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A Hatton-Brown Publication
Co-Publisher: David H. Ramsey Co-Publisher: David (DK) Knight Chief Operating Officer: Dianne C. Sullivan Publishing Office Street Address: 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Telephone: 334.834.1170 FAX: 334.834.4525
Volume 41 • Number 4 • May 2016 Founded in 1976 • Our 423rd Consecutive Issue
Renew or subscribe on the web: www.timberprocessing.com
Executive Editor David (DK) Knight Editor-in-Chief: Rich Donnell Managing Editor: Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor: David Abbott Associate Editor: Jessica Johnson Associate Editor: Jay Donnell Art Director/Prod. Manager: Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coordinator: Patti Campbell Circulation Director: Rhonda Thomas Marketing/Media: Jordan Anderson
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Classified Advertising: Bridget DeVane • 334.699.7837 800.669.5613 • bdevane7@hotmail.com
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Advertising Sales Representatives: Southern USA
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Randy Reagor P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 904.393.7968 • FAX: 334.834.4525 E-mail: reagor@bellsouth.net
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NEWSFEED Oregon’s Rosboro May Sell
LATEST ON TP&EE Registration, Exhibitor News
GRIFFIN’S GOOD More Improvements In Place
PERFECTLY FRANK Premium Pays Off For Frank Lumber
BOARDMASTER Gorman Bros. Grows Reputation
DRAX POWER The Center Of Wood Energy
MACHINERY ROW Log Handler Installation
COVER: Griffin Lumber in Cordele, Ga. has improved efficiencies and yield with technology upgrades, including this profiler preceding the gang. Story begins on PAGE 16. (Jessica Johnson photo)
Midwest USA, Eastern Canada John Simmons 32 Foster Cres. Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 1W1 905.666.0258 • FAX: 905.666.0778 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com
VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.timberprocessing.com Member Verified Audit Circulation
Western USA, Western Canada Tim Shaddick 4056 West 10th Avenue Vancouver BC Canada V6L 1Z1 604.910.1826 • FAX: 604.264.1367 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca International Murray Brett Aldea de las Cuevas 66, Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain Tel: +34 96 640 4165 • FAX: +34 96 640 4022 E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net
Timber Processing (ISSN 0885-906X, USPS 395-850) is published 10 times annually (January/February and July/August issues are combined) by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscription Information—TP is free to qualified owners, operators, managers, purchasing agents, supervisors, foremen and other key personnel at sawmills, pallet plants, chip mills, treating plants, specialty plants, lumber finishing operations, corporate industrial woodlands officials and machinery manufacturers and distributors in the U.S. All non-qualified U.S. Subscriptions are $55 annually: $65 in Canada; $95 (Airmail) in all other countries (U.S. Funds). Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds). Subscription Inquiries— TOLL-FREE: 800-669-5613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.timberprocessing.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Timber Processing magazine are accepted and published by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. neither endorse nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Timber Processing. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertisement which it deems inappropriate. Copyright ® 2016. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices. Printed in U.S.A.
Postmaster: Please send address changes to Timber Processing, P.O. Box 2419, Montgomery, Alabama 36102-2419 Other Hatton-Brown publications: Timber Harvesting • Southern Loggin’ Times Wood Bioenergy • Panel World • Power Equipment Trade
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THEISSUES
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Dan Shell Managing Editor
SEVERAL FACTORS CREATE SLUGGISH LUMBER MARKETS
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luggish is the only way to describe it: the stop-and-start nature of the ongoing economic recovery, technically since mid-2009 according to economists’ definitions of recession and recovery. Recent headlines only three days apart reflect the “good newsbad news” recovery: “Lumber is crushing stocks, oil and even gold right now,” blared a marketwatch.com article on March 30. Noting that lumber futures had jumped 22% in March to lead all non-food commodities, the article said the “strengthening U.S. housing market” remains a key driver for demand, along with decent long-term Chinese demand and reduced Canadian output thanks to pine beetle outbreaks in British Columbia. Yet only three days later—April 2—comes a barrons.com headline that “Investors Should Brace for Falling Lumber Prices.” Indeed, instead of seeing it as a source of strength as marketwatch.com did just three days before, the barrons.com article blamed “tepid U.S. housing construction” and a weak Canadian dollar for the impending lumber price swoon. While citing the recent run-up in lumber futures, the barrons.com article dismissed it as the standard spring boost in prices that occurs almost every year as producers and wholesalers both seek to replenish inventories in anticipation of the April-August peak construction period. Generally good weather in much of the U.S. this year in the first quarter added to the boost in futures. And the spring bounce is no myth: Paul Jannke of Forest Economic Advisors is quoted in the article saying lumber prices have rallied in the first quarter 18 of the past 26 years. So, lumber markets are the same as they ever were, right? Well, no. For one thing mortgage interest rates have been below 5% for the past five years or so. In the past, such low rates have set construction activity on fire, leading to calls of higher interest rates to fight off dreaded wage inflation. But not anymore. Instead, we get housing start projections that are ratcheted up, then later walked back. Here, almost eight years into the “recovery,” analysts are talking about reduced household formation due to a lackluster jobs market setting housing starts back; of tighter lending requirements making it harder for young workers who aren’t finding family wage jobs to save for a down payment; how student debt is holding college graduates back as they seek to pay for their educations before buying houses. And talk about uncharted territory: There’s a growing group out there who, seeing the trillions in value sucked out of the housing market and millions of underwater mortgages, simply don’t view a house as a good investment. Then there’s the construction industry itself: A recent report from APA— The Engineered Wood Assn. noted the difficulty builders would have in mobilizing the skilled and specialized labor required to meet annual starts of 1.5 million. The report noted that according to recent U.S. Census data, current household growth, housing replacement needs and a brightening employment picture have helped raise demand to 1.5 million units annually now, but likely won’t reach 1.5 million actual starts until the 2018-2020 time frame. And even then if the housing start numbers are walked back a bit, remember no one wants to go back to 2009 lumber market conditions and things really are getting better—just sluggishly. TP Contact Dan Shell, ph: 334-834-1170; fax 334-834-4525; e-mail: dan@hattonbrown.com TIMBER PROCESSING
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NEWSFEED ber Co. in Rosboro, Ark. After his honeymoon in the Pacific Northwest, Rosborough started forming his westward plans and in 1939 he moved to Springfield, Ore. with a team of loyal employees. Trading his recently purchased coastal-range timberlands for holdings in the McKenzie
ROSBORO LOOKS FOR BUYER
Rosboro is for sale. Based in Springfield, Ore., 76-yearold Rosboro has retained investment banking firm Goldman Sachs Group Inc. as its financial advisor, and law firm Stoel Rives LLP to explore a possible sale of the company. “What was once an organization owned by just a few of the original leaders of the company today Rosboro’s glulam operation in Springfield, Ore. has 60 ownerwas featured in Timber Processing in 2015. families throughout the country,” says Rosboro CEO River Valley, Rosborough and Scott Nelson. Given its discrew started constructing Rospersed ownership, the compa- boro’s first sawmill. When the ny’s strong financial position first board rolled through the and a robust mergers and acstate-of-the-art facility in June quisitions market, Rosboro’s 1940, the local newspaper board has determined it touted the mill as the “Northwould be “prudent to underwest’s most modern timber take a review of strategic almanufacturing plant.” ternatives to maximize shareRosboro constructed a veholder value,” Nelson adds. neer mill in 1959 and introThose alternatives include duced its glulam operation in selling the company. 1963. In 1975, it built a small Rosboro manufactures log mill to manufacture studs green and kiln dried studs from second-growth timber. and dimension lumber and is The glulam business expanda leading glulam beam manu- ed in 2005 with the purchase facturer. of a Weyerhaeuser laminating Rosboro’s 100,000 acres of facility in Vaughn, Ore. timberlands are concentrated in western Oregon, strategiNAHB ENTERS cally located near its operating facilities in Oregon’s IMPORTS ISSUE Willamette Valley. National Assn. of Home One industry observer in Builders (NAHB) reported it the Northwest said Rosboro is forming a coalition—The runs efficient wood products American Alliance of Lumber mills, but the key to a sale Consumers (AALC)—to supwill be if the plants are packport free trade in lumber and aged in with the timberlands. building materials. Rosboro began in 1890 The development comes as when Thomas (Whit) Whitaker Rosborough started running the U.S. and Canada negotiate a new softwood lumber trade his own sawmill. A coinciagreement after the previous dence of names occurred 16 one expired last year. It had years later when Rosborough formed the Caddo River Lum- been in place since 2006. The 6
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previous agreement imposed quotas and fees on Canada tied to lumber prices. NAHB stated that any new agreement must be mindful of the U.S. housing market and ensure that American consumers have access to a stable, dependable and affordable supply of lumber. AALC believes restrictive trade agreements that impose quotas, tariffs and other border tax measures have the potential to create large and unpredictable swings in the cost and supply of lumber and other key building materials, which hurts housing affordability. The U.S. and Canada are engaged in a required “cooling off” period until October 12, during which no trade disputes can be filed by either country regarding softwood lumber imports. The two nations have agreed to submit a report looking at all options for a long-term agreement. The U.S. Lumber Coalition believes that left unchecked, Canadian trade practices would yield ever-increasing market share for Canadian lumber, displacing U.S. producers, workers and landowners. Border measures against subsidized and unfairly traded Canadian lumber imports are essential, according to the Coalition, otherwise differences between the U.S. (mostly private) and Canadian (mostly public) timber sales systems give Canadian producers an unfair cost advantage. Previously, the Coalition stated that the Softwood Lumber Agreement should not be renewed on its current terms. Canadian softwood lumber generally accounts for a third of U.S. lumber consumption. A new development since the formation of the previous agreement has been the large number of formerly independent southern yellow pine sawmills purchased by primarily three Canadian corporations.
BIEWER DIGS IN AT NEWTON Biewer Sawmill-Newton LLC broke ground on its $85 million southern yellow pine sawmill in Newton, Miss. Gov. Phil Bryant and representatives from Biewer Lumber joined local and county officials with shovels in hand to mark the beginning of construction. The Michigan-headquartered Biewer Lumber operates two softwood (red pine) sawmills in Michigan and two in Wisconsin, as well as three treating facilities. The existing Biewer sawmills have the capacity to produce more than 300MMBF annually. They’re located in McBain and Lake City, Mich. and Prentice and Spencer, Wis. Headquarters is in St. Clair, Mich. Biewer Lumber has long been recognized as a regional sawmill leader with modern technology in its sawmills. “We are pleased to be locating our new mill in Mississippi and would like to thank Governor Phil Bryant, Mississippi Development Authority, Mid-Mississippi Development District, Newton County and the city of Newton for their hard work and creativity in helping make this project a reality,” said Biewer Lumber owner Tim Biewer. Newton Mayor David Carr described the project as “truly a win-win” for Newton. “We’re grateful for the confidence Biewer Lumber has shown in the city of Newton and Newton County,” Carr said. “It’s a great match for the company and the community. We’re looking forward to the mill being under construction and soon joining the great group of employers we currently have in the area.” The mill is expected to employ 125. Production at the mill is scheduled to begin in 2017.
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REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Timber Processing & Energy Expo online registration is up.
