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A Hatton-Brown Publication
Co-Publisher: David H. Ramsey Co-Publisher: David (DK) Knight Chief Operating Officer: Dianne C. Sullivan Publishing Office Street Address: 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Telephone: 334.834.1170 FAX: 334.834.4525
Volume 39 • Number 8 • OCTOBER 2014 Founded in 1976 • Our 407th Consecutive Issue
Renew or subscribe on the web: www.timberprocessing.com
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Executive Editor David (DK) Knight Editor-in-Chief: Rich Donnell Managing Editor: Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor: David Abbott Associate Editor: Jessica Johnson Associate Editor: Jay Donnell Art Director/Prod. Manager: Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coordinator: Patti Campbell Circulation Director: Rhonda Thomas Classified Advertising: Bridget DeVane • 1.800.669.5613
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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
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THE ISSUES
Labor Issues Could Come Your Way
NEWSFEED
Hampton Leader Fires Back
YODER LUMBER
Impressive To Say The Least
PUKALL LUMBER
Retail Business Complements Sawmill
PLANER MILLS
Some Of The Latest Developments
LOGGERS DREAM
It Had Its Day In The Sun
PRODUCT SCANNER 10
From Scanning To Material Handling
COVER: Turning 70 years old, Yoder Lumber Co. remains a family run business in Millersburg, Ohio, including three sawmills in close proximity that complement each other with their product offerings. Story begins on PAGE 12. (Photo courtesy of Pukall Lumber)
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: tootall1@shaw.ca International Murray Brett Aldea de las Cuevas 66, Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain Tel: +34 96 640 4165 • FAX: +34 96 640 4022 E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net
Timber Processing (ISSN 0885-906X, USPS 395-850) is published 10 times annually (January/February and July/August issues are combined) 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: 800-669-5613; 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 ® 2014. 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 Publications Mail Agreement No. 41359535 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to PO Box 503 RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6 Other Hatton-Brown publications: Timber Harvesting • Southern Loggin’ Times Wood Bioenergy • Panel World • Power Equipment Trade
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THEISSUES
David Abbott Senior Associate Editor
BEHIND THE SCENES 12
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n late July and early August my job took me to Ohio and West Virginia, primarily on behalf of companion periodical Timber Harvesting magazine. I was assigned to pick up the story on the Caudill family, which was named that magazine’s Logging Business of the Year for 2014. But my first duty was to see Yoder Lumber Co.’s three facilities around Millersburg, Ohio, deep in the heart of beautiful Amish country. It’s not often that a guy from Alabama gets behind a series of horse-drawn carriages while driving a Prius rental car. The Yoder family was of course very helpful and hospitable in allowing me access to their operations. I met first with Yoder’s marketing manager, Dennis Hange, who arranged everything. We met at the company’s Buckhorn facility. Of the three plants run by the family-owned hardwood company, Buckhorn is the newest—acquired in 1999, as opposed to 1956 for the Charm plant and 1975 for the Berlin plant. Moreover, it has undergone the most extensive recent upgrades, with a whole new sawmill line added in 2010. Hange took me on a tour of all three facilities, where I met several of the key second and third generation family members in charge of running the various company operations. At the end of the day, Hange and I enjoyed a late lunch with CEO Mel Yoder and company President Bob Mapes. You can read the Yoder story this issue on page 12. Yoder and Mapes quizzed me about the nature of my work, which is a mystery to many and sometimes difficult to explain to the uninitiated. Mapes in particular was curious about one of Hatton-Brown’s other publications, Southern Loggin’ Times, which accounts for the bulk of my work at the company. This in turn led to a discussion about drugs in the work force and immigrant workers, a topic about which I had written in the July issue of Southern Loggin’ Times. That article had been inspired by a trip I made to Georgia and Florida in June, when many of the loggers and mill owners I met mentioned these as major concerns. Drug use, in particular crystal meth, has become rampant among young men in rural areas, these businessmen all agreed, making it more difficult than ever to find qualified and reliable labor. In response, an increase of immigrants in the logging work force in recent years has become undeniable. Without exception, these loggers described immigrants who are hard-working, honest, reliable, happy to have a job, and free from problems with drugs and alcohol. Meanwhile, the same week, former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his job—some say due to his soft stance on immigration—and thousands of undocumented children were pouring across the border from Mexico. Radio pundits insisted daily that these immigrants would take the jobs from hard-working American citizens because they would work cheap. But the men I met told a different story: Immigrants were taking jobs no one else wanted, and they were getting paid the same as anyone else— sometimes better. The Yoders haven’t dealt with quite the same problem in Ohio as their peers in Georgia and Florida. The surrounding Amish community, which represents a big part of the labor pool, is widely renowned for its strong work ethic and moral character. That’s not to say that there are no deadbeats or drug addicts, just that it hasn’t become as widespread in all places as it is in some. But as we left lunch that day, my hosts noted that hearing a different perspective on this TP hot-button political issue had given them food for thought. Contact David Abbott, ph: 334-834-1170; fax 334-834-4525; e-mail: david@hattonbrown.com TIMBER PROCESSING
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NEWSFEED KITCHENS PURSUED LUMBER, HUNTING Greg Kitchens, who led Kitchens Brothers Manufacturing Co. and Kitchens Lumber Co. at its height of three sawmills and a dimension and flooring mill in Mississippi, died September 8 Greg Kitchens at his home in Utica, Miss. He was 67. Kitchens worked his entire adult life for the family lumber business after graduating from the University of Mississippi in 1968. He also served as president of Hardwood Manufacturers Assn. from 19951996 and as president of National Hardwood Lumber Assn. from 2000-2002. “It’s a family-owned business and we just find that doing what we have always done—providing quality service and products for our customers—is what we want to do,” Kitchens once said. “The market times may change the product we make, but not the way we make our product.” Kitchens also possessed a passion for hunting and pursued his dreams to Africa and elsewhere with no boundaries. Along with his ever-present traveling partner and wife, Cynthia, he traveled to 29 countries over six continents. He served as president of the Mississippi Chapter of Safari Club International from 19861988, was an active member of Shikar Safari Club International and the Dallas Safari Club and achieved several awards, including the Dallas Safari Club Outstanding Hunter Achievement Award in 2004 and North Mexico Safari Club Grand Slam of Mexican Whitetails Award. He unselfishly shared his experiences and knowledge with anyone who asked for it. 6
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He is survived by Cynthia, his wife of 47 years; two daughters, Leigh Black (Bobby) and Robyn Birdsong (Jon); three grandsons; his brothers Alan Kitchens (Paula) and Kevin Kitchens (Sheri); two nieces and a great nephew. Services were held September 11 at the Utica Christian Church followed by Interment at Utica Cemetery.
ENVIVA PLANS TWO MORE PELLET MILLS Enviva, which already operates five wood pellet plants in the U.S., plans to build two more facilities in Richmond and Samson counties in southeast North Carolina with an investment of more than $214 million, the North Carolina governor’s office announced. The projects could create 160 jobs. In the past three years Enviva has built and started up plants in Ahoskie, NC; Northampton County, NC and Southampton County, Va., while operating purchased plants in Amory, Miss. and Wiggins, Miss. The combined wood pellet production capacity from these five facilities is 1.6 million metric tons. The newer plants Enviva has built each have 500,000 metric tons production capacity and similar evolving technologies.
GILCHRIST PICKED FOR BIO PROGRAM Interfor Corp.’s Gilchrist Div. has been selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to accept biomass deliveries under the federal Biomass Crop Assistance Program so it can create clean heat and electricity to dry lumber. “This program generates clean energy from biomass, reduces the threat of fires by removing dead or diseased trees from public forestlands and invests in rural businesses
and new energy markets,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says. Gilchrist is one of 36 energy facilities across the nation chosen to accept forest or agricultural residues as part of a national strategy to improve domestic energy security and reduce carbon pollution.
FULGHUM EXPANDS CAPACITY IN CHILE Rentech, Inc. has a new long-term processing agreement between its subsidiaries, Fulghum Fibres Chile, Forestal Pacifico and Forestal Los Andes and Astillas Exportaciones Limitada (Astex Ltda.), the Chilean subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp.. The new processing agreement expands the volume of eucalyptus wood to be processed and sold under contract to Astex Ltda. The fiveyear contract includes the mutual option to extend for two additional five-year terms. Fulghum will rebuild its current mill in Concepción, Chile near the port of Puchoco to increase production capacity. With the expansion, the annual processing capacity of the mill will increase from 180,000 bone dry metric tons (BDMT) to 400,000 BDMT of logs with bark. In addition, the facility’s capacity to process logs without bark will increase from 40,000 to 100,000 BDMT per year. The mill will become Fulghum Fibres’ largest chip mill in South America. Rentech’s subsidiary, Forestal Pacifico, will process the bark produced from the mill and sell it as biomass fuel to local industrial customers. Rentech’s trading subsidiary, Forestal Los Andes, will utilize uncommitted capacity at the mill to produce chips for sale in South America or abroad. The total cost of the new chipping mill and debarker project is expected to be $8.6 million. Construction of the
new chip mill is expected to begin immediately with full commissioning scheduled for early 2015.
SAWMILL COMING BACK AFTER FIRE Independence Lumber is rebuilding and expanding production at its Grayson County, Va. sawmill operation that was destroyed by fire in November 2012. The company will invest more than $5 million, retain 57 jobs, create 25 jobs at the site and purchase 90% of its timber needs from Virginia forests. The Commonwealth of Virginia is partnering with Grayson County and Independence Lumber on this project through the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund. Independence Lumber’s new sawmill will produce a variety of dimensional lumber sourced from the region, including red and white oak, poplar, birch, hickory and eastern white pine. Independence’s products will be sold domestically and exported into the global marketplace through the Port of Virginia.
