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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 40 • Number 10 • December 2015 Founded in 1976 • Our 419th 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
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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 Weyco, Plum Creek Create Timber Giant
SHUQUALAK LUMBER Investments Up And Down The Line
RAY WHITE LUMBER Everybody Is On Board
CUTTING TOOLS REPORT Technologies, Projects, Labor
SAWTECH Latest Developments In Sawing
PRODUCT SCANNER 10 Modular Scanning Frame
EDITORIAL INDEX Listing of 2015 Articles In TP
COVER: Family owned Shuqualak Lumber in Mississippi finds itself in good shape following mill improvements, including this optimized Price LogPro bucking line. Story begins on PAGE 10. (Jay Donnell 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 ® 2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices. Printed in U.S.A.
Postmaster: Please send address changes to Timber Processing, P.O. Box 2419, Montgomery, Alabama 36102-2419 Publications Mail Agreement No. 41359535 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to PO Box 503 RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6 Other Hatton-Brown publications: Timber Harvesting • Southern Loggin’ Times Wood Bioenergy • Panel World • Power Equipment Trade
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THEISSUES
Dan Shell Managing Editor
STAYING SHARP MEANS HARNESSING NEW TECHNOLOGY 10
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ublished a quarter-century ago this month in Timber Processing, then Stimson Lumber general manager of sawmill operations Bob Schutte in Forest Grove, Ore. authored a major report on the benefits of quality saw filing and boosting lumber recovery based on savings in log costs at a mill cutting 250MBF per shift, two shifts daily with recovery rate of 1.5. He found that at a log cost of $350/MBF, a 2% recovery increase translated into $581,000 in log savings, and a 6% increase meant a log cost savings of $1.68 million annually. Schutte, who’s now CEO of Winn Lumber in Winnfield, La., detailed results of the Stimson mill’s thin-kerf sawing program, a big part of which involved switching to Stellite saw tips. Though Schutte’s filing room was operating in the dawn of the digital era in saw filing, several of his suggestions are timeless and apply to any mill: l Don’t neglect the basics with machine center alignment. Drive home the point that all machines must be “parallel and perpendicular” or maximum results won’t be possible. Neglecting machine center basics is a recipe for failure. l To get the biggest benefit, start with machines that cut the widest faces and longest sawlines. l Managers who switch to Stellite to run saws longer and save on filing costs are missing the point: The big payoff is the increased recovery possible when running thinner-kerf, more accurate saws, even if they must be changed more often. l Develop a quality control program that truly measures sawing performance at every machine center. Management should also view saw filing as a pro-active tool in producing higher quality lumber with increased recovery instead of having primarily a maintenance role. Of course Schutte’s saw filing advice still applies 25 years later, yet what sawmill managers and head filers have now are much better tools to ensure machine alignment, put up sharper, more consistent saws and monitor everything with a mountain of digital data that’s easily available to filing room personnel and supervisors and managers. Yet while machinery and technology have made incredible leaps the past quarter-century, concerns remain about finding a new generation of qualified filing room personnel to take advantage of the advances. The filing room vendor update on page 32 concludes with several thoughts on how suppliers are investing in equipment and technology that allows fewer filers to do more work and developing operator interfaces and machine features that make filing room activities more appealing to employees who are “more comfortable with a smart phone than a dressing stick,” according to one company rep. From all indications suppliers are stepping up on the issue, along with mills starting to realize up and coming filers must be formally developed instead of just found. It’s all part of staying sharp and taking advantage of the best filing room equipment and tools that have ever been available, with more advances TP on the horizon. Contact Dan Shell, ph: 334-834-1170; fax 334-834-4525; e-mail: dan@hattonbrown.com TIMBER PROCESSING
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NEWSFEED WEYCO, PLUM CREEK COMBO WILL OWN 13 MILLION ACRES
Plum Creek wood yard at Kalispell, Mont.
Weyerhaeuser Co. and Plum Creek announced a merger that will leave nearly two-thirds majority ownership in Weyerhaeuser shareholder hands. The combined company creates a $23 billion timber REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) with more than 13 million acres of timberland in the U.S. The combined company will retain the Weyerhaeuser name. Weyerhaeuser still intends to move its headquarters from Tacoma, Wash. to Seattle in mid-2016. Weyerhaeuser brings 6.9 million acres and Plum Creek 6.3 million acres to the deal. The combination becomes the largest private timberland owner in the U.S. and encompasses 7.3 million acres in the South (56% of company land), 3 million in the Pacific Northwest (22%) and 2.6 million in the North (20%). The new venture will also own 323,000 acres in Uruguay. Plum Creek operates a medium density fiberboard plant, plywood mill and a board sawmill in Columbia Falls, Mont.; a plywood mill in Kalispell, Mont.; and a stud mill in Kalispell/Evergreen, Mont. Weyerhaeuser operates 11 sawmills in the Southern U.S., four in the Northwest and three in Canada. It also operates six OSB mills, six engineered wood products facilities and three veneer/plywood facilities in North America. Weyerhaeuser also announced it is exploring “strategic alternatives” for its Cellulose Fibers business, including a possible sale. The company’s Cellulose Fibers business includes pulp mills in Port Wentworth, Ga.; Vanceboro, NC; Grande Prairie, Alberta; and a modified fiber mill in Columbus, Miss.; as well as other facilities internationally. Weyerhaeuser’s Doyle Simons will serve as president and CEO of the combined company. Plum Creek’s Rick Holley will serve as non-executive chairman of Weyerhaeuser’s board, which will be expanded to 13 directors, which will include eight directors from Weyerhaeuser and five from Plum Creek. The transaction requires the approval of shareholders of both Weyerhaeuser and Plum Creek and is subject to customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in late first quarter or early second quarter of 2016. 6
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GEPAZ, CAMPBELL LOCK HORNS Good Earth Power AZ and its former restoration contractor, Campbell Global, have filed lawsuits against each other for alleged breach of contracts concerning work on the 4FRI (Four Forest Restoration Initiative). 4FRI is the Forest Service project to restore/thin 300,000 acres in 10 years on the Coconino, Kaibab, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto national forests, following years of devastating wildfires. Good Earth Power AZ, based in Flagstaff, was created to take over the 4FRI contracts as part of its acquisition of the assets of Pioneer Forest Products, which had been awarded the contract in 2012 but failed to find financing for it. Campbell Global, which initially contracted with GEPAZ in May 2014 for forest restoration services, and which left the project in June, has sued GEPAZ for breach of contract and failure to pay nearly $3 million for services. GEPAZ has since counter-sued Campbell Global for $1 million for failure to perform services. Campbell Global claims GEPAZ did not pay monthly and annual management fees and other incentive and sourcing fees as stipulated in the agreement. In June 2015 Campbell Global withdrew from the deal and gave GEPAZ seven days in which to make full payment of more than $3 million. Campbell Global says that GEPAZ offered to make
monthly payments but tendered only $18,000 to Campbell Global, which in September filed suit in U.S. District Court, District of Oregon, Portland Div. GEPAZ claims Campbell Global was entitled to compensation only if Campbell performed its obligations, which GEPAZ says Campbell failed to do. GEPAZ says it and Campbell failed to complete and approve business plans and an operating budget as directed by their agreement and this automatically terminated the agreement. GEPAZ also says Campbell failed to monitor prevailing wage payments to subcontractors, resulting in the Dept. of Labor fining Good Earth for violating certain provisions of Good Earth’s contract with the U.S. Forest Service GEPAZ also claims Campbell Global was negligent in its performance by failing to solicit a satisfactory pool of bids from local logging companies, for hiring an inexperienced logging company against Good Earth’s advice, for failing to register Good Earth for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program federal subsidy by the deadline and for failing to attract log and chip sales for Good Earth. GEPAZ also claims Campbell Global induced Good Earth to share its operating information and to spend its last capital on projects Campbell Global so designated, with a promise to secure financing for Good Earth, but that instead of coming through with the financing, Campbell
GEPAZ wood yard at Heber, Ariz.
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NEWSFEED Global notified Good Earth it was canceling the agreement. Because of these and other alleged breaches, GEPAZ filed a counter-suit in the same court in October, seeking damages of at least $1 million. Good Earth Power reports that in the two years since GEPAZ took over the 4FRI contract in Arizona, it now employs 150, owns and operates two lumber mills, has two pole peeling facilities, operates an in-house trucking fleet, has developed forest infrastructure capable of operating simultaneously on six individual Forest Service task orders. GEPAZ also reports it has customer orders for more than 100 loads of biomass per day. As of October, 5,000 acres had been restored, and GEPAZ was working with 19 Forest Service Task Orders in various stages of activity or inactivity. Addressing some questions that restoration is proceeding slowly, GEPAZ points to biomass removal as a key difference between a 4FRI restoration task order and a routine timber sale. Biomass is “what makes 4FRI a model and a test case for landscape scale restoration—not forest thinning or logging.”
