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■ table of contents
www.woodbioenergymag.com
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FROM THE EDITORS From Survive To Thrive
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IN-WOODS OPERATION Sees Biomass As Big Win
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IN THE NEWS SPI Gets Seneca Power Plant
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PRODUCT NEWS Astec Consolidates Branding
14 CURRAN RENEWABLE ENERGY Loggers Make Bagged Pellets 18 FIRE PREVENTION Critical Special Section
Cover Photography: In spite of everything, without hesitation, New York’s Curran family would diversify their logging operation into biomass all over again. (Jessica Johnson photo)
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Wood Bioenergy / October 2021
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table of contents ■
advertising index Advertiser Index is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.
Baker Rullman Manufacturing
27
920.261.8107
Biomass Engineering & Equipment
3
317.522.0864
BM&M Screening Solutions
28
800.663.0323
Clarke’s Industrial Sheet Metal
29
541.343.3395
Curran Renewable Energy
29
315.769.2000
CV Technology
11
561.694.9588
Evergreen Engineering
30
888.484.4771
Fagus GreCon
29
704.912.0000
Flamex
9
336.299.2933
FMW North America
24
706.829.3337
Mailing Address ■ P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Tel: 334.834.1170 ■ Fax: 334.834-4525
IEP Technologies - Hoerbiger
26
855.793.8407
Metal Detectors
12
541.345.7454
Publisher/Adv. Sales Manager ■ David H. Ramsey Chief Operating Officer ■ Dianne C. Sullivan
Mid-South Engineering
27
501.321.2276
MoistTech
28
941.727.1800
Morbark
32
800.831.0042
Schaeffer Oil
2
800.325.9962
SonicAire
31
336.712.2437
Stela Laxhuber GmbH
13
+49 8724 899 0
Timber Products Inspections
26
770.922.8000
Vermeer Manufacturing
17
641.628.3141
Volume 13
Number 5
22 Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. Street Address ■ 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317
Editor-in-Chief ■ Rich Donnell Managing Editor ■ Jessica Johnson Senior Editor ■ Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor ■ David Abbott Associate Editor ■ Patrick Dunning Publisher/Editor Emeritus ■ David (DK) Knight Art Director/Production Manager ■ Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coordinator ■ Patti Campbell Circulation Director ■ Rhonda Thomas Online Content/Marketing ■ Jacqlyn Kirkland Advertising Sales North American Sales Representative Susan Windham ■ P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery AL 36102-2268 334.834.1170 ■ Fax: 334.834.4525 E-mail: windham.susan4@gmail.com International Sales Murray Brett ■ 58 Aldea De Las Cuevas, Buzon 60 Benedoleig 03759, (Alicante) Espana +34 96 640 4165 ■ Fax: +34 96 640 4048 E-mail: murray.brett.aba@abasol.net Classified Advertising Sales Bridget DeVane ■ Tel: 334.699.7837 ■ 800.669.5613 E-mail: bdevane7@hotmail.com A Hatton-Brown Publication Other Hatton-Brown Publications:
Timber Processing ■ Southern Loggin' Times ■ Timber Harvesting Panel World ■ Power Equipment Trade
Wood Bioenergy (ISSN 1947-5306) is published six times annually by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Wood Bioenergy is free to qualified readers in the United States, including owners, managers, supervisors and other key personnel. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $50 per year, Canadian subscriptions are $60 and foreign subscription are $95 per year (U.S. funds). Subscriber Inquiries and Back Issue Orders—TOLL-FREE: 800.669.5613. Fax 888.611.4525. Subscribe or renew online: www.woodbioenergymagazine.com and click on the “Subscribe” button. When requesting change of address, please specify both old and new. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices.
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All advertisements for Wood Bioenergy 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, plagiarisms, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Wood Bioenergy. Copyright ® 2021. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Printed in USA.
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■ from the editors
Connection
Matters A Lot T
he year 2020 taught most of the world just how connected things are to each other. That one choice by one person in one corner of the world has a magnificent ripple effect on the entirety of us. Without getting too far down a rabbit hole of chaos theory, macroeconomics versus “woo woo” science, butterfly effect versus ripple effect, the fundamental truth that things are connected rings true at large—but especially in forest products. That connection is incredibly evident in this month’s cover story on New York-based Curran Renewable Energy. The Curran family started out in business not to open an 80,000 ton bagged domestic pellet production facility. But, 10 years ago, after their large logging operation took hit after hit—shrinking the market to almost no outlets for their low value timber—they decided to solve their own problem. They built their own pellet mill. This kept their logging jobs rolling, they kept their people employed and they started something that, when COVID-19 dealt another hit to their log markets, kept their checkbooks healthy. Curran Logging, the name that started it all, first birthed Seaway Timber Harvesting and then came Curran Renewable Energy. See, they fixed what so many have complained about on both sides of the table. They solved the problem for in-woods chipper operators: They gave themselves a guaranteed market for their chips. And they solved the problem the mills constantly battle: There is now consistently delivered raw materials. Their logging business went from surviving to thriving. While the dots have always been connected, Enviva for example can’t make industrial pellets without inwoods operators like Noble Capps (also featured in this issue); Enviva doesn’t actually own Capps’ operation. Sure, a mill operating logging crews is not exactly reinventing the wheel, but what has perked up the antennae of our staff was the order in which the dots were connected in the case of Curran Renewable Energy. The mill doesn’t operate a logging crew out of necessity. The logging company, at least at first, operated the mill out of necessity. As many of you know, Wood Bioenergy has many sister publications in the wood products business, and
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two of them are focused solely on the woods—the logging side of things. As part of that logger focus, sister publication Timber Harvesting crowns a Logging Business Of The Year each year. For 2021, that business is, you guessed it, none other than Seaway Timber Harvesting, the Curran family’s logging arm. Each time the committee behind the Timber Harvesting Logging Business Of The Year award meets to discuss nominees the conversation defaults to their business acumen. And for this year’s winner, their business acumen is one of the brightest and strongest we’ve seen in many years. The Curran family joins a long list of logging families throughout the country who’ve won this award while remaining humble and remembering where they came from—and who helped them get there. All three brothers, Pat, Lee and Tim, are involved in daily operations; each brother excels at a different aspect. Curran Renewable Energy is staffed by children of each of the brothers: Tim’s son Tim Jr. acts as night manager; Lee’s daughter Tricia is the office manager and Pat’s daughter Kelli is the marketing manager. Adding the layer of their children makes it mean just that much more for Curran Renewable Energy. We’re all connected, and that connection can help us go from simply surviving to thriving.
