INTnoDUcING FncroRY-PRIMED THs Wntr Is OvER.

To ensure paint coverage that lasts, priming of wood is essential! Factory-primed treated wood by Cox provides this imponant step by saving the extra time and expense required for job sire applications and providing lifetime protection fron decay and termites.

Cox factory priming is done in a cpnrrolled settingone piece at a timeusing a vacuum coater that ensures the coverage is thoroug! and complete. The wood is then oven dried to cure the primer and touch-up is applied to individual picces where needed. All factory-primed treated products by Cox are pressure treated with Woknan" preservative and redried after treabnent.

The wait is over. Factory-primed DuraPineo is a step saver. and thai's something your builder customer will appreciate! For more information, call 800.'f76.4'f0l or fax 803.53,f.6328.

DAVID CUTLER publisher dcutler@ ioc.net

Being Seen As Green

If you still think certification of forest products is going to go away or that certified wood will remain on the fringe, recent developments point in exactly the opposite direction. At both manufacturer and retail levels, major players are making big noises about their dedication to forest certification and to products from certified forests.

Willamette Industries is currently telling its customers and the wider world of its commitment to third-party certification of its forest mangement practices in the West. The company is one of a number of participants in the American Forest & Paper Association's Sustainable Forestry Initiative. The SFI mandates rigorous forest audits performed by outside, independent experts.

At the retail level, various dealers around the country are beginning to adopt a meaningful role in the sale of certified products, including lumber, plywood, trusses, flooring, decking and the like.

Home Depot, the largest retailer in our industry and the fourth largest in the entire nation, has been environmentally committed for years. Indeed, they have had a v.p. for environmental affairs for nearly a decade. Statements by company officials leave no doubt where they stand. At a recent conference, lumber buyer Ray McCay stated, "Over the next three years, Home Depot will phase out wood products from environmentally sensitive areas unless certified. This policy tells our vendor partners that Home Depot will devote its wood purchasing dollars to wood products that are environmentally sound. Our commitment to the environment is about the sustainability of our business."

McCay continued, "Home Depot now carries FSC certified hardwood plywood. We have replaced our existing vendor partner in several areas. The vendor that was replaced is actually pursuing cerlification now and that's what we like to see."

Now in its infancy, forest certification has posed more questions than it has answered. Which certification scheme is best? What does environmentally sensitive really mean? What should chain ofcustody include?

Whatever the answers eventually agreed upon, there seems no question at this time that certification is here to stay.

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