ROSEBURG NAMES NEW PRESIDENT Allyn Ford, CEO and president of Oregon-based Roseburg Forest Products, announced that the Ford Family and the Roseburg Board of Directors have chosen Grady Mulbery to assume the role of Roseburg President effective January 1. Ford will continue in his role as CEO until January 2017, when he will retire, at which point Mulbery will assume the joint role of CEO and president. Ford will continue as Chairman of the Board for Roseburg after stepping out of the company’s top executive role. 8
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“I am pleased to timberland in the say that we have Western U.S. It selected an internal operates a sawmill candidate to first in Dillard, Ore.; step into the presithree plywood fadent’s role then cilities in Dillard, move into the CEO Coquille and Ridrole when I retire dle, Ore.; softfrom that posiwood veneer faciltion,” Ford says. ity in Weed, Allyn Ford “Grady has Calif.; engineered demonstrated his wood products fareadiness and willcility in Riddle; ingness to lead our four particleboard organization, and facilities in Dilthis not only prolard, Missoula, vides a strong Mont.; Taysense of security, lorsville, Miss.; but also one of and Simsboro, continuity in purLa.; MDF facility suing our vision in Medford, Ore.; and living our val- Grady Mulbery four decorative ues as a company.” thermally fused Mulbery joined Roseburg laminate panel facilities in in early 2011 as vice presiOxford, Miss; Missoula, dent of Composites ManuSimsboro and Dillard; two facturing and later became pre-finished panel facilities in vice president of ManufacDillard and Missoula; two turing. He has led Rosepanel cut-to-size facilities in burg’s production operations Oxford and Dillard; a wood since 2012. Prior to becomchip export terminal in North ing part of Roseburg’s ExecBend, Ore.. utive Team, he was director The company employs of Manufacturing for Sierramore than 3,000. It has alPine. ready announced plans to “I am humbled and excitmove headquarters from Diled by the opportunity to lard to Springfield, Ore. later move into this new role with next year. Roseburg, and I am committed to continuing the pursuit MOLPUS OVERSEES of growth and stability that Allyn has led for the past TIMBERLAND DEAL several years,” Mulbery says. “We have a strongly The Molpus Woodlands dedicated Executive Team Group, LLC, a timberland inand organizational leadervestment management organiship that shares in the vision zation headquartered in Jackthat we have set for the com- son, Miss., announced on bepany and a Board led by half of a client it did not idenAllyn that also is committed tify the purchase of 192,000 to Roseburg’s ongoing deacres of timberland and a timvelopment.” ber lease in southwest Ford has been CEO/presiLouisiana. Molpus did not redent of Roseburg Forest Prodveal the seller either. ucts since 1997, after overseeThe timberland, located in ing the company’s timberlands six counties between the for several years. He succeedcities of Lake Charles, La. to ed his father, the legendary, the south and Alexandria, La. late Kenneth Ford, who started to the north, is a primarily the company in 1936. southern pine plantation Today Roseburg owns property that has been in timmore than 630,000 acres of ber production for
decades. The timberland is located in a vibrant sawtimber and pulpwood market area and it provides raw material to forest products customers in a variety of domestic market segments. Molpus maintains offices in Bossier City, DeRidder and Monroe, La. to oversee the management of an additional 207,000 acres in this state.
FS BUDGET HEAVY TO FIGHTING FIRES U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell reviewed the 2015 fire season and provided insight into longer-term trends and challenges for the agency during testimony before the House Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee. Tidwell highlighted concerns over the increasing cost of suppressing wildfire, emphasizing that more than half of the agency’s annual budget now goes toward fire suppression. In 1995, fire suppression made up 16% of the Forest Service’s annual appropriated budget—this year, for the first time, more than 50% of the budget will be dedicated to fire. Tidwell also noted they must stop the practice of “fire transfer,” which occurs when fighting fires in a given year costs more than Congress appropriates for that specific function, and the Forest Service must deplete restoration, watershed and recreation programs to pay for fire suppression. This fiscal year the transfer was a record $700 million. The cost of fighting wildfires this season reached a record high, exceeding $1.7 billion. During the 2015 fire season, the Forest Service spent 24 days with all available ground and air assets committed to priority work managing more than 50,000 wildfires across the nation.
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CHANGES
IN PLACE By Jay Donnell
Major improvements have put Shuqualak Lumber back on track.
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SHUQUALAK, Miss. pending considerable sums of money over the past two years to update their sawmill and planer mill, Bill Thomas, president, and Charlie Thomas III, vice president, and the management team at Shuqualak Lumber Company have made the investments necessary to keep their southern pine lumber operation competitive in today’s unpredictable economic climate. “We had to do something after not spending any money for about six years,” Charlie says simply. “We had to make some improvements in order to stay in business.”
From left, Robert Hunter, Anderson Thomas, Charlie Thomas, Bill Thomas and John Thomas
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The improvements range from the back end to the front end of the operation. In the planer mill, the company installed a new high speed Carbotech trimmer, as well an Autolog ProGrader machine. Shuqualak also installed an MSR machine. These and numerous minor improvements have increased production in the planer mill by more than a third and contributed to product quality and diversity. The sawmill replaced its old debarker lines and merchandising system with a modern, streamlined version supplied by Price LogPro and Baxley Equipment. It has increased piece count by 30%. In addition, Shuqualak (pronounced ShugaLock) has updated downstream optimization in the sawmill. Lumber production today is approximately 130MMBF annually, running a single five-day-a-week shift.
ance business and joined the family business in the early 1970s as they prepared to build a sawmill, as many of their local lumber sources were going out of business. The company had been purchasing rough cut lumber from 26 portable sawmills operating within a 75 mile radius of Shuqualak and was producing ap-
proximately 6 million board feet annually. There was a slight problem with building a sawmill. There wasn’t enough purchasable land adjacent the existing facility, so the sawmill had to be built a mile out of town. The result was an unusual setup in which the sawmill, under the direction of Charlie, processed timber and
CANADIAN ISSUE HITS HOME Charlie Thomas is the Chairman of the U.S. Lumber Coalition, as his dad once was. The long-running Lumber Agreement between the two countries expired in October after nine years. “We hope that the new Canadian government will be more pro-active in working with its industry to start the process of true negotiations with the U.S. Government,” Charlie says. “Everyone prefers a trade agreement over trade cases, so hopefully the two governments will find a solution that allows everyone to prosper under a new agreement.”
COMPANY HISTORY Shuqualak Lumber has long been unique in that its sawmill and planer mill are a mile apart. Charles Thomas Sr. was one of the founders of the company in 1948, which consisted of a dry kiln and a planer mill. Bill Thomas, after graduating from Mississippi State in 1959, followed his dad into the business. “Someone asked me one time why I didn’t want to do something else and my answer was ‘I didn’t know how,’” Bill says. “I told my father one day that I wanted to go work for him full-time and he looked at me and said ‘I can tell you one thing, son, you’ve chosen the hardest row to hoe there is.’” The message especially hit home when Bill had to move stacks of lumber piece by piece—no forklifts in sight. Bill became President of the company in 1969. Charlie Thomas, Jr. left his appli-
32 in. Valon Kone ring debarker gets the job done for Shuqualak Lumber.
Comact wave feeder preceding Comact DLI line
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Maxi-Mill end dogger is probably one of the few in the South.
hauled green lumber down the road to the drying and planing facility managed by Bill and his team. In 2013, Charlie Thomas, Jr., one of the real stalwarts of the southern pine lumber industry, passed away and today his son, Charlie Thomas III, who began working in the business in 1981, manages the sawmill. Shuqualak Lumber employs 150, but the count dwindled during the recession as did salaries and benefits. “We did everything we had to do to survive,” Charlie says, recalling they reduced the force by nearly half for several months. “Bill said we had to move as far away as we could from framing lumber,” Charlie recalls. “If houses weren’t going to be built then we needed to be cutting something other than framing lumber so we changed our product mix up a little bit.” Bill says that their steady procurement of good quality logs enabled them to produce some higher end lumber products and receive good prices. They also shifted away from the 2x6s, 2x8s and 2x10s to 5/4 decking, requiring a smaller log. The operation rebounded and today the employee number is about where it was pre-recession. But ultimately the mill could wait no longer for an infusion of modern equipment and systems.
IMPROVEMENTS
A Caterpillar 966 front-end loader unloads a truck in the log yard.
Shuqualak Lumber isn’t shy about spending money in the filing room. 12
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In 2011, Shuqualak replaced an existing log feeder to its large log line MaxiMill end dogger primary breakdown with a Price LogPro large log feeder. It set the stage for other orders with Price LogPro in the future. The second machine LogPro sold to Shuqualak, in 2014, was a combination heavy duty concrete filled fabricated log receiving pocket with a shock absorbing back wall that fed an electric LogPro rotary log pusher system. The LogPro rotary log pusher is designed to index logs from the infeed accumulation pocket to the DLI infeed deck, presenting the smaller logs straight to the deck in a metered controlled manner to reduce deck infeed cross-ups. The LogPro infeed pocket and rotary feeder replaced an infeed pocket and stepped pusher assembly that was installed with the DLI a few years back. The Maxi-Mill feeder and DLI log pusher were installed to improve uptime and reduce maintenance costs. In late 2014, Shuqualak replaced its two existing 1980’s debarker lines and outdated merchandising system and installed a single high speed LogPro designed wood yard system. The new system comprises
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Shuqualak recently put in a Baxley Ecoustic Stress Grader in order to gain the opimum value.