Wood Bioenergy / October 2021
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■ in the news Graanul Receives Big Apollo Transfusion Apollo Global Management, Inc., through funds managed by its affiliates, is acquiring a majority stake in Graanul Invest, the Estonia-based largest producer of wood pellets in Europe and one of the largest producers globally. Since its inception in 2003, Graanul has been pioneering some of the most advanced processes and technologies in the biomass and bioenergy industry and providing a critical baseload renewable energy resource. The company operates 12 wood pellet production plants located in the Baltics and U.S. The company also operates six combined heat and power plants in Estonia and Latvia and is one of the largest producers of renewable energy in the Baltic region, having generated more than 17% of all renewable bioelectricity in Estonia in 2020. The CHP plants power the company’s manufacturing operations. “In Apollo we will have a sophisticated strategic investor who is not only intimately familiar with our business, but also understands the complexities and the unique value opportunities present in the bioenergy space today,” comments Raul Kirjanen, Chairman and CEO of Graanul. “Our operations and activities have always been—and will continue to be—designed for and dedicated to creating a globally sustainable and renewable energy system to replace fossil fuel emissions. Our team and people, as well as our corporate structure and operations, are a highly valued foundation to the exciting growth ahead with Apollo. New capital and global connectivity will provide new international opportunities for Graanul and its employees as we build on the company’s many achievements together.” “With the accelerating energy transition in Europe and globally, baseload renewable energy sources such as biomass are a critical and enabling piece of the puzzle by pro-
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viding dispatchable electricity and heat to must-run facilities,” says Apollo principal Brad Fierstein. “Raul and the Graanul team are best-in-class in this industry and have done an excellent job scaling and positioning the business to play a critical role supporting this energy transition as a reliable supplier to its customers, with proven sustainability.” Geoffrey Strong, Senior Partner and Co-Head of Natural Resources and Infrastructure at Apollo, adds, “We believe Graanul is a unique energy transition platform from which to build around the once-in-a-generation shift in the European energy mix. We look forward to building on that success together with Raul and the team and continuing to grow the business organically and through attractive development opportunities in the biomass market.” The transaction is expected to close later in 2021. Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager with a focus on three business strategies: yield, hybrid and opportunistic. As of March 31, 2021, Apollo had approximately $461 billion of assets under management. Graanul Invest employs more than 500 across its pellets plants and combined heat and power. It is currently upgrading the former Texas Pellets (formerly German Pellets) industrial wood pellet plant in Woodville, Texas.
SPI, Seneca Deal Includes Power Plant Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) is acquiring Oregon-based Seneca, combining two family-owned forest products businesses with strong historical roots on the West Coast. Founded in 1953, Seneca operates a 175,000 acre sustainably managed tree farm, two sawmill sites, and a biomass fueled power plant in Oregon. SPI is a leading lumber producer that manages more than 2.1 million acres of timberland in California and Washington and also operates multiple co-
generation plants, which produce power used at the mills and that is sold to local public utilities and service providers. The acquisition includes Seneca Sustainable Energy, which operates a 19.8 MW cogeneration facility just north of Eugene and sits adjacent to the Seneca sawmill. The site is strategically located with an ideal connection to the local power grid. The woody biomass used to fuel the cogeneration facility comes from Seneca Sawmill’s bark, sawdust and shavings, as well as forest biomass “logging residuals or slash” from Seneca Jones Timber Co.’s sustainably managed tree farm, located nearby in Oregon’s Coast and Cascade Ranges. One hundred percent of the renewable electricity generated by Seneca Sustainable Energy is sold to the Eugene Water and Electric
Seneca’s 19.8 MW cogeneration facility near Eugene
Board (EWEB). The power generated from this facility provides the annual energy needs of more than 13,000 family homes. “Aaron Jones (Seneca) and Red Emmerson (SPI) are both icons of the wood products industry. They were also friends and had a deep mutual respect for each other as industry leaders,” says Seneca CEO Todd Payne in reference to the founders of the respective companies. “This proposed transfer makes so much sense given the companies provide complementary products, and have shared family values and company culture.” Both SPI and Seneca have a strong focus on sustainable tree
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management, also managing their timberland for wildlife, healthy watersheds and soils, and world-class recreation. The companies also share a company culture that recognizes employees as their most valuable asset, values the support of the communities they operate in and serve, and gives back by being dedicated to education and administering scholarship programs. Seneca has been co-owned by Becky Jones, Kathy Jones-McCann and Jody Jones.
Huber Acquires Consulting Firm Huber Resources Corp. (HRC) has announced the acquisition of certain assets of Sewall Forestry & Natural Resource Consulting LLC (SFNR), which will grow and expand its capabilities globally in timberland appraisals, forest inventory
management and forest modeling. J.M. Huber Corp., parent company of HRC, has a history of timberland management dating back to the 1940s. Today, HRC continues the company’s legacy of forestry management through the stewardship of more than 800,000 acres for clients throughout the U.S. HRC’s full suite of forestry services include forest management plans, sustainable harvest modeling, road building and maintenance, full service administrative and accounting services and timber harvesting and marketing. The SFNR business was formerly owned by James W. Sewall Co., a 140-year-old Maine-based consulting firm providing renewable energy site design, environmental permitting, transportation engineering, geospatial data analysis, and natural resource economic analysis across industry sectors which include clean energy, utility
and property development clients. SFNR utilizes in-house biometricians to provide forest growth and harvest modeling services to aid clients with critical business decisions for current or future operations, land purchase due diligence and inventory analysis. Additionally, the company provides a variety of consulting services to its forestry clients including litigation support and market pricing and cost analysis.
MSU Model Depicts Market Variables An assistant research professor in Mississippi State’s Dept. of Forestry, Starkville, is leading a collaborative team in creating a precision tool to help increase profits for timber producers and wood-mill consumers. Bruno da Silva, also a scientist in the university’s Forest and
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■ in the news
Wildlife Research Center, is studying timber supply modeling as part of a $100,000 grant awarded by International Paper. The team is working on a model to aid timber producers in better understanding the impact of market variables and streamlining decision making for forest sector stakeholders. “Our forestry market has become increasingly fragmented over the years,” da Silva says. “What we’re seeing is less room for error and the need for a more precise approach. Our goal is to make a model that can show how different variables like distance to the nearest mill, harvest costs and management practices will affect the timber supply, so forest market players can make informed decisions.” The team aims to design a model that is user-friendly and freely available. Once the finishing touches are made to the model’s programming, the app will be available for download in QGIS, or open source GIS software, as well as in python. “The model functions through mass amounts of regional data, both past and present, to predict future trends in the timber supply. Its output is dynamic and inherently linked to the needs of its user,” da Silva explains. Shaun Tanger, assistant professor at MSU’s Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, is also on the project and looks forward to seeing how the model will help him as a forestry specialist. “Part of my job with the MSU Extension Service is to make sure small forest landowners are able to keep a position in the market that remains sustainable and profitable. This model will show landowners how variables impact profitability based on their specific circumstances. This is precision timber production,” Tanger says. The team is collaborating with several faculty from North Carolina State University including Frederick Cubbage, Robert Abt and Rajan Parajuli. Jesse Hender-
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son with the U.S. Forest Service also is a collaborator.
