Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

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February 2014

Ledcor moves into lumber manufacturing with new $18M sawmill Steep slope specialist Blair Schiller: Logging in B.C.’s Monashee Mountains

Volvo equipment deals with Tembec’s tough temperatures Alberta’s beetle battle is working

With this issue…

The Edge!

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FEATURES February 2014 Volume 45 • No. 1 Editor Paul MacDonald Contributing Editors Jim Stirling Tony Kryzanowski George Fullerton Tech Update Editor Tony Kryzanowski

Publisher Rob Stanhope E-mail: stanhope@forestnet.com Phone: (604) 990-9970 Fax: (604) 990-9971 Sales Associates James Booth (604) 990-9970 E-mail: jbooth@forestnet.com Perry Rosehill (604) 613-3001 E-mail: rosehill@forestnet.com

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On the Cover:

The B.C.-based Ledcor Group, which is well known as one of North America’s leading construction companies, is now in the sawmilling business, with a new multimillion dollar mill in Chilliwack, B.C., east of Vancouver. The Chilliwack mill processes low-end logs primarily from the B.C. Interior, manufacturing multi-dimensional cants, and lumber (Photo of new Ledcor mill by Paul MacDonald).

4 Spotlight Alberta’s beetle battle working

Alberta’s quick response approach—along with forest companies putting a priority on harvesting areas infected with the mountain pine beetle—is working, and maintaining a high level of control of the beetle in the province.

8 Log hauling pioneer

B.C.’s Shelley Stewart is kind of a pioneer in the forest industry; having started a successful log hauling operation that now has eight trucks, she’s helping break the gender barrier in the industry.

12 COFI Convention in April

The Council of Forest Industries (COFI) convention is Western Canada’s premiere forest products convention, and will be held on the shores of Lake Okanagan this year, in Kelowna, April 2-3. The convention promises to offer something for everyone, from top notch speakers to industry displays.

24 Ledcor moving into lumber manufacturing

Ledcor Resources and Transportation has moved into producing solid wood products with a new $18 million sawmill in Chilliwack, B.C. that takes low-end logs and manufactures multi-dimensional cants, and lumber.

30 Steep slope specialist

Logging contractor Blair Schiller is a veteran of steep slope logging, working in the Monashee Mountain Range around Revelstoke, B.C. using a variety of equipment including a used Washington 88 grapple yarder which—after a bit of work in Schiller’s shop—is earning its keep.

36 Volvo equipment dealing with Tembec’s tough temperatures

Tembec’s Cochrane sawmill operation had a wide choice when it came to choosing a new wheel loader, and in opting for a Volvo L120G machine they have a piece of equipment that is delivering reliability in the polar vortex-type temperatures of northern Ontario.

40 All in the family

Having taken over the family logging firm from their father, Dave and Kevin Roberts have now ramped up their harvesting activities—and their equipment line-up—to meet the needs of Canfor’s newly modernized mill in Elko, B.C.

47 The Edge

Included in The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, are stories from the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

58 The Last Word

The future is bright for the B.C. Interior forest industry—but clouds, such as the drop in the timber harvest due to the mountain pine beetle, need to be weathered first, says Jim Stirling

DEPARTMENTS

Calendar.........................................................................................................6 Tech Update: Primary Mill Breadown Equipment ........................................50 Suppliernewsline..........................................................................................54 Classifieds / Employment Opportunities.......................................................56 Ad Index ......................................................................................................57 Reader Service/Subscriptions.......................................................................57 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

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spotlight

Alberta’s beetle battle working Alberta’s quick response approach— along with forest companies putting a priority on harvesting areas infected with the mountain pine beetle—is working to maintain a high level of control of the beetle in the province.

t’s been seven years since the first major cloud of mountain pine beetles caught a stiff breeze somewhere in the infested lodgepole pine forests of central British Columbia and rode the winds through the mountain passes of the Rockies. They dropped like a locust infestation and black hail on vehicles and the healthy, green lodgepole pine forests surrounding Grande Prairie, Alberta.

While the beetle continues to feast heartily on Alberta’s lodgepole pine forest, the infestation has so far been stopped in its tracks. In fact, it has diminished to single, occasional trees in the southwest corner of the province, where the beetle first showed up in the mid-1990s.

However, the story is considerably different in west central Alberta’s lodgepole pine forest, which is the heart of the resource in the province. Here, the beetle is well-established in the ‘triangle of death’

from Grande Prairie to Hinton and from Hinton to Slave Lake, where Duncan MacDonnell, spokesman for Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, says there are “heavy concentrations of beetle.”

“That’s where all the action is now,” he says. “That’s where the province’s pine basket is and that’s where the inflight clouds flew in back in 2006 and 2009.” This past winter was very mild, unfortunately, and the bugs had a really good over-winter survival, he added. Yet, surprisingly, the amount of heavy concentrations did not increase significantly over past years based on this past summer’s survey. Why the numbers haven’t increased remains a mystery.

The 2013 survey map does show a significant infestation of beetles further north in the vicinity of Peace River and as far as High Level. This is the furthest north that beetles have ever been recorded and their existence in those areas is attributed primarily to the in-flights from B.C. MacDonnell

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

By Tony Kryzanowski

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says the province has not spent a lot of money for control in those areas as beetle control planners are confident that being on the edge of the pine forest, their numbers will diminish naturally, when the beetles eventually run out of a food resource. He says that the beetles will naturally travel only a short distance in search of a new food source, which shows just how unusual the beetle flight events from B.C. were in 2006 and 2009.

Alberta’s quick response approach with dedicated crews as well as its total eradication or complete removal strategy—along with forest companies putting a priority on harvesting areas infected with the beetle—is working to maintain a high level of control.

“We don’t go into any area unless our numbers show us that we can take out 85 per cent of the infested trees in a given area,” says MacDonnell. “That’s the threshold we want to hit to have an impact.”

There has also been a positive change in how the battle is funded, as the Alberta

spotlight Based on the size of B.C. and Alberta’s pine forests, the best estimates indicate that 75 to 80 per cent of B.C.’s 14.5 million hectare lodgepole pine forest is beetle infested, while about 25 per cent or 1.5 million hectares of Alberta’s six million hectare lodgepole pine forest is currently infested.

government has now committed predictable funds for beetle control as a regular budget item each year. In previous years, funding was only allocated on an annual emergency basis, with those responsible for implementing the beetle control strategy not knowing from one year to the next whether funding would be renewed and at what level. Consequently, there was typically a mad scramble near the end of each fiscal year to accomplish as much of the

“We don’t go into any area unless our numbers show that we can take out 85 per cent of the infested trees in a given area. That’s the threshold we want to hit to have an impact.” critical ground control work as possible.

Now, planners are assured of continuous funding, which will help to more effectively marshal forces on the ground over a longer time horizon for overall better response and control. This year, that amount has been set at about $44 million. Over $300 million has already been spent to fight the beetle infestation in Alberta, with the vast majority coming from the Alberta government, and some support from the federal government and Saskatchewan.

British Columbia and Alberta are the primary habitat for lodgepole pine, together boasting over 20 million hectares of this highly valuable commercial softwood species. Lodgepole pine is the beetle’s preferred food source. However, what’s troubling to the Canadian forest industry is that the beetle has reached the leading edge of the much larger jackpine forest, which extends from Alberta as far east as Newfoundland. To industry’s dismay, scientists have confirmed that the beetle can feed on this highly valuable commercial pine species as well. This explains why keeping the beetle at bay in Alberta and

carefully monitoring its progress east is of concern to the federal government and the country’s entire forest industry. MacDonnell says that so far, monitoring crews have only identified occasional, single tree beetle infestations in the jackpine forest east of the leading edge of beetle infestation, near the town of Chisholm, about 200 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

The fact that the beetle has not migrated into pure jackpine stands over the past five years is good news for Canada’s forest industry.

“Here we are four or five years later, and it still hasn’t made that jump in Alberta from the heart of the lodgepole pine country into the jackpine,” says MacDonnell.

“That leading edge hasn’t really moved and the beetles haven’t really swarmed as you think they might have, given everything the scientists were telling us about general warming and drier and warmer winters.”

The general behavior of beetles has proven enigmatic as they have often survived at times when scientists were quite convinced their numbers would dwindle significantly, given winter weather patterns and that they have not always followed predictable paths as demonstrated by how they’ve currently halted their march east.

“It just serves to remind us that this is not a quick-fix sort of fight, and that it is a long term, year-to-year battle,” says MacDonnell, “and that’s kind of how we are approaching it.”

Alberta has adopted a strategy like soldiers defending a wall as it relates to the beetle, realizing that the beetle still represents the number one threat in the province’s forests and will always be present to

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spotlight from page 5 some degree given that lodgepole pine is its natural environment.

While there are heavy pockets of beetle infestation in Alberta, it’s difficult to calculate how much of the lodgepole pine forest has some measure of infestation because of how the beetle population is dispersed.

“Unlike B.C. where you’ve got the red carpet effect and an entire stretch of forest is red from horizon to horizon, we don’t really have that here,” says MacDonnell. “You might have dense pockets in some places and light scatterings elsewhere.”

Based on the size of B.C. and Alberta’s pine forests, the best estimates indicate that 75 to 80 per cent of B.C.’s 14.5 million hectare lodgepole pine forest is beetle infested, while about 25 per cent or 1.5 million hectares of Alberta’s six million hectare lodgepole pine forest is currently infested.

What’s clear from the fact that the beetle has not moved further east—and has essentially continued to flourish primarily in large pockets in west central Alberta—

The fact that the beetle has not migrated into pure jackpine stands over the past five years is good news for Canada’s forest industry. is that the province’s control methods are working, says MacDonnell.

While beetle control planners are focused on Alberta’s hot spots, they are keeping a close eye on beetle numbers in British Columbia and the trend is definitely positive.

“All along during this fight, we’ve done perfectly okay dealing with the resident population of beetles,” says MacDonnell.

“Where we’ve gotten into difficulty—for example in 2009—is when we get inflights from B.C. and the populations that we have to deal with just go off the scale.”

According to the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, the beetle infestation peaked

in that province in terms of volume killed annually in 2005 and has slowed considerably since then. In terms of area, 4.6 million hectares of red-attack were surveyed in 2011. This is compared to 7.8 million hectares and 6.3 million hectares in the two preceding years. The amount of habitat available to the beetle has begun to diminish as the beetle has already attacked most of the mature lodgepole pine in the Central Plateau region of the province. Also, the rate of spread in other areas of the B.C. Interior has been somewhat slowed by more diverse terrain and forests with a greater diversity of timber species.

“The number one plank in our strategy is to hold the ground here and stop the beetle from advancing, until such time as all the beetles are finished chewing their way through the forests in British Columbia, and we don’t have to worry about that source of other beetles that could come in and up the numbers in Alberta,” says MacDonnell.

He adds that if Alberta’s control strategy can hold the line here for a couple more years—when the threat of in-flights from B.C. has vastly diminished—”we will be in a much better situation.”

CALENDAR March 2-4

Western Wood Products Assoc. Annual Meeting, Portland, OR 503-224-3930, www.wwpa.org March 5-7

IWPA's World of Wood Convention, St. Petersburg, FL 703-820-6696, www.iwpawood.org March 18-19

Bioenergy Fuels & Products Conference, Atlanta, GA 334-834-1170, bioenergyshow.com March 20-21

4th Panel & Engineered Lumber Int. Conf. & Expo, Atlanta, GA 334-834-1170, pelice-expo.com April 2-3

Council of Forest Industries Annual Convention, Kelowna, BC 250-860-9663, www.cofi.org April 3-4

Atlantic Heavy Equipment Show. Moncton, NB 888-454-7469, www.masterpromotions.ca April 25-26

Quebec Forestry & Construction Expo, Quebec, QC 888-454-7469, www.efcq.ca April 25-26

BC Sawfilers AGM and Trade Show, Kamloops, BC More Information? Action Card #102

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250-546-2234, www.bcsawfilers.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

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loghauling

Log hauling pioneer B.C.’s Shelley Stewart is kind of a pioneer in the forest industry; having started a successful log hauling operation that now has eight trucks, she’s helping break the gender barrier in the industry.

By Paul MacDonald

L

ogging and log hauling is a guy’s game—or at least it used to be. Gradually, though, more women are getting involved in the front lines of managing trucking operations in the forest industry.

Shelley Stewart, of Merritt, B.C., would never look at herself this way, but she is kind of a pioneer in women getting involved in the industry—she’s now been at

it for 10 years with husband, Rob Stewart, in SRS Trucking. And they’ve built the company from a single truck to eight logging trucks.

Shelley kind of knew what she wanted to do from a very young age. Her dad, Marvin Alexander, has been a skidderman for more than 30 years in the Nicola Valley around Merritt, about 270 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.