The new Carbotech trimmer can reach up to 150 lugs per minute.
an all-electric LogPro stem singulator, 32 in. Valon Kone ring debarker, LogPro VFlight scanning conveyor with three electric stem kickers, Baxley/JoeScan three zone 3D lineal scanning system, LogPro rotary stem positioner feeding three independent all electric sliding circle saws and a LogPro cut log discharge conveyor system to the mill. The modern system utilizes treelength debarking followed by modern 3D lineal scanning, infinite trim bucking capabilities from 0-65 ft. and incorporates the robust features of the Generation IV LogPro Log Trimmer System. Shuqualak runs the wood yard at a modest setting of six stems per minute, but it has considerably more capacity when they want it. 14
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Shuqualak hired Linco, LLC of Spanish Fort, Ala. to do the mechanical installation and Brister Electric of Enterprise, Miss. to do the electrical installation. Charlie asked Brad Poole, the sawmill supervisor, to become the project manager. Brad worked with Bryan Lindsey of Linco to make the project go as smoothly as it could. Shuqualak only lost two days of operation while tying the new system in. “I cannot say enough about how good of a job Bryan, Tim Brister and Brad did,” Charlie says. “Shuqualak did a great job of managing the new wood yard project and kept all parties involved well informed through multiple group site meetings and updates,” Josh Krauss of LogPro adds. “I
appreciate their level of attention to detail on every aspect of the project.” While Brad and Charlie were focused on the new project, the rest of the sawmill team led by Rick Rigdon, Chaz Thomas (Charlie’s son), and electrician Richard Dooley kept the sawmill operating at maximum expected production levels. In 2015, the sawmill upgraded the Baxley optimizers on the trimmer and edger with BMX upgrades, which update their optimizers to modern digital data transfer and current operating platform. Dusty Rigdon takes care of all Shuqualak’s optimization. In the planer mill, Shuqualak added a Baxley Ecoustic Stress Grader (MSR). “We put that in because when they changed the design values of southern yellow pine, we were concerned about what it was going to do,” Charlie says. “We saw our competitors starting to install MSR machines. We felt that if we were going to stay competitive buying timber, we had to install the MSR machine to allow us to extract all of the value out of the tree.” Each piece of lumber is weighed and thumped on the end. Based on dimension, weight and the signature of wave lengths, it determines the machine stress rated design value of the board. The information is transferred to a Lucidyne grade mark reader immediately downstream. Shuqualak also installed the new high speed Carbotech trimmer, said to reach 150 lugs per minute, and the Autolog ProGrader linear planer optimizer. It is placed just after the planer and reaches an operating speed up to 3,000 FPM, combining 3D geometric and 2D vision sensors to measure defects. The planer mill machinery and equipment installations were coordinated by David Jones and John Thomas along with Curtis Gulley, Johnny Medcalf and Chris Prisock, all long-term Shuqualak production employees, with minimal disruption to lumber manufacturing. The company used to run two planers with two crews, but since they put in the automatic grader and trimmer and did work to the stacking system and sorter, they were able to cut down on labor costs. “I think the auto grader is probably the most promising thing because we’re getting all there is to get out of that piece of lumber,” John Thomas, Bill’s son, says.
OPERATIONS Basically the sawmill flow begins with a crane and Caterpillar 966 frontend loaders unloading trucks and feeding the log yard and the mill infeed.
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Autolog ProGrader linear planer optimizer can reach an operating speed of 3,000 FPM.
Pieces run through the VK debarker, Metal Shark metal detector, and into the LogPro merchandising system with Baxley scanning. Smaller logs go to the optimized Comact DLI (double length infeed) and larger logs to the Maxi Mill. Two Barko knuckleboom loaders
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manage log accumulation. Cants run through a CAE Newnes curve-sawing gang. Pieces go to two Baxley optimized edgers and to a Newnes trimmer with Baxley optimization. A HEMCO sorter is followed by a Gillingham Best stacker. They use Size Check controls
throughout the mill to keep tolerance within .020. Mike Thomas is the head saw filer. Shuqualak uses saw levelers made by Simonds and VariSharp grinders made by Armstrong to keep the saws in top condition. Band saws come from U.S. Blades and the round saws are purchased from Simonds. “We spent a lot of money over the years in the filing room,” Charlie explains. “I am a firm believer that in order to produce the best lumber, you have to have quality logs and quality saws. Mike and his team do us a fantastic job.” Chips are sold to a local paper company and bark goes to a facility on the Tombigbee River. Shuqualak burns its sawdust and shavings while selling some to an area pellet mill. Lumber is entered into one of five dry kilns with Wellons controls. They run four boilers to provide steam for the kilns. Lumber then sits in cooling sheds before Taylor forklifts transport stacks to the planer mill. Shuqualak hasn’t totally abandoned the wider 2 in. lumber, mainly because there’s an abundance of 28-40-year-old pine they can buy at a relatively good price, but grade is always on their mind. The company transports about 90% of
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Taylor forklifts are always reliable for Shuqualak Lumber.
its lumber to nearly 20 different states and 10% of it goes oversees to the likes of China, Spain, Italy, Germany, France and the Caribbean. “The export markets have changed over time,” comments Anderson Thomas, vice president. “Mexico and China have displaced some of the European countries as the top export markets for us today.” Lumber sales are overseen by Nowell
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Flake and Johanna DuFour. Approximately 15% of the company’s production is shipped by rail with the balance moving by truck. The company is in the process of having its products SFI certified and the Southern Pine Inspection Board provides quality control services—a relationship of more than 50 years. Shuqualak appreciates the level of service provided to the company by SPIB.
LOG SUPPLY Robert Hunter is the procurement manager. He and two other foresters, Russell Adams, who covers the Mississippi area, and Courtney White, who covers the Alabama area, rely on a network of dealers and suppliers to supply the mill with high quality logs. The mill is 100% gatewood today. Hunter comments, “It’s good in the fact that we don’t have to tie up a lot of money in tracts of timber that we’ve purchased. You do have a quality control issue so you have to watch it closer because you’ve got people bringing the timber from outside.” He adds that because of the gatewood situation they are able to move their log prices quicker with the market. “I think the word ‘flexibility’ is good for us. We get the premium out of every piece of lumber we make and that’s a key for a family owned company like us to stay in business.” Hunter says the mill’s log supplier network came through big time for Shuqualak Lumber during the recession, and vice versa. “They needed us to buy their logs and we needed logs as well. They helped us out, everybody from the larger companies such as
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The newly installed LOGMETER should be ready to operate at the beginning of 2016.
Plum Creek to smaller companies.” Most of the logs come from within 70 miles of the mill, an equal amount from Alabama and Mississippi. Most of it is loblolly pine, with some shortleaf pine and longleaf pine Shuqualak Lumber is currently installing a LOGMETER, a semi-automatic full load scanning system, manufactured by Woodtech Measurements Solutions, which measures, inspects and audits the logs of each truck load entering the mill. The LOGMETER was installed at the end of October and is scheduled to begin operating early next year. Because of site constraints the system is located in the beginning of the log yard and not adjacent the scale house. LOGMETER requires 150 feet of a flat and straight measurement area 20
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where the trucks are going through the system, at a speed between 3-5 MPH in order to scan and measure the full load from end to end. During the measuring process logs are laser scanned and photographed in order to obtain a full image of the front, sides and back of the logs. The system will detect those logs in each load that do not meet the minimum top and maximum butt diameters, minimum length, and sweep and crook allowances. An operator should be able to identify, on the computer screen, logs with visual defects such as rotten wood, mechanical damage, knots, etc. The LOGMETER will provide, on a load by load basis, the number of stems, and the distributions and averages of log LED (large end diameter), SED (small end diameter) and length.
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The sawmill should be able to use this information in real time to assist with the right production mix balancing volume, quality and profitability. “We are very excited about the LOGMETER. We know what our historic percentages of #3 and #4 lumber are and the LOGMETER will help us reduce that percentage,” Hunter says. “I look at the LOGMETER like we used to look at automatic lumber graders. The first generation of lumber graders had its problems, today they are still not 100%, but they are a lot better than having employees making grading decisions at the high speeds that we now operate at.” “We realize that the LOGMETER will not be 100%,” Charlie adds. “It is a tool that will help us manage our largest expense. If we can reduce the amount of #3 and #4 lumber that we process by just a few percentage points, it will have been an excellent investment for us.”
FINAL NOTES With the recent upgrades, Shuqualak Lumber hopes to continue to grow and thrive as a company. “I think the investments we’ve made in the sawmill and planer mill have put us in a position to be very competitive for the next five years,” Charlie says. In the future, Shuqualak will be looking to expand its dry kiln capacity. “That’s the only thing that’s holding us back from running two shifts,” Charlie says. “We have the logs and we could probably find the personnel.” The camaraderie is very prevalent among the employees. Charlie holds a lunch three days a week at the sawmill and invites 15 employees to eat because it gives him a chance to sit down with them and discuss what’s going on in community and the mill. “It’s been very productive for us,” Charlie says. “We discuss everything from the local high school football game to how the machinery is operating in the mill. Communication is a key factor in how well we operate. If one machine on the line is not operating a full capacity, it affects the rest of the machinery. Sometimes, just discussing a problem over lunch allows us to focus in on the problem and get it resolved quickly.” Shuqualak Lumber is a member of the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn., the Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Assn., Mississippi Manufacturers Assn. and supports numerous other groups such as American Wood Council TP and the Treated Wood Council.
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RIGHT
ONCOURSE By David Abbott
The Ray White Lumber family says its SYP operation is right where they want it to be.
R
SPARKMAN, Ark. ay White Lumber Co. has been around a while. The southern yellow pine board mill started operations in 1945, when Ray White first moved to Sparkman from Pine Bluff. At the time it was called Sparkman Lumber Co., and White was one of the partners and managers involved in it for most of the next 40 years. In 1984, White bought out all of his partners and became sole proprietor of
Kockums debarker follows the buck saw and precedes Rens metal detector.
the mill, which he renamed after himself. His son, Don, had worked at the mill since 1960, and remains actively involved today. Don took over following Ray’s death in 1997.
Even before the family bought the mill outright, its third generation was already on board. Don’s son Donny started working at the mill in 1981. After earning a business degree from Ouachita
White stores as much as 5MMBF under sprinklers.
