Lumber Industry

Fights Los Angeles' Certified Wood Bill

An industry coalition has won the first round in diluting the Los Angeles City Council's proposed ordinance that would encourage the city to buy certified wood products.

The council's proposal would add section 10.33 to the Los Angeles Administrative Code, providing a 10% purchase price preference for wood materials and products certified by organizations accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Recently, the coalition, which includes the Lumber Association of California & Nevada, California Forestry Association, Canadian Consulate General. Forest Alliance of British Columbia, International Wood Products Association and Brotherhood of Carpenters, convinced the city council to rewrite its proposal. Industry representatives suggested that the bill include not only FSC, but other certifiers such as the Sustainable Forest Initiative and the Canadian Certifi cation Association.

LACN second vice president Erik Jorgensborg is heading the resistance, meeting with city council members and their staffs and rallying support among fellow lumber retailers. His company, Fisher Lumber, Santa Monica, Ca., counts the city among its customers.

"FSC is a real liberal group," he says. "In addition to requiring all of the normal stuff, they want to look at your books, to see if you're paying what they consider appropriate wages and contributing to environmental causes. It's a political, not a scientific, issue."

Still, the group doesn't want the bill to pass because other cities across the country often follow Los Angeles' lead. The New York City Council is proposing a similar ordinance.

And Los Angeles is pushing other California cities to adopt the bill, but the state's 480-member League of Cities delayed consideration for at least a year after the coalition convinced L.A. to reexamine its own proposal.

Industry lobbyists continue to call on members of the Environmental Affairs Committee, explaining how such an ordinance would adverselY affect everyone involved, including the city budget and ability to get certi- fied wood products.

"This won't fly because certified lumber costs about 25-35Vo more," agrees Jorgensborg. "In reality, it will never work."

According to IHPA s Elizabeth Pease, not only would such a bill be impractical since certified wood is limited and expensive, but timber certification is based on poor science, since researchers themselves don't agree on how to manage forests to ensure sustainable harvests.

The ordinance also may violate international trade laws. The World Trade Organization's Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade prohibits countries from discriminating against "like" products based upon how they were produced.

New On-Line OSB Resource

OSBGuide, a new Web site, billed as "the most comprehensive on-line OSB resource," has been introduced by the Structural Board Association.

Reached at www.osbguide.com, the interactive site offers detailed product information, including OSB performance capabilities and a list of producers, plus the ability to order free literature, software or a SBA-sponsored video.

"In this competitive industry, it is important for people, such as designers, building material retailers, builders and homeowners, to find complete answers at their fingertips," said Structural Board Association president Mark Angelini.

Wood May Take A Powder

A new system for finishing wood products with powder coatings instead. of paint is being developed.

Long used to finish metal, powder coatings are not used on wood due to the high heat needed to anneal colors. But Morton International Inc., Chicago, Il., claims its new technology includes a low-heat curing process that allows powder coatings to be applied to wood.

The new process would require prefinishers to add to a "dry" production line, but, unlike paint, there would be no special venting or disposal costs.

An office furniture manufacturer experimenting with the process says it can achieve a high-grade'finish on such low-grade material as medium density fiberboard.

New OSHA Compliance System For Dealers

The National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association is introducing a new Internet-based service designed to "make OSHA compliance easier and more affordable for lumber and building material dealers than ever before," according to NLBMDA president Gary Donnelly.

The association has spent two years working with Vcom, "the virtual compliance company," to develop and test the on-line system. About two dozen dealers participated in the development process.

Vcom software includes a database of more than 8,000 OSHA requirements, drawn directly from over 90

OSHA regulations. Through a series of interview questions, the program constructs a profile of the subscribing company, provides a customized OSHA "To Do List" for each workplace, downloads Material Safety Data Sheets and keeps them current, answers OSHA questions, and delivers "plain English" interpretations of complicated regulations.

By heavily participating in the development process, NLBMDA was able to secure a discounted annual subscription rate of $300 for its members, plus $200 for each additional site. The program is also open for a higher fee to non-members.

Audrey Osborn, Roy O. Martin Lumber Co., Inc., Alexandria, La., is back from a three-week round-the-world business trip. He is not with Weaber, Inc., as incorrectly reported last month.

John Enerva, ex-Dixieline Lumber Co., is a new commodity buyer for HomeBase, Irvine, Ca.

Eric Dougherty, ex-Santa Fe Forest Products, is the new mill foreman at County Planing Mill, Rialto, Ca.

Dennis Spencer, ex-U.S. Forest Industries, is the new president and chief operating officer of McKenzie Forest Products, Springfield, Or.

Greg V9ashington, formerly with Louisiana-Pacific, is now with Vandermeer Forest Products, Spokane, Wa.

Steve Stenberg, Eagle Hardware & Garden, Renton, Wa., has been promoted to v.p.-controller & treasurer. Kenneth Hite is new to the company as senior v.p.-information systems.