“When I was little, I told my dad that

Rob and Shelley Stewart (above) of SRS Trucking of Merritt, B.C. SRS Trucking started out with one truck in 2003, and they have gradually added to the fleet since then, and now have eight trucks: four trucks with quad axle trailers, one with a haystack trailer, and three with B-trains.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

when I grew up, I was going to buy a logging truck, so he and I could go to work together every day,” she says. “I didn’t know then that skidders and logging trucks don’t work side by side,” she says, with a laugh.

It’s kind of funny how a comment from an eight-year-old can work out, she says.

“Now one of our trucks hauls from the logging contractor that my dad skids for.

My dad is so proud when he sees one of my trucks pulling up to the loader.” She credits her Dad, and her Mom, Charleen, as being a big part of the success of the company, through their support and encouragement.

Shelley, 29, is a member of the Upper Nicola Indian Band, and is also a role model for First Nations folks. She was selected as the recipient of the Youth Business Award by All Nations Trust Company in 2012. She also received a Young Entrepreneur of the Year award from the B.C. Achievement Foundation.

Despite the awards, Shelley is quick to point out that SRS Trucking is a truly a joint effort, with husband, Rob, being an instrumental and essential part of the business.

Rob working as a bush mechanic in B.C.’s Central Interior, and staying in camps around Mackenzie, was part of the reason in setting up SRS Trucking. The idea was that he could spend more time at home, on their acreage, and shop, just east of Merritt.

Both were extremely young when they

loghauling

set up the company, in 2003—Shelley was just 19-years-old, and Rob was 21.

Their first job was hauling wood out of the McGillivray Fire, which consumed 11,000-plus hectares in the Chase area, northwest of Kamloops. “There was an opportunity there, and we bought a truck, and that was our first job, hauling logs into the Interfor mill at Adams Lake,” says Shelley.

They got their second truck in 2007, and have gradually added to the fleet since then; they now have eight trucks.

They have four trucks with quad axle trailers, one with a haystack trailer, and three with B-trains.

All of the trucks are Western Stars.

Shelley noted they had a positive experience with James Western Star Trucks in Kamloops early on, and James Western Star has continued to give SRS Trucking great service.

“We have a good relationship with their shop, too,” says Rob. “If we have a problem, it’s not a matter of booking a repair time for next week—the shop foreman tells us to bring the truck over, and they will squeeze us in.”

They have their own 60’ by 40’ shop on their acreage, where Rob does a lot of work on the trailers, and the non-warranty repairs, like brakes. Rob does a combination of repairs and driving, serving as a relief driver for anyone going on holidays.

“I’ve been around equipment pretty much all my life,” says Rob. An uncle ran one of the large ranches in the Merritt area. “I worked with him on farm equipment,” he says.

It’s a fairly clear division of responsibilities with SRS, with Rob taking care of maintenance, and the drivers, and Shelley handling the business affairs, the budgeting, payroll and, importantly, safety. The operation is SAFE certified. “The certification is a lot of work, and paper, and it’s time consuming, but it’s not hard,” she says.

Shelley is a master at spreadsheets and Excel. “Rob and I work together. We sit down and look at the business and the bills, to figure out why this happened or that happened. I think we’re a great team.

Rob is on top of the trucks and hauling, and I’m on top of the paperwork and financials.”

The company received initial funding from First Nations Agricultural Lending Association. Shelley prepared a professional business plan, outlining the business opportunity, and the potential revenues. The FNAL funding really made the business possible, she said. “I was 19 then, and it wasn’t like I had bad credit—I just had no credit. I mean, you can get a VISA card, but you can’t buy a truck with that.

“First Nations Agricultural Lending could see what I was trying to accomplish, and what Rob and I wanted to do. They could see that we were both driven, and serious. It wasn’t like I want to buy a logging truck today, and be a ballerina tomorrow,” she says.

She emphasized that there are a number of programs that are out there for people starting out in business.

“There are some really fantastic programs out there for aboriginal people, for women, and youth. For the person who is going out and looking for business funding, it is out there.”

But getting funding, she says, is just the beginning.

Anyone starting a business has to expect to work hard.

Shelley, who grew up on a reserve, believes there are opportunities out there for First Nations folks. “It’s no secret that unemployment on reserves is high,” she says. “But anything is possible if you go out there and work for it. But you have to work for it—no one is going to hand it to you.”

The hard work has paid off, and SRS has seen a lot of expansion in the last three years.

“I know the economy overall was bad, and the industry was not doing great, but the Nicola Valley did pretty well; the mills around here kept going, so we saw the opportunity, and kept buying trucks,” says Rob. “As Rob says, there is no reward in having no risk, so we just went for it,” adds Shelley.

Rob is keen on expanding the business, says Shelley. “Rob definitely pushes, and I

will sit down and crunch the numbers, and work the budget. I’m very conservative when I’m planning the budget, and Rob is more of a risk taker, and he looks for different areas of expansion. So I’m always looking at how the different areas of expansion he comes up with will work for us.”

Shelley came to the business world at a young age; as a teenager, she ran a cow-calf operation. She later studied accounting at Thomson River University, in Kamloops.

SRS Trucking mostly hauls for contactors to two different operations around the Merritt area: the Aspen Planers mill, and the Tolko mill. They occasionally haul into the Interfor mill at Adams Lake and the Weyerhaeuser mill at Princeton, as well.

The big challenge for SRS Trucking, as it is for a lot of the forest industry, is finding qualified drivers, who are competent and able to drive on bush roads. “Finding drivers is probably the hardest thing in our industry right now—finding people who can do the job safely. Driving in the bush is a lot different than driving up and down the Coquihalla Highway,” says Shelley.

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Some drivers can do the work, but not in a safe way, which means that SRS Trucking is not interested in their services, she says. “We’ve had our fair share of problem drivers, but you just try to weed them out and keep on moving.”

They have a few drivers in their 50s now, but the majority are 30 or under.

“It’s kind of neat to have a young crew; they won’t be retiring anytime soon,” says Shelley with a laugh. “But we try to treat them well, and hopefully they will stay.”

“I think we have a good group of guys, and that’s key,” she added. “They are proud of what they do, and they should be. They’ve been in some sticky situations.

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loghauling from page 9 There is a lot more to driving a logging truck than just sitting in a cab and driving.

And driving in B.C. is different. You have to make it up and down the mountain every day.”

SRS Trucking gets most of its drivers through word-of-mouth—both Shelley and Rob feel that poaching drivers from other companies is not the way to go.

“That is a no-win approach,” says

Shelley. “We live in a small town, and it’s better to work with people than to work against them. I think everyone has been pretty fair to us, and we want to send that same vibe out there.” She added that sometimes drivers just want to move on to another trucking company for various reasons, though.

“If someone wants to work for us, we’ll sit down and talk with them, and Rob will get a feel for the kind of driver they are, and take them out for a drive.”

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One of the things they look for in drivers is how they care for their trucks and trailers. They don’t need to be sparkling clean, but they like them to take reasonable care of the trucks. “It’s nice if they treat it as if it’s like their truck,” she says.

Drivers are paid commission on the gross earnings of their truck, so it’s in their best interest to help keep them in good shape. “If they are hard on the trucks, and the trucks break down, it’s money out of our pocket—but it’s money out of their pocket, too. If their truck is not moving, they are not making money.”

Generally, they replace trucks around the 3 ½ to 4 year mark. Though Rob notes they still have a 2006 Western Star, the first brand new truck they bought. “It’s kind of the truck we built the company on, so it’s hard to let it go.” he says. “We just rebuilt the engine on it, and then we did the tranny at break-up, so it’s going to be around for a while.”

Both Shelley and Rob say they feel fortunate that they have been able to be successful with their trucking business. But they don’t take it for granted and continue to take care of the details—such as nailing down cycle times.

“We’ve kept busy, but it’s important who you haul for, and when you get on a haul, to know what the cycle time is. You can get a couple of weeks into a haul, and find out the haul is half-an hour extra, and it’s a three-haul day, then your guys are working an hour-and-a-half free every day and they’re not happy—and we’re not happy because our trucks are working for free.”

They’d like to get further involved in the industry, on the logging end. But it has to be the right opportunity. “It’s a hard thing to jump into,” says Shelley. “We’ve got 10 years of hauling experience, but we don’t have any logging experience. It’s hard to get your foot in the door, but once we’re able to do it, I think there will be opportunity for us to expand.”

“As Rob says, there is no reward, if you don’t take a risk. You have to put yourself out there—and that’s kind of what we do.”

And as for being a woman in a maledominated industry, Shelley says it really has not been an issue.

“I’ve had guys phone up looking for driving work, and they’ll be a little surprised. But they think it’s great.”

In the end, hauling logs is not about gender, or being First Nations, says Shelley. “It’s all about doing the work—and that’s what we do.”

More Information? Action Card #105

industryevents

COFI conference to deal with challenges ahead

The Council of Forest Industries (COFI) annual convention, being held April 2-3 in Kelowna, B.C., will be abuzz with discussions about challenges— but they will include good challenges, such as how to meet growing markets in the U.S. and China.

By Paul MacDonald

T

he B.C. forest industry is now past recovery mode, and is clearly moving ahead and figuring out how to deal with the different challenges that come with an industry on the upswing, such as meeting the needs of growing lumber markets and finding the people to do the logging and man the sawmills in the province.

The industry has a number of positive factors working in its favour, including a lower Canadian dollar, a recovering U.S. housing market, and a still healthy market

for lumber in the fast-growing China market.

These and more topics will be discussed at the Council of Forest Industries (COFI) annual convention, which will be held April 2-3 in Kelowna, B.C. Overseeing the convention will be COFI’s new Present and CEO, James Gorman, who took over last fall from John Allan, who retired last year.

In a province where 95 percent of the forestland is Crown land, Gorman is seen to be a good fit for the job, since he brings extensive public policy and senior management experience to his new role.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

It’s thought that Gorman’s experience will help shape a solid future for the forest industry, and the dozens of B.C. communities that depend on the industry. And Gorman joined COFI as the industry is on the way up.

“The industry is enjoying some improved times,” says Gorman. He noted the U.S. housing recovery is continuing, with housing starts now around the million starts mark.

“And the growth in offshore markets has been steady. We’ve seen the increased demand for wood products being reflected in lumber prices, and those

prices are continuing to improve. When you add to that a falling Canadian dollar, it’s a good time to be in the lumber export business.”

Gorman said there have been some dramatic positive changes in some overseas markets for B.C. forest products, notably in China. “If you look at China alone, the numbers are quite staggering.”

In the first 10 months of 2013, the value of total softwood lumber exports to China reached $1.17 billion, exceeding the previous record set in 2011 when softwood lumber exports to China totalled $1.1 billion for the entire year. B.C.’s October shipments of lumber to China also broke new records for monthly volume (865,000 cubic metres) and value ($145.5 million).

The value of lumber exports to Japan and the U.S. to the end of October also have surpassed recent years’ totals. Softwood lumber exports to the U.S. were at $2.13 billion (compared to $2 billion for all of 2012), and to Japan at $703 million (compared to $674 million for all of 2012).

The U.S., China and Japan are B.C.’s top three markets for softwood lumber.

The global economic outlook will be addressed by Patricia Mohr, vice-president, Economics and Commodity Market Specialist with Scotiabank, at the COFI conference.

Lumber markets are good, but Gorman noted the industry will also be discussing issues of concern at the COFI conference.

“There are some excellent things going on, but there are some challenges, too,” he said.

Included in the challenges are how the industry is going to deal with the drop in the timber harvest in the B.C. Interior, due to the mountain pine beetle. “I think the AAC piece is a significant challenge. I think what the industry needs is certainty around timber supply, and we need to work closely with government on that.

It’s a priority for us because it allows us to plan, it allows government to plan and it allows B.C. communities to plan.”

The Interior timber situation is sure to be a topic of discussion on the CEO Panel, on the second day of the COFI conference.

Also of high importance will be the issue of safety in the industry, especially on the mill side, following the explosions/fires

at the Babine Forest Products mill in Burns Lake and Lakeland mill in Prince George in 2012. A session is devoted entirely to safety at the conference, with representatives of the BC Safety Authority, BC Forest

Safety Council and Weyerhaeuser Canada on the panel. to page 14

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industryevents

from page 13 “The top priority of B.C. wood product manufacturers is to ensure our employees have a safe working environment,” said Gorman. “We’re working with employees, with unions, with the province’s safety organizations—such as WorkSafeBC—and insurers to identify and address any potential safety hazard, including combustible wood dust.”

Gorman noted that CEOs of the major forest products companies have combined forces on the safety front with the Manufacturing Advisory Group to look at dust issues related to combustion, from both green and dry wood, and identify best practices for dust control. “They’ve developed an industry-wide standard that can be used to provide some independent assurance of mill safety.”

Gorman added that the industry is making significant capital investments

in ventilation systems and dust control equipment. “These are all important steps to improve our safety performance.”

Of growing interest to the industry is the impending shortage of skilled labour, which will also be the topic of a session at the COFI conference.