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Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Donny joined the family business fulltime in ’86. He now serves as its manager and is one of the owning partners, along with other family members. Donny had his own side business, Donny White Trucking, for a few years. With a half dozen rigs, his company hauled lumber from the mill and picked up loads of steel in backhauls. Donny shut it down in the mid ’90s, deciding it was too much to manage both companies. Donny’s son, Joseph, has already been working at the mill part-time, and will represent the first member of the fourth generation when he joins the business full-time after he completes his degree at Ouachita Baptist this spring. Like the family behind it, much of the mill’s machinery has been at work there for a long time. A major upgrade between 1998-2001 brought with it optimization and lumber handling equipment, but there have been no significant changes since. “We run old equipment, but it works,” Donny White says.
Donny White, third generation partner in the company.
PROCESSING
INCOMING Ray White Lumber makes 1 in. boards, from 1x4-1x12. Because the mill is aiming for grade lumber, it generally targets bigger grade logs. The longest length it takes is 33 ft. On average the mill takes in 25 loads a day, though sometimes as many as 50 loads. It saws 18 loads a day, and banks the rest in wet storage so that the mill can keep running in the winter or in rainy seasons, when the incoming log traffic sometimes grinds to a halt for days at a time. Log
inventory is always at least a half million board feet; at full capacity, the wet yard can store as much as 5MMBF. The mill employs two procurement foresters to keep the log supply flowing steadily. White buys timber deeds and fields contractors and three company logging crews to harvest and haul the stumpage. They also buy some gatewood. “We don’t have any problem getting logs,” Donny reveals. “We are so small, and we have our own logging power, so we haven’t seen the squeeze on logging. I’ve heard other mills were worried about it but I don’t know if they are really experiencing it. But we are pretty sheltered so I might not know everything.”
The mill processes only 1 in. boards and some pattern stock.
Incoming log trucks pass over a set of Fairbanks scales to be weighed before being unloaded either directly to the hot deck or to the wet deck for storage. “It depends on the time of the year, how hot it is,” Donny explains. “We don’t want to get any blue stain so in real warm weather we keep the hot deck low. The scaler decides how many logs we can stand before they start getting blue stain.” A Caterpillar 966F log loader unloads trucks and feeds the infeed deck to the sawmill. When loaded onto the infeed deck, logs first go to the buck saw to be cut to length; 16 ft. is the longest. It proceeds through a Kockums ring debarker and a Rens metal detector, then moves into the sawmill. Primary breakdown takes place on a Cox carriage with 8 ft. Filer and Stowell band mill. The carriage features Lewis Controls 3D scanning/op-
Infeed deck near the storage yard leads directly into the sawmill.
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The mill produces an average 22MMBF annually.
timized setworks. It reduces the log to 12 in. cants, which proceed to a 6 ft. Filer and Stowell resaw to be further processed into 4 in., 6 in., 8 in. and 10 in. widths. These pieces flow to a 10 in. Schurman (USNR) gang saw, which cuts it into 1x material. At the operator’s discretion, boards that need it go from the gang to a Schurman optimized edger. Boards then flow from both the gang and the edger
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through a HEMCO (USNR) trimmer with a Hi-Tech scanner, then to a Morris Industrial 44 bin drop sorter. On the green end, boards are separated by width and length, but not by grade.
DRY END From the sorter, boards run through a HEMCO stick stacker before being transported to one of three Irvington-
Moore (USNR) dry kilns, each with 60MBF capacity. Each charge requires about 45 hours of drying time. Taylor and Cat forklifts move dried lumber to cooling sheds for storage. Later, boards move to the planer mill, which centers on a 12-knife Yates-American A2012 planer. At customer request, the planer section also runs pattern stock on either a Yates-American or a Woods molder. “Probably 70% of the lumber here is S4S, and the rest is milled to pattern,” Donny estimates. After dressing, each board is graded manually. A Cypress Technologies grade mark reader scans and sends it through a USNR trimmer and then to a USNR 32 bay sling drop sorter, from which boards are stacked. A shipping clerk ensures packages are correct, and from there it is loaded on a truck and shipped to customers.
MARKETS Everything ships by truck; a rail that once connected to the property was pulled up in the ’80s. Most of it goes directly to wholesalers, local lumber yards and the treating industry. Majority of White’s lumber stays in-state, and the
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mill has active relationships with markets in surrounding states—Texas, Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma. White also enjoys a solid export market via the bay in Mobile, Ala. to the Caribbean. On a very rare occasion some of its lumber makes it to markets overseas, and a small amount regularly heads to Mexico through Texas, but not as much as what goes to the Caribbean, Donny says. Running a single nine-hour shift, Monday-Friday, the mill has averaged 22MMBF annual production in the last five years. Residuals don’t go to waste. Sawdust is burned in wood-fired boilers to heat the dry kilns. Chips sell to local paper mills, while shavings go to the horse industry and area particleboard mills. Donny reports that while lumber sales cooled off this fall, they still aren’t bad. “We are just coming off three really good years,” he says. “Housing and building perked up, but we are seeing that the market has definitely dropped off, especially in lower grades.” Ray White Lumber employs 70 at the sawmill and 10 in the woods on the three company logging crews. Millwrights handle maintenance in-house, usually during the day. Sometimes they use Fri-
The equipment is older, but it all runs well, White says.
day afternoons or Saturday mornings to catch up. As far as keeping saw blades sharp, there are actually two filing rooms. The band filing room uses all Armstrong equipment, while the carbide room uses Wright filing equipment for the circle saws. Donny says the family has no real plans to expand or change anything in
the operation anytime soon. “We want to maintain what we have,” he says. “We are pleased with the way the lumber business has been over the last several months. We have all we need to handle what we can produce, from mill to kiln to planer. It might sound a little boring, but we are content with continuing to do TP just what we are doing.”
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FILING VENDOR
UP DATE By Dan Shell
Filing room suppliers are making investments and expansions as automation trend continues. EDITOR’S NOTE: Following are several company updates from filing room vendors and suppliers who responded to a Timber Processing request for new projects and technology news.
CAL SAW DESIGN GAINING CONVERTS As mills continue to seek an edge in saw filing to influence lumber quality and saw performance, Cal Saw is building on initial success with a new, patentpending circle saw design that dramatically increases the saw plate’s capacity to resist lateral forces while cutting, says Warren Bird, President of California Saw & Knife Works. The design is a variable-thickness saw that places the thickness change beyond the base of the gullet. Using mill production requirements, Cal Saw calculates thicknesses for the central part of the saw and the thinner rim to manufacture saws that produce a significant improvement
in sawing performance, Bird claims. On single- and double-arbor gang sawing systems, saw offset and wedging, respectively, are key causes of lumber quality issues, and both begin with lateral deflection of the saw plate. “Increasing the lateral stiffness of the saw plate directly counters cutting forces that push the saw from its intended path,” Bird says. A recent Cal Saw report details how the company tested the new saw design in several applications: a 4 in. vertical single arbor edger in Minnesota; a 10 in. horizontal single arbor gang in Oregon; an 8 in. single arbor gang in California; and a quad arbor sawbox in Georgia. The Potlatch mill in Bemidji, Minn. had installed a high speed 4 in. vertical
New technology is driving filing room vendor innovations.
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single arbor shape saw running 17 in. diameter saws. The equipment installation had reached its feed rate and target size objectives, but was still having trouble with lumber quality and unscheduled saw changes, the report says. Cal Saw provided its new design saw with the same narrow kerf but with saw plate lateral stiffness increased by 30%. With the new saws, “The difference was like night and day,” said Head Filer Keith Isaacs. “More uptime and a higher quality product.” Frank Lumber in Mill City, Ore. was having trouble with wedging on a 10 in. horizontal single arbor gang running 28.5 in. diameter, .110 in thick saws—a key piece of equipment processing high grade clear lumber. As part of mill personnel analyzing the machine center for solutions, Head Filer Robert Casey contacted Cal Saw. Providing saws that maintained original tooth geometry and kerf but with increased saw plate body thickness, Cal Saw’s new design was thoroughly tested at Frank Lumber. Using saws with increased saw plate body thickness, the machine saw a 25% decrease in the most severe wedging that causes planer skip. Improved sawing accuracy also significantly reduced the boards at risk for skip. Results of the extensive testing showed a major machine upgrade or replacement was not required. Similar results were reported at the California mill on an 8 in. horizontal single arbor gang. Switching to the new Cal Saw saw design resulted in a 25% reduction in wedging while the boards at risk for planer skip dropped by more than 70%, according to the report. Bird adds that the new design doesn’t require reduction in radial and tangential clearance angles on carbide or Stellite tips, which is important because clearance angles reduce friction between the tips and the wood and also help reduce heating.
VOLLMER BOOSTS SERVICE ABILITY After recently appointing Matthew LaRose as a service engineer, Vollmer of America is now adding another service engineer, says Mike Cubbon, Vollmer of America Div. Manager: Sawmills. A former U.S. Navy officer, LaRose has an electrical engineering degree and has visited Germany for TCT machine training and is completing training on the new Vollmer V Grind machine and set to begin install and service work. “With the demand for high specifica-
Vendors are working to alleviate labor concerns, finding ways for fewer people to do more.
tion sharpening solutions, Vollmer of America is experiencing considerable growth,” Cubbon adds. “To ensure we maintain our unparalleled level of customer service and support, we will shortly have an additional new service engineer joining our team.” In the field, Cubbon reports continuing success with Vollmer’s more automated products, such as the RC110 Automated band saw bench and GPA200 Stellite tipper that have been featured strongly in recent sales activity. Also, he says, the CNC band saw CA210 and CA350 profile grinders are seeing more acceptance. One trend Cubbon is seeing in band saws is more customers choosing machines set up for oil coolants. “The machines remain in almost new condition, making working on them very easy, plus the seals last longer, grinding wheels last longer and even the oil can last for years if it’s properly filtered,” he says. On the circle saw front, Cubbon notes Vollmer’s new line of CHC, CHP and CHF 840 and 1300 grinders have eliminated hydraulics, are all CNC-controlled
and servo motor-driven. “They are proving very popular, with demand outstripping supply at this point,” Cubbon says.