HAMPTON’S ZIKA BLASTS TRIBUNE In a blog on the company web site, Hampton Affiliates CEO Steve Zika criticized the Portland Tribune editorial board for a column that downplayed the forest sector as part of the Oregon economy. The intent of the Portland Tribune column was to express enthusiasm for Intel Corp.’s plan to invest $100 billion in the area. Zika responded, “It gives me a thrill to know that an important portion of our state’s economy is making such a commitment. However, I am dismayed that the editorial board would unnecessarily treat Oregon’s for-
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NEWSFEED est sector with such contempt by stating, ‘…[the timber industry] clearly represents the past and not the future of Oregon’s economy.’” Zika asks: “Why must enthusiasm for economic progress in urban Oregon come by throwing a very large portion of Oregon’s rural economy under the bus?” Zika notes that Hampton Affiliates employs 800 in mostly rural Oregon. “While our manufacturing plants in Willamina, Tillamook and Warrenton may not seem as sexy as Intel’s new D1X module under construction in Hillsboro, our business has evolved and we also have to keep up with the same kind of global economic competition that Intel feels as that company invests in its future here.” He continues: “When was the last time your editorial board visited a modern
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sawmill with lasers, full log scanning and computerized optimization? Get out of your wood house, out from behind your wood desk, and put down your paper made from wood residuals and go see what is really happening in the forests of Oregon.” Zika writes that the author of the Portland Tribune column discounts the impact of Oregon’s overall forest sector economy for its “mere” 76,000 jobs, $5.2 billion in total annual income. “These are hardly numbers that support a thesis that the forest sector is a thing of the past,” Zika says. “While we have trouble growing in this state, due to ongoing radical environmental litigation that has shut down the federal forests, bankrupted rural counties and brought on catastrophic wild fires, we are not going away.” Zika says, “the editorial’s
dismissive attitude is rooted in an image of the past when men went to work in the woods and labored in sawmills. Work in the woods and mills has changed considerably. Equipment in mills requires people – both men AND women – who have specialized technical and professional skills to keep it running. Those who work in the woods operate increasingly specialized equipment that minimizes environmental impacts, and they do so under strict environmental standards that have evolved with new science. University and technical degrees are required for much of this work.” Zika concludes: “The achievements of Intel and the others in Oregon’s silicon forest are laudable. But let us not forget the achievements and staying power of Oregon’s original forest. It plays a vital
role in Oregon’s economy and will do so for decades to come.”
BC, CHINA ARE ALLIES ON LUMBER Efforts to expand export markets for British Columbia lumber took a major step forward with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding designed to increase the use of wood-frame construction in China. Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson and Tan Yueming, Minister of Housing and Urban Rural Development in China’s Zhejiang province, took part in the official signing ceremony via videoconference. The ceremony follows through on a commitment the two governments made last fall during Thomson’s trade
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NEWSFEED mission to China. The Province of Zhejiang had expressed interest in developing wood-frame construction expertise in its growing tourism sector and other applications. The MOU calls on the two governments to promote the use of environmentally friendly low-carbon, wood-frame construction, develop wood-frame construction codes and standards for application in China, and organize exchange visits for government and representatives to share technical and experience and knowledge. BC will also increase cooperation with Zhejiang on wood-frame construction research, with a specific focus on local construction needs in Zhejiang province, including government-funded public building projects and home renovations. In 2013, BC exported a record $1.4 billion worth of
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lumber to China, up from $1.1 billion in 2012. Zhejiang in China’s 10th largest province (by population).
LOG EXPORTS RISE FROM NW Log exports from Washington, Oregon, northern California and Alaska totaled 515 MMBF in the second quarter of 2014, an increase of more than 10% compared to the first quarter of 2014, the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station reported. During this same period, West Coast lumber exports decreased by 4% to 247MMBF. West Coast log exports to China remained strong, increasing by more than 22% compared to the first quarter of 2014. More than 70% of the West Coast’s log exports was shipped to China.
China’s demand for West Coast lumber, however, continued to decline, dropping by nearly 20% compared to first quarter 2014. In the United States, 56% of outgoing logs and 30% of outgoing lumber were destined for China in the second quarter of 2014.
RUSSIAN PROJECT MOVES FORWARD The Sudoma softwood sawmill project in the village of Dedovichi in the Pskov region of the Russian Federation appears to be on track due to its recent recognition as “strategic” by the Investment Commission of the Pskov region municipal administration. Subsequently, local authorities will work out a strategic investment agreement with GS Group international investment and in-
dustry holding company, the project general investor. The “deep wood processing” sawmill is part of a project that also includes reforestation, logging and a pellet plant. The first stage of the project, a tree nursery that will produce 2 million seedlings per year, is completed. The Sudoma sawmill construction was launched in 2013; the facility will reach planned annual capacity output of 61,500 m3 (26MMBF) by 2015. The mill will produce lumber for construction including treated and impregnated products. About 60% of production will be exported. The byproducts will be delivered to the Biotop pellet plant, which is planned to begin construction soon with an annual capacity of 90,000 tons. Total investment in the combined projects will be $87 million (U.S.)
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YODER’S
TRIPLEPL AY By David Abbott
Yoder Lumber’s third generation owners work together to keep its three facilities ahead of the curve and on top of the game.
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MILLERSBURG, Oh. ith three production facilities located just The Buckhorn facility added a new sawmill line in 2010 after shutting down two older mills. miles apart from each other in central what became and is now the Charm fabrother Mel still serves as CEO. Ohio, Yoder Lumcility. Although John was Amish, he did In all there are nine Yoder family member Co., Inc. supplies grade Appalachian not raise his family in that tradition, but bers who jointly own the company now— hardwood lumber and dimension products he did pass on the lumber business to his six cousins and their three dads. This infor flooring and furniture manufacturers sons, three of whom—Mel, Roy and cludes Eli’s sons, brothers Tony and Ryan throughout the region, and beyond. Slow Eli—ran it together for many years. Five Yoder—Tony runs the Berlin dimension markets in recent years didn’t stop the of their sons and a son-in-law now run plant while Ryan is over procurement; family-owned company from going ahead the three plants day to day. Roy and Eli Mel’s sons Trent, who oversees the Buckwith improvements at each of its three are semi-retired, while the youngest horn facility, and Nathan, who serves as plants—designated as the CFO; Roy’s son Craig, Buckhorn, Charm and manager of the Charm Berlin. In fact, the Buckplant, and his brother-inhorn mill underwent a comlaw Ken Grate, who is the plete rebuild in 2010. HR manager. A non-family With a long history in member and retired CPA, the business, the company Bob Mapes, is President of is currently in its third genthe company. eration. Patriarch John The three plants are all loYoder started the enterprise cated within 10 miles of as a portable sawmill in Millersburg, and the Yoders 1944, producing lumber in also have a log yard in West the woods for local farmers Virginia, Rolling Ridge who wanted barn beams. In Woods, primarily used for The Yoder family: front row, left to right: Ken Grate, Roy Yoder, Eli Yoder, buying and selling export 1956 he established a stationary mill on the pasture Mel Yoder; back row: Tony Yoder, Craig Yoder, Ryan Yoder, Nathan veneer logs. In all, with all Yoder, Trent Yoder behind his farm home— three mills and support staff 12
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combined, the company employs 190 and has an annual output of 15MMBF.
BUCKHORN
with Sealtite wax to prevent splitting during air drying. Although the mill does occasionally sell some green lumber, the vast majority of its production air dries on the yard before going to the kilns, after which it is graded again to check for drying defects. A 300 HP wood waste burning boiler, with a 200 HP backup natural gas boiler, fires six Irvington-Moore (USNR) kilns (combined total 250MBF capacity) and Irvington-Moore pre-dryer with 800MBF capacity for 4/4 lumber. The millwork dept., which works strictly by customer orders, features a Yates-American planer, Eagle Machine Group chop saw, Kentwood gang saw, Kentwood molder, Cantek belt sander, and Diehl straight line rip saw. Buckhorn also plans to install a Kentwood infeed to trim pieces while feeding the molder simultaneously. Buckhorn keeps four full-time maintenance men working in the machine shop to handle trucks and rolling stock (Hyster, Linde Baker and Volvo forklifts and wheel loaders). That includes an electrician on staff and three others in preventative maintenance. Buckhorn facility handles all saw filing, knife grinding and sharpening in-house. The sharpening room in the millworks side uses a Kentwood saw profile grinder, while the sawmill filing room uses an Armstrong grinder, Armstrong press roll bench and Simonds automatic leveler. The facility uses Olson saws. The mill works a single shift, five days a week—four 10-hour days and five and a half hours on Friday. The sorter and distribution building work a full shift on Fridays—“It’s a little busier there,” Trent notes.