“Our industry, like others, has an aging workforce and we are competing with other industries for high demand skilled workers, and it’s right through our whole supply chain,” said Gorman. That extends from truck drivers to the people who work in the high tech mill operations that are now common to modern sawmills, to saw filers.

The panel will address how the industry is dealing with this, but Gorman noted that COFI and the industry are working to take a more “hands-on” approach.

“We’re being more active with schools and talking with young people about a career in forestry, and building programs with post secondary institutions like the

More Information? Action Card #107

14

University of Northern B.C. and the College of New Caledonia and others that allow students that have an interest in forest related jobs in high school to be able to ladder into these postsecondary institutions.”

More Information? Action Card #108

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

COFI conference largest industry gathering in the West

T

he Council of Forest Industries’ (COFI) annual convention is the largest gathering of the forest sector in Western Canada. It attracts industry CEOs, vice presidents and senior managers from North America and offshore, senior representatives from customers, suppliers, financial institutions, law firms and representatives from all levels of government.

The area represented by COFI is the largest softwood producing region in Canada and accounts for almost half of Canada’s lumber production.

Of high interest to attendees is the exhibition portion of the convention, which will have more than 35 companies represented

(see exhibitor list on this page 16).

The convention attracts 400 to 500 delegates and the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort and Conference Centre in Kelowna will be hosting the 2014 convention.

The list of speakers at the COFI conference includes Steve Thompson, B.C. Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Ken Shields, CEO and President of Conifex Timber and Chris McIver, vice-present of lumber sales and corporate development at West Fraser Timber.

For an updated list of speakers, and convention information, please refer to the COFI web site at www.cofi.org

More Information? Action Card #109 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

15

industryevents

COFI Conference 2014 Exhibitor List A & A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd. .......... Booth #24 AMS Solutions............................................. Booth #20 Bid Group.................................................... Booth #12 BC Bioenergy Network................................. Booth #34 BC Forest Safety Council.............................. Booth #14 BC Safety Authority...................................... Booth #13 BC Timber Sales.......................................... Booth #30 Brunette Machinery Co. Inc.......................... Booth #6 Central Interior Logging Association............. Booth #29 Davis LLP.................................................... Booth #17 FPInnovations.............................................. Booth #11 Forest Practices Board................................. Booth #28 Forestry Innovation Investment.................... Booth #19 HewSaw Machines Inc................................. Booth #10 Industrial Autolube International Inc............. Booth #21 Jet Label..................................................... Booth #16 LINCK GmbH................................................ Booth #8 Logging and Sawmilling Journal.................. Booth #35

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

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forestmanagement

Timber revenue

being plowed back into the community A community forest in Terrace, B.C. is helping to support local sawmillers and add value to the productive forest, at the same time generating funds that are plowed back into the community.

By Jim Stirling

T

he 40-year-old spruce were a sorry lot. They were without the single crowns necessary to direct vigorous, upward growth. Instead, their height has been stunted, replaced by multiple tops with crook, forking and defect.

Side branches were numerous and close as porcupine quills. The spruce had been hit by terminal leader weevil and the pest did a devastating job.

The spruce were being salvaged on a site north of Kitimat in northwestern British Columbia on land managed by the Terrace Community Forest. The trees serve as a 350 hectare example of what can go awry with a monoculture. The previous stand on the site was clearcut in the 1970s, broadcast burned and re-planted with spruce, summarized Kim Haworth, general manager for the Terrace Community Forest Ltd Partnership. Then along came the weevil.

to page 20

Kim Haworth (above) general manager of the Terrace Community Forest Ltd Partnership, with some of the multi stemmed spruce being salvaged, after a weevil attack.

18

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

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forestmanagement

Timber Baron Contracting Ltd., of Terrace has entered into an agreement with the community as its go-to logger.

from page 18 “What we’re doing is salvaging what is marketable from the stand and converting the weevil-impacted spruce into a more diverse stand with coastal balsam, cedar, hemlock and weevil-resistant spruce,” outlined Haworth.

“We have a broader variety of soils that are fairly nutrient rich and a climate

conducive to more diverse stands. The community forest’s management plan is to continue the development of more recent stands and make the transition away from older growth forests,” said Haworth.

Reconnaissance work had been completed (though it was not yet under cutting permit) for a commercial thinning project on an approximately 40-year-old

More Information? Action Card #113

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

stand of predominantly hemlock and balsam.”The commercial thinning will begin next fall if the markets are good,” he anticipated. “The stand volume is about 500 metres/ha and most of the trees are about 25 metres high. The first pass removal should be approximately 300 metres/ha.”

The Terrace Community Forest was awarded a probationary area-based tenure with an AAC of 30,000 cubic metres effective in 2007. It now has a permanent licence valid for 25 years. The community forest’s approximately 13,500 hectares is split into three operating areas, to the west, northwest and the Kitimat holdings to the south of Terrace.

The tenure originated from the provincial government’s 20 per cent clawback from area licencees for re-allocation to First Nations, BC Timber Sales and community forests. The City of Terrace provided $150,000 in original seed money to get the community forest going.

Haworth said that money has been repaid with interest and while the city owns the community forest, it is managed by a volunteer board of directors drawn from the local area.

to page 22

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forestmanagement from page 20 The recession and accompanying poor markets prevented active harvesting from beginning until the fall of 2010. Since then, however, momentum has been gathering pace thanks to the ability to export hemlock and balsam logs to China and Korea.

When possible, the community forest supports local sawmillers with higher value cedar and spruce logs. More than 5000 cubic metres has been made available. Haworth said to late fall 2013, 73,000 cubic metres had been harvested generating about $3.5 million for the local economy. Surplus funds generated by the forest are plowed back into the community.

A community forest committee recommends viable projects for city council to allocate. Many of them are related to outdoor recreation improvements. “In 2013, it should be about $130,000,” anticipated Haworth. “It’s still early days but we’re not standing still anymore, although we’re not up and running as we’d like. But we are trotting forward.”

Another important platform for the Terrace Community Forest’s objective of making more use of its second growth profile has been established. Timber Baron Contracting Ltd., of Terrace has entered into an agreement with the community as its go-to logger. The agreement is for five years and includes a cost of living allowance, explained Haworth. The reason is straightforward. The northwest quadrant of B.C. has become a hotbed of industrial activity, bringing with it a

heightened demand for everything from heavy equipment and good operators to hotel and motel accommodations.

The major projects creating the demand for logging equipment doubling as land clearing machines are pipeline rightof-way projects, BC Hydro’s Northwest Transmission line and there’s a host of major LNG projects in the wings. They need to have the right equipment and operators available, said Haworth. “We hire the best people in the local area to do the work. We’ve always hired local.

They know the land base.”

There are also advantages for Timber Baron with forging a longer term partnership with the Terrace Community Forest.

“We can work together in planning over a larger volume of timber to make it more economical for both sides,” summarized Mike Thomson, vice-president of Timber Baron.

That ability should be doubly useful with the proposed commercial thinning project. “As this is the first large scale commercial thinning program of its kind in the northwest region, a new way of harvesting and overall approach will be needed. Being involved with the planning and layout process will help alleviate operational difficulties in the field and help reach our objectives,” he explained. The planning process will reveal more detail on operational challenges like preventing damage to residual stems left during thinning operations.

“In my opinion, it will be a blend of traditional ground based equipment with some more nimble harvesters and forwarders,” added Thomson.

More Information? Action Card #115

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

The Terrace Community Forest can only operate efficiently on a sound financial basis, said Haworth, “Every venture we undertake has to be economically viable.”

While the community forest’s second growth management philosophy is also rooted in economic viability, Haworth recognizes projects like the spruce weevil stand conversion will also positively contribute to increased biodiversity within the replacement stands. “We can promote timber values and create habitat for browse species.” Only Chanterelle mushrooms appeared to thrive under the dark, dank canopy created by the weevilinfected spruce.

As plans mature for developing the community forests’ lands, Haworth hopes it might trigger a re-invigorated local sawmilling sector to create additional employment and add value to the productive forest.

“I’d like to see more milling capacity to deal with smaller diameter wood,” he said. “It will come, but until then we have to export volumes.”

Haworth believes area-based tenures like community forests are the way to go forward. “When you have an area based tenure you can manage its resources and capitalize on investment that’s positive for everyone. It allows us to make investments over time providing jobs and revenue directly to the community.” And it can help restore stagnant stands into more productive and healthy forests.

More Information? Action Card #116

BCsawmilling

Moving into manufacturing Ledcor Resources and Transportation has moved into producing solid wood products with a new $18 million sawmill in Chilliwack, B.C. that takes low-end logs and manufactures multi-dimensional cants, and lumber.

By Paul MacDonald

T

he B.C. forest industry has proven very talented at getting the most out of every log that is harvested—from

24

directing logs in the bush to the right sawmill, through to the sawmill and the products that are manufactured out of those logs.

Following in that spirit, Ledcor Resources

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

and Transportation has set up a sawmill producing cants in Chilliwack, B.C., about an hour east of Vancouver.

The B.C.-based Ledcor Group, which is well known as one of North America’s leading construction companies, got involved in the forest industry in a major way in 2011 when its subsidiary company, Ledcor Resources and Transportation, acquired Renew Resources, a company that specializes in the processing of marginal wood fibre in the B.C. Interior. The division produces woodchips and hog fuel and transports it to customers, including Howe Sound Pulp and Paper on the Sunshine Coast, north of Vancouver.

In 2011, Ledcor also took delivery of twelve new barges to inaugurate its marine transportation service to Howe Sound Pulp and Paper. Its forestry division also includes harvesting and trucking

BCsawmilling

operations. Heading up Ledcor’s transportation and resource operations is Paul McElligott, former President and CEO of TimberWest Forest Corporation.

The $18 million sawmill in Chilliwack marks the company’s first venture into producing solid wood products. It also produces biomass material, and wood chips.

Ledcor Resources and Transportation has a number of forest tenures in the B.C. Interior. The Chilliwack mill processes low-end logs from the Cariboo-Chilcotin, Vanderhoof, Thompson Rivers, and Cascades forest districts, manufacturing multi-dimensional cants, and lumber. Any high-end logs from the company’s tenures are traded or sold to high production dimensional sawmills. The company also sources logs from contractors in the Fraser Valley for the sawmill.

Ledcor’s approach to wood resource utilization has received praise from the B.C. government.

“I welcome Ledcor’s innovative approach toward utilizing this often overlooked fibre supply and ensuring that every inch of the felled tree is put to use,” said Steve Thomson, B.C.’s Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, at the official opening of the Chilliwack mill this past summer.

Cal Martin, who founded Renew Resources, and is now senior vice-president of Ledcor Resources and Transportation, had been considering a mill operation to process lower quality wood for some time.

Martin, along with Don Quan, director of operations for Ledcor Resources and Transportation, led the move to set up the new mill, and oversaw its development.

The company started construction work on the Chilliwack mill in spring 2012. Sawmill construction veterans Ed Vervynk and Terry Hamilton, who have worked on a large number of sawmill projects in B.C., were brought on board Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

to oversee the Chilliwack project. Both men now work for Ledcor; Hamilton is manager of the sawmill.

“We came in and the company told us what it wanted to do, which was basically build a sawmill that was going to produce cants,” said Hamilton. “We started talking, and things evolved as we got to know the log diet, and we made changes to handle an increased volume and flow.

“Ed and I have been working on sawmills all our working lives, and working with the Ledcor folks, we came up with some ideas on how the mill could be changed to work better. There were no extra costs involved with most of the changes we suggested. But it delivers a better flow and overall makes the mill more efficient.”

They brought SKS Engineering on board, to work on the evolving sawmill design. In fact, the former president of SKS Engineering, Neil Syme, came out of retirement to work on the project.

Along the way, Ledcor also decided to consolidate other operations at Chilliwack, and moved a whole log chipper and hog operation from Princeton, about 100 kilometres from Chilliwack.

All of their SPF wood comes from the B.C. Interior, including a fair amount of beetle kill wood, while their hemlock comes from the Fraser Valley. “We can cut both species at the same time, and then we grade them and stack them separately,” explains Hamilton. About 60 per cent of their wood is SPF, and 40 per cent hemlock.

“We’ve got a pretty small site—we really don’t have the log yard to be switching from species to species,” says Hamilton.

A good portion of the yard not used by the mill itself is used for log storage. On a given day, they will have up to 50 loaded logging trucks coming in through the mill gate. The balance of the yard is used for lumber storage.

True to its name, Ledcor Resources and Transportation has in fact been very resourceful with the mill—just about every piece of equipment on site was purchased used, rather than new, in an effort to get the best bang for their investment dollars.

“The conveyors are new, and some of the unscramblers are new, but our main sawmill breakdown equipment is used, the debarker is used, the chippers, the hogger and the packagers are all used.”

to page 26 25

BCsawmilling from page 25 They have an A5 Nicholson debarker which feeds into a refurbished HewSaw R200 which they bought directly from HewSaw, followed by home-made turning equipment, the green chain, and a

Signode packaging line. “It’s a bit different, in that we have saws in front of the HewSaw,” says Hamilton. “It’s like a mini-merch system—we feed in any logs under 30 feet, and it cuts them to 10 and 13 foot pieces.”

