Biomass Plant Offers New Promise

Warm Springs Forest Products Industries, Warm Springs, Or., wants to build a $30 million biomass plant that would benefit the company, the surrounding community, and the environment.

A new boiler that will provide steam for the sawmill's lumber-drying process-and could also serve a biomass plant-is already under construction and should be operational by September.

The new boiler would require five fewer workers, be more efficient, and reduce accidents, said c.e.o. Larry Potts. Injuries such as back strain and eye injury occurred during cleaning of the old boiler and accounted for half of the accidents at the mill. Fewer injuries would cut worker's compensation costs.

The plant itself would create about 60 jobs at the sawmill. By burning the small trees that feed forest fires, the plant could reduce air pollution from proscribed burns and forest fires and decrease gases that cause global warming. By creating electric energy from waste, the plant could help cut Oregon's dependence on fossil fuels.

Small trees would provide half the fuel for the plant; the other half would be sawmill waste such as bark, sawdust and shavings. Wood waste from orchards and construction projects could also be used to fuel the plant.

Potts is working on a lO-year deal with the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to obtain small trees thinned from 10,000 acres a year in the Mt. Hood, Ochoco and Deschutes national forests.

"It sounds like a big number," said Potts. "But they need to treat 100,000 acres a year for hazardous fuels."

Potts also needs to find a consumer market for the energy generated by the biomass plant. The Oregon Public Utilities Commission mandates that utilities must provide energy at the lowest possible cost, and biomass energy costs more. Current market price is a little over 50 per kilowatt hour, while biomass plants can produce electricity for 6A 6 9q. On the plus side. Oregon consumers increasingly appear willing to pay more for energy from renewable resources

WSFPI energy manager Darrel

Kelly thinks there's a good chance the biomass plant will be built because studies have proven both its feasibility and its environmental benefits. "When everyone realizes it is more beneficial to burn hazardous forest fuels in the controlled environment of a boiler rather than leave those fuels in the forests and contribute to catastrophic wildfires, the project will move forward and be successful," he said.

The biomass plant would help the company, as well. "We [would] be replacing power-generating equipment that was originally installed in 1921," Kelly explained. "Although the existing power plant is still operating today, it lacks adequate pollution controls, is relatively inefficient, and is labor-intensive and expensive to operate and maintain."

Small mills are looking for new markets to survive. "From a strategic standpoint, you have to pencil it out and find other ways to compete," said Butch Bernhardt, spokesman for the Western Wood Products Association. "The biggest product may not be lumber. The residuals with biomass or other specialty products can make for a better business."

fls aHampton Affiliates regular customer, you'll never have toworry about tight supplies, delayedshipments orsubstandard product. 0ur streamlined operation is tunedtogetyouexactly what youneedand deliver it when and where youneedit - without fail. r This isbecause we run a fulty integrated business, from tree planting and resource management to relationship-based brokerage and shipping services. Supply is stronger than ever. Since t997 we've doubled annual production to r.4 billion board feet, making us the fifth largest producer in the U.S. Hampton's mills are among the most efficient in the industry - our Willamina mill is one of the top volume producers in the country. With tight inventory control and smoothly coordinated distribution using our railcar fLeet, we keep this dependable supply movingtoourcustomers to meetiust-in-time needs. o Talk to us soon.We'll give youcommitments, notexcuses.

That's what makes PrimeSourcet the leading nationwide distributor of building materials for the residential, industrial, new construction and remodeling markets.

o A nationwide network of distribution centers

. Providing both specialized products and services and a large offering of commodity products

. Millions of square feet of warehouse space from coast to coast o Private fleet of trucks, tractors and trailers

. The right product at the right place at the right time.

To learn more, contact us at 800-676-7777, or visit primesourcebp.com. PrimeSourceglobal reach, hometown service.

Steve Hagen and Kevin Dolan, both ex-Unity Forest Products, have opened a Penn Valley, Ca., sales office for Western Woods. Inc.. Chico, Ca.

Doug Jenks has joined Weber Plywood & Lumber Co., Tustin, Ca., as the new purchasing agent. Doug Hosford is new to sales.

Orville Chedester has retired after l8 years with Stockton Wholesale Lumber Co., Stockton, Ca., and moved with wife, Susan, toLaPaz, Mexico.

Kathy Rangel is new to sales at U.S. Timber Co., Eagle, Id.

Kelly Delacy, ex-Snavely International, has opened a new Portland, Or., office for Willamette Forest Products, a division of U. S. Timber.

Perry Schlitt has been promoted to v.p. of sales & operations at Disdero Lumber, Clackamas, Or.

John Neubauer has joined Capital Lumber Co., Phoenix, Az., as national account mgr. Also new are Bill Bieker, sales mgr., Boise, Id.; Ed Brown, ex-Weyerhaeuser, assistant division mgr., Chino, Ca.; Shayne Fitzpatrick, ex-Universal Forest Products, account mgr., Chino; Millard Meeks, ex-Collins Pine, account mgr., Healdburg, Ca., and Brendon Bolton, account mgr., Denver, Co.

Carolyn Atkinson, ex-Weyerhaeuser, has joined Lumbermens, Olympia, Wa.. as marketing support services mgr.

Clark S. Binkley, ex-Hancock Timber Resources Group, has been elected to the board of TimberWest Forest Corp., Vancouver, B.C., replacing Anthony Petrina.

Greg Gainer was named v.p.-sales & marketing for International Aluminum Corp., Monterey Park, Ca.

Seth Martin, ex-Georgia-Pacific, will cover Northern California for Bluelinx, Denver, Co. Pat Ragan is now handling the Denver and Albuquerque, N.M., markets.

Garry Tabor has been promoted to president and chief operating officer of Building Material Distributors. Inc.. Galt. Ca. Steve Ellinwood is now chairman and c.e.o. Darcey Jerrom, ex-LouisianaPacific, has joined BMD's engineered wood products division, Walnut Creek, Ca.

David Larsen has been named v.p. of corporate communications for Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wa. Larry Fitzgerald, Hot Springs, Ar., retired June I after 33 years in the industry.

Mary Jane Keller is now office manager at Western Pacific Building Materials. Bend. Or. Ken Roberts joins the company as a sales rep.

Chad Ziller has joined 84 Lumber Co., Greeley, Co., as a mgr. trainee. Matt Korinek and Rodney Stalker are new mgr. trainees in Henderson, Co. Promotions at 84 Hq. include: Frank Cicero, executive v.p. for store operations; David Cochran, v.p.-Southwest store operations, and Scott Wagner, v.p. of manufacturing.

Dan Kingery has been named western regional sales mgr. for Crestline and Vetter Windows & Doors. New district mgrs. include John Fuchs, covering Northern California and western Nevada; Niki Depew, Southern California, and Jim Quillen, New Mexico, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nv., and El Paso, Tx.

Robert L. Phillips has been elecred to the board of directors of West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd., Vancouver, B.C., replacing Larry S. Hughes.

Dick Rose, Srock Building Supply, is retiring July 3l after 33 years in the industry, the last nine with Stock. Joe Appelmann succeeds him as senior v.p.-logistics. Jim Major is the new v.p.-finance & strategic planning.

Anna Gilbert has joined the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association, Washington, D.C., as program assistant.

Thomas D. Bell, Cousins Properties Inc., and Jon A. Boscia, Lincoln National Corp., were elected to the board of directors of GeorsiaPacific Corp. Re-elected to the board were G-P chairman and c.e.o. A. D. ttPete" Correll, James S. Balloun and John D. Zeglis.

Bill Burke has been promored to group president of Newell Rubbermaid's North American Tool Group. Bob Heisner succeeds Burke as president of the Lenox division.

Mike Lewis. North American distribution mgr., has been named North American sales mgr. for Dow Chemicalsubsidiary ANcus Chemical Co. and Dow Biocides, succeeding Greg Jorjorian, who has retired.

James Hoff, Firestone Building Products Co., has been named the chairman of the EPDM Roofing Association. He replaces Nick Shears, Carlisle SynTec, who remains on the board of directors. Stan Choiniere, OMG Roofing Products, and John Murphy, Milliken & Co., are new to the board. Mari Killian, Carlisle SynTec. is communications committe chairman, and James Jannasch, Firestone, technical committee chairman.

David Fleisher has been named v.p. and c.f.o. forHuttig Building Products Inc.

Marvin Schmidt. owner of Escalon Hardware, Escalon, Ca., received the Golden Hammer award from supplier California Hardware, Ontario, Ca., recognizing his more than 50 years in the business.

Lotta Clutter will head an office clean-up project at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Plywood Yard Boarded Up

After 40 years, Stop Buy N' Save Plywood in Gresham, Or., has closed its doors.

"I loved my job," said Jim Zeller, owner of the discount plywood yard. "I quickly realized that this was a wonderful community made up of great people. My customers became my friends."

The lumber business wasn't ZeIler's first career choice. In 1964 he was working on a history degree at the University of Oregon, when he took a part-time job at Serve-N-Save Plywood in Eugene.

After a year of learning the lumber business, Zeller was asked to move to Gresham and open a new retail lumberyard. He left the university and never regretted the choice. "I just loved the lumber business too much," he said.

In 1981 Zeller purchased the business he loved and rarely missed a day of work. "There were many days here when I hated to see the day end," he said.

Now 63 years old, he said the time is right to close. "I can still do very well here, my customers are loyal, but the Home Depots and Lowe's and big- ger yards are taking a greater percentage of the business."

Roseburg Expands Melamine

Roseburg Forest Products, Roseburg, Or., has expanded its thermallyfused melamine production capabilities by adding a state-of-the-art melamine press at its Missoula, Mt., particleboard facility.

Placing melamine capacity in the Missoula facility gives the company a better ability to serve its customers in the Midwest through more efficient transportation. "In addition to meeting the growth requirements of our customers, this incremental capacity contributes to our long-term strategy and focus of increasing our valueadded products," said president and c.e.o. Allyn Ford.

Currently, the Missoula plant produces particleboard and a full line of prefinished panels. The addition of a melamine press will create a fullyintegrated laminating facility.

The new press line will increase the company's total melamine production capacity by 30Vo. The Missoula plant will begin producing the full line of solid, pattern and woodgrain melamine products offered in the

Roseburg Melamine Collection by the third quarter of 2006.

Canfor Seeks New Directions

Canfor Corp., Vancouver, B.C., recently leased 150 rail cars to move lumber products from its transfer facility in Edmonton. Alb.. to major customers in the U.S. In addition, the company has arranged for a ship to transport its lumber to the U.S. this summer.

Canfor supplies panels, studs and 2x4s to retail lumber dealers, including big box stores such as Home Depot. At its annual meeting, transportation problems were blamed for lower first-quarter profits.

"If we can find a way of being closer to a supplier, as opposed to some sort of middle man. that is what Canfor is trying to do," said c.e.o. Jim Shepherd.

The company is also looking at new markets around the world. The increasing use of engineered wood products, said Shepherd, may lead Canfor into acquisitions or joint ventures.

"We are looking very hard at expanding Canfor's sphere of operations well beyond Canada," he said.