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oping the plans and adding or training the human resources to manage such growth."

The company will concentrate on increasing its dealings with large retail chains such as Home Depot and Lowe's, expanding its production and selection of engineered wood products, scouting for other companies or timberlands to acquire, reevaluating its three pulp mills, and building an "enriched business environment" that fosters creativity and innovation.

A first step was L-P's recent agreement to purchase coatings and formulated chemicals producer Associated Chemists, Inc., Portland, Or., for an undisclosed amount.

With plants in Portland and Orangeburg, S.C., Associated Chemists specializes in products for the wood, building materials and pulp and paper industries.

Crane Heads To New Zealand

John Crane, former principal of Crane Mills, Corning, Ca., is moving to New Zealand with five other Corning residents to build a new sawmill.

The group - John and Claudette Crane, Mark and Penny VanGilder, Bob Rudolph and Jim Armstronghopes to begin the year-long construction this month, incorporating milling equipment from Crane Mills, which closed four years ago.

John Crane will serve as general manager of the new company, NDG Pine. Plant manager Mark VanGilder will oversee construction.

Last September, the pair went to New Zealand to scout suitable sites to construct a mill and found Wanganui, an area densely forested with radiata pine but with few mills.

"John's life ambition was to build a sawmill from the ground up," said Pennv VanGilder.

Court Rejects Asbestos Pact

A $1.3 billion asbestos settlement that would have resolved over 100,000 future personal injury claims against 20 former asbestos manufacturers was thrown out by a federal Appeals Court in Philadelphia, Pa.

The court believed the deal went beyond the scope ofthe rules for class action and did not address the interests of the "amalgamation of factually and legally different plaintiffs."

Two years ago, to resolve the labyrinth of lawsuits bogged down in the courts, the manufacturers and plaintiffs' attorneys agreed two years ago to form an administrative procedure to process injury claims against the firms. It would have affected 250,000 to 2 million people by settling 100,000 claims during the next 10 years, ranging from $5,800 to $60,000.

But opponents considered the deal unconstitutional for capping damages at too low a level and inadequatelY addressing the needs of people who have been exposed to asbestos but not yet developed the disease.

The defendants include Armstrong, CertainTeed, National Gypsum Co. and U.S. Gypsum Co.

FOR DOMESTIC SALES CALL: Jerry Long. Michael Parrella, LYnn Bethurum. Janet Parrella. Pete Ulloa, Bruce Keith. Matt Petersen, Jim Lawson.

FOR INTERNATIONAL SALES CALL: Nestor Pimentel. Abel Flores.

James W. Inglis resigned as exec. v.p.strategic planning at Home Depot Inc. to become c.o.o. and senior exec. v.p. of Maxim Group Inc., Kennesaw, Ga.

Sean Burch is new to sales at Redwood Empire, Morgan Hill, Ca. Stacy Sparks is now in sales support, Mike Dunne has joined plywood sales, and Larry Mussallam is new to industrial sales, according to Dan Naughton.

Don Clark is new to outside sales for Reel Lumber Service, Anaheim, Ca., covering Santa Barbara.

Tim Moxie has joined the sales team at Kelleher Corp., San Rafael, Ca.

Bill Pugh is new to sales at California Builders Supply, Sacramento, Ca., covering southern Sacramento.

Greg Woods has joined Cal Plus Forest Products, Irvine, Ca.

Mike Dorio is new to inventory control and sales support at Cal State Forest Products, Santa Ana, Ca., according to

Patric Taylor, pres.

Mike McAvoy has rejoined Siskiyou Forest Products, Woodland, Ca., as their new plant superintendent.

Ken Turnbull, formerly with Fort Vancouver Plywood, is new to the sales staff at Washington Pacific, Vancouver, Wa.

George Renfroe, mill mgr. of Regal Custom Millwork, Anaheim, Ca., has retired after 17 years with the firm.

Jack Alley is now gen. mgr. at Orepac Building Products, Wilsonville, Or. Walt Shriver is v.p.-operations, and Marty Brand, national accounts mgr.

Lisa Warren, previously with Weyerhaeuser, has joined the sales staff at Hi-Tek Forest Products, Corona, Ca.

Bruce Douglas has joined the sales staff at Reid & Wright, Inc., Bend, Or.

"Rocky" Smith, ex-Sundown Timber and Keene Industries, Inc., is new to sales at Diablo Timber, Napa, Ca., covering

Az. and N.M.

Dan Tsujioka has been named v.p.Pacific Southwest merchandising, West Coast division, at Home Depot, Fullerton, Ca., replacing Bill Hogan, who has resigned. Dennis Johnson replaces Tsujioka as v.p.-Mid-South merchandising, Southeast division.