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rganizers of the third Timber Processing & Energy Expo (TP&EE) announce that attendee registration online is open. TP&EE will be held September 28-30 at the Portland Exposition Center in Portland, Ore. It is hosted by Timber Processing and Panel World magazines, produced by Hatton-Brown Expositions LLC, and caters to primary producers of lumber, plywood and engineered wood products. The 2014 event attracted 1,700 industry producer personnel, representing 140 wood products companies and hundreds of lumber, veneer/plywood and engineered wood products mill operations. The event also attracts an international audience, with 22 countries represented in 2014. In addition, 1,000 exhibitor personnel were on hand. Registration options remain the same as they were in 2014, meaning the event is free for those who register online. Registration at the show will be $20. The other online options include registration along with a beer & brat ticket for $15; registration for the Lumber Manufacturing Workshop on Thursday September 29 for $75 (which includes the exhibit floor pass and
Attendees at 2016 TP&EE will experience a larger exhibition hall.
a beer and brat ticket); and registration for the Veneer-Based Manufacturing Workshop on Wednesday September 28 for $75 (again including the exhibit floor pass and a beer and brat ticket). The event is moving into Hall E, which is a third larger than Hall D, where the event was held in 2014 on the
Expo Grounds. The additional space has allowed the show to increase the size of its Beer Garden to allow for more seated area. Also, the event has added German and Italian pavilions, featuring machinery manufacturers from those countries. To register, visit: www.timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com.
www.timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com
ORGANIZERS FACE GOOD PROBLEM
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t’s a sell-out! Well, sort of, as organizers of the third Timber Processing & Energy Expo (TP&EE) are still considering whether to add exhibitor space for the event to be held September 28-30 at the Portland Exposition Center in Portland, Ore. Nearly 190 exhibitors have purchased all of the available space, 56,000 sq. ft., in the primary exhibit Hall E. Show organizers report that an exhibitor waiting Exhibitors have gobbled up all the space in Hall E. list is growing and they’re considering additional space options concomments Show Director Rich Donnell. nected to Hall E. “We have several options to choose “It’s a tough call, and a lot of logistics from, if we go in that direction. At the and quality considerations go into adding same time, you don’t like to turn exspace, so you have to tread carefully,” hibitors away.” 8
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TP&EE moved from Hall D on the Expo Grounds in 2014 to the larger Hall E for this year’s event. Donnell says the amount of exhibit space sold inside compared to the 2014 event is up about 17,000 sq. ft. “In 2014, which was a sell-out in Hall D, we had several exhibitors outside in the front lot, and we’ve been able to move them inside into Hall E,” Donnell explains. “And we had exhibits in a connector room between Hall D and E in 2014, and they’ve gotten onto the main floor this time. “We’ll figure out the exhibitor space situation,” he adds. “In the meantime we’re turning our attention to building attendance.”
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TP&EE EXHIBITOR SEPTEMBER 28-30, 2016 Portland Expo Center
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following list includes the exhibitors and their booth size (as of April 20) for the Timber Processing & Energy Expo to be held September 28-30, 2016 at the Portland Exposition Center in Portland, Ore. Acrowood, 10 x 10 Actiw OY, 10 x 20 AKE Knebel GmbH & Co. KG, 9 m, German Pavilion Altec Integrated Solutions, 20 x 30 American Wood Dryers, 10 x 10 AMS Solutions, 20 x 20 Andritz Iggesund Tools, 20 x 30 Arch Wood Protection, 10 x 10 Arrow Speed Controls, 20 x 20 Autolog, 20 x 30 Automation & Electronics USA, 10 x 20 Balluff, 10 x 20 Baumer Inspection GmbH, 24 m, German Pavilion Baxley Equipment/Price LogPro, 30x30 BEP Engineering Services, 10 x 10 Bestar, 12 m, German Pavilion 10
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BGR Saws, 10x20 Biomass Engineering & Equipment, 10 x 20 BM&M Screening Solutions, 10 x 10 Brookhuis America, 10 x 20 Bruks Rockwood, 10 x 10 Brunette Machinery, 10 x 20 Brunson Instrument, 10 x 20 Burton Saw-Cut Technologies, 10 x 30 California Saw & Knife Works, 10 x 20 Can-Am Chains-Conveyco, 10 x 10 Canadian Forest Industries, 10 x 10 Carbotech International, 20 x 20 CCS a Division of PNE Corp., 10 x 20 CH Murphy/Clark-Ullman, 10x10 Columbia River Staple & Lumber Wrap, 10 x 10 Comact, 40 x 50 Conception R.P., 10x20 Con-Vey 20 x 20, Connexus Industries, 30 x 30 Cooper Machine, 10 x 20 Costa Sanders, 10 x 10 Curtis-Wright-Exlar Actuation, 10 x 10 Delta Computer Systems, 10 x 20 Diacon Technologies, 10 x 10
DK- Spec, 10 x 20 DO2 Industrial, 10 x 10 Dykman Electrical, 10 x 20 Evergreen Engineering, 10 x 10 EWTA, 10 x 10 Finna Group-SCS Forest, 10 x 20 FinScan, 10 x 20 Galardy Technical Services, 10 x 10 Gateway Graphics, 10 x 10 Gilbert Products, 20 x 20 Gillingham Best, 10 x 10 Global Industrial Solutions, 10 x 10 Grenzebach, 10x10 HALCO Software Systems, 10 x 10 Hans Weber, 9 m, German Pavilion Hashimoto-Denki, 10 x 20 Hatton-Brown Publishers, 20x20 Hermary Opto, 10 x 10 HewSaw Machines, 20 x 30 Hildebrand, 9 m, German Pavilion Hurdle Machine Works, 10 x10 ICE-Italian Trade Agency, 30 x 30 International Bar Coding, 10 x 10 International Bearing, 10 x 10 International Forest Industries, 10 x 10 InterWrap, 10 x 10
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James G Murphy, 10 x 20 JoeScan, 20 x 30 Kadent Carmanah, 10x10 Kaeser Compressors, 10 x 20 KALMAR USA, 20 x 30 Keith Manufacturing, 10 x 20 Key Knife, 10 x 20 Kimwood, 20 x 20 Kobe Bearing, 10x20 Kop-Coat, 10 x 10 L.G. Isaacson, 10 x 30 Limab, 10x10 Lewis Controls-Corley Mfg., 20 x 30 Linck, 72 m, German Pavilion Linden Fabricating, 10 x 10 LMI Technologies, 20 x 20 Logging & Sawmill Journal, 10 x 10 Lucidyne Technologies, 20 x 30 Mac Chain, 10 x 20 Machinery Sales, 10x10 Mahild Drying Technologies, 18 m, German Pavilion Matthews Marking Systems, 10 x 10 Maxi Mill, 10 x 20 MBS Sawfiling, 10 x 10 McDonough Manufacturing, 10 x 10
Meinan Machinery Works, 20 x 20 Metal Detectors, 10 x 20 Metriguard, 10 x 20 Mill Machinery, 10 x 10 MINDA, 9 m, German Pavilion MoCo Engineering & Fabrication, 10 x 10 Modern Engineering, 10 x 10 Morbark, 20 x 20 MPM Engineering, 10 x 20 Mühlböck North America, 10 x 20 Murray Latta Progressive, 10 x 20 Nelson Brothers Engineering, 10 x 20 Newman Machine, 20 x 20 Nicholson Manufacturing, 10 x 20 Northern Plastics, 10 x 10 Northwest Pump & Equipment, 10 x 20 Novilco, 10 x 20 Oiles America, 10 x 10 Optimil Machinery, 20 x 40 Optware Solutions, 10 x 10 Oregon State University, 10 x 10 OSELA, 10 x 10 Pacific Lumber Inspection, 10 x 10 Pantron Automation, 10 x 20 Pape Material Handling, 20 x 20 Paw-Taw-John Services, 20 x 30 Peerless Saw, 10 x 20 Platt Electric Supply-Opticom, 10 x 10 PLC USA, 10 x 10 Porter Engineering, 20 x 20 Premier Bandwheel & Equipment, 10 x 10 Premier Gear & Machine Works, 10 x 20 Pro Mac Manufacturing, 10 x 10 Purakal Cylinders, 10x10 RAPTOR Nails And Staples, 10 x 20 Raptor Integration, 20 x 40 Raute Canada, 20 x 20 Rawlings Manufacturing, 10 x 20 REA JET, 10 x 20 Redwood Plastics, 10 x 20
Rockwell Automation, 10 x 10 Rockwell Industries, 10 x 20 Rogers Machinery, 10 x 20 Samuel Strapping Systems, 20 x 30 Samuel Strapping Systems Coding & Labeling, 20 x 30 SawADD, 10 x 10 Saw Control Systems, 10x10 ScanMeg, 20 x 30 Sering Sawmill Machinery, 10 x 10 SERRA, 9 m, German Pavilion Sicam Systems, 10 x 20 Signode Packaging Systems, 20 x 40 Simon Möhringer Engineering, 9 m, German Pavilion Simonds International, 20 x 40 Slatercom-WCD, 10 x 10 SolaGen, 10 x 20 Springer, 20 x 30 Starcyl Cylinders, 10 x 10 State of Alabama, 10 x 10 Stringer Industries, 10x10 Sumitomo Drive Technologies, 10x10 Sunomi/Ferro Machinery, 10 x 10 Sweed Machinery, 10 x 20 Taylor Machine Works, 20 x 30 Tebulo NA, 10 x 10 Telco Sensors, 10 x 20 Timber Products Inspection, 10x10 Timber Product Manufacturers Assn., 10 x 10 TMS Machinery Sales, 10 x 10 Top Wood Jobs, 10 x 10 Trebnick Tags & Labels, 10x20 TS Manufacturing, 20 x 20 US Metal Works, 10 x 10 USNR, 50 x 60 USNR, 40 x 40 (outside lot) VAB Solutions, 10 x 20 Valin, 10 x 20 ValuTec Wood Dryers, 20 x 20 Ventek, 20 x 20 VK North America, 10x20 Vollmer of America, 82.5 m, German Pavilion Wagner Meters, 10 x 20 Webster Industries, 10 x 10 Wechsler Engineering & Consulting, 10 x 10 Weinig, 10 x 10 Wellons Group, 30 x 50 Wema Probst-Wolfgang, 12 m, German Pavilion West Coast Cylinders, 10 x 10 West Coast Industrial Systems, 10 x 20 Western Integrated Systems, 10 x 10 Westmill Industries, 20 x 20 Williams and White Equipment, 20 x 20 Wolftek Industries, 10 x 10 Wonderware PacWest, 10 x 20 Wood-Mizer, 10 x 10 Wood-Mizer, 40 x 40 (outside lot) Woodtech Measurement, 10 x 10 York Saw-Oleson Saw, 20 x 30 Z-Tec Automation Systems, 20 x 20 TIMBER PROCESSING
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NEW PROJECTS LEAD DISCUSSIONS PELICE draws 450 from panel, EWP sectors. ATLANTA, Ga. he 2016 Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE) set a record attendance of 450, including representatives from 32 wood products producer companies in North America. Overseas interests were represented as well, such as the large contingency from multiple wood products producer Koskisen Oy of Finland. The event, held for the fifth time and which is held every other year, featured nearly 50 speakers, as well as 80 equipment and technology exhibitors squeezed into the Grand Ballroom North of the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta. The overriding theme of the event was project development as several keynote speakers addressed new plant construction, including two figures very familiar with the lumber industry: Jonathan Martin, Chairman and CEO of Martin Companies; and Steve Swanson, President and CEO of Swanson Group. Speaking before a standing-room only crowd, Martin reviewed the familyowned Louisiana-based business history, dating back to 1923 and which at one time was immersed in the lumber business. Today the company operates a plywood mill and timbers mill in Chopin, La., an oriented strandboard plant in Oakdale, La., and has a land base of 570,000 acres in Louisiana. Martin showed 3-D imaging of the company’s latest endeavor—construction of a new OSB plant in Corrigan, Texas. Martin said a priority Jonathan Martin was made to streamline the process and make as few mistakes as possible. When listing critical greenfield OSB project areas, Martin noted safety and environmental issues, plant cleanliness, meeting budgets, maximizing uptime and striving to lower operating costs. “Downtime is the secondlargest cost after raw materials,” he said. Many of the same suppliers from the Oakdale plant are also working on the new facility, and to help meet the goal of maximum uptime, Martin Company officials
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gave each supplier a binder—some thicker than others—covering every performance incident and maintenance and service issue on their equipment since 2007. Of the permitting and red tape required to move a project of such magnitude, Martin quipped, “If you haven’t had any dealings with the Army Corps. of Engineers, you haven’t had any fun yet.” With startup at Corrigan slated for fall 2017, Martin said he thought the project is in good position, in a wood basket with 20% growth over removal rate, and the outlook for housing starts and multifamily activity improving this year and into the future. Another traditional lumber company that has expanded into plywood manufacturing is Oregon-based Swanson Group. Its president and CEO, Steve Swanson, addressed the company’s ongoing construction of a new plywood mill in Springfield, Ore., a Steve Swanson project that evolved from the destruction by fire of Swanson’s previous plywood mill there. With the ashes still smoldering in July 2014, and after initially confirming all employees were safe, Swanson said he and his team were faced with a “Now what?” moment. “What do you do? We had 250 people out of work and about six months to make a final decision,” he said. The Swanson Group team explored a variety of alternatives to rebuilding in the same location, including building elsewhere or buying another facility. A good insurance settlement gave the company more options, and Swanson said they even looked at going into CLT or building another sawmill. And though the site itself is relatively small in Springfield, the mill’s wood yard, boilers and vats survived the fire, making it cost efficient to rebuild there. “Once we decided to make high end, high quality (overlay) panels, we moved to suppliers,” Swanson said. “Less than two years since the fire, we’re getting close,” Swanson said, adding that he hopes to be peeling and
fully laying up by late third quarter. He expects to be fully operational and moving out of startup mode by January 2017. Swanson Group was able to retain 80 or so of the mill’s 253 employees after the fire at other positions in the company, and 150 former employees showed up at a recent meeting on staffing the new facility. Kurt Liebich, CEO of EWP producer RedBuilt and New Wood Resources, also ad- Kurt Liebich dressed a new project that came on the heels of a disaster. Just a couple of months before the Swanson-Oregon fire—and only weeks after purchasing a plywood plant in Louisville, Miss.—New Wood Resources executives where shocked by the devastation from a EF-4 tornado that left the mill in shambles in April 2014. “It was hard to comprehend the destruction. We were committed, but it took a collective effort,” Liebich said. “It would have been easy to leave, but we recognized the role this plant had in the community.” Liebich added that wood products operations are great economic engines for rural areas and act as strong multipliers for employment in support industries. Local and state officials recognized this, and one silver lining from the event was a federal natural disaster designation that opened up financing options. Also because the city of Louisville owned the real estate, there was an opportunity to secure public financing. “We’re well along and should begin production in summer. We’re really pleased with where we are, and we’ve had good weather this year,” Liebich said. Leibich, who really engaged the crowd while talking about various projects New Wood Resources is involved in, exclaimed that demand for wood products was going to be fine. “Unless you believe that millennials aren’t going to buy houses and start families,” he explained, “housing is going to be okay,” as he looks toward a 1.5 million starts pace. Liebich added that a big challenge
