Radiata pine

(Continued from page 16) pines are becoming ready for harvest. Timber has become one of New Zealand's leading exports, and 90% of it is radiata pine. The esrimated 1.5 billion board feet exported in 1990 is expected to multiply 8.5 times in the next 20 years.

And, because it is grown on plantations instead of in naturally occurring forests, the species is environmentally sound. "lt's grown strictly as a crop," says Breen. "You look down from a plane and see patches, squares, triangles, perfect rows like ears of corn. It's a farm."

While radiata pine is used as framing lumber in New Zealand, American companies are primarily importing long length clears. This higher grade material can be used in mouldings, patterns, furniture parts, cut stock and select boards. So New Zealand is constantly researching new techniques to improve quality. Breen says, "The Forest Products Research Institute in New Zealand is developing the 'super tree.' It grows twice as fast, is more consistent, has less knots and more orderly limbs, is more resistant to pestilence."

The lesser grades usually are consumed internally or shipped to East Asia. Jim Haas, Berdex International, Sacramento, Ca., explains, "The distance is much farther here. And there is so much demand for the low grade material elsewhere that I don't ever expect to see it here. Other countries can pay more for it."

Still, U.S. producers continue to look for new uses for radiata pine. "We're testing different markets." Haas says. "l surfaced some and talked to a few people who are slicing it into veneers. The Japanese have been using it for veneers for years."

Lumber Products, Portland, Or.. is in the experimental phase. "We bought a unit and had the mill tear it apart, rip it, glue it. They do what they do to it and then we give it to our customers to see what they think about it," says one broker.

"There's no track record on it," says Art Emerson, vice president of sales and marketing. "There was some chip out in tight millwork patterns. There seems to be a market for it in tongue and groove flooring, since it's a little harder than (domestic) pines and mills well in that direction. It's in the trial stage."

Chile also has a growing radiata pine base, planting new forests at twice New Zealand's rate. Harvests were expected to exceed 4.7 billion bf in 1990, climbing to 10.4 billion bf within l0 years.

But whereas long length clears are being imported from New Zealand, componentry and cut-to-size pieces are coming from Chile, due to the lower grades available and cheap Iabor base. Fibre-Form Wood Products, the largest importer/distributor of radiata pine in the U.S., has been working with Chilean companies for eight years to produce higher valueadded products. Fibre-Form has provided technical and manufacturing knowledge, training and American product and quality standards.

"Chileans are becoming more sophisticated all the time," says John Osgood, Tradewest Hardwood, Wilmington, Ca. "They're starting to prune (trees), realizing this makes for a better piece of wood. And in South America, there are no owls with spots on them."

Tradewest deals in radiata pine shelving, residential mouldings and specialty items, such as furniture components. "lt's an absolute natural for knotty pine furniture," he says. "lt's very strong and attractive, with a lot more character than, say, sugar pine."

Chilean pine received a bad rap a year ago when certain treated shipments entered U.S. markets. The Southern Pine Inspection Bureau warned of potential product liabilities since the wood carried no American Lumber Standards Committee gradestamps, thus it was not approved for structural uses.

"We weren't slamming any species," explains Jim Loy, SPIB, Pensacola, Fl. "lt was particular wood coming in from Chile and other foreign places, CCA treated and put out as 'treated pine.' There were no grademarks but it implied No. 2 southern pine."

"(Radiata pine) bears watching because one of the concerns is that its design values are not up to par with southern pine for use in structural design," adds Jeff Easterling, Southern Forest Products Association.

The Western Wood Products Association does stamp radiata pine studs and realistically could stamp it for framing. "lt has been tested for that, but I don't know anybody that's using it," sayg inspector Tom Hanneman.

ALSC at one time did approve radiata pine for general building. "Several years ago there was a small mill cutting it on the Monterey Peninsula," recalls John Tunnicliffe, California Lumber Inspection Bureau. "ln order for it to be marketable and sold to building contractors, it had to be certified by ALSC. We did get permission to grademark the material. But then the Forest Service had a density study. For some reason, radiata pine wasn't included. So with no density evaluation, the ALSC reversed its grademark decision. And our one source is no longer in business, so we're not involved with it anymore."

Introducing a new product into established markets is difficult, but acceptance of radiata pine is building. "So many wood species have been introduced that didn't work out," says Snavely's Tim Spellman. "Mexican pine and others have come and gone."

Seidner adds: "Domestic manufacturers are generally wary of any kind of competing products. About four years ago, they tried to talk (radiata pine) down. But there were just too many satisfied customers. Anyone who talks it down now will look like a fool."

Others are just averse to change. "l know a couple people who won't sell it because the quality is too high," says Spellman. "They don't like discounting a premium product."

Use of radiata pine in the U.S. is spreading slowly, but with a tighten- ing on homegrown materials, it's comforting to know of an abundant, high quality alternative. "l don't think it will ever replace southern yellow pine, white fir or ponderosa pine," says Seidner. "But, every year there's less and less suitable domestic production. This is a product that has to come sooner or later. "

Says Haas, "The best thing I can say about it is anybody I've ever sold it to has come back for more."