They did a fair bit of work on the

With its varied sawmilling equipment sourced from the B.C. Interior, Washington and Montana, Chilliwack Ledcor mill manager Terry Hamilton likens the mill project to a big Lego set—that resulted in the company saving millions of dollars vs. purchasing new equipment.

More Information? Action Card #117

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

HewSaw, which was only partially rebuilt, including adding stainless steel chipping heads.

Their main merch system is a six-saw set-up, that sorts logs to seven bins. This home-made system was originally built

by Carrier Lumber, in the B.C. Interior, and ran for only about a year, meaning it’s in good shape. “We bought everything on it, the infeed, the saw, the outfeed, and moved it down here,” says Hamilton.

The B.C. Interior proved to be a rich source of used equipment. “When they took the Weyerhaeuser mill out of Lumby, I think we bought just about every conveyor that came out of it. We contacted Canadian Mill Equipment, and said we’ll take it all.”

The log bins came from several mill locations in the Interior. “We sent a crew up there, dismantled the bins, marked them, put them on semi’s for the trip to Chilliwack, and then pieced them back together,” explained Hamilton.

They also have a CAE 60 inch chipper, a 62 inch Precision chipper, a 48 inch Jeffrey hammer hog, and BM&M chips screens. Their VFDs are from Arrow Speed Controls.

Out in the yard on the mobile equipment side, most of their equipment is John Deere from Deere dealer Brandt Tractor, including two Deere 744 wheel loaders, a 724 wheel loader and a Deere 2054 butt ‘n top loader. They have some used equipment including an older Wagner stacker. And more equipment is being added. “We just went to an auction in Aberdeen, Washington, and picked up two Barco stackers,” said Hamilton.

With its varied equipment, Hamilton likens the Chilliwack mill project to a big Lego set—that resulted in the company saving millions of dollars vs. purchasing new equipment.

Working on such a greenfield sawmill was new to Hamilton and Vervynk; both are used to tackling upgrades or additions to existing sawmills. And it was a challenge marrying all this used equipment together so the mill works smoothly. “You basically have all this used equipment, and it all has to come together.” He estimates that the used equipment probably came from upwards of 10 different sawmills from B.C., Washington State and Montana.

And it truly has been a work in progress; the sawmill started running on one shift in July, 2012 and there have been numerous additions since then. “Essentially, we

BCsawmilling started running the mill and were also still building it.” The hogger and the whole log chipper have been the most recent additions. A number of contractors have been involved with the Ledcor mill project including Iron Mountain Industries, Tebo Mill Installations, Automated Industrial, Apptec Consulting and Pacificon Systems Ltd. Hamilton said there are generally two types of used equipment they they’ve purchased. “There is the used equipment that you buy and it goes right in, and then there is the used equipment where you need to weld it together, like the conveyors.”

And there are truly different types of used equipment out in the market, he added. “We have good, solid pieces of equipment that we bought, like the HewSaw, the A5 debarker and the merch deck, that went right in.” And then there is the not-so-good equipment that is to be avoided, some of which eventually finds a home in someone’s scrap yard.

The initial cost of used equipment is just a starting point when you are budgeting costs, Hamilton says.

“The challenge with used equipment

is that the cost isn’t just in the equipment itself. The major cost is in the labor, to have it refurbished and installed. You might get a piece of equipment for $5,000, but when all is said and done, that might involve $50,000 of labor to get it into place.”

Some used mill equipment can be had for a fire sale price, but if it is going to cost a small fortune to fix or refurbish, it just plain isn’t worth it. “Sometimes used equipment is not the right answer.”

That said, wherever possible, they tried to get good used equipment and if it wasn’t available, they had it fabricated, such as with some of the conveyors.

Hamilton says that the technology at the Chilliwack mill is straightforward; there is no scanning. The HewSaw is manually set, and runs one cant diameter at a time. “So we’ll set it for 90 mm. by 90 mm., and run that for two shifts. And the next morning, we might run 120 by 120.”

to page 28

More Information? Action Card #118 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

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BCsawmilling from page 27

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The mill produces cants in four different sizes, 90 by 90, 105 by 105, 120 by 120 and 140 by 140. And it also produces boards, Hamilton explains.

“Once you get above a 140 by 140, which is basically five-and-a-half inches, it’s tough to pull a six by six inch or an eight by eight inch cant off the green chain. The HewSaw is a double arbor, so above 140, we’ll cut boards out of it, as well as a cant. So on the smaller wood diameters, we just cut cants, but on the larger wood diameters, we cut both cants and boards.

“When the mill was envisioned, boards were never going to be a big part of production. But now they are up to 40 per cent of our volume, depending on the diameter of the logs we receive.”

The mill has met with success, shipping boards and cants to customers overseas, including China, as well as to North American markets. It is now operating on a two shift basis.

Getting experienced people has been a challenge, as most of the primary sawmills—and experienced people—are

located closer to Vancouver, rather than out in the Fraser Valley, where Chilliwack is located.

“Some of our employees have worked in reman or doing truss work, but that’s quite different from a production sawmill,” says Hamilton. “So we’ve spent a lot of time training people to make sure they are working safe.

“Safety is a priority—Ledcor is driven by safety. We have safety meetings for each shift every Monday, and if we are going to commission a new piece of equipment the middle of the week, for example, we will have another meeting to talk about that piece of equipment.

Everybody has been issued their own set and locks—and they use them.”

With the mill now fully operating, Hamilton and the Ledcor crew have turned their attention to addressing bottlenecks, and doing some small tweaking. But it’s likely there will be further equipment improvements down the road. As Hamilton, a veteran of many sawmills, puts it: “Sawmills are really never done. Or if they are, they are not done for long. You’re always looking at improvements.”

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contractorprofile

Steep slope specialist Logging contractor Blair Schiller is a veteran of steep slope logging, working in the Monashee Mountain Range around Revelstoke, B.C. using a variety of equipment including a used Washington 88 grapple yarder which—after a bit of work in Schiller’s shop—is earning its keep.

By Paul MacDonald

Logging contractor Blair Schiller (above) takes great pride in having taken over his Dad’s logging company, and continuing the family name in the forest industry.

“My Dad built a good reputation, and has a good name, and I’ve tried to stay in those boots,” he says.

For a while, Blair Schiller got out of high lead logging, but he recently picked up a used Washington 88 grapple yarder and, so far, it is working out.

30

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

L

ogging contractor Blair Schiller knows all about going the distance—and then some.

Very early on a winter morning, in addition to managing the overall logging activities of Schiller Contracting, he climbs into the cab of an International logging truck to keep logs moving from their logging show about an hour outside of Revelstoke, in southeastern B.C. But Schiller knows the drill of early— and long—hours. Even though he is only 41, he has been logging for more than 25 years, starting out cutting slash for his Dad’s logging operation when he was a teenager.

Blair bought his Dad, Gary’s, logging business back in 2008. Unfortunately, it was just as the industry was going into the downturn, so he had to be very resourceful over the next few years to keep his equipment busy.

“We do a lot of roadbuilding, so I kept one side busy doing road development,” he says. They also bid on timber sales, but the competition was fierce, as the downturn had everybody looking for work. He

to page 32

More Information? Action Card #122

contractorprofile from page 30 was seeing contractors from other parts of B.C. bidding for work with equipment that clearly would not work in the steep ground of the Monashee Mountain Range, around Revelstoke.

“We had people coming in with equipment like flat-bottomed bunchers—this isn’t the country for that.”

Thankfully, Schiller Contracting had steady work from Stella-Jones, which has a forest licence in the region and two pole peeling facilities in Revelstoke. StellaJones harvests a variety of timber from its licence, and trades wood to obtain pole timber for its operations.

Blair Schiller takes a great deal of pride in having taken over his Dad’s logging company, and continuing the family name in the industry, and in Revelstoke. “My Dad did a lot of work building the company, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without that,” he says. “He took a lot of pride in what he did, and so do I.” A small example: Schiller talks about going into a supplier for some parts recently for their yarder; they had not dealt with the company for about a dozen years. But their account record was still there, and their credit was good—no questions needed to be asked. He has benefited from the goodwill his Dad built up over many years. “My Dad built a reputation, and has a good name, and I’ve tried to stay in those boots,” he says.

Along the way, prior to purchasing the operation, he ran skidder in other parts of

In addition to making sure they meet evolving standards in the bush, the equipment they work with continues to evolve, says Blair Schiller. Fuel efficiency has improved and Schiller is also looking forward to the new logging and road layout programs that are coming out.

B.C., drove truck, and ran a sort yard.

“I took every opportunity I could get,” says Schiller. “If someone gave me the chance to learn on a piece of equipment, I grabbed it.”

One of the newer pieces of equipment at Schiller Contracting is a Cat 325D carrier with a Log Max 10000 head, which has worked well for them, even in large wood, he says. “The head has a 40” bar and is 33” between the wheels, but we’ve processed five foot spruce, as long as the snipe is off it. When you see what the Log Max picks up and runs through, it’s impressive.”

And the Cat 325D/Log Max combo

More Information? Action Card #123

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

works in some steep ground, too, he notes. “It’s a matter of knowing how to do it,” says Schiller.

And if their Cat 330C loader is elsewhere, the 325D/Log Max combo will do some loading, too. Last year, it did about 50 loads. “Sometimes it makes a lot of sense, depending on where the loader is,” he says. “The loader may be out hoe chucking, and it could take 50 minutes for it to get to the landing. But it only takes the Cat/Log Max a bit longer than the loader to load a few trucks.”

And the service he gets from the Log Max folks, says Schiller, is very high. “Out of all the equipment people I’ve dealt with, the Log Max people are the best.”

B.C. Cat dealer Finning also gets praise from Schiller. “They treat us pretty darn good. You pay your bills, you keep a good name, and people will help you out and get you through the tough times.”

Their equipment line-up includes a total of three Cat 330 loaders, the Cat 325D/Log Max, and two Cat 525C skidders.

This kind of service from reputable dealers is critical, says Schiller. He admits that it’s sometimes tempting to buy parts elsewhere. “Sometimes the price is tempting, but then you know if something goes south with what you bought, there is no one to stand behind it—you’re on your own.”

Schiller has a 60’ by 40’ shop that they work out of for equipment maintenance.

They use Finning for some repair and maintenance work, but also use a couple of heavy duty mechanics in Revelstoke.

“We had a mechanic for a while, but there was not quite enough to keep him busy. We’re kind of an in-between size—

contractorprofile

Schiller Contracting has steady work from Stella-Jones, which has a forest licence in the region and two pole peeling facilities in Revelstoke. Stella-Jones harvests a variety of timber from its licence, and trades wood to obtain pole timber for its operations. there’s not quite enough to keep a full time mechanic busy.”

For a while, Schiller got out of high lead logging. But he recently picked up a used Washington 88 grapple yarder and, so far, it is working out. “I had gotten out of high lead, and decided to go conventional, and run a smaller crew,” says Schiller. “There’s a lot less to worry about, equipment-wise.”

But then the opportunity came up to pick up the Washington yarder in, conveniently, Washington State. Schiller worked with Stu Wheeler, of Wheeler Equipment, of Surrey, B.C. to go over the yarder, to

make sure it was up to snuff. “It was a good deal,” he says.

But, as with most used equipment, it still required work. The yarder spent about a month in Schiller’s shop in Revelstoke.

“That’s just the way it is,” he says. “If you buy older equipment, and think that it’s going to come off the truck and start yarding for you, you’re dreaming.” And Schiller should know about yarders, since he and his father have worked with five yarders, used and new, over the years.

The cab was pretty small on the Washington, so they added to it. Schiller went to the boneyard, and picked up a skylight

out of Prentice 630 buncher, found a forestry door off a Cat 220 dozer, and some guarding. “We got it all painted up and it looks pretty good,” he says.

One of the big advantages with the Washington yarder is its relative portability vs. previous yarders Schiller has worked with. They recently did a small business sale for North Enderby Timber, about 100 kilometres from Revelstoke, with the Washington 88. “It’s a lot easier to move,” says Schiller. “It’s a one-piece move.”

Sourcing parts for equipment such as older yarders can be a bit of a challenge.

Schiller says you really need to know where to look. The Washington actually has a M32 Sherman tank underbody whose design dates back to the 1940s.

“But the engine is an old 871 Detroit, and lots of tugboats on the Coast have one of those. And the transmission is simple, a four-speed Clark.” Much of the smaller parts, he says, can be sourced at the local NAPA outlet.

Eventually, Schiller would like to replace the M32 underbody with a hydraulic underbody, and re-power it.

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More Information? Action Card #124 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

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contractorprofile from page 33 Schiller’s resourcefulness towards his equipment extends to the entire operation, and his attitude. “I never take ‘No’ for an answer,” he says. “I’m always looking to what is going to make things work. You have to think quick and if you don’t, you are not going to make it in this industry now.”

