all this out eventually.” Logs over 27 in. pass an old debarker that only takes pre-cuts, a headache Barrett and Stansell had to fight at the beginning of the conversion when the entire mill could only take pre-cuts. From there, logs move to one of two Corley headrigs, to a TMT edger and TMT 10 in. gang. There’s also a linebar band resaw. The old mill under Anderson-Tully had installed some of this equipment as part of an upgrade in 2008, which eased the hardwood to softwood conversion for VFP somewhat. Lumber is dried in the new Stiles continuous dry kilns, before heading to the newly installed Timber Automation double stack tilt hoist in the planer mill. After the tilt hoist, lumber flows to a Miller planer and through a VAB autograder from Timber Automation, followed by a Baxley trimmer line. The planer mill shavings system is from Western Pneumatics. “The autograder is doing really well now,” Barrett says, “We had some struggles with it upfront, but we seem

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to have the bugs worked out.” The mill is adding a quadric board feeder, and new single shaft trimmer from Timber Automation. “Our sorter line is one of the things we did keep,” Stansell says. But, they didn’t just leave it alone. “It was a J-bar sorter and we cut the top off the sorter completely to make a drag sorter out of it. We then went back in and put in a dual fork package maker from Timber Automation and Samuel strapper at the bottom.” All rolling stock was replaced with new Taylor forklifts to better handle the SYP lumber packs. An in-house filing room handles some work, which was expanded to complement the new small log mill, with support from outside filers. VFP uses Armstrong band saw equipment, a Vollmer circle saw machine and Precision guide grinder for saws used in the Cone line. VFP utilizes Cortex chipper heads and knives throughout the Cone profiler canter line, with various brands of circle saws on the respective machines.

MOVING FORWARD Barrett and Stansell still have their eyes on a few key areas that need attention.

One is a problem with residuals handling. “Where we thought, ‘we’ll be okay right here,’ is not the case,” Stansell laughs. “Well, that belt is only 30 inches wide and we need it to be 36 inches. Our whole goal is to be completely efficient and mechanized, so we don’t have to touch things and we can just focus on running the mill.” Stansell is already looking to get Board approval to replace the 10 in. gang currently breaking down larger logs. The desire is to replace it with a 12 in. double arbor gang with profiling that will clean up the shims. Getting rid of such bottlenecks leads Barrett to believe he will be able to speed up production even further. Right now VFP is in talks with Real Performance Machinery (RPM) for a new machine. “With the way lead times are right now, depending on when we get Board approval and move forward, will play a role in dictating what we decide to do,” Stansell says. But the goal is to have the Vicksburg mill wrapped up so to speak in the next 18 months or so, as the ownership turns their attention to a BID turnkey greenfield mill they plan to build in Gloster, Miss. It will TP be a different kind of challenge.

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NEWSFEED 12 ➤ $13 million) annually from timber operations over the first 10 years With this acquisition, Weyerhaeuser will own or manage more than 900,000 acres of timberland in the Carolinas, and the company also operates four mills, a distribution center and tree nursery and hosts multiple mitigation banks and real estate development projects, while employing more than 700 between the two states.

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MICROSOFT IS COUNTING ON FRERES BIOCHAR ACT’s Freres Biochar CO2 Removal Project was selected by Microsoft for its 2022 Carbon Removal Program. Freres Engineered Wood is certified as a Carbon Removal Supplier through the Puro.earth marketplace for its biochar product, which stores carbon and has a half-life of thou-

sands of years. ACT helps organizations around the world reduce their carbon footprint by backing high-impact climate projects that generate renewable certificates and carbon credits. As part of its path to its carbon negative goal by 2030, Microsoft will purchase biochar-based carbon removal credits from Freres, via ACT. Freres is affirming its leadership role in the wood products industry as a responsible steward of the environment with its biochar program, and is committed to investing part of the sales proceeds from this project to research and development around biochar production among other sustainability initiatives. “As part of the path to our carbon-negative goal by 2030, we are glad to purchase biochar-based carbon removal credits via ACT, from the Pacific Northwestbased supplier Freres,” comments Elizabeth Willmott, carbon program director at Microsoft. Biochar is the solid, carbon-rich product produced when biomass is converted to energy in an oxygen-controlled environment. A byproduct of Freres’ biomass cogeneration operations, biochar helps climate conscious companies decrease their carbon footprint using CORC carbon offsets. Biochar production, in conjunction with forestry product systems, provides the opportunity to treat underused biomass, such as forest fuel load reductions, slash from tree harvest and mill residuals, in an economic and environmentally beneficial way. “The boiler is fed with a wide range of biomass feedstocks sourced from the local region, including bark and waste from the on-site production of timber products. During production, part of the biomass volatilizes into combustible gasses that are used to produce bioenergy, which according to Freres’ Vice President of Operations Kyle Freres, “produce enough electricity each year to power approximately 5,000 homes and provide thermal energy for Freres’ wood products manufacturing facilities.” In addition to the excess energy created during the production process, two byproducts result from biomass combustion in a boiler: —a non-combustible ash product, which is essentially dirt and sand that can be absorbed by trees during their lifecycle; —biochar, a latticework of thermally altered, stabilized carbon.

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PLANERMILLBONANZA EDITOR’S NOTE: The following companies submitted these editorial profiles and images to complement their advertisements placed elsewhere in this issue. Please refer to those advertisements for web site and contact information. All statements and claims are attributable to the companies.