Land, Timber Division Shine For RoyOMartin
Forest Services Names New Leadership
RoyOMartin’s land and timber operations reached a significant safety milestone: 14 years without an OSHA-recordable injury. Given the statistics surrounding logging and forestry injuries, and the vast amount of company-owned timberland managed by RoyOMartin foresters—approximately 550,000 acres—this accomplishment is especially noteworthy. In a message to the entire organization, RoyOMartin Vice President of Land and Timber, Cade Young, says, “I never ceased to be amazed by the personal commitment to safety that each of the department’s team members exhibits every day. If you look at the number of hours spent in the woods, or the number of miles driven in a year’s time by this group, you begin to really appreciate what a statistical marvel this accomplishment really is. Each team member is a safety leader and actively participates in improving the safety culture of the department.” The land and timber division’s achievement follows RoyOMartin’s perseverance of its IBiZ (I Believe in Zero) safety program, which focuses on personal responsibility.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that Randy Moore will serve as the 20th Chief of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service. Moore will serve as the first African American to hold the role of Chief of the Forest Service. Current Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen is retiring. Moore has been serving as Regional Forester in the Pacific Southwest Region in California since 2007 where he has responsibility for 18 national forests, covering one-fifth of the state on 20 million acres. Additionally, he oversees state and private forestry programs in Hawaii and the U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands. Previously Moore served as the Regional Forester for the Eastern Region headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis. Moore earned a bachelor’s degree in plant and soil science from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. l USDA Forest Service also named Angela Coleman as associate chief. Coleman, who has served as acting associate chief since January 2020, will be the Forest Service’s highest-ranking executive under incoming Chief Randy Moore. A native of Phenix City, Ala., Coleman brings 30 years of experience with the Forest Service. She has served in numerous senior executive roles leading the agency’s 30,000 employees, including a permanent role as chief of staff of the Forest Service, which she held from 2015-2020. Coleman began her career as a news reporter with the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer newspaper, Columbus, Ga. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Troy University. Coleman also served as a Senior Executive Fellow for Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Hurst Sales Manager Charlie Coffee Dies Charlie Emory Coffee, Jr., of Thomasville, Ga., solid fuel sales manager for Hurst boiler and well respected throughout the wood products industry, died August 3. He was 65. Coffee worked for Hurst Boiler for 41 years. He was a member of Coolidge Baptist Church where he served as deacon and taught the men’s Sunday school class. He enjoyed golfing and sailing. He would have been married to Connie Wilson Coffee for 47 years in August. Other survivors include three sons, Brandon, Seth and Jesse and their spouses, his mother, Marjorie, a nephew, Zac Wilson, and
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numerous grandchildren, a greatgranddaughter, a brother and two sisters, his prize goldfish, Wilber V, and his loyal dog, Honey. Jeff Hurst commented, “His shining personality was second to none, his wisdom and knowledge of all things never surprised me.”
Andrew Pitts Led Pitts Trailer Growth Pitts Enterprises founder and former CEO, Andrew Pitts, Jr., who led the company’s tremendous growth in the log trailer manufacturing business based in his hometown of Pittsview, Ala., died July 16. He was 90. Pitts grew up in Pittsview and attended Auburn University. He worked in his family’s businesses for several years, and formed East Alabama Trucks for hauling byproducts for sawmills in the area. He built his first logging trailer in
1976 and it turned out so well that the company soon found itself building a couple of trailers per month, and by 1981 the trailer business was producing 100 trailers annually and was soon up to 300 per year and expanding its dealer network, while bringing in Andrew’s son, Jeff, into the business. Pitts will continue as a family business with Jeff, who has led the company as CEO since 2002. “My father never forgot his roots,” Pitts says. “He invested in people— from his family and friends to his employees and customers. He built this business on innovation, quality and value. He instilled those ideals in Pitts Enterprises, and they will live on.”
Martco Announces Corrigian “Two” Martco L.L.C. (RoyOMartin) announced that its Texas subsidiary,
Corrigan OSB, L.L.C., will invest $211 million and construct a standalone oriented strandboard (OSB) manufacturing facility near its current OSB plant located in Corrigan on U.S. Highway 287 between Lufkin and Livingston. Construction is scheduled to begin this year, with startup anticipated in 2023. The new facility is expected to significantly increase production capacity at Corrigan, while focusing on existing and new value-added OSB products. RoyOMartin CEO Roy O. Martin III points to a population surge of more than 4 million residents in the state in the past decade, and more families and companies relocating to the Lone Star state. The increase in home prices and rising costs of building materials, appliances, and labor in the past year indicate a severe shortage of OSB supply, Martin notes. Corrigan OSB is stepping up to meet this increased demand
October 2021 / Wood Bioenergy
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■ in the news
with the addition of the new facility. RoyOMartin started up the first Corrigan OSB plant in 2018, and also operates an OSB plant in Oakdale, La., which started up in 2007. The company also operates a plywood mill and timbers mill in Chopin, La.
Thinning Work Lowers Fire Impact Racing through tinder-dry pine forests and scrub land northeast of Klamath Falls in south central Oregon, the Bootleg fire is one of the nation’s largest at more than 400,000 acres and was about 80% contained as this issue went to press with containment expected in October. Early evidence is showing that managed and thinned forests around the Sycan Marsh Reserve led the fire to drop out of the canopy and move to the ground as it burned from untreated areas and encoun-
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tered thinned forest areas. The 30,000 acre reserve was acquired by The Nature Conservancy in the 1980s and over the years the organization has worked with the local Klamath Native American tribe to thin areas around the marsh and introduce prescribed burns to mimic pre-settlement conditions. According to news reports, The Nature Conservancy officials say it’s still early and more research will need to be done, but reports are the fire moved “gently” along the ground and didn’t harm a research station in the reserve. Similar effects have been noted in other fires, notably the Wallow Fire in Arizona in 2011 and last year’s North Complex Fire near Quincy, Calif. In both cases communities had thinned and treated areas surrounding small towns— and those areas weren’t as damaged when fires swept through their respective regions.
