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October 2019

CONTRACTOR PROFILE: James Willis works with a logging equipment package that delivers FIRST NATIONS KEEPING THE WOOD FLOW happening at Tolko millyard WITH THIS ISSUE...

ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF INDUSTRY INNOVATION

NEW BRUNSWICK SAWMILL SPECIALIZES in off-species B.C.’S HOMALCO FIRST NATION looking to build up its forestry operations

FEATURES October 2019 Volume 50 • No. 6 Editor Paul MacDonald Contributing Editors Jim Stirling, Tony Kryzanowski George Fullerton Tech Update Editor Tony Kryzanowski Publisher/CEO Anthony Robinson • (604) 990-9970 E-Mail: robinson@forestnet.com Associate Publisher Rob Stanhope • (604) 990-9970 E-mail: stanhope@forestnet.com Social Media: Kaitlin Davidson Digital Marketing: Diane Mettler Email: digitalmarketing@forestnet.com Sales Associates James Booth • (604) 506-8631 E-mail: jbooth@forestnet.com Perry Rosehill • (604) 613-3001 E-mail: rosehill@forestnet.com Subscription Enquiries Maureen Cole, Circulation Manager (905) 201-0853 Fax: (905) 294-8645 E-mail: SubscribeLSJ@forestnet.com Design & Art Production Manager Sheila Ringdahl E-mail: artwork@forestnet.com Accounting Manager Shelina Jessa • (604) 731-1535 E-mail: accounting@forestnet.com Office PO Box 86670, 211 East 1st Street North Vancouver, BC V7L 4L2 Phone: (604) 990-9970 • Fax: (604) 990-9971 Website: www.forestnet.com Subscriptions: Canada $58 a year; two years $70; three years, $85. Group accounts, six or more subscriptions, $25 per subscription per year. Outside Canada, $95 per year. Airmail $165. Single copy, Canada $6; elsewhere $10. Reproduction prohibited without permission of the publisher. ISSN 0226-7572. Back copies from 1996 onward are available through our website www.forestnet.com Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064045 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to CIRCULATION DEPT. PO Box 86670 Stn Main North Vancouver BC V7L 4L2 e-mail: SubscribeLSJ@forestnet.com POSTMASTER: Send US address changes to LSJ Publishing Ltd., PO Box 610, Edmonds, WA 98020-0610 Published October 2019 Printed in Canada on 20% recycled paper.

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On the Cover: James and Susan Willis manage J.A. Willis Contracting with ambition, strict business acumen, with a focus on efficient and productive equipment and highly motivated operators—it’s a powerful formula. Part of their core equipment is a Tigercat 845 harvester James first started using in B.C.—and continues to use in the logging operation they now run in New Brunswick, which now has a staggering 70,000 hours on it. The Willis logging operation also includes some recently acquired equipment such as the new Peterbilt truck with BWS quad trailer pictured on the cover. Read all about the Willis operation beginning on page 18 of this issue (Cover photo by George Fullerton).

4 Spotlight:

B.C. hard hit by mill closures, curtailments British Columbia—particular the Interior of the province—has been hit hard by sawmill closures and curtailments, and it is having a definite, and big, ripple effect on the logging sector, says the new general manager of the Interior Logging Association, Todd Chamberlain.

First Nations keeping the wood flow happening First Nations and Métis communities are playing a key role in keeping the wood flow happening at Tolko Industries’ OSB plant in High Prairie Alberta, with a First Nations corporation managing all the log yard activities at the operation.

12 Opting for off-species

New Brunswick’s Tony Boyd took a somewhat circuitous route to sawmilling, via the trades and logging, but he’s now established a solid business producing custom wood products from a variety of off-species in the region.

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Calendar.................................................6 Tech Update: Kiln Drying...................35 Suppliernewsline...............................41

18 A logging package

that delivers

24 Taking care of business B.C.’s Homalco First Nation is looking to build up its forestry operations, to make optimum use of their logging equipment— and to continue to grow its business and provide jobs and training for the band’s members.

Included in this edition of The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, are stories from Alberta Innovates, Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) and FPInnovations.

46 The Last Word

Canada’s softwood lumber negotiating strategy is hurting, not helping, forestry workers, says Tony Kryzanowski.

Classifieds...........................................45 Subscriptions......................................45 Ad Index...............................................45

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

spotlight

B.C. HARD HIT by mill closures, curtailments

British Columbia—particular the Interior of the province—has been hit hard by sawmill closures and curtailments, and it is having a definite, and big, ripple effect on the logging sector, says the new general manager of the Interior Logging Association, Todd Chamberlain. The B.C. forest industry has been hugely impacted by mill curtailments and closures— including the permanent shutdown of Canfor’s sawmill in Vavenby, in the B.C. Interior.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

By Jim Stirling

awmill closures and lumber production curtailments have British Columbia’s forest industry in a tailspin. The lives of the men and women living in the 140 or so forest dependent communities in the province along with the economies of their communities are in turmoil as a result. They are in need of constructive help to bridge the gap while the forest industry realigns itself. That’s the kernel of the message being emphasized on every occasion by the Interior Logging Association (ILA) during its conversations with the provincial NDP government, explained Todd Chamberlain, the association’s new general manager, based in Vernon, B.C. The fallout from the mountain pine beetle epidemic, two consecutive and devastating forest fire seasons along with international trade sanctions have come home to roost with a vengeance. Everyone knew the reduction in fibre was coming. But the suddenness and severity of its impacts continue to shock. “At times like these, the log harvesting contractors, truckers and their families are

spotlight focused on survival,” says Chamberlain. “The ILA is the contractors’ voice and our role of advocacy becomes more important.” ILA members along with all the other independent contractors and truckers in the province are not the type of people who typically seek handouts, continued Chamberlain. And they’re not now. It’s more a case of a necessary return on many years of contractors’ contributions to governments through the course of running their businesses, he said. The log contracting community played a significant and voluntary role during the terrible forest fire season of 2017. Residents in many rural communities throughout the B.C. Interior were forced to pick up what they could load onto trucks and flee as separate fires combined to create mega blazes. Even larger communities like 100 Mile House and Williams Lake had to be evacuated. A corps of logging contractors opted to stay behind with their equipment and operators to enlarge fire guards around their besieged communities—and do everything they could to protect property and infrastructure from the fires. “They didn’t do it for recognition or

accolades. They did it for their homes and communities. Now it’s time for B.C. to help them,” reckons Chamberlain. He said the ILA and its directors received an attentive audience about the present plight of its membership recently from Ravi Kahlon. The New Democratic MLA for North Delta was appointed to the newly created position of secretary of state for forestry in July 2019. Kahlon’s first major assignment was to tour the province and learn first hand the implications of the sawmill closures and production curtailments on the people and economies in affected B.C. communities. And they have already been devastating. The B.C. forests ministry’s own figures indicate three B.C. sawmills were permanently closed in the first seven months of 2019, 19 others were hit by production curtailments and shift reductions directly affecting about 4,000 workers. The ripple effects travel much further and deeper into community fabrics. “Kahlon sat down with members of the ILA and listened to our views,” reported to page 6

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

spotlight from page 5 Chamberlain. What happens next will depend, in part, on Kahlon’s fact-finding tour report to his boss, B.C. Premier John Horgan. In the meantime, the ILA is maintaining its advocacy role on behalf of its membership. Chamberlain officially assumed the helm of the Interior Logging Association August 1. He took over from Wayne Lintott who has retired after 21 years as the association’s general manager. Despite the tough situation facing independent loggers and truckers in the B.C. Interior— or perhaps because of it—support for the ILA and its work remains vigorous. “We still have about 450 members—in fact we’ve gained about 35 new members in the last few months,” he explained. Part of that increase is likely attributable to Chamberlain taking the ILA’s message on the road, especially into the northern half of B.C. “I’ve probably talked to about 200 contractors there in the last year.” Since the Central Interior Logging Association (CILA) based in Prince George was forced to suspend operations a few years ago, there has been no regional representation for independent logging contractors

with the exception of the focused North West Loggers Association in Terrace. “Issues in the north can be different,” conceded Chamberlain. “I want to find out more about that from those working there.” But the interior regions do share many concerns as reflected by the current call for assistance for all B.C.’s displaced independent loggers. There is another positive trend within the ILA separate from membership numbers. “The ILA directors are becoming a lot more engaged in association work,” noted Chamberlain. The involvement includes more direct participation in the work of various industry committees. The assistance is welcomed on a couple of fronts. The ILA has only two employees, office administrator Nancy Hesketh and Chamberlain. But the increased involvement from the association’s directors in the detailed functioning of the ILA brings another major advantage, said Chamberlain. “You have contractors speaking out for other contractors. No one has better knowledge and expertise to do that.” For more information about the ILA, contact the office at 250-503-2199 or infor@interiorlogging.org

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

CALENDAR November 4-6

110th Pacific Logging Congress Convention, Waikoloa, HI 360-832-1745 www.pacificloggingcongress.org January 15-17

78th Annual Truck Loggers Assoc. Convention, Vancouver, BC 604-684-4291, www.tla.ca January 28-29

Forests Nova Scotia 86th AGM, Halifax, NS, 902-895-1179, www.fpans.ca January 28-30

17th Annual BC Natural Resource Forum, Prince George, BC 250-640-7469 www.bcnaturalresourcesforum.com January 29-31

Western Forestry Contactors' Assoc. Conference & Trade Show, Prince George, BC 604-736-8660, wfca.ca

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millyards

First Nations

keeping the wood flow happening First Nations and Métis communities are playing a key role in keeping the wood flow happening at Tolko Industries’ OSB plant in High Prairie Alberta, with a First Nations corporation managing all the log yard activities at the operation. By Tony Kryzanowski

irst Nations and Métis communities are playing a vital role in maintaining production flow at the recently recommissioned Tolko High Prairie oriented strand board (OSB) plant in northern Alberta, with a corporation owned by the nearby Driftpile Cree Nation hired to manage all log yard activities. Driftpile Cree Nation Enterprises Inc has signed a five-year contract with Tolko, with the option to renew after the third year, to unload trucks, deck the 16’ aspen and black poplar logs, transport logs from the deck to the plant infeed, feed the conditioning ponds as required, and look after overall yard and road maintenance. The plant is capable of producing 700 million square feet of OSB on a 7/16” basis and operates 24/7, keeping employees in the log yard constantly busy. The log yard crew provides employment for between 25 to 35 people, depending on the time of year, managing logs harvested from about a 150 kilometre radius of the OSB plant, located west of High Prairie. And they can be handling a lot of timber. During the winter months, there is the potential for 200 to 250 truckloads of wood entering the yard every day. Driftpile Cree Nation Enterprises has five companies operating under its umbrella. Councillor Starr Sasakamoose says that the log yard contract was something they pursued as a diversification strategy. The additional employment opportunities are greatly appreciated, especially with the current downturn in the oil and gas industry. “I don’t know of any First Nations community where there isn’t an employment need and this created a huge opportunity for our members,” he says. “Log yard management is something new for us, and

it is not just our Nation members working here. There are quite a few employees from other communities.” There was some initial operator training offered by the corporation right in the log yard and funded by the Driftpile Cree