BID GROUP l A planer built for unmatchable efficiency and uptime As you know, there is nothing like personal work experience, including frustrations, to motivate change and improvements. The design of BID Group’s Miller planer is based on an in-depth knowledge of the needs and problems in the planer mill. The result is innovative design and top-quality material and technology used to facilitate operation, maintenance and ensure maximum uptime. l Easy to operate with our user-friendly dashboard The planer dashboard displays data to provide visibility of all operating conditions, which facilitates troubleshooting and maintenance. Recent features include the machine asset health as well as the vibration and temperature analysis. l Built for maximum uptime, speed and accuracy BID’s Miller planer is built with innovative design and efficiencies. The Miller planer is mounted on the heaviest frame and subbase in the industry to handle the most demanding applications and ensure durability. All planer parts are manufactured with materials that reduce wear and metal fatigue. Price or complexity is not an issue because the objective is to ensure the planer offers maximum uptime, the fastest speed and absolute accuracy. The planer can process pieces that are 8 ft. + in length (there is no length limit) and 1x3 to 6x12 in width, with speeds up to 3,000 FPM. The Miller planer offers several automated functions, and adjustments can be performed easily on the outside of the machine. l Handles lumber in every possible condition Our new Integrated Force Position (IFP) technology allows feeding thick, thin and wavy lumber even when it is partially covered with snow or ice. Our planer has industry leading setworks that ensure repeatability, anti-backlash jacks, hydraulic locks and it is servo driven. l Add value with our Profiling Splitter The new Profiling Splitter module can be installed after the planer to execute the splitting of pieces. It can split the whole range of board sizes and finish the edges and corners. For example, if we split 2x8 into two 2x4 you can process up to 1,200 FPM, so it is actually a production of 2,400 FPM of 2x4. For further information, contact your BID Group sales representative.

CLAUSSEN ALL-MARK “I would first like to thank all of the wood producers and workers that have kept our industry flourishing over the years; our products are dedicated to all of you. Thank you. “My name is Dalton Jon Rosenfeld and I am the grandson of Gary Jon Claussen, the founder of Claussen All-Mark. In my younger years I spent a great deal of time at our family’s manufacturing facility and although I didn’t know it at the time, it would eventually become my passion. I remember standing on a stool looking over a machinist’s shoulder—stepping out of the yellow lines was not allowed—but I Dalton Jon Rosenfeld, grandson of the founder of Claussen All-Mark was fascinated by the Claussen engraving being done on an older vertical milling machine. We still have that milling machine today and I can see my younger self watching when we engrave the Claussen name into every printer that is sent out. “You probably have heard of the industry renowned Claussen printing/stamping machines as well as the Claussen High Performance Ink Roll. If you haven’t, then you have at least heard of a variety of look-alikes and copies. None have come close to the efficiency and effectiveness of our products. The Claussen High Performance Roll and Claussen printers have not needed changing since my grandfather introduced them to the market. Many of our printers outlast the mill they were originally installed in and go on to help a new mill with their needs and growth. “Only manufactured in the USA by Claussen All-Mark, the High Performance Claussen Ink Roll, when combined with the Claussen Heated InkRoll Hub can provide between 20,000 and 30,000 impressions per roll.” 34

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PLANERMILLBONANZA

GILBERT l High

productivity no matter the conditions Once again, Gilbert has pushed the limits of its planer equipment. New options have been designed, installed and proven to adapt to the specific requirements of its planer mill customers. There are more and more customers that receive their wood supply from different sawmills. The products can be very different from day to day. The Gilbert planer has proven to be significantly high performing when planing boards with large thickness variation. It will handle thick and thin boards as well as boards with a total different quality of fiber. l Flexibility and the capacity to easily adapt to new products For this reason, Gilbert developed the GRIP system: Gilbert Roll Intelligent Positioning. This system can be offered with each model of Gilbert’s line of planers. It moves the top rolls to a certain position and holds contact on the board. It keeps a well sustaining sufficient force without damaging the lumber. It optimizes Gilbert’s GRIP system installed on a Gilbert six roll planer at Matérithe feeding of the boards that are too thick, too thin and too fragile. aux Blanchette in Amos, Quebec All can be fed keeping a high operation efficiency. It has also helped mills increase piece count. By using its unique Pull-Through technology, the Gilbert planer handles the boards one by one, keeping a small gap between each board. Therefore, it is easy to apply the right force on each board. l Safety, a priority In order to always offer its customers the best planing solutions, Gilbert has continually been developing a range of automatic upgrades designed to increase planer efficiency and make the planer room a much safer environment. The Gilbert Automatic Cutterhead Positioning System (ACPS) controls the cutterheads and an unlimited number of axes for optimal precision and higher grades. Easy to use, the automatic positioning system allows fast and easy recipe changes offering greater flexibility, less downtime and a safe environment. Many automatic and safety functions have been developed over the past years, such as top and bottom head jointers, side head jointers, top head pressure plate, width and height adjustment, after-cut shoes and triple pattern side heads. Very precise, these automatic upgrades increase the quality of the wood finish and ensure safety and efficiency. Adjustments are made remotely from the HMI screen outside the planer room, or from a tablet or phone anywhere in the mill. Gilbert’s engineering team is presently working on making the planer more and more intelligent. Coming soon, many more options will be available to offer a semi-automatic machine that can auto adjust itself without operator intervention.