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going forward is “bringing the millennial generation into the industry, and how to attract new, good talent, and it can be tougher in rural areas.” He added that financing will remain difficult and urged visitors to look for alternate sources when possible. In addition to the keynote talks, attendees had every opportunity to expand their horizons at PELICE, given the tremendous range of technologies brought forth by the exhibitors as well as the ongoing technical and information sessions. Juha Jalkanen, Director at Koskisen Oy, commented that their group of 10 came to catch up on new technology developments used in U.S. mills and to learn about market opportunities. Rob Freres, principal at Oregon plywood manufacturer, Freres Lumber, was interested to hear discussion about crosslaminated timber, noting, “We think veneer probably would make more sense than full sawn lumber. We’re surveying the landscape.” Looking at global trends, Dr. George Goroyias of Poyry Management Consulting noted that while Asia is now the biggest furniture-producing area in the world, the region is facing wood shortages that will not allow Asian furniture producers to meet future demand increases. “This may increase opportunities for Western furniture manufacturers,” Goroyias said. He added that China is banning timber harvest on much of its remaining natural forests, and there’s a big need for new and extensive investment in plantation wood throughout the region. Goroyias emphasized the importance of investing more in R&D. “Innovation in our sector should focus beyond product and technical and explore areas such as creating different routes to market, improving our product marketing and creating supply chain alliances.” Dr. W. Ernest Hsu, principal of Hsu Consulting, addressed product prospects in China, noting, “The main applications of engineered stand products in China are different from those in North America,” he said. “The products for the China market must be designed to match their applications. Otherwise, the products may be too expensive to compete with other products.” Dr. Hui Wan, Associate Professor in Forest Composite Products at Mississippi State University, also addressed the engineered wood panel industry in China. He noted that last year the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information published a notice to promote green
building materials production and application, so that by 2018 green building material sales should increase to 20% of all building material sold. Heikki Vidgren, principal, Pöyry Management Consulting, addressed engineered wood trends in Europe. He said cross-laminated timber is still in the early stage of development and represents a major growth opportunity in North America and Europe. It can also have a significant impact on sawnwood demand. For example, a 10% market
share gain in residential construction in Germany would increase the demand of sawnwood by 1.5-2 million m3 or by 300-400 million EUR. Scott Stamey, Senior Project Manager, Mid-South Engineering, spoke on creating value through engineering. Citing ways to save during preliminary design, Stamey listed: eliminate conveying; smaller equipment footprint; utilize existing structures; minimize detailed engineering design changes; allow the project to pick the outage date. TP
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GETTING
STRONGER By Jessica Johnson
During a four-year timespan, Griffin Lumber has seen an overhaul from bucking line to planer mill.
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CORDELE, Ga. he four brothers who equally own Griffin Lumber Co., a sawmill started by their greatgrandfather in 1948, knew that in order to rise above the recession they had to maintain a strong profile in the SYP decking market. The 60MMBF facility focuses on 5⁄4x6 radius edge decking in I45, Standard, Premium, #3 and 4 grades. However, Jesse Griffin, the younger middle brother at 33, also recognized that in order to maintain that position changes had to be made inside of the SYP production facility to improve yield. Each of the brothers takes care of a different element of the business—which includes the main sawmill, three retail hardware stores, a construction company, land management and re-man and lumber sales. Jesse oversees the sawmill production facility and came up with a plan for key projects throughout the mill that were implemented during the last four years. Griffin says when he first started, he didn’t set out to basically rebuild everything from the bucking line to the planer mill, it just sort of happened. “We don’t typically buy brand new equipment, we tend to take old equipment, give it life 16
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The Griffin boys with their father, from left, Jeremy, CJ, Jesse, Billy and Will
Ninety percent of Griffin’s production is handled by the sharp chain.
again and get it modified to suit our needs,” he explains, but is quick to point out that not everything in the mill is aged and some pieces are brand new. Up until a few years ago, the mill was running its original Newnes curve-sawing gang, and Griffin was noticing it
wasn’t as productive as it once had been. Not only was the edger getting backed up from the semi-outdated setup, but also four people were working around it— two of them just pulling trash. After looking around at different options to solve the bottleneck, Griffin settled on a
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”The Critter“ brings optimization to the bucking line.
WaneShear log profiler/canter. It was installed at the beginning of this year. Outfitted with USNR controls and optimization, the log profiler/canter fits right in front of the gang, allowing the pieces that used to bog the edger down to flow straight to the trimmer. No one has to be in the area pulling trash—finished lumber is coming out from behind the gang. Griffin likes the new machine because it saves time, eliminated a few positions and improves yield. “It has been a pretty good project. It didn’t take long to complete and wasn’t a major undertaking to put it in as far as installation goes,” he adds. While the WaneShear machine is among the newest equipment in the mill, Griffin is especially proud of improvements made at the start of the process, a rebuilt bucking line. One line handles everything Griffin brings in and features two stationary cutup saws by Linden and controls done by Automated Control Solutions in Arkansas. Logs are brought in and handled by a Linden mechanical quadrant feeder, which works very similar to a step feeder. He explains that when they were building it, they had the intentions of being able to measure the log with some lasers. “Well,” he says, “turns out you can’t do that in our application.” So like any person with mechanical and technical inclinations, he put his head to it and created what he wanted.
Upgraded merchandizing line includes MDI metal detectors.
“The Critter” as it is called around Griffin Lumber, looks like a small rat running up and down the bucking line. A homemade optimizer, The Critter shoots up and down a track, measuring the length of the log and then dumps that data into a custom-built Microsoft Excel program, which decides the cuts. Griffin says that it was a challenge at first, getting The Critter to a functioning point, because no one has ever done something like it before. But it wasn’t extremely complicated either; it is just a
simple photo eye and track with the computer paired in the operator cab. “It works really, really well. Compared to other optimization, it is extremely accurate,” he adds. During his new project mindset, Griffin didn’t just focus on The Critter optimization or the new log profiler/canter, he also installed Baxley optimization at the edger, as well as a new USNR continuous dry kiln; and pretty much a complete overhaul in the planer mill with a new infeed table by A&M, planer ma-
McDonough quad bandmill keeps production running smooth. TIMBER PROCESSING
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Griffin tries to cut everything into a six inch cant.
chine from A&M, all new blow system and Baxley board feeder. Up next on his list? A redo all the way from the trimmer to the stacker in the sawmill and basically same thing in the planer mill. “I feel like I should come up with something more exciting than that but that’s probably what needs to be done next,” he says. “I’ve been so wrapped up in projects for the last three or four years, I’m excited for the next couple years to just think in sawmill mode; get used to the equipment we’ve got and do what we do best, which is produce lumber,” Griffin says. However, he’s quick to say that even though he’s ready to get used to everything recently installed, he knows the need to continue to grow and change will come back. “I’m sure I’ll get to the point where I get an idea and I will want to do something,” he says.
MILL FLOW Two years ago Griffin Lumber, as part of the upgrade that included the cutup saws and The Critter, put in a 26 in. A5 Nicholson debarker, purchased used and fixed up a bit. Once logs are debarked, there is a choice of the sharp chain or headrig. Ninety percent of Griffin’s logs go to the sharp chain. Griffin says the headrig is pretty insignificant as it is one 18
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A curve-sawing gang is coupled with the new profiler/canter.
of the oldest pieces of equipment in the mill and is only used for oversized logs of 14 in. diameter or greater. Four years ago Griffin purchased an old USNR sharp chain and had it completely rebuilt to suit his needs—basically a custom design. Logs kick onto it from the mechanical quadrant feeder through to a USNR single log turner with USNR optimization. “It’s a self centering setup, the log goes through the centering section where it squeezes the mass of the log and centers it as the chain impales the log. Then the log passes through another set of scanners on the sharp chain, where you get the final solution,” Griffin explains. Logs then pass through Omega chip heads and a McDonough quad bandmill. Edger boards flow to a Baxley edger, with the recently redone Baxley infeed system that removed the turn gates. “It now just works itself out, like it is coming down a hill. It’s a series of hooks, photo eyes and limit switches, you don’t have to handle every piece,” Griffin says. Optimization at the edger is Baxley. Then there’s the new setup with the WaneShear log profiler/canter and the Newnes curve-sawing gang. From there, it’s a Newnes lug loader, with Baxley optimization at the old Hemco trimmer. “It’s really old,” Griffin says. The sorter is an old Hemco. The Morris stacker was part
of a project a few years ago which included the installation of a USNR stick layer. Four years ago Doug Tinsley with Tinsley Consulting aided Griffin as the mill upgraded its drying to the USNR continuous style dry kiln, while keeping the same fire box and burn chamber. R&L Engineering Controls handled the needed control adjustments. Using a continuous kiln made sense, Griffin says, because you can dry more lumber. Since the mill focuses its production on decking, using the continuous kiln was a driving force to make the switch. “For decking during the summertime there is a pink mold issue. If you try to dry it right down to 19% you will have some wet and some not wet; the more moisture in the lumber the better it runs—the better it looks but then it has mold and has to be cleaned and rerun,” Griffin says. With a continuous kiln, lumber can be dried down lower than 19% and not have that worry at all, he believes. “If you were using a conventional kiln to dry at lower percentages it would just be a mess—for some reason, with a continuous kiln it just doesn’t have as many drying defects. You don’t have any downgrade in lumber either, by over drying it a little bit,” he adds. Griffin doesn’t love that the continuous kilns have to run overnight and is much more in favor of the “set it and for-
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Focusing on decking, Griffin Lumber produces 60MMBF annually.
get it” method of conventional kilns. But even with the added personnel requirement to load it and watch it, he says it’s definitely the way to dry lumber.
PLANER MILL Griffin Lumber’s planer mill has seen a lot of upgrade action in recent years. Six years ago, the mill installed a Baxley breakdown hoist, redoing the entire infeed system with an infeed table from Dennis Miller and a Lineal High Grader grading system from USNR. Griffin says
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A USNR continuous dry kiln helps Griffin manage pink mold growth during the summer months.
he was really happy with the success of the project, but at the time elected to not upgrade the planer itself—choosing instead to wait until this year. When it came time to do the planer, Griffin set about his dumpster diving, and bought a used Coastal planer that he sent to Dennis Miller. Miller fixed up and tweaked the machine, essentially turning it into his A&M planer. At the same time, Griffin also redid the entire blow system with a new blower, cyclone and all new ductwork provided by Lenoir Air Systems in North Carolina.
The mill still uses the USNR LHG with an older unscrambler, paired with the brand new Baxley board feeder. The trimmer, sorter, stacker and mill-built strapping system in the planer mill are also all well aged. R&L Controls provided all needed systems controls. A SEC fence was also installed.