The Yoder family acquired the Buckhorn property out of bankruptcy in 1999 and started up its own operations there in 2000. The previous owner (Semac Industries) had produced grade hardwood lumber, pallet and dimension products, but Yoder Storage building for Buckhorn’s Millwork division opted not to resume the dimension side due to the company’s exist- man carriage with 17° slant and 4-head ing dimension line at its Berlin facility. blocks and 7 ft. Salem headrig with Almost from the start Yoder made USNR LASAR scanning. Cut-off boards changes to the plant. “We tried to consoliare sent directly to a McDonough wiggle date as much as possible, automate as box optimized lineal edger with USNR much as possible, to get more production scanning. The edger infeed table makes it for less manpower,” Buckhorn manager possible for operators to load boards from Trent Yoder says. For example, there had either side, allowing for easier inspection. been four separate grading lines; Yoder Cants flow from the headrig to a Salem built one. resaw with PHL Industries runaround Likewise, there were originally two linebar. The headrig and resaw are very sawmill lines. In 2009, management desimilar, with the same length band— cided to shut down both lines and build a Yoder bought them used and rebuilt them. completely new, state-of-the-art mill. It was Quanci who introduced the Yoders “That was when everything was in the to the PHL resaw system. Pieces then tank, so we decided to do something flow out through HMC trimmer. All mastupid and build a sawmill,” Trent terial is transferred to the sorting building laughs. At the time Yoder had four which features a MIC (Morris Industrial sawmills running—two at Charm and the Corp) 45-bin sorter. Three employees two at Buckhorn. The company leaders grade the lumber. also shut down one of Charm’s lines in The sawmill renovation at Buckhorn, 2008 in response to sluggish demand, so Trent says, restricted most other similartogether with Buckhorn, Yoder shuttered ly large capital expenditure projects three of its four lines before adding back company-wide for the four years since, the new one. What the new sawmill is but there have been a few additional updoing, Trent estimates, is roughly equivgrades. Buckhorn added new molders alent to what the three shuttered mills and a new gang saw infeed to its millwere producing. work department last year, and the Berlin Engineer Martin Quanci of Mill Quality facility has had similar upgrades as well. Equipment & Design, based in Chillicothe, After the MIC trimmer in the bin sortdrew on his experience with German ing line, boards are waxed on both ends sawmills in helping design Buckhorn’s layout. Incorporated from the German model was a different design for the press rolls on the PHL linebar and cant runaround. The headrig breaks each log down to get a cant, then sends the cant to the resaw to finish the breakdown for grade and pallet material. At the infeed deck, logs pass through a MDI metal detector before heading to an HMC debarker. The inOne of four American Wood Dryers kilns at the Berlin dimension plant stallation included a Cleere-
MARKETS “Lumber is moving, so that is an encouragement,” Trent says. “Right now we are doing very well with the market. (Domestic) housing seems to have picked up a little, the China market has picked up.With the production loss over the last five or six years, any little uptick in the market, you feel more than you used to.” Although not entirely immune to the larger trends of the industry,
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Trent says that Yoder maintained a fairly steady production flow during the worst of the recession. Buckhorn had reduced uptime to 40 hours a week, but is slowly returning to a 50hour schedule. The Buckhorn mill primarily makes grade 4/4 lumber, two and better grades in some species, one and better in others. They cut any species native to Ohio, mainly poplar and red and white oak, but also hard and The dimension plant at Berlin makes furniture and stair parts. soft maple, ash and hickory. Buckhorn alone produces 9MMBF annual- try,” Trent says. Buckhorn now also ly, focusing on furniture grade material. It serves other Amish communities, in Ohio, features a small distribution center. Export Indiana and Pennsylvania. But the mill has represents about 10% of the company’s expanded beyond its Amish customers, sales. The rest goes to small domestic furpicking up a lot of DIY stores for its S4S niture manufacturers, many of them in boards, and casings and molding products. Ohio. Other customers are in eastern IndiThe company uses contractors and a fleet ana, western Pennsylvania, parts of New of its own trucks to deliver to customers. York and Michigan. Most export product is bound for China or “Our initial focus was on the Amish set- Europe. Ash and white oak are the primatlements, because there is a lot of furniture ry export products, in 4/4 thickness and 1 manufacturing within the Amish commucommon and prime grades predominantly. nity, and we are centrally located within The business philosophy of the current the largest Amish settlement in the coungeneration of Yoders, Trent says, was
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passed down to them by their fathers and grandfather: hard work and strong ethics. Moreover, they believe in being hands-on and actively involved. Trent describes the management philosophy as the “walking around” approach—being physically present in the mill as often as possible. Trent has three foremen who report to him: one in charge of the sawmill, one at the bin sorter and one in millwork and distribution. “We’ve done most of what we are in charge of,” he says. Each of the supervisors has the experience to guide current operators in their positions. “I have run almost all the equipment out here, except for the molder and some of that stuff that we just didn’t have before. I can’t tell somebody how to do something if I don’t know how to do it.” That said, he believes in empowering and allowing employees the freedom to make decisions on the spot, since they are the ones in that job every day. “If it can be done better their way, we are open to try it and listen to what they tell
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us. I don’t need to microlumber.com), which it plans manage 60 employees.” to launch next year. Along with an experienced and reliable work CHARM force, Trent says one of the keys to Yoder’s success can The original stationary be attributed to the old real Yoder plant started in 1956 estate adage: location, locain Charm, Oh. This facility tion, location. “We are in the cuts mainly quarter sawn right place to have a sawwhite oak, specializing in mill—the problem is, a lot of primarily white oak for other people are in the busiflooring and furniture manuness here too.” Still, he says, facturers, as well as custom there seem to be plenty of orders and timbers. Charm pieces of the pie to go can handle lengths up to 24 Yoder has a fleet of 25 trucks and fields a company logging crew. around for everyone. In fact, ft. and 12-16 in. squares. Yoder trades both green and dried lumPlant Manager Craig Yoder notes that primarily from the other two mills). ber with a lot of their competition for the the market has been the biggest chalYoder actively participates in social timber resource and market share. “It’s lenge in recent years, but that the spemedia, online sales and marketing pronot about price, it’s about availability— grams, thanks to marketing manager Den- cialty niche orders have helped the faciliwe have what they need and they have ty through the tough times. Still, wholenis Hange. The customers, by and large, what we need, sometimes.” aren’t really doing business via Facebook sale represents 85-90% of production. Buckhorn gets its log supply from Logs come in treelength and are sorted or Twitter, but it provides a channel for and cut to length (8 to 16 ft.) with a Hood within a 80-mile radius of Millersburg, re- the sales and management teams to in24000 knuckleboom loader. After storage lying on three timber buyers, including form people outside the local area about under sprinklers if necessary, logs are fed one certified forester and another who the company’s assets and capabilities, will be when he finishes school. Aside Hange says. “It provides a tool to help ed- to a Morbark 6-48 rosserhead debarker before passing through a MDI metal detector. from a small amount of gatewood, three ucate our customers on the diversity of From there the line flows to a Cleereman contract logging crews provide most of our organization, and to help find new 42 in. carriage, with a Salem 6 ft. headrig the need for Buckhorn and Charm (Berlin customers,” he adds. The company is does not buy logs, but sources its needs followed by a Crosby edger. After the working on a new web site (www.yoder
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grading deck, pieces go to a Crosby double end trimmer and the green chain sorter, to be shipped either to customers or to one of the other Yoder yards for drying or further processing. There are 40 employees at this location, including mill workers, office staff and truck drivers. Charm has its own maintenance team to handles its fleet of 25 trucks, and a separate maintenance team for the mill. A specialist handles sharpening and grinding of band saws and circle saws, as well as chipper knives. The filing room uses mostly Hanchett equipment (grinder and leveling
bench) and Södderhamn Eriksson saws. Also based out of the Charm facility is a whole tree chipping crew, which does land clearing primarily for strip mining operations (coal mining is a major industry in Ohio). The in-woods team works with a Morbark 27 in. whole tree chipper. This company-owned crew started in the late 1970s and ships clean chips mainly to the Rock-Tenn paper mill in Coshocton, Oh. Yoder has two foresters on staff at Charm, who buy from within an 80-100 mile radius, though they also bring in some white oak from neighboring states.
Since the Charm plant deals with quarter sawn timber and custom orders, it tends to take in larger logs, 18 in. DBH and larger. The same three logging contractors who supply the Buckhorn facility also supply Charm.
BERLIN Yoder bought the Berlin facility, its second, in 1975 and initially leased it back to the previous owner a few years, before starting its own operations here in 1977. Almost all of what was here at the time has since been replaced, enlarged or rebuilt. A new Woodeye and Talon crosscut line from Eagle Machinery and new molder infeed by Kentwood are currently in the works. Berlin works mainly in red oak but does handle most other Ohio hardwoods as well. Lumber is sourced from both Charm and Buckhorn (4/4 material only) as well as other local mills (especially 5/4, since Yoder does not produce any 5/4). “We consume more than we produce,” Plant Manager Tony Yoder confirms. Berlin uses two molders—a Kentwood and a Diehl—along with four Diehl straight line rip saws, a Raimann double arbor rip saw, Sandingmaster and Timesaver sanders, a Keim rip saw, Newman gang rip and two Northfield planers. A Brute semi-automated line at the plant now is soon to be replaced by a new Woodeye in early October. “We are hoping to automate and get better yield,” Tony says. “We expect a decent yield boost, higher speed, and more options on sorting. Machine throughput should increase dramatically.” The facility also has four American Wood Dryers kilns with a total capacity of 250MBF. A wood-fired boiler, with a backup gas boiler, fires the kilns. Berlin sends its molder knives to Buckhorn for sharpening. Customer markets include primarily furniture manufacturers or stair part manufacturers nationwide, from California to New York. The Berlin plant also exports lumber to Germany, China, Sweden and Romania. Because these products are very much tied in with housing, Tony says business seems to be improving. “It dipped a bit, enough that we cut hours, as little as we possibly could, but it was slow. We are seeing a good rebound now.” The mill now runs a single-shift, five-day week and is producTP ing close to capacity, Tony reports. For more information about Yoder Lumber, visit their web site, www.yoderlumber .com, or give them a call at their various plant locations: Buckhorn: 800-531-1704; Charm: 330-893-3131; Berlin: 330-893-3121; e-mail: sales@yoderlumber.com
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PRODUCT
KNOWHOW By Jay Donnell
Combining manufacturing and retail gives Pukall Lumber an edge up.