LEDINEK l Planing machines, molders and entire planing/sorting mills built to produce and built to last Ledinek provides a full range of industrial planers and molders for various purposes with feed speeds from 15-3300 FPM (1000 m/min) and for cross sections up to 120x24 in. (3,000x600 mm). The immense repertoire is a result of long work of generations of engineers in partnership with customers, always with technical solutions that involve innovative ideas. Among other innovations in this field, Ledinek is known as the inventor of planing/calibrating machines that use milling cutters instead of conventional planing heads. These models, honored with the IWF Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award, are known in North America under the brand name ROTOPLANE and elsewhere as ROTOLES. On the other hand, Ledinek developed heavy high-performance planing machines designed for high through feed speeds and productivity. These planers, branded STRATOPLAN, have been developed for rugged use in planer mills and sawmills and operate at through feed speeds of up to 3300 FPM (1000 m/min). This development also includes adequate mechanization such as infeed systems, outfeed and slowdown belts, slow down brushes etc. One of the latest installations is a 3300 FPM (1000 m/min) machine with mechanization at Setra Trävaror AB in Sweden. With a very heavy frame resulting in excellent sturdiness and its 10 spindles, 4 horizontal + 4 vertical + top and bottom splitting, this machine is capable of any task along with performing the highest Ledinek offers numerous models and diverse planing quality. It is processing lumber and lamellas at customer-highest satisfac- technologies. 36

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PLANERMILLBONANZA tion, and is particularly designed for splitting the workpiece on upper and lower sides. With appropriate tools on the vertical units and a sawblade combination with edge or radius cutters, boards of various dimensions with rounded edges can be machined without changing of tools. The second pair of horizontal spindles is acting as cleaning units, and provides superb surface finish at the highest planing speeds. STRATOPLAN planers are available in different variations for different tasks, including classic spindle arrangement for dimensional planing or an arrangement for top and bottom planing of excess thickness and vertical spindle pairs with integrated active swimming system that scans and follows the curvature of long lamellas during planing. Machines with complex arrangements of multiple spindles can be optimally managed together with a high precision tool measuring device that is connected with the planer via the Ledinek Tool Manager, a very usable tool for tool traceability and quick and accurate spindle positioning after tool sharping and/or tool change. Ledinek also provides complete industrial planing and sorting lines for planing, grading, sorting, marking, wrapping and strapping of boards.

MELLOTT MANUFACTURING Mellott Manufacturing Co. Inc. features a 7-ton and 15-ton tilt hoist highlighting simple design to keep installation, maintenance and downtime to a minimum. Both models can be customized as required. The Mellott tilt hoist design features a base frame constructed in two pieces so that the forks are able to be assembled onto the columns for shipping and ease of installation. The steel columns are welded to a 10 in. diameter pivot tube on the 7-ton tilt hoist and a 16 in. diameter pivot tube on the 15-ton tilt hoist, with flame cut plates that completely wrap the tube. At the top is a 3 in. square tube to tie all the columns together for extra strength. Steel rollers are used in each of the forks in order to distribute the load to all of Mellott tilt hoist design emphasizes uptime and productivity. the columns. The lift cylinders, lift chains, and leveling chains are protected behind removable steel plates. This prevents kiln sticks from sliding into this area, limiting damaged and broken sticks. The tilt hoist is hydraulically powered by dual lift and dual tilt cylinders, cushioned and rated at 3,000 psi. Dual heavy leaf chains are used in an X arrangement for load leveling. Packages are lifted using RC240 roller chains on the 15-ton tilt hoist and RC160 roller chains on the 7-ton tilt hoist. The tilt hoist can be operated with manual or automatic PLC controls. Complete control systems including the main disconnect, and all motor controls can be provided and fully tested at the factory. The Mellott tilt hoist can be a stand-alone machine or can be supplied with conveyors and controls systems to meet production demands. Mellott manufactures equipment for throughout the mill from log handling and merchandising systems, to band headrigs, linebars, resaws breakdown systems, drop saw trimmers, grading and lumber sorting and conveyors to efficiently handle waste wood material. Mellott also offers a line of tie handling equipment that includes stackers, sorters, a newly redesigned tie dapper and mat drilling machine. Motor controls packages are offered for Mellott systems. Mellott systems are custom designed as required. Customers benefit by having manufacturing along with in-house engineering and design capabilities and a willingness to work together to provide the best options for each project.

SAMUEL CODING & LABELING Samuel Coding and Labeling Div. is the industry leader in custom and off-theshelf solutions for the wood products industry. With years of experience in the wood products industry, we are uniquely suited to provide you with solutions that are tailor made to suit your facilities. We provide a full system solution with design, fabrication, installation and ongoing support. With hundreds of installations across North America we offer unparalleled industry experience. Samuel Coding & Labeling Systems for panel products include ink jet grade mark systems, ink jet printers for marketing information, ink jet nail line systems, ink jet stencil machines, automatic systems to print labels and staple them to finished packages, product tracking, and print and apply UPC bar codes for panel products that are guaranteed to remain bonded to the panels.

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Samuel provides ink jet and printing systems.

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PLANERMILLBONANZA

SAMUEL PACKAGING SYSTEMS

Samuel Packaging Systems Group offers the SSE900XP Strapping Head. Designed with three separate cartridges the SSE-900XP provides the high strap tension and seal joints that Samuel is known for with “quick-change” capability that allows an operator to replace a malfunctioning cartridge in minutes. The head functions via three direct-drive servomotors—one for each cartridge. Servomotors eliminate clutches, brakes, and timing adjustments frequently associated with strapping heads. Servo technology also allows advanced IoT communications to highlight potential performance issues and allow predictive maintenance. When installed in a Samuel machine the cartridges communicate to the PLC—identifying themselves to provide an operation and maintenance record for each modSamuel offers new strapping head technology. ule—simplifying troubleshooting and long-term maintenance planning. Servo controllers can communicate valuable performance data to identify wear before it creates downtime. The cartridges vary in weight with the heaviest being 50 lb. Easy replacement allows repair either by local maintenance staff or allows inexpensive shipment to one of our repair facilities. In order to reduce operating costs, the rugged design has 30% fewer parts than competitive units, reducing the potential for downtime.