Search NA Announces New President/Owner Search North America is pleased to announce that Richard Poindexter will be succeeding Carl Jansen as the new President, Owner, and Senior Recruiter of Search North America. Search North America is a search, recruiting and placement firm with a proven 39-year track record in the wood products industry, working with companies and individuals with their employment needs across the U.S. and Canada. Carl Jansen, Search North America’s founder, will stay on with the company as a Senior Recruiter and focus his efforts on the Western U.S. and Western Canada. Poindexter joined Search North America in 2020 after a 23-year career at Columbia Forest Products in multiple marketing and sales roles.
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For more information on Search North America, go to www.searchna.com or contact Richard at 336-4568657 or e-mail richardp@searchna.com.
Drax Hosts Educators In Environment Workshop Run by Project Learning Tree (PLT), Drax Biomass sponsored a day of activities in Pineville, La. to help teachers with lesson plans and offer a variety of resources and fun activities to help young people learn about the environment around them and how to take care of it. Workshop attendees participated in various games and activities including “Tree Factory,” which explains the life cycle of trees; “Birds and Bugs,” which teaches children about how insects camouflage themselves, and “Water Wonders,” which demonstrates how the water cycle works. After the event, Girl Scout Troop Leader Jessica Hall said, “One of our main focuses in the Girl Scouts is getting our troops out into nature and teaching them about the environment. The workshop has given me great, practical activities that I can use with my girls as well as sharing with the 20 other troops across Bossier Parish. I can’t wait to try the ‘Birds and Bugs’ game on our upcoming hiking day where we visit a local wildlife refuge.” Drax Biomass sponsored the workshop at the Alexandria Forestry Center in Pineville, including supplying 100 copies of a lesson and activity guidebook for teachers and several activity kits that each participant got to take with them. The activities can be done in a classroom or outdoors and can be easily adapted to suit kindergarten through grade 8. Alexandra Senior High School teachers The activities Yasmine Russ and Veronica Guillory can be integrated into lesson plans for all subject areas, in particular science, math, reading, writing and social studies and can help to improve critical thinking and problemsolving abilities. Project Learning Tree Louisiana State Coordinator and employee of the USDA Forest Service, Stacy Blomquist, adds, “We’re so grateful to Drax for their support with the workshop. The day was a great success and everyone who attended said they were looking forward to incorporating the activities they’d learned into lesson plans.” The workshop was attended by teachers and a diverse range of professionals who work with young people including members of organizations such as the Girl Scouts and 4-H.
October 2021 / Wood Bioenergy
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■ domestic pellets
Choosing To Pivot
Loggers Make Pellets By Jessica Johnson MASSENA, New York ometimes being in business means finding problems to solve. Other times it means solving problems that are already there. Over 30 years ago when the Curran brothers, Pat, Lee and Tim, started their logging business—aptly named Curran Logging—they thought they knew what to expect. Hard workers from basically birth, this bunch from upstate New York has never met a challenge they won’t push through. Remembering an incident from just this past winter, when a machine got stuck and froze into the earth, Pat and Tim were trying to get it out. Tim remembers Pat asking if he thought
S
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domestic pellets ■
they were going to get it out. Without hesitation Tim said yes, he recalls, because there’s literally nothing the pair hasn’t been able to do when they work at it. “Our father taught us to never quit,” Tim says. “Both our parents, really, taught us to never quit.” That never quit attitude has served them well and is evident in their business. Curran Logging, which started it all, has since morphed from just the family to more than 85 employees. In addition to the family’s logging and chipping crews, the Curran brothers operate a fully automated bagged pellet plant, called Curran Renewable Energy, producing 80,000 tons.
Curran Renewable Energy wasn’t part of the plan 30 years ago, but now it is an integral part of the operation. How does a logging company get into plant operation though? Easy—the brothers saw a problem and they fixed it. Pat explains, “We would have never done this if we had a solid paper industry in our area. That’s how we built the forestry side is supporting the paper industry. As of today, we’re not delivering a single load to the paper industry, but that is primarily due to the current situation with COVID.” The brothers decided to build the plant to diversify their operation with the goal of being more independent. The push from the New England states to transition the
“None of it would have ever happened without the finances to pull it off,” he adds of the monster $15 million investment to get the project off the ground, up and running. Looking back? The Currans admit they were a little forward thinking, but in the space of a heartbeat they say they would do it all over again—even after COVID-19 dealt them a blow to markets further. October 2021 / Wood Bioenergy
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■ domestic pellets
going to be here until we leave the Earth, but as a company you have to do a lot of different things to survive, to keep your people working.” And keeping the people working has been a driving desire for the Currans.
Building A Mill
The Curran brothers, from left, Tim, Pat and Lee
Four Sprout pelletizers handle the 80,000 produced tons.
home heating market definitely helped drive the decision, Pat says. The opportunity was in front of their collective faces, so 13 years ago the plant was built. “None of it would have ever happened without the finances to pull it off,” he adds of the monster $15 million investment to get the project off the ground, up and running. Looking back? The Currans admit they were a little forward thinking, but in the space of a heartbeat they say they would do it all over again—even after COVID-19 dealt them a blow to markets further. Pat believes that without the pellet plant, and the other diversification streams, because of what happened with COVID, there’s a chance the company might not have made it. Once again showing the brothers’ collective ability to think outside of the box and be flexible, they changed their business and kept it afloat. “We’ve had to do other things forced and ourselves deeper into the aggregate business,” he admits. “But we will always remain in the timber business. Timber is
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The Currans leaned on John Lundell with Energy Unlimited, Dan Measheaw Inc. to engineer the plant. Pat explains that Lundell provided a turnkey solution for them, using Sprout machines. “I think we would have failed if he had a different engineering group,” he adds. “Right off the bat he asked me where do I want the fire, because all pellet mills will have a fire. He built this in such a way that when we’ve had fires, we’ve been back up in a week. That has saved us.” Quickly, the brothers learned that in a pellet manufacturing operation, the equipment that got a lot of attention is the physical pellet mills. At the time of building, Sprout had about 80% of the world market share. Since having been acquired by Andritz, Pat is happy with the machines. The plant’s rated capacity is 120,000 bagged tons for home heating, with an estimated less than 2% of production being sold as bulk production. Thanks to market demand, of the 120,000 capacity, Curran Renewable consistently produces 80,000 tons annually. In order to sell pellets to certain markets, Curran Renewable carries FSC certification, but not every pellet produced is from the certified wood. While the 16-acre site has a rail spur, most production is trucked. Pat says the company is open to move chips and pellets by rail, but for now trucks get it done just fine. The yard can store 10,000 tons, and thanks to a significant investment in concrete, Curran Renewable makes use of as much storage as it needs. Pat sees tremendous value in investing in black top as it keeps not just the facility clean, but most importantly, keeps the pellets clean. Saying, “As far as I am concerned, in a pellet plant, every inch should be blacktop or concrete. If not, the dirt finds it way into the wood chips. The whole goal to meet the supply and needs of people is clean—clean on the wood chip side. If it is not clean, it is going to fail you.” Aside from more concrete, since the initial investment, Curran has expanded to a second Hamer bag line. Used primarily for bagging pellets, but also mulch, the second line helps with bottlenecks on the first line. Though not a desperately needed purchase, Pat says the second line will be quite an advantage overall.
