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Shamrock Into California

Shamrock Building Materials Inc., Eugene, Or., opened a new division that will expand the company's reach into Northern California.

Named Shamrock Trading & Distribution, the sales office opened May I in South San Francisco, Ca. A custom milling and distribution facility-Shamrock's first outside Oregon-will open this month in McClellan Park, a commercial/industrial complex on the site of a former air force base in Sacramento, Ca.

"Shamrock liked the idea of having a presence in Northern California," said Dennis Finnie, general manager of the new division.

Chad Niedermeyer is operations manager. He and Finnie worked together for l0 years at Sierra Point Lumber, Brisbane, Ca., before they approached Shamrock with their idea.

Covering five acres, the facility will have one acre of covered storage and four acres outside storage. Prime customers will be contractor-oriented lumberyards in Northern California. In addition to custom milling, specified jobsite cutting and packing services will be offered, as well as jobsite deliveries.

Although McClellan Park is serviced by two rail lines, Shamrock doesn't have its own rail spur yet and won't for at least a year.

In the meantime, neighbor Hydra Reload will accept Shamrock's shipments. Materials for local deliveries will be loaded onto Shamrock's own trucks. Hydra will handle the longhaul deliveries.

Stock Buys Vegas Supplier

Stock Building Supply, the nation's largest pro chain, has entered Nevada with its acquisition of the Vegas General Construction group of companies, based in Las Vegas, Nv., where single-family housing starts increased from 22,000 in2OO2 to over 29,000 in2O04.

According to Fenton Hord, Stock President and CEO, "The acquisition of Vegas General Construction gives Stock a significant initial presence in the state of Nevada, and provides further penetration into the growing Denver market. Vegas General Construction is the leading supplier in the Las Vegas market with a reputation of excellent service."

With nearly 1,600 employees and annual sales of approximately $240 million, Vegas General consists of three businesses- turnkey framing, door and interior trim operations and building materials in Las Vegas, and a recent start-up turnkey framing business in Denver, Co.

All key members of the management team, including owners Ken and Kenny Black, will remain with the company.

Raleigh, N.C.-based Stock now operates 255 locations in 30 states, with reported sales of $3.6 billion in the fiscal 2004.

Fumes Strike Mill Workers

Potentially hazardous fumes sent 16 workers at Stimson Lumber Co.'s mill in Gaston, Or., to the hospital.

About 9 a.m. July 28, workers were using a lye-based solvent to clean a radiator, which was somewhat warm, causing gas to be released. A fan was turned on, disseminating the liquid and the gas.

None of the employees, who were evaluated and decontaminated at the scene before being taken to the hospital, suffered serious injury.

During our almost 60 years in the redwood business, Big Creek has developed a reputation for being a reliable supplier of high quality lumber. We produce a wide range of grades and dimensions, custom cut timbers, pattern stock and fencing. Order full, mixed or partialtruckloads. Big Creek can provide FSC Certified redwood for green building projects.

Fremont Expanding South, Inland

Fremont Forest Group Corp., Whittier, Ca., has acquired Railway Express, Mira Loma, Ca., and sister company S&C Truckline as well as space at the Port of San Diego, Ca.

Railway Express has been providing turnkey transloading and distribution services for lumber, building materials and other commodities for 14 years.

The operation includes nine trucks, 35 rail spots (30 dockside, five outdoor yards), l5 acres of outside storage, and roughly 240,000 sq. ft. of inside storage.

The business was purchased from Murrel Dean, who will act as a consultant through the transition.

In San Diego, Fremont is leasing a barging location at the l0th Avenue terminal with 50,000 sq. ft. of covered storage, 2+ acres of outside storage, and a BNSF rail service. The location will provide break-bulk forest products and building materials storage and handling, including unloading of ships and barges, "duplicating the type of services we offer in Long Beach," said Fremont president and c.e.o. Dennis Parker.

Alex Delgado, harbor services manager in Long Beach, will also oversee the San Diego operations.

The moves are part of an aggressive expansion planned by Fremont's new owners that will include reopening its whofesale division (see July, page 33).

Boise Breaks Into Northern California

Boise Building Materials Distribution has agreed to lease a facilityin Lathrop, Ca., to serve Northern California and northern Nevada.

The 30-acre site with 150,000-sq. ft. warehouse plans to install rail service and should be fully operational by fourth quarter 2005.

The distribution center will be Boise's 29th in the U.S. and second in the state, after the company purchased Mendocino Forest Products' Southern California DC in Riverside three years ago.

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Blaze Scorches ldaho Yard

A Blackfoot, Id., lumberyard lost numerous stacks of reclaimed wood in an August 28blaze.

The fire was caused by a neighbor who was attempted a controlled burn of weeds that accidentally sparked materials in the yard of Cannon Structures Inc's Trestlewood division.

Fueled by treated lumber and bridge posts, the fire flared up off and on for several days. causing evacuation of residents to the south.