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

It takes good communication to keep log yard activities flowing smoothly at Tolko’s High Prairie OSB plant where log yard management has been contracted to Driftpile Cree Nation Enterprises. The team includes (left to right) Travis Romanchuk, Harvesting Superintendent for Tolko High Prairie OSB; Starr Sasakamoose, Councillor at Driftpile Cree Nation; Sanford Gauchier, CEO of Driftpile Cree Nation Enterprises; and, Stacy Brewer, Tolko High Prairie Harvesting Supervisor. Nation, but they also sought out some experienced equipment operators to ensure that the venture would be a success. The band is happy about the five-year renewable contract as it provides them with a better opportunity to plan equipment

millyards

In addition to four John Deere 3156 log loaders, Driftpile Cree Nation Enterprises has also purchased a larger John Deere 3756 log loader for stacking taller log decks.

replacement, when each piece of equipment reaches the end of its service life. They have four John Deere 3156 log loaders that are dedicated to loading, unloading, stacking decks, and feeding the conditioning ponds, as well as a larger Deere 3756 log loader for stacking higher decks, which helps to maintain log flow, especially when a lot of log trucks are entering the yard during the busy winter season. The log loaders are supported by a John Deere grader and dozer for

yard management. They use three tractor trailer units equipped with log trailers and high floatation style tires to forward wood to the infeed. This helps to keep the trucks moving in wet weather. Those hired to work in the Tolko log yard do not come exclusively from the Driftpile Cree Nation, but are hired from many of the First Nations and Métis communities surrounding the OSB plant. For example, the CEO for Driftpile Cree Nation Enterprises, Sanford Gauchier, is

a member of the nearby Peavine Métis Community. He and his family have a long history of logging for several forest companies in northwestern Alberta, including as a logging contractor with Tolko High Prairie before it closed. The OSB plant, which opened in 1996, was closed due to the collapse of the American housing market in 2008.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

to page 10

millyards from page 9 It re-opened in 2017, began producing OSB in January 2018, and is now capable of producing 40 per cent more OSB— thanks to over $50 million in capital investments—than when it closed, Travis Romanchuk, harvesting superintendent at the Tolko High Prairie OSB plant, says that contracting log yard services isn’t a totally new initiative, as the company previously had different arrangements in

place that involved a combination of internal and external contract operations, working together to deliver log yard services. In addition to log yard management, Tolko High Prairie has also hired Gift Lake Logging, a logging contractor based at the Gift Lake Métis Settlement. Tolko has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Whitefish Lake 459 First Nation, north of the plant, to co-operate on logging and hauling opportunities involving the First Nation’s Crown wood tenure and

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

deciduous timber allocation (DTA). Wood from this location is transported to both the High Prairie mill and Tolko Athabasca plant in nearby Slave Lake. Romanchuk says that this level of First Nations and Métis involvement in overall High Prairie operations makes sense because “all of our wood comes from someone’s traditional area and Tolko has many examples of Indigenous businesses as an integral part of our supply chain. Driftpile has proven to be a great Tolko partner.” Tolko is rather unique in the industry with its approach to contracting out log yard services. It had an excellent template to follow, having launched a similar initiative for the first time several years ago at their Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, OSB plant. Romanchuk says High Prairie managers certainly did investigate how the log yard is managed in Meadow Lake, as well as their log yard at their Athabasca OSB plant in Slave Lake, where they also contract out log yard services. “They laid the excellent groundwork, and we have taken and built on it for our operation,” he says. Tolko harvesting supervisor Stacy Brewer is highly engaged in the dayto-day supervision of the millyard and is involved in ongoing communication and co-ordination with representatives from Driftpile. This helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and it allows for the planning and implementation required to efficiently run an operation of this scale. Romanchuk says that Tolko appreciates the support that local First Nations have shown, helping to make it possible for the OSB plant to re-open. “When the High Prairie plant was idle during the economic downturn that faced the forest industry, many Indigenous communities, including Driftpile, stood with Tolko to preserve our licences, enabling the re-opening of the mill,” he says. “Tolko continues to value that support and loyalty, and recognizes that our future prosperity is dependent on Indigenous prosperity. This project has definitely been a success from our perspective.” Sasakamoose says that ultimately, this log yard management venture is a business, and the goal is to consistently deliver a good product to the plant. “It’s brought a lot of pride back into our communities and our employees are really enjoying going to work every day,” he says. “It’s close to home, so they don’t have to travel great distances.”

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customsawmilling

Opting for

OFF-SPECIES

ew Brunswick’s Tony Boyd took a circuitous route to custom sawmilling. His ambition to get greater value out of the ‘off species’ sawlogs that he was producing led him to purchasing a portable bandsaw and developing a

regional clientele, who now seek him out for high quality, custom-sawed lumber. Out of high school, Boyd studied to become a pipefitter. When he went looking for summer work between courses at community college, he found a job on a thinning saw, working on a Department of Natural Resources crew, pre-commercial

Sawmiller Tony Boyd with some hardwood lumber air drying in one of the two three-sided sheds the operation has on the mill site.

thinning natural regeneration on Crown land blocks across southern New Brunswick. After he had finished the pipefitter course, he quickly realized that finding steady work in the trade was very difficult. But Boyd knew he could make a living with a thinning saw, and so he strapped one on and began finding employment working on private woodlots in the region around his home in Salmon Creek, north of Sussex, New Brunswick. In 1994, when the thinning season shut down at Christmas, he looked for alternative employment, and realized that many of the private woodlot owners he had been doing pre-commercial thinning for were also looking for contractors to do semi-commercial thinning and other sensitive partial cut harvesting. Boyd equipped himself with a farm tractor, forestry winch and a chainsaw, and became a harvesting contractor. He says that while the opportunity to work in pipefitting remained unpredictable, his skills as a thinning and harvest contractor became more and more predictable—and enjoyable. It was seeing high quality logs from his logging work end up in a low grade market that spurred him to look for a way to get better value from those logs. While mainstream mills consume spruce, pine and fir logs, less abundant softwood species including cedar, tamarack and hemlock have fewer markets. Hardwood logs have markets within the province, but transportation to those distant mills often eats up a good deal of the value. Boyd sought out portable mill operators to get them to mill those high value, off species logs. When they quoted their prices for custom sawing, he said he to page 14

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

customsawmilling

from page 12 quickly concluded that he should have own his own portable mill—and market the lumber from those high value specialty sawlogs himself. He followed his instinct, and in 2005 he purchased a small Norwood portable bandsaw mill. He used the Norwood for about a year and then, as his sawing

and lumber sales business grew, it was replaced with a Wood-Mizer LT40. The Wood-Mizer was equipped with a 24 horsepower gas engine, and he installed it in a 30-foot by 60-foot building near his home. Boyd says that his initial sales of lumber came about by word of mouth, with individuals and contractors contacting him for lumber for small and large projects. While

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

he points out that he has an advertisement on Kijiji, he contends that most of his business still comes through word of mouth. One of the major species processed by the mill is eastern white cedar. EWC produces highly versatile lumber, which finishes very nicely and has very good rot resistance qualities. Boyd’s cedar products include decking, posts, timbers, siding, tongue and groove, and paneling.

customsawmilling After 10 years, a gas-powered Wood-Mizer LT40 was replaced with a new LT50 unit equipped with a 25 horsepower electric motor.

Tamarack also has good rot resistance characteristics, as well as wear resistance, and finishes very attractively. Tamarack is marketed as decking and flooring stock. Hemlock is also recognized for rot resistance, but tends to be subject to shake, so a good deal is directed to landscape products. Boyd’s mill also produces a fair amount of white pine lumber. Boyd’s highest quality hardwood

lumber is sawn from yellow birch, sugar maple and red oak, but he also saws some less popular hardwoods, including white birch, red maple and poplar. Boyd pointed out that poplar, which is generally considered a pulpwood species, makes attractive lumber and lends itself to machining into moulding products. While sap wood generates quality lumber, the heartwood also has markets as timbers and blocking. In addition to logs from his own harvest operations, Boyd began buying logs from small and large wood producers around southern New Brunswick. As his harvesting/silviculture contracting business grew, Boyd added a skidder, and later, a forwarder, while continuing to rely on chainsaw operators to cut the wood. In 2015, Boyd faced real difficulties in finding chainsaw and machine operators, and shut down his harvesting operation and sold off the logging equipment. When his own logging show stopped, Boyd just increased purchases from other loggers. While the LT40 proved to be a reliable and efficient mill, Boyd and his helper were not fond of operating it with the doors closed, to avoid inclement weather.

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The milling business had developed into a year ‘round operation, and Boyd was looking for a way to avoid exhaust gas build-up in the sawmill building. After 10 years, the LT40 was replaced with a new Wood-Mizer LT50 equipped with a 25 horsepower electric motor. The new mill also has a static operator station at the rear of the mill, so the sawyer does not have to walk along with the power/ saw unit. Boyd had consulted with the New Brunswick Power Commission prior to making the deal on the electric powered mill, because his rural location is not supported with triple phase power, which the motor requires. He was assured that his electric power requirements could be met with the installation of a Frequency Drive Unit. Boyd acquired a used frequency drive, which proved not to be up to his motor’s requirements. He searched out more advanced technical help and eventually sourced the proper unit and had it programmed to meet his needs. to page 16

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customsawmilling from page 15 “After we got the right unit and programmed it properly, it works very well,” he says. “We have lot of power, and we have no fumes to worry about in the building. It is a good investment.” Boyd says they now have clean, quiet, quick and constant power, and it requires less maintenance then gasoline power. “Just flick the switch and all the power for the mill is there immediately.” He explained that the LT50 has two hydraulic pumps, compared to only one pump on the LT40. He pointed out that the extra hydraulic power means increased performance and higher mill production. The mill also provides automatic setworks, and hydraulic control to turn, position and hold the log. As his milling business grew, Boyd added a Logosol planer unit, and shortly after traded up to a Logosol 260 planer. “It is a good fit for our size of operation. It requires three phase power and we installed an inverter, which allows it to run on single phase power from the grid,” he explained. “We can get all kinds of knives for it and it’s very productive for a mill operation like ours. We can plane boards four sides for decking, or we can put on a profile knife and make paneling or custom trim profiles. Cedar is known for dulling blades and knives. I use four sided carbide inserts for cedar and they work pretty good.” Boyd relies on Woodmaster Tools in Truro, Nova Scotia for his moulding knives and dressing inserts. “I can send down a catalog number for a special profile I need to do, and they put it on the bus and I can pick it up next day in Sussex, and have them working right away. Woodmaster provides us with excellent service.”