MILL PROCEDURES Griffin admits that maintenance hasn’t always been in the forefront of his mind, but over the last three years it has become
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The planer mill received some updating over the last three years with equipment from USNR and Baxley.
his little baby. “We had no maintenance programs at all,” he explains, “We had no parts room, we just had inventory scattered about. I needed some help getting system in place.” So he hired in Liz Hansen, owner of AEH Legacy Consultants, to come in and pick out the maintenance management program, manage the building of a storeroom and lay out the storeroom. It wasn’t a small task, Griffin admits: “She went and got everything from around the mill, everyone had inventory in their areas, it was very unorganized.” Once the computer system was in
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The log yard handles approximately 50 trucks per day.
place and the storeroom was completed, she helped Griffin develop maintenance programs, keeping everything organized. “It’s an ongoing process. She got the ball rolling for us, big time,” he says. Eight dedicated maintenance personnel, with one lead guy, handle the mill’s needs. All but one work the night shift. At the completion of the major mill projects, Griffin turned his full attention to making sure maintenance was done— getting PMs put into the new system, teaching operators how to perform the PMs, actually making sure the PMs were
being done, it was a complete overhaul on the way of thinking around maintenance, Griffin says. “Before we were doing PMs sporadically, something would go down and we would get fired up, ‘It’s time to do some PMs!’ Now, we have gotten so much stuff into the maintenance program, printing out PMs weekly, it’s been neat to watch,” he says. The renewed focus on maintenance has also improved yield. “At night you used to see nothing but work orders and PMs would never get done. Now it’s
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shifted to less and less work orders and more time for PMs. It’s shown that less stuff is breaking down during the day and we’re spending more time doing preventative and predictive maintenance over actual maintenance,” he says. Saw filing is handled in-house: One filer for circle work, one doing guides and one doing band saws. “They do their thing in there. And they do a great job,” Griffin remarks. Currently Griffin Lumber band saws are running at .130 kerf with all other saws at .120. Ideally, Griffin would like
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to have the gang saw running at .110 as it did in the past. However they found that running the saws that thin caused them to wear out faster, needing to be replaced every two months or so. Griffin says that the key to the mill running well isn’t necessarily the saws and saw filing, though his filers are among the best. Instead, they focus heavily on machine alignment going as far as purchasing their own set of lasers and tools to align machines in-house, using one of their operators. “Once every couple months we do a
full realignment on all machines,” he explains. “If you do have saw problems, it is usually not the saw’s fault—it’s the machine acting silly. So, within 30 minutes, he can jump in and put lasers in and figure out what’s wrong. A lot of people point fingers at the saw filing room, but it has nothing to do with saws. It can, but we have really good saw filers, they don’t mess up.”
KEY PERSONNEL As part of the Griffin Lumber Co. overhaul, the mill has also renewed its commitment to safety. Each month a safety consultant comes in and does a supervisor safety meeting and handles necessary OSHA paperwork. Mill operators and supervisors meet weekly on safety, and Griffin offers an incentive program that is tied to a safe working environment. “It’s come a long way,” Griffin says about the safety programs at the mill. Overall, Griffin Lumber employs 80. Key folks include Mark McKenzie, planer superintendent, over rolling stock and dry kiln superintendent; Ryan Rucker, sawmill superintendent; Robert Lavender, mill-wide quality control; Donnie Cravey, purchasing; Michael Odom, safety coordinator, maintenance coordinator; Sam Hampton, maintenance supervisor; Bura Allen, electrician/PLC; B.I. Thornton, lumber sales; Jay Sudduth procurement/land manager and Mandy Sudduth who acts as CFO, HR and the right-hand man to Griffin. “She does a lot of stuff, way more than any one person should,” he adds with a laugh. While Jesse Griffin is technically the brother in charge of sawmill operations, he always has the support of his three brothers, as well as his father, Billy, and grandfather, Bill, who are always around but are careful not to overstep. “We respect each other,” he says. Will, the oldest, is acting President and oversees all aspects of the companies. Jeremy, the second oldest, is land and A/P manager. CJ, the youngest of the Griffin boys, manages the three retail stores: Griffin Lumber & Hardware. “We each play our own role and it works,” Jesse says. Billy, their father, says he’s extremely proud of his boys and how the business has grown and changed since they became major players. Jesse admits that he always wanted to be involved, but never felt pressured by the family. “We all went to college and then came into the business. It wasn’t some sort of master plan my dad had, it just evolved into TP what it is.”
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FOCUS ON
HIGHEND By Dan Shell
Frank Lumber’s emphasis on industrial products and high quality, plus innovative operations, has mill running well.
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MILL CITY, Ore. oncentrating on premium products and high quality lumber, Frank Lumber Co. has carved out multiple niches with a diverse product lineup. Coupled with proactive, family ownership that has continued to invest and upgrade the operation and diversify into new ventures, Frank Lumber has suc-
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Headrig project in 2015 included conversion to doublecut, plus new scanning and optimization.
cessfully navigated the past economic downturn and is well positioned for a bright future. The sawmill produces 85MMBF annually, 65%-75% in laminated beam stock, plus a significant amount of metric beams up to 20 ft. All lumber is machine stress-rated and graded visually. Frank Lumber President Jim Frank says he can remember when the mill made 35MBF a day when it was built decades ago but is producing more than 10 times as much now with fewer people. The mill is a bit space limited but operators have been creative and innovative in building a mill that emphasizes quality. “We don’t have the room for the big long sawing lines like a lot of mills have,” Frank says. “But we’re always looking to be more efficient and we’re
continually refining operations.” Recent improvements include converting a bandmill/carriage headrig to a double-cut system in 2015 and adding a new scanning and optimization system from Nelson Brothers that includes JoeScan scanning heads. Also last year, Frank Lumber added an SCS wireless moisture detection system to bolster its USNR Kiln Boss controls. An EWD frame saw installed five years ago as a primary breakdown system fits the mill’s product focus well. And in 2008 Frank Lumber took a step toward complete residual utilization when it formed Packsaddle Pellets adjacent the sawmill—a wood fuel plant that focuses on (what else?) highquality, low ash heating pellets. The company dates to 1936, when it was founded by A.J. Frank along the
banks of the Little North Fork Santiam River east of Salem, Ore., in the Cascade Mountain foothills. The company moved to its current site in nearby Mill City, Ore., along the banks of the main stem Santiam River, in 1955. Brothers Dennis (President 43 years) and Jim (current President) are leaders of the family-owned company, which includes their sister, Carole Carey. Dennis’ son Jeff is timber manager, and Carole’s son, Jon Carey, is head of human resources. Other key employees include Randy Walker, maintenance superintendent; Robert Casey, head saw filer; and Tim Stewart, shipping manager. Ryan Banning, controller, oversees the office staff, and sales are ably handled by Chris Close (lumber) and Robin Derrick (pellets). Frank Lumber Co. cuts 100% Douglas
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Current Frank Lumber President Jim Frank, left, and brother Dennis, who was company president 43 years.
fir, and all output is kiln-dried. Early on and through its current operations, the mill has focused on high-grade structural lumber products with industrial end uses such as laminates, metal plate trusses, Ijoists and other engineered framing applications. Evidence of this was the 1963 installation of one of the first Metriguard
continuous lumber testing machines (CLTs) in the industry. Laminated beam stock remains a top product line for the mill, including 2x4s, 5s, 6s and 8s that are targeted for lower moisture contents since lam stock has to allow for shrinkage in developing final beam sizes.
Frank notes that “for years, our niche has been in smaller wood, and for a long time we ran our large logs through a sash gang,” he remembers. Almost 25 years ago, with logs from its own timberlands growing bigger, Frank Lumber added a traditional bandmill/carriage headrig with a used 8 ft. bandmill. The mill modification coincided with a decision to target the export market, and Frank Lumber has done so since 1993, cutting metric beams in sizes from 105x105 up to 105x300 in lengths to 20 ft. long for the Japanese market. “We’ve stayed with the products ever since,” Frank says, adding that the product category makes up almost 10% of sales and almost all of it goes into Japan for the traditional post-and-beam housing market. “We don’t sell much to China, because they typically buy real low grade material, and that doesn’t fit us,” Frank says. A big factor in the mill’s success is its timberland, 17,000 acres that are even more important after federal timber sales in the area have dropped by more than 90% since the 1980s in what was once one of the most productive national forest districts in the nation in terms of sustainable timber sales. “Our dad always tried to purchase as much of his own timberland as he could afford,” Frank remembers. Today, Frank Lumber buys many of its logs on the open market, along with occasional state timber sales, bolstered by its own timberland.
OPERATIONS Frank Lumber’s preferred log spec is 40 ft., with a maximum diameter of more than 40 in. Logs are unloaded, decked 30
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Frame saw handles mid-range logs.
Pellet plant utilizes almost all residuals.
and fed to the mill with a P&H portal crane. The mill makes small, medium and large log sorts for its three primary breakdown systems. Logs flow through two Nicholson debarkers, an A5 that handles stems up to 22 in., and an A1 that handles diameters up to 44 in. The small and medium log breakdown systems are housed in Mill A. The small log system is a 1960s vintage scragg machine frame that’s been heavily modified and customized in the decades since. Featuring two circle saws and two chipping heads, the machine handles logs roughly from 5 in. to 11 in., 32
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Frank Lumber brand is well known. Frank Lumber specializes in high quality and industrial lumber.
Mill operates nine kilns and runs schedules with eye to premium products.
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with maximum size 14.5 in. The highly productive machine can handle six logs/minute. The medium log system is an EWD frame saw that replaced an older sash gang five years ago. The new EWD frame saw handles stems from 12-18 in. and produces 5 in. to 8 in. cants, plus sideboards. Cants and sideboards flow to a unscramble area where an operator directs pieces to an 8 in. USNR gang edger while sideboards are processed through a shifting saw Portland edger. The Mill A Portland trimmer features a Nelson Bros. optimization package with JoeScan heads in transverse configuration. From the trimmer, boards flow to a Turner Engineering 23 bin sorter, which feeds to a Turner Engineering stacker. The large log side is housed in Mill B, where a headrig with 8 ft. Kockums air strain bandmill and Salem carriage handles logs from 18 in. up to 44 in. Frank notes the headrig’s bandmill was converted from a single- to double-cut in 2015. The double-cut is more productive and efficient and has boosted volume, he adds. Both cants and boards from the headrig flow to a 10 in. TMT gang and board edger, then on to an unscramble area where an operator can direct pieces to the trimmer, turn wane up for the trimmer or pull boards out for reman. Downstream of the trimmer in Mill B, boards are stacked on a green chain. Frank Lumber operates nine Coe kilns with an overall capacity of around 1MMBF. The steam-heated kilns are fired with hog fuel burning in a 30,000 lb. Wyatt & Kipper boiler. The kilns operate with a USNR Kiln Boss control system, and an SCS moisture meter system was added to the kiln controls and moisture monitoring equipment lineup in 2015. The dry end runs a variety of kiln schedules, including time-tested schedules for producing high quality “hirakaku” metric beams for the Japanese market, premium products free of heart
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center. Schedules for the large export beams and high quality lam stock require extra care and longer dry times to develop the quality those markets demand. “We’re well-known for our lumber quality,” Frank says, “because we take extra care.” The planer mill runs with a StetsonRoss planer and features a Metriguard MSR CLT machine that sprays on a color code for each stress rating. Lumber flows past four certified graders. Material is trimmed and is hand-stacked from the planer mill lumber chain. Lumber is placed in storage, and most of it is wrapped with the balance tarped. Shipping is mostly by truck, with some rail shipments. Frank Lumber operates its own trucking company, Frank Trucking, which handles in-house shipping needs. After adding a pellet mill operation in 2008, Frank Lumber has re-emphasized residual handling and quality. Mill edgings and trims are fed to a 75 in. 10-knife CAE disc chipper that feeds to a two-deck BM&M counterflow screening system. “We started the pellet mill using only planer shavings,” Frank says, noting that a 2011 dryer expansion at the pellet mill allows utilization of all mill residuals: chips, sawdust and planer shavings. He adds that sizing the pellet plant to use only in-house residuals gives the facility a boost in maintaining quality. “We have total control from the sawmill to the pellet plant, and that’s a big advantage,” Frank says. The mill’s boiler runs on bark, with sawdust from the pellet mill sawdust dryer mixed in during winter for better combustion.
INVOLVEMENT As a 44-year fixture in the local economy, Frank Lumber employs 125. “We have a lot of second- and third-generation employees,” Frank says. An example of the company’s commitment to the community is the A.J. Frank Family Foundation, established in 1959 by A.J. Frank and Louise Frank, and set up for religious, educational and charitable purposes. Their vision was to support the endeavors and needs of the local communities in which they lived and worked, especially areas involving children and the poor. The mill owners are involved in reviewing grant requests. Projects that have been funded include local missions, food banks, playground enhancements, elementary and high school tuition assistance, domestic violence support services and local Habitat for Humanity homes. TP 36
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GRADING
ONEINCH By Andrew Snook
Gorman Bros. is getting more out of its one inch boards with new technology.
