Dealers Use Special Events Sell EWP

Retailers and distributors who want to promote engineered wood to their customers are getting assistance from suppliers who subsidize builder barbecues, golf outings, in-store trade shows, and other special events.

Vendors are often willing to help dealers with a variety of support programs, including engineering assistance, CAD software programs, product knowledge seminars, estimating assistance, special training for framing crews, technical speakers, and other promotions.

Burton Lumber, Salt Lake City, Ut., starts its engineered wood educa- tion program with product knowledge training sessions for its own staff.

Burton's Hans Noring says they also conduct the "PK" sessions for customers. These are often product breakfasts, with assistance from Boise and Weyerhaeuser.

"'We are converting construction jobs from conventional solid sawn lumber framing to engineered wood by promoting glulams and laminated veneer lumber to our builder customers," Noring explains. "Glulams are especially popular in longer spans, such as garage door headers, because individual pieces of LVL have to be nailed together at the job site for headers."

Gerretsen Building Supply Co., Roseburg, Or., looks to several suppliers for assistance with engineered wood education events for builder customers.

According to Eric Gerretsen, about 957o of all construction in his area utilizes glulam beams, I-joists, LVL or parallel strand lumber. "It's very rare now to see a builder frame a house with solid sawn 2x10 floor joists or 6xl2 solid timbers," he notes.

Gerretsen says there are several reasons for the growth of the glulam beam market, including ready availability, competitive prices, easier inventory control, and dimensional stability. "We also work with Boise and other suppliers to educate builders on engineered wood," he says. "Boise helps us sponsor contractor lunches and barbecues."

His firm also receives help from Weyerhaeuser Co. and Roseburg Forest Products.

The dealer obtains most of its glulam beams from Riddle Laminators, Drain, Or. "We've seen the glulam market grow from a few per week to 15 to 20 per day," Gerretsen says.

There aren't many who can say they made it through 100 years in this business. At PLIB, we understand that providing a respected and recognized qualig mark gives our members the means t0 compete in the lumber marketplace. By f0cusing on quality c0ntrol and grade stamping, PLIB remains one of the most efficient grading services in North America. For PLIB members, that's what matters most.

We also understand that our members desele all the credit and we extend our deepest thanks to the dozens of large and small lumber producers in the Western U.S. and Canada whose confidence in our services has made this milestone possible. We're looking fonvard t0 the next 100 years.

Coldsheam tumber

Compwood Products ltd.

Davidson lndustries

Douglas County Forest Products

Federated Co-operatives Limited

Fred lebb & Sons

Fritch Forest Products, Inc.

Gilbert Smith Forest Products

Glenn Custom Milling

Great Northern Products, lnc.

Great Western [umber Company

Hearin Forest lndustries

Hy Mark Wood l\lanufacturing

Lakeside Timber Ltd.

Manke [umber Company ilorth EnderbyTimber Ltd.

Northwest torest Products oregon 0verseas Company

Paulcan Enterprises Ltd.

Pennington Crossarm Company

Pinnacle Wood Products Ltd. Portac, Inc.

RFP Manutacturing, Inc.

RSG Forest Products

Seattle-Snohomish Mill Company

Distributors also look to their vendors for help with special events. Wholesaler J.M. Thomas Forest Products holds a major product expo and golf tournament each spring for over 150 retail lumber buyers, building customer rapport that lasts through the year. The company has facilities in Salt Lake City, Ogden, Ut., and Boise, Id.

Smco torest Products

South Coast Lumber Company

Southcoast l\1illworks

Wadlegger

Working with its vendors, the distributor picks up the tab, including travel and hotel costs, for customers who come to Salt Lake City for the show. Education, fellowship, meals, product specials, and golf give customers an opportunity to interact with J.M. Thomas sales and management and key suppliers.

Weyerhaeuser Company

J.M. Thomas' Lowell Crossley says the gathering is an opportunity to thank customers for past patronage, and build rapport for future business. Last spring marked the tenth year of the J.M. Thomas Customer Expo. Vendor partners were on hand to staff product information booths and answer questions about glulam beams, I-joists, LVL and other engineered products.

"The expo demonstrates our partnership with customers in providing information and sales help as well as shipping the product," Crossley notes.

He says the events are given a lot of credit for the growing popularity of engineered wood, which has virtually replaced most solid sawn lumber floor and roof systems in recent years.

"Although the expo is a significant cost item, we continue to believe it is a good investment in our relationship with our customers and vendors," he says. "Many customers start planning in January to attend the May event."

New Cedar Siding Mill in NW International Forest Products Ltd. (Interfor) has opened a new cedar siding mill in Sumas, Wa.

The new mill, which utilizes lowgrade western red cedar, is known as Cedarprime Inc. and is leased from Socco Forest Products.

The new operation exclusively produces finger jointed bevel siding for the U.S. market and was expected to be fully operational this month.

The Sumas location replaces Interfor's previous operation in Fort Langley, B.C.

New site manager Carlos Rodrigues said the move to the U.S. was motivated by a potential savings of $7 million annualy in border duties.

"The move to Sumas means we're bringing low-value lumber across the border instead of the high-value finished product we brought before," said Rodrigues.

As part of the leasing agreement, Socco Forest Products put its lumberplaning operations on hold until it constructs a new facility west of the curTent slte.

Interfor operates 37 logging operations, seven sawmills and six manufacturing plants.