Dick Allison, ex-Oregon McKenzie, is now trading for Pacific Breeze Lumber, Eugene, Or.

Rob Congdon is handling sales for recently founded Yellowstone Stud, Laurel, Mt.

Steve Heaton has been named product mgr.-siding for James Hardie Building Products, Mission Viejo, Ca. Mel Karlson is now product mgr.-roofing, and Cathy McCutcheon, product mgr. -interior products.

Rick Frost has joined Louisiana-Pacific, Portland, Or., as v.p.-timberlands and procurement. William E. Flaherty was named a director. Pierre S. du Pont and Donald R. Kayser were reelected to three-year terms on the board. Richard B. Fethers is now mgr. of strategic planning.

Lyle Blue, Bloedorn Lumber, Torrington, Wy., retires June 30 after 39 years with the company.

Frederick van den Bergh is now exec. v.p. of The Coleman Co., Golden, Co., and pres. of its intemational division.

Comer Brown, particleboard sales and marketing mgr., has retired from Boise Cascade, Boise, Id. John Schramm assumes his position, according to Stan Bell, v.p.-distribution & engineered wood products, sales & mktg.

Bill Pratt is new to sales at Dolan Lumber Co., Concord, Ca.

Mike Casassa, Sean White and Tim Sullivan, Beronio Lumber Co., San Francisco, Ca., recently visited Marvin Windows' plant in Minnesota.

Cal Ripken, Jr., Baltimore Orioles shortstop, signed an agreement with Cotter & Co. to use his name and likeness in True Value Hardware's marketing.

Shepard Tucker is now westem regional rep for the American Forest & PaPer Association, Portland, Or.

Bill Hemphill, Treesource, Portland, Or., and his wife spent a week in May golfing and vacationing in Phoenix, Az.

Kent Schrowe is now Mid-America region sales mgr. for Indiana Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co., covering Wyoming.

Cordes Langley, Redwood Coast Lumber Co., Ukiah, Ca., recently visited Belize and Hawaii.

Allen Gill is now intemational sales mgr. at Kroy, Inc., Scottsdale, Az.

David V. Berger has been named v.p.sales, Building Products Distribution Division, at Georgia-Pacific Corp., Atlanta. Ga.

Dr. Robert A. Riggs, Boise Cascade Corp., Boise, Id., was presented the American Forest & Paper Association's Wildlife Stewardship Award.

Gary Woodward is gen. mgr. of the Las Cruces, N.M., Hope Lumber & Supply facility, one of four New Mexico sites acquired from L&P. Other mgrs.: Ernest lVilliams, Santa Fe; Joe Lorenc, Santa Fe, and B. Sawyer, Albuquerque.

Don Smith, Sun Studs, Inc., was elected pres. of the West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau. Clement Frank, Frank Lumber Co., is v.p., and Bob Waltz, Seattle-Snohomish Mill Co., sec./treas. Gordon Plume. The G.R. Plume Co., and Jerry Nudelman, Alder Creek Co., Inc., are new directors.

Charlie and Jackie Jennings, C.J. Redwood, Inc., Escondido, Ca., are on a six-week London-to-Africa-to-Australia trip.

Kenny Moffatt, Unique Machine & Tool, Phoenix, Az., is treasurer of the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America.

George Little, Union Planing Mill, Stockton, Ca., and his wife, Mignon, vacationed in Egypt and Greece.

Glen Kartheiser, pres. of Ureco, Inc., Columbia Falls, Mt., has been appointed pres. of the Timber Products Manufacturers Association, replacing Patrick Malloy. First v.p. is Wayne King, Filler King Co., Homedale, Id., with 2nd v.p. John Bennett, Shearer Lumber Co., Grangeville, Id.

Lou Banoyl is head of fleet maintenance at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to owners Ilugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Wood Panel Forecast

Dramatic growth in production capacity and rising manufacturing costs may lower profits for the composite wood panel industry over the next several years, forecasts the USDA Forest Service-Forest Products Laboratory.

Panel indusfry capacity will climb 20Vo from 1994 to 1997, including major increases for OSB and MDF and more modest gains for particleboard. Southern pine plywood capacity will remain flat, while western plywood shrinks. Panel consumption will grow by aboutS-9Vo.

Concurrently, raw material costs should rise. Once-undervalued species, such as aspen, are commanding higher values in the marketplace. Other fiber sources (wastewood, agricultural waste and roundwood) will become more attractive to particleboard and MDF plants as traditional sources of lumber and plywood plant residues fail to keep pace with capacity growth.