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March/April 2019
B.C.’S COASTFIBRE achieves solid safety record on steep slopes FIGHTING WILDFIRES at the community level With this issue…
The Edge!
PREVIEW: BC Saw Filers’ Conference CANADA’S TOP LUMBER PRODUCERS!
FEATURES March/April 2019 Volume 50 • No. 2 Editor Paul MacDonald Contributing Editors Jim Stirling Tony Kryzanowski George Fullerton Tech Update Editor Tony Kryzanowski
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Office PO Box 86670, 211 East 1st Street North Vancouver, BC V7L 4L2 Phone: (604) 990-9970 • Fax: (604) 990-9971 Website: www.forestnet.com Subscriptions: Canada $58 a year; two years $70; three years, $85. Group accounts, six or more subscriptions, $25 per subscription per year. Outside Canada, $95 per year. Airmail $165. Single copy, Canada $6; elsewhere $10. Reproduction prohibited without permission of the publisher. ISSN 0226-7572. Back copies from 1996 onward are available through our website www.forestnet.com Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064045 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to CIRCULATION DEPT. PO Box 86670 Stn Main North Vancouver BC V7L 4L2 e-mail: SubscribeLSJ@forestnet.com POSTMASTER: Send US address changes to LSJ Publishing Ltd., PO Box 610, Edmonds, WA 98020-0610 Published March/April 2019 Printed in Canada on 20% recycled paper.
“We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada” Logging & Sawmilling Journal is a member/associate member of the following industry organizations:
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Spotlight Story: Fighting wildfires—at the community level Local governments in B.C. are doing what they can to reduce the devastating effects wildfires can have on forests—and the communities within those forests.
8
Solid safety record on steep slopes B.C. coastal logging operation CoastFibre has invested big time in steep slope logging equipment—and that investment has paid off in a solid safety record.
18 BC Saw Filers’
Convention coming up
Logging and Sawmilling Journal previews the upcoming BC Saw Filers’ Convention, to be held in Kamloops, B.C. April 25 to 27, which promises to be a great exhibition of all the latest in technology, products and services in saw filing.
26
Top Lumber Producers – Who’s on Top? Logging and Sawmilling Journal’s exclusive annual listing of Canada’s Top Lumber Producers, produced in co-operation with industry consultants, FEA Group.
30 Fitting all the pieces together ...
Working with a solid crew—and employing Tigercat, Rottne and Log Max equipment—New Brunswick logger Carter Dixon is finding he has all the pieces for a successful logging operation.
36 Dealing with
substance abuse…in the sawmill
Ontario sawmill reps have identified substance abuse as the top health and safety risk in the workplace—and now have some action suggestions on how to deal with it.
DEPARTMENTS
Calendar............................................ 7 Tech Update.................................... 62
On the Cover: Saskatchewan’s Freedom Logging harvests about 283,000 cubic metres annually, primarily for the Tolko OSB plant near Meadow Lake, and the logging outfit has a long association with John Deere equipment, including Deere skidders, as the backbone of their logging fleet. Read all about the operation beginning on page 44 of this issue. (Cover photo by Tony Kryzanowski)
44 Building the base…
Saskatchewan’s Freedom Logging started operations in the jaws of the economic downturn, and has gradually built its volume—and its equipment base—to the point that it now has more than triple the cut that it started with, in 2008.
48 Equipment evolution
Ontario logger Dave Quehl has made the move into cut-to-length harvesting, and his equipment line-up has evolved—with a Caterpillar 521B tracked harvester with a Quadco 5660 head and John Deere 1510E forwarder now fitting the bill.
54 Catching a great wood products market
New Brunswick’s GL Wood Products has established a very unique market niche: producing lumber components for fish boxes for shipping smoked and salted fish to overseas markets.
67 The Edge
Included in this edition of The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, are stories from the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre and FPInnovations.