Thomas A. Ped has been appointed v.p.information technology and chief information officer for Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wa., succeeding Clifford R. Ilall, who has retired.

Mike Boone has been promoted to mgr. of the milling, drying and wood treating division at Cascade Pacific Industries, Jasper, Or.

Mike Jantze, ex-Cascade Forest, is new to sales at High Desert Millwork, Bend, Or.

Jay Gregg, ex-Hampton Lumber, is a new forest product trader at the Lake Oswego, Or., regional LBM office for Ace Hardware.

Phil Carey has retired after 42 years with Frank Lumber Co., Mill City, Or. Robin Derrick is now sales asst.

Jay Farrell is the new mgr.-forest research & sustainable forestry for the American Forest & Paper Association. David N. Friedman is new as director of energy policy.

Debra Brunold, Jeld-Wen, Inc., Klamath Falls, Or., is a new board member of the National Fenestration Rating Council. Jim Krahn, Marvin Windows & Doors, was elected chairman: James Benney, Primary Glass Manufacturers Council. vice chairman. and Mike Koenig, Andersen Corp., secretary.

Paul Boyle, J.H. Baxter, San Mateo, Ca., is back from a business trip to Peru.

Pam Baker has been named mgr. of meeting services for the North American Wholesale Lumber Association.

Phillip E. Rogers is the new executive v.p.-national sales and marketing for Universal Forest Products. Robert D. Coleman is executive v.p.-manufacturing; Ronald G. Klyn, chief information officer; C. Scott Greene, v.p.marketing; Brian Ellenberger, v.p.Consolidated Building Components division, and Jeff Higgs, v.p.Advanced Component Systems division. Gary Wright, Shoffner Industries, was appointed to the operations committee.

Stan Kitts has joined Distribution Management Systems, Inc., as an industry software consultant focusing on the hardwood lumber, laminates and cabinet hardware industry.

Sarah Ely has joined the American Wood Preservers Institute as communications mgr., succeeding director of public affairs Allan Wilbur, who has left the organization.

Cassie Phillips, director of forestry-western timberlands, Weyerhaeuser Co., Vancouver, Wa., has been elected president of the private landowner group Washington Forest Protection Association, Olympia, Wa.

Bob Clwens, Owens Forest Products, has been elected president of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, Memphis,Tn.

Ken Kirschner has resigned as vice chairman, chief administrative officer and a director of Wickes Inc.

Monika Everss is new to the North American Building Material Distribution Association as mgr. of education & product development.

Michael J. Sapinsley is now national account mgr. for Spear & Jackson lawn/garden tools at Ames Lawn & Garden Tools. Glenn F. "Fred, Heidinger is senior v.p. and chief financial officer.

John Meyer is a new mktg. product mgr. at Bondex Inemational.

Dan Montgomery is a new mechanical project engineer at McGuire-Nicholas Mfg. Co., Commerce, Ca.

Mike Lane, QB Corp., Salmon, Id., is back from a business trip to Japan.

Lyle Keaton, western region redwood sales mgr., California Cascade, Monterey, Ca., hit a hole in one at Spyglass Oct.23.

Gale Daugherty, Golden State Hardwood Lumber Co., Huntington Park, Ca., is recuperating nicely from a late Sept. triple bypass heart operation.

Turner Hoff is a new engine mechanic at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to owners Ilugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Panel Suppliers Merge

Sel Group International Inc. has merged with fellow corrugated pvc and polycarbonate panel supplier Suntuf, Inc.

The new company retains Suntufs name, Livingston, N.J., headquarters, and distribution centers in Florida, Texas and Van Nuys, Ca.

SGI president Elizabeth Benham will serve as v.p. and sales & marketing mgr., while its Amityville, N.Y., quarters becomes the new Northeast regional distribution facility.

News Briefs

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Stone Container Corp. major shareholders are seeking to block the company's planned merger withJefferson Smurfit Corp.

Tivoli Industries, /nc., Santa Ana, Ca., and its joint venture company Targetti USA, LLC has appointed as its distributor for Nv. I nte grated Luminary Alliance, headed by Stephen Herman

Lafarge Corp. has acquired a Seattle, Wa., cement plant from Holnam Inc. ...

Scotts Co. plans to close most of its U.S. composting operations, divest its AgrEvo pesticides division and cut its workforce in Britain by 20Vo

European softwood lumber imports are expected to slip l.3%o next year, according to partici- pants in the European Softwood Conference ...

Search North America, Inc., Portland, Or., has relocated to Sunriver, Or.

Americans are forecast to purchase a record 5.6 million existing and new single family homes in 1998 U.S. home ownership rate hit a record 66.87o for the 3rd quarter ...

C.e.o. confidence dropped to its lowest level in seven years, according to a Conference Board poll of over 150 executives.