Wood Fiber

FIlI6ERIOIlII ADUATIAGT

Million Dollar Cedar Marketing Campaign

The western Red cedar Lumber Northwest, there is considerable misAssociation has launched one of the information on the part of builders and largest, most comprehensive market- consumers alike is to western red lng programs ever undertaken by a cedar's properties, availability and forest products industry group in a sin- uses," said consultant John Kenmuir. gle North American market.

Reduced Callbacks

WtP FINGIUOINT sluds reduce stud replocemenl by 50lo 75010.

Straighter Walls

FlNGERJ0lltlTlNG mixes groin pcllens & knol strudules minimizing lhe chonce of bow ond croolc

CUSTAMER SAfISFACTION

Fewer collbocks moke q hoppier builder and stoight wolls mcke c solisfied homeowner.

Improved

RESOURCE UfILIZATION oeFinger Joint Blocks lgBox Shook lgFingerJoint Studs lg(ut Sfock ns[dge Glued Prcducts

FINGEUOINTING ollows cny length of slud grcde lumber to be used to its f ullesl. Inviromenf olly responsible.

He added that 20vo of puget soundThe $_1 million program, launched homeowners plan to build, replace or during the recent Tacoma Home & add a deck in the next two years. twice Garden show, follows months of in- the national average, and that single tensive strategic planning and is being family home construction is projecled introduced on a test market basis in to increase significantly in 1996.the Puget sound region, historically a The theme, "Today's cedar Natustrong market for cedar products. rally," begins appearing this month on "Few forest products associations many products manufictured by wRhave ever taken such a bold approach CLA members. The program also into the marketplace, and we are confi- cludes advertising, six ne* product dent it will have a significant effect on usage brochures for retailers todistribsales," said canfor's JackMacMillan. ute to the public, and participation in Research included exhaustive re- the Tacoma and seattle Homi Shows search on siding and decking in North and the Seattle Street of Dreams. America over the past 15 years; focus Its most visible symbol, a 5,000-ft. groups of builders, consumers and "cedar Lane" virtual backyard disretail salespersons; a survey of Puget play, attracted thousands during the Sound builders, and over 500 phone five-day Tacoma show. It featuied a interviews with local consumers, l6-ft. square picnic shelter, 20-ft. tall studies revealed builders are the gazebo observation tower, and display primary decision-makers for siding modules showing a greenhouse, perproducts, consumers for decking and gola, benches, trellises, cabana, furniyardscape materials. "we learned that ture, plants, mock walls with different while western red cedar is appreciated kinds of siding, decking, fencing, to the point of reverence in the Pacific fence posts, even a hot tub.

Five-Year Industry Forecast

U.S. housing starts should stay above 1.3 million annually for the rest of this decade, promoting strong demand for timber, lumber and panel boards, according to the Wood Markets '96 Edition, a five-year forecast and reference guide to solid wood products.

The 300-p. report also predicted:

* Timbei shortages in North America could begin appearing as early as 1996.

* 1996 lumber prices should improve SVo to 8Vo over 1995 before legislative restrictions will have an effect. Proposed quota-based limits on Canadian softwood lumber exports to the U.S. will lead to an immediate price increase of $25 to $50 per thousand on dimension lumber.

* OSB and plywood panel prices will plunge 20Vo to 30Vo in 1996 due to a 40Vo rise in North American OSB capacity over the next two years. The trend will continue in 1997.

* In the next five years, North American MDF and particleboard output will swell by a combined increase of 3OVo to 2.2 billion sq. ft. Surging MDF will weaken prices through 1998.

* Pacific Rim markets for softwood lumber and plywood will remain strong for exporters in 1996-97. However, OSB and MDF exporters will face increasing global competition.

* Substitute and engineered wood and non-wood products coupled with the aggressive penetration of foreign suppliers will create further volatility and dynamics in the North American market.

Weyerhaeuser Sale Collapses

Weyerhaeuser Co. is looking for another buyer for its Klamath Falls, Or., operations after a proposed sale to Roseburg Forest Products Co., Roseburg, Or., fell through.

Last November, Weyerhaeuser and Roseburg agreed to a $303 million deal for three mills, nursery and seed orchard operations and 600,000 adjacent acres of mostly pine timberlands (see The Merchant, Dec. 1995, p. 18). The companies said talks were broken off after each disagreed on "certain aspects" of the transaction.

Oldest Plywood Mill Gloses

Fort Vancouver Plywood Co., Vancouver, Wa., the nation's oldest continuously operating softwood plywood mill, is closing this month due to dwindling federal timber supplies, increasing regulations and difficult market conditions.

Founded as Mackall-Paine Veneer Co. and then renamed Vancouver Plywood Co., the mill began producing plywood in 1925 and was one of the first member mills of APA's predecessor, the Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

About 425 plywood, veneer and lumber mills have closed in the West since 1980, including approximately 100 in Washington, estimates analyst Paul Ehinger.

Special Redwood Grades Poster

The special poster inserred as rhe. fnllnw- I rng Dages was suD-plied by the Calitbrnia -/ Redwood Association 7 and Redwood Inspection Service as a dealer's pointsf:purchase piece to clearly show the variety of redwood grades available and answer the most-frequently asked questions by consumers, builders and specifiers.

The poster pictures the eight basic grades, provides a written description of each and suggests the best uses for the different products. It also identifies the RIS grade starnps.

As a guide to the major manufacturers of redwood lumber, the follo*ing companies are ,' California Redwood Association and Redwood Inspection Service members:

Full CRA/RIS Members

Arcata Redwood Company, Arcata, Ca.

Britt Lumber Company, Arcata, Ca.

Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Fort Bragg, Ca.

The Pacific Lumber Company, Scotia, Ca.

Schmidbauer Lumber Company, Eureka, Ca.

Simpson Timber Company, Arcata, Ca.

Supporting RIS Members

Eel River Sawmills, Inc., Fortuna, Ca.

Harwood Products, Inc., Branscomb, Ca.

Trinity River Lumber Company, Weaverville, Ca.

Redwood Empire, Morgan Hill, Ca.

Special RIS Subscribers

Blue Lake Forest Products, Arcata, Ca.

California Cascade Industries, Sacramento, Ca.

Capital Lumber Company, Healdsburg, Ca.

Dalerio's Pallet & Shook Company, Ukiah, Ca.

Diablo Timber, Napa, Ca.

Fred C. llolmes Lumber Company, Fort Biagg, Ca.

Nu Forest Products, Healdsburg, Ca.

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