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WESTBANK, BC he Gorman Bros. operations have come a long way since the two brothers, John and Ross, opened up a factory to build fruit boxes out of sawmill scraps more than 60 years ago as a way to earn a living while their fruit orchards recovered from a harsh winter. Although the original office for that facLike the sign says, it’s all about “boards” at Gorman Bros. tory still stands proudly on display at the front of the Gorman Bros. sawmill and planer mill facility in Westbank, everything else related to the company’s operations has changed to adapt to the competitive pace of the forestry sector. The Westbank facility is a 1 in. board mill that sells into 28 countries. The mill produces 150MMBF of predominantly spruce and lodgepole pine. Some lumber companies consider Gorman Bros. a “boutique mill” and that suits Doug Tracey, operations manager for Gorman Bros., just fine. “Being a one inch board mill is unique,” Tracey says. “We probably have the best name in the world for one Operator station at horizontal bandmill inch boards.” 38
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One of five Wellons kilns at Westbank
The reason Gorman Bros. has such a great reputation? One word: quality. The company’s desire to produce top quality boards is one of the reasons for the company’s latest investment in its planer mill and new automatic grading equipment. For the upgrades, they turned to Comact and its GradExpert automated grader. Choosing the supplier that was the best fit for the company wasn’t an easy task, since most of the optimizing and grade scanning companies that Gorman Bros. management sat down with didn’t have a lot of experience in grading 1 in. appearance grade boards, Tracey explains. “When we sat down with them and we went through what we needed, they could do maybe 85 percent of what we wanted,” he says. “But to get it to that last 98, 99 or 100 percent, we realized what we needed was a company that we can work with—a company that is committed to our program. Even though they can’t deliver all the goods today, they will continue to work with us for the next four, five, eight or 10 years, whatever it takes to get there. Comact said, ‘Absolutely, we’re in it for the long haul, we’re excited to get into one inch.’”
GOOD GRADES Gorman Bros. offers a variety of grades, including Clear Select (its highest grade), Gorman Elite, Gorman Craftsman, and #4 Com. Tracey says the grading criteria for their operation when compared to what Comact was used to dealing with was “night and day.” “The level of detection that they required was so much greater on the one inch to see everything visually that needed to be looked at to grade one inch boards accurately,” he says. The GradExpert automated grader system the company purchased was sent down to the company’s facility in
Automated grader is programmed for one inch at Gorman.
Oroville, Wash. for testing. Glenn Griffin, the company’s quality control and project analyst, played a key role in making sure the company understood what criteria it was looking for from the grading system. “One thing that was a real plus for us was that it was a transverse system because we’re really restricted for space,” Griffin says. “It was also important that Comact continue with our program to assess it with our products. With dimension lumber you’re grading mainly for structural. For boards it’s appearance, which means you grade the one face different from the back face, so the best face is one grade and the back can be a grade lower. They had never done that before, but they agreed to do that. They revised their program to grade the two faces independently and then apply the rule.” Tracey notes since Comact has chain transfers on a transverse system you basically lose that scan information because the chain transfers take up that space. “So
what they ended up doing was basically two scanners in one box where they offset the chain transfers so we had 100 percent of the board with no loss of data and they amalgamated that data together. We got the benefit of a lineal scanner in a transverse system. It was the first one they’d ever done, but it seemed to make good sense to us and it works.” The different species of trees Gorman Bros. uses in its operations were another factor in selecting this particular equipment. The company uses mainly spruce and lodgepole pine in its Westbank operation, and the loose knots need to be graded differently. To help manage this aspect of the operation, Comact installed species detection. “Now we can detect the species and apply the grade rule, so that was a big step for us,” Griffin says. “Even on the color,” adds Tracey. “We can detect the difference in the species and the difference of the color of a spruce knot compared to a lodgepole TIMBER PROCESSING
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Gorman QC and Project Analyst Glenn Griffin looks over edger solutions.
pine, and then width—even on narrows, even within the same species, and the difference in the knot criteria in a 1x4 and a 1x12, so there was lots of product development. They had their engineers working very hard.”
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OPERATIONS Three LeTourneau log loaders unload logs in the yard, which are transferred via Caterpillar wheel loaders down to the company’s slasher deck, which was cus-
tom built in the early 1980s. If the logs are over 14 in. diameter they go to an HKS Engineering designed headrig. Otherwise, they are sent to the company’s Optimil double length infeed (DLI) canter line, the main production line for the facility. A 72 in. bucking line processes the bigger logs and crooked logs before they are transferred to either the headrig or canter line. Linden step feeders are used to feed the debarkers for both the headrig and canter lines—a Forano debarker for the canter line and a 36 in. Cambio debarker for the larger headrig logs. One operator in a climate controlled operator station runs both debarkers. “We’re running about 50 percent spruce, 50 percent lodgepole pine,” Griffin says. On the canter line, the logs are sent through two scanners. “We scan first for rotation with an USNR scanning system and then we scan again in the infeed for the optimization breakdown of the cant,” Griffin says. “Based on that decision, the heads will adjust accordingly to meet the log in its rotated position to cut it to the size indicated.” ➤ 42
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The cants are sent out to one of 40 ➤ three Ukiah gang edgers—a 4 in. gang edger, an 8 in. double arbor gang edger or a 12 in. double arbour gang edger. The company currently runs about 6,500 logs through its Optimil DLI canter line every shift. The company runs three shifts, 24 hours a day, five days a week. Lumber then moves to the drop sorter and to the J-Bar or the company’s two Newnes (USNR) laser scanning, edger optimizers. “We have two edger optimizers because about 50 percent of the pieces have
to be edged,” Griffin explains. The boards then go to a Newnes (USNR) trimmer optimizer that performs the geometric scanning and grade scanning of the boards. A four-stage fence system positions the boards, which then go through a multiple-saw trimmer. The boards are then transferred to a Newnes (USNR) 75-bin sorter system where they are sorted by grades, lengths and widths. Boards are then sent to a Mill Tech Industries stacker with automatic stick layers.
AT THE PLANER Boards sent to the planer mill are processed by a six-head, high speed Waco planer that runs 1,000 FPM. In order to get the full scan of the board with the Comact GradExpert, Comact installed an extra set of cameras and transfer chains so nothing blocks out any part of the board. The line can run upwards of 120 lugs per minute. “The lighting is very important on the GradExpert to classify the different characteristics accurately, so we need to change our lights more often and do vision calibration a little more often,” Griffin says. “We’ve come up with a schedule where we’ll be changing them out every year instead of every two years.” Based on the characteristics, the GradExpert applies the grade rule set up by Gorman Bros and transfers the information over to the PLC for the trim decision or cut-in-two decision. A grade stamp is then applied on the end of the board. The mill still has graders that are making sure the machine is functioning properly and to closely follow grading and quality performance. “We still have check graders in place to ensure that the product going to the customer is right,” Griffin says. After the lumber is stamped, it is sent to the Mill Tech Industries lumber handling systems and piling chain. A Berg N Stark energy system burns dry shavings to provide energy for all of the company’s dry kilns. The Westbank facility has 21 dry kilns in operation, five conventional Wellons kilns and 16 dehumidifier kilns manufactured by Custom Dry Kilns. “We dry very low temperature, high humidity for quality of the boards,” Griffin says. “One hundred percent of our production is kiln dried.” “The dehumidifier kilns are lower temperature and very high humidity to reduce shrinkage and prevent drying defects,” Griffin says. As to future upgrades, Tracey says they are looking at trimmer and edger scanning/optimization. TP This article and photos appeared in the January-February issue of Canadian Forest Industries, with which Timber Processing has an article-swap alliance.
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2016 EXPO Richmond Exhibitors May 13-14, Richmond, Va. • 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. • As of April 18 Automated Industrial Technologies Old Dominion Bldg. Automated Machine Systems Booths 212 & 311 Automation & Electronics USA LLC Booth 309
AFLAC Booth 17
B & C Truck Sales Lots C 5 & 16
Aftermarket Parts Booth 329 Air Systems Mfg. of Lenoir Booth 719 Air-Flow Trailer Systems Lot M 6 Alan Tye & Associates Lot I 4
Bad Dog Tools Booth 617 Bailey’s Lot F 2 Baker Products Lots G 23-25 Bandit Industries Lots K 9-13
Alderman Saw Shop Booths 220-224
Barko Hydraulics Lot M 11
Alliance Tire Americas Lots L 10-15 American Loggers Insurance Booth 619
Bartlett Saw Service & Supply Booth 42
American Lumber & Pallet Booth 722
Bates Distributors Lot J 3
American Signumat Booth 623
Baxley Equipment/Price Log Pro Booth 328
American Strapping Co. Booth 10 Antiquated Logging Tools Booth 9
Bell’s Machining Lot G 2 Ben Jones Machinery Booths 310-312
Apollo Equipment Booth 410
Biolube Booth 744
ASAPH (TRS) Lots B 4, 6, 7-8
Biomass Engineering & Equipment Booths 206-208
Brewco Lot C 8
COBO International Booths 627-631
Diehl-Clayton Equipment Booth 422
Global Machinery Sales Booth 610
Brewer Machine & Parts Lots M 7-8
Comact Equipment Booth 729
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operation-Firestone Lots F 6-7, 8-9
Comstock Logging Supplies Booth 421
Discount Hydraulic Hose.com Booth 202
Goodman Truck & Tractor Co. Lots E 1-4
Down River Cryogenics Booth 517
Greg Poole Equipment Lots L 5 & 20
Duo-Fast Carolinas Booth 640
Haix North America Booth 621
Connexus Industries Booths 402-404
Dyna Products Lot K 4
Cooper Machine Co. Booths 228-230
Econotool Booth 327
Hall’s Safety Equipment Corp. Booths 110-111
Corali-USA Booths 232-234
Elite Custom Ironworks Booths 108-109
Cord Master International Lots G 19-20
Excelsior Marking Booth 520
Corley Mfg. Co. Booths 428-430, 527-529
Farm Credit Booths 750-752
Country Saw and Knife Booth 612
FASCO America Booth 101
Cresswood Shredding Machinery Booth 636
Fecon Lots L 16-17
Bronco Pallet Systems Lots B 10-11 Brunner-Hildebrand Lumber Dry Kiln Co. Booth 519 Brunson Instrument Co. Booth 229 Brute Force Mfg. Lot I 3 Built-Rite Mfg. Corp. Lot A 14 Carolina Giant Tire Lot K 6 Carolina Inspection Services Booth 333 Caterpillar Forest Products Lots K 1-3, 19-21 Caterpillar Loader Championship Lots L 1-4, 21-24 Cemar Electro Booth 307 Chainsaws of the Past Booths 6-9 CJ Logging Equipment Booths 532-534 Cleereman Industries Lot C 17, Booths 502-512, 601-609
Concrobium Moisture and Mold Technologies Booth 720
Cross-Tech Manufacturing Lot C 6 Crown Royal Stoves/Greentech Mfg. Lot M 3 Custom Milling & Consulting Booth 704 Cutting Systems Lots I 1-2, 7-9 Delta Computer Systems Booth 516
Flying Dutchman Booth 431 Forest Equipment Operator Training Schol (FOROP) Booth 635
Honeyville Metal Booth 746 Hotsy Of Virginia Lot G 17 Hub Industrial Supply Booth 637 Hurdle Machine Works Lots J 1 & 17
Husqvarna Forest & Garden Lot A 6
Forestry Mutual Insurance Co. Booths 315-317
HWP Shavers Lots F 3-4
Forestry Suppliers Booth 531
ICE Companies Lots L 6 & 19 Industrial Reporting Booths 734-736
Fulghum Industries Booths 334-336, 433-435
Industrial Vision Systems (VisionTally) Booth 507
Gaines & Critzer Booth 27
Innovative Data Systems Booth 515
GBN Machine & Engineering Corp. Lot A 9
Innovative Trailers Lot G 21
T.H. Glennon Co. Booth 424