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While Curran Renewable Energy has the ability to produce bulk pellets and does, the bread and butter are bagged options of hardwood/softwood blends. Kelli Curran Ramsey, Marketing Manager, says they’d like to see the bulk side get bigger, as it had recently stalled in New York as state incentive programs had lapsed. The cost stable prices of wood pellets against the volatile prices of fossil fuel, plus the BTU Acts new federal tax credit of 26% towards high-efficiency wood and wood pellet heating, should help create growth in the bulk pellet sector.
Started over 10 years ago, Curran Renewable Energy has kept the Curran brothers busy.
Pellet Flow For Mill Manager Dan Measheaw, who started with the facility at the beginning working the bagging line, the mill flows well and doesn’t often need babysitting. Chips are trucked in from the Curran family logging operations at a steady clip, stored on the yard. Measheaw and his team have decided on what blends are being made on a given day, chips are dumped into a hopper and pass a Sprout 500 HP hammermill with 5/8th–sized screens. From the wet hammermill, material enters a Baker 14 x 60 triple pass dryer, then flows to eight cyclones, made by Energy Unlimited, to separate any residual moisture and gases. A Sprout 3/8ths-sized screen dry hammermill preps material for pelleting. Curran Renewable Energy has four pellet mills from Sprout. Finished pellets are cooled using a Millpro cooler, then pass a Sprout shaker to remove fines. Once clear, pellets are stored in multiple silos with a capacity of 750 tons each. A final Sprout shaker handles pellets before the Hamer bagging lines. Measheaw runs the plant six days per week. Tim Curran, Jr. acts as night manager, keeping the process going 24 hours per day over the six-day period.
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■ fire prevention
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following companies submitted these editorial profiles and images to complement their advertisements placed elsewhere in this issue. Please refer to those advertisements for web site and contact information. All statements and claims are attributable to the companies.
BIOMASS ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT Biomass Engineering & Equipment provides customized solutions for processing, conveying, storing, and receiving biomass and pellets. Our solutions range from individual machines to turn-key systems for bulk material handling and pellet plants with an output between 34,000 and 103,000 tons per year. With decades of experience among wood-product manufacturers, we understand what works and what doesn’t when it comes to wood and can design complete systems that perform better than the competition. Our SMART Conveyors are designed to lower operational costs and keep your facility compliant with NFPA standards to prevent fires and explosions. Environment, health, and safety professionals can confidently recommend our unique, twin-chain drag conveyors because we’re committed to manufacturing machinery that sets the bar for performance and safety. To this end, we offer our conveyors with bolt-on explosion panels, flameless vents, spark detection, deluge, and fast-acting diversion gates. Components standard on our conveyors include enclosed troughs, dust-tight bearings and bushings, dust-tight inspection doors, sealed shafts, low-friction chain assemblies and plug detection. In our commitment to safety, we have physically tested and modeled our conveyors’ ability to withstand explosive pressures. We have also had our most common model analyzed by a third party for its ability to withstand a deflagration event. We also offer explosion-mitigation technologies for other bulk-material handling equipment: Containerized silos, metering bins, and surge bins. And we offer belt-drive disc screens to remove metal and other foreign objects from the material stream as required by NFPA 664. Other equipment we manufacture includes ash conveyors, push-pull reclaim floors, feeder bins, trailer-receiving stations, trailer-loading stations, drum chippers, high-volume roller debarkers, log decks, log troughs and rake-back systems for chain bin outfeed. We design all our equipment for long life and optimal efficiency to provide our customers the best value for their purchase.
CLARKE’S SHEET METAL The PyroGuard System, manufactured by Clarke’s Sheet Metal, Inc., is designed to detect and extinguish sparks in pneumatic conveying and material transfer systems. The spark sensors detect infrared radiation, which in turn activates a solenoid valve to introduce an atomized water spray inside the duct to extinguish the sparks. During a normal activation, production can continue, as only a limited amount of water is introduced into the pneumatic system. The system is typically installed prior to a dust collector and provides protection for plant personnel as well as equipment and assets. In addition, Clarke’s offers the PyroComm Windows software package, providing for interaction from the PyroGuard Control Console to a PC unit. This powerful software program enables monitoring of the spark detection and extinguishment system from a remote location. To supplement the PyroGuard system, Clarke’s manufactures a complete line of safety devices such as HiSpeed abort gates, backdraft dampers and isolation dampers. Other products which Clarke’s manufactures include flo-matic storage and metering bins, rotary screens and classifiers, pneu-aire filters, rotary airlocks, rotary feeders, fans and complete low pressure and high pressure pneumatic conveying systems.
CV TECHNOLOGY CV Technology has announced FM approval for its HRD suppression systems, after a long and very strict certification process. We want to share this extraordinary milestone, CV Technology’s products have had ATEX approval for over fifteen years, however, this additional level of FM certification further solidifies the company’s engineering reliability. “We continue to push ourselves through innovation and certification,” says Marty Cvetas, President, CV Technology, “to be the best partner for you, for explosion isolation and protection.” FM approval is a certification mark that companies get after successfully completing the five-step approval process. The certificate is issued by the independent testing division FM Approval, which belongs to the globally renowned insurance company FM Global Group. FM Approval focuses on researching and testing all products to ensure that they meet only
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fire prevention ■ the highest standards for property loss prevention and safety. FM Global, based in Rhode Island, with offices worldwide, is one of the oldest and largest commercial insurance companies orientated on property loss and risk prevention, especially for large corporations. FM Global was established in 1835 and has been growing with its clients for nearly 180 years ever since. The FM Approved mark is recognized and respected worldwide, as a signifier that a product conforms to the highest standards of quality, technical integrity and performance.