The busy logyard includes some hardwood logs which have been on the skids for up to three years, to establish spalting and color within the log. Spalted and other figurewood like birds-eye maple and flaming birch are in demand for customers looking for unique lumber for projects. Figurewood, as well as live sawed lumber, is sawed two-and-a-quarter-inch thickness or one-and-a-quarter-inch, and stickered for air drying in sheds. “I seem to have the best luck spalting yellow birch,” says Boyd. “The bark stays tight and after two to three years piled down on skids in the yard, the logs develop very unique and very colourful marking. Lots of builders and crafters like it for counters or table tops. I don’t have

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

The markets for wood products from Tony Boyd’s sawmill operation are primarily in the southern half of New Brunswick, but he also has repeat customers in Nova Scotia, who will make an up to six-hour drive to source specialty lumber products. as good luck spalting maple, and maybe that’s because the bark is a bit more porous.” Boyd has two 3-sided sheds (28-foot by 52-foot and 15-foot by 80-foot, with 12-foot heights). Lumber is stickered, strapped and stacked to allow air drying to a moisture content that customers require. “I have a kiln unit ready to go to work. I plan to get a couple of retired highway reefer trailers and hook up the unit, to increase my drying capacity,” commented Boyd. Markets are primarily in the southern half of New Brunswick, but he also has repeat customers in Nova Scotia, who will make the “up to six hour drive” to source specialty lumber products. In addition to specialty lumber for furniture and interior trim, at the other end of the spectrum he supplies square timber for blocking in industries ranging from ship building and the trucking industry, to shipping container handling and storage. Boyd says he gets calls regularly from homeowners and building contractors who require odd size timber and lumber (both hardwood and softwood), for unique building or restoration projects “Business is strong, and there is always lots of demand for off species lumber,” he says. “People are always calling for specialty lumber products, and custom sawed lumber.”

contractorprofile

A LOGGING PACKAGE that delivers

James Willis has logged in the West and East, working with the same dependable, productive Tigercat 845 buncher, though these days he has a new Log Max 6000V head, and opted for the Rotobec continuous rotator, a package that delivers the goods. By George Fullerton ames and Susan Willis manage J.A. Willis Contracting with ambition, strict business acumen, with a focus on efficient and productive equipment and highly motivated operators—it’s a powerful formula. While in high school, James worked planting trees for J.D. Irving and decided that his future career would be working in forestry. He attended New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) in

Miramichi, New Brunswick, and graduated from the mechanized harvest operator program, and began operating harvesting gear for Irving. Looking for a bit of adventure, he headed west in 2008 and discovered an opportunity to become a contractor around Fort St. John, British Columbia, operating on small salvage harvest blocks. For gear, James made a deal on a Tigercat harvester for sale in Sussex, New Brunswick, and had it shipped across country to him.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

“I had experience with the Tigercat 845 and Log Max heads, so I was determined that was what I would start my own business with,” he recalls. “The one in Sussex was the only one I could find in Canada, so I bought it and had it floated out.” Since it was difficult to obtain good trucking service in Fort St. John, James purchased a used Kenworth tractor along to page 20

Below: James Willis (right) of J. Willis Contracting with Todd McLaughlin who operates the Tigercat 845, which is now equipped with a Log Max 6000V head and the Log Mate 510 computer.

contractorprofile from page 18 with a log trailer, which he put to work hauling from his own operations. He also invested in a float which went to work moving his own gear, as well as hiring out to other contractors. While in Fort St. John, James met Susan who was working summers for forest company Canfor, while she was enrolled at Lakehead University. A relationship developed and they married and, consequently, became business partners. Susan became a full time employee for Canfor following her graduation with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry, and also moonlighted providing office support for J.A. Willis Contracting. In 2016, when James and Susan decided to return to New Brunswick, they loaded up the Tigercat, this time on their own float, and shipped it back to New Brunswick. “That machine is so much a part of me,” explains James. “It has 70,000 hours on it and I still look at it and realize it is still a highly productive machine and anything can be rebuilt, and I know it will perform.” His confidence in the Tigercat led him to upgrade the harvesting head from a Log Max 9000 to a brand new Log Max 6000V head and the new Log Mate 510 computer. “We are very pleased with the new head, he says. “It has vastly improved saw power and a beefed up frame that allows it to perform well in any type of wood.” James explained that stands he works in are typically mixed. He pointed out that while they may be in a softwood stand which might be predominately studwood and pulpwood grade trees, the harvest operation will very consistently encounter a component of big rough hardwood to harvest and process as well. “You need a head that can handle anything—and this 6000V can handle everything we see, very comfortably.” The new head also came with the Logmate 510 computer which James contends gives his operation an advantage. “I think Log Max is the best all round head, whether harvesting or processing behind a buncher,” he says. “It can grab stems effectively and handle any size. If our buncher is felling hardwoods with big crotches that will challenge the processor, the buncher operator will cut off one side of the crotch so the processor can handle them. It takes the buncher a little time, but it makes the other processes so much more efficient.” 20

The Log Mate 510 is very sensitive and very accurate, he added. “It will very accurately merchandize every log to the mill spec. I will walk past a roadside pile of studwood and notice sticks that I think are below spec, but when I put a tape to them, they are in the spec.”

“The Tigercat 845 is so much a part of me,” explains James Willis. “It has 70,000 hours on it and I still look at it and realize it is still a highly productive machine.” Getting the highest value logs from a tree is very important for him as a contractor since the price of studwood is about double the price for pulpwood. “Making sure all the studwood gets into the studwood mill is also very important for my woodlot owner clients. I want to be sure they also get all the value possible from their harvest—and the Logmate does that job so well.” When researching the new Log Max Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

6000V head, James also gave considerable study to evaluating continuous rotators, to understand if it would make his operation more productive. Log Max promotes the Rotobec continuous rotator as an option to go with their processing heads. James ordered the Rotobec rotator with the head, and again says it makes his operation more efficient and profitable. “I figure the rotator paid for itself in just a matter of months.” James says that rotating a conventional head to its max will inevitably put stretch on the hydraulic hoses supplying the head. The repeated stretching ultimately results in blown hoses. “It not only costs to build and install a new hose, it also means we lose two or three hours of valuable production time,” he explained. “With the rotator, we avoid both those costs.” Todd McLaughlin operates the Tigercat with the new Log Max head, and he admires the rotator for the reliability (fewer broken hoses) and for the agility it adds to the harvester. “The rotator allows me to easily reach around a stem to fell it in the most efficient way. With a conventional set-up,

to page 22

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contractorprofile from page 20 I may have to reposition the harvester to place the head where I want it and that takes time and that impacts our production,” explained McLaughlin. There is a division of responsibilities at J.A. Willis Contracting. Susan handles the payroll, Work Safe, and a whole lot of other paperwork. “There is no way I could manage the woods side of the business without Susan working really hard on the office side. The business is definitely a team effort,” stated James. Susan combines business chores with managing eighteen-month-old Erin and three–year-old James, and holding down a steady job outside the family home. “We fit in the business work after the kids are in bed,” says Susan. In addition to the Tigercat 845, the Willis operation purchased a John Deere 1510 forwarder to get started in New Brunswick. Since then, they have added a John Deere 753 with a 6000B Log Max head, a Ponsse Buffalo King forwarder, a John Deere buncher with Deere head, a Tigercat 860 buncher with Tigercat head, a John Deere 2154D loader, a Komastsu 61EX dozer and a new Peterbilt truck with BWS quad trailer. The equipment line-up also includes four-door pickup trucks for crew to commute to the jobsite. The operation is primarily a single shift operation with operators putting in 10 hours in their seat, and a couple more hours on maintenance. The John Deere harvester and the Ponsse forwarder also do a night shift. The night shift fits the operator’s nocturnal preference for working, and adds production to the operation. James pointed out that using bunchers ahead of the harvesters processing the wood makes the operation more effective, especially in stands where the piece size is small. In the past, James had contracted bunchers, but found it difficult to get the kind of results he was looking for, so they bought their own buncher and ensured the operator bunched the trees (sort, species, etc.) so the processors could work productively, and the forwarders as well. “We also work the harvesters as individual tree harvesters,” he says. “It just depends on what the landowner wants to see. We can maintain high quality natural regeneration with the bunchers in certain stand types. We assess every harvest block individually, and consult the owner and plan the harvest and equipment choice,

and work to meet their expectations.” James said he did not want to get into trucking, but it is so difficult to find and keep truckers, that he went out and bought his own truck. “We also do our own floating, so I will put the truck on the float when required. “As a small business we need to move wood to maintain cash flow,” he noted. “I hire trucks to get the trucking capacity we want, but trucks are not always available. We have a couple of really good truckers, and we want to keep them. “I look for used log trailers, because I feel they are a better deal,” he added. “I can take a used trailer and sandblast and paint it, re-wire and fix up the suspension, and I have an economically priced trailer compared to buying new.” They have their own loader, so they have no centre mount loader trailers, and look to hire trucks with no loaders. “With no centre mount loader, we get more payload into the mill with each load. “It’s very hard to find really good drivers with woods experience, but it is extremely hard to find good woods drivers with loader experience. Loaders on trailers also adds a whole lot more maintenance and repair to trucking, and they are a large capital cost.” Having their own loader gives them flexibility. “I use the John Deere loader for other work, for example. I will unload the forwarders if I am at roadside, and often I will unload forwarders right on to trucks if things line up just right. “Sometimes the loader will sit for a number of hours, and I will think that it is

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

In addition to the Tigercat 845, the Willis operation purchased a John Deere 1510 forwarder to get started in New Brunswick, and later equipment purchases have included a John Deere 2154D loader (above). a cost, but when I evaluate the complete picture, the loader offers good value to the operation,” he says. “Similarly, the dozer may sit around for weeks and not move, and I look at it and wonder why I have it. And then I will use it to fix the road so wood can move, and the alternative would have been to shut down trucks, maybe for days, while I waited for a contracted dozer to show up to do the work.” They have a large repair shop at their home in Newmarket, north of Fredericton. The shop allows them to do repair work on their equipment, as required. “I get Brandt in Fredericton to handle a lot of repairs and overhaul work. I have found they provide very good service, and have very knowledgeable mechanics.” The Willis’s work primarily on private woodlots, but have also done specialized harvest and silviculture work on the Acadia Research Forest (Natural Resources Canada). Willis also contracts for J.D. Irving as a “Flex Contractor”, on an asneeded basis. “We do a good deal of clearcut harvesting, but we also do a lot of partial cut and a lot of harvesting which protects the natural regeneration,” says James. “Other contractors will say you can’t make any money doing thinning, and I say all I have to do is price the job correctly. If an owner or a manager wants a specific kind of harvest that has significant operational challenges, then we are going to work out a price where they get the results they want and I get paid for the exceptional service I provide them.”