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HMC Corp. Lots K 7-8 & 16
Forestry & Construction Booth 210
George Kahler Sales Lot OD 1
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HewSaw Machines Booth 622
Hurst Boiler Booth 732
GCR Tires & Service Lot G 16
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Hatton-Brown Publishers Booths 705-709
Forest Pro Lots D 4-7,16-19
Fromm Packaging Systems Booth 48
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Reimler Parts Mfg. Booth 104
Telco Sensors Booths 628-630
Rotobec USA Lots L 12-13
Terex Enviromental Equipment Lots G 28-31
Rotochopper Lots H 1-3 & 11-13 Salem Equipment Booth 319 Salsco Lot J 15 Save Edge Lot OD 1 Jewell Machinery Lots C 3-4 & 18
Maxi Mill Booth 524
Oleson Saw Booths 800-803
Saw Service & Supply Booth 721
JoeScan Booth 432
MAYPRO Booth 412
Olofsfors Lot A 2
Sawmill Hydraulics Booth 724, Lot C 7
Kaman Industrial Technologies Booths 116-118
McDonough Manufacturing Co. Booths 624 & 723
Package Research Laboratory Booth 522
Sawmill MD Booths 503-505
Kawasaki Construction Lot L 8
Mellott Mfg. Co. Inc. Lots D 11-12
Pallet Machinery Group Old Dominion Building
Keith Mfg. Co. Booths 409-411
Menominee Saw and Supply Co., Booths 712-714
PANTRON Automation Booths 706-708
Kenne-Saw & Supply Co. Booth 633 Key Knife Booth 416 Keystone Machinery Corp. Lot G 27 Kiln-direct.com Lots H 4-6 KNL Holdings Lots G 11-13 Landen Strapping Booth 120 Lauderdale-Hamilton Booths 403-407 Left Coast Supplies Lot G 3
Messersmith Manufacturing Booth 331 Metal Detectors Booth 233 Metropolitan Staple Corp. Booth 408 Mid-Atlantic Stihl Lots C 1-2, 19 Morbark Lots D 8-10, 13-15 Multitek North America Lots A 7-8 National Hardwood Lumber Assn. Booth 716
Paw-Taw-John Services Booth 611
Peerless Saw Co. Booths 521-523
Smart Products Lots J 4, 13, 14
Pemberton Lot M 10
Smetco Booth 501
Pendu Mfg. Booths 434-438, 533-537
Sonny Merryman Lot G 18
Peterson Pacific Lots C 9-12
Sosmetal Products Booths 215-217
PHL Equipment Booth 729
Southeast Industrial Equipment Lots F 1 & 9
Pinnacle Trailer Sales Lot G 22
Log Max Lot K 5
Nelson Bros. Engineering Booth 618
Precision Husky Lot E 5
Logical Systems Booth 418
Newman Machine Co. Booth 718
Profile Technology Booth 106
Lumberman’s Exchange Booth 105
Nicholson Manufacturing Booths 602-604, 701-703
PRS Group Booths 731-735
Lumbermen’s Equipment Digest Booths 25-26
Noble Machinery Co. Booths 304-306
Quality Craft Tools Lot J 2
Northern Logger Booth 46
Rayco Industries Lots K 17-18
Norwood Industries Lots C 13-15
Rayco Manufacturing Lots K 14-15
Nyle Systems Booth 717
Redwing Logging Supply Lot A 5
Off Road Track Chair Booth 5
Redwood Plastics Corp. Booth 511
Manac Trailer Lot M 9 Massaging Insoles Booth 24
SII Dry Kilns Booths 112, 211 Simply Computing International Booth 518
LINC Systems Booth 616
Macose Booth 308
Sharp Tool Co. Booth 323
B.H. Payne & Co. Booths 427-429
National Wooden Pallet & Container Assn. Booths 49-50
Machinery Installation Co. Lot F 5
Sennebogen Lots L 7 & 18
Piper’s Saw Shop Lot G 1
VDACS-Ag & Forestry Development Services Booth 38 VDACS-STS Booth 37
The Knifesource Booths 536-540
Vermeer Mid Atlantic Lots M 4-5
Tigercat Industries Lots D 1-3, 20-22
Viking Engineering Arena
Tigra USA Booth 307
Viper Industrial Products Booth 711
Timber Products Inspection Booth 509
Virginia Dept, of Forestry Booths 11-14, 15 & 36 Outside Commonwealth Building
Timber Ridge Equipment Booth 702 Timberwolf Mfg. Corp. Lot B 1
Virginia Forestry Assn. Booths 19 & 32
Titan Tire Lot I 6
Virginia Forest Products Assn. Exhibition Building
TMS Machinery Sales Booth 302
Virginia Loggers’ Assn. Booth 47
TradeTec Computer Systems Booth 219
Virgina Tech CNRE Booths 20-22 & 28-31
Tree Services Booth 811
Wallingford’s Booths 760-764
Trelan Southeast Lot G 26
Waratah Forestry Attachments Booths 301-305
Tri-State Auction & Realty Booth 715
Webster Industries Booth 739
Truck Enterprises Richmond Lot A 1
West Salem Machinery Booth 608
TSS Industries Booth 620
Western Trailer Sales Co. Lots J16
U.C. Coatings Corp. Booth 813
White and Co. Booth 737
Union Grove Saw & Knife Booth 638
Windy Ridge Corp. Booth 639
Stringer Industries Booths 122-124, 221-223
Universal Machinery Sales Booth 231
Woodland Parts & Service Booths 322-324, 421-423
T. S. Manufacturing Booths 316-320, 415-419
Universal Tag Booth 420
Talladega Machinery & Supply Co. Booth 401
US Blades Booths 102-103
Woodmaxx Blades/Kasco Sharptech Booth 615
Taylor Machine Works Lots M 1 & M 1a
USNR Booths 632-634
Wood-Mizer Blades Booths 528-530 Wood-Mizer Lots G 4-10
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DRAX
FACTOR By Rich Donnell
Who is this entity that connects the dots between the U.S. and the U.K.?
Y
BATON ROUGE, La. ou’ve been hearing about the mass export of wood pellets to overseas destinations for use as fuel in biomass power generation plants. Have you ever wondered how that entire process actually comes together? There’s no better example of how it gets done than Drax Biomass and Drax Group. Drax Biomass is a North America subsidiary of United Kingdom-based Drax Group. Drax Biomass continues to finetune operation of its new 450,000 metric tons annual production capacity wood pellet plant in Gloster, Miss., known as Amite BioEnergy, and is doing the same at its nearly identical new wood pellet plant at Bastrop, La., called Morehouse BioEnergy. In 2014 Drax Biomass established North America headquarters in Atlanta, Ga. In March 2015 it named Peter Madden as CEO. Madden, whose career began in forestry, had most recently served as the vice president of Renewable Energy and Supply Chain for Plum Creek Timber. Meanwhile Amite BioEnergy broke ground in 2013, produced its first pellet in December 2014 and was commissioned in August 2015. The operation trucks its pellets—about 57 trailer loads daily at peak production—to Drax’s new Baton Rouge Transit LLC facility at the 48
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Pellets going into the hole at the port.
Host Terminals manages port operations for Drax.
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Port of Greater Baton Rouge, which is 60 miles south of Gloster. The Morehouse Bioenergy plant in Bastrop started up a few months later and sends it pellets by railcar to the port. From the port, pellets are shipped to any of several U.K. ports and transported by rail to the Drax Power Station at the town of Selby in North Yorkshire, England, not far from the Drax feeds two pellet storage domes. east coast off the North Sea. American electrical power generator and What Drax has accomplished in the UK distributor, AES, but regulatory chaland in the Southeast U.S. in less than five lenges, a drop in wholesale electricity years is remarkable. Drax Power Station in prices and resulting financial problems the UK, when it was built and started up forced AES to walk away from Drax in with three boiler lines in 1974, was state2003, leaving it to be restructured under owned, and still was when it added three the ownership of a number of financial inmore boiler lines in 1986. Each of the stitutions. In late 2005 Drax underwent recoal-burning units had a capacity of 660 financing and became publicly traded on MW. In 1990 the UK power sector bethe London Stock Exchange. came privatized and the Drax Power StaThe Kyoto Protocol in the 1990s starttion came under the ownership of National ed the momentum to fight global warmPower, one of the newly formed generating through the reduction of greenhouse ing companies. Nearly a decade later, in gases. The UK and a number of other 1999, National Power sold the plant to the European governments signed on. As far
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back as 2003, Drax, seeing the writing on the wall, started experimenting with biomass and began co-firing it with coal at a limited level to prove out the technology, the impact on boiler operations, heat rate and other efficiencies. The situation ramped up even more when the European Commission set forth the 2020 Climate & Energy Package, which became legislation in 2009, and which set three targets to be met by 2020: 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels; 20% of EU energy from renewable sources; and 20% improvement in energy efficiency. As these policy targets trickled down to the member states, the UK government was handed a 15% renewable sources target by 2020. Drax began looking at biomass in earnest and in 2012 announced it would pursue the total and sequential conversion of three of its boiler lines from coal to biomass fuel, including the installation of new raw material handling infrastruc-
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ture—a whopping investment of more than $600 million. Drax has completed the conversion of two boiler lines and a third is operating primarily on biomass with a full conversion awaiting a green light from the European Commission. Drax has also announced a desire to pursue additional conversion. In 2015, Drax Power Station procured 5 million metric tons of wood pellets annually from a broad supply chain of countries and companies. Once the third unit is fully converted, this figure will rise to 7 million metric tons annually. Its two new Southeast U.S. plants will supply 900,000 metric tons when in full production.
IN THE U.S.
Log infeed at the Gloster pellet mill.
At the same time that Drax committed to biomass at its UK power station, it also decided to invest in the upstream supply chain. One reason was to gain the security of supply that comes along with vertical integration; it also wanted to test out pellet manufacturing technology and develop a process to produce a consistent high quality pellet. Drax combed the Southern U.S. with the idea of placing facilities in established timber industry areas that had experienced
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decline and consolidation in the pulp and paper industry. Thus it would not be adding fiber consumption but replenishing a portion of what was lost, and meanwhile benefiting from an experienced logging, hauling and fiber procurement infrastructure. Each of the new Drax pellet plants would require about a million short tons of fiber at full production. Drax decided on Gloster and Bastrop, two areas heavily hit by paper mill contraction, both with abundant fiber supply
inventory and favorable growth-to-drain ratios, and both with appealing timberland ownership proximity, ranging from a large landowner like Weyerhaeuser to a variety of family owned timberland operations. And as importantly, each community received Drax and its potential economic development with enthusiasm. From the outset Drax has made it a point to be active citizens in the communities and contribute to them whether through donations to parks and recreation, libraries,
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schools, charitable fundraising efforts and in numerous other ways. Meanwhile Drax had settled on the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, actually located in the city of Port Allen, La. to build a new wood pellet receiving and shipping facility. It fit Drax’s needs perfectly for a deep water port capable of handling the large Panamax style cargo vessels and with incoming rail and truck transportation infrasructure. The pellet plants and the port facility would represent an impressive $350 million investment.
GLOSTER MILL Drax Biomass VP-Fiber Procurement, Rusty Booker, and Amite BioEnergy fiber procurement manager, Jason Spigner, a former logger, have pulled together the logging force, roughly 35 crews, to supply the mill at Gloster. The mill is designed to handle 80% pulpwood logs and 20% biomass chips (forest residuals) toward the 1 million tons demand at full capacity. That represents about 150 truckloads per day. The Gloster plant is a fairly tight layout (compared to the more spread out Bastrop facility). A Price LogPro 25 ton capacity crane unloads trucks and feeds a Price LogPro drum debarker line. Bark drops off and runs through a bark hog and is conveyed to the automated bark stacker-reclaimer with 200,000 cu. ft. of storage. BRUKS Rockwood supplied the bark processing and handling equipment. (In fact BRUKS supplied the
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Over-sized chips proceed through re-sizers.
wood yard system also including the truck dump, rotary drum screen, chip stacker reclaimer and associated conveying equipment). From the stacker-reclaimer, the bark fuel moves to a Dieffenbacher furnace with flue gas recirculation for heating a Dieffenbacher drum dryer. Logs from the debarker move through an Andritz HHQ chipper, 132 in. diameter with 16 knives, running 315 RPM. It’s equipped with four 500 HP motors to produce 10 mm long chips with 2-3 mm thickness. It’s followed by an Andritz chipper surge bin and metering screw. Chips go on the belt weigher and then drop onto a conveyor and move up to the BRUKS chipper stacker reclaimer with 2 million cu. ft. of chip storage.
