LUMBERO PLYWOOD.

ASHoALDERoBIRCHoMAPLE CHERRY.POPLAR o WALI\UT

RED OAK.WHITE OAK.FIR

MAHOGANYTBASSWOOD oPINE

TENN. AROIVTATIC CEDAR

RADIATA PINEeIfiMLOCK

TA1VIB OUR TED GEBAITIDING

1VIAPLE COUNIERTOPS

BREAD BOARDS oMELAIVflITIES

MDFoPARTICLEBOARDS

WOOD FILLERSoGLUES

Sidinq Nails-

o No Staining

. No Streaking r Slender shank and blunt diamond point

Highest quality nails for cedar, redwood and other flne wood materials.

Diamond pattern head blends with wood texture o Small head diameter permits face nailing and blind nailing r Annular ring threads preclude nail head popping and cupping of siding boards o AlSl Grade 304 nickel/chromium alloy.

Swaneze

Irtbod Screws FI

KE o Self-counter sinking bugle and trim heads o Souare drive recess eliminates driver bit cam-out r Sharp point for quick penetration with minimal pressure o Self-tapping coarse threads Coated with non-stick, dry lubricating film o Solid nickel/ chrome stainless steel for superior corrosion resistance o 6 lengths: l" through 3"

For additional data and dealer information:

\MtYl 7525 PerrymanCourt Battimorc,MD?,26 v 41G360-9100 FAX: (410) 36G2288

Lumber Products

Since1938-

AN EMPTOYEE OWNED COMPANY

SERVING OREGON:

LP TUAI-ATIN 1-80G926-7103

LP EUGENE 1-800-759-s960

SERVING OREGON AND NO. CALIFORNIA:

LPMEDFORD 1-800-753-3696

SERVING WASHINGTON, AI.ASKA

AND HAWAII:

LP KENT 1-800-677-6967

COCKING HARDWOODS, INC.

(A LUMBER PRODUCTS COMPANY)

SPoKANE, WA (509)92e8200

SERVING IDAHO AND UTAH:

LP BOISE 1-80G888-9618

Challenges Predicted For Western Mills

An improving economy is expected to push U.S. lumber use higher in 1996, but Western mills - particularly those in the Inland region - will be hard pressed to fulfill that demand as the industry struggles to find logs.

That situation should lead to record imports of lumber from Canada and other foreign sources to feed American demand, predicted Western Wood Products Association pres. Robert H. Hunt.

Hunt said that overall U.S. econom- ic indicators are encouraging, which should equate to solid growth in 1996.

Aftera strong 1994, housing construction has slowed, with starts slipping 9.4Vo to 1.32 million by year end. For 1996, housing starts should climb 1.97o to 1.345 million.

Better housing, coupled with gains in repair and remodeling, should push lumber.consumption up I .7Vo to 47.644 billion bd. ft. next year, Hunt said. Normally, such market improvements would be good news to

Western mills. However. the failure of the federal government to sell reasonable volumes of timber has put unusual pressure on sawmills to find logs to feed their operations.

"Without a predictable supply, the Western lumber industry is at a disadvantage to other producing regions," Hunt explained. "Mills located on the Pacific Northwest coast have tapped private sources, as well as export logs, to make up for the lack of federal timber. But mills in the Inland region east of the Cascades have not been as fortunate in finding alternate timber sources, and that's reflected in the production totals."

Overall Western lumber production is expected to fall l}.lVo in 1995 to 15.7 billion bd. ft. Coast lumber production will be off 6Vo, while Inland output will be l5Volower.

In 1996, Western production will decrease 4.lvo to 15.1 billion ft., wirh Coastal output dropping l.5Vo and Inland producti on falling 7 .5Vo.

The volume of federal timber available to Western mills has dropped dramatically in recent years. In 1990, 44Vo of the timber processed in the region's sawmills came from federal forests. In 1994, federal timber accounted for just lTVo of the timber processed.

"Due to the misguided efforts of environmentalists. federal forests in the West can no longer be counted on to provide wood for the products this country needs, as well as the other values we desire from forests," Hunt said. "Instead, the U.S. is becomins more reliant on wood produced outside of the country and unneeded use of nonrenewable materials such as steel and concrete."

Imports, mostly from Canada, are expected to reach 16.75 billion ft. this year, followed by a 6.17o increase in

1996 to a record 17.765 billion bd. ft. Non-Canadian imports are forecast at 405 million ft. this year and a record 600 million ft. for 1996.

Production this year in the Southern states should hit 14.9 billion ft., near the record volume set in 1994, and then grow 1.7 Vo to 15.15 billion in 1996.

"We believe both regions will be at peak volumes in 1996, and there is some question as to whether they can continue to provide lumber to the U.S. market at that rate in the future," Hunt said. "That makes it imperative the Western timber gridlock be resolved so American consumers can be assured a steady supply of lumber for building needs."

Lumber exports will total 2.1 billion bd. ft. in 1995, falling slightly to 2.05 billion ft. in 1996, Hunt said.

Log exports, which have declined since 1990, should rise lVo to 2.15 billion bd. ft., Scribner scale, this year' In 1996, log exports will decrease to 2.075 billion ft.

Connector Merger A Nice Fit

United Steel Products Co. has acquired Silver Metal Products, Livermore, Ca., from Smith Management Co.

The 41-year-old United Steel is well entrenched with its Kant-Sag product line in the East, while Silver has a well established market position in the West. The purchase combines Silver's manufacturing operation in California with United Steel's facilities in Minnesota and North Carolina.

United Steel did not acquire the Teco side of the Silver Teco business due to its market position and profitability. Some of the Teco production equipment was Purchased, but Smith Management has liquidated the Teco product line along with the company'

Hardwood Facilities Acquired

Northwest Hardwoods, Federal Way, Wa., has agreed to Purchase substantially all the assets of Diamond Wood Products, Eugene, Or.

The transaction includes a hardwood sawmill and drY kilns in Eugene, Or.; a hardwood sawmill in Garibaldi, Or., a chip manufacturing facility in Coos Bay, Or., and approximately 9,000 acres of Oregon timberland, which join Northwest Hardwoods as part of WeYerhaeuser's Hardwood Business GrouP.

DOMESTIC & IMPORTED IIARDWOOD LUMBER & PLWOOD, PINE, FIR PLWOOD, PARTICLEBOARD, MEDITE, KORTRON, FI.OORING & MILLWORT

SPDttilIAN HARDWOODS

4645 N. 43rd Ave., Phoenlx, Arlzona 8503f (602) 272-23Ls 1 Az. (8oO) 624'54OL

FAX 602-930-7668

MilI Facilities ond Prompt Shipment Via Our Own Tnrck Fteet

TIMBER SIZER PRE-FABRICATION

Timbers

From cutting a wedge to pre-fab'd crane pads or mine shafts. Angle cut, cross cut, drilling, dapping-We'll do them all to customer specification.