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REDWOOD SERVICE: Paul Johnson (center), Georgia-Pacific, was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Redwood Inspection Service's Quality Standards Committee. He has served on the committee for over 25 years, is a past chairman, and a 41-year veteran ol G-P. Outgoing chair John Arlich (left), Mendocino Forest Products, and RIS chief inspector Dan Bosler (right) presented the custom laser-engraved redwood plaque Dec. 13 at Simpson Timber Co.'s Arcata, Ca., office.

Landlord Sues Old Hardware Store

A now-defunct Oregon hardware store is being sued by its former landlord for allegedly not paying over $ 100,000 in back rent.

All In One True Value Home Center, a former tenant at a Eugene, Or., strip mall owned by Arlie & Co., was a branch of the former All In One True Value Home Center, Junction City, Or. Four months ago All In One was sold to Springfield, Or.-based B&I True Value, which converted the Junction City store into a B&I outlet.

The Arlie & Co. suit claims that when All In One vacated its Eugene store in the summer of 2001 it violated its lease, which ran through Dec. 3 1, 200l

Arlie & Co. failed to find another tenant to replace All In One, and as a result is seeking $109,330 in back rent and other charges.

The suit targets the former business owners of All In One and not the current B&I owners.

Gourt Upholds Roadless Ban

A federal appeals court has overturned a preliminary injunction by Boise that effectively reinstates the Clintonera ban on new road building in remote U.S. forest areas.

The Dec. 12 decision by a San Francisco, Ca., appeals court overturned an Idaho court ruling in favor of Boise, which needs to build roads for its heavy logging equipment.

In its ruling, the court found that timber removal and road construction in designated remote forests would damage "some of the last unspoiled wilderness in our country."

Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne said he will ask the U.S. Justice Department to review the decision "to make sure this ill-advised roadless rule is not implemented."

The Clinton plan covers 58.5 million acres of federal land and prevents road construction and the removal of timber and oil except for environmental reasons or to reduce wildfire risk.

Wyoming Mill May Reopen

A pair of investors are looking to restart the old Hammer Timber & Lumber Co., mill in Encampment, Wy., which closed four years ago.

The potential buyers, Doug Boykin and Jack Holbrick, got a boost recently when they learned that no state laws prohibit the reopening of the mill despite its older-style tipi wood waste burner. State officials said the burner has been grandfathered in despite its non-compliance with current EPA standards.

The last hurdle for the duo is to obtain a federal air quality permit.

Boykin has been talking with the U.S. Forest Service to see if a longterm source of logs exists in the area. For the meantime, he said he has lined up a source of private timber.

The investors say the most critical factor in considering the site is the number of skilled timber workers in the area. The pair expect to hire laid off mill employees from LouisianaPacific's recently shuttered sawmill in Saratoga, Wy.

L-P officials had tried to keep the mill afloat, saying they had two potential buyers for the mill, but that ultimately the Forest Service would not allow enough logging in the nearby Medicine Bow National Forest.

Many warn that a similar log shortage could be the undoing of attempts to get the Encampment mill up and running again. Despite the flurry of activity, Boykin emphasized that the acquisition is far from a done deal.

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Arizona Officials Want Sawmill

Northern Arizona officials are recommending three sites in the region for a possible small-diameter sawmill.

The Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership is hoping to attract investors to locations in Williams, Winslow and Eager, citing the availability of skilled mill workers and existing infrastructure.

The Partnership expects construction of a new sawmill to cost between $10 million and $15 million.

The report also cited possible locations in Camp Navajo and at an additional site in Eager on the old Stone Container Sawmill property.

The Partnership's Fay Fisk said the biggest hurdles to attracting investment is guaranteeing a consistent supply of timber and making sure that transportation costs will remain low. Fisk also noted that, "Forest health is the primary driver here, and if that doesn't get answered, we'll be in a bigger economic problem than not having a mill."

Alaska Firm Cited in lllegal Cut

Alaska officials have accused a state logging firm of harvesting infractions and the illegal removal of trees.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game claims Afognak Native Corp., Kodiak, Ak., misrepresented the extent of a November logging infraction along a silver salmon stream on Afognak Island, and then removed I 14 logs after being ordered to leave them on the ground.

In November, state officials say the company cut down to the banks of a stream along a 260-ft. stretch of water. Under the Alaska Forest Practices Act, a 66-ft. wide buffer must be maintained on both sides of a stream.

During the investigation in November, company loggers did not indicate that similar infractions occurred in another harvest unit, measuring 420 ft. along the stream. State officials in the second case say loggers left a buffer of only 12 to 20 ft.

Company officials say they are proud of the company's environmental stewardship and cooperation with state agencies.

In a November letter to Alaska Governor Tony Knowles, Afognak Native Corp. president Roberta Townsend Vennel, accused the Fish and Game Dept. of "working for an agenda" that is anti-timber, in addition to suggesting that the department falsely implied Afognak's contract loggers purposely cut the buffer trees.

Fish and Game's Chip Dennerlein said, "We have no agenda other than to have a healthy, sustainable timber industry and to administer the Forest Practices Act and the fish protection statutes."

If the state pursues charges, fines could be as high as $1.4 million or $10,000 for each tree.

Capital Lumber Turns 55

Capital Lumber Co., Phoenix, Az., this year is celebrating its 55th year of continuous operation.

The company was founded in 1948 by George Gaskin with one truck and one retail lumber yard.

Capital now has 10 regional distribution centers, two reload facilities and a manufacturing division in Northern California, Sonoma Milling Services, that provides kiln drying, planing and moulding services.

The company also has an international trade office in Tacoma, Wa., that serves Europe, the Mediterranean, Australia, South Africa and the Middle East.