From the pile, chips come on another belt weigher and go to an Andritz CS1000 gyratory chip screen for oversize removal, followed by two Andritz HQ sizers (re-sizers) for reducing oversized chips based on thickness to approximately 3 mm. Chips go to a Dieffenbacher wet chip silo with reclaim screw and a storage volume of 7,660 cu. ft. Chips come in at 50% moisture con-
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tent to the Dieffenbacher rotary dryer and leave at 12% MC. The gas exhaust from the dryer is treated by a B&W MEGTEC wet ESP and MEGTEC CleanSwitch RTO for VOC removal. Material from the dryer moves up a BRUKS conveyor (BRUKS supplied the dry side chain conveyors) into a Hoffman dry chip silo with a Laidig screw and reclaimer system that sends chips to three hammermill lines. Each of three hammermill stations has two CPM-Roskamp HM 5448 hammermills for a total of six hammermills.. The 54 in. diameter rotor in the
6 mm diameter pellets
hammermill reduces chips to a nominal less than 5 mm particle size with a majority being less than 3 mm. Material drops onto a BRUKS drag chain and is bound for one of two Hoffman dry fiber silos. Three Rotex screens remove properly sized material while oversize material is conveyed to three secondary CPMRoskamp hammermills. Material from the secondary hammermills and material that bypassed them then come together. Each stream of fiber (three lines) goes through a CPM pre-conditioner for the addition of water to ensure proper moisture for pelleting, and then the material is conveyed to CPM ripening bins that allow the moisture that was added to homogenize before entering the pelletizer. (At each of three vertical stack pellet production stations, you have a pre-conditioner feeding two ripening silos, with each ripening silo feeding two CPM pellet mills, for a total of four pellet mills at each station, making 12 pellet mills in all.) The 6 mm diameter pellets are discharged directly into the top of CPM coolers (two pellet mills supply one cooler). After cooling, the pellets are discharged onto Rotex screens to remove the fines and then conveyed to the top of one of two ACT load-out silos. Firefly spark detection and extinguishing zones begin just after the dryers and are located throughout the process risk zones all the way to load-out. Each pellet silo has 1,665 tons of storage capacity. The design calls for loading out of one silo while filling in the other, which provides pellets more time to cure and cool. Material coming out of the bottom of the silos is screened yet again for fines before going to truck load-out. All of the screened out fines at the pellet mills and at load-out are recycled back into the process.
PORT FACILITY Baton Rouge Transit LLC, a Drax subsidiary, can process 2 million metric tons of pellets per year and load and ship 40 cargo vessels per year. The facility made its first shipment in April 2015. Initially, as it started up, it was bringing in pellets from third party suppliers, but currently it’s all Drax pellets. Drax contracts with Host Terminals for port operations. Drax owns the storage and handling equipment, but leases the land from the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. The facility receives trucks from the Gloster mill and rail cars from the Bastrop facility. A truck driver drives into the unload building, scans the ticket he received at the mill, verifies the informa56
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Chip stacker-reclaimer
Hammermill island runs six hammermills.
tion, the conveyor system starts and he opens his two hoppers. It’s taking the driver an average of seven minutes from driving in to leaving, though they’ve gone as low as under five minutes. Rail cars come in by Union Pacific from Morehouse in 45-car trains. They sit outside the port until they’re brought in and set up on the Drax tracks. They all unload in seven to eight hours, well below the required 12 hour window. The cars advance one at a time through the unloading pit, and the four bottom hoppers in each car open and unload the pellets, about 1,000 metric tons an hour. The facility is designed to receive a combined 1600 metric tons per hour between truck and rail car deliveries. Drax is awaiting the construction of a chambering yard to support its contracted 80-car trains. Two conveyors from the truck building converge on a main conveyor from the rail car unload, and pellets pass underneath an Eriez magnet. Sensors detect any hot material. Material 140° and above will shut down the process. Firefly IR detectors are located in all the transfer towers (between conveyor belts) and at the inlets into the silos. If necessary, there are three fire dumps along the way, with everything on the belt going on the ground. Pellets are programmed to move into one of two 40,000 metric ton domes designed by Dome Technology and ES2 (Engineering Systems Solutions). Inside the domes an Integris temperature control system monitors the pellets as they’re stored. Fifty-two cables with 411 sensors hang from the ceiling and provide feedback on temperature and conditions. Each dome has multiple fans to help cool pellets and control the heat. Conveyors come out from underneath the domes to one outbound conveyor, which brings pellets to the water side belt conveyor that runs parallel to the river and transfers pellets up into the hopper at the BRUKS traveling, shuttling, luffing ship loader. The loader has 520 ft. of travel and can hit all seven holes on a Panamax with its spout, which has 82 ft. of line. The system can load a vessel at 1200 metric tons an hour.
IN THE U.K.
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Once the ships arrive at the UK ports, pellets are unloaded into specially designed Drax rail cars bound for the Drax Power Station. Drax invested heavily to streamline pellet handling infrastructure at its UK power station, from the special trains to rail unloading, to screening, storage domes, transfer tower, more screening
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and then feeding into the boiler house, where pellets are pulverized back into wood fuel for the boilers. Drax Biomass Director of Communications and Policy, David Malkin, comments that one of the benefits Drax supplies to the UK is flexible output, as each unit can ramp up or down to between 200 MW and 645 MW. “As the UK makes that transition to 15% renewable generation, a lot of that is coming from wind and some solar; that generation is intermittent, it can’t be dispatched,” Malkin explains. “So you’ve got to have some baseload generation in place that can be ramped up and down on short notice to balance that intermittency. We would argue that this is one of the major value propositions of the Drax Power Station in addition to its contribution to the UK’s overall renewable energy generation.” The Drax Power Station accounts for 7-8% of total UK electricity demand, and Drax accounted for 12% of all the UK renewable electricity generated in the UK last year. Malkin adds, “When you look at the carbon emissions reductions we’ve been able to achieve with these three (boiler) conversions, it’s an 86% reduction.” This
includes any greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacturing of wood pellets by Drax Biomass and any of its other pellet suppliers, and the transport of these wood pellets. “We have a large number of controls in place and are subject to a number of regulatory regimes from the UK and elsewhere in Europe that assures that’s the case,” he adds. Malkin notes that the 86% reduction in the Drax carbon footprint stems from the assumption that biomass is carbon neutral. “It’s carbon neutral provided that it’s sourced from sustainably managed working forests in which the forest cover is stable or increasing,” he says.
SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability is a cornerstone of the business, says David James, sustainability manager, and there are many pieces to the puzzle. When it comes to forest management certification on the ground in North America, there’s the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), American Tree Farm System for family forest landowners, and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) programs. James stays on top of the developments in these certification programs, and communicates with man-
agers and procurement on the collection of data and monitoring activities. Drax has received SFI and PEFC chain of custody certifications, as audited by NSF, as well as FSC chain of custody and controlled wood certifications, as audited by SCS Global Services. These certifications cover fiber sourcing, as well as the manufacturing, distribution and sale of wood pellets across Drax Biomass operations. Drax is also gaining its Sustainable Biomass Partnership certification. SPB is a certification scheme for large-scale Europe-based energy producers using woody biomass such as pellets and chips. It basically provides assurance that woody biomass is sourced from legal and sustainable sources, while also standardizing data inputs for calculation of greenhouse gas emissions Director of Communications and Policy Malkin comments that another reason the business has been vertically integrated is to identify other new business opportunities. “One of the things we’ve been able to prove out is that biomass works,” Malkin says. “It can be cost effective relative to other sources of renewable generation. There are other business opportunities out there.” TP
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MACHINERYROW
MACHINE FOR ALL SEASONS Group Savoie mill installs new log handler.
“W
e made a good choice,” reports Vincent Caron, Production Vice President for Groupe Savoie in the forestry town of Quentin in northern New Brunswick. “I needed a new machine that could handle the cold,” he adds. Established in 1978, Groupe Savoie is a successful family-owned producer of hardwood lumber and value-added products, situated high in the northeastern limits of the Appalachian mountains. Winters here can be bitter cold, and the region is famous for the severe storms that pass through from the Atlantic. The Groupe Savoie mill was already equipped with a log loading material handler and with some older knuckleboom Strongco’s Territory Manager, Allan Lindsay, center, congratulates Vincent Caron on delivery loaders. But the firm has grown through a of a Sennbogen 830 M-T, joined by Caron’s Groupe Savoie team: Service Manager Tobby commitment to utilizing modern technolo- Leclair far left, and to the right, Yard Manager Tommy Lefebvre and operator Mario Levesque. gies to maximize productivity. So Caron and his President, Alain Bossé, searched to load and pull a 36 ft. 3-axle trailer. It tors also say they appreciate the stability for a machine to upgrade the reliability of picks stock from inventory to fill the of the 830, even with its hydraulic cab their log loading capability. trailer with up to 40 tons, then completes fully elevated. But the 830 really showed In March, Caron took delivery of a the cycle by offloading to a stockpile its mettle when the cold weather abated, new Sennebogen 830 M-T, a purposebunk at the mill. and the spring thaw began. built 90,000 lb. log handler featuring an With the machine’s delivery during the “The yard is compacted earth,” Caron undercarriage specially engineered for winter, operators told Caron they were im- explains. “And it’s not a flat yard; we trailer pulling. pressed with its reliable starts on the coldhave some grades to climb to and from Caron and Bossé trialed several log est days. The new unit has met managethe mill. When the frost comes out in loading machines before choosing the ment’s goal of reducing downtime. Opera- spring, the yard can turn into 12 to 18 Sennebogen machine. “We visited a inches of mud—last year was very sawmill operating a Sennebogen 825 wet and we had spots with up to model, and our technician was quite two feet of mud. But the M-T just satisfied with it and we were very carried on. It’s a good tractor.” impressed with Sennebogen’s reTo date, Groupe Savoie is confisponse time to issues,” Caron says. dent that they found the reliability “He saw good service support at this they needed for the mill’s operation. site as well as got very good feedThe mill’s own technicians service back from some other Sennebogen the 830 M-T but Caron adds, “Our customers in Nova Scotia.” team got good support for technical In the end, Caron says, he and service. The Sennebogen dealer, Bossé were pleased with the maStrongco, came here to train our chine’s fuel economy, traction, serguys. Our rep at Strongco, Alan vice accessibility, speed and Lindsay, is a very good salesman.” strength. Its productivity in moving Through its three sawmills in the wood from the yard to the mill region, Groupe Savoie is producing sealed the decision. “In effect, the 90MMBF (213,000 m3) of hardwood lumber annually. With the adefficiency of its loading cycles indition of the 830 M-T, the company creased our capacity at the mill,” looks forward to continued growth Caron says. and success through its investment in The 830 M-T is equipped with a The Sennebogen 830 M-T quickly fills a 36 ft. trailer with 40 tons of hardwood then pulls the load to the mill, powTP reliability and productivity. 1¼ cord grapple. The yard someered by a purpose-built undercarriage driven with transArticle and photos provided by times utilizes the machine to unmissions on each axle. Sennebogen. load trucks, but its primary role is 60
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MACHINERYROW
WMF BEIJING FAIR SET JUNE 1-4 The 16th International Exhibition on Woodworking Machinery and Furniture Manufacturing Equipment and The International Exhibition on Woodworking Machinery Supplies and Accessories (WMF) will once again showcase the latest market intelligence and technological innovation at China International Exhibition Center (CIEC) in Beijing, PR China June 1-4. While the manufacturing world is embracing Industry 4.0, the woodworking and furniture manufacturing industry has been facing huge environmental challenges and surging labor costs. WMF 2016 is set to focus on intelligent and green manufacturing solutions and to assist woodworking and furniture enterprises in achieving energy-efficient, fully digitalized and sustainable production. WMF 2016 is expected to cover an exhibiting area of more than 60,000 sq. m. across all exhibition halls in CIEC, featuring more than 600 machinery and equipment suppliers from around the globe. WMF 2016 is expected to attract more
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l Panel
Board Machinery Blades and Machinery Accessories / Hand Tools l Engraving Machinery A series of concurrent events will gather international industry experts to explore market opportunities brought by the latest trends of Industry 4.0 and sustainable development. l Industry 4.0 & Made in China 2025 Conference—a macro perspective on global trends in woodworking industry, and analysis of how China cements her place among the world’s leading manufacturing players will be covered. While Industry 4.0 has become an important trend for China’s manufacturing industry in the next 30 years, China has promulgated the “Made in China 2025” strategic plan focusing on intelligent production. Citing the example of German’s Industry 4.0 experience, Chinese and international digitized machinery experts will gather to address the challenges and explore smart production solutions for the l Knives,
Seminars during WMF will explore market opportunities brought by the latest trends of Industry 4.0 and sustainable development.
than 30,000 local and overseas visitors including distributors and end-customers. In response to buyers’ sourcing needs, the exhibition will feature six themed zones: l Automation and CNC Machinery l Furniture Making and Wooden Products Machinery l Machinery for Green Production and Energy Saving/Machinery for the First Time Processing, Drying, Coating and Material Making
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MACHINERYROW woodworking and furniture manufacturing industry. l Green Furniture Future Sustainable Development Conference—a guideline for Chinese furniture manufacturing industry to achieve long-term sustainable development. How to apply latest woodworking technology and innovative design to attain the goal of sustainable development is an important issue faced by the industry chain. International designers and intelligent equipment experts will shed light on this hot topic. l Chinese Furniture Water-Based Paint Production Forum—adjustments and opportunities brought by VOCs and latest water-based paint technology will be introduced. WMF is organized by China National Forestry Machinery Assn. (CNFMA), Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., China Building Decoration Assn., as well as honorary supported by State Forestry Administration, P.R. China, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and China International Exhibition Center Group Corporation. WMF is supported by international
prestigious associations like European Federation of Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers (EUMABOIS) and German Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers Assn. (VDMA). All registered visitors will enjoy additional privileges including free show directory and priority to participate in symposia. Visit woodworkfair.com.