SIGNODE Signode’s BPX compression strapping system provides load stability and integrity throughout the transportation cycle. It incorporates independent side compression along with advanced consumable systems that work together to provide consistent load alignment and tension levels for unparalleled package performance. The BPX’s streamlined design with innovative, built-in features enables faster cycle times for higher throughput rates to maximize efficiency. The BPX simplifies operation and maintenance to maximize uptime. It includes a highly intuitive, userfriendly HMI to streamline operation. Machine pre-programming allows for a wide range of flexibility, including quarter-packs, half-packs and long loads, while limiting downtime due to production changes. Plus, the HMI provides quick and easy diagnosis of machine functions. The BPX features a unique modular design, and separate, lightweight strapping heads that are easy to access and reSignode BPX strapping system with new guarding and new color move for maintenance. Other productivity-enhancing features include remote strap feeding and large capacity consumables to limit production interruptions. The BPX comes standard with a number of features, including an automated platen latch, multiple e-stops and more, to enhance operator safety and improve OSHA compliance. In addition to strapping systems, Signode also provides coding, marking and labeling solutions for the lumber and panel industry. From label applicators capable of applying preprinted labels to the end of boards, to multi-technology direct-to-product printing solutions, we have a variety of options available to suit both large and small operations. Signode’s automated printing and labeling equipment is easy to use and will integrate seamlessly into your production line. PLC based programming allows you to adjust your printing message and parameters between jobs quickly and effortlessly. Builtin features like emergency clear functions and error detection systems minimize downtime.

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PLANERMILLBONANZA

TS MANUFACTURING

TS Manufacturing is a family-owned manufacturing company and is celebrating its 50-year anniversary. Due to our progressive vision and our second-to-none aftersales service, we have become a sought-out supplier for sawmill and planer mill equipment. This success has come by looking forward at the needs of our customers and developing missing products or features that our customers are looking for. Our latest planer mill development is our new Continuous Tilt Hoist System (CTHS). A big limitation of softwood planer mills is getting enough wood to the planer fast enough. Our latest design offers a secondary set of hoist arms that extend beTS Mfg. tilt hoist incorporates secondary set of hoist arms. hind the pack of lumber to keep it going upward while the main hoist retracts down to the bundle deck to pick up the next bundle. Once the secondary set of arms have completed discharging the pack, the arms retract out of the way just as the main hoist arms arrive with the fresh pack it just picked up off the bundle deck. The two sets of hoist arms work together to provide virtually an endless supply of boards to the planer infeed chains, maximizing the throughput and efficiency of the planer. TS Manufacturing offers a complete line of machinery, controls and software custom designed to fit your mill.

USNR USNR is a powerhouse in planer mill technology and the new Electric Tilt Hoist (ETH) system is a key development that keeps the planer mill fed with high feed rates and smooth operation. Its unique design delivers a smooth, near-continuous flow of kiln dried lumber to the planer mill infeed. Main and secondary hoists operate as a unified system capable of unstacking up to 20 tiers of lumber per minute, depending on package size, typically with a 10-second gap between packs. The system features powerful, high-speed electric motors with no hydraulics to move the main hoist at maximum feed rates with clean and efficient operation. Infeed transfer chains, secondary hoist, let down chains, stick handling system, and control console are included. The secondary hoist takes over for the main hoist by seamlessly advancing its knees under the package, then USNR Electric Tilt Hoist with continuous flow keeps planer mill fed. following the travel of the main hoist. When the underside of the package reaches 24 in. from the spill point, the secondary hoist takes over, and the main hoist returns to upright position to load the next package. Once the new pack is loaded, the main hoist catches up to the secondary and follows its travel. When the secondary hoist is finished spilling, its knees retract to allow the main hoist to begin spilling. The secondary hoist knees advance up under the main hoist, into position to continue the cycle once again. USNR’s Bias Beam levels the spillway angle to match the angle of the package, providing smooth spilling onto the lugged decline and reducing the chance of boards hanging up or getting damaged. This can be done manually or automated with laser eyes installed in an overhead frame that takes distance measurements across the top of the incoming package. The system continuously adjusts as the package spills, and readjusts for each new package. USNR offers everything you need to build an impressive and productive operation, including stick and dunnage collection, high-speed planers capable of gap and ribbon feeding, lug loaders, extensive trim/sort/stack solutions, and our renowned AIbased auto-grading systems that capture the highest-value recovery. It’s an unbeatable system for diverse applications.