Schiller has a solid crew that includes his brother, Travis, who runs loader and skidder, and a cousin, Brant Watson, who also runs skidder. But when they need people, Schiller looks for operators who will take care of their equipment, and who can figure out how to handle logging situations on a day-to-day basis.

“People will say that someone will be good on a processor because he plays X-Box,” he says. Having good hand-eye dexterity is important, he says. “But you need to know more than how to blow stuff up. I don’t want someone smashing up stuff with a piece of my equipment.”

Schiller’s attention to detail extends to the logging site, where there is minimal debris. “Some other operations will come back multiple times, trying to clean up

brush piles. As much as possible, we do it as we go along. Being organized like that doesn’t cost you any more money—in fact, it costs you less.

“We’ve got things together. No one we work for needs to worry about things like that—no one has to tell me that we need the clean the ditches out. We’ve always taken that extra step and I take pride in that. It’s got to be done right.”

In addition to making sure they meet evolving standards in the bush, the equipment they work with continues to evolve, he notes. Fuel efficiency has improved and Schiller is looking forward to the new logging and road layout programs that are coming out. “This country is so broken up, with a lot of ridges and breaks, and that has a big impact on what we do and how we do it. The new layout programs will allow us to pinpoint things a lot better.”

Recently, with the industry in the upswing, more logging work has been available. But Schiller has been careful about adding additional work. “You can take on more work, but you want to make sure the compensation is there to do the work.” That, of course, includes some profit at the end of the day.

More Information? Action Card #125

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Good operators, of course, are key to the whole operation, Schiller added. For the logging industry as a whole, getting good people is all about the money, he says. And it’s hard to compete with big money in the Alberta oil patch. “The money needs to come around in logging.

And you can do what you want, but until that happens, it is going to be hard to find people to do the work.”

He believes the mills and the forest companies are starting to recognize that.

“They are starting to learn, that everything can’t be their way—it needs to be more of a partnership.”

Schiller added that there have been equipment operators who have been to the oil patch, and been happy to return home to B.C. “They’ve been there and done that—but they want to be home with their family. And they can do that with logging.”

And the scenery is a lot different at the top of a mountain than it is in Fort McMurray, he says. “This scenery is unreal,” he says, pointing to a mountain in the distance. “What more can you ask for?”

More Information? Action Card #126

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

SAVING FUEL

WITH NO COMPROMISE ON POWER

The Cat® 988K boosts fuel savings in the millyard up to 20% compared to the 988H. We did this by dropping engine speed and adding flow-sharing hydraulics. You get full hydraulic power at 1400 RPMs, so you burn less fuel but keep the speed and productivity. When you command full hoist, the engine is going to give it to you. In the millyard package, the cooling system includes the auto-reversing fan to blow out debris and swing-out radiator for easy maintenance.

Unload trucks, move logs and feed the mill with the 988K. Sort and stack wood higher in the same footprint with a Cat M325 Material Handler or Cat 325 FM. We build cost-efficient millyard systems for you.

Look to your Cat dealer for financing and all the machines, attachments and parts you need for road construction, logging, millyard and forest management. Total support from one source.

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© 2014 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission. www.cat.com www.caterpillar.com

More Information? Action Card #127

millyardequipment

Dealing with Tembec’s tough temperatures Tembec’s Cochrane sawmill operation had a wide choice when it came to choosing a new wheel loader, and in opting for a Volvo L120G machine they have a piece of equipment that is delivering reliability in the -40 temperatures of northern Ontario.

Story and photos

by Ron Mullins awmill management faces a daily challenge: they know what they have to move at the mill, where they have to move it to, and how quickly it has to be done.

However, the question remains: what brand of equipment is best for the job and will provide the greatest return on investment (ROI)?

That was the challenge being faced by the team of Paulo Gignac and Greg Murphy, senior managers at the Tembec Forest Products Group, Cochrane, Ontario sawmill.

Following the major forestry market downturn of the past few years, the industry was once again on solid footing

and making a significant rebound. To keep their Tembec mill productive and profitable and eliminate as much potential downtime as possible, both Gignac and Murphy knew they had to begin replacing their aging fleet of wheel loaders. To that end, they began to collect information.

Tembec is a Canadian based manufacturer of forest products—lumber, pulp, paper and specialty cellulose—and a global leader in sustainable forest management practices. It has operational facilities in both North America and France and employs approximately 3,500 people. The company manages nearly 10 million hectares of Canadian forestlands.

Their Cochrane dimensional lumber sawmill, established in 1976 and with approximately 120 employees, is a key industry in this quaint, northern Ontario

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

S

community. Working two shifts daily, six days a week, the mill is currently producing approximately 115 million board feet of dimensional lumber annually, that is shipped to markets across North America.

General Manager Gignac and Fibre Supervisor Murphy are veterans of the lumber industry and over the years have had experience with many different brands of wheel loaders. They knew that there were several brand options available to them.

Both knew the best place to start to collect the necessary purchase-decision evidence was in their own mill yard. Here they found several brands of wheel loaders, including two Volvo models, each with close to 100,000 hours of operational time, a Clark Michigan and an aging Michigan L160 wheel loader with over 160,000 hours on the clock.

millyardequipment The first Clark Michigan wheel loaders were built in 1954 and the company and their complete line of wheel loaders were brought under the Volvo banner in 1985.

So really, there were only two wheel loader brands in the Tembec yard.

Keeping this fleet of aging wheel loaders fully operational in a demanding lumber mill operation and in the harsh climatic conditions of northern Ontario is not necessarily easy. Not easy, but really quite simple according to Tembec head mechanic Serge Thomas. His secret: lots of regular maintenance. “We clean and/ or change the air filters every week, blow the radiators clean as often as is necessary and change the engine oil every two weeks or 250 operational hours, whichever is soonest. Engine oil is cheap—engines are expensive.”

When asked about loader performance when there is plenty of snow and the temperature often dips to minus 40 Celsius, Thomas said: “The loaders are always parked outside and we keep them plugged in at night. We never have any problem getting them started. I ask all the operators to let them warm up before they start to use them—and it works.”

According to Greg Murphy, the Tembec equipment acquisition team looked around at various competitive brands and even demo’ed a couple, but were always drawn back to the Volvo brand. There were a number of reasons for this, according to Murphy.

First, they felt that some of the competing brands were not going to be as reliable or as fuel efficient as their existing Volvo models. “Second, our operators really

liked the visibility, lifting power and stability of the Volvo loaders. Thirdly, we had established a solid working relationship with Strongco (the Volvo Construction Equipment dealer based in Mississauga, Ontario). Fourthly, who can argue with reliability? All of our aging Michigan and Volvo wheel loaders have in excess of 100,000 hours on the meter and we still use them every day.”

“Visibility on the Volvo L120G is great and the rear view camera, which is on all the time, makes it easier and safer for the operator and the crew. The L120 shifts really nice and it’s pretty easy on fuel.”

Also assisting with the purchase decision was the close alignment of Tembec’s core values and those of Volvo Construction Equipment. Volvo core values embrace quality, safety and environmental care. Tembec demonstrates industry leadership through its commitment to quality and environmental protection as well as the health and safety of its employees,

its customers and the public. “This close alignment meant a lot to us and we certainly took it into consideration when making our decision,” says Murphy.

Volvo Construction Equipment is the world’s first construction equipment manufacturer to partner with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) in an initiative to cut carbon emissions. With its Climate Savers program, WWF asks companies around the world to commit to reducing their carbon footprints. WWF-Canada tells the story of how Tembec was the first major Canadian company to commit to Forest Stewardship Council certification.

So the evidence was gathered, a purchase decision made, the contract signed and last year Strongco delivered a shiny new Volvo L120G wheel loader to Tembec’s Cochrane operation. Since that time, this new wheel loader has taken up a leadership position with its aging brothers.

Working two shifts per day, the L120G takes its turn at both feeding and unloading lumber from the sawmill, stacking lumber in the yard, feeding and unloading the kilns and loading the bundled lumber on trucks and railcars. In its spare time, of which there is very little, it gets fitted with either a bucket to work the chip pile or a blade for yard clean-up and road maintenance. In winter, snow clearing is added to this list.

The catalog of standard equipment on the L120G is extensive It starts with a reliable, certified Volvo Tier 4 Interim engine, delivering 267 net horsepower. Providing high torque at lower rpm’s, Volvo engines are able to consistently deliver industryleading fuel efficiency, lower environmental emissions and less noise both inside

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

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millyardequipment from page 37 the cab, as well as outside the machine.

The advanced diesel particulate filter operates automatically while the machine is working with no impact on performance.

The all Volvo drive train—engine, transmission, axles, hydraulics and steering—is designed to maximize performance and extend machine life.

Volvo’s patented Torque Parallel Linkage provides superior rollback strength and lift force. Load sensing hydraulics give horizontal stability through the entire lift range. This feature alone makes it the ideal log and lumber handling wheel loader, says Volvo. High breakout torque, even in the highest bucket or fork position, means plenty of power for even the toughest, heaviest jobs.

A spacious and comfortable Volvo Care Cab provides exceptional all-around operator visibility, is fully ROPS/FOBS compliant, keeping operators safe and productive, even on those long, difficult shifts, and includes climate control. Lighting for night operations is fully customizable.

CareTrack, Volvo’s telematics system, is also included as standard equipment.

This industry-leading technology provides detailed information on machine usage, fuel consumption, location reports and service reminders in addition to providing the data needed to reduce costs and maximize the owner’s ROI. When the new L120G arrived, Volvo and Strongco provided all Tembec Cochrane operators and mechanics with a full day of on-site, hands-on-training.

This training touched on operator bestpractices as well as new-practices that can be employed to enhance operator comfort, improve production and lower operating costs.

38

“I like the Volvo CareTrack system.

It lets me know how the machine is being used, all uptime and any downtime, any alarms that may have happened and it tracks fuel usage.”

So what have been the immediate rewards to Tembec as a result of their decision to purchase a new Volvo L120G wheel loader?

Bertrand Fortin, operator, 37 years’ experience: “It runs real nice. Visibility is great and the rear view camera, which is on all the time, makes it easier and safer for the operator and the crew. It shifts real nice and it’s pretty easy on fuel. Visibility, everything in the cab is great.”

David Blackburn, operator, 38 years’ experience: “They keep me pretty busy unloading logs and when I’m not doing that they give me the Michigan. But that new Volvo is a very nice machine.”

Greg Murphy, Superintendent Fibre, Yard and Kilns: “I like the CareTrack

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

system. It lets me know how the machine is being used, all uptime and any downtime, any alarms that may have happened and it tracks the fuel usage. Compared with our other wheel loaders, we are saving between 45 and 55 liters of fuel per shift with this new Volvo loader and that’s very significant, especially with the price of fuel these days.”

Paulo Gignac, General Manager, Cochrane Sawmill: “I’m very pleased with the performance of our Volvo machines.

Our Volvo equipment has treated us very well.”

There is not a lottery at the beginning of each shift to see who will be operating the new L120G, but it is a very popular machine, both with the operators and the accountants. A subcontractor who does work for Tembec-Cochrane was so impressed with the performance of the new Volvo L120G that he purchased one as well. The Tembec, Cochrane management team is very pleased with their new Volvo.

So pleased that they have a new Volvo L150G on order.

—————————————————— This story was provided by Volvo Construction Equipment.

More Information? Action Card #128

contractorprofile

All in the family

Having taken over the family logging firm from their father, Dave and Kevin Roberts have now ramped up their harvesting activities— and their equipment line-up—to meet the needs of Canfor’s newly modernized mill in Elko, B.C.

By Tony Kryzanowski

T

he owners of Norm Roberts Logging aren’t afraid to try new approaches, whether it’s making the transition to cut-to-length (CTL) logging, processing long logs at the stump and then skidding bunches by the top to roadside, or moving their equipment across the provincial boundary to work in Alberta, from their headquarters in Fernie, B.C. The company is one of Canfor’s prime contractors in the region, supplying the Canfor Elko, B.C. sawmill with 250,000 cubic metres of wood annually. The wood is harvested in what is known as the Elk Valley, and the company is used to cutting its own business trail in an area dominated by five coal mines, tourists in summer, and skiers in winter.

While it may not seem like a major accomplishment to others, one major challenge that Norm Roberts Logging has had to overcome over the years—with the attraction of area mining jobs as well as being so close to Alberta’s oil patch—is simply keeping their crew intact.

Having learned the logging ropes working with his father starting as a hand faller in 1976, co-owner Dave Roberts understands that working with family members is one way to keep equipment productive. It also sets the stage to pass the business to the next generation.

The company is open to taking on

more volume if it becomes available, which is where Dave says experience comes into play. They have the knowledge to manage controlled growth without getting out of control. The issue is often finding the quality operators to fill the equipment seats—and keeping them.

Established by Dave’s father, Norm, as Norm Roberts Logging, Dave and his brother, Kevin, now own the company.

Kevin joined the company in 1980, which they purchased from their father in 2003.

Kevin primarily looks after the hoe/decking and processing functions, while Dave oversees the feller bunching and skidding functions.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

The Roberts Clan has cut its own business trail, working in logging in an area dominated by five coal mines. Encouraging family participation has helped maintain production flow. Pictured (left to right) are Dave Roberts, Kyle Roberts, Kevin Roberts and Norm Roberts, and sitting above is Jordan Roberts.

Dave’s son, Kyle, operates a feller buncher and Kevin’s son, Jordan is a processor operator. Their sister Kari’s boyfriend operates a backhoe for them.

While he is retired, Norm Roberts still enjoys driving out to the bush to survey field operations once in a while, given the number of years he put into the industry.

The company’s current annual cut for Canfor is “way more than we have ever done,” says Dave. “The most we’ve ever done previously is 140,000.”

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Samuel Strapping Systems

SAVINGS AT THE SAWMILL & KILN THE BENEFITS OF USING STRAPPING IN SAWMILL AND DRY-KILN APPLICATIONS Deformation of stacked green lumber during kiln drying costs sawmills significant amounts of money in degraded material and labour. Solutions have been put forward to resolve this, such as concrete slabs or hydraulically actuated kiln-mounted plates, but the former is dangerous and time consuming and the latter is only limited to certain facilities.

However, these solutions are not ideal for high-capacity continuous dry-kilns. While effective and efficient, continuous dry kilns present their own unique fire and safety hazards--especially from boards that fall off during the continuous drying process.

Polyester strapping is a much more practical and cost-effective solution. It is much safer and maintains package integrity even when the load is being moved around the yard. This eliminates fallen pieces and the resulting safety issues and labor costs.

It also helps prevent fires at the continuous kiln by ensuring each load maintains its integrity throughout the drying process.

Other benefits include: Q

Reduce downgrading due to twisted, crooked and warped pieces (can provide up to a 4% increase in kiln yield)

Q

Secured package right after stacking

Q

Helps maintain stickers in place

Q

Reduced labor costs and increased workplace safety

Q

Increases fire safety by preventing boards from falling into the kiln

Samuel Strapping Systems

More Information? Action Card #129

Packaging and Unitizing Solutions

www.samuelstrapping.com

U.S.A. - 1-800-323-4424 Canada - 1-800-607-8727

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contractorprofile At Norm Roberts Logging, they tend not to favor one equipment brand over another, instead opting for the right tool at the right price for each logging function.

from page 40 This is a much improved situation as compared to the six months off the company was forced to take during the industry downturn in 2009 when the Elko sawmill took a number of curtailments.

While it was a challenge to make equipment payments at that time, it provided the group with an opportunity to recharge and now they are eager to tackle the extra volume presented to them.

The phrase “night and day” would not overstate the difference in the forestry

situation in the Elko/Fernie area over the past eight years, given the impact of the downturn on the local forestry community and what little capital was being spent on the Elko sawmill owned until recently by Tembec. The sawmill was purchased by Canfor in March 2012 along with Tembec’s Canal Flats sawmill.

Canfor, recognizing the superior green wood basket in the area, promptly announced a $40 million modernization project for the Elko sawmill, which is now complete. It features an entirely new planer mill. That change of ownership and investment has injected considerable excitement and job stability into the Fernie/ Elko area, as well as more logging volume for area loggers like Norm Roberts Logging.

With the volume uplift offered to them, Norm Roberts Logging has increased the

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

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contractorprofile The equipment fleet at Norm Roberts Logging has grown by about one-third so that they can maintain production when faced with eight or more sorts at roadside. The contractor supplies Canfor’s Elko sawmill with about 250,000 cubic metres of wood on an annual basis.

size of their fleet by about one-third and has hired a sub-contractor on a temporary basis to produce 50,000 cubic metres for them until they can fine tune their equipment operating hours to handle all the volume on their own. The company currently has 14 employees and they log year round.

The company is also making an adjustment to supplying CTL logs to the sawmill, versus long logs, in an environment where the terrain is either hilly or mountainous, with slopes ranging from 20 per cent to 55 per cent. The average is about 35 per cent.

Occasionally, they encounter slopes over 55 per cent, so Dave fires up his chainsaw and gets to work. He is a very experienced hand faller as that’s how his father ran the business before they switched to complete mechanized logging. In this case, he fells the logs and then a hoe chucker moves them down to a trail where either their rubber-tired skidders or a Cat 527 tracked skidder can deliver the logs to a landing deck for processing. Ground conditions are also extremely variable, ranging from rock and boulders to mud. The wood basket is predominantly green lodgepole pine and spruce averaging 8” to 10” in diameter.

The transition to CTL logging in a steep slope environment has resulted in some interesting new approaches by Canfor’s loggers all the way from its operations in Radium further north, to Elko in the south. Area loggers were used to managing long logs and had become highly efficient in this logging method. Switching to CTL logging with a lot more equipment, an average of seven to eight sorts and processing at roadside has impacted

productivity, so loggers are testing various methods to maintain work flow.

“We figure that we have dropped anywhere from 25 to 30 per cent in our production with all the additional sorts,” says Dave. “What we have done of course is added machines. We have discussed

prices with Canfor and they have come around on prices for sure.” The number of sorts is another point of discussion and Canfor has shown some willingness to make adjustments when there are more than eight sorts.

To improve its efficiency, Norm Roberts Logging has taken the approach of clearly defining each phase in the logging process and making sure they have the right tool and highly productive equipment for each phase. They have added a piece of equipment called a hoe/decker, primarily operated by Kevin, to increase efficiency

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More Information? Action Card #131 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

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contractorprofile from page 43 once the wood has been delivered by the skidder to roadside. It’s the company’s newest purchase.

“With the hoe/decking, you separate your phases really well,” says Dave. “The feller buncher bunches the wood and then the skidder comes along and pulls it to roadside. Then the hoe/decker puts it into a big pile. Later on, the processor comes along, followed by the loader. Everything is separate and it is actually more efficient.”

The move to total CTL hasn’t been a major head scratcher for Norm Roberts Logging; for years, they operated a modified CTL harvesting method for Tembec, where they processed all long logs at the stump up to 49 ‘6” lengths and skidded bunches to roadside by the top, instead of the butt. They discovered and demonstrated that they could skid a lot more logs per load, make fewer skidder trips and cause a lot less environmental damage if they skidded the delimbed and processed logs from the stump to roadside by the top. (See the February 2004 issue of Logging and Sawmilling Journal at www. forestnet.com for a story on this)

What has also added to the company’s productivity within their current logging operation is that they no longer rely entirely on contract log haulers—they have purchased two logging trucks and are considering the purchase of more.

Their equipment fleet consists of two Tigercat 830 tilting feller bunchers, two John Deere 748 skidders, one John Deere 648 skidder, and a Cat 527 tracked skidder. For processing they have two 2154 John Deere processor carriers and one Cat 324 processor carrier, all equipped with Waratah 622B processing heads.

Rounding out the fleet is a Cat 324 hoe/ decker with a power clam, a John Deere 200 backhoe and a Cat 525 loader with a power clam.

The company’s philosophy is to try to operate newer equipment in all aspects of their fleet because they know from experience that after 10,000 hours, each piece of equipment will tend to start having mechanical issues. They’d rather spend time harvesting and delivering logs than fixing equipment.

“I’d rather have a higher payment than have to pay repair bills,” says Dave, adding that the company prefers to purchase

More Information? Action Card #132

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the best piece of equipment at the best price for each function, rather than necessarily sticking with a dominant equipment brand.

“We like to keep everyone honest and spread out the business to keep everyone competitive,” says Dave. “We’ve found that if you stick to one brand too much, then after a while they think that they own you, and I don’t like that at all.”

He adds that the equipment suppliers don’t make everything exactly the same, and a logger can only find out if a piece of equipment is any good by trying out something different.

Among the items on the features list for new equipment are fuel consumption, uptime, power, speed and resale value. But Dave says that while these are important— and do factor into a purchasing decision— the biggest issue these days seems to be operator comfort. That has been the final determining factor in their two most recent processor and feller buncher purchases.

In terms of service support, Dave says they are treated well and receive “really good” service from their equipment suppliers, specifically Inland Kenworth, Brandt Tractor and Finning.

Tilting feller bunchers are the norm at Norm Roberts Logging, as they work on slope that typically averages about 35 per cent. Dave Roberts says the Tigercat tilting feller buncher (above) is a good, resilient and dependable choice for working in their steep slope environment.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

Doug Tracey, Operations Manager Ron Gorman, CEO

IT TAKES A SMART LEADER TO SEE OPPORTUNITY IN ENERGY WASTE. What does a bright financial future have to do with waste?

At Gorman Bros. Lumber, they used Power Smart co-funding to create a comprehensive energy management plan and get their whole team thinking about wasted electricity.

Now they’re saving hundreds of thousands annually, thanks to a mix of simple, low-cost changes and co-funded retrofit projects.

That’s why customers around the globe are taking notice that Gorman is one company who understands the power of efficiency. And that’s why they deserve to be recognized as one of BC’s Power Smart Leaders.

Find out more about our financial incentives and expert resources at bchydro.com/wood.

More Information? Action Card #133

A12-190 Dec2012

More Information?

Action Card #134

The Edge OSB and foam structural insulated panel aiming for building code acceptance

By Tony Kryzanowski

R

esearch and testing is now being done to develop a technical guide to garner possible National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) acceptance for a composite building material called a structural insulated panel (SIP) consisting of a foam interior with oriented strandboard (OSB) as the only structural wood component around the exterior.

This work is being conducted over three years by Dr. Jon Makar at the National Research Council Canada (NRC), and is partially funded by Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions (AI Bio) through its Bioindustrial Research and Innovation program. The program supports research on new green building products.

SIPs are a factory-produced, alternative building material suitable for the floor, wall and roof assemblies of buildings.

While some SIPs have studs on their sides, the ones in this project are solely supported by the OSB facer panels.

According to Natural Resources Canada studies, SIPs offer up to 50 per cent energy savings compared to conventional construction. Because the panels are manufactured in a plant, there is less on site waste generated during building construction, Additionally, manufacturers can speed up production of these SIPs because there are no studs being used, the SIPs are lighter, and on-site assembly takes less time requiring less skilled labor than traditional frame construction.

Before being tested for compliance with the NBCC, a technical guide needs to be developed for this SIP design for the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC), which is part of NRC. Its mandate is to evaluate construction products for NBCC compliance for all Canadian provinces.

Because of its construction design, acceptance of this SIP model within the NBCC could significantly benefit Alberta’s oriented strandboard (OSB) industry. Not only will it encourage more widespread SIP use in Canada, but SIP use in the United States is dominated by designs with no solid wood studs within their core.

Manufacturers and suppliers for this product have wanted to develop this technical guide since the mid-1990s, says Dr. Makar, but unlike evaluations of other building materials, developing the guide is complicated and requires significant financial support.

The technical work is now underway with financial backing from AI Bio, six SIP manufacturers, polystyrene and polyurethane foam manufacturers, an adhesive manufacturer, and two OSB suppliers, one being Ainsworth Engineered LLP. Ainsworth operates two, large oriented strandboard facilities in Alberta.

“When you look at these panels, you are doubling the use of OSB per square foot of wall because you have it on the inside and outside of the panel,” says Makar. “So as use grows, there is potential to grow the OSB market.” It also creates a market for a different type of OSB, as the OSB material used in SIP construction is specially engineered for this use.

Ken Lau, Director of Technical Services at Ainsworth Engineered Canada LP, says the company’s main motivation for supporting this research is to promote innovation and new use of OSB in building construction throughout North America.

In gaining potential acceptance within the NBCC, it could lead to more SIP usage in building construction, and thereby increase market share for the company.

More stringent energy codes are also encouraging builders to investigate alternative building materials like SIPs, with their Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

One style of SIP has a foam interior with two OSB panels on each side for support. ability to produce more energy efficient buildings.

“Nobody has done the long term performance tests for mechanical performance and durability for this SIP design that are needed to meet the requirements of the National Building Code,” says Dr. Makar. “The project is important because it is solving a longstanding problem for the industry. It is also going to help the industry develop this market because code officials will have a standardized process for evaluating these products, and making sure they conform to the Building Code.”

In addition to preparing the guide, Dr. Makar’s research group will be pursuing opportunities for technology transfer related to the use of the panels by the construction industry. The project will be developing and releasing, in concert with industry, technical reports and documentation that can be used by different industry professionals.

For more information about the SIP research program, contact Dr. Jonathan Makar at (613) 993-3797 or jon. makar@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.

47

The Edge

Biomass from mechanical thinning a potential biofuel resource

By Tony Kryzanowski

T

he mechanical thinning of juvenile trees in high density softwood and hardwood stands represents an opportunity not only to enhance the productivity of managed stands, but also an opportunity for acquiring a new source of wood biomass, says the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC).

“It has been tested and proven that mechanical strip thinning can enhance growth potential by knocking back the densities and enhancing the vigour of the stands, making them less vulnerable to environmental risks such as insects, disease and fire,” says Derek Sidders, Regional Coordinator and Program Manager for CWFC. He adds that by removing the juvenile trees, this also creates the potential to shorten the rotation for the remaining trees, so they can achieve merchantability and increase their product values sooner.

This potential exists for numerous forest types in Canada when this silvicultural treatment is applied, says Sidders.

The machines used in this application are units with front-mounted mulchers and chippers.

Sidders says the new opportunity exists in the recovery of the biomass for direct bioenergy (heat and power) use, solid wood fuels such as wood pellets, pucks or logs, liquid fuels, or bio-products for landscape or site remediation.

As part of its woody biomass for bioenergy and inventory programs—as well as its wood biomass supply chain optimiza-

Lodgepole pine, 19 years post-thinning.

tion program—CWFC will be conducting research and developing studies over the next two seasons testing new applications related to mechanical thinning of juvenile trees to achieve two objectives. The first objective is to develop and demonstrate techniques that enhance stand vigour by reducing density and sustainability risk; the second is to recover biomass for other values that Sidders says “should basically offset the cost of the treatment”.

Historically, there has been an issue related to wildfire or natural disturbance in Canada’s high density softwood forests, primarily with jackpine and lodgepole pine. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) and forest companies, in co-operation with provincial governments in the Prairie provinces as well as the Northwest Territories, investigated techniques such as mechanical thinning to reduce the cost of brush sawing using manual labor, to try to reduce the density of these stands. This also enhanced the vigour of these stands, and reduced their risk to fires and insect infestation.

“To date, the experience shows that we can reduce the cost significantly, and we can operate in quite a variety of site conditions, harvesting juvenile Lodgepole pine strip thinning 1994 in 1976 wood consisting primarily of wildfire area.

48

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

juvenile pine species less than five metres in height with densities of 20,000 to 60,000 per hectare,” says Sidders. “After 20 years of growth post strip thinning, we see risk reduction, increased vigour on the sites and they are now being treated as long-term research sites to validate that the growth response has been enhanced, and the treatment was successful and cost effective.”

He says the next phase is to develop techniques to recover the biomass removed during this type of silviculture treatment and integrating it into the feedstock supply stream for bioenergy.

Prime target sites for this treatment method are any sites with reasonable access, originating from a wildfire or natural disturbance that is regenerating with very high density softwoods.

“Our Canadian forest management practices have also created pure speciesoriented softwood stands in Canada of primarily jackpine and lodgepole pine that are very high density that could also be candidates for this type of treatment,” says Sidders. “These are stands that are managed and are between the ages of eight and 20 years.”

For more information about this research program, contact Derek Sidders at (780) 435-7355 or Derek.Sidders@ nrcan.gc.ca.

The Edge

Log home building ventures require careful scrutiny

By Tony Kryzanowski

E

xperts say that there will always be a market for people who simply want a log home versus a stick-built home.

Given this demand, there may be opportunities for more Albertans to supply this market niche. Funding provided by Growing Forward 2 (GF2), a federal-provincialterritorial initiative, can help small-size woodlot value-added businesses to investigate this option.

"A lot of people I meet in rural Alberta have questions about opportunities in log homes," says Toso Bozic, Agroforester with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. "Managing and operating a log home enterprise requires extensive knowledge, not just related to log properties and structural design, having a good quality log supply, and having the technical skills to construct a log home. You must also be knowledgeable about other technical aspects of log home building, such as understanding building codes."

Bozic says that's where the GF2 funding initiative can help existing or start-up agri-processing and value adding business-

es, to explore potential market feasibility and to answer critical questions related to log home businesses.

Notwithstanding expected building code changes, Bozic says given Alberta's forest resource—which has the logs to supply this industry—it could represent a niche business opportunity for those willing to educate themselves about the type of logs needed by this industry. They can prepare for building code changes with appropriate home designs not only to supply the domestic market, but also potentially the export market. Currently, most of the log homes built in Canada are either sold in the U.S. or Canada. It is relatively unknown what the international market demand is or what the challenges are to tap into the international market for log homes.

Bozic says a very important consideration when first starting out is where to learn the trade of log home building.

While there are schools offering introductory skills training, experts say the best form of advanced log home building training is with an established log home builder.

That's where the owner of Cowboy Country Log Homes in Turner Valley, Anthony

A log building constructed by Cowboy Country Log Homes in Turner Valley, Alberta.

This article was sponsored by Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

Hodson, learned the trade. He worked with his father in log home building construction. The company builds handcrafted log homes, log furniture like picnic tables, and also refinishes log homes.

Hodson says that among the challenges a new Alberta log home builder may face is competition from log home builders from neighboring B.C., finding workers, and also finding the right type of logs. He says that the province could help the industry by developing some type of exchange where log home builders could connect with potential sources of logs, either from forestry companies or from private woodlot owners. A typical log home is constructed with premium logs measuring 14" to 16" in diameter.

Industry experts say a log home costs approximately 30 to 50 per cent more than building a similar stick-built home.

Hodson agrees that people who choose to build a log home tend to do so because it is a lifestyle choice.

"People that want them know what they are going to cost and that's usually not the issue," he says. "Owning a log home is different and off the beaten track from all the other houses out there and I think it reminds many people about the days when they had a country cabin out by the lake when they were kids."

The challenge is to find this target audience and, again, this is where GF2 can help with market research of how to supply this industry.

Under the GF2 Business Opportunity Program, successful applicants are eligible for reimbursement of between 50 per cent and 75 per cent of certain noncapital costs related to researching and planning a new business venture.

Also under the GF2 Business Management Skills Development Program, successful applicants are eligible for reimbursement for 75 per cent of eligible costs for approved business skills development training courses.

For more information about the GF2 program, visit http://www.growingforward.alberta.ca, or contact Toso Bozic at toso.bozic@gov.ab.ca.

49

TECHUPDATE

By Tony Kryzanowski

Primary Mill Breakdown Equipment new and existing vertical arbor gangs. These profilers help to reduce the number of flitches going to the board edger, while maintaining accurately sized lumber.

Optimil’s close relationship with its customers has led the company to focus on sawdust and chip containment over the last several years. It has developed and manufactured a new chipping canter that is helping to reduce the number of stray chips and sawdust escaping in to the mill air. These have been developed with consideration for accessibility, maintenance and safety.

Optimil can provide high production through a new machine or updates to an existing machine. www.optimil.com

Comact

USNR

Designed for small log, single-pass requirements, USNR’s SL3000 Small Log Processor integrates advanced mechanical, optimization, and control technologies to produce a high yield of ready-to-trim lumber and quality chips.

The SL3000 combines true shape scanning, controlled log transport, profile chipping, and curve sawing in a compact system. This configuration makes it possible to produce a wide variety of products in a single process, maximizing recovery of volume and value.

True shape scanners provide real-time optimization solutions displayed in 3D graphics on a Windows interface. Operators easily select grade inputs and choose full taper, split taper or variable taper solutions. The optimizer quickly generates multisawing and profile solutions.

The SL3000 is a well-engineered, high quality machine designed to maximize both value and volume recovery, says the company. USNR also offers log processors for larger logs and higher speeds to produce a broad range of products. www.usnr.com

Optimil

In business since 1984, Optimil has developed a full line of small log chipping canters. Its design team is constantly working to increase feed rates with more accurate lumber sizing. The small log canters of today can operate in excess of 750 FPM. The Optimil Small Log Profile module can be incorporated into the chipping section or remotely mounted downstream on

50

Comact has introduced its edging module for primary breakdown.

This piece of equipment has been in operation at Quebec sawmill Scierie Dion since 2011. It allows immediate edging right on the log without compromising product output by twin band saws. Moreover, thanks to tools developed and tested for

accurate log positioning, Comact clients are ensured of highly accurate edging/profiling of lateral products right on the logs. www.comact.com

HewSaw

HewSaw is a leader in the design and manufacturing of single pass primary breakdown lines and machines for sawn timber.

This family-run company, which is based in Mäntyharju in the heart of the Finnish Lake District, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2014 and has sold over 70 machines in North America and more than 350 around the globe.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

techupdate In North America, HewSaw offers its “R” Series single pass machines which, depending on the model, can process logs up to 20” in diameter. Its “SL” lines, which feature multiple in-line units, can process logs up to 21.5” in diameter.

All HewSaw models are capable of producing edged sideboards while processing dimension and stud products from the centre cant, with the SL lines offering the most flexibility in output options. HewSaws are designed to maximize production volumes and recovery, while creating a safe, clean, quiet and ergonomically designed work environment. www.hewsaw.com

LINCK GmbH

The LDK Igirma sawmill belonging to the Russian Timber Group is a milestone for the development of the Siberian sawmill industry, says equipment manufacturer LINCK, a supplier to the mill.

The line begins with two large LINCK VM 50 canters, powered up with 320 kW each.

Within the profiler unit, wane is removed from the two sideboards produced at that stage. The profiler heads are adjusted vertically and horizontally with servo cylinders.

Based on the data provided by the upstream 3D scanner, the profiling heads will operate along the pre-planned cant in order to achieve nothing less than the most efficient solution provided by the optimizer, says LINCK. The sideboards, produced on the fly in the best possible way, are then removed from the centre cant by the CSMK DAG. The line can work at speeds of 150 m/min (500’/min).

The plant is equipped with the latest optimization technology, allowing the proper decision to be taken for each individual log on how it should be sawn: straight, centered, diagonal alignment, or curve sawing. www.linck.com

TS Manufacturing

Hardwood, softwood, small or large, TS Manufacturing has designed and built equipment for companies on every forested continent on the globe.

TS linear carriages are built to be precise, durable and reliable. With these concepts in mind, TS Manufacturing says their equipment are the last carriages customers will ever need.

to page 52

More Information? Action Card #135 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

51

techupdate from page 51

Lico

The Lico SJM series twin circular saw is constructed using high quality mechanical components and is offered with different cutting depth capacity.

Each saw module is mounted on a heavy-duty 5” diameter chromed shaft for lateral movement.

TS bandmill systems possess extreme cutting accuracy, resulting in reduced sawdust and improved recovery. They are available in sizes of 48”, 60”, 72” and 84”, in vertical, slant and horizontal saw arrangements.

TS twin saw systems can be thin kerf circular or bandsaw systems. Features include turning roll infeeds, twin saw metal slat beds, drop belts and more.

TS resaw systems are available in vertical linebar, horizontal, slant or multiple saw configurations. Every system can be fitted with an air strain or high strain hydraulic system. www.tsman.com

Söderhamn Eriksson

Since the mid-1990s, Söderhamn Eriksson, together with leading suppliers of measuring and optimizing equipment—such as MPM in Canada—have together delivered saw lines with the highest sawing yield available on the market, says the company.

The company’s primary breakdown equipment includes a rotating log turner which provides the best position for the log to be sawn. After logs are precisely positioned and 3D-scanned for

optimal yield, they are then handled by the company’s LogPos, which always gives the correct alignment. They are then fed through a chipper canter equipped with the company’s newest chipping heads, the CombiCut. The cants are then processed through the AKE Sawmaster twin or quad arrangement. The Sawmaster can be equipped with Vision Tilt, which provides full band saw control for best performance and highest profitability.

For small log lines, the company’s band saws can be replaced with one of its Eurosaw circular saw machines; these saw lines increase sawing yield. The mill’s total capacity, accuracy and versatility will be improved, says the company. www.se-saws.com

52

It has a heavy-duty welded steel frame with a machined housing for pilot bearings. The pneumatic piping is mounted with hydraulic components.

It features centralized lubrication, and oil mist lubrication for bearings is available. All sensors are connected to junction boxes mounted on the machine. www.licoinc.net

Inotech Fabrication

Inotech Fabrication describes its one pass sawing line as the most affordable one pass machine on the market, and a way to reduce chip production.

It can produce square blocks from 1.75” X 1.75” up to 6” X 6”. It can be installed in tight spaces and has an integrated saw

box, with up to three saw capacity. Its 2D scanner is described as easily configurable for all kinds of production. An optional 3D scanner with log rotator is available, and it comes with a choice of hydraulic or electrical motorization.

It features high speed production, up to 550 ft/min. Many configurations are available to meet customer needs. www.inotechfabrication.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

More Information? Action Card #136

SUPPLIERNEWSLINE

By Tony Kryzanowski Peterson introduces new horizontal grinder

The all-new 5710D horizontal grinder is the latest design of high production grinders by Peterson. Powered by a Tier IVi Caterpillar C27 engine making 1050 hp, the 5710D has the power to handle the toughest jobs, the company says.

At 88,500 pounds, the 5710D was designed for operations that require frequent moves between jobs without a special permit. An optional transportation dolly allows the Peterson 5710D to be easily moved, and then set up for operation within minutes.

With a feed opening of 60 x 40 inches combined with Peterson’s high lift feed roll, the 5710D can readily reduce a wide range of material including stumps.