SIMONDS INVESTS IN CAPITAL PROJECTS Making investments in its future and the filing industry, Simonds International is in the midst of several key capital projects that will increase production capacity and quality for Simonds band and circle saw and knife products and filing room equipment. According to Dave Purinton, Simonds International North American Sales Manager and Global Product Manager, Wood Products, investments at Simonds’ Portland, Ore. carbide and Stellite-tipped circle saw plant in new tipping and grinding capability have led to reduced lead times and ability to get expedited orders through when a customer has a saw emergency. “Both our wide band saw manufacturing plants in Oregon and (Camden) Alabama are getting significant capital investments to increase capacity, implement automation and control costs while TIMBER PROCESSING
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Filing room upgrades are relatively low-cost investments that improve productivity, quality, recovery.
continuing to put out very high quality saws,” Purinton says. The Camden plant has a new manager and is striving to be the high quality, local supplier for Southern mills in a sawmill-rich region, Purinton adds. At Simonds’ knife and large circle saw plant in Big Rapids, Mich., numerous investments in heat-treating equipment have led to increased output, flatter knives and higher quality insert-tooth saw plates. At the facility’s saw bit and shank factory, investments include new forging equipment for saw bit production, plus equipment to boost production and perform maintenance on the specialized tooling and machinery used in manufacturing the core products. Purinton notes that the Model 090 Automated Bench introduced at the SFPA show in Atlanta in 2013 continues to gain in popularity, especially with its capability to measure and “learn” the specifications of a properly put up wide band saw and store them in memory in order to quickly recondition saws coming off the mill floor back to their desired state. He adds that 15 mills are now using the 090. “Mill are using the automated bench technology to leverage the skills of their filers,” Purinton says. “Customers report it’s invaluable in helping get the next generation of saw filers up to speed and putting up good, consistent saws.” He adds that the 090 handles saws up to 12 in. wide, and Simonds recently introduced the 095 that can process saws up to 15 in. diameter. Simonds also continues to do well with its Armstrong filing equipment line and ongoing business in retrofitting sharpeners with a linear slide rocker arm replacement that improves grinding effi34
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ciency and allows filing rooms to use an additional 2 in. or more of grinding wheel diameter. “Many customers report quick payback just with grinding wheel savings,” Purinton says. “The improved quality and productivity is a real bonus.”
OLESON EXPANDS BAND SAW PLANT A major expansion at the Oleson Saw Div. of York Saw & Knife Co. in York, Pa., includes additional square footage added to the band saw manufacturing facility, plus several new automatic Iseli CNC sharpeners and Iseli RZ-1 benching centers. According to Oleson Saw’s Mat Harris, the company believes full-flood CNC sharpening centers provide a sharpness and overall quality not possible with dry, cam-operated grinders. Automation is also a big benefit, Harris says, noting that Bolt Saw Service, featured in Timber Processing a year ago, recently added an Iseli RZ-1 automatic benching center to go with its three Iseli CNC sharpeners and Iseli STA swage and shaping machines. Harris adds that Iseli’s automated filing equipment is doing well in the marketplace, and the company recently introduced a fully automated robotic circular saw grinding center featuring an ABB robot working in conjunction with automatic Iseli face, top and side grinding machines.
BURTON SAW NAMES NEW CEO The year 2015 has been a busy one for Burton Saw, which acquired Cut Technologies in September and also recently
named a new CEO to its management team, Craig Tompkins. According to Burton Saw Vice President of North American Sales Duncan McLean, the recent introduction of the Kahny automatic tipping machine in the U.S. has gone well, and Kahny is now available from all 16 of Cut Technologies North American sales reps. He’s also excited about the introduction of the new Wright TW-3 resistance weld Stellite tipper introduced earlier this year that offers state-of-the-art resistance welding and annealing.
IGGESUND PROJECTS BOOST PRODUCTION As for cutting tools on the mill floor, Andritz Iggesund Tools is very active in the sawmill industry, says Bill Beck, North American Sawmill Manager. “Mills continue to look for opportunities to increase production for a low investment, and we have been able to accommodate mills by designing new chipping heads with higher knife counts to accomplish this.” Beck says the fastest canter line in the South—West Fraser at Whitehouse, Fla. with a 700 FPM Optimil line—is running 100% Andritz Iggesund Tool chipping heads. “We work closely with all the OEM machinery manufacturers to help them deliver the newer, faster lines mills are demanding,” he adds. Here are just a few of the many projects Andritz Iggesund Tool is currently working in the sawmill industry: l Georgia-Pacific mills at Warrenton, Ga. and Belk, Ala. are now running Iggesund’s TKD chipping heads with TurnKnife System III, getting more knife life and better board finish and quality. l Iggesund Powerheads are now running or going in at G-P’s Pineland, Tex. and DeQuincy, La. mills and at Hampton’s Morton, Wash. mill in early 2016. l Weyerhaeuser’s Lebanon, Ore. sawmill and Frank Lumber in Mill City, Ore. sawmill both recently upgraded mill chippers with Iggesund’s TK4 knife system. Both installations have re-
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sulted in improved chip quality, less maintenance and longer run time, leading to lower operating costs, Beck says. “We expect 2016 to bring the same sort of continued growth as we continually introduce newer and more efficient chipping heads and knife systems for chippers,” he states.
LABOR CONCERNS CLOUD FILING According to Cal Saw & Knife’s Bird, one side effect of the “Great Recession”
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or economic downturn that began in 2007-8 is that with so many mill downsizings, curtailments and outright closures, filing room job openings could be filled during the past six or seven years with experienced personnel suddenly available. However, believes Bird, “This resource, even with a moderate recovery, has almost disappeared.” The loss of experienced filing room personnel is readily apparent at some saw filer education associations when those in attendance who are retiring
within five or so years are asked to stand up. “It’s a very sobering vision, with so much experience on the verge of walking away from our industry, and the quantity of young filers coming along behind them is painfully low,” adds Simonds’ Purinton. “And then we look at the next generation of workers who are much more comfortable with a smart phone than a dressing stick.” Attracting and keeping those new generation workers who are more familiar with touch screens and apps is going to require training and technical development from a variety of sources, including mills, associations, educators and filing room vendors. Just as important is the development of new filing room technology that engages a younger, high-tech work force and also automates as many activities as possible to alleviate any labor crunch. “Some of our more progressive customers are realizing the advantage of addressing filer training and introducing apprenticeships that lead to fully certified filer status,” says Cubbon of Vollmer. “These same companies report that the blending of improved formal training and the utilization of the best in filing room equipment is proving to be an unbeatable combination,” he adds. Establishing apprenticeships in cooperation with existing state and local technical educators and agencies can be an effective way to find new filing room employees, says Bird. “It’s imperative to direct resources to the development of skilled men and women,” Bird emphasizes. “Trained people will be necessary to support huge investments in increasingly sophisticated plants and equipment.” Increased automation is going to be a big part of the filing room future. “We’re going to have to provide more automation and tools that minimize the more tedious elements of the work,” Purinton says, citing new products such as an auto-swage machine that eliminates repetitive motion and another allowing remote grinder operation. These kinds of advances “allow the employee to leave the grinder and multitask,” he adds. Hopefully, adds McLean of Burton Saw, “The once prevalent fear that a huge knowledge base would be lost to retirement is being addressed at the mill level and by manufacturers of processing and support equipment who build knowledge into their automated equipment to assist the next generation of filers.” TP
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SAWTECH
OLESON SAW TECHNOLOGY
Simonds Model 095 AB improves productivity.
Oleson Saw counts on Iseli saw filing machinery.
The personnel at Oleson Saw Technology pride themselves on providing the highest quality band and circular saws as well as the best customer support. Oleson Saw Technology is the North American distributor of Iseli machines, in-stock replacement parts, and product training. Oleson Saw obtains the highest quality saws by utilizing the same Iseli–Swiss Precision machines in its facility that it offers to customers in sawmills across the USA. l Iseli RZ-1 Auto-Bench—a recognized industry leader in fully automatic leveling, tensioning and back measuring/adjusting of saw blades in one operational setup. This machine is equipped with a user friendly modern selectively programmable control unit which offers more flexibility. Two pairs of CNC-controlled rollers, concave and convex, level the deformities with proportional pressure and produces a level band, time after time. l Iseli STA Auto-Swage—this high precision hydraulic machine is known for its easy setup and low maintenance and is used in many sawmills on a daily basis. With its easy to operate touch screen and hydraulic controls, the Iseli STA delivers consistent results with great ease of use. l Iseli BC035 CNC Profile Grinder—this full flood, three axis CNC machine is a staple in filing rooms all across the world. From its powerful water cooling system to its easy to use color touch screen, the Iseli BC035 delivers more efficiency and profitability to your filing room. Visit olesonsaw.com.