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MACHINERYROW

USNR, Wood Fiber Group Merger Settles In As the dust settles from the October 2021 announcement of the merger of USNR and Wood Fiber Group, the synergies are becoming clearer and gaining focus, though the full impact of this combination has yet to be realized. The wood products industry is well familiar with the two leaders of the newly combined company. As CEO, Craig Tompkins is responsible for developing growth strategies and organizational structure while overseeing finance, human resources, and mergers and acquisitions that support the overall company. Tompkins came to the wood processing industry when he joined Burton Saw and Supply as president and CEO in 2015. In 2019 he was named president and CEO of the merged Burton Saw and Simonds International. Prior to joining the wood products industry, Tompkins held key positions in a variety of other sectors, including Pfingsten Partners, a Chicago-based private equity company; Marlen International, a capital equipment manufacturer supplying the food processing industry; and Sun Chemical and then Ryerson, heading up engineering and manufacturing for the specialty chemical industry. One of Tompkins’ most impactful contributions to his past organizations has been driving strategy and integrating acquired businesses. Tompkins earned a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1983, and an MBA in Finance at Chicago Booth School of Business in 1987. As President, Dale Brown’s focus is the day-to-day operations of the combined company. Brown is a long-standing member of the USNR team. A graduate of the business program at Linfield College, he joined USNR in 1986. Over many years he held roles in accounting, then moved on through mid-level management in the areas of capital and parts sales. In 2009 he was appointed vice president, responsible for all of USNR’s operations related to mechanical products. In 2016 he was named senior vice president with added responsibility overseeing USNR’s newly acquired European business. In 2018 Brown was appointed President of USNR. Tompkins and Brown recently sat down for a short question-and-answer session. What prompted the merging of USNR and Wood Fiber Group? 46

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Craig Tompkins, left, and Dale Brown at the Wood Fiber Group headquarters in Ridgefield, Wash.

Tompkins: The combined companies’ reputations for quality, integrity, innovation, technical service and value are well aligned and a great cultural fit. The combination will provide better customer coverage and improve our ability to serve the market. Our combined capabilities create a complete product offering to sawmill and plywood customers globally. What excites you about this merger? Tompkins: The most exciting part of this merger is the opportunity it will create not only for our employees but our customers. Contrary to most merger and acquisition activity where companies have overlapping operations and products, our combination is complementary with adjacent rather than overlapping submarkets. Coming together we immediately become the most comprehensive supplier in our industry with the ability to provide our customers with everything from the equipment to all of the parts, consumables, and filing room equipment necessary to produce the highest quality products. Beyond where we are today, the greatest future opportunity is to define what we could be rather than what we are now. Both of our businesses are technology leaders in our individual submarkets, and our opportunity is to integrate these technologies to create new products that provide even higher quality and greater throughput for our customers. What will be your focus for the coming 12 months in moving the companies forward? Tompkins: Initial stages of any merg-

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MACHINERYROW er or acquisition are similar. As a management team we will be integrating our culture and our systems. While we work internally, we will be aggressively addressing the R&D opportunities created by coming together. What is the major benefit for customers of both companies? Brown: Many customers are common to both entities. This new relationship will foster easier access to equipment, parts, consumables, service and more. On the technical side, we now offer an even wider depth and breadth of knowledge and experience in the solid wood, panel, and secondary wood processing sectors. As a combined company we have incredible industry expertise in all facets of what it takes to supply the best wood processing operations in the world. It is our mission to ensure that our customers always recognize and appreciate our role as a critical business partner to their future success. This article and photo appeared in the USNR newsletter, Millwide Insider.

Westervelt Plans Planer Mill Upgrade Westervelt Lumber has given BID Group a turnkey order for the modernization of Westervelt’s existing planer mill in Moundville, Ala. BID will manage, design, build, equip, install and provide full startup services for the project. “We are excited to partner with the BID team again to continue expanding our manufacturing capacity and modernizing our lumber facilities in the U.S. South,” comments Joe Patton, Westervelt Lumber Vice President and General Manager, Wood Products. “This project will employ the best complement of modern technologies to meet our growing consumer demand for the highest quality product, in a facility that has been recognized as a top performer. Working with an industry leader like BID provides the confidence that this major project to further enhance our capabilities will be done right and delivered on time.” The modernization will incorporate the full spectrum of BID’s best-in-class wood processing technologies including equipment, software and automation systems. It will feature the “very first robotic trim block management system,” BID’s latest innovation. Startup will be in the first quarter of 2023. 48

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MACHINERYROW

Moelven Gears Up For Digitalization

increase productivity, ensure safe working environments, digitalize operations and become more susABB has signed up to help tainable in their operations. The Scandinavian industrial group first step at Moelven is to ensure Moelven, which uses exclusively two steam boilers are integrated sustainable timber to produce a into the ABB Ability System range of wood products and con800xA for improved load sharing struction systems, to optimize and optimized energy use. The sawmill operations as part of a entire saw line will be consolidatdigital transformation project in ed under a single control and inValåsen, Karlskoga, Sweden. ABB and Moelven will work together to optimize operations at formation system, enabling better An ABB Ability System decisions by ensuring the right the Valasen sawmill (Johan Blomquist photo) 800xA distributed control system process information reaches oper(DCS) will be installed for the mill to pro- source efficient as possible, with reduced ators at the right time. vide operators with wide visibility and energy consumption and limited waste. The application area in a sawmill is precise control from a central command Sawmills continue to move into adnew to both ABB and Moelven as the center to ensure that production is as revanced automation and digitalization to site is currently running with islands of automation, where each machine operates in its own space. The aim of the collaboration is to not only increase digitalization and result in higher levels of automation, but also realize a new standard in the industry’s operations for the longterm with interfaces between machines and modeling of the entire process flow. Moelven already sources its materials from sustainable spruce and pine forests in Norway and Sweden, and has a vision of a connected, digital sawmill to create greater efficiencies in processing. “System 800xA will give us the opportunity to strengthen control over our process, and in the long run increase our efficiency,” says Peter Rockedahl, CTO, Moelven Timber. “Our vision is to be able to optimize the operations based on everything from energy consumption, input material flows, current machine operations and product stores.” “Combining automation with digital solutions could offer never-ending possibilities for operations and management in terms of productivity and efficiency,”

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MACHINERYROW says Björn Jonsson, Hub Manager, Process Industries, ABB. “We aim to work together with Moelven to realize the vision and plan exactly how to get there through modern, fit-for-purpose solutions, and training on how to use them, for optimum performance.” Through the collaboration with Moelven there will be the potential for ABB to work with a number of Europe-based original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and technology innovators, ensuring the vision for the sawmill of the future is achieved successfully. ABB is committed to helping its customers re-

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duce their emissions and preserve resources as part of its Sustainability Strategy 2030.