78 The Last Word
A recovering pulp sector is good news for solid wood producers—and loggers, says Tony Kryzanowski. Suppliernewsline............................. 73 Classifieds....................................... 76 Subscriptions................................... 77 Ad Index.......................................... 77
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
3
spotlight
Fighting wildfires
—at the community level
Local governments in B.C. are doing what they can to reduce the devastating effects wildfires can have on forests—and the communities within those forests. By Jim Stirling
C
ontaining wildfires in the British Columbia Interior has become a year ‘round preoccupation. Spring, summer and fall have become characterized in many regions by wildfire fighting, smoke concentrations and evacuation alerts and orders. In the winter, when the fires are finally subdued, the work shifts to designing systems on a landscape level, to help prevent fires from spreading and reducing their impacts on people, communities and infrastructure. It can be a daunting process, as the wildfires have become larger and more unpredictable in their behaviours. Before the end of August 2018, wildfires had burned about 13,000 square kilometres 4
of forest land in B.C., eclipsing the previous record set just one year earlier. Just how many of those square kilometres represent losses from the working forests inventory varies from region to region. But on the heels of the mountain pine beetle epidemic and with the warming climate stimulating insect populations endemic to other species, the fires are creating significant negative impacts on the forest industry’s near and mid-term timber supply prospects. Local governments on several levels are taking on increasing responsibilities to do what they can to mitigate the often devastating effects wildfires have on the landscape. The governments work in concert with the province and the forest industry which in most areas in the interior is a major employer and key contributor to Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
Nora Hannon (above), wildfire mitigation supervisor for the Regional District of Central Kootenay in southeastern B.C., says wildfires have always been an issue in this part of the province, but not on the level of the last couple of record-setting years.
the local and regional economies. The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) has adopted a planned and co-ordinated approach toward wildfire mitigation. “The Regional District of Central Kootenay is located in southeastern B.C. and is a very mountainous area,” outlined to page 6
spotlight from page 4 Nora Hannon, wildfire mitigation supervisor for the RDCK, based in Nelson. There are long, deep lakes between the mountains and the area is heavily forested with mixed timber stands of fir, cedar and pine. Wildfires have always been an issue in this part of the Kootenays but not on the level of the last couple of record-setting years, explained Hannon. “It’s definitely a concern.”
She pointed out that historically the regional district concentrated on small operational treatments to retard forest fire spread and its potential effects on regional communities. “Then more recently elected officials mandated wildfire mitigation measures on the landscape.” It has resulted in more regional co-ordination with creation of wildfire protection plans. The RDCK has been successful in applying for and receiving funding for
wildfire mitigation projects from the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. The agency was formed by the B.C. government in February 2016 with the objective of enhancing forest resilience to wildfire and climate change. The Forest Enhancement Society began with an $85 million funding allowance. The trend now is toward prescriptions and treatments on a larger scale, continued Hannon. The process involves considerable consultation with other
Wildfire leaves small town residents miles from home
W
ildfire mitigation strategies are just that: exercises in damage control. In small, rural communities in British Columbia, often with limited access to resources but surrounded by forests, that can be especially true. The Alkali Lake wildfire destroyed 21 homes this past summer in the isolated community of Telegraph Creek in northwestern B.C. The fire was driven by drought conditions and high winds and as often happens in such circumstances, it merged with four other smaller wildfires in the area, creating a 120,000 hectares conflagration. Up to 160 firefighters did
6
everything they could to save the buildings. The historic and attractive community alongside the Stikine River, about 120 kilometres southwest of Dease Lake, has been home to the Tahltan people for centuries. As late as this past October, after 10 weeks of enforced exile, most of the approximately 300 residents were still waiting to go home. Apart from the lost houses, most other homes in the community are fire and smoke damaged. Danger trees have largely been removed and the septic system repaired. But the safety of the water system was still uncertain, Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
hazardous construction materials exposed by the fire needed attention and the insurance assessments had to be completed before remedial construction could begin. The Alkali Lake wildfire also exposed a jurisdictional glitch between the provincial and federal governments for emergency funding for fire fighting on reserve lands. Both levels of government have pledged to resolve the issue. The evacuation order was lifted for Telegraph Creek on Nov. 15 and residents were told they would finally be allowed to go home, but it was a long 102 days of waiting.