The machine performs all scanning via a contact sensor that has been proven to be more accurate. The measurements made via the sensor are fed into the computer, the machine performs all calculations, adds the appropriate back, tension and tire line to the band. The new 095 AB simultaneously levels and tensions the saw while measuring to .0004 in. across the entire area of the saw—length and width. The touch screen is large and can be operated even while wearing gloves. “The Learn Mode on the Simonds 095 AB allows the filer to load a properly leveled and tensioned saw on the AB and the machine will measure, document and ‘learn’ the bench work specifications such that it can be stored and reused on subsequent runs. The filer can duplicate the specifications on all saws by simply recalling the program stored in memory,” comments Ray Eluskie, product manager of Simonds International Corp. Visit simondsint.com.
WILLIAMS & WHITE
SIMONDS INTERNATIONAL Simonds International Corp. announces another innovation in filing room productivity. The new model 095 Automated Bench improves filing room productivity for band sawmills. The model 095 improves on the successful model 090 and incorporates a touch screen control panel that allows the filer to perform leveling and tensioning tasks faster. The 095 has the ability to level and tension saws up to 15 in. wide and up to 65 ft. long. The design of the 095 allows the filers the ability to load saws onto the machine in a more efficient manner and has many standard features that were optional features on previously offered machines. 38
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Williams & White introduces its CNC Guide Dresser.
Williams & White Equipment of Burnaby, British Columbia, has further expanded its product line with the introduction of its CNC Guide Dresser. The company, which made a splash last year at the Timber Processing & Energy Expo with its highly anticipated saw sharpening center, has been a leading manufacturer of saw filing equipment for nearly 50 years. Historically renowned for heavy-duty, long-lasting
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SAWTECH equipment, Williams & White is now making a name for itself in the form of automation and innovation. The Williams & White Guide Dresser accurately mills babbitt to a tolerance of +/- .0002 in., at speeds up to 20 times faster than manual machines. The Williams & White model also significantly reduces floor space by using customized flexible fixturing to accommodate all saw guides on one machine (compared to the multiple manual machines typically used). As one of the industry’s largest steel and aluminum saw guide manufacturers, Williams & White knows the importance of accuracy. An accurate saw guide is critical in maximizing lumber recovery and, in turn, profits. Visit williamsandwhite.com. Wood-Mizer BMS500 Sharpener offers numerous features.
WOOD-MIZER Sharpen hundreds of blades per week with the Wood-Mizer BMS500 Bandsaw Blade Sharpener. This heavy-duty, industrial-grade, blade sharpener is built for production and performance and is compatible with 1 in. to 3 in. wide bands, giving you the ability to sharpen larger blades compared to the capacity of other narrow band sharpeners. The 8 in. CBN grinding wheels are powered by a 1 HP motor for consistent, accurate full-profile grinds. The 4280 grind wheel RPM provides a higher quality grind at faster speeds. All functions of the BMS500 are controlled from the user friendly operator panel complete with an electronic tooth counter, variable grinding speed, and two modes: Set-Up and
Run. The sharpener can be quickly configured to stop after an exact number of teeth have been sharpened and is also easily adjustable for different blade sizes and lengths. Main Features: l 1 HP grinding motor l 8 in. CBN grinding wheels l 4280 grind wheel RPM l 1 in. to 3 in. blade capacity l Supports a variety of blade profiles l Variable speed, user friendly control station l Elaborate lubrication system Visit woodmizer.com.
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MACHINERYROW Hess Timber Installs Goldeneye Scanner
Inside the Goldeneye scanner at Hess Timber
German glulam and architectural wood products manufacturer Hess Timber of Bavaria has for many years operated a Microtec Goldeneye scanner to grade lumber for construction purposes. Recently Hess Timber installed a new Goldeneye 702 Multi-Sensor scanner to grade rough boards of spruce and fir with a production speed up to 260 m/min. The new system is located just before the cross-cut saw and optimizes boards for chop processing prior to the planer. The new Goldeneye scanner and certi-
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fied strength grader localizes and recognizes every detail of the lumber and determines MOE and MOR at high production speeds. The precise measurement allows forwarding of the optimized solution to trim saws, planer and sorting lines. In this case the optimization solution detects all the defects inside in the wood. X-ray technology identifies wood defects that are not visible on the surface to determine the internal structure of the lumber. Hess Timber can manufacture longspan beams comprising short segments, known as Hess Limitless, and can produce cross sections that are combined up to a width of 40 cm (15 in.)—the so-called Hess Block—in one production sequence. One more innovative product is Hess Hybrid, which combined two species whose advantages complement each other toward a product of high quality. In 2014 Hess Timber decided to replace its 9-year-old scanner for the newest version of the Microtec Goldeneye 700 Multi-Sensor. Project leader René Schnabel, head of quality and process management, comments, “The Multi-Sensor scanner is the heart of our production. The
high quality of our products depends on the strength grading and visual detection.” After six months of preparation, thanks to the professional and collaborative work between representatives of Microtec and the Hess Timber maintenance and production team, the new Goldeneye started production after only four days of shut down with operators able to run the system on their own. The Hess company’s history goes back 130 years, but in 2005 General Manager Mathias Hofmann took over the business of Hess Holzleimbau Technologie and Wohnwerk GmbH and formed Hess-Wohnwerk GmbH & Co. KG. In 2010, the entity was changed to Hess Timber GmbH & Co. KG. The company, which has its headquarters in Kleinheubach, a village near Miltenberg in the north of Nurnberg in Bavaria. employs 80.
Redhead Equipment Reps For Sennebogen One of the largest heavy equipment dealers in Saskatchewan, Redhead Equipment, now offers sales, parts, service and
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MACHINERYROW financing on Sennebogen material handling equipment. Redhead Equipment has seven locations from Lloydminster to Swift Current and more than 100 technicians in the province, ensuring fast and reliable service. Redhead is sending a number of technicans to Sennebogen in Stanley, NC for training before Christmas. Redhead has identified applications for Sennebogen equipment within the scrap, steel and forestry industries. With a Forestry Specialist on staff, Redhead plans to begin demonstrating Sennebogen forestry equipment soon.
Gregory Poole Deals For Hyster, Yale Gregory Poole Equipment Co. has acquired Dougherty Equipment Co., Inc. and VBS Inc. Material Handling Equipment and certain assets of Briggs Equipment, Inc. Following this acquisition, Gregory Poole has been appointed as an authorized dealer of Hyster and Yale lift trucks across four states and becomes one of the region’s largest overall material handling dealers.
Gregory Poole is now the Yale dealer in portions of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, and the Hyster dealer in most of Virginia and in portions of North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia. While Gregory Poole will no longer represent other competitive suppliers, it will continue to support its current customers through existing service agreements. The acquisitions were driven by the company’s directive to grow. NACCO Materials Handling Group (NMHG) helped to facilitate these transactions to address succession issues in several highperforming dealerships and to ensure continuity for customers, dealers and associates. The addition of Gregory Poole as a dealer allows NMHG to expand its U.S. dual-brand distribution of its Hyster and Yale product lines.
Morbark Opens Door For Area Students More than 130 area high school students, parents, school officials and other guests visited Morbark in October for the company’s career-focused Manufactur-
ing Day event. Titled “March into Your Future with Morbark,” the event featured a tour of the Morbark factory and presentations by numerous employees explaining their duties and personal career paths in manufacturing. Manufacturing Day, officially the first Friday in October, is a coordinated occasion during which U.S. manufacturers open their doors to demonstrate the potential of modern manufacturing and foster interest in the wide range of manufacturing career opportunities available upon graduation from high school, trade schools or college. “Today’s manufacturing is not your grandfather’s or even your father’s manufacturing,” says Morbark President Jim Shoemaker Jr. “Modern manufacturing is highly technical, requires a skilled labor force and provides well-paying careers with diverse opportunities for advancement. But we’re facing a skills gap, with as many as 60% of skilled production positions in the U.S. going unfilled, combined with misperceptions about what manufacturing is. That’s why it’s important to have events like this.”
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PRODUCTSCANNER10
SCANNER FRAME
Autolog introduces its modular scanner frame for its line of transverse optimizers (trimmer, edger and gang/bull edger). This new frame was developed with the customer in mind since they benefit from a substantial reduction in the total cost of the project. How? Due to its convenient modular design, the frame can be set up on site by section (even at the mills with the most difficult access), providing the customer with an easy and cost efficient way to replace their obsolete frame with a new state-of-the-art frame. Here are a few other advantages of Autolog’s new modular scanner frame: —No longer necessary to open the roof to remove the existing frame to replace it with the new one —No longer necessary to rent a costly crane and be influenced by the weather conditions —No longer necessary to disassemble and reassemble the chain races already in place as each section of the modular frame can be built directly around them —Increased savings in transportation costs by delivering the frame in sections on a pallet —Autolog can pre-design and build the frame according to the substructures’ existing footprint, without any extra costs to the client Autolog’s design team is committed to the continuous investment and improve42
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ment of their products. Through their partnership approach and active listening, they have developed yet another innovative solution that provides customers the most value and return for their Autolog investment. Visit autolog.com.