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ARBOR VITAE, Wis. red Pukall, having grown up in his father’s sawmill in Shawano County, moved to Arbor Vitae and founded the sawmill at Pukall Lumber in 1937. Since then, the company has become the largest pine lumber mill in the state, and one of the strongest lumber and building supply businesses in northern Wisconsin. The company saws primarily softwood logs and 90% of production is in red and white pine and spruce species. About 40% of the lumber manufactured at Pukall is sold through its retail store as dimension lumber and also as a variety of specialty products that are remanufactured here, such as flooring, paneling, siding and mouldings. Retail customers are located mainly within a 50 mile radius of the company. Pukall Lumber’s bandmill operation produces 13MMBF annually on a single production shift. The company is a Forest Stewardship Council chain-of-custody producer, which requires rigorous adherence to sustainability and environmental principles and practices, from the woods to the mill. Logs are acquired mainly from northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan’s extensive private, state and federal forests and woodlots that are marked for selective harvesting and timber stand improvement. The company deals with as many as 40 logging operations. 22
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Rick Wilson and Susan Pukall enjoy the challenges of running a sawmill and retail business.
There is rarely a shortage of logs in the Pukall Lumber log yard.
Fred Pukall’s son, Roger, now 93, has led the company for many years. Today, Susan Pukall, daughter of Roger, is the marketing manager for the business while her husband, Rick Wilson, is the vice president and COO. Roger still comes into work every day, but Rick and Susan are taking the reins. Running a sawmill as well as a retail business is no easy task, but Susan believes the two businesses have comple-
mented each other quite nicely. “Historically they’ve provided a great balance to each other,” Susan explains. “There have been years where the lumber markets have been down and the wholesale wasn’t doing so well and in those years the retail side has been great for us and vice versa.” Though the company is running strong now, they faced some tough times, like most lumber companies, during the recession. “November 2007 was when we
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started feeling the effects and we had to cut back on shift hours,” Wilson explains. Pukall’s biggest focus at that time was on cost reduction. “In a mill our fixed costs are extremely high, but we were able to cut back,” he adds. “Prices still haven’t recovered completely.”
RETAIL The retail side of the business offers “everything for the builder.” The store was enlarged in 1987 and the next year a 26,000 square foot drive-through warehouse was completed, where inventory can be kept clean and dry and loaded into customers’ vehicles. In 1999, the drive-through was expanded. In 2007, Pukall acquired a second building supply store in Manitowish Waters to better service the markets to the north. In 2011, Pukall opened a residential design center and model log home in Woodruff. The design center is unique because almost 100% of the wood products in the log home package are manufactured at Pukall Lumber. Two residential designers work out of that location, drawing plans for new construction, additions and remodeling. While about 40% of their lumber production goes into their retail outlets, it is an important 40% that can lead to other accessories sales at their outlets, such as trusses, millwork and other items needed by builders. Pukall Lumber employs 35 in the manufacturing operation and 35 in the office and retail operation. Employees participate in safety committees and the company has a good track record of safety. They experience very little turnover.
Pukall Lumber employs 35 in the manufacturing operation and 35 in the retail operation.
“Equipment is so expensive that it’s a disincentive for a lot of families to get involved in it or stay in it.” When the logs are brought in they are measured by diameter, length and grade and placed under a sprinkler system during summer months. The logs are then debarked in a 30 in. Cambio Soderhamn ring debarker and run through an MDI metal detector. “The sawmill is a bit like a museum,” Susan says with a chuckle. It includes two Cleereman carriages with McDonough and Wheland bandmills, followed by a vintage bandmill linebar resaw and downstream edging and trimming machinery. There are many challenges involved with keeping the older machinery running smoothly in the sawmill, but there have been a few key factors that have helped Pukall Lumber maintain its equipment. “Regular preventive maintenance, experienced equipment operators, and a talented maintenance staff,” Rick says. The operation purchases band saws from two saw dealers in the area, Menom-
inee Saw and Moraska Saw. The primary manufacturers used in the mill are Oleson Saw Technologies and Southern Band. “We have a talented head filer in Chris Crow,” Rick says. “Chris keeps the band mills running at maximum capacity.” Annual chip byproduct output is 10,000 tons. Other residue such as sawdust and shavings are sold for the manufacture of particleboard or for animal bedding. All of the log fiber brought in to Pukall is consumed or sold. As the lumber comes out of the sawmill it is graded, stacked, tallied and sent to a HEMCO (now USNR) sling sorter with PLC software and controls provided by Industrial Controls and Software, Inc. The stacks are staged outside the kilns until enough like grade and thickness are accumulated for a kiln charge. The total kiln capacity at Pukall Lumber is 400MBF. Heat for the kilns comes from the steam boiler that is fueled entirely on the bark MILL OPERATIONS and sawdust collected during the manuLog supply hasn’t been much of an facturing process. issue for Pukall Lumber and even when The lumber is dried in the 11 concrete it has been an issue, it hasn’t lasted long. block package kilns, with IrvingtonThe people of Wisconsin Moore (USNR) controls, know the name Pukall. “A on a seven-day schedule. couple years ago we did Once dried, it may be sent run low for the first time in to the planer mill or stored our history, but then we put in one of the many dry out the word that we needlumber sheds. ed logs and all of the sudIn 2002, a new planer den we had logs here,” mill went into production Wilson explains. consisting of a 12-knife high While log supply hasn’t speed Yates A20-12 planer been a big concern, Susan and a 16-bay computerized has seen a decline in the lumber sorter. The planer number of loggers in the mill can produce a variety area. “It’s such a financial of finished surfaces includcommitment to go into loging S4S, S2S and any numging now compared to the ber of specialty profiles. In Pukall Lumber produces 13MMBF annually on a single production shift. old days,” she says. 2012, the company added a TIMBER PROCESSING
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The company has begun to reinvest in its lumber production operations.
Wolke automated model M600 advanced thermal jet (grade stamp) printer. They recently bought a Volvo forklift for the log yard and that has made a big difference for the production flow. Several years ago, Pukall Lumber installed a new Avery Weightronix Bridge Mont Standard truck scale in order to weigh loads of chips, sawdust and lumber. Incoming logs are still stick-scaled and graded. Rick is happy to see the company start making some long overdue upgrades to the mill. “We’ve started to reinvest in the things we couldn’t purchase during the recession because we were trying to cut costs,” Wilson says. Pukall is planning to replace its pneumatic log kickers and log turners with a hydraulic unit provided by Cleereman Industries, Inc. Pukall is partnering with Wisconsin Public Service and Focus on Energy to create a special grant incentive to help finance the conversion from pneumatic to hydraulic because of the expected energy savings.
Production from the planer mill is loaded onto Pukall’s flatbed trailers for delivery to customers. Pukall operates a delivery fleet called PLC Transportation, LLC, which permits its tractor-trailers to backhaul products for other companies. Products manufactured for the retail operation are stored in the finished goods sheds. The company maintains five tractors and 60 chip, shavings and flatbed trailers. Susan Pukall loves getting to work with her husband and dad every day. “I’ve been here 13 years and we have three daughters who are just leaving the nest,” Susan explains. “I’m lucky to get to see my dad and husband every day at work because there probably aren’t too many people that can say that.” Jeff Hunter is the head sawyer and Chris Matz does grading in the sawmill and is also a sawyer. Roger’s brother, Lloyd, was very involved in the maintenance side of the business before he TP passed away in 2011.
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PLANERMILLS EDITOR’S NOTE: The following companies, who are advertising in this issue, provided the following materials, and all statements and claims are attributable to the manufacturers.
Sawmill Benefits With ProGrader
Autolog’s linear ProGrader
An important southern yellow pine sawmill located in the Southeast U.S. recently purchased an Autolog Linear ProGrader optimizer system. The mill produces 65MMBF per year on a single shift with southern pine products ranging from 6 ft. to 16 ft. in length, thickness from 2 in. to 4 in. and width from 4 in. to 12 in. Forty-five percent of its total production consists of decking (5⁄4 x 6 in.) with appearance grades. Among the challenges in this project was the ability for the ProGrader to optimize for 5⁄4 Radius Edge Decking (RED). 5⁄4 is graded with a combination of best face-worst face rules and 2 in. dimension rules. The ProGrader increased the amount of Premium RED produced by the mill, and was able to increase the amount of Premium in some cases by cutting pieces in two and creating a Premium face on each end of the cut-in-two that would normally be graded a full-length Standard. An increase in the amount of No. 1 produced in 2x4 and 2x6 by the mill was also noted. Instead of using self-learning and matching software, the Autolog way is to provide algorithms and parameters for each defect. The methodology allows identifying defects easily within defects. Also by doing so, the change to a particular defect does not alter other defects. The Autolog ProGrader features a unique QC and troubleshooting tool consisting of a board tracking system. All the data pertaining to each board is stored in a SQL database and is available on request. Up to 125 million boards can be stored with their complete optimized solution. The frame of the machine and mechanical components are overdesigned to maintain uptime to a maximum. Multi UV ID codes ensure code readability at 100% thus eliminating board rejects. Dynamic Grading Zone with moving color LED displays optimizer solutions for each board to help the check grader make better solutions. Digital production display shows production information, reasons for stoppage and system interlocks for minimal downtime. Visit autolog.com. 26
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Payback Is Quick With Plunge Joint Murray Latta Progressive Machine has designed an improved “plunge joint” side head jointer assembly upgrade kit for Stetson-Ross, Coastal and Newman planers: the Safety Plunge Jointer. They are built with a focus on safety and convenience, allowing your operator to joint without opening the hood, preventing exposure to the unguarded and running side heads. Access to the jointer becomes quick, easy and convenient, as your operator no longer needs to fully lock out the planer to joint the head. The jointer stone is designed to match the Safety Plunge Jointer from Murray Latta Proexact profile of gressive Machine your knives, providing accurate jointing quickly and easily. The result is consistent joints with less downtime, improved knife longevity and a better finished product. The Murray Latta Progressive Machine Safety Plunge Jointers are robust and heavy-duty—and with the benefits of time saved, improved safety and a consistent finished product, full payback can be realized within approximately 60 to 75 shifts. Safety Plunge Jointers can be installed with a Murray Latta Progressive Machine factory trained, fully-qualified service technician to assist in the setup of your equipment. Visit mlpmachine.com.
