Sierra-Pacific Proposes Giant New Mill

Sierra Pacific Industries, Redding, Ca., will spend $100 million to build a state-of-the art sawmill and co-generation facility in Skagit County, Wa.

Once completed, the mill would be the second largest built in Washington or Oregon during the last 10 years. The largest is Sierra Pacific's mill in Aberdeen. Wa.. built in 2002 and now being considered for expansion.

Similar to the mill in Aberdeen, the new facility would use computerized scanning equipment to maximize the amount of lumber produced from each log and minimize waste. Even this minimal waste will be used, as fuel to power giant lumber-drying kilns and produce 25 megawatts of electricitymost of which would be sold to the local energy market.

Privately owned timberlands in Northwest Washington could supply most of the second- and third-growth trees the mill would turn into framing lumber. "We see an opportunity to utilize logs that have historically been shipped elsewhere," said spokesperson Ed Bond. The proposed mill is also positioned to bring logs from Canada when import restrictions are lifted.

The S0-acre property is already zoned for heavy industrial use, which local officials believe should speed up the permit process. SPI had planned to build on land owned by the Port of Everett (see February, p.28), where a Weyerhaeuser mill once stood, but backed out of that deal when development requirements became too expensive. "We found that piece of property was not compatible with what our interests are." said Bono.

In late July, representatives from Sierra Pacific met with Skagit County planning officials to discuss the permit process. "It's not a done deal yet," said Bond. "But we're optimistic that we can work something out."

Thunderbolt Adds Services

In response to market changes and demands, Thunderbolt Wood Treating, Riverbank, Ca., has expanded its services and wood treatment offerings.

So far this year, the Central California TSO facility has added custom cutting services, staining (browntone), and heat treatment (HT) for export wood products. As well, DBlaze fire retardant has been added to its already diverse mix of treatments that includes ACQ, borates, CA-B, ACZA and CCA.

Since December of 200 l, owner Leonard Lavalvo has added new plant management, inventory control systems, compterized treating software and hardware, a sales and marketing staff, and an on-site rail spur (BNSF).

"As the treating industry continues to evolve, Thunderbolt will continue to meet the demands," Lovalvo said. "We have plans for many new improvements and growth in 2006."

Mill ldling Plywood Output

Stimson Lumber Co. is discontinuing production of commodity plywood at its Bonner, Mt., mill, effective October 3.

The closure will eliminate 120 jobs and about 207o of the total production for the site, which will continue producing studs and premium panels, including Duratemp siding and sanded panels, and employing about 330.

As these employees retire or quit, Stimson hopes to rehire workers laid off from the plywood plant in order of seniority, said v.p. Jeff Webber.

Webber attributed the closure to the industry's increasing production of

OSB. "This is not a plant performance issue," he said.

Portland, Or.-based Stimson operates 14 manufacturing facilities in nine locations and owns 400,000 acres of timberland in five states.

Pacific Woodtech Expands

Pacific Woodtech Corp., Burlington, Wa., will spend $30 million to add 50,000 sq. ft. to its 210,000-sq. ft. mill and purchase a second LVL production line.

"The housing market has been very strong for the last several years," said David DeWitte, president & general mgr. "To keep up with our customers' growth, we need more capacity."

The company makes LVL beams and l-joists. "Recombining veneers in a laminate process allows us to make big pieces of structural lumber out of little logs," said DeWitte. "We're a technology that allows second and third growth forests to provide structural components that used to require old growth forests."

Although LVL products cost 107o more than traditional lumber, they are more suitable for long spans and less likely to twist after installation. "It's been continually increasing over the last 15 to 20 years," said Matt Yates, division manager for Capital Lumber Co., Phoenix, Az. "It's becoming the norm because engineered wood products are more stable than conventional lumber, and designers and architects can do more things when building a house."

Wood Treating Lab Honored

Research on improved methods of wood treatment has won recognition for a scientist at the U.S. Forest Service.

Dr. Barbara L. Illman, a plant pathologist who works at the agency's forest products laboratory in Madison, Wi., won the 2005 Chief's Honor Award for Distinguished Service. Dale Bosworth, head of the Forest Service, presented the award during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Illman's research covered several areas of wood treatment. Improved chemical treatments was the aim of her study of the biochemical mechanisms of brown-rot fungi-considered the most destructive wood-decay organism. In another study, Illman and her team found fungal strains that can degrade widely used wood preservatives-permitting the treated wood to be recycled or disposed of safely.

Dr. Illman also led research that developed effective heat-treatment protocols for wood-packing materials-to help stop the spread of foreign insects that have destroyed trees in the U.S. Because of such research, regulations concerning wood packing materials that enter and leave the U.S. have been updated, effective September 16,2005.

lP Gets Asbestos Payoff

A group of insurers have agreed to pay International Paper Co. $242 million, to settle claims from a class action suit from the 1990s.

The lawsuit involved the company's former Masonite Corp. subsidiary. International Paper had sued the insurers after they refused to indemnify the company in its 1998 settlement with homeowners who alleged that Masonite's hardwood siding failed prematurely, causing moisture damage to underlying structures.

In 2003, a jury determined that $383 million of the company's payments to plaintiffs were covered by its insurance policies.

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