EVERGREEN ENGINEERING The 2020 COVID-19 crisis put a significant damper on wood processing facilities to perform the NFPA 652-required Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA). The need is still there to perform DHA and any subsequent mitigation of hazards for fire, flash fire, or explosions. Worldwide, incidents that can be contributed to issues with combustible dusts continue to happen weekly. Evergreen Engineering can help facility owners perform DHA through our knowledge of the NFPA standards, industry practice and the multiple DHA studies we have performed for wood processing facilities. We can lead companies step-by-step through a risk-based analysis on processes, equipment, and facility operations, creating a prioritized and well-documented plan for mitigation of dust hazards. Our team of engineers includes internal auditors formerly employed by Weyerhaeuser, SierraPine, Willamette Industries and other wood products-related companies. We will make recommendations for the collection and containment of combustible dust, along with recommendations for maintenance and operations best practices. Our employees have designed and overseen the installation of dust collection cleanup systems and internal audits in particleboard mills, machinery manufacturers, beverage companies (glass dust) and other industrial organizations, including the world’s largest producer of wood charcoal. What are the main points of an audit? Standards are retroactive: Each manufacturer of materials judged to be combustible is required to have a DHA performed. Assess your current requirements: Each state has different regulations that may exceed the NFPA standards. You must determine the hazardous characteristics of your combustible dusts. Based on NFPA 652 and your industry-specific related NFPA standards, you must evaluate your hazards and update documentation and your procedures on a regular basis. Develop a management of change procedure to manage change to the process materials, technology, equipment, procedures, and facilities. How can Evergreen Engineering help you with compliance? First, with assessment: Evergreen will help you identify what is required for your plant based on the local, state, NFPA and OSHA standards. We will assess your current procedures, documentation, labeling, and processes to help you understand the requirements. Then, help you identify solutions by conducting a DHA to find solutions for being compliant. Finally, Evergreen will evaluate economic options and provide project management along with engineering to implement process changes.
FAGUS GRECON Fagus GreCon’s New Spark Detector offers preventive fire and explosion protection using new detection technology to identify dangerous ignition sources. Common causes of fires are heat, sparks, embers and hot particles. One of the most efficient measures to prevent fire or dust explosion is the early identification of the ignition source. Sparks and embers are often the source of larger fire and explosion events. Preventive fire and explosion protection is an important measure, not only to protect production, but also the company and the people working within the facility. Fagus GreCon’s new DLD 1/9 Spark Detector offers additional protection to industries with new intelligent detection technology (IDT). IDT not only identifies hazardous moving ignition sources before a fire breaks out, but the DLD 1/9 detector is also able to differentiate between dangerous sparks or harmless incidence of extraneous light due to leaky/damaged pipes or an opening of an inspection flap. The system provides excellent preventive protection, as it does not wait for an actual fire or explosion to erupt. The system prevents the development of a fire or explosion by the early detection and elimination of the ignition source. With a
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■ fire prevention GreCon system it is possible to detect and eliminate ignition sources before a fire or a dust explosion occurs. IR detectors monitor the conveying paths and activate high-speed water extinguishing within milliseconds. The diversion or shut-off of product flow is also an option if extinguishing with water is not possible for the application.
FLAMEX Flamex Inc. has been involved in protecting industrial facilities from the hazards of fire and explosion for over 40 years. We specialize in the prevention of ignition in facilities that handle combustible dusts. Our experience in the industrial wood pellet industry has given us a deep understanding of the risks inherent in the production process and how to address them in a manner that eliminates or minimizes production downtime. The production of wood pellets involve operations that are often conducive to the generation of sparks and fire. Size reduction operations, such as the hammermilling of dry wood material, are often a source of sparks that are transported in the material flow through the pneumatic system. Fires and burning embers may also result from the drying process due to the presence of high temperatures and possible upset conditions with the dryer. Other processes such as pelletizing, pellet cooling, screening and product load out may also produce ignition from sparks, overheated pellets and mechanical friction sources. If not addressed, fires and explosions resulting from normal production processes can have devastating consequences for a business large or small. This is an ever-present problem in this industry that requires continual management to ensure workplace safety, asset protection and business continuity. The design, installation, operation and maintenance of automatic fire protection systems play a critical part in the effort to mitigate these hazards. Spark detection and extinguishing systems have long been recognized by the industry and the loss control community as an effective measure in the prevention of fire and explosions in dust collection and air filtration systems. Introduced to North America in the late 1970s, the Flamex Spark Detection and Extinguishing System became the first system of its type to gain a factory mutual approval. These systems have proven to be an invaluable part of an overall protection design in wood pellet facilities. As part of a major global fire protection organization, Flamex Inc. has a wide range of detection and suppression components available to meet the specific protection requirements of varied applications that may be present within a single manufacturing facility. We continually strive to improve our product offerings in step with the latest technological advances.
IEP TECHNOLOGY Within a wood bioenergy processing facility, the use of explosion relief vents is a highly effective and economical option for a well-planned explosion protection strategy. Explosion vents are considered “passive” protection solutions meaning they operate solely from the pressure generated by an explosion. An explosion relief vent by design will open at a predetermined pressure and relieve any overpressure to a point outside the vessel. Of course, in the event of an explosion, this pressure is also accompanied by flame that can cause additional damage outside of the protected vessel including providing an ignition source for secondary explosions. Two types of vents are available to provide protection for a protected vessel including “rupture style” and “flameless” vents. Both are economical protection option and are available in a variety of sizes, configurations and materials to ensure fast reliable operation during an explosion event. The difference between these two vent types is that rupture style vents will relieve both pressure and flame while the flameless vent has an integrated flame arrestor, which will relieve pressure while preventing the release of flame outside of the protected vessel. Flameless explosion vents provide protection for a process that may be located indoors or other location where the explosion generated fireball cannot be released to a safe area. IEP Technologies provides a complete range of cost-effective explosion protection solutions. The IEP range of vent rupture panels are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes including round, rectangular, flat and domed. IEP also provides flameless venting solutions with its the IV8 and EVN style flameless vents. These provide an explosion protection solution for process vessels that are located inside a building or other area where standard explosion venting cannot be safely employed. The IV8 utilizes a stainless-steel explosion relief vent and flame arresting mesh enclosed in a durable carbon steel coated frame. The integrated vent burst detection sensor allows plant personnel to respond accordingly in the event of an explosion within the protected application.
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■ in-woods chipper
Learning
To Modify By Patrick Dunning ZIRCONIA, NC t was only a matter of time before 35-year logger Noble Capps Jr., 55, came back to what first distinguished his family’s reputation: whole tree chipping.