HW Culp Installs Strapping System Samuel Strapping Systems has completed a new equipment installation at HW Culp Lumber in New London, NC. Since its start in 1925, HW Culp has been producing high Culp Lumber started up new Samuel strapping quality lumber, system this year. with annual production today exceeding 100MMBF. With this in mind, the need for a fast and reliable lumber strapper has always been important to the company; however, due to changes in the business, the previous machine was no longer up to the job. “The lumber strapping equipment we had in place was unable to place the baton where we required; this resulted in a lot of downtime and starting/stopping of the machine in order to fulfill requirements,” comments General Manager David Richbourg. Richbourg was looking for a system which would be much
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PLANERMILLS more reliable and also had the ability of placing the baton on the bottom. Toward the end of 2013, Richbourg and HW Culp reached out to Dave Gagnon and Terry Evans of the Samuel Equipment Div. to begin sourcing a new lumber strapper for the business. Thanks to smooth and efficient collaboration between HW Culp and Samuel personnel, the transition to the new Samuel machine was flawless. Installation date was January 1, 2014, and HW Culp is pleased with the performance of the Samuel equipment. “Everybody involved including the startup team, engineering team, sales team, and everyone in the office that we dealt with performed to a level beyond my expectations,” Richbourg says. “We started up a new Samuel lumber strapping system in January and we couldn’t be more pleased with the equipment.” Richbourg says the new equipment runs quicker and with less interruption and maintenance than he expected. Samuel Strapping Systems is one of Canada’s leading suppliers of industrial packaging supplies and solutions. Its products cover multiple industries, including the forestry, metals, container and print, and feature a full range of packaging solutions such as strapping, stretch wrapping, coding and labeling, and baling. Visit samuelstrapping.com
rate knot sizing by scanning each board end and providing data to the THG, which determines pith location relative to the board. ● Full 4-face scanning with 2 rows of sensors. BioLuma sensors are positioned off-axis to scan two faces of the board simultaneously. The system achieves full four-face scanning with just two rows of sensors, making it easier to calibrate and maintain. ● LED illumination. LED is a long-functioning light source that is clean, stable, and easy-to-maintain. THG has four LED light bars ensuring even coverage over each board face. LEDs don’t degrade over time and run cool for reduced fire hazard. ● Flat transport. THG’s short, level transport accommodates the highest piece rates. It can be dropped into most existing mill flows for minimal downtime. ● Grade Projector. Mounted above the flow, it projects the grade determined by the optimizer directly onto each board, tracking that projection with the board as it passes by a check grader. Boards aren’t marked at all, so freshly planed lumber remains clean and bright. ● WinTally integration. Integrating THG with WinTally sorter management offers a wide variety of lumber processing, sorting, and packaging options not available in other solutions. Visit USNR.com.
THG Provides Greater Value
Fiber Oriented Module Helps Grading
USNR reveals its Transverse High Grader (THG).
USNR’s grading systems are backed by more than 20 years of scanning lumber for grade. The Transverse High Grader (THG) is its newest system using the same technologies and software algorithms as USNR’s family of automated grading systems—for green lumber in the sawmill, dry lumber in the planer mill, and chop and rip applications in secondary wood processing operations. THG offers the same high value/recovery performance proven the world over in USNR’s LHG. THG features: ● DataFusion. All the scan data—laser profiles, color vision, and GrainMap laser mapping—is correlated and verified for accuracy and reliability. Without this data collaboration, knot classification is far less reliable. ● BioLuma 2900LVG+ sensors. THG uses BioLuma sensors that integrate GrainMap, XHD color vision, and HD laser profiles, delivering the highest resolution and fastest sampling rate of any transverse sensor today. ● End grain scanner. End grain scanning ensures more accu28
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VAB Solutions Inc. has continued to innovate by placing the R&D in the center of its business strategy. Since its creation 10 years ago, the company has invested more than $3.5 million in R&D in order to mainVAB Solutions fiber oriented module tain its leading position in the industry for its flagship product, the Planer Mill Lineal Grading Optimizer. VAB Solutions recently unveiled to its business partners a new fiber oriented module that allows the detection and accurate grading of knots, grain distortion and wood compression. This new and unique high precision grading optimizer locates precisely the pith and knot placement in SYP & SPF. With 24 grader-optimizers sold, VAB Solutions has established a solid reputation for its performance, precision, competitive acquisition cost and low maintenance. “It is the only system available in the industry that requires no calibration,” the company states. High definition data processing cameras allow high precision while reducing the need to only four computers. This gives the customer a much simpler system, and easier to maintain. Combined with 24/7 service, VAB Solutions offers a significant reduction in acquisition and operating costs. Visit vab-solutions.com.
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REAL
WORKHORSE By DK Knight
The Loggers Dream enhanced skidding, loading and accessibility.
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he Loggers Dream, a restored example of which sat at the entrance to this year’s Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show in Starkville, Miss., was a signature Mississippi product, earning a prominent place in the post-World War II mechanization of the logging industry, particularly in the South. Some old-timers contend “the Dream” revolutionized Southern logging in the mid 20th century, saying it deserves to be ranked alongside or ahead of lighter weight and more reliable chain saws as the period’s leading pivotal tools. In a broader perspective, the Loggers Dream represented a brief but significant return to a scaled down version of cable logging, which was linked to railroads and many primary watercourses for
decades and was dominated by steampowered skidding or loading behemoths made by Lidgerwood, McGiffert, American, Decker, and Clyde Machine Works. Roots of the Loggers Dream can be traced to 1937, some 10 years after W.A. (Alec) Taylor, Sr. founded a small automotive and repair business in Louisville, just a few miles down the road from Starkville, known initially as Taylor’s Machine Works. According to company historical documents, at the request of local sawmiller Henry Cornish, Taylor pulled together some used components— including a Ford truck differential and a flathead V8 engine—and with input from Cornish fashioned a cable-based log skidding apparatus in a mere 26 days. The story goes that Cornish put it to work straightaway and quickly increased production while lowering costs. His mules were soon spending the night in someone else’s corral.
EARLY YEARS
skidded. One of the first, if not the first, advertisements for the Loggers Dream appeared in the December 15, 1942 issue of Southern Lumberman. By the time Taylor relocated his expanding business to its present location in Louisville, in July 1946, the Loggers Dream was the company’s primary product. Early models typically featured a single drum and a welded-pipe A-frame boom that was mounted on the bed of a truck, typically in the 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 ton class. For stability, cables tied the boom to a steel support connected to the front truck frame. The boom could be lowered when highway travel was called for or when the rig needed to be moved to another location on the job. The operator, seated just behind the cab, controlled the drum with levers and also controlled the engine/PTO throttle. A set of tongs was fixed to the 5/8 in. mainline (300 ft. was standard but the drum could accommodate up to 800 ft.).