IES Changes Name To SonicAire Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) announces its name change to SonicAire, effective immediately. The name change is part of a re-branding initiative designed to clarify the company’s commitment to producing an engineered solution to fugitive combustible dust through their line of SonicAire fans. “Our fans have strong reputations in the marketplace for keeping plants continually compliant with OSHA standards by eliminating overhead fugitive combustible dust buildup,” says SonicAire President Brad Carr. “Ensuring that SonicAire fans are at the core of our corporate identity is impor-
tant to us as our company continues to expand. We like to keep it simple, and let our SonicAire fans speak for themselves.” The comprehensive re-branding efforts reach across all aspects of the company and include a new logo. l SonicAire also announced that Jordan Newton is now Vice President of Innovation and Engineering, overseeing SonicAire fan design and engineering. He joined SonicAire in 2010.
Morbark Names Ruskin As CEO Morbark has appointed Dan Ruskin as its new Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. The announcement coincides with the recent sale of Morbark to Stellex Capital Management, a private equity manager. Ruskin began his career as an industrial engineer in the aerospace and defense industry working on state-of-the-art defense projects. He founded and managed Anchor Resource Management and Anchor Holdings, both professional service firms that provide revitalization solutions.
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PRODUCTSCANNER10 BIG WHEEL The job must be done even on a bumpy road. But it can be hard with a regular forklift. It takes big wheels to level out the bumps. It takes Kalmar Big Wheel. Anyone who has used a forklift at a sawmill or lumber yard knows how difficult it can be to work on an uneven surface, especially in the winter. Achieving the required precision in lifting and driving, while trying to cope with the uncomfortable shaking, is truly challenging. Kalmar has developed Big Wheel to give its drivers a smoother ride. Equipped with oversized front wheels, these forklifts allow you to work efficiently and comfortably, even when surface conditions are poor. Peter Olsson, Director, Forklift Trucks, comments: “The Big Wheel has been specially developed to meet the tough requirements of the North American sawmill market, but it has great potential to solving customers’ access problems in many areas of the world. The Big Wheel is going to be a real eye catcher— there’s never been anything like it.” The machine comes with 23.5R25/24PR front tires for increased traction on muddy and uneven terrain, as well as higher clearance of 19.6". The counterweight has been lowered to ensure excellent stability and the lifting mast is heavy duty. For wood handling, there are several options available to enhance safety and ease of handling and maintenance. The Big Wheel, a generation G vehicle, comes with the ergonomic EGO cabin and smart features that give drivers optimal performance, a new electronics system, a new variable hydraulic system, and improved cooling system. Kalmar s G-generation forklifts will be displayed at space F1 & 9 at the EXPO Richmond show in Virginia, USA May 13-14. Visit kalmarglobal.com.
STEP FEEDER
Linden’s new self cleaning double acting step feeder unscrambles, singulates and feeds logs one at a time using only one moving section activiated by two hydraulic drives handling up to 50 logs/per minute while clearing debris as it unscrambles and singulates logs. The revolutionary log feeder from the designers of the original step feeder features simple mechanical electric drives which eliminate hydraulics. The log feeders ship as a complete unit requiring no assembly. Options include ending systems and laser gap control. Two continuous sets of steps are connected by link arms to a torque tube activated either by a drive arm connected to a reducer and motor or to a single hydraulic cylinder. The uninterrupted face of each step clears log debris as it feeds each log to the top of the step feeder. Models are available in sizes to suit log lengths from 8' to 24' and log diameters 3" to 30". Visit linfab.com.
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Call Toll-Free: 1-800-669-5613
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES Executive – Managerial – Technical - Sales
JOHN GANDEE
SEARCH NORTH AMERICA, INC. IT'S YOUR MOVE...
FOREST PRODUCTS RECRUITING SINCE 1978
The Jobs You Want — The People You Need WWW.SEARCHNA.COM
& ASSOCIATES, INC
CONTACT CARL JANSEN AT 541-593-2777 OR Carlj@SearchNA.com
Contingency or Retainer
Specializing in confidential career opportunities in the Forest Products industry
Management Recruiters of Houston Northeast
3220
A Proven Process
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• Rails straightened & ground in-place at a fraction of the cost of rail replacement • No down time for the mill • Restores carriage rails to optimum sawing efficiency •Precision Laser Alignment • Machining and Grinding • Carriage and Bandmill Alignment 489
GREENWOOD KILN STICKS Importers and Distributors of Tropical Hardwood Kiln Sticks “The lowest cost per cycle” GW Industries www.gwi.us.com
Dennis Krueger 866-771-5040
Jackie Paolo 866-504-9095
d.krueger11@frontier.net
jackie@gwi.us.com
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WORN OR MISALIGNED CARRIAGE RAILS?
MAY 2016
3779
LUMBERWORKS
PROFESSIONALSERVICES
■
geo@TopWoodJobs.com www.TopWoodJobs.com (360) 263-3371
gcopeland@mrihouston.com • www.mrihouston.com
Toll Free 1-800-536-3884 www.johngandee.com
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Recruiting and Staffing George Meek
Gates Copeland 281-359-7940 • fax 866-253-7032
Serving the Wood Products and Building Materials Industries For more than 21 years.
8187
Top Wood Jobs
2200
“Your Success Is Our Business”
Contact Us Office 541.760.5086 Cell 541.760.7173 Fax 971.216.4994 www.acculine-rails.com george@acculine-rails.com
Michael Strickland & Associates, LLC Executive Recruiters Wood Products/Building Materials Industries Mike Strickland mike@woodproductjobs.com 601-529-2157 • www.woodproductjobs.com Fees paid by employer
Depending on Circumstances / Needs
Austin, Texas
1615
Recruiting Services
TPmay16pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 4/26/16 11:57 AM Page 69
WOOD PRODUCTS marketplace NORTH AMERICA ■ United States
■ Kentucky HAROLD WHITE LUMBER, INC. MANUFACTURER OF FINE APPALACHIAN HARDWOODS
(606) 784-7573 • Fax: (606) 784-2624 www.haroldwhitelumber.com
■ Florida CRACKER SAWMILL
CYPRESS AND SYP Sawmill, Drying and MillIng facility Custom Cut to Order Lumber, Cants, Specialty Beams to 44’ We will Mill Log Home logs S4S 6”x6” thru 8”x12” T&G Your wood or ours WE DO WHAT OTHERS CANNOT 20253 N.E. 20th Street Williston, Fl 32690 www.Crackersawmill.com Info@Crackersawmill.com
(352) 529-2070
■ Georgia
Ray White
Domestic & Export Sales rwhite@haroldwhitelumber.com
Green & Kiln Dried, On-Site Export Prep & Loading Complete millworks facility, molding, milling & fingerjoint line
• Red Oak, White Oak, Poplar •
Green Lumber: Air Dried, Kiln Dried Timbers & Crossties • Hickory, Sycamore, Beech, Gum & Elm • Custom Cut Timbers: Long lengths and wide widths
Sales/Service: 336-746-5419
336-746-6177 (Fax) • www.kepleyfrank.com
■ Tennessee
Next closing: July 5, 2016
STACKING STICKS
■ Minnesota
AIR-O-FLOW profiled & FLAT sticks available Imported & Domestic
Beasley Forest Products, Inc. P.O. Box 788 Hazlehurst, GA 31539
FOR SALE
DHM Company - Troy, TN 38260 731-538-2722 Fax: 707-982-7689 email: kelvin@kilnsticks.com www.KILNSTICKS.com
beasleyforestproducts.com Manufactures Kiln-Dried 4/4 Red and White Oak, Poplar, Ash and Cypress Contact: Linwood Truitt Phone (912) 253-9000 / Fax: (912) 375-9541 linwood.truitt@beasleyforestproducts.com
Pallet components, X-ties, Timbers and Crane Mats Contact: Ray Turner Phone (912) 253-9001 / Fax: (912) 375-9541 ray.turner@beasleyforestproducts.com
■ Indiana
Buyers & Wholesalers We produce quality 4/4 - 8/4 Appalachian hardwoods
■ North Carolina Cook Brothers Lumber Co., Inc.
Manufacturer of Appalachian Hardwood Lumber LEONARD COOK, Sales (828) 524-4857 • cell: (828) 342-0997 residential: (828) 369-7740 P.O. Box 699 • Frankin, NC 28744 NATIONAL HARDWOOD LUMBER ASSOCIATION
WANT TO GET YOUR AD IN OUR NEXT MARKETPLACE? Call or email Melissa McKenzie 334-834-1170 melissa@hattonbrown.com
02/16
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MAINEVENTS MAY
OCTOBER
9-10—35th Annual Lumber Quality & Process Control Workshop, Atlanta, Ga. Call 541-752-2751; visit lumberquality.com.
8-12—Wood Processing Machinery & Intermob Fair, Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center, Istanbul, Turkey. Call +90 212 867 11 00; visit intermobistanbul.com/en.
11-12—30th Annual Lumber Quality Leadership Workshop, Atlanta, Ga. Call 541-752-2751; visit lumberquality.com. 12-14—Western Wood Products Assn. annual meeting, The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Calif. Call 503-224-3930; visit wwpa.org. 13-14—Expo Richmond 2016, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit exporichmond.com. 24-28—Xylexpo 2016, Fiera Milano Rho Fairgrounds, Milan, Italy. Phone +39-02-89210200; Visit xylexpo.com/index.php/en.
JUNE
JULY 20-23—2016 Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. annual conference, Belmond Charleston Place, Charleston, SC. Call 770-631-6701; visit slma.org. 23-25—Georgia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Jekyll Island Convention Center, Jekyll Island, Ga. Call 478-992-8110; visit gfagrow.org. 23-26—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Call 336885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org.
AUGUST 24-27—International Woodworking Fair 2016, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 404-693-8333; visit iwfatlanta.com. 30-September 1—Florida Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, Fla. Call 850-222-5646; visit floridaforest.org. 30-September 1—Louisiana Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Golden Nugget Resort and Casino, Lake Charles, La. Call 318443-2558; visit laforestry.com.
SEPTEMBER 26-27—28th Annual WMI Workshop on Design, Operation and Maintenance of Saws and Knives, Holiday Inn Portland Airport, Portland, Ore. Call 925-943-5240; visit woodmachining.com. 28-30—Timber Processing & Energy Expo, Portland Expo Center, Portland, Ore. Call 334-834-1170; visit timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com. ■
MAY 2016
29—Midwest Saw Filers Educational Assn. annual meeting, Cape Girardeau, Mo. Call 231-796-7678.
Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
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This issue of Timber Processing is brought to you in part by the following companies, which will gladly supply additional information about their products.
1-4—WMF 2016—The 16th International Exhibition on Woodworking Machinery and Furniture Manufacturing Equipment, China International Exhibition Center, Beijing, China. Call (852) 2516 3518; visit chinaexhibition.com.
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24-27—Lesdrevmash 2016, 16th International Exhibition for Machinery, Equipment and Technology for Logging, Woodworking and Furniture Industries, Expocentre Fairgrounds, Moscow, Russia. Call 8 (800) 707-37-99; visit lesdrevmash-expo.com.
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