PRODUCTION CONTROL
RemaSawco has extensive experience in controling the production process in a sawmill. Together with its North American partner Raptor Integration, RemaSawco forms a comprehensive offering when it comes to improving the output and quality of the sawn products. RemaSawco personnel are experts in PLC program-
ming and works together with a number of saw machine suppliers. Also, RemaSawco offers software that assists the operators in monitoring the sawing process. Early warnings are issued when something goes wrong, e.g. dimensional or saw blade errors. RS-Opt – Real Time Log Optimization: Returns maximum value from the sawn logs. The user friendly application, with its modern and graphical interface, makes it easy and lucid for the operator. The log optimization is carried out continuously during sawing and is executed on a measured 3D model of the actual log. Instantaneously after the log has passed the 3D scanner, the optimization is executed considering the best economic value, maximum volume or other customer requirements. RSOpt can also be used as a simulation tool to plan the production and try different cut patterns to study the outcome. RS-Line - Cant Measurement Control: A small centering or log turning error can cause big yield losses. This is a well known fact. To be aware that these errors occur and then to measure and correct them have been difficult. But now there is RS-Line from RemaSawco. Continously and during operation, RS-Line controls the log feed and the important settings of the sawing machines. Connected to RemaSawco’s log optimization, considerations are also made to asymmetry, side shift and optimized log turning. At a glance, the operator can determine whether the operation runs normally or if some parameters are heading in the wrong direction. RS-Con - Measurement Control of the Center Boards: Returns instant information on the thickness and width of the center pieces straight after sawing. The measurement results are easily identified and sawing errors outside the given tolerances are quickly spotted thanks to the color coding. Ongoing results are shown as well as statistics. Also, measurement assessments are made. If automatic dimension adjustments are selected, the saw blades are continuously adjusted based on optimization and dimension control data. Visit remasawco.se.
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2015 EDITORIAL INDEX January/February The Issues Award Recipient Is No Stranger. Page 5. Sawmill Keeper Everybody in the southern pine lumber industry knows H.W. Culp Lumber Plant Manager David Richbourg, or should. Page 12. Back To Work Eacom opens former Domtar mill in Ear Falls. Page 28. Coal Miner’s Son Frank Toney has pretty much done it all in the forestry and lumber industries. Page 34.
The Issues Getting a handle on hardwood checkoff. Page 5.
May
Innovative Design Boosts Efficiency Seneca meeting goals. Page 44.
The Issues Welcome to the anything-canhappen southern pine industry. Page 5. Keep Moving Forward A well-known company in Maine always keeps an eye open for opportunity. Page 12.
Machine Integration Simplified Suwanee Lumber upgrades screw positioning controls for planer. Page 58.
Really Good Mix Hassell & Hughes Lumber makes the most of a diversified product base. Page 24. Pellets Boost Hassell & Hughes Product is marketed as GreenWay Pellets. Page 30. Vintage Gang Receives Facelift Jordan Lumber gets to the heart of the matter. Page 34.
April The Issues These things can take some time. Page 5. More Efficient Drying Key hardwood producer sees significant kiln efficiency improvement at West Coast mills. Page 8. Lakeland Come Back Lakeland Mill’s new sawmill fol■
Church & Church Raises The Roof In a manner of speaking. Page 42.
New Lease On Life Neiman Enterprises completes the modernization of the green end at its latest sawmill acquisition, Montrose Forest Products. Page 52.
Family At Work A familiar name in the southern hardwood lumber industry has built a global operation based in Tennessee. Page 14.
DECEMBER 2015
Ligna Preview. Page 25.
EXPO 2015. Page 26.
Checkoff: The Great Divide Hardwood lumber industry debates promotional program. Page 10.
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Ligna Lives Up To Billing Sawmill equipment area has greater global feel. Page 40.
Building A Backlog Sawmill machinery and service suppliers are busy right now and hoping for even more orders at the SFPA Expo in Atlanta. Page 20.
March
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lowing the deadly explosion required tremendous collaboration. Page 16.
LVL Hardwood Pollmeier Group has brought beech handling and processing experience to LVL production. Page 66.
June The Issues On the verge of something or nothing? Page 5. Still Upbeat Softwood lumbermen may be growing a little wary, but they remain optimistic as their mill improvement projects kick in. Page 10. Good For Now Hardwood sawmills are running strong, mill improvements are ongoing, but lumbermen are starting to show some angst. Page 28.
Custom Mill Works North Carolina’s Gates Custom Milling stays focused on niche markets. Page 22. SmartLam CrossLam SmartLam is the first producer of cross laminated timber (CLT) in the U.S. Page 32.
July/August
Ashland Comeback The whine of saws is heard once again thanks to Irving’s major investment. Page 42.
The Issues TP&EE 2016: Go ahead and mark the dates. Page 5.
November
Down To Work USFS and Good Earth Power have started to make the 4FRI a reality on the ground. Page 10.
The Issues Industry feels historic rains in Carolina. Page 5.
SFPA Expo Keeps Pace With Market Sawmillers show up with projects in mind. Page 20.
Transforming Glulam Rosboro maintains leadership of North America’s stock glulam industry. Page 8.
2015 Lumbermen’s Buying Guide. Page 26.
Reman To Full Saw Turlington Lumber Co. has been in business for nearly 100 years, but like the times, they have seen nothing but changes. Page 18.
September The Issues History of Montana operation Stoltze is classic stuff. Page 5. Logs Into Poles Ongoing success of South Carolina pole operation begins in the woods. Page 8. All Aboard With several upgrades, longtime softwood producer F. H. Stoltze sees boost in production and drying times and adds a cogen plant, while dealing with scarce timber availability. Page 16. Making The Grade Surviving suppliers of downstream lumber grading optimization are a competitive mix. Page 22.
October The Issues Plum Creek, USDA support ‘massive’ promo effort. Page 5 Evolving Sawmill New products, mill initiatives and expansions lead Southport Forest Products toward major growth phase. Page 12.
Hyne Timber Maximizes Value Australian sawmill installs USNR scanner defect detection system. Page 28. BESTAR Delivers Finest Steel BESTAR feeds circle saw, knife manufacturers worldwide. Page 32.
December Changes In Place Major improvements have put Shuqualak Lumber back on track. Page 10. Right On Course The Ray White Lumber family says its SYP operation is right where they want it to be. Page 24. Filing Vendor Update Filing room suppliers are making investments and expansion as automation trend continues. Page 32. SawTech. Page 38.
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ATLARGE
Colorado Ranch Plans To Build Sawmill Colorado’s largest contiguous ranch, the Trinchera Blanca Ranch in the San Luis Valley, is developing plans to build a sawmill to address forest health issues on the Ranch and in the region. The Ranch currently removes 2.5 million board feet of timber per year, but needs to increase its efforts to sustain-
ably manage and address the health of the forest and keep up with growth. The addition of a sawmill will provide the necessary capacity to further develop a sustainable timbering operation on the ranch and beyond. “Large portions of Colorado’s forests are hurting due to prolonged drought, bug infestations and poor historic forest management practices – the same issues we are facing on the Ranch,” says Ty
Ryland, Trinchera Blanca Ranch manager. “The forest health issues are pushing us to act and the best solution is to sustainably manage our forests and build this sawmill to handle the volume.” The proposed facility would be located near the town of Blanca in Costilla County and employ 40 on a single shift and up to 70 if a second shift is added. In recent years, sawmill capacity in the San Luis Valley and across the region has dwindled and is no longer able to address the Ranch’s needs as it works to improve its forests. The Ranch’s proposed facility would be able to process approximately 20 million board feet of timber per year, half of which could come from the Ranch. The rest could come from other private and public lands in the region. All timber harvested on the Ranch will be responsibly managed and meet the requirements of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). “We have several hurdles yet to clear before the sawmill will be built, but we are hopeful it can get done as it would help us save our forest and bring the added benefit of positive economic benefits and jobs to the Valley,” Ryland adds. Costilla County has granted the necessary permits for the location of the sawmill. The ranch encompasses almost 172,000 acres, including 90,000 forested acres, much of which has been impacted by years of drought, spruce bud worm, spruce beetle and bark beetle infestations.
Versowood Orders Debarking System Söderhamn Eriksson of USNR has received an order from Versowood Group at Otava, Finland for a debarking line that will feature a modular-designed CamShift 600 debarker with a pull-out rotor and separate feedworks. CamShift 600 debarks at feed speeds up to 430 FPM with one debarking rotor and features a log-releasing tool function as well as tool pressure adjustment during operation. The equipment will be shipped from Söderhamn Eriksson’s manufacturing facility at Söderhamn, Sweden in mid December. The Versowood Group is Finland’s largest privately owned wood processing group with total annual production of 550MMBF. 48
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GP Plans Investment In ARC Wood Yards Georgia-Pacific plans to spend $110 million in upgrades to its Alabama River Cellulose (ARC) mill in Monroeville, Ala. The investments include replacing one of the mill’s two existing wood yards that process incoming logs, upgrading the other wood yard and a major upgrade to one of the mill’s machines that produce pulp. The ARC facility includes two independent wood yards, ARC7 and ARC8, which process more than 4.5 million tons of wood per year, making the facility one of the largest wood consumers in North America.
ATLARGE and an increase of the diameter range upon EPA review. This will allow producers with slightly higher bulk density and/or diameter to comply with the allowed grade criteria. Conformance criteria has been modified from 95% to 90%. The previous 5% conformance criteria allowed for only one non-compliant test sample for every 20 samples tested. With 10 parameters tested
per sample this is essentially one failed parameter per 200 parameters tested, which was too strict. Dropping this to 90% allows for a more reasonable level of compliance. This is also applied to 10%-2% rule. If material is over a specified limit by not more than 10% (2% for durability) then it can still be sold as long as it is not more than 10% of your production (was formerly 5% of production.