The word got out, and Taylor busied himself making skidders for other customers. In the early ’40s he modified the machine so that it could also load the logs it
The Taylor Loggers Dream restoration team, from left: Greg Sisson, Norvill Manning, Danny Richardson, Dewey Sanders, Hunter Hudson, Larry Loyd, Jerry Smith. The team spent many weeks restoring the rusted relic (inset). 30
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When used as a skidder, a worker riding on a mule or horse often carried the tongs to the felled timber. A rehaul line was offered as an option. Loading was a three-man affair: the machine operator, a tong setter on the ground and another on board the highway truck to unhook the tongs and to help position the logs. His job was by far the most dangerous. In cases where the tong setter also unhooked the tongs, he often “rode the log” as it was hoisted upward, unhooked the log, then climbed down the truck cab to the ground to go another round. A trade magazine ad published in 1948 claimed that a singleaxle truck could be loaded in “10 minutes or less.” Relatively fast, efficient and productive, and certainly economical—a standard model could be had for not much more than a thousand bucks in the late ’40s—the Loggers Dream was the right machine at the right time. In the post-war economy, the demand for building and paper products was ramping up. The development of faster and more dependable chain saws, combined with the growing use of trucks in the woods, called for greater mechanization of skidding and
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sage, or slogan, was painted on each door: “Gets Them Where They Grow—From Stump To Bolster.” riginally purchased by Starkville logger Taylor’s ads claimed the machine J.D. Massey around 1948, the Loggers could “skid, bunch and load logs Dream was contributed by Massey’s son, Paul, weighing over 20,000 to the Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show in pounds…gathered logs from a radius 2005. Taylor Machine Works retrieved the of 1200 feet…and loaded them highMassey-owned Loggers Dream earlier this er, safer and faster.” Some users reyear and completely restored it at its expansive lied on guy cables to help stabilize facility, located only 24 miles south of the the truck and to help keep it from show site. Several men worked untold hours tipping over, particularly when hanon the project, according to Greg Sisson. Taydling large logs. lor Plant Manager. In the 1945-1948 period Taylor TP stepped up its advertising program, often listing the names of some of its loading phases. customers. An ad that appeared in mid The Loggers Dream was tough, reli1945 included these companies and indiable, versatile, simple to operate and viduals: A.W. Belcher Lbr. Co., Chicago fairly easy to put up and take down. Mills Lbr. Co., Dixie Veneer Co., Gulf Among other benefits, the machine enLbr. Co., Beaumont Veneer Co., abled loggers to access timber in bottoms Tuscaloosa Veneer Co., McKnight Veor on steep ridges that had been passed neer Co., E.L. Bruce Co., Tremont Lbr. over in previous logging attempts. Co., J.M. Jones Lbr. Co., W.P. Brown If not early on, Taylor and/or his Lbr. Co., Allen Cooperage Co., salesmen eventually took the road to Goodyear Yellow Pine Co., Columbus show loggers and sawmill owners what Lbr. Co., Ingram Day Lbr. Co., Carr Lbr. the machine could do. Photos from com- Co., Vredenburgh Saw Mill Co., The pany archives depict a GMC truck with Mendal Co., Howe Lbr. Co., J.W. Wells ‘Taylor’s Machine Works, Louisville, Lbr. Co., Paducah Sawmill & Logging Miss. “ painted on the hood. This mesCo., D.L. Fair Lbr. Co., Lemieux Lbr. &
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WHO NAMED IT? ow did Alec Taylor ‘s skidder-loader come to be known as the Loggers Dream? HIt seems that Joe Watkins, the well-known and now de-
ceased logging engineer for Georgia-Pacific, asked Taylor that very question way back when. That account appears in the book Tracks In The Forest, published by Timberjack Group Oy in 1997. Watkins recalled that Taylor recalled that he and others from the company were out on a demonstration run through Mississippi when they came across a farmer who was pulling trees out of a deep hollow, using a pair of mules, a block and cable to slowly get the job done. Taylor asked the man if he’d like for him to extract the logs with the machine he had at the ready. The man gave Taylor the go ahead. “I told him I’d pull those logs out in a few minutes,” Taylor recalled. “The old farmer just looked at me, shook his head, and said, ‘man, that’s a logger’s dream.’” TP
Log Co., Builders Supply Co., W.W. Caruth, Millard Wingate, Vestal Lbr. Co., Nichols Veneer Co., George Griffith Stave Co., and Foster Lbr Co. Taylor gradually refined his product and offered more models, some with a double drum setup, additional rehaul and mainline cable, and auxiliary power. It also offered the Dream “purchased complete on the truck chassis of your choice.” It’s worth noting that some purchasers had them mounted on trucks that had no doors, or no cabs whatsoever. Some of the larger versions that evolved in the late ’50s were mounted on military surplus half-track trucks. Some Dreams were mounted on barges and used in deep swamp operations. By late 1957, the time Taylor was winding down production of the Loggers Dream, it offered seven models, all more sophisticated and safer to operate (more stable and more guarding over open sprockets and gears). Models were advertised as Junior, B, BR, L, LR LR-0 and LR-W. At this time the standard Junior model sold for just over $2,000; the LR-W model for just under $7,000. Options included an operator’s canopy, booms up to 28 ft. long (22 ft. was standard), and a factory installed LP gas engine. In the early to mid ’50s Taylor modified the Loggers Dream by adding cable slings so it could handle bundles of pulpwood and thus branded this offshoot product the Pulpwood Dream. Although not likely as popular as its forerunner, the Pulpwood Dream was used widely at Southern pulpwood concentration yards to move bundles of shortwood from trucks to rail cars. No one seems to know exactly how many Loggers Dreams Taylor manufactured, but according to brochures stored in Taylor archives, it produced at least 2,000, sending them throughout the U.S., Canada and several tropical countries. Eventually, the Loggers Dream ran its course. On the skidding side, they gave way to crawlers, specially equipped farm tractors, and eventually to articulated, four-wheel-drive skidders. On the loading side they yielded to more sophisticated cable loaders, and ultimately, to the even more sophisticated hydraulic knuckleboom loaders that were developed in the Lake States. The revival of cable logging was relatively brief but very significant, and the Loggers Dream made a great contribution to the advancement of logging mechanization. TP This article appeared previously in the program for the MidSouth Forestry Equipment Show, which was held September 19-20 in Starkville, Miss. 34
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MACHINERYROW HewSaw’s Endurance Shows Up In 2014 HewSaw is celebrating two major milestones this year. In addition to the 50th anniversary of HewSaw’s parent company in Finland, 2014 also marks 20 years since HewSaw Machines was formed to serve the North American market.
HewSaw is a worldwide leader in the manufacturing of primary breakdown lines. HewSaw’s largest line is the SL250, which can handle logs of up to 21.5 in. in diameter. Running at speeds exceeding 500 FPM, the SL250 can be configured to include a chipper-canter, cant saw, ripsaw, cross saw and optimized edging capabilities. HewSaw recently installed an SL250 3.4 line at Idaho Forest Group’s Lewiston mill and has recently installed similar lines in Australia, Scotland, Russia and two in Finland. In addition to the SL products, HewSaw continues to manufacture its R Series single pass machines. Available in two sizes for maximum diameter logs of 20 in., the HewSaw single pass machines are known in the industry as a workhorse that can exceed speeds of 650 FPM. More than 400 HewSaws have been installed in almost 30 countries, including more than 70 installations in Canada and the U.S.
HewSaw is celebrating two anniveraries.
PHL Taps McCarty As Sales Manager Peter McCarty is the new Sales Manager for PHL Inc., a subsidiary of Comact & BID Group. McCarty brings 20 years of experience in the sawmilling industry. He started as a machine designer, has installed and started up machinery, worked in a sawmill maintenance department, been a sales representative and a sales manager before joining the PHL Comact BID Group team. PHL has been fabricating machinery for the hardwood and softwood sawmill industries since 1975, specializing in trimmer-sorter systems for both green ends and planer mills, optimized board and gang edgers, resaw systems and primary breakdown lines.
Floor Manufacturer Goes With WoodEye The American floor manufacturer Robbins Sports Surfaces from Ohio has ordered a WoodEye 5. Robbins is a leading manufacturer of sports surfaces with a main focus on basketball courts. A majority of the teams in NBA play on courts made by Robbins Sports Surfaces. The company has delivered sports flooring to more than 65 countries. “That such a big international player as Robbins Sports Surfaces ➤ 51 38
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ATLARGE Pellets Mills Bound For Arkansas Arkansas is the host state for two wood pellet plant projects recently announced for Pine Bluff and Monticello. A company led by a private investor and two veterans of wood pellet production plans to build a $130 million, 500,000 metric ton per year wood pellet facility in Pine Bluff.
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Highland Pellets is a privately held company that plans to export its production into the United Kingdom industrial utilities markets. “While this plant is the first built under the Highland brand, our colleagues Mike Ferguson and Scott Jacobs bring decades of industry leading experience in the engineering and operating of industrial wood pellet plants,” Highland Pellets Chairman Tom Reilley says. “To-
gether with Highland’s leadership team who are veterans of Cargill, Black River, JP Morgan and EnerNOC, we are excited to complete our Pine Bluff facility and expand our footprint.” Jacobs, who is director, business development, and Ferguson, director, engineering and operations, previously worked with Ozark Hardwood Products in Seymour, Mo., and also operate a construction company specializing in wood pellets, AgriRecycle, Inc. Jacobs is a former president of Pellet Fuels Institute. Highland Pellets states it is working with first class industry partners including a leading forestry company to provide sustainable fiber feedstock and Cooper/Consolidated for the management of the logistics supply chain for export. Groundbreaking is expected to commence in October and deliveries from the plant to begin March 2016. Highland’s web site states: “Starting with our first pellet facility at Pine Bluff, we are establishing a supply chain portfolio of several geographically dispersed wood pellet facilities which provide sustainable, high quality, and consistent pellets, tailored to the specific requirements of our end customers.” The Pine Bluff project is expected to create 35 direct jobs, impact another 482 indirect jobs and generate a direct financial impact of $86 million annually for the area. Pellets will be taken from the facility to the Port of Pine Bluff, down the Mississippi to the Gulf, and then shipped to Europe. Highland Pellets Chairman Reilley started his career in financial services and was a senior managing director at Bear Stearns from 1997 to 2007. Marshall Chapin is the chief operating officer ● Zilkha Biomass Energy announced it is building a facility in Monticello to manufacture Zilkha’s “Black” pellet, the first commercially available “advanced pellet” in the biomass industry, according to the company. Zilkha plans to invest $90 million in the facility and create 52 jobs. “Power companies across the globe are looking for renewable energy alternatives and biomass wood pellets stand as one of the most practical and cost-effective solutions,” says Jack Holmes, CEO of Zilkha Biomass Energy. “This plant in Monticello will be one of Zilkha’s largest and will help us capture more of the growing biomass energy market. Our Black pellets have a set of beneficial qualities, such as water-resistance, ➤ 53
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PRODUCTSCANNER10 Scan Heads JoeScan, Inc., a leading manufacturer of 3-D laser scan heads for sawmills and other wood products applications, continues to make scanning more accurate and reliable with the evolution of its products. JoeScan’s latest innovation, the JS-25 X-Series, offers a significantly increased maximum scan rate. The JS-25 X-Series captures up to 850 profiles per
second, which more than triples the scan rate of most previous models. “The faster laser exposure results in higher accuracy, especially when scanning moving objects,” explains Fabian Hohmuth, senior software engineer at JoeScan. The JS-25 X-Series includes six different models—standard and extendedrange, wide-angle, and two- or threelaser configurations—that provide versatility in sawmill scanning solutions. The JS-25 X-Series scan heads are backward compatible the JS-20; they can serve as drop-in replacements in systems that already use JS-20 scan heads. Most importantly, the JS-25 X-Series complies with JoeScan’s stringent quality standards. “The JS-25 X-Series delivers a significantly faster scan rate while providing customers with the simplicity and reliability they have come to expect from JoeScan,” says Joey Nelson, president and founder of JoeScan. “Quality remains at the forefront of JoeScan’s 4918 technology.” Visit joescan.com.