spotlight groups and government agencies including the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operation and Rural Development, forest licencees, utilities and first nations. “We’re building off that collaborative planning process through pilot projects with district licencees for on site level prescriptions in 2019,” she added. With so many parts of the B.C. Interior smoke-filled for often weeks at a time during the last two summers, the public is urging governments at all levels to define and mandate a cohesive policy toward wildfire mitigation. The issue was the subject for several resolutions presented by local governments to the 2018 Union of B.C. Municipalities’ annual conference. The resolutions ranged from calling on the province to fund rural and First Nations fire departments—often the first responders to fire risks—to urging the provincial government to re-assume its responsibilities for managing Crown land. The present situation has the offloading of responsibilities to local governments ill-equipped and underfunded to handle them. It was the Elephant Hill wildfire of 2017 that traumatized the community of Clinton, located in the Thompson-Nicola Region, and led to the creation of a blueprint for wildfire recovery. The Elephant Hill fire originated near Ashcroft and travelled north and up and on to the south Cariboo plateau and the village of Clinton. For about 49 days, Highway 97, the main route north, was subject to closures and its residents directed by evacuation alerts and orders. The wildfire took about 84 days to contain, by which time it had consumed about 192,000 hectares. The Village of Clinton hired two consulting firms to help it form a Wildfire Recovery Plan for the village after assessing the economic, environmental and social impacts the fire caused: Iverson & Mackenzie Biological Consultants, Lac La Hache, B.C. and R.W. Gray Consulting Ltd., of Chilliwack, B.C. Economic drivers impacted by the fire included West Fraser’s Chasm sawmill and the Clinton & District Community Forest. Both sustained substantial fibre supply losses. The community forest sustained an estimated 15 per cent reduction in timber supply. The recovery plan’s first recommendation for the short and medium term was to: “Implement wildfire protection strategies within the Village of Clinton, bylaws and policies to protect and safeguard property in the village boundary from urban interface wildfire.”
April 25-27
CALENDAR
BC Sawfilers AGM and Trade Show, Kamloops, BC
250-546-2234, www.bcsawfilers.com May 2-3
Interior Logging Association Conference, AGM & Tradeshow, Kamloops, BC 250-503-2199 www.interiorlogging.org
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
May 7-9
Ontario Professional Foresters' Assoc. 62nd Ann. Conf. & AGM, Thunder Bay, ON 905-877-3617, opfa.ca May 8-9
9th Annual Global Log & Lumber Conference, Vancouver, BC
604-801-5996, www.woodmarkets.com
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contractorprofile
SOLID SAFETY
RECORD ON STEEP SLOPES B.C. coastal logging operation CoastFibre has invested big time in steep slope logging equipment—and that investment has paid off in a solid safety record.
By Paul MacDonald
F
or Don Bahen and Mary DeLury of B.C. logging contractor CoastFibre, making the shift to using equipment specifically designed to work on steep slopes—vs. using hand fallers and grapple yarders—was as straightforward a decision as they come. This husband and wife management team for CoastFibre started doing contract logging for forest company TimberWest about a decade ago, after moving to Vancouver Island from the B.C. Interior. The two had run logging and other forestry operations around the Burns Lake and Houston area, about 200 kilometres west of Prince George, and were looking for a new challenge. They certainly found that challenge, in logging the steep slopes on B.C.’s West Coast. CoastFibre has since become a major logging contractor for forest company TimberWest, and they have invested extensively in steep slope equipment, including two ClimbMAX Steep Slope Harvesters and two EMS C3 Tractionline winch assist systems. Both systems were first developed in New Zealand. 8
“We’ve invested a lot of money in our equipment,” says Bahen. “We were the first ones in Canada with the Tractionline equipment.” The EMS Tractionline product is represented by Technical Forest Solutions, which is based in Kelso, Washington. CoastFibre used to have grapple yarders, but once they got the steep slope equipment, and figured out how best to use them, they were quick to move on, says Bahen. “We’re not grapple yarder operators,” he added. “That is not our thing. We have a background as mechanical loggers from the Interior—and that is our strength. So anything we can do that is mechanical, that is the preferable option for us.” From their start on Vancouver Island about a decade ago, the company wanted to take more of an Interior-type approach to logging, vs. the traditional grapple yarder type of logging that has been the tried and true on the Coast. “We find the traditional Coast approach to logging backwards,” says Bahen, in a very direct fashion. “The wood resource on the Coast is unparalleled in B.C., but the industry still sputters.” Bahen readily agrees that change can be difficult Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