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Taking care of business

B.C.’s Homalco First Nation is looking to build up its forestry operations, to make optimum use of their logging equipment—and to continue to grow its business and provide jobs and training for the band’s members.

wémalhkwu (Homalco) means “people of the fast running waters.” This was inspired by the turbulent waters surrounding the original home of the Homalco Nation in Bute Inlet, one

of the main inlets on the B.C. Coast—and the heart of the business for the Homalco Forestry Limited Partnership. The Homalco First Nation started their forestry program with a vision that they

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

continue to see through: “to provide integrated resource management for their core area of Bute Inlet by managing the land within their traditional territory in a respectful way that provides for sustainable growth of all resources”. The Homalco Territory spans 1.5 million hectares from the Chilcotin Plateau on the B.C. Mainland to Campbell River on Vancouver Island. Homalco people have been stewards of their land since time immemorial. Their approach to resource management today is built on four pillars: forestry, tourism, fish and wildlife, and power with the aim of supporting the cultural social and economic well-being of the Nation. The forestry pillar, made with a strong employee group, board, and partnerships, is operating their own logging company and has acquired forest tenure of their own—forest tenure they wish to grow. “If we have that kind of control of resources

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in our territory, our rights become stronger, and our economic development also becomes stronger,” says Homalco Chief Darren Blaney. Homalco Forestry Limited Partnership (HFLP) was established in 2011 to conduct forest management and provide timber harvesting services within the territory. HFLP, wholly owned by the Homalco First Nation, is led by a board of directors under the guidance of Blaney, and managed by a dedicated employee group. The focus is on thoughtful management of the territory, safety, employment and training. Blaney says he has applied his personal commitment as Chief of the Homalco First Nation and President of HFLP to “development, accountability, and building relationships with the broader community of Campbell River”. Blaney has worked to increase the expertise on the board, increase the number of Homalco members as employees, and has turned attention to the careful management of the company’s finances through “discipline and monitoring”. Blaney explained that the forestry operation’s goals include providing a regular annual income stream to contribute to community programs and further investment in business for the Nation, as well as creating the opportunity for long term well-paid jobs—these jobs would be not just for Homalco people, but also the communities adjacent to Homalco in Campbell River and northern Vancouver Island. Building on this, the community can develop capacity for the Nation; for young people for training and future careers, says Blaney. HFLP initiated its investment in their own tenure with the purchase of Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 43 from Kruger Inc. Kruger inherited the TFL when it purchased Scott Paper, which harvested to page 26

Homalco connects with forest company Interfor

orest company Interfor has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Homalco First Nation to “foster a positive working relationship” in B.C.’s coastal region, says the company. “We already have a great relationship with the Homalco First Nations, whose traditional territory overlaps two of our forest licences,” says Andrew Meyer, Interfor’s Operations Manager, Coastal Woodlands. “The MOU improves this by setting out our respective interests and objectives so we can work together openly and respectfully with mutual trust.” The MOU is seen as a platform from which the Homalco and Interfor can launch future business opportunities such as tenure management aimed at meeting the shared interests of both parties—fiber security, land base certainty and business development. Gene Hudema, Manager, First Nation and Forestry Partnerships for Interfor, says the company has had a relationship with the Homalco First Nation that goes back about 20 years, pre-dating Homalco Forestry Limited Partnership. The Bute Inlet is a key operating area for Interfor, and the company targets 120,000 cubic metres a year to Homalco Forestry, on a stump to dump basis. “It’s a win/win for all of us,” Hudema says. The relationship Interfor has with Homalco is seen as kind of a template in terms of other First Nations bands, in that Homalco has a well-developed forestry program, with its own equipment, and its forestry operations clearly deliver benefits to the band, he added. Other bands are actively working towards achieving that, with the encouragement and participation of Interfor and other B.C. forest companies.

There are solid opportunities for bands to have an active role in forestry in their traditional territories—and to benefit economically. Hudema says Interfor has taken a leadership role in working with First Nations He explained that Interfor has about 80 agreements of differing types with First Nations bands in B.C., 30 of them on the Coast, from the North Coast down to southwestern B.C. “We want the First Nations to be active and successful in the forestry sector,” he says. “It’s where the future is.” By participating in the forest industry, First Nations bands can provide forest management services, including logging, to build their own capacity and to help ensure that the forest resources are developed sustainably. Interfor has developed a document on dealing with bands, First Nations Partnerships: Objectives and Guiding Principles. The agreement it has signed with bands include mutually recognized objectives: • Long-term agreements for strong and stable participation of First Nations in the forest sector. • Business-to-business partnerships that build capacity and support community development. • Joint planning providing First Nations greater input into land-use planning within their territories. • Certainty for Interfor’s forest business in British Columbia. • Predictable and cost-efficient access to areas where Interfor holds harvest licences. • Respect for First Nations’ culture. • Addressing unique cultural, wildlife and environmental values in each territory.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

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Homalco Forestry harvests up to 160,000 cubic metres annually, and the company has purchased substantial heavy-duty logging equipment to be able to provide these services. On the grapple yarder side, they have two Cypress units, a 7280B and a 7280C. They also have some Hitachi equipment, an EX330LC-5 excavator as a back spar, and two log loaders, an EX400LL, an EX450LL and an EX450LC excavator with a quick attach grapple.

First Nations communities can help meet forest industry's need for more workers

he Canadian forest industry is going to need a lot of new workers in the years to come—and some of those workers are going to come from the First Nations community, including the Homalco First Nation on Vancouver Island. As part of an ongoing engagement process, the forest industry as a whole, and its associations, such as the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), have reached out to First Nations communities. That outreach makes sense in a number of ways; it’s estimated that between 70 and 80 per cent of Canada’s Indigenous population live close to forestry operations. FPAC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Assembly of First Nations, which seeks to strengthen Canada’s forest sector through economic

development initiatives and business investments, and the creation of skill development opportunities, particularly targeted to First Nations youth. A recent economic study from the B.C. Council of Forest Industries (COFI) found 5,315 Indigenous workers are directly employed in the forest industry in B.C. making up about nine per cent of the workforce, or 1 in 11 direct jobs. This level of employment is more than in any other resource sector in B.C. In addition to working directly in forestry and manufacturing jobs, indigenous participation in the forest sector is strong in the contracting sector, including activities such as logging, construction, silviculture, firefighting and professional services, the study found.

from page 25 cottonwood from the TFL to support its tissue plant in New Westminster, B.C. The TFL, which has an annual cut of nearly 20,000 cubic metres, includes considerable land at the head of Bute Inlet. In addition, HFLP has several forest licences. HFLP provides an opportunity for Homalco people to have an active role in forestry within their traditional territory. Plans incorporate the protection and management of the land base, fish and wildlife, water quality and cultural resources. With the advice of the Homalco community, HFLP integrates these environmental values to provide a holistic and sustainable planning framework, says Blaney. By participating in the forest industry, HFLP is able to help ensure that the development of forest resources is sustainable, with the values of Homalco people in mind, for present and future generations, he added. HFLP’s logging company is 100 per cent owned by the Homalco First Nation and is operating with up to a 24-person

to page 28 26

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

equipmentprofile

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Homalco Forestry’s logging company is 100 per cent owned by the Homalco First Nation and operates with up to a 24-person crew in logging camps in some of the most remote areas on the central coast of B.C., from its base in Campbell River. About 50 per cent of their crew is indigenous and the company works for most of the major licensees in the area as well as on their own tenures. from page 26 crew in logging camps in some of the most remote areas on the central coast of B.C., from its base in Campbell River. About 50 per cent of their crew is indigenous and the company works for most of the major licensees in the area as well as on their own tenures. “Working in our territory means a lot to me,” says Ron Hackett, a Homalco Member and Logging Supervisor at HFLP. “Today I’m logging here and that brings me back home.” Hackett and his fellow employees’ connection to the land and hard work at HFLP was acknowledged in 2017, when the company was recognized by the BC

Achievement Foundation at their BC Aboriginal Business Awards for outstanding business achievement. HFLP received the Community Owned Business of the Year award. “The BC Indigenous Business Award recognizes enterprises that create and expand opportunities, relationships and communities, all with the goal of a more prosperous future,” said foundation Chair, Anne Giardini, who is the former president of Weyerhaeuser Company Limited. “BC Achievement is particularly excited to highlight some of the many Indigenous businesses across British Columbia that foster innovation, integrating the practices of the past with the economies of the future.” HFLP harvests up to 160,000 cubic

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

metres annually. The company has purchased substantial heavy-duty logging and marine equipment to be able to provide these services. Their major equipment line-up includes four Madill 3800C loaders and two Madill 2850C processors with Waratah heads. They also have some Hitachi equipment, an EX330LC-5 excavator as a back spar, and two log loaders, an EX400LL, an EX450LL and an EX450LC excavator with a quick attach grapple. Equipment is moved around, to also do hoe chucking. Their skidders include two Cats, a 528 and a 545C, and a John Deere 748 GIII. On the grapple yarder side, they have two Cypress units, a 7280B and a 7280C. With the support of local forestry specialists, like Great West Equipment out of Campbell River, they are able to maintain and invest in their current fleet so it can perform as efficiently as possible for the long-term. HFLP’s success then directly contributes to the economic fabric of the broader community through procurement. On the path of continual improvement, HFLP’s board recently hired Jim Auringer as their Forestry Manager. Auringer’s broad background in managing and supervising various contract logging operations has spanned decades. His expertise and network will complement HFLP’s business and engagement in the sector and ensure long-term, sustainable, benefits to the Homalco and broader community. The team at HFLP believes in the power of partnerships and working cooperatively for mutual benefit. HCFP recently signed a five-year relationship agreement with Interfor working together within the territory with open communication, meaningful engagement, and joint decision-making. (see story on page 25)

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With the support of local forestry equipment specialists, like Great West Equipment out of Campbell River, Homalco Forestry are able to maintain and invest in their current fleet so it can perform as efficiently as possible for the long-term.Their major equipment line-up includes a good amount of Madill equipment, including four Madill 3800C loaders and two Madill 2850C processors with Waratah heads. They also have business relationships with several industry players including A&A Trading who markets their timber. “We bring our broad and well established network of customers to Homalco’s business,” says A &A’s President, John Mohammed. “We focus on attaining the very best value for each and every one of their logs. We believe every dollar counts when it goes back into the community or contributes to furthering Homalco’s long term business goals.” HFLP's logging company has successful contracts with major licensees in the area like Interfor, TimberWest, and A&A Trading. Industry colleagues are committed to increasing the engagement of First Nations in the forest sector. “Hiring HFLP as a contractor is one way we can contribute to their growth. At the same time, we see contractor capacity strengthening. So it is a win for everyone,” says Mohammed. HFLP’s long-term goals are to continue to build on their business and provide jobs, training and revenue for the Nation’s community and members. The objectives to meet those goals include the development of an Integrated Resource Management Strategy and Plan. Here, HFLP will co-manage the forest resources in the territory to provide Homalco with sustainable economic and social development for present and future generations. To complement that, they are looking to build on their contracted volume and client base as well as work with the province to increase their own tenure or land area and subsequent stake in the territory. HFLP leadership also stays in tune with changes to forest policy that may impact the success of their business. Homalco has partnered with other licensees to ensure the unique operations and local and broad reaching benefits of First Nations

forestry business and their partners is understood by provincial policy makers, says Blaney. To ensure they are making the most sustainable business choices and adapting to a constantly changing business environment, HFLP is currently working with accounting/consulting firm MNP to develop metrics for the business as well as work on a five-year plan—following through

with Blaney’s charge of “discipline and monitoring”. Securing new opportunities, partnerships and continually improving their business; the People of the fast running waters have met, and continue to meet, their original vision of a sustainable and successful forestry business, says Blaney.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