Transverse Scanning
Autolog’s transverse optimization family (trimmer, cant and edger systems) is supplied with ¼" scan density, 3000 scan/min Hermary sensors. These scanning heads are mounted on heavy duty slotted brackets which can be moved in order to clear the chains from being detected. In 2009, Autolog introduced an innovative idea which consisted of slanting the sensors at an angle to increase board edge detection. Slanted heads offer many advantages: detection of steep edge wane; better width accuracy; slanted heads stay clear from debris and dust; no need for air cleaning system. The first system with slanted heads was installed on a trimmer optimizer in Maine, and since then every new system sold has been supplied with slanted heads. The same technology applies to 42
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PRODUCTSCANNER10 edger and cant optimizers, the only difference being that the angle of the scanning heads is different for each system. Autolog also offers its newly designed user interface with: Windows 7 - 64 bits; HD screen resolution; independent user account and custom personal configuration; configurable users’ read/write access for each screen; archive and save parameters manually and automatically; alarms center; advanced board solution analysis; swap language; swap measuring unit; real-time production curve; real-time product distribution. Visit autolog.com 8644
Drum Chipper
The Brunette drum chipper is an industry leader in producing consistent, quality chips from short material that is difficult to control, including trim blocks, lily pads, veneer, cores and overs. Key features include the adjustable chip length, which provides mill operators with the flexibility to choose their desired chip length, and the Brunette quick change knife system, which allows for fast and easy knife changes that can be done by one person. The Brunette drum chipper is built with a wide throat for maximum throughput, with full-width knives to maintain even wear and longer life. Electrical safety interlocks connected to the access hood, anvil and rotor ensure a safe working environment, with the anvil designed to “swing-away” in the event of metal contamination. The drum chipper is available in various sizes, in both drop-feed and horizontal configurations, and with an optional 44
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PRODUCTSCANNER10 infeed chute to ensure a proper transition for material entering the drum from a vibrating or belt conveyor. Visit brunette mc.com. 1903
Material Handler
Terex Fuchs E Series material handlers now feature standard Eco Mode operation that provides substantial fuel savings. Conveniently located on the machine’s new multifunction button control panel, operators can select either a Power Mode, Eco Mode or Eco+ Mode operat-
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ing setting, allowing machine power output to match the application. “The Terex Fuchs E Series handlers are designed to be fuel efficient, even at 100% engine speed,” says Heavy Equipment Product Manager —Material Handlers—for Terex Construction Americas, Steve Brezinski. “However, tasks like cleaning the yard and sorting material do not require 100% power demand from the engine, and our exclusive Eco Mode settings allow the operator to take advantage of these additional fuel savings opportunities.” Featuring a three-stage engine speed operation, the E Series material handler can be set to Power Mode, providing the operator with optimal power and speed for heavy-duty applications such as feeding the shredder, loading/unloading trailers and rail cars, or magnet operation. When encountering less demanding, medium-duty tasks, the operator can simply press the Eco Mode button, which lowers engine RPM by up to 12%, depending on the model, and caps engine horsepower at
90%. This delivers up to 27% fuel savings over 100% power, while still offering high lifting and slewing rates. When the material handler is performing low demand tasks such as sorting, the operator can choose to switch the machine to Eco+ Mode to reduce engine RPM by up to 19%, using 80% of full engine horsepower. This setting is designed to optimize fuel consumption, offering up to 36% fuel savings. The exclusive Eco Mode operation is being rolled out as standard on all new Terex Fuchs E Series material handlers. This initially includes the MHL340, MHL350 and MHL360 models and will be expanded to other models within the Terex Fuchs line as they switch over to E Series production. Visit terex.com/con1246 struction.
Inspection System LMI Technologies (LMI), a leading developer of 3D scanning and inspection technologies, launched its Gocator 4.0 firmware. The firmware supports the Gocator 3D Smart Sensor product line includ-
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PRODUCTSCANNER10 ing displacement, profile and snapshot sensors. The latest Gocator 4.0 firmware is a complete redesign of the web browser user interface experience that improves the efficiency of the inspection process. “Driven by market feedback, Gocator 4.0 firmware has an improved workflow and layout that aligns with common industry practices,” says Chi Ho Ng, Product Group Manager. “Measurement tools are intuitively regrouped by categories for quick setup. Its modern yet sophisticated graphical user interface delivers simpler setup of measurement tools while maintaining advanced capabilities and control. Major developments to Gocator 4.0 include: part edge filtering improves measurement accuracy; greater ability to handle part variations with flexible anchoring; surface generation offers flexibility with various setup options; improvements to SDK simplify software programing; compact protocol delivers faster processing speed. Gocator 4.0 is available as a free download. The firmware files, release notes, SDK files, and user manual can be downloaded at www.lmi3d.com/support/downloads/. Customers can also directly download the firmware in the Go3305 cator interface. Visit lmi3d.com.
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Call Toll-Free: 1-800-669-5613
LUMBERWORKS ■ LUMBERWORKS GREENWOOD KILN STICKS Importers and Distributors of Tropical Hardwood Kiln Sticks 127
“The lowest cost per cycle” GW Industries www.gwi.us.com
Dennis Krueger 866-771-5040
Jackie Paolo 866-504-9095
d.krueger11@frontier.net
jackie@gwi.us.com
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
4824
PROFESSIONALSERVICES
Recruiting Services Executive – Managerial – Technical - Sales
JOHN GANDEE
& ASSOCIATES, INC Contingency or Retainer Depending on Circumstances / Needs
9237
1248
“Your Success Is Our Business”
Visit us online:
www.timberprocessing.com
Serving the Wood Products and Building Materials Industries For more than 21 years.
Toll Free 1-800-536-3884 www.johngandee.com
WORN OR MISALIGNED CARRIAGE RAILS? A Proven Process
Contact Us Office 541.745.6420 Cell 541.760.7173 Fax 541.745.6820 www.acculine-rails.com george@acculine-rails.com
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• Rails straightened & ground in-place at a fraction of the cost of rail replacement • No down time for the mill • Restores carriage rails to optimum sawing efficiency •Precision Laser Alignment • Machining and Grinding • Carriage and Bandmill Alignment 489
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Austin, Texas
3220
Top Wood Jobs Recruiting and Staffing George Meek geo@TopWoodJobs.com www.TopWoodJobs.com (541) 954-8456
3779
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Call Toll-Free: 1-800-669-5613
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES
Fees paid by employer
8187
FOREST PRODUCTS RECRUITING SINCE 1978
The Jobs You Want — The People You Need WWW.SEARCHNA.COM
CONTACT CARL JANSEN AT 541-593-2777 OR Carlj@SearchNA.com
Specializing in confidential career opportunities in the Forest Products industry 2200
SEARCH NORTH AMERICA, INC. IT'S YOUR MOVE...
1615
Michael Strickland & Associates, LLC Executive Recruiters Wood Products/Building Materials Industries Mike Strickland mike@woodproductjobs.com 601-529-2157 • www.woodproductjobs.com
Management Recruiters of Houston Northeast
Gates Copeland 281-359-7940 • fax 866-253-7032
gcopeland@mrihouston.com • www.mrihouston.com
MACHINERYROW 51 ➤ choose to go with the WoodEye 5 is of course great news for us. It shows, again, that when it comes to precision and efficiency are we a company to count on,” says Jonas Eklind, CEO and President of Innovativ Vision. “We will continue to work with our X-Ray and that is a system we have great confidence in.” ● The Swedish flooring manufacturer Kährs invested in a WoodEye 5 X-Ray for cross cut this spring. The installation has gone as planned and the system is now in full industrial use. Its main job will be to cut raw materials from Kähr sawmill for parquet flooring.
Austria Firm Upgrading Second Log Yard Following an initial upgrade during the winter 2013, Holzindustrie Maresch in Retz, Austria has commissioned Springer with the improvement of a second log yard. The project includes the installation of a new long timber cutting station and the modernization of a convergence area for the two log lines after the debarking unit. The butt-end reducer will also be replaced in the bypass area and a new short timber feed unit, featuring Springer’s screw technology system, will be added. These measures will enable Holzindustrie Maresch to sustainably increase the productivity of its plants and to reinforce its position as Austria’s leading timber manufacturer.
Ligna Will Host Industry Summit LIGNA, the trade fair for forestry and wood industries, which runs May 11-15,
2015, will offer a Wood Industry Summit. Organized by Deutsche Messe in partnership with the German Forestry Council (KWF), the new Wood Industry Summit will comprise an exhibition area, a matchmaking platform and a forum, making it a powerful hub for international lead generation and dialogue. It will be staged on about 2,000 sq. ft. of display area in Hall 13. In the exhibition area, companies and institutions from the forestry technology, sawmill technology, wood panel products and veneer production, wood energy, solid woodworking and pulp and paper industries will showcase their latest technology offerings in the immediate vicinity of international group pavilions run by key players from selected timber-rich target market regions, such as Russia, China and North and South America. The matchmaking platform will feature institutions and delegations of highranking government and business representatives, who will outline market access opportunities and regional wood industry projects in their countries. The third component, the forum, is for key international representatives of industry, science and government. The aim of the forum is to present new solutions and to discuss industry trends and issues.
Compagna To Lead VAB Sales In U.S. VAB Solutions Inc. has appointed Pierre Compagna as Sales Manager for the U.S. market. With his vast experience in the lumber industry, Compagna will contribute his wealth of knowledge and in-depth experience in project man-
agement and tailored solutions to VAB business partners. “It is with pride and excitement that I join the VAB team with whom I have worked in the past and that I have watched grow over the last 10 years,” Compagna says. “The innovation and ‘can do’ attitude that VAB Solutions demonstrates, combined with outstanding customer service, has ensured customer satisfaction in Canada. We will now share this success with our future U.S. partners.’
