Not Just Wait & CCA

(Continued from page 10) builders, is unaffected by the voluntary action taken by the CCA registrants. Baxter will continue to offer ACZA through its licensees at nine treating facilities for use in commercial and industrial applications. a6 lJ16 Bestway Enterprises

Primarily a fence treater, Marks-Miller Post & Pole, Clancy, Mt., has made no changes yet and is "still patiently waiting to see if EPA will exempt roundwood," says Gary Marks. An exemption, he explains, "would make [a decisionl a lot easier for us."

(In fact, in late March, EPA agreed to allow continued use of CCA for agricultural fence posts.)

Muny treaters are waiting, listening to their customers and watching their competitors. Mendocino Wood Specialties Co., Ukiah, Ca., is continuing to treat with CCA, but is prepared to make the switch to an arsenic-free alternative as soon as its customers dictate, according to executive v.p. Marty Olhiser.

In the South, Russell Davis, president/sales manager, D&D Wood Preserving, Albany, Ga., echoes: "I'm waiting for Home Depot and Lowe's to switch. I don't sell to those places, but I think everyone else will follow them."

Davis says few customers are seeking an alternative just yet, but he is anxious to switch to ACQ as soon as demand surfaces.

The farther you get from the West-and the deeper into the South-the more CCA has maintained its marketshare. Wood Protection LP, Houston, Tx., treats with CCA in two cylinders and Osmose's ACQ, NatureWood, in a third. Yet, currently CCA accounts for 99Vo of their sales. (Wood Protection will convert a second cylinder to NatureWood by January l.)

Texas Forest Products, Gilmer, Tx., which restarted the old Dean Lumber plant, only has one cylinder, offering CSI's ACQ Preserve. "Starting anew as a new company with a new name, and with only the new chemical preservative to offer, has been excruciatingly slow," admits Steve Dean. "We officially got the treating plant recertified on October 1. Not until January did we sell our first truckload. Since then, I believe we have sold a total of eight truckloads of treated wood. Before we closed. we were selling at least l0 loads per day."

No longer a sawmill or a timber company, the new business does offer a full range of lumber remanufacturing services including custom kiln drying, planing, moulding, precision end trim, and truck/raiVcontainer reload.

Cortland, N.Y.

142 125 +14o/o

5phlts; Lancaster, Ma.; Corlland, Gouvemeur, N.Y.; $hny Poinl, N,C.; Cresco;,Pa,

Trealmenis: CCA, FRT, WR

Products: Lumber, Plywood, Timbers, Speciallies

Curt Bean Lumber Co., Glenwood, Ar., switched its smallest plant (Amity, Ar.) to a copper-based alternative early last year and planned to change over Buckner (Kansas City), Mo., a few months later, but "mostly people are still staying with CCA, and ordering CBA for special orders," says sales manager Linda Priddy.

Bean will probably convert Buckner to CBA in the third quarter, and convert Glenwood last, at which time Amity will discontinue CBA and return to Dricon fire retardant.

Yet a large number of treaters has vowed to stay with CCA until the final second, stockpiling CCA treated lumber that it can sell well into 2004. Could that result in dozens of treating plants shut down in January, helplessly waiting for their turn to be converted?

"We've tried to warn everybody not to wait," says Curt Bean's Priddy. "There could be a shortage of chemicals if everyone changes over at one time. People have been used to next day delivery. Treaters are starting to keep a lot of their inventory white, as it becomes harder trying to anticipate what people will want."

She adds: "A lot of people think if they wait it won't change. I try to tell them that won't happen, that the EPA said there's no reversal."

Muny smaller treaters operate only a single cylinder, so they don't have the option of gradually integrating a new preservative. Size presents an advantage. Universal Forest Products has a network of 28 treating plants across the U.S. In those plants, Universal currently treats with ACQ at three locations, borates at one location, FirePro fire retardant at two locations, and CCA at 24 locations.

"The bulk of our CCA production will be switched to ACQ between now and the end of the year," says Scott Conklin, vice president-wood preservation. "We will see the December 31,2003 date come and go with no disruption to our customers; we are well prepared and will ensure that any products we sell are in accordance with the applicable label requirements. " l'1

Multiple locations allow treaters to convert gradually through the year. Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, Ga., which has 12 treating facilities, has already switched two plants to ACQ Preserve-Rochelle, Il., and Richmond, In.-and will be switching other plants on a schedule later in the year, says Ed Galt, group manager.

Eastex Forest Products, Houston, Tx., will upgrade, reconfigure and refixture its three cylinders to accommodate ACQ during the summer and then gradually shift production in the fall, possibly a first cylinder in September, a second in October and the third in November.

\-hange will be a constant. "We have challenges ahead as -u and as an industry," says Craig Forbes, v.p./sales manager, New South, Myrtle Beach, S.C. "We have a good new preservative-that's not the issue. The challenge is the price differential, carrying double SKUs on the same dimensions, how to transition ourselves and our customers."

Says Universal's Conklin: "We continue to believe that the wood treating market has been forever changed by the events of the last two years. We are seeing significant research and development in wood preservatives with modifications to 'existing alternatives' like copper azole (introduction of Type B) and ACQ (introduction of Type D) and new systems (e.g., Copper HDO). We expect this pace to continue and possibly quicken."

Pacific Wood Preserving's Jackson agrees: "The industry is working on even newer generations of preservatives, including fixed borates, organic preservatives and moldfighting treatments. How the industry changes will depend upon the costs of these new treatments, the environmental impact these preservatives have, and how long it takes to register them with the EPA and California-a country unto itself, and importantly the marketing skills and capabilities of the treaters producing the products."

Consequently, his company's philosophy has been "to remain flexible to utilize a variety of preservatives, and to stay on the cutting edge of new preservative developments," he says. "We don't think there will be just one main preservative (like CCA has been most recently), but instead there will be several niche markets based upon usage and customer preference."