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He remembers sitting perched on a pine stump hearing stories from his father, Noble Capps Sr., who would hoist 5 ft. logs over his shoulder and tote them out of the woods one by one. Business was slow moving at first for Capps Sr., hauling logs when he wasn’t farming or working at a cotton mill. He joined forces with his
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brothers, Frank and Francis, and began their legacy as loggers in 1976, hauling “dirty” chips to Champion Pulp & Paper Mill in Canton, NC. Merely a year after purchasing new equipment in 1985, allowing the Capps brothers to produce 100 loads per week, Champion banned whole tree chipping entirely: accepting “clean” chips only. The brothers decided to establish their own chip mill, Capps Bros. Woodyard in Landum, SC, in 1986. Adding a new drum debarker to the existing Morbark whole tree chipper put the brothers new venture into clean chips. And with it, the Capps were on the map. At 21 years old, Capps founded Noble Capps Jr. Logging Inc. in 1987 to supply Capps Bros. “My dad and his brothers had just started the chip mill and needed wood,” he remembers. “Dad co-signed on an old truck, loader and a skidder and I started cutting wood.” Capps regularly hauled mixed hardwoods and pulpwood to Capps Bros. until the 2008 downturn tightened his local markets, leaving him frustrated. A combination
of mill curtailments and a shortage of truck drivers forced him to pull back production and weather the storm. That same year, he established a lasting relationship with Faith Harvesting forester, David Gardner, whom he still works with today. Gardner was able alleviate some of the tension Capps was feeling by increasing the number of sawmills he delivered logs to, to avoid quotas and keep his men working. Though outwardly, Capps was trying to keep his glass half full, he internally thought that his logging days were numbered. “What I lost in truck drivers I was saving in fuel cost, drivers and workers’ comp. But I wanted to move more wood because I always have,” he admits. “I liked sticking a little bit here and there and stay profitable but it was hard to find that happy medium.” Capps had to roll the dice; he has a 21-yearold son, Holt who operates a loader. The plan is for Holt to take over the business and Capps wants to pass down a blueprint on adapting to market changes. After Enviva acquired Colombo Energy’s wood pel-
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■ in-woods chipper
let plant in Greenwood, SC, in early 2018, Capps began doing cost analysis and considering if buying an inwoods chipper was economically feasible. He found a deal in July 2019 on the used market: a 2009 Bandit 3090 chipper with 2,000 hours. “My markets changed and it was getting hard to get rid of product. The opportunity came up and I had always wanted to get into chipping because my dad and uncles were in the woods chipping when I was growing up,” Capps says. “I knew chipping was a good way to go because you don’t waste anything. It’s a productive way to log so I took the gamble.”
New Markets He delivered his first load of 5⁄8 in. chips to Enviva Greenwood in late 2019 and shifted his crew to focus largely on chipping. “Right now we’re chipping everything except hardwood logs,” Capps explains. “On a lot of tracts we cut all the logs and chip everything else and it adds up quick.” His single crew of five averages 25 loads of chips per week, with the majority being hauled to Enviva Greenwood. One skidder sorts pine and hardwood logs on the tract. Any roundwood pulpwood is hauled to New Indy
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Two John Deere feller-bunchers are an exception to Capps’ exclusive in-woods Caterpillar line-up.
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Container Board, Rock Hill; hardwood roundwood to International Paper in Silverstreet. Hardwood saw logs are hauled to Associated Hardwoods Inc. in Gaffney. Truck drivers David Bowen and Mathew Holland haul the company’s woody biomass material and logs. Both the company’s chip vans, a Peerless and ITI, are hitched at 3 a.m. to deliver the day’s first loads at Enviva. On top of a lengthy turnaround time that aggravates Capps, a limited pool of available truck drivers has affected his production despite Enviva’s demand for raw material. “I’ve been looking since October of last year and can’t find any truck drivers. It’s killing me,” he says. “We have plenty of wood here and they (Enviva) would take more if I had the drivers.” Capps is confident after Enviva finishes installing an additional hydraulic end tipper in the next couple months he’ll be able to squeeze in two extra loads per day. Until then he’s looking to fill the vacant seats in two of his four trucks. The company’s trucking fleet is composed of three Peterbilts with glider kits and a 2007 Kenworth. D&B Equipment, Glasgow, Ky., installed the Peterbilt glider kits. The Verizon Connect fleet management application is installed on smartphones to track daily operations and productivity. “All my drivers have its GPS on their phones so I can see where they are in case they have a problem on the road or break down and don’t have service,” he explains. “It helps us make sure we have a load ready when they’re almost back.”
Equipment Noble Capps Jr. Logging operates using Caterpillar equipment purchased through Carolina Cat and John Deere from James River Equipment, both located in Asheville, NC. Capps grew up using Franklin equipment and was fa-
Chipping for biomass gave the crew new life.
From left, Noble Capps, Jr., Tekoah Heatherly, Holt Capps
miliar with Timberjack in the 1990s; so, when he prepared to trade in his Franklin skidder, Caterpillar offered a financing package he couldn’t refuse. Capps bought his first Caterpillar machine in 2001 as the equipment manufacturer began putting more emphasis on its forestry product line. Now, Capps Jr. Logging runs Cat exclusively aside from two John Deere feller-bunchers. Having bought his first John Deere feller-buncher in 1997, Capps liked the machine’s dependability and hasn’t found a reason to look anywhere else. Carolina Cat and James River are within a 30-mile radius of Capps, making it easier for warranty servicing and parts. The crew uses a 2011 525C skidder, 2012 545C skidder, 2019 535D skidder, 2013 579C loader, 2007 843J feller-buncher, 2012 643K feller-buncher and the 2009 3090 Bandit chipper. His log trailers are Whites and McClendon.
Maintenance Woods equipment and trucks are serviced every 250 to 300 hours using Rotella 15W-40 at the company’s 40x60 shop. Capps started using Rotella 20 years ago and says his equipment has always responded well to it. He purchases his fuel from Lutz Petroleum in Spindale, NC. The Bandit chipper is serviced every 250 hours and air filters replaced as needed due to the dust. Knives are changed every 10 to 12 loads but Noble says sometimes as frequent as six depending on the sandy dirt. He ran across an online deal this summer and purchased a Michigan Knife Co. grinder and grinds his knives on the jobsite. “It’s easier now with my grinder. You don’t have to beat the knives up and sharpen as much,” he explains. “I’ll put a set in the grinder and sharpen them for five minutes and have them ready to go again. Saving money all around because you’re burning less fuel and not wearing the chipper out.” Capps is a member of the South Carolina Timber Producers Assn. and Carolina Loggers Assn.
