The Plywood lndustry for 1953

From the "Timbermon's"

The total 1953 production of Douglas fir plywood in the Unitecl States is calculatecl at 3.5 billion feet, a gain of 451 millior-r square feet over 1952. An additional 470 million square feet was produced in British Columbia. Production in pine plywood was 225 million square feet, and in redwood 7 million square feet, bringing the total of softwood plywood for the western states and British Columbia to 4.2 billion square feet.

During 1953 there were 100 operating plants producing softwood plywood in the western states ancl eight in British Columbia, for a total of 108 plywood plants. Seven plants came into production cluring the year in the states, and of the plants producing softwood, 97 finished out the year.

During the year there were 155 separate plywood and veneer operations in the West Coast states and British Columbia producing Douglas fir, pine, spruce and hardwood plywoods. Only two of these produced hardwoods exclusively. Of the plants, 108 were plywood plants and 47 were veneer operati<.rns. Tl-rere were in the western states (excluding tsritish Columbia's eight plywood rnills and two veneer plants) 94 plants producing Douglas fir plywood.

Five new plywood plants will corne into operation during the early part of 1954. These include three in Oregon, two of which will be conversions from veneer operations, one in California and one in Montana. The latter will produce larch plywood. There is also one additional plant under construction in Oregon but no date for completion has been determined. Two veneer plants are projected in Califorriia, one to produce softwoods and one hardwoocls. Two veneer plants in Oregon are under construction. With completion of plants now under construction, 1954 should see a total of 158 plywood and veneer plants in the Pacific states, Alaska and British Columbia,112 plywood and 46 veneer.

New plywood plants added during 1953, including those which converted from veneer into plywood were: Alaska Plywood Corp., Juneau, Alaska; Corvallis Plywood, Corvallis, Ore.; Grants Pass Plywood, Inc., Grants pass, Ore.; Lane Plywood, Inc., Eugene, Ore.; National plywood Co. of Washington, fnc., Reaver, Wash.; Snellstrom Lumber Co., Eugene, Ore. ; Western States Plywood Cooperative, port Orforcl, Ore.

Veneer plants coming into operation during 1953 inclucled: Diamond Lumber Co., Tillamook, Cre.; M ancl N[ Wood

Jonuory I Plywood Review

Working Co., Lyons, Ore.; Multnomah Plywood Corp., Glendale, Ore.; Van Worth Lumber Co., Honeydew, Calif.; and Idaho Veneer Co., Post Falls, Idaho.

Plywood plants to be added during 1954 will include conversion of the Diamond Lumber Co. veneer plant at Tillamook, Ore., to a plywood plant; conversion of M and M Wood Working Co., Lyons Division, Lyons, Ore., to a plywood plant; Lund Plywood & Manufacturing Co., Crescent City, Calif.; Polson Plywood Co., Polson, Mont.; Sutherlin Plywood Corp., Sutherlin, Ore. The two definitely committed veneer plants which are presently under construction are Peak Plywood Corp. at Corvallis, Ore., and transfer of green end of Urnpqua Plywood Corp., Myrtle Creek, Ore., to Tiller, Ore.

At the beginning of the year there are two plants devoted to production of hardwood plywood only and two producing spruce only. Among the softwood plants producing Douglas fir and other species, three are producing redwood, 22 are producing hardwood-faced panels and 17 are producing pine panels. Of the softwood-producing plants in 1954 there will be l6 in California, 46 in Oregon,37 in Washington, 8 in British Colurnbia, 1 in Idaho, 1 in Montana and 1 in Alaska. Of the 46 veneer plants in 1954 there will be 12 in California, 22 in Oregon, 9 in Washington, 2 in British Columbia and 1 in Idaho.

There have been several changes in ownerships and managements during the past year. Primary changes include: Sale of Western Veneer Co., Lebanon, Ore., to Western Veneer & Plywood Co. ; sale of Santa Rosa Plywood, Inc. ; leasing of Albany Veneer, Inc., Albany, Ore., by Edwards Rrothers Construction Co.; sale of Hedberg Veneer Co., Harbor, Ore., to Lake Pleasant Plywood Corp. ; sale of Universal Forest Products Co. veneer plant at Fortuna, Calif., to Fortuna Veneer Co. ; and leasing of the Elkton, Ore., veneer plant by Snellstrom Lumber Co. of Eugene, Ore.

Plants going out of the plywood business during the past year included: Calaveras Forest Products Co. at San Andreas, Calif., and Fruit Growers Supply Co. at Westwood, Calif., both of which are converting to production of box veneer and have announced plans to discontinue plywood production. Others include Western Cooperage, Inc., of Portland, Ore., and International Veneer and Plywood Corp. of Los Angeles, Calif.