USNR Reveals Orders From Texas To BC Nix Forest Industries is replacing its planer mill stacker system on the heels of a new Transverse High Grader (THG) installation and other upgrades at the Timpson, Texas mill. Investing in the new low-profile USNR stacker will increase overall throughput and uptime while reducing maintenance. This project

is scheduled for startup during the first part of 2023. The low-profile stacker features a compact, all-electric design and offers gentle handling of valuable product. ● Terminal Forest Products in Richmond, BC is investing in a new USNR log positioning infeed system. The new system will feed an existing chipper canter, twin bandmill, and double arbor gang saw. The equipment is scheduled to be installed early in 2023. The infeed system will include an autorotation log scanner upstream from a quad roll log turner and Precision Geo-

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MACHINERYROW metric Log Rotation (PGLR) system. The PGLR system simultaneously verifies the accuracy of the autorotation system and automatically makes any necessary correction turns, ensuring the best turn on every log. PGLR utilizes USNR’s BioLuma 3900L lineal sensors that deliver more value and recovery through advanced optimization.

Pewag Purchases Wallingford’s Inc. Pewag group, a leading global company in traction chain devices and industrial chain solutions, has completed the acquisition of Wallingford’s Inc. and BABAC Inc., leading U.S.-based provider of forestry traction devices, forestry supplies and snow chains. Wallingford’s and BABAC are now consolidated as part of Pewag’s traction and forestry segment. The acquisition of Wallingford’s and BABAC is a strong fit with Pewag’s North American forestry business and in particular its forestry traction devices business. It is part of the strategy of Pewag to be a leader in this segment globally. Moreover, the high-quality forestry traction devices, developed and manufactured by Pewag in Austria and Czech Republic, will be integrated in the portfolio of Wallingford’s. Pewag’s business areas are mainly snow chains, forestry traction, hoist and conveyor chains, do-it-yourself products, engineering, lifting and lashing chains and accessories and tire protection chains. It operates modern chain production facilities in Europe and in Pueblo, Col. Founded in 1975, Wallingford’s Inc. is an international wholesaler of tire chain, logging and industrial supplies. Products are predominantly sold to distributors in North America. The sales and marketing office is located in Oakland, Maine, with a distribution, assembly and administrative facility in New Hampton, NH, and Canadian distribution centers in Edmonton, Alberta and Montreal, Quebec.

Crowd Is Strong For FIMMA 2022 FIMMA + Maderalia, a biennial international fair for materials, technology and components for furniture manufacturing, attracted more than 35,000 trade visitors at Feria Valenica in Spain in April, 10% higher than in 2018. ➤ 56 54

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MACHINERYROW The fair also recorded a distinct increase in the number of foreign buyers attending, with 16% of all trade professionals visiting hailing from a total of 60 different countries. The largest contingents were from the European Union (Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium and Germany being the main markets), the countries of the Maghreb (led by Morocco and Algeria) and Latin American nations. A large group of North American ex-

porters of hardwood gathered under the umbrella of the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC). Mike Snow, AEHC executive director, acknowledged that “purchasing orders have come out of Maderalia.”

FIMMA + Maderalia 2022 exceeds prepandemic figures.

Collaboration Enhances Data-Based Intelligence Remsoft’s collaboration with Australia’s ForestPHD will improve visibility and data-based intelligence for forestry companies using Remsoft Operations SaaS software to plan and schedule their harvest and wood flow activities. Widely used throughout Australia, New Zealand and increasingly other parts of the world, ForestPHD’s Sticks cloud solution enables data collected by forestry equipment to be analyzed for better understanding of harvesting operations, wood flow logistics and value recovery. Sticks aggregates data from feller-bunchers, harvesters, processors and forwarders that support the internationally recognized StanForD data format that is used by manufacturers. The collaboration with ForestPHD opens the door for clients to incorporate and extract more value from their forest machine data to inform supply chain decisions.”

NED Joins Barko Dealers Lineup Barko Hydraulics announced the addition of National Equipment Dealers (NED) as the company’s newest authorized dealer. With more than 30 years of industry experience in heavy equipment sales, rentals, and serving customers in an array of industries, NED will sell and support the full line of Barko equipment in South Carolina. With 15 locations in Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, NED is one of the preeminent heavy equipment dealers in the U.S. NED serves customers in earthmoving, forestry, mining, oil and gas, scrap and material handling, road construction, landscaping, government and municipalities. Paul Harmer, NED Forestry Div. Manager, comments, “We are thrilled to expand our relationship and our territory with the innovative Barko product offering. We look forward to growing our business throughout the NED territory with this great product.” 56

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ATLARGE HMA Announces New Leadership Hardwood Manufacturers Assn. (HMA) elected Tommy Petzoldt, East Perry Lumber Co., Frohna, Mo., as president during the National Conference and Expo in Miramar Beach, Fla. in March. Other HMA officers for 2022 are Vice President Tom Gerow, Wagner Millwork, LLC, Owego, NY; and Executive

Vice President Linda Jovanovich, HMA, Pittsburgh. HMA Board of Directors also elected members to the Executive Committee. In addition to the officers, they are: Geoff Henderson, Anderson-Tully Co., Vicksburg, Miss.; Hal Mitchell, Atlanta Hardwood Corp., Mableton, Ga.; Craig Miller, Battle Lumber Co., Inc., Wadley, Ga.; Richard Buchanan, Granite Hardwoods, Inc., Granite Falls, NC; Wayne

Law, New River Hardwoods, Mountain City, Tenn.; and Tom Gerow, Wagner Millwork, LLC, Owego, NY. Troy Brown, Kretz Lumber Company, Inc., Antigo, Wis., will serve on the Executive Committee as the immediate past president. HMA members elected Directors: Scott Cummings, Cummings Lumber Co., Inc., Troy, Pa. ; Matthew Netterville, Fred Netterville Lumber Co., Woodville, Miss.; Tripp Josey, Josey Lumber Co., Inc., Scotland Neck, NC; David Lewis, Lewis Brothers Lumber Co., Inc., Aliceville, Ala.; and Wayne Law, New River Hardwoods, Mountain City, Tenn.

Trenn Will Lead Structurlam-Conway Structurlam, a leading mass timber manufacturer, has welcomed Jason Trenn as the company’s new vice president of manufacturing & operations for its new production facility in Conway, Ark. Trenn brings an extensive background in forestry to Structurlam, with more than 20 years of experience at Canfor, Weldwood, West Fraser, Tembec and Weyerhaeuser. Most recently, Trenn worked as the lumber manufacturing director for Weyerhaeuser in Greenville, NC. Born and raised in British Columbia, where Structurlam is headquartered, Trenn will be accountable for all manufacturing activities at Structurlam’s new production facility, which is now in production. Structurlam produces GlulamPLUS timber and CrossLam CLT panel products. Structurlam has been headquartered in Penticton, British Columbia, since 1962.

Interfor Sells Acorn Sawmill To San Group Interfor is selling its Acorn sawmill in Delta, BC to San Group’s Acorn Forest Products Ltd. The mill, which is located on a 30 acre leased site on the Fraser River, was built in 1963 and acquired by Interfor in 2001 from Primex Forest Products. The mill specializes in producing lumber squares for the traditional Japanese home market and most of the production is exported to Asia. The mill has a two-shift rated capacity of 140MMBF annually, but has been operating on a one-shift basis for many years and produced 56MMBF in 2021. San Group is a privately held BC based forest products company. 58

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WOOD PRODUCTS MARKETPLACE NORTH AMERICA

■ Minnesota

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■ Canada ■ Ontario Buyers & Wholesalers We produce quality 4/4 - 8/4 Appalachian hardwoods • Red Oak, White Oak, Poplar •

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Next closing: July 6, 2022

AIR-O-FLOW profiled & FLAT sticks available Imported & Domestic

■ United States

DHM Company - Troy, TN 38260 731-446-4069 Fax: 707-982-7689 email: kelvin@kilnsticks.com www.KILNSTICKS.com

■ Georgia Beasley Forest Products, Inc. P.O. Box 788 Hazlehurst, GA 31539

beasleyforestproducts.com Manufactures Kiln-Dried 4/4 Red and White Oak, Poplar, Ash and Cypress Contact: Linwood Truitt Phone (912) 253-9000 / Fax: (912) 375-9541 linwood.truitt@beasleyforestproducts.com

Pallet components, X-ties, Timbers and Crane Mats Contact: Ray Turner Phone (912) 253-9001 / Fax: (912) 375-9541 ray.turner@beasleyforestproducts.com

■ Kentucky HAROLD WHITE LUMBER, INC. MANUFACTURER OF FINE APPALACHIAN HARDWOODS

(606) 784-7573 • Fax: (606) 784-2624 www.haroldwhitelumber.com

Ray White

Domestic & Export Sales rwhite@haroldwhitelumber.com Cell: (606) 462-0318

Green & Kiln Dried, On-Site Export Prep & Loading Complete millworks facility, molding, milling & fingerjoint line

WANT TO GET YOUR AD IN OUR NEXT MARKETPLACE? Call or email Melissa McKenzie 334-834-1170 melissa@hattonbrown.com 02/22

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Call Toll-Free: 1-800-669-5613

LUMBERWORKS GREENWOOD KILN STICKS Importers and Distributors of Tropical Hardwood Kiln Sticks GW Industries www.gwi.us.com