THE

ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF INDUSTRY INNOVATION

The 411 on the forest carbon sink

he scientific community is abuzz with talk about sinks—the kind you have to step outside and be with nature to see. Carbon sinks are components of the ecosystem that capture and store more carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere than they release. Natural carbon sinks include oceans, trees, plants, and soil. Trees capture CO2 in the atmosphere and convert it into carbon through photosynthesis. Stored carbon is environmentally neutral, which is just one reason why forests and forest products are our allies in combatting the effects of climate change and in achieving climate-change mitigation goals. FPInnovations is collaborating with a network of research scientists and government officials in the Working Group on Forests and Climate Change (WGFCC) to report on emissions and carbon stocks in land use. The group is modelling three options through which the forest industry can contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction: more intensive forest management, developing a market for bioenergy, and a combination of both. “We have to move beyond conventional ways to reduce emissions,” says Patrick Lavoie, an FPInnovations senior

sustainability scientist and WGFCC leader. “ Relying on reducing emissions from transportation, industry, and buildings is reaching for low-hanging fruit,” Lavoie says. “Governments are now looking at drastically cutting emissions and it’s becoming clear that society needs to apply negative-emission technologies to get there; such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, and forest-based strategies geared towards products with long service lives.” By 2030, Canada has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels. Lavoie says that a forest-based bioeconomy can become a major player in meeting that target by replacing emissions-intensive products and energy and moving towards renewable options. This strategy will also allow the forest industry to maximize revenue from every log that’s harvested. Canada is well-positioned with its swaths of boreal forests, which cover 35 per cent of our land mass and make up nearly 10 per cent of the worlds’s forests, to take the international lead in strategic forest planning to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

What does this mean for the forest industry?

Lavoie and the WGFCC want to see the forest industry capitalize on Canada’s prodigious forests to increase CO2 sequestration and to have carbon sequestration in forests and forest products recognized as a way to achieve GHG targets set for 2030 and 2050. “The industry is typically supportive of a more active role in climate change mitigation and governments are increasingly open to considering the forest sector’s contributions,” says Lavoie. The forest carbon sink offers part of the solution to a man-made global crisis. By intensively managing wood stocks to augment the sequestration of CO2, the forest industry will ensure its economic viability while creating a sustainable industry that contributes to reducing GHG emissions.

For more information on FPInnovations’ research on the forest carbon sink, please contact Patrick Lavoie at Patrick.Lavoie@fpinnovations.ca

Research funded by Alberta Innovates investigates lignin as feedstock for biofuel By Tony Kryzanowski

he University of Alberta has developed an exciting new technology supported by Alberta Innovates (AI) that is able to convert oils and fats, commonly known as lipids, into green fuels like renewable diesel and biojet fuel. While the feedstock used in the lipid-to-hydrocarbon (LTH) technology developed at the U of A is typically plant oil from crops like non-foodgrade canola or animal fats, researchers are now being asked to consider byproducts from the forest industry, such as lignin, as a potential feedstock. Biofuels are an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional fossil fuels, with raw materials to produce them sourced from renewable resources. They can also be dropped into existing conventional fossil fuel streams. Lignin, a byproduct of the pulp industry, is abundant, bio-friendly, and an under-utilized biomass that represents another potential non-food feedstock alternative for use in the LTH process. The question is whether it can be converted to biofuels economically. Alberta Innovates (AI) has provided $240,667 to the U of A through its Alberta Bio Future research and innovation funding program to answer this question. “Alberta Innovates is interested in seeing more biomass used to create industrial bioproducts such as biofuel. We invest in promising research and product development, as well as scaleup and commercialization of new bioproducts and technologies,” says Steve Price, Executive Director of Bioindustrial Innovation at Alberta Innovates. “This kind of innovation helps to expand business opportunities for the forestry sector, an important industry employing 40,000 Albertans,” Price adds. “It also helps to expand the growing bioeconomy in Alberta. In addition, biofuels made from renewable, sustainable biomass such as lignin will help to lower our carbon footprint.”

Demo observing: A member of the U of A research team investigates various organisms that can cost-effectively break down lignin from a complex molecule to a simple molecule that can then be used to make biofuels. The researchers working on this project are collaborating with InnoTech Alberta, an applied research subsidiary of AI, and forest products manufacturer, West Fraser, which is supplying highquality lignin from a lignin recovery facility at its pulp mill in Hinton, Alberta. Construction of this lignin recovery facility also received AI funding. Invention of the LTH technology was spearheaded by Dr. David Bressler, Professor of Biorefining Conversions & Fermentations, and Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta. Dr. Bressler says if his team succeeds in finding a way to prepare lignin so that it can be used as a feedstock for the LTH process, this will provide yet another potential commercial outlet for lignin. This is cutting-edge science and it won’t be easy because of the complexity of the lignin molecule. “We are working with InnoTech and West Fraser, looking for organisms that Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

can ferment and convert lignin into lipid oils and fats that can then be converted further into renewable diesel, green gasoline and now potentially biojet fuel by using our base technology,” says Dr. Bressler. He notes that forest companies already produce lipids as part of their pulping process, creating another byproduct called tall oil, which also has potential as an LTH process feedstock. Considering both lignin and tall oil, this could potentially create new revenue streams for the forest industry, with forest company byproducts going into biofuel production. “There is a very large volume of this material available,” Bressler says. “So, if we are able to find more applications to use it, this creates more markets. The more markets you have for your feedstock, the better it is for industry, because markets for conventional wood products go up and down all the time.” With the growing world population and demand for energy, coupled with reduced availability over time of non-renewable fossil fuels, there is a need to find a variety of feedstocks to produce energy, he adds. This makes the investigation into the potential of pulp industry byproducts as a potential renewable feedstock resource for the production of biofuel critically important for the future. “We are looking for ways to take this complex lignin molecule and converting it into a very simple molecule that can go into a lot of other pathways,” says Dr. Bressler. “The challenge is to do that cost-effectively.”

For more information about LTH technology and work associated with preparing lignin as a potential feedstock, contact Dr. David Bressler at david.bressle@ualberta.ca. For more information about the Alberta Bio Future program, contact Julia Necheff at julia.necheff@albertainnovates.ca.

CWFC Short Rotation Woody Crop Mitigate And Revegetate Industrial By Tony Kryzanowski

ultinational fertilizer producer, Nutrien, has proven that short rotation woody crop (SRWC) plantation technology developed by the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) can be used successfully to revegetate phosphogypsum byproduct stacks, with many advantages over a standard grass cover crop. For the past two decades, CWFC has developed, tested and validated its SRWC establishment and management protocols at various technical development and demonstration sites across Canada using hybrid poplar and aspen clones in high yield afforestation applications of 1100-1600 stems per hectare, as well as hybrid poplar, willow and aspen in concentrated biomass designs with 14,000-16,000 stems per hectare. CWFC’s main focus has been to encourage uptake of these tree plantation systems on agricultural land. However, Nutrien has proven that CWFC's short rotation high yield afforestation technology in particular can be applied successfully as a long-term cover crop to mitigate and revegetate industrial sites. After testing the technology in partnership with CWFC for the past five years on about 19 hectares of stored phosphogypsum stacks and a reclaimed retention pond at their nitrogen fertilizer production plant near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nutrien is now planning to roll out this revegetation system when they close their other production sites in Alberta. This includes two more stacks in Fort

Saskatchewan and the massive accumulation of phosphogypsum at the company’s Redwater fertilizer production plant northeast of Edmonton. The company has shut down their phosphate production at Redwater this spring and are developing a reclamation plan to cap and vegetate phosphogypsum stacks on about 300 hectares of land. “As we close phosphogypsum stacks, I am going to use this protocol,” says Nutrien Environmental Scientist, Connie Nichol. “This is a unicorn. Nobody has ever grown trees on phosphogypsum stacks before." She adds that she promotes this proven revegetation system with all phosphate companies around the world, suggesting that they should be growing forests on their stacks instead of grass, while also sharing CWFC's short rotation woody crop technology. In addition to developing high yield afforestation and concentrated biomass SRWC technology, CWFC has also developed a novel afforestation pattern where white spruce is planted in the understory of high yield afforestation crops, allowing adopters to grow two potential cash crops on the same land base. Nutrien intends to apply this pattern

2nd Season Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

as part of its revegetation program, thus creating a mixed wood forest. “This is a perfect example of first adopters taking advantage of our research and development and applying it technically onto their land base with success,” says Derek Sidders, Project Manager, Technology Development and Transfer at CWFC. “Their application produces a forest that protects against erosion of the land, cleans the water, and assists with air quality by capturing carbon dioxide.” Nichol is supervising the Nutrien program and is working closely with CWFC Wood Fibre Development Specialist, Tim Keddy. She says that this revegetation method offers a number of advantages over the standard practice of using grass as a cover crop on phosphogypsum stacks. First, their SRWC plantations achieved crown closure after about three years, requiring no further vegetation management below the trees. This means that Nutrien saves a significant amount of money by not having to repeatedly mow grass on the revegetated stacks, or treating weed infestations, should they occur. Second, as a large emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs) as part of its fertilizer production process, Nutrien is lowering its GHG impact as SRWC tree plantations are proven to sequester carbon at a significant rate well above even native forests. Third, the tree plantations are a cash crop that offers the company an opportunity to harvest and market the wood fibre in the future to producers of bio-products. Fourth, the SRWC plantations provide wildlife habitat and have attracted