contractorprofile for an industry, such as coastal logging, and can be complicated by a number of different issues. “We brought our knowledge and we saw that there was a way to improve things. To me, anything that improves safety and that makes workers safer, should be embraced. “When you watch a grapple go out, grab a tree, then snap the tree as it pulls the tree down the hill— you think there has to be a better way. And loggers often aren’t making any money doing this, which is the name of the game,” he says. “With the steep slope logging equipment we use, the wood comes down to the road in tree length form. You get way better utilization and recovery, because with the long length of the log, you can buck out whatever preferred length you require. When the tree is broken, you’re limited as to what you can do.” Today, CoastFibre is very focused on the steep slope equipment, and have no grapple yarders. And they have been able to reduce their hand falling from 25 per cent of their total log production, to about five per cent. “Having the steep slope machines essentially engineers a lot of the risk out of the logging,” explains Bahen.
And safety is a high priority at the company. So much so that CoastFibre was given a Safety Leader in Innovation award from TimberWest. “I think that one of the pillars for TimberWest’s approach is to engineer out risk, and I think that’s why we were maybe looked at as safety innovators for them. No one else seems to be doing steep slope logging to the extent that we are.” In addition to the important safety aspects of using steep slope equipment, there are the management benefits. “I run one side, and our supervisor, Denny Pement, runs the other side, and it’s way easier to manage a logging show when everyone is on a machine and on a radio vs. having people running power saws, and trying to stay in touch with them. We have very few people on the ground now.” Bahen believes their complete commitment to steep slope equipment makes them unusual on the B.C. Coast. Other companies/contractors are using steep slope equipment, but they also usually have grapple yarders, as well, and extensive hand falling operations. “It’s interesting work, with the steep slope equipment,” says Bahen, who cut his teeth on mechanical harvesting equip-
ment in the B.C. Interior through the 1980s and 1990s. “We’ve kind of evolved in how we use the equipment, and we’ve had a lot of people come out to see what we’re doing, in terms of getting the guys off the ground, as much as possible.” Bahen noted they have several high risk areas in their work, in the bush. There is the hand falling, which they have worked to minimize. There is the cable yarding, with hook tenders and chasers. “We’ve eliminated that,” he said. “The other area of risk is trucking, and that is always going to be high risk because of the interface with the public.” In addition to the steep slope equipment, CoastFibre are big believers in purpose-built equipment, and are big Tigercat customers. “We used 855C tilters, and got the first ones in B.C. for Tigercat,” explains Bahen. “We adapted a power clam on to the machines.” They use the machines to cut trail, and then chuck the wood down, sometimes to benches, but often all the way down to roadside. Their 855C cutting machines are all to page 10
For Don Bahen and Mary DeLury of B.C. logging contractor CoastFibre, making the shift to using equipment specifically designed to work on steep slopes—vs. using hand fallers and grapple yarders— was as straightforward a decision as they come.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
9
contractorprofile from page 9 equipped with bar saws. “The reason we do that is we have a one-pass system, where we cut the tree and then chuck the tree. But if you are using a feller buncher, with a hot saw, you are cutting the tree, and then placing the tree on the hill to be yarded down. “You’ll be able to cut faster with a hot saw, but then you can’t chuck the wood down the hill—you are then committed to using a two-pass system, and using a grapple yarder. We want to cut the tree, and get it to roadside.” Bahen noted they have to operate carefully with the equipment, as they can encounter a lot of wet weather, which can make operating on the slopes tricky. They want to minimize any environmental impact. “We want to leave the hillside intact,” he says. “When it gets wet, you have to be careful because you can bring that hillside downhill with you, if you're not careful.” The combined ClimbMAX/EMS Tractionline systems seems to be a solid approach for CoastