NTWS BRIEFS

The overhanging situation of a possible early March decision by the International Trade Administration to impose interim duties on imports of Canadian lumber was creating an increasing amount of confusion in the marketplace as we went to press

If the ITA decides that the Canadian gov. has unfairly subsidized their lumber industry, the interim duty would go into effectpossibly as early as mid-month experts counsel buyers/sellers to strive for absolute clarity in transactions to prevent shipments being hung up by customs hassles . .

On Apr. I a 50 per gal. tax will be tacked ont"o gasoline and diesel fuel pricEs . tires will be taxed according to size Heavy Vehicle Use Fee will go into effect July l, '84 . . those operating up to 5 vehicles will have a year's grace.

Portland Intermodal Center is now open; the highway trailer and ocean container terminal operated by Southern Pacific has a 68.5 ton crane which can hoist up to4otons.

The Eureka-Santa Rosa leg of the Southern Pacific went back into operation in late Feb. after storm damage had closed it for 3 weeks, backing up nearly 300 carloads of lumber in Eureka, Ca.

Housing starts in Jan. leaped 35.9V0, the biggest one month jump since they started keeping records in 1959 . . the seasonally adjusted annual rate was 1,716,000 units, up from 1,263,000 in Dec. and almost double Jan.'82 figs. . .

Single-family home starts were up 32.60/o to an adjusted annual rate of 1,110,000 . . . multiples at

606,000 units jumped42.3Vo permits increased for the 5th month in a row, up 15.990 to an adjusted annual rate of 1,512,000

Wencs of Az., a div. of JetdWen Inc., Klamath Falls, Or., has purchased 17.95 acres at the airport in Kingman, Az., for a new 44,000 sq. ft. window and door plant . Cornett Lumber Co. is a new firm operating at the oldt-PCheney stud mill, Central Point, Or.; Roger Cornett, pres.; Chris Cornett, v.p./gen. mgr.; Sue Geiger,sales...

Louisiana-Pacific Corp. which has acquired sawmills from Edward Hines Lumber Co. in Kremmling and Walden, Co., and Saratoga, Wy., will build a waferboard plant near Chilco, Id., . their Berth V$Zlumber handling dock on Terminal Island in the Los Angeles Harbor has beenclosed...

South Bay Forest Products, Orange, Ca., has established a new industrial div. selling hardwoods, white woods, mouldings andmillwork. Fremont Forest Products, Whittier, Ca., has integrated their industrial div. into their wholesale div. under the management of Blaine Smith to better serve their total S.W. market .

Pffifer Skylight Corp., Lok Products Co. and Lokalex, Inc., all of Fullerton, Ca., have filed joint Chapter l1 bankruptcy . DE Doors, So. El Monte, Ca., has filed for Chapter I I bankruptcy..

Willamette Industries is operating a leased veneer plant, formerly Tomco, at Sweet Home, 0r., as the Midway Veneer Div. under gen. mgr. Ed Cutler . .

The il,lerchant Magazine

Croman Corp. has acquired McGrew Brothers Sawmill Co., Ashland, Or., for $2.4 million to operate as Croman Corp., LumberDiv....

Beaver Lumber Co. has purchased Arcata Redwood's industrial products plant, 28 acres off Samoa Blvd. in Arcata, Ca.; the 180,000 sq. ft. building is being renovated for lumber remanufacturing and drying .

Reid and Wright, Arcata, Ca., has added 700 sq. ft. to its office space, all in redwood North Bay Forest Products has moved from Healdsburg, Ca., to a new Santa Rosa, Ca., facility with warehouse and rail on the premises .

Westmark & Associates, an Irvine, Ca., mfrs. rep firm, has added C.W. "Chuck" Roelen as a partner with John Bates and Larry Baugh . Andersonia Forest Products has sold its Chino, Ca., Distribution Div. to Larry Holquin, Harley Hart and Rudy Gonzales who will operate as HGH Lumber Sales Inc. . . Paul Euphrat has moved Wendling-Nathan from San Francisco to Kentfield, Ca. . .

Manville Corp. has been granted a45 day extension for filing a formal Chapter ll bankruptcy reorganization plan sawmill employment is improving with less unemployed and fewer short shifts reports WWPA . .

Wickes Cos. Inc. will move its lumber Hq. from Saginaw, Mi., to the Chicago area this summer . . . West Americon Hardware, Inc., Salt Lake City, Ut., has acquired Strevell-Paterson and Motor Mercontile Inc. from American Strevell, Inc. . .

Robert E. Howell and Victor L. Fowler have purchased Ketchums Building Supply, Salt Lake City, Ut., for an undisclosed price . . J.C. Penney Co. will eliminate hardware from its stores although it will stay in their catalog line . . Builders Emporium has closed stores in Diamond Bar and Ladera Heights, Ca. .

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