Technology Finds New Use To Sites a wide variety of mammals and birds. Fifth, testing of the SRWC crops shows no danger of toxicity within the trees and according to Nichol, they grow more quickly on the phosphogypsum stacks than on regular soil. And finally, the sites demonstrate to the public Nutrien’s desire to be a responsible corporate citizen, concerned with their impact on the environment, particularly with the production of high volumes of phosphogypsum byproduct, and a willingness to mitigate their impact while helping the environment. “The learning curve for me was very steep, so I was thrilled to partner with the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, because they had the expertise in doing this and I had none,” says Nichol. “I couldn’t have done any of this without them. They were able to pick the tree clones which would do best in this situation and were able to customize the best afforestation plan for our conditions.” CWFC prepared the sites slated for revegetation by deep disking the six to fourteen centimetres of topsoil to help with moisture penetration, consciously mixing some of the phosphogypsum with it. The trees responded well, with significant growth particularly in the first few years. Keddy developed the plantation design, supervised the planting of 25 centimeter cuttings on the sites, as well as post-planting vegetation management, while at the same time monitoring growth response. “While we are creating and rebuilding an active ecosystem on this site, we are also creating a commercial crop,” says Keddy. “With the design we have here with high yield afforestation, it could be used as an alternative fibre supply for pulp or OSB mills,

3 Years Old

4 Years Old

bioenergy, renewable natural gas, and any product where wood from forests can be used.” One important finding by CWFC is that hybrid poplar in a high yield afforestation pattern adapts and grows well on industrial sites, making this a viable option to remediate industrial sites across Canada. To date, seven clones have been established on the Fort Saskatchewan site. Keddy says that it was a conscious choice during the rollout of the program at Nutrien to focus on high yield afforestation crops versus concentrated biomass. “With the high yield afforestation protocol using hybrid poplar, the establishment, management, and recovery costs of the full lifecycle are cheaper. The establishment costs are much lower than those of the concentrated biomass design, and our numbers show that the volume and related values that we are achieving from high yield afforestation exceed those of the concentrated biomass design,” Keddy says. “So at 1600 stems planted per

hectare versus 14,000 to 16,000 stems per hectare, we are getting the same volume of wood fibre and the management costs are much lower. Plus, we are planting white spruce in the understorey,” he adds Nichol says that the success achieved by Nutrien in partnership with CWFC on this project will reach a larger audience. “I’m writing this up for the next International Fertilizer Association handbook on basically how to create a forest on phosphogypsum stacks,” she says. “What we have learned here and how we do it in Alberta can very well be applied to other countries in the world.”

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

For more information about this revegetation project at Nutrien, contact Derek Sidders at derek.sidders@ canada.ca or Tim Keddy at tim.keddy@canada.ca.

Truck platooning: on the road towards a common goal

n the heels of the first-ever Canadian truck platooning trials on forest resource roads last year, FPlnnovations and partners Resolute Forest Products and Auburn University have successfully conducted new platooning trials near La Tuque, Quebec, north of Trois Rivières, to test the system’s new features. The July trials demonstrated that platooning technology can be adapted to perform under a wide variety of real-life operating conditions. The trials, conducted over a thousand kilometres, focused on the system’s ability to control the steering on the following truck, as well as the acceleration and braking systems. The latest tests correspond to level 2 of SAE’s international standards for driving automation. Level 2 requires a driver at the wheel of all trucks in a platoon to supervise the driving, even though the computer system performs several tasks. At level 4—the desired goal of the project—only one lead driver is required in the first truck. SAE International is an association of techni-

cal experts in the aerospace, automotive, and commercial vehicle industries. “We’re taking truck platooning on resource roads one step further and we aim to keep up the pace,” says Mathieu Blouin, FPlnnovations business development manager. “We’re increasing the complexity of the trials to get closer to real-world operations so that the system is able to respond safely to all the situations it will face.” “Resolute Forest Products is proud to support continued trucking trials,” says Jonathan Perron, director of forest operations for Resolute Forest Products. “It is important for us to align the development of new technologies with our operational realities, which is what these tests allow us to do.”

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

Several sectors to benefit from platooning

Representatives from several industries, such as mining and defence, also observed a platooning demonstration and rode in the trucks during the trials. Blouin notes platooning technology can benefit several industries that are ex-

periencing similar challenges, such as a skilled-driver shortage. The technology is seen as a viable solution to the situation and may attract a new generation of skilled workers to those sectors. Blouin says by combining their efforts to achieve the common goal of deploying truck platoons as a matter of standard practice, they will reach the finish line quicker. “We obviously still have a lot of work ahead of us, but we believe that by bringing together the right players and the right technologies, it is possible to accelerate the development of this technology.” Truck platooning is an emerging vehicle technology in which two or more trucks in a convoy are linked by a computer system that maintains the desired distance between trucks, as well as controls acceleration and braking, reacting faster than a driver can. For more information on the business development of platooning, please contact Mathieu Blouin at Mathieu.Blouin@fpinnovations.ca

TECHUPDATE

By Tony Kryzanowski

Kiln Drying Wellons

Wellons Canada has been a leading supplier of lumber drying technology for over 40 years. They provide full turnkey continuous dry kiln (CDK) installations. Offering both greenfield and batch kiln conversion options,

“We visited several Swedish sawmills that were using Valutec products and they exceeded our highest expectations in terms of the details, quality of design and energy efficiency,” says Jason Brochu, owner of Pleasant River Lumber. “At the end of the day, it was a very easy decision. Valutec has a product that will position us at the leading edge throughout North America when it comes to drying technology.” www.valutec.ca

Wagner Meters

Proven for over 50 years in hundreds of mills worldwide, Wagner’s moisture measurement systems and moisture analysis software have provided solutions to minimize wet claims and maximize profits. Providing critical moisture quality control data, mills can also rely on these valuable tools to alleviate product degrade due to overdrying. Using state of the art electromagnetic wave technology, the MC4000 includes recent innovations for in-kiln moisture measurement. Wellons’ CDK drying technology provides significant advantages over traditional batch kilns, says the company. These include providing production guarantees that are always met or exceeded; increased annual drying production; up to 30 per cent thermal energy recovery; improved grade recovery; lower standard deviation on target moisture content; optimal utilization with the kiln always 100 per cent full of lumber; and, more consistent lumber feed through the planer. www.wellons.ca

Valutec

Valutec is one of the world’s leading suppliers of timber kilns with more than 4,000 delivered kilns throughout its history. A strong focus on research and development has resulted in more than 20 international patents in technical solutions and guiding principles for drying and control systems.

The MC4000 Advanced In-Kiln Moisture Measurement System enables the kiln operator to monitor the moisture content (MC) of each charge and develop consistent drying time schedules for improved kiln performance and reduced operating costs. www.wagnermeters.com

USNR

USNR says its Counter Flow Kilns are the largest and most flexible in the industry. They use heating systems that produce 40 to page 36

In recent years, Valutec says that its TC continuous kilns have changed the way sawmills operate with a never-seen-before combination of flexibility, capacity and quality. In a TC kiln, the timber is dried during transport through a number of zones with separate climates. In November, Valutec will start up its first TC kiln in North America at Pleasant River Lumber in Maine. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

techupdate from page 35 mm BTUs from a variety of fuel sources including steam, shavings, green fuel, and natural gas. This flexibility allows mills to burn the fuel that gives them the most savings. The USNR Green Fuel Burner “gasifier” can be manufactured as a hybrid burner using a combination of green sawdust and natural gas independently in the same system. Mills can switch between fuel sources to take advantage of price fluctuations and other market conditions. Having more fuel source options also lets companies continue drying through quarterly clean outs by using gas. USNR has manufactured dry kilns for over 100 years, and today has the largest installed base in North America, says the company. www.usnr.com

DelTech Manufacturing

BID Group’s DelTech Manufacturing division is a primary manufacturer of Continuous Wood “Dual Path” Dry (DPK) kiln systems, coupled with biomass-fueled energy systems, consisting of dry and green sawdust burner systems, with steam, thermal oil and/or hotwater as an energy souce.

DelTech says that it is the leader in the design, manufacturing and installation of DPK systems with over 47 operating installations and with seven systems under construction. The DelTech system is designed around many customer oriented solutions, allowing for flexibility in the drying process, with the objective of assisting the customer’s base to achieve a higher productivity rate, lower standard deviation, lower energy consumption per unit dried, resulting in an increased grade recovery. DelTech says that it is committed to bringing innovative and economical solutions to the industry with continuous in-house R&D and collaboration with industry professionals. www.BIDGROUP.ca

Eberl

Eberl is a German-based kiln manufacturer that has been manufacturing high efficiency vacuum kilns and specialty container-type kilns since 1999. The company now has over 550 installations world-wide drying a variety of high value wood products including dimension stock, live edge slabs and large dimension timbers. This technology is now available in Canada. Steaming certain hardwoods for color control can also be conducted with the vacuum kilns. The container kilns are primarily designed for drying thinner stock material, heat treating pallets 36

and lumber, and drying firewood. One innovation that has developed strong interest is the Eberl V-Premium, high efficiency, heat pump vacuum kiln. The energy saving heat pump V-Premium vacuum kiln is well-suited for clients with no or limited on-site thermal capacity such as steam or hot water. All Eberl vacuum kilns accept standard stickered lumber packs. Kiln capacities can range from 1,500 to 30,000 board feet. www.eberl-trocknunsanlagen.de

MuehlboeckCanada

One of the biggest cost factors in producing lumber is thermal energy. With Muehlboeck’s drying systems Type 1003, already in operation at many sawmills, these costs are reduced by about half, says the company. The energy in the exhaust air is used for the drying process in a different part of the kiln.

The automated door system ensures heat loss is greatly reduced, but more importantly high capacity, high quality lumber output is guaranteed. Muehlboeck’s innovative continuous dry kiln (CDK) systems, such as Dynamic & Flow, also bring logistic yard benefits due to automatic unidirectional lumber transport with custom-made buffers for loading and unloading, which reduces operating costs by eliminating the need for nighttime forklift operation. Because of these advantages, Delco Forest Products Ltd in New Brunswick decided on one of Muehlboeck’s largest CDK’s for 100 million board feet. Installation is currently being completed. www.muehlboeck.com

EBI Electric

Since 1995, EBI Electric says that it has been a manufacturer of a top quality brand of high temperature, totally enclosed, dry kiln duty motors of unsurpassed durability and long-term reliability. From 1 to 30 horsepower, 900, 1200 and 1800 RPM, EBI motors are used by lumber dry kiln manufacturers and sawmills in North and South America, Europe and Australia.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

to page 38

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techupdate from page 36 EBI dry kiln duty motors are available through a North American distributor network for quick availability. They are built in NEMA or IEC frames for North American or European dry kiln users. EBI kiln motors are rated at 120oC (248oF) ambient temperature. They come with regreasable or sealed bearings and with custom length connection wires depending on each customer preference. www.ebielectric.com

Nova Dry Kiln

Nova Dry Kiln is a world-wide manufacturer of lumber dry kiln systems. They are designed to produce a brighter, higher quality, kiln dried product using the company’s unique calibrated powered exhaust.

The small and medium size dry kiln systems are suitable for installation in any climate, including high wind load and high snow load. R-20 insulation is standard. The lightweight door design consists of an aluminum frame and stretch skin aluminum panels with moisture-resistant insulation. A tight door seal enables conditioning and equalization of lumber without reintroducing moisture into the chamber. Nova Dry Kilns are designed by woodworkers for woodworkers, says the company. www.novadrykiln.com

Brunner Hildebrand

Brunner Hildebrand has been serving the lumber industry for almost 70 years and has developed unique products, such as the world´s largest vacuum dryer HIGH VAC or the Hildebrand Continuous Kiln Alexander. Recently, the company introduced brand new Hildebrand Weight Precision Technology (HWPT), which is capable of weighing entire lumber stacks in wireless mode. In contrast to the former Brunner Hildebrand in-kiln-probe-system, this is a massive improvement because it produces more accurate results and it may easily be integrated into the daily work routine by 38

using weighing devices looking just like regular 4x4s. Customers benefit by a superb level of accuracy and its practical implementation, says the company. The latest kiln development by Brunner Hildebrand is the HCK, the all-rounder among continuous kilns. It is designed for mills that produce large volumes of lumber, such as dimension SPF. It features individual drying zones, which are customized to the drying state and moisture of the lumber passing through. www.bhl-drykilns.com

Smithco

Smithco says that its propellers are the industry standard for a reason. High quality, high performance, and unrivaled expertise combine to make Smithco products an excellent value, the company says. It has even added custom hardware options for applications that may need extra corrosion resistance or special materials. Smithco has decades of knowledge and expertise, and it offers engineering and application support to its customers to ensure that they get the airflow they need in their kilns. The company works closely with its customers at the design stage, and also with sawmills operating Smithco propellers. Smithco’s focus on customer service means it keeps lead times short. It keeps a large stock of its most common products, and can even provide custom propeller diameters with surprisingly fast turnaround time. www.smithcomfg.com

Nyle

Nyle Dry Kilns has over 42 years of experience in the lumber industry. Selling more than 7,500 kilns worldwide to date, they have made their mark as a leading manufacturer of dry kiln solutions, offering dehumidification, indirect gas as well as steam and hot water kilns. Nyle specializes in dehumidification units for

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

to page 40

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techupdate from page 40

their many advantages. They are efficient both from a cost-topurchase and a cost-to-own basis. Their high energy efficiency means operating costs can be up to 60 per cent less than other conventional lumber kilns in some cases. Nyle units are known for their superior drying capability, easy to use controls, and long life. Because all their units and components are built in-house, Nyle is able to perform highly custom services to fit any need. www.nyle.com

Lignomat

Lignomat provides networked kiln and pre-dryer control systems. Users can control access from any popular web browser running on any computer or mobile device. The system can be accessed locally on user networks or remotely via the user’s VPN. A touchscreen panel is available as an option.

The Lignomat system automatically sends alerts on select critical kiln conditions via email or text message, giving personnel the information they need to take immediate action. It also allows users to optimize moisture content-based schedules with integrated sample scales and integrated interactive sample spreadsheets. www.lignomat.com

t’s tougher than ever for any company involved in the forest industry to find the highly skilled people they need—but Logging and Sawmilling Journal and TimberWest magazines, through their combined website, www. forestnet.com, are now making that job much easier, and faster. ForestnetJobs—at www.forestnetjobs.com—was recently launched, and it offers both those seeking experienced people, and job hunters, a central online employment opportunities website. While the industry is currently affected by a market cycle, forest product companies have hired thousands of workers in recent years, mainly to replace retiring babyboomers. The pace of hiring is set to further increase as the industry transforms. Industry groups like the Forest Products Association of Canada and the American Wood Council say the need for people in the forest industry is only going to become greater in the next few years. Forest products companies, similar to those in other sectors, are reporting difficulties in replacing skilled workers. The sector is currently in need of all types of workers such as millwrights, pipefitters, engineers, forest technicians, truck drivers and management personnel. Companies, and individuals looking for work, have used general online job sites—but forestnetjobs.com offers extremely targeted markets—it is now the “go to” online source to find employees, and jobs. Forestnetjobs.com has been designed to be extremely easy and straightforward to use—and the forestnetjobs. com site starts working immediately for you, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Search by location, salary, job type and title or use the integrated map to zoom in on an area where you live or may want to move to and see what positions are available. There is often a long lag with job ads that companies post in print media, such as local newspapers where a sawmill is operating—and the ad only appears in one issue vs. the continued presence of an ad on forestnetjobs.com. These local print ads also have a limited geographical, and non-targeted, reach. Some studies have shown that the cost of posting jobs/ searching for candidates on specialized online job sites

Find that new employee— or new job—NOW with the new

website can be up to 90 per cent lower than the cost of using search firms or traditional advertising methods. There are also no limits, cost-wise, on the size or length of what you want to post on forestnetjobs.com. Online hiring is also said to be, on average, 70 per cent faster than traditional hiring methods and the recruiting cycle is speeded up at every stage from posting, to receiving resumes to filtering to managing the contacts and workflow. The cost of posting on forestnetjobs.com offers great value—a basic job listing, for a full year, is only $95. A highlighted job listing is only $125. Those looking for a job can benefit immensely from the wider scope they gain through online job sites, such as forestnetjobs. com. They are able to access jobs in companies and locations they may not otherwise have learned of—and can apply immediately with the click of a mouse. By posting their resumes online, they can be contacted by employers/recruiters directly for opportunities that may not even be advertised. Forest companies can use their job ads to project a consistent brand and company image/values to prospective job seekers. With the pressure to attract top forest industry talent, candidates can be very particular about who they work for and these company descriptions often serve as a basis for their application decisions. Forestnetjobs.com was designed to be user-friendly, and easy to use. “We wanted to make forestnetjobs.com very straightforward, so companies and people can post jobs and resumes easily and quickly,” says Anthony Robinson, CEO / Publisher of Logging and Sawmilling Journal, and Associate Publisher of TimberWest. “Within a few minutes, and a few clicks of a mouse, postings can be on the site, and companies are on their way to finding the new employees they need, and people are connecting with potential new employers—we’re helping people find jobs and companies find the right, skilled people.” As soon as a post is up on forestnetjobs.com, the many thousands of industry people who view the main forestnet.com website have immediate access through the website, explained Robinson. Between the readership of Logging and Sawmilling Journal and TimberWest, E-newsletter reach, and social media platforms, forestnetjobs.com targets over 50,000 industry professionals. “Forestnetjobs.com is very unique, and very, very targeted,” added Robinson. “We believe it will be a key part of companies

attracting, and keeping, the next generation of forest industry professionals—and we are partnering with key forest companies, universities and professional associations to achieve that.” Companies and individuals can start using ForestnetJobs today by going to www.forestnetjobs.com Please contact us at Logging and Sawmilling Journal for even more options to find the right fit for your company…at jobs@ forestnet.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

SUPPLIERNEWSLINE Green building meets green manufacturing at USNR

USNR describes its new press for manufacturing cross laminated timber (CLT) panels as robust and extremely cost effective. Key design elements make it a great choice for anyone entering the global CLT market, says the company

Its patented, modular design allows for infinite expansion along its length. It can grow with an operation, enabling companies to meet the needs of the market. Offered in both hydraulic and pneumatic options, USNR’s CLT press is a flexible solution. USNR also offers a complete line of material handling systems with a controlled migration from manual lay-up to a fully automated system. www.usnr.com

Tigercat releases new E-Series 845 feller buncher

The new Tigercat 845E and L845E track feller bunchers have been upgraded with several new features to promote increased productivity and improved operator comfort, including a new cab, a larger main hydraulic pump, and a longer reach ER boom system. The cab has been redesigned to optimize ergonomics and reduce in-cab noise levels. Redesigned hinge geometry allows the front door to be closed with less effort. The new IQAN MD4 electronic control system interface includes an easy-touse large color touch screen for machine

monitoring and function adjustment. The new skyVIEW and rearVIEW camera systems eliminate the need for a skylight while improving operator visibility. The 845E boom offers a longer 28’ reach and a tighter tuck for better performance in thinning applications. Tigercat says its unique energy saving ER boom technology, along with the fuel-efficient N67 engine, contributes to outstanding productivity and fuel efficiency. The 845E model can be equipped with a range of Tigercat felling heads including a bunching saw or shear for smaller diameter timber or the single post 5702 felling saw for larger trees and mixed diameter stands. The larger hydraulic pump on the Eseries 845 provides additional power and quicker functioning of the clamp and accumulator arms to maximize productivity in smaller diameter timber. In addition, the 845E can be equipped with the 5185 fixed felling saw for felling, bucking and shovel logging high value and oversize timber. www.tigercat.com

Stellex Capital Management to sell Morbark to Alamo Group

Stellex Capital Management has entered into an agreement to sell Morbark, a manufacturer of high performance equipment and aftermarket parts for forestry and biomass markets, to Alamo Group. Founded in 1957 and based in Winn, Michigan with subsidiary operations in Wooster, Ohio and Roxton Falls, Québec, Morbark has been innovating and manufacturing durable, high-performance equipment for more than six decades. Morbark’s family of companies manufacture highly engineered, mobile equipment and aftermarket parts used for clearing, grinding/chipping and converting trees, wood and related organic waste in maintenance and recycling applications. Since Stellex’s acquisition in 2016, Morbark has increased its headcount by over 200 employees, revenue has nearly doubled and EBITDA has increased over 200 per cent. Additionally, Morbark successfully completed two add-on acquisitions to expand its product offering and geographic presence. In October 2017, Morbark acquired Rayco Manufacturing, a Wooster, Ohio-based manufacturer of stump cutters, crawler trucks, forestry mulchers, multi-tool carriers, brush chipper Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

By Tony Kryzanowski and aerial trimmers. In December 2018, Morbark acquired Denis Cimaf, a Roxton Falls, Québec-based manufacturer of industrial brushcutters and mulchers. www.stellexcapital.com

Carbotech launches its new log feeder: the STREAM

Carbotech now offers its newest piece of equipment, the STREAM, described as a strong and efficient log feeder. With the STREAM, Carbotech says it is widening its service offering in the wood industry by contributing to the log entry process. The official launch was held recently

at the Carbotech facility surrounded by clients and business partners who had the opportunity to see the STREAM in action. For the occasion, a line of logs was assembled on a lot adjacent to the Plessisville, Quebec facility. “It’s important that people see this kind of equipment in action in addition to the technical analysis of its components,” says Luc Houde, Carbotech’s general manager. “It is a key piece of equipment for efficient sawmilling. Our team knew how to respond to the industry’s expectations.” In addition to its continual high-speed rhythm and strength, the STREAM benefits from a brand new gap control designed by the Carbotech engineering team. The first STREAM will be installed at the Spruce Products sawmill in Manitoba. www.carbotech.ca

Investment to grow market for B.C. wood products The federal government is making a multi-year investment totaling over $24 million in six wood product associations based in British Columbia to help strengthen international demand for Canadian wood products. to page 44

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

suppliernewsline A key innovation of the Wood-Mizer LX sawmill series includes the rigid LX Frame sawhead tower that holds the control panel, engine, and the sawmill head. Designed to accommodate a larger width and depth of cut, the LX Frame travels on twin parallel hardened steel rails on the bed and allows the operator to have better visibility while sawing. www.woodmizer.com

from page 42 This investment includes: $16,786,200 for Canada Wood Group in Vancouver, which brings together Canadian wood product associations, to help diversify and expand Canadian forest product exports to traditional and emerging offshore markets; $3,394,709 for Forestry Innovation Investment to advance training, education and wood use overseas, specifically in Asian markets such as India, Vietnam and China; $1,925,378 for the Council of Forest Industries (COFI) to help create business leads to increase the use of wood frame construction in China, Japan and South Korea, and to reinforce the Canada Wood brand as a “go-to” source for wood construction and manufacturing technology; $944,028 for BC Wood Specialties Group to support small and medium-sized companies in their efforts to become export-ready and facilitate business-tobusiness opportunities for their membership through trade shows and missions; $926,360 for the Wood Pellet Association of Canada to advance the interests of domestic wood pellet producers, to help members grow through promoting the uses of wood pellets in Canadian and global markets, and to support market and technical research and encourage fair and open energy trade; and $33,000 for the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association to maintain and grow the demand for western red cedar by helping increase its online presence in a number of key international markets.

TimberMatic Maps/TimberManager technology

John Deere has expanded software solutions, TimberMatic Maps and TimberManager, to full-tree equipment, including feller bunchers and skidders. TimberMatic Maps and TimberManager provide loggers with the ability to plan work that needs to get done in a day. The map provides the precise location, estimated volume or mass, and up to two species of timber. As timber is moved, operators can update the map for improved team visibility. Loggers can also add items of interest to the digital maps such as points, areas, and lines. These features are shared in real time with all crew members for a better understanding and opportunity to optimize jobsite awareness and production as a system of machines. One of the biggest feature improve-

ments over the former TimberNavi system is the accommodation of all map formats, ranging from a simple map drawn in by hand to an elaborate shape file or PDF file. The design of TimberMatic Maps also allows for standard satellite imagery or topography to be loaded directly through the JDLink cellular connection. In addition to a simplified map creation tool, TimberMatic Maps now provides tools for estimated production awareness. With TimberManager, the online, cloud-based solution optimized for mobile devices, owners can create or alter map features and share updates to all machines in real time without the need to visit each machine and operator. Managers can also view jobsite summary data and production efficiencies through TimberManager. The technology system is now available in skidders, wheeled and tracked feller bunchers, wheeled and tracked harvesters, forwarders, and swing machines. www.johndeere.com

Wood-Mizer introduces LX250 wide slab sawmill

Wood-Mizer now offers the LX250 wide slab sawmill designed for sawyers and woodworkers that need to saw massive slabs and boards up to 54½” wide. The LX250 is the second largest capacity sawmill offered by the company, with the popular WM1000 sawmill capable of sawing 67” diameter logs. The LX250 is a robust sawmill with powered saw head controls for ease of operation, adjustable presets for quick and accurate blade height control, and a massive 54½” width of cut ideal for sawing wide, live edge slabs.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

John Deere expands Oleson Saw Technology opens new manufacturing centre

Oleson Saw Technology (OST), a Division of York Saw & Knife (YSK), has expanded with the addition of a new West Coast bandsaw manufacturing facility located in Post Falls, Idaho. The new facility will produce the same quality product as the company’s East Coast York, Pennsylvania location. The company will continue to use high pressure water jet cutting and full flood CNC grinding on its bandsaws. All their bandsaws are exclusively manufactured using only the industry standard Uddeholm 000 steel. OST will be investing in new Iseli Swiss Precision machinery, which offers unmatched quality and accuracy of the company’s wide bandsaws currently used in all its bandsaw manufacturing lines. The Idaho facility will be fully operational by the end of 2019. www.yorksaw.com

TRC Hydraulics to drive stronger support for Bosch Rexroth hydraulic products

Bosch Rexroth Canada Corp says its distributor in Atlantic Canada, TRC Hydraulics Inc, will assume a greater strategic role to support Bosch Rexroth’s hydraulic products, services and customers as well as grow Bosch Rexroth’s business from their four locations in Atlantic Canada. These are TRC Hydraulics Inc and TRC Manufacturing in Dieppe, New Brunswick, TRC Hydraulics Inc in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and TRC Hydraulics Inc in Paradise, Newfoundland. This decision is in alignment with Bosch Rexroth’s global strategy for Certified Partner Excellence to develop local partnerships, that provide its customers with improved local service support while at the same time offering an extensive product and solutions portfolio that is synonymous with Bosch Rexroth. As a result, many Bosch Rexroth hydraulic accounts will be transferred to TRC

classified Hydraulics, which has been its Atlantic Canada distributor since April 2017. TRC Hydraulics Inc is described as Atlantic Canada’s largest and most technologically advanced hydraulics distributor, manufacturer and value added service provider. www.boschrexroth.ca

Fecon announces new CEO and retirement of founder John Heekin

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Fecon has announced the appointment of new CEO Bob Dieckman, who will replace retiring CEO and founder John Heekin. Dieckman comes from a Hillenbrand subsidiary, Rotex Global LLC, where he served in a variety of executive positions for 12 years, most recently as president. During his time with Rotex, sales grew over 300 per cent through both organic growth and acquisition. Prior to joining Rotex, he was the CFO of Basco Manufacturing Company for 10 years. As CEO, he will lead the continued growth of the Lebanon, Ohio manufacturer of heavy duty forestry mulching equipment, including their Bull Hog mulcher. Heekin will remain active within the company he founded as a member of the Board of Directors. Fecon partnered with LFM Capital in late 2018 to continue their growth and product development. www.fecon.com

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Based in Quesnel, British Columbia, Jochen Reiter, Tigercat’s new factory support representative for Western Canada, moved to Canada in 2007 from Germany, where he grew up logging with his grandfather and uncle. Jochen is a certified faller supervisor and a Red Seal technician. He has 21 years experience in many aspects of the industry including operating and supervising conventional groundbased and yarding operations. “Along with Kushiah McCullough, Damien Donoher and Mark Tourand, I am very excited to add Jochen to the western product support team,” says Rob Selby, Tigercat district manager, also based in British Columbia. “We continue to have many new opportunities and applications for Tigercat machines in the west, and having a top-notch support team is critical.” www.tigercat.com

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

Jochen Reiter appointed Tigercat factory support representative for Western Canada

OCTOBER 2019

thelastword

Canada's softwood lumber negotiating strategy is hurting, not helping, forestry workers By Tony Kryzanowski

he Canadian Press news agency recently published an interesting profile of a forestry worker from Mackenzie, B.C., Rachelle Dumoulin, who has been laid off twice in the past seven years at two different sawmills. She has decided to leave the industry—not a big surprise, really, but hardly a positive indicator of the labour situation in the Canadian forest industry. Check out any industry website and discover how challenging it is to attract skilled labourers like millwrights and electricians, particularly to remote areas. The flawed Canadian negotiation strategy to gain financially favorable softwood lumber access to the United States may have something to do with experienced, skilled labor leaving the industry. It has proven to be too risky for them to make a commitment to move their entire families, often to remote communities, only to find themselves laid off because of a poor softwood lumber negotiating strategy that constantly puts their jobs at risk. According to the same Canadian Press report, nearly 6,000 workers have been laid off at 25 facilities in 22 communities in B.C. alone this year. The prospect of actual negotiations toward a new Softwood Lumber Agreement seems more likely now since the NAFTA Chapter 19 binational panel recently concluded that there are insufficient grounds for the U.S. International Trade Commission to claim that Canadian softwood lumber products have materially injured the U.S. softwood lumber industry. The U.S. has been given three months to reconsider its duties on Canadian softwood lumber as a result of this ruling, which means an announcement by the U.S. International Trade Commission, probably in December. It is worth noting that Canada also has an appeal before the World Trade Organization (WTO) disputing current duties. Ho hum, right? Canada wins again. That attitude is not only dangerous, but also unsustainable and unfair to workers.

It seems that the Canadian strategy is to simply go along with the duties and then file complaints with both NAFTA and the WTO, with the belief that we have a winning hand, and that we have a strong chance of winning all the time. After all, a lot of that duty money was returned after the last softwood lumber trade dispute between 2001 and 2006. A new Softwood Lumber Agreement was signed in 2006 and lasted nine years. It also resulted in the return of more than $5 billion in duty deposits by U.S. authorities to Canadian companies. We won. Yeah! But what happens if we don’t win, even one time? This is the big gamble that Canadian negotiators and companies are taking. The question is whether taking this approach is a good and fair bet for Canadian forestry workers looking for long term employment. It’s not, and we are already seeing the consequences of a combination of a U.S. housing downturn and duties with closures and curtailments at sawmills and panel board plants from coast to coast. While negotiators play chicken and take years to resolve these softwood lumber disputes on a seasonal basis, real people with real mortgages, real school fees, and real pick-up truck payments are getting hurt. It’s time for Canadian negotiators and politicians to stop gambling with the lives of ordinary Canadian workers, and change the playbook, and seek a permanent solution. In fact, workers should demand it. One solution might be to include softwood lumber in the NAFTA agreement, instead of as a side agreement with the United States. If we can negotiate a trade agreement between ourselves on such contentious issues as the auto industry and dairy in NAFTA, there is no reason why softwood lumber can’t be included— and it should be. There is always the danger that we will lose one of these current appeals, and once the Americans win and slap on

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - October 2019

duties, chances are that they will never come off. Watch the mill closures and job losses then. Having covered this industry for 30 years, what’s most concerning is not only the danger of this negotiating method, but also the casualness that politicians, negotiators and forest company management take to this negotiating dance. During the recent negotiations with the Americans on NAFTA, one Canadian politician was quoted as saying that softwood lumber would have to take a back seat for now—because while the Canadian forest industry generates $14 billion in lumber sales to the United States annually, NAFTA generates $14 billion in sales every two weeks. In other words, during the NAFTA negotiations, it was a lower priority. But NAFTA was settled months ago. What’s happened since on softwood lumber? Eastern Canadian softwood lumber producer EACOM Timber Corporation recently hosted a celebration in Timmins, recognizing their mill’s 100th anniversary in the community. A statement in the local press by EACOM Communications Director Julie Paquet really sums up what facilities like this mean to local communities. “The mill has been part of the community for a hundred years and just about everybody in town has some sort of connection with the mill,” she said. So when Canadian politicians, negotiators, and companies adopt a casual and careless strategy of waiting it out and fighting the battle on softwood lumber at trade tribunals every five to 10 years— gambling that we’ll win every time—are they concerned about the workers being laid off right now, in communities where, ‘just about everybody has some sort of connection with the mill’? It doesn’t seem like they care, if the numbers of recent layoffs is any indication. When you come down to it, is it any wonder that the industry is having difficulty attracting skilled workers?

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