No injuries were reported.

Weyco Moving Log Exports

By mid-2006, Weyerhaeuser will move its log export operation in Washington from the Port of Tacoma to the Port of Olympia.

"Most trees we own in Washington state are in southwest Washington, particularly in Cowlitz and Pacific counties," said spokesperson Frank Mendizabal. "Olympia is a shorter distance for truck travel." Weyco's holdings in southwest Washington total |.2 million acres of forest.

The port at Olympia also can accommodate slightly larger ships, which can have trouble with the navigation restrictions of the Hylebos

Waterway in Tacoma.

Weyerhaeuser signed a five-year lease with the port, with three twoyear options, but the port hopes the company will stay much longer.

Weyerhaeuser has used Tacoma's Hylebos Waterway since 1970.

Weyerhaeuser will occupy nearly 25 acres of the port's 60-acre terminal.

Before the company moves in, the port will spend $4 million on improvements such as paving, lighting, and berth enhancements. Nearly 50 vessels are expected to use the new facilities, up from just l6 in 2004. The amount of wood passing through the port will triple, to more than 100 million bd. ft., most of it bound for Japan.

Weyerhaeuser's arrival will mean less space for the port's three existing tenants: Pacific Lumber & Shipping, Merrill & Ring, and Formark. The companies will either have to move or work with less space. "All will get a little tighter and a little more efficient," said port commissioner Bob Van Schoorl. "It will all take a tremendous amount of cooperation."

Composite Makers Unite

Composite Lumber Manufacturers Association has been formed by man- ufacturers of composite decking products and accessories.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the new association will represent the composite lumber industry through the following objectives:

(l) Enhance sustained market growth through code and standards organization representation :

(2) Promote composite lumber materials to raise awareness for the industry and its members;

(3) Minimize unwarranted governmental restrictions and be an advocate for the industry;

(4) Serve as a technical and market information resource for the industry.

Members have already formed a codes and standards committee that is working on several state and national code issues.

Depot Doubles Web Offerings

During the past year, Home Depot has doubled the number of goods it sells online to 24,000.

In addition, the Web site is including upscale items not sold in its home centers.

Nearly 9 million shoppers visited the site in April, compared to 5.6 million just a year ago.

Chris Brown, ex-Potlatch, is now branch mgr. at BMD, Spokane, Wa. John Scalise has been promoted to sales mgr.

Larry Miller, ex-Weyerhaueser, has joined Cascade Structural Laminators, Eugene, Or., as a sales rep in its Springfield, Or., office.

Robert Wells has been promoted to general mgr. of Murphy Lumber, Carmel Valley, Ca.

Josh Dean, ex-Burns Lumber, is now lumber sales mgr. at D.R. Johnson, Riddle, Or.

Steve Weisenberg is new to sales at Weber Plywood & Lumber Co. Inc.. Tustin. Ca.

Lloyd Brown, ex-International Paper, is now v.p. of sales & marketing for Jager Building Systems. He is based in Fresno, Ca.

Chuck Freeland and Cody Drake, ex-Boise Building Materials Distribution, are now trading for Ochoco West. Boise. Id.

Mike McKanna, ex-Malloy Lumber Co., has been named sales mgr. for Capital Lumber Co., Spokane, Wa. New account mgrs. include: in Salt Lake City, Ur., Holly Stubbs, exHome Depot; in Boise, Id., Jeff Caywood, and handling engineered wood in Phoenix, Az., Jeff Cely, ex-Weyerhaeuser.

Rod Haney, ex-OREX Corp., has joined the sales team at Willamette Forest Products, Portland, Or., specializing in green Douglas fir.

Duane McDougall, former c.e.o. of Willamette Industries, has been elected to the board of directors for Boise Cascade Corp., Boise, Id., along with Sam Duncan, OfficeMax; Bill Kirsch, Conseco, Inc., and Hank Brown, ex-Daniels Fund.

Kory Kelly, Washington/Montana /Idaho district sales manager for Elk Premium Building Products, was again named to the annual

DSM Executive Council, honoring sales performance. Curt A. Barker has been promoted to senior v.p. of sales & marketing for Elk Corp.

Gary Loosle has joined Do it Best Corp. as electrical merchandise mgr. Brent Stringer is new as an internal auditor. Dan Wasvick is now an industrial project leader for the co-op's INcov Distributor Supply division.

Mark Eglinton will become c.e.o. of New Zealand's Tenon Ltd. effective Oct. 1. He will be based at Tenon USA offices in Baltimore, Md.

John Costello has resigned as executive v.p.-merchandising & marketing for Home Depot, Atlanta, Ga. He is succeeded by Tom Taylor. Carl Liebert is now executive v.p.-Home Depot Stores; Joe DeAngelo, executive v.p.-Home Depot Supply, and Marvin Ellison, senior v.p.-logistics.