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ATLARGE AI Will Enhance MSU Researchers A $500,000 federal grant will help Mississippi State researchers use artificial intelligence to increase the accuracy of lumber evaluation. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture award funds an innovative research project in MSU’s Department of Sustainable Bioproducts that aims to improve lumber grading systems with a machine-learning model. The research will identify characteristics that human graders and current auto-grading technologies might otherwise miss—especially characteristics which, relative to their nature and extent, impact the value of each piece of lumber. Assistant Research Professor Dercilio Junior Lopes says the goal is to create another tool to complement current grading practices and technologies. “Visual graders have high accuracy around 95 percent, but worker fatigue decreases that accuracy. Additionally, autograding equipment can struggle with certain wood species, especially hardwoods like black walnut, in which the wood’s dark hue can make it hard to discern knots. This work offers Rubin Shmulsky, professor and head; Gabrielly Dos Santos Bobadilha, checks and balances for the weary worker and these probpostdoctoral associate; and Dercilio Junior Lopes, assistant research lematic wood species,” Lopes explains. “We won’t replace professor, all in the Dept. of Sustainable Bioproducts in MSU’s College lumber grading experts or auto-grading equipment. We’ll of Forest Resources, examine defects in a piece of lumber. A $500,000 simply provide another tool for rapid decision making in the federal grant will help researchers develop artificial intelligence to better identify defects and grade softwoods and hardwoods. fast-paced production environment.” (Photo by Dominique Belcher) The MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center team will create an image dataset of common wood strength reducing characteristics, curate and annotate these images, and then pro“We will use a series of data augmentation techniques and cess them into deep learning-based image segmentation modmanipulate the images to simulate defects so the machine els. From there, they will integrate the machine-learned algomodel can measure the intensity of each pixel and understand rithm into user-friendly software in partnership with MSU’s the patterns of defects,” he says. National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center While Lopes will focus on building the model, Postdoctoral (NSPAR). Associate Gabrielly Dos Santos Bobadilha will develop the imLopes says the image-based machine learning model will be ages from which the model will learn. able to identify nuanced differences in lumber characteristics, In addition to NSPARC, collaborators include the Southern such as knots and decay. Pressure Treaters’ Assn. and Arnold Forest Products Corp. TIMBER PROCESSING

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MAINEVENTS MAY 20-21—38th East Coast Sawmilling and Logging Exposition, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit exporichmond.com. 24-26—Western Wood Products Assn. annual meeting, Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, Wash. Call 503-224-3930; visit wwpa.org.

2-6—IndiaWood 2022, Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bangalore, India. Call +91-80-4250 5000; visit indiawood.com. 4-7—Assn. of Consulting Foresters of America annual conference, Austin, Tex. Call 703-548-0990; visit acf-foresters.org.

JULY 20-23—2022 Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. Annual Conference, The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo. Call 770-631-6701; visit slma.org. 24-27—Walnut Council annual meeting, So. Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill. Call 765-583-3501; visit walnutcouncil.org. 25-27—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, The Homestead Resort, Hot Springs, Va. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianhardwood.org. 29-31—Georgia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Jekyll Island Convention Center, Jekyll Island, Ga. Call 478-992-8110; visit gfagrow.org.

AUGUST 23-26—IWF 2022, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 404-693-8333; visit iwfatlanta.com. 29-September 2—Louisiana Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Resort, Lake Charles, La. Call 318-443-2558; visit laforestry.com.

SEPTEMBER 9-10—Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo, UP State Fairground, Escanaba, Mich. Call 715-282-5828; visit gltpa.org. 11-13—Alabama Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala. Call 334-265-8733; visit alaforestry.org. 12-15—Lesdrevmash 2022, International Exhibition for Machinery, Equipment and Technology for Logging, Woodworking and Furniture Industries, Expocentre Fairgrounds, Moscow, Russia. Visit lesdrevmash-expo.ru/en. 16-18—Virginia Forest Products Assn. Annual Conference, Hilton Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit vfpa.net. ■

MAY 2022

28-30—Timber Processing & Energy Expo, Portland Expo Center, Portland, Ore. Call 334-834-1170; visit timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com.

Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

JUNE

20-22—Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. D.C. Summit, Yotel Washington DC, Washington DC. Call 504-443-4464; visit slma.org.

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This issue of Timber Processing is brought to you in part by the following companies, which will gladly supply additional information about their products. ADVERTISER A W Stiles Contractors American Wood Dryers BID Group Biolube Brunner Hildebrand Calibre Equipment Carbotech-Autolog Claussen All-Mark International Cleereman Industries Cone Omega Delmhorst Easy-Laser EXPO 2023 FiberPro Fulghum Industries G F Smith Gilbert Products Halco Software Systems Holtec USA ISK Biocides JoeScan Johnson & Pace Ledinek Engineering Legna Software Linck Linden Fabricating Matthews International McDonough Manufacturing Mebor Mellott Manufacturing Metal Detectors Microtec Mid-South Engineering Muhlbock Holztrocknungsanlagen Nelson Bros Engineering Oleson Saw Technology Opticom Tech Precision-Husky Pro Mac Manufacturing Rawlings Manufacturing Samuel Coding & Labeling Group Samuel Packaging Systems Group Sennebogen Sering Sawmill Machinery Signode SII Dry Kilns Springer Maschinenfabrik GmbH T S Manufacturing Telco Sensors Terex Deutschland Gmbh Timber Automation UC Coatings USNR Vecoplan Wagner Meters Wood Fiber Group

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PH.NO. 931.668.8768 503.655.1955 843.563.7070 260.414.9633 615.469.0745 +64 21 586 453 819.252.2273 800.252.2736 715.674.2700 229.228.9213 877.335.6467 +46 31 708 63 00 504.443.4464 501.463.9876 800.841.5980 971.865.2981 418.275.5041 604.731.9311 800.346.5832 800.238.2523 360.993.0069 903.753.0663 +386 2 61300 51 800.278.1098 936.676.4958 250.561.1181 888.622.7183 715.834.7755 +386 4 510 3200 717.369.3125 541.345.7454 541.753.5111 501.321.2276 +43 7753 2296 0 888.623.2882 800.256.8259 800.578.1853 205.640.5181 250.856.0454 866.762.9327 800.667.1264 800.323.4424 704.347.4910 360.687.2667 800.323.2464 800.545.6379 +43 4268 2581 0 705.324.3762 800.253.0111 +49 0 7253 84 0 501.617.5130 716.833.9366 800.289.8767 336.252.4824 800.581.2722 800.426.6226

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