Vermeer Announces Succession Plan As part of its family succession planning process, Vermeer Corp. announced that third-generation family member, Jason Andringa, will serve as the company’s next President & CEO effective November 1, 2015. Currently he is assuming the role of President & Chief Operating Officer for one year, when he will transition to the role of President & CEO. He currently serves as president of Forage and Environmental Solutions. “Gary Vermeer, my grandfather and Vermeer founder, was very influential for me personally and professionally,” Andringa says. “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead Vermeer as a family-owned and operated global company into a prosperous future.” Mary Andringa, current President & CEO, will assume the role of CEO & Chair of the Board November 1, 2014. She will transition exclusively to Chair of the Board on November 1, 2015. Bob Vermeer, current Chairman of the Board, will assume the role of Chair Emeritus.
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WOOD PRODUCTS marketplace NORTH AMERICA ■ United States
■ Kentucky HAROLD WHITE LUMBER, INC. MANUFACTURER OF FINE APPALACHIAN HARDWOODS
(606) 784-7573 • Fax: (606) 784-2624
■ Florida
Ray White
CRACKER SAWMILL
CYPRESS AND SYP Sawmill, Drying and MillIng facility Custom Cut to Order Lumber, Cants, Specialty Beams to 44’ We will Mill Log Home logs S4S 6”x6” thru 8”x12” T&G Your wood or ours WE DO WHAT OTHERS CANNOT 20253 N.E. 20th Street Williston, Fl 32690 www.Crackersawmill.com Info@Crackersawmill.com
Domestic & Export Sales rwhite@haroldwhitelumber.com
Green & Kiln Dried, On-Site Export Prep & Loading Complete millworks facility, molding, milling & fingerjoint line
■ Minnesota
(352) 529-2070
■ Georgia Beasley Forest Products, Inc.
Buyers & Wholesalers We produce quality 4/4 - 8/4 Appalachian hardwoods • Red Oak, White Oak, Poplar •
Green Lumber: Air Dried, Kiln Dried Timbers & Crossties • Hickory, Sycamore, Beech, Gum & Elm • Custom Cut Timbers: Long lengths and wide widths
Sales/Service: 336-746-5419
336-746-6177 (Fax) • www.kepleyfrank.com
Do you produce or buy lumber? Here's your #1 source for effectively promoting your hardwood or softwood service to your top prospective buyers.
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
■ Indiana
Next closing: January 5, 2015
■ North Carolina Cook Brothers Lumber Co., Inc.
Manufacturer of Appalachian Hardwood Lumber LEONARD COOK, Sales (828) 524-4857 • cell: (828) 342-0997 residential: (828) 369-7740 P.O. Box 699 • Frankin, NC 28744
WANT TO GET YOUR AD IN OUR NEXT MARKETPLACE? Call or email Melissa McKenzie 334-834-1170 melissa@hattonbrown.com by January 5, 2015
NATIONAL HARDWOOD LUMBER ASSOCIATION
08/14
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wood products marketplace ■ Pennsylvania
■ Tennessee
MERIDIEN HARDWOODS OF PA, INC.
P.O. Box 227 ● Pittsfield, PA 16340 www.meridienpa.com
Export and Yard Quality Hardwood Green, KD, S2S, SLR Custom Walnut Steaming Available
Ph: 800-780-3187 Fax: 800-292-5773 Dan Ferman – meridien@penn.com Brandon Ferman – brandonferman@hotmail.com Rob Allard – 802-380-4694; rallard@hughes.net Mike Songer – 814-486-1711; mjs@zitomedia.net
■ Virginia
STACKING STICKS
Producing Quality Southern Yellow Pine Since 1939
FOR SALE
AIR-O-FLOW profiled & FLAT sticks available Imported & Domestic DHM Company - Troy, TN 38260 731-538-2722 Fax: 707-982-7689 email: kelvin@kilnsticks.com www.KILNSTICKS.com
P.O. BOX 25 • 628 Jeb Stuart Highway Red Oak, VA 23964 Tel: 434-735-8151 • Fax: 434-735-8152 E-mail Sales: john@morganlumber.com Website: www.morganlumber.com
Product Mix: ALL KD, HT STAMPED 1x4 D&BETTER, 1x6 D&BETTER, 1x4 #2, 1x6 #2, 1x4 #3/#4, 1x6 #3/#4, 5/4x4 PREMIUM, 5/4x4 STANDARD, 5/4x4 #2/#3/#4, 5/4x6 PREMIUM, 5/4x6 STANDARD, 5/4x6 #2/#3/#4, 6x6 #2&BETTER, 6x6 #3/#4
Do you produce or buy lumber? Here's your #1 source for effectively promoting your hardwood or softwood service to your top prospective buyers.
WANT TO GET YOUR AD IN OUR NEXT MARKETPLACE? Call or email Melissa McKenzie • 334-834-1170 or email: melissa@hattonbrown.com before January 5, 2015 08/14
ATLARGE 40 ➤ that make it a more attractive option than traditional wood pellets.” Zilkha Black pellets can be easily integrated into coal-fired plants to create cleaner emissions, allowing plants to more easily comply with clean air regulations, and energy companies to build fewer new power plants, Zilkha claims. The pellets are water resistant, which allows them to be transported and stored outside like coal. Zilkha Biomass Energy LLC is headquartered in Houston. Its web site reports that another Zilkha plant, Zilkha Biomass Selma (ZBS), will be commissioned to produce Zilkha Black Pellets in Selma, Ala. this year. This plant will have production capacity of 275,000 metric tons of pellets per year. The plant is at the site of the former Dixie Pellets plant, which Zilkha is retrofitting with ZBE.
PFI Expands Fuels Outreach Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) is changing its long-standing relationship with the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Assn. (HPBA) in order to better provide the level of services required by its diversifying membership. PFI association was previously managed by HPBA under a long-term
agreement that included member reciprocity. Though PFI will now operate independently, the two organizations look forward to continuing to collaborate in areas of mutual interest and benefit. “We are excited at the possibilities for growing our programs independently, which will enable us to better serve the densified biomass industry in the United States and Canada,” says Jennifer Hedrick, Executive Director of Pellet Fuels Institute. “We appreciate the leadership of our Board and support of our members as we make this transition.” PFI has made significant changes to its bylaws to expand its membership base. The relationship change with HPBA will enable the association to pursue new goals in this area. “The new arrangement will give us greater flexibility to address our members’ needs as we work to expand the scope of the organization,” says Darryl Rose, newly elected Chairman of the Pellet Fuels Institute. “As an industry we are well-positioned to capitalize on future business opportunities that stretch beyond the residential heating market.” PFI’s leadership announced these changes to attendees at the association’s annual conference and membership meeting held in Orlando, Fla. PFI’s
headquarters will remain in Arlington, Va., allowing for convenient access to Capitol Hill.
Feds Increases Montana Holdings U.S. Forest Service Northern Region announced the acquisition of 26,700 acres in western Montana that will integrate private holdings into the surrounding national forests to better conserve wildlife and support public access. The $26 million acquisition, along with an 11,600 acre acquisition completed last year, is one of the first projects implementing the Collaborative Land Protection appropriations of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a new approach initiated by the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture. The purchase lies within the Flathead and Lolo national forests and is part of the 18 million acre Crown of the Continent, which is a key intersection connecting vital habitats across western Montana. The purchased acreage was part of the Montana Legacy Project, composed of 310,586 acres obtained by The Nature Conservancy from Plum Creek Timberlands L.P., which is being transferred into surrounding public and private ownership. TIMBER PROCESSING
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MAINEVENTS OCTOBER
FEBRUARY 2015
1-3—North Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Grandover Resort & Conference Ctr., Greensboro, NC. Call 919-834-3943; visit ncforestry.org.
25-March 1—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers annual meeting, Hyatt Coconut Point, Bonita Springs, Fla. Call 336885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org.
8-10—National Hardwood Lumber Assn. annual meeting, Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa, Las Vegas, Nev. Call 901-377-1818; visit nhla.com. 12-14—Oregon Forest Industries Council annual meeting, Sunriver Resort, Sunriver, Ore. Call 503-371-2942; visit ofic.com. 13-14—26th WMI Workshop on Design, Operation and Maintenance of Saws and Knives, Holiday Inn Portland Airport, Portland, Ore. E-mail szymani@woodmachining.com; visit woodmachining.com. 15-17—Timber Processing & Energy Expo, Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, Portland, Ore. Visit timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com. 15-17—Railway Tie Assn. annual meeting, Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Orlando, Fla. Call 770-460-5553; visit rta.org. 16-18—Tekhnodrev Siberia Industry Fair, Novosibirsk Expo Centre, Novosibirsk, Russia. Call 511-893-1602; visit tdsiberia.ru/en. 18-19—Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. annual meeting, Red Jacket Mountain View Resort & the North Conway Country Club, North Conway, NH. Call 207-829-6901; visit nelma.org. 20-23—Lesdrevmash 2014, 15th International Exhibition for Machinery, Equipment, Fittings, Tools and Instruments for the Woodworking, Furniture, Timber, Pulp and Paper Industries, Expocentre Fairgrounds, Moscow, Russia. Visit lesdrevmash-expo.com. 21-23—Texas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Pitser Garrison Convention Ctr., Lufkin. Tex. Call 936-632-8733; visit texasforestry.org. 22-24—Mississippi Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Golden Nugget, Biloxi, Miss. Call 601-354-4936; visit msforestry.net.
NOVEMBER 6-7—Mid America Lumbermens Assn. annual meeting, Kansas City, Mo. Call 800-747-6529; visit themla.com. 7—American Lumber Standard Committee annual meeting, Scottsdale, Ariz. Call 301-972-1700; visit alsc.org. 54
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6-7—Southern Forest Products Assn. annual meeting, Charleston, SC. Call 504-443-4464; visit sfpa.org.
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3-5—Ohio Forestry Assn. Paul Bunyan Show, Guernsey Co. Fairgrounds, Cambridge, Ohio. Call 614-497-9580; visit ohioforest.org.
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