PFI Approves Revised Standards Pellet Fuels Institute Board of Directors approved a series of changes to the PFI Standards Program. Co-Chairs of PFI’s Standards Committee, Chris Wiberg of Timber Products Inspection and Bob Sourek of Bear Mountain Forest Products, addressed the changes: “80% of these changes included clarifications, addressing typos, and various changes to the language in the program documents to make them more easily understood. The rest of the revisions are more substantive changes, the biggest of which is the reduction of sampling frequency. In several instances it was clear that sampling at a frequency of 1 sample per 1,000 tons of production was more than was necessary. Producers demonstrating a high level of compliance tend to have robust on-site QA/QC practices and do not need to be tested as frequently.” Producers that qualify for the reduced sampling frequency will see a considerable reduction in the program costs due to having to test fewer samples. This can be up to an 80% reduction in testing costs. Another component that is different for producers is how bag weight is being monitored. It was decided that the different rules from state to state were too difficult for PFI to enforce so the program was modified to remove references to 40 lb. bags and to include language clarifying that the PFI Standards Program does not enforce weights and measures. Two other changes pertain to allowable diameter and bulk density. Once the program was implemented it became apparent that the bulk density and diameter limits were set too tight. The revisions allow for a larger range for bulk density TIMBER PROCESSING
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ATLARGE Check Us Out On The Web! www.timberprocessing.com
USDA Kills Hardwood Checkoff Proposal USDA Agriculture Marking Service terminated a proceeding that proposed to establish a Hardwood Lumber and Hardwood Plywood Promotion, Research and Information Order, otherwise known as Hardwood Checkoff. USDA said a second round of commentary on the proposal produced “outstanding substantive questions and significant proposed modifications from stakeholders.” The effort for Hardwood Checkoff was led by a group of hardwood lumber producers, who wanted the industry to participate in a sustained research, education and promotion program to ensure consumers were armed with sound information about the performance, environmental and economic benefits of hardwood lumber. The proposal called for hardwood lumber producers (green and dry) to pay $1 per $1,000 in sales and it also included payments from hardwood plywood and unfinished flooring producers. However an opposition group of hardwood lumber producers said they were against the proposed structure of the Hardwood Checkoff, beginning with the voting procedure to implement it, which called for approval based on hardwood production volume. They pointed to the Softwood Lumber Checkoff in place, which required a majority of both volume and number of mills. Also, many hardwood lumbermen in opposition said hardwood plywood was a competing product not an allied one. And they also said the hardwood industry didn’t meet known characteristics for successful checkoff programs such as product similarity. They also wanted a better idea of how checkoff revenues would be spent. The proponents, called the Blue Ribbon Committee or the Hardwood Checkoff Committee, had gone back to USDA and asked that the proposed program be scaled back to include only sales of kiln-dried lumber assessed at 50 cents per $1,000. Opponents, led by the US Hardwood Lumber Coalition, applauded the USDA decision. Jeff Edwards of Edwards Wood Products commented, “Kudos to Secretary Vilsack and the AMS for listening to the overwhelming consensus opinion of the industry that the checkoff program model built for agricultural commodities just does not fit hardwood manufacturing.”
West Fraser Buys Sawmill In Alberta West Fraser is acquiring Manning Diversified Forest Products Ltd., which has sawmill operations in Manning, Alberta and related timber harvesting rights. The sawmill has operated at the site since 1993 and has been producing approximately 100MMBF annually. West Fraser plans to adjust current operations and expand annual production capacity to 130MMBF. The timber rights acquired have a current operational annual allowable harvest of 440,000 m3 of coniferous timber. “We are pleased to welcome Manning Diversified and its 120 employees to the West Fraser family of mills in Alberta,” says West Fraser President and CEO Ted Seraphim. 50
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Call Toll-Free: 1-800-669-5613
PROFESSIONALSERVICES WORN OR MISALIGNED CARRIAGE RAILS? A Proven Process
• 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
Contact Us Office 541.760.5086 Cell 541.760.7173 Fax 971.216.4994 www.acculine-rails.com george@acculine-rails.com
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•Precision Laser Alignment • Machining and Grinding • Carriage and Bandmill Alignment 489
EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES Specializing in confidential career opportunities in the Forest Products industry
Executive – Managerial – Technical - Sales
Management Recruiters of Houston Northeast
JOHN GANDEE
Gates Copeland 281-359-7940 • fax 866-253-7032
& ASSOCIATES, INC Contingency or Retainer
“Your Success Is Our Business” Serving the Wood Products and Building Materials Industries For more than 21 years.
The Jobs You Want — The People You Need CONTACT CARL JANSEN AT 541-593-2777 OR Carlj@SearchNA.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
8187
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GREENWOOD KILN STICKS Importers and Distributors of Tropical Hardwood Kiln Sticks
TECHNICAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE: SOUTHEASTERN USA
Porter Engineering is an industry leader in Scanning, Optimization and Process Control Systems for Primary and Secondary Log Breakdown. At the present time we are looking to add an individual to our Southeastern USA Sales Team. We are looking for a candidate that has a good technical background in both Sawmill Optimization and Process Automation. The successful candidate needs to be able to work collectively with a team of professional engineers to provide presentations and proposals of our product to our extensive client base in the South. Travel to our customers sawmill facilities throughout the South is a key part of this job.
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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“The lowest cost per cycle”
Interested applicants can submit their resume in confidence to: mvallance@portereng.com 2232
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Top Wood Jobs Recruiting and Staffing George Meek geo@TopWoodJobs.com www.TopWoodJobs.com (541) 954-8456
LUMBERWORKS
Toll Free 1-800-536-3884 www.johngandee.com Austin, Texas
FOREST PRODUCTS RECRUITING SINCE 1978 WWW.SEARCHNA.COM
gcopeland@mrihouston.com • www.mrihouston.com
Depending on Circumstances / Needs
SEARCH NORTH AMERICA, INC. IT'S YOUR MOVE...
1615
2200
Recruiting Services
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WOOD PRODUCTS marketplace NORTH AMERICA ■ United States
■ Kentucky HAROLD WHITE LUMBER, INC. MANUFACTURER OF FINE APPALACHIAN HARDWOODS
(606) 784-7573 • Fax: (606) 784-2624 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
Ray White
Domestic & Export Sales rwhite@haroldwhitelumber.com
Green & Kiln Dried, On-Site Export Prep & Loading Complete millworks facility, molding, milling & fingerjoint line
■ Minnesota
Buyers & Wholesalers We produce quality 4/4 - 8/4 Appalachian hardwoods • Red Oak, White Oak, Poplar •
Green Lumber: Air Dried, Kiln Dried Timbers & Crossties • Hickory, Sycamore, Beech, Gum & Elm • Custom Cut Timbers: Long lengths and wide widths
Sales/Service: 336-746-5419
336-746-6177 (Fax) • www.kepleyfrank.com
WANT TO GET YOUR AD IN OUR NEXT MARKETPLACE? Call or email Melissa McKenzie 334-834-1170 melissa@hattonbrown.com
(352) 529-2070
■ Tennessee
■ Georgia
STACKING STICKS
Beasley Forest Products, Inc.
FOR SALE
P.O. Box 788 Hazlehurst, GA 31539
AIR-O-FLOW profiled & FLAT sticks available Imported & Domestic
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
■ North Carolina
DHM Company - Troy, TN 38260 731-538-2722 Fax: 707-982-7689 email: kelvin@kilnsticks.com www.KILNSTICKS.com
Cook Brothers Lumber Co., Inc.
■ Virginia
■ Indiana
Producing Quality Southern Yellow Pine Since 1939
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
P.O. BOX 25 • 628 Jeb Stuart Highway Red Oak, VA 23964 Tel: 434-735-8151 • Fax: 434-735-8152 E-mail Sales: john@morganlumber.com Website: www.morganlumber.com Product Mix: ALL KD, HT STAMPED
Next closing: Jan. 5, 2016
1x4 D&BETTER, 1x6 D&BETTER, 1x4 #2, 1x6 #2, 1x4 #3/#4, 1x6 #3/#4, 5/4x6 PREMIUM, 5/4x6 STANDARD, 5/4x6 #2/#3/#4,
08/15
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MAINEVENTS NOVEMBER
AUGUST 2016
24-27—Woodex, 14th International Exhibition of Machines, Equipment and Technologies for Logging, Woodworking and Furniture Production, Crocus Expo, Moscow, Russia. Visit woodexpo.ru.
24-27—International Woodworking Fair 2016, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 404-693-8333; visit iwfatlanta.com.
2-5—Fimma-Maderalia 2016, Feria Valencia, Valencia, Spain. Visit fimma-maderalia.feriavalencia.com/en. 24-28—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers annual meeting, Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, Naples, Fla. Call 336-8858315; visit appalachianwood.org.
MARCH 2016 9-11—Hardwood Manufacturers Assn. 2016 National Conference & Expo, The Worthington Renaissance, Fort Worth, Tex. Call 770-631-6701; visit slma.org.
APRIL 2016 5-6—Bioenergy Fuels & Products Conference & Expo, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 334-834-1170; e-mail dianne@hattonbrown.com; visit bioenergyshow.com. 7-8—Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE), Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 334-834-1170; e-mail dianne@hattonbrown.com; visit pelice-expo.com.
MAY 2016 6-7—Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Expo, Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction, Vt. Call 315-3693078; visit northernlogger.com/content/loggers-expo. 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 2016 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.
JULY 2016 23-26—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Call 336885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org. 54
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DECEMBER 2015
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28-30—Timber Processing & Energy Expo, Portland Expo Center, Portland, Ore. Call 334-834-1170; visit timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
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25-29—IndiaWood 2016 International Trade Fair, Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bangalore, India. Call +9180-4250 5000; visit indiawood.com.
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FEBRUARY 2016
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