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■ product news
Astec Consolidates Product Branding Astec Industries, Inc. is launching a new modern look with a rebranding initiative to coincide with its business model. The rebrand includes a new logo, color palette and website. The launch comes while the organization streamlines its internal structure and operations to improve efficiency and drive growth. The organization’s former brands, including Peterson, Astec Inc., Astec do Brasil, Astec Australia, BMH Systems, Breaker Technology, Carlson Paving, ConE-Co, Heatec, KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens, Osborn, RexCon, Roadtec and Telsmith, will no longer operate as separate subsidiary companies and will all take
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on the ASTEC name. The unification is a significant part of the company’s OneASTEC business model including its “Simplify, Focus and Grow” strategy. “We made the decision to unify to make it easier for our dealers and customers to do business with us. By coming together as one organization, we can offer greater customer service and drive innovation,” says Barry Ruffalo, president and CEO of Astec Industries, Inc. “The rebrand enables us to build our strength together under one common name and purpose. We can better leverage our growth as one ASTEC team rather than individual brands.” The new website (www.astecindustries.com) replaces previous subsidiary websites. Dealers, customers, suppliers and consumers
will be able to find information about the company, its product offerings and other resources in one location.
Barko Welcomes New President Barko Hydraulics has named Justin Rupar as President. Rupar brings more than 27 years of equipment industry expertise in manufacturing, dealer development, sales and marketing. “I’m very excited to join Barko, and I’m looking forward to getting to know our dealers and customers better,” Rupar says. “The Barko team and I are excited to continue working to improve our product and services offerings and to add exceptional value to both our dealer partners’ and our retail cus-
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product news ■
tomers’ operations.” Before joining Barko, Rupar held leadership positions with Yamaha Motor Corp., YANMAR America and ASV Holdings, overseeing global commercial, distribution and after-sales support activities. A native northern Minnesotan and Iron Ranger, Rupar holds a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University and an MBA from the University of Georgia.
John Deere, Hitachi End Joint Venture John Deere announced it has agreed with Hitachi Construction Machinery to end the Deere-Hitachi joint venture manufacturing and marketing agreements. John Deere and Hitachi will enter into new license and supply agreements, which will enable John Deere to continue to source, manufacture and distribute the current lineup of Deere-branded excavators in the Americas. As a result of the new agreements, the following changes will go into effect on February 28, 2022: —John Deere will acquire the Deere-Hitachi jointventure factories in Kernersville, NC; Indaiatuba, Brazil; and Langley, BC, Can. —John Deere will continue to manufacture Deerebranded construction and forestry excavators currently produced at the three Deere-Hitachi factories. These locations will discontinue production of Hitachi-branded excavators. John Deere will continue to offer a full portfolio of excavators through a supply agreement with Hitachi. —John Deere’s marketing arrangement for Hitachi-branded construction excavators and mining equipment in the Americas will end; Hitachi will assume distribution and support for these products. “For many years John Deere and Hitachi enjoyed a mutually successful partnership in the Americas,” comments John Stone, president, John Deere Construction & Forestry Div. and Power Systems. “As we turn the page to a new chapter of Deere-designed excavators, we remain committed to supporting our customers of today and tomorrow.” John Deere and Hitachi began a supply relationship in the early 1960s; then in 1988 the companies started the Deere-Hitachi manufacturing joint venture to produce excavators in Kernersville. In 1998, Deere-Hitachi expanded the relationship to include the production of forestry swing machines at
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Deere-Hitachi Specialty Products in Langley. In 2001, John Deere and Hitachi combined their marketing and distribution efforts in the Americas. In 2011, excavator manufacturing was expanded with the addition of the Deere-Hitachi Brazil factory in Indaiatuba.
Hyundai Purchases Doosan Infracore Following the sale completed in mid-August of Doosan Infracore to Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co. (HHIH), Doosan Infracore becomes a subsidiary of the newly created Hyundai Genuine (HG) group alongside Hyundai Construction Equipment (HCE) as two independent construction equipment companies under HHIH. HG will act as the intermediary company of HHIH Group’s construc-
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tion equipment businesses and will be leading both DI and HCE to maximize the company’s efforts and focus on the construction equipment industry. The plan is to manage overlapping investments and invest heavily in future technologies and innovation. Doosan Infracore will be working to commercialize Concept-X and develop cutting-edge products such as electric excavators, battery packs, hybrid fuel cells and other next-generation products. By focusing on each company’s areas of strength, HG will be able to advance the development of these types of products to gain a competitive edge in the global market. Doosan Infracore North America, LLC, headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia, markets the Doosan brand of products that includes
crawler excavators, wheel excavators, mini excavators, wheel loaders, articulated dump trucks, material handlers, log loaders and attachments. Doosan has more than 160 equipment dealer locations in North America.
BE&E Continues To Build Up Team Jeff Niewedde has joined Biomass Engineering & Equipment as Chief Financial Officer. Before joining BE&E full time, Niewedde served as the company’s interim CFO and served in similar roles with two prior companies in streamlining processes and process improvement. Niewedde holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Information Systems from the University of Indianapolis and has 18 years of experience. ➤ 30
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28 ➤ “Jeff brings another level of maturity to our growing company,” says Dane Floyd, owner and CEO. “We’re more confident than ever about our position and ability to meet the ever-increasing demand for our products and services.”
Bandit Offers Compact Track Grinder Bandit Industries’ new Model 1425 track is a highly productive and compact horizontal grinder. It
is equipped with many of the same features as the tow-behind version and by adding tracks it substantially increases the capabilities of this unit. By making it available with tracks, it can now travel over a variety of landscapes with the durable Caterpillar steel track undercarriage.
■ CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS ■ ■ employment opportunities 1615
Top Wood Jobs Recruiting and Staffing George Meek geo@TopWoodJobs.com www.TopWoodJobs.com (360) 263-3371
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VISIT US ONLINE: woodbioenergymag.com
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The 1425 track is equipped with a 7 ft. long x 24 in. wide steel or rubber belt infeed conveyor and a stationary discharge with a stacking height of 7 ft. To further enhance the machine’s capabilities, a grinder head or chipper drum can be ordered, giving it the ability to produce mulch or a dimensional chip. When ordered with a grinder head, there are 14 cutterbodies with teeth, creating an aggressive yet smooth grinding action. The chipper drum features four chipper knives that will produce a chip ranging from ¼ in. to 1 in. Like the larger Bandit horizontal grinders, the 1425 track is offered with a variety of tooth and screen options. Customers can now order this machine with a Caterpillar C4.4, 174 HP Tier 4 Final. Visit banditchippers.com.
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