The 5710D utilizes Peterson’s Impact Release System that can be set in the detent mode to provide consistent product sizing or switched to the floating anvil mode for a primary reduction where accurate sizing is less critical. The floating anvil mode provides a high production primary reduction with more protection

from contaminated feedstocks and reduced fuel consumption.

The 5710D’s new generation of controls includes Peterson’s high production Adaptive Control System and a fully adjustable feed system that can be optimized for a wide range of materials.

The 5710D features a large grate area that enables the machine to produce materials to exact specifications. Its quick-change multiple grate system makes it easy to customize grate configurations to produce a wide variety of finished materials. Grates are removed through an enlarged access door on the side wall of the 5710D. Another major innovation included on the 5710D is Peterson’s Impact Cushion System. Urethane cushions allow movement of the compression roll/anvil housing pivot shaft, cushioning impacts due to contaminants in the feed material. Shear pins above the cushion and a sensing circuit that stop the engine help protect the shaft from catastrophic damage in the event of a severe impact. www.petersoncorp.com

Brunette Machinery introduces Vertical Log Singulator

Brunette Machinery Company Inc. has recently launched a new piece of mill equipment, its Vertical Log Singulator.

In a product category that has remained unchanged for years, the Brunette Vertical Log Singulator is said to introduce a variety of upgrades that address log singulator efficiency—both from an operational and maintenance perspective.

More Information? Action Card #137

54

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

suppliernewsline The most notable upgrade is that the entire three-step operation runs on a single, lowimpact electric drive, utilizing a continuously rotating crank arm assembly. The mechanical assembly of the lifting arms is fully-balanced, working together to minimize the overall horsepower required to separate and lift the logs. This compares favourably with traditional log singulators, which require a dedicated drive for each step, forcing more stress on the machine as their lifting arms compete against one another. The result is less moving parts for minimal wear and lean maintenance, says the company.

The Brunette Vertical Log Singulator is constructed as a single modular piece, with all wiring pre-installed and terminated at a common junction box. No on-site assembly is required. The modular frame also benefits from a smaller footprint, saving valuable building space in the mill. And like all Brunette machinery, the Brunette Vertical Log Singulator is manufactured to be extremeduty for long life with very little maintenance, says the company. www.brunettemc.com

Motion Industries acquires Commercial Solutions, Inc.

Motion Canada, a division of Motion Industries, a leading distributor of industrial maintenance, repair, and operation (MRO) replacement parts, completed the acquisition of Commercial Solutions, Inc. (CSI) in January.

CSI, headquartered in Edmonton, is one of Canada's leading independent national distributors of industrial supplies, including bearings and power transmission products, complete solutions for drilling rigs and industrial and safety supplies. Its customers represent a broad cross-section of industries—including the wood and lumber, and pulp and paper industries—and are served from 22 locations across Canada and one in the U.S. CSI’s company history dates back to 1911.

“We are pleased to have completed the acquisition of CSI,” stated Bill Stevens, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Motion Industries. “We welcome the new team and look forward to the many future contributions they will make to our business growth across Canada.”

With annual sales of $4.5 billion, Motion Industries is a leading industrial parts distributor of bearings, mechanical power transmission, electrical and industrial automation, hydraulic and industrial hose, hydraulic and pneumatic components, industrial products, safety products, and material handling. Motion Industries has over 560 operations including 15 distribution centers throughout North America and serves more than 150,000 customers. www.motionindustries.com

White City plant’s sister mills in New Brunswick. Armed with this previous experience, Boise Cascade approached Samuel Strapping Systems and asked them to provide a solution.

In response, Samuel Strapping Systems offered a top-sealing strapping machine set up with a VK30 polyester strap head and a CD12SJ powered dispenser, which was installed on the same production line as another brand of strapping machine.

“After we put the Samuel Strapping bander in with the second bander, we reduced our cycle time by approximately 33 per cent,” says Dennis Ekstrand, manager of EWP maintenance and construction. “Additionally, the Samuel Strapping cycle rate exceeds the cycle rate of the other brand.” www.samuelstrapping.com

Tigercat adds new 470 mulcher carrier Tigercat has added a new model to its expanding line of mulcher carriers.

The new 470 mulcher is equipped with the Tigercat FPT C87 Tier 4i 328 hp engine. It is said to be narrow and agile with extremely low ground pressure, rated at 20.9 kPa (3 psi). The 470 is best suited to tough terrain and sensitive site right-of-way, pipeline maintenance and oil and gas exploration projects. www.tigercat.com

Samuel Strapping brings better bander performance to Boise Cascade

Samuel Strapping Systems recently partnered with Boise Cascade’s Engineered Wood Products (EWP) division to install a bander in their White City, Oregon facility.

Boise Cascade EWP’s Oregon facility is one of the largest laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and I-joist manufacturing plants in the world. Unfortunately, their existing single bander configuration could not process product as quickly as it was being delivered. This resulted in a bottleneck that slowed down operations.

Samuel Strapping Systems had previously outfitted one of the More Information? Action Card #138 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

55

classified

www.forestnet.com

Trades, Mobile equipMenT operaTors, producTion Workers, shifT supervisor, qc Technicians We are pleased to announce we are soon adding another sawmill shift at our Big River SK mill, and are accepting applications for the following positions: Millwrights, Electricians, Mobile Equipment Operators, Saw Filers, Production Workers.

We are also accepting applications for salary positions: Sawmill Shift Supervisor and Quality Control Measurement Technicians.

A competitive industry benefits package is available. Interested candidates may submit resumes in confidence to:

Executive Assistant Resumes@carrierforestproducts.ca Fax: 250-963-7023 Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

56

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

classified

FOR SALE

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Newnes, Trimmer, Edger & Gang Optimizer Replacement Parts—Guaranteed To Work Parts #’s 80APVR2A 80ALPS2A 80APVT2A SPS2C-04

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Ac#

Advertiser

115 133 135 112 119 127 107 105 134 114 110 118 124 139 103 111

Allied Blower....................................... 22 BC Hydro............................................ 45 Bid Group of Companies...................... 51 Brandt Tractor...................................... 19 Brunette Machinery............................. 28 Caterpillar........................................... 35 Cleanfix NA......................................... 14 Connexus Industries............................. 11 DK-Spec.............................................. 46 Dodge Ram......................................... 21 Gilbert................................................. 16 HewSaw.............................................. 27 Hultdins.............................................. 33 Interior Logging Association.................. 55 John Deere............................................ 7 Linck................................................... 17

Page

530-378-8301

6348

101 121 113 130 120 122 108 102 126 129 132 117 125

Metal Detectors Inc............................... 5 Motion Industries / Eaton..................... 29 Northern Plastics................................. 20 Olofsfors - Iggesund............................. 42 Optimil............................................... 29 Peterson.............................................. 31 Prince Rupert Port................................ 14 R James Western Star............................. 6 Safer Council....................................... 34 Samuel Strapping................................. 41 Shilo Enterprises.................................. 44 SKS Engineering................................... 26 SKS Engineering................................... 34

106 100 140 104 136 137 139 123 109 131 116 128

Söderhamn Eriksson............................. 13 Stihl Limited.......................................... 2 Tigercat Industries................................ 60 Trelleborg............................................ 10 USNR.................................................. 53 Wajax Equipment................................. 54 Waratah.............................................. 59 Wheeler Equipment............................. 32 Wolftek Industries................................ 15 Wood-Mizer........................................ 43 Woodland Equipment.......................... 23 Zhengchang......................................... 39

FEBRUARY 2014

100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125

126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138

139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151

#

#

qty. 72 .......$100/each qty. 97 .......$100/each qty. 84 .......$100/each qty. 132 .....$250/each

57

thelastword

Future bright for B.C. Interior forest industry—but clouds need to be weathered first

By Jim Stirling

T

he future is bright and investment positive for the British Columbia Interior forest industry—but storm clouds and turbulence must first be weathered.

That cautionary message was repeated by industry speakers to delegates when the two-day B.C. Natural Resource Forum convened in Prince George in January.

Timber supply is the elephant in the Interior’s room as the realities from the mountain pine beetle epidemic cast deeper shadows. The provincial AAC of around 70 million cubic metres is unsustainable. But it has allowed salvage of the diseased pine to be accelerated while the timber retains sawlog value.

A 43 million cubic metre level is more realistic, suggested James Gorman, president and CEO of the Council of Forest Industries. It means despite the sawmill casualties through the recession and the collapse of the U.S. housing market, the Interior forest industry is facing more downsizing.

“We are trying to work with government to increase certainty around timber supply so each company and each community can plan accordingly,” said Gorman. Evidence of the timber supply crunch was evident in 2013 with the deal brokered between the province’s two largest integrated forest companies. Both West Fraser and Canfor have sawmill operations in Houston and Quesnel. But West Fraser will close its sawmill in Houston and Canfor will do likewise in Quesnel, and the companies plan to swap timber harvesting rights within the respective closure areas.

The industry titans’ deal represents the first time a profitable mill will be closed because of a looming beetle-induced timber shortage. It is unlikely to be the last.

The provincial government is in the second phase of a review of B.C. Timber Sales, which controls allocation of around 20 per cent of the annual cut. The wood comes from licencee clawbacks instituted a few years ago to support First Nations

aspirations, and provide licences for groups like community forests.

It appears the results of the timber sales review will be pivotal to how the government anticipates mitigating the timber supply falldown. It is also likely to prepare and encourage the industry to embrace tenure reforms.

One of these reforms is encouraging licencees to move more toward area-based forest tenures. The government believes that will encourage companies to do more intensive silviculture in their interest areas from which, in time, they can reap the benefits in improved growth and yield.

When the final U.S. housing starts statistics are crunched, they’re expected to show just above a million housing starts in 2013, continued Gorman. And that figure is likely to increase in 2014. But another uncertainty is on the horizon. In 2015, the Softwood Lumber Agreement with the U.S. is up for renegotiation, he added.

Getting that renewed favourably is key, Gorman said.

Skilled labour shortages in the forest industry—like the timber supply crunch— have come home to roost. Attracting and retaining talented people to the forest industry is likely in general terms to become more acute before it alleviates.

Delegates to the Prince George Natural Resources Forum did receive some upbeat news on the forest industry’s radar. Asian wood product markets—led

by China— continue to be a bottomline saver for Interior lumber producers.

Chris McIver also informed delegates of new products that might produce similar positive impacts. New sustainable wood products like cross laminated timber can potentially be another China for lumber producers, enthused the vice-president of lumber sales and corporate development for West Fraser Timber. B.C. is leading the “build with wood” initiative, he said, and competing head to head with concrete and steel.

McIver represents West Fraser on the

58

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - February 2014

Canada Wood Council and WoodWorks!

He believes B.C.’s potential is greatest as a product supplier for wood structures in the five to 10 storey categories, like the Wood Innovation and Design Centre, now under construction in Prince George.

The conference’s opening speaker delivered a simple message to the assembled resource industry heavies that was echoed throughout the event. “Talk to us!” urged Dominic Frederick, chief of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation of Prince George. All the billions of dollars of industrial activity planned in northern B.C. are on the traditional lands of the region’s First Nations.

Another development was not on the conference agenda, but still in the minds of forest industry delegates. The decision by the Crown not to lay criminal or regulatory charges against Babine Forest Products for the explosion and fire at its sawmill near Burns Lake has upset and frustrated many observers. Robert Luggi Jr. and Carl Charlie were killed in the blast, and 20 more sawmill workers injured. The Crown said part of its motivation for not laying charges was because WorkSafeBC’s investigation of the incident was flawed and charges were unlikely to succeed.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark has asked her deputy minister to examine the case and a coroner’s inquest with a jury is to be held. The jury makes only recommendations, not findings of fault, though.

Feelings run high, especially in the Burns Lake area, about the current lack of accountability for the tragedy. Watching all this unfold with undoubted trepidation are the principals of Lakeland Mills in Prince George. A similar incident four months after Babine destroyed the Lakeland mill, took the lives of Al Little and Glenn Roche, and another 22 employees were injured.

Ways are needed to get beyond these tragic events before that bright forestry future that’s promised comes to pass.

For 10 years, our competitors have been chasing the 622B. Tey still are.

From Day 1, the 622B harvesting and processing head has earned its reputation as the industry’s workhorse. But leading doesn’t mean you rest. That’s why we’ve made more than 80 updates and enhancements over the years to make this head even more reliable, more durable, and more productive for you. Among them: optional continuous 360-degree rotation, a new and improved fnd end, common bar oiling tank to both top and main saws, wider drive rollers, and tilt cylinder lock while cross cutting. We have also added many serviceability and accessibility improvements.

New TimberRite functionality provides superior optimization by utilizing both minimum and maximum large and small end diameters, priority length targeting, and allows single button optimizing. Now, more than ever, this Waratah is built to work. www.waratah.net Waratah Canada, Kamloops, B.C. 1-800-959-3799 or 250-377-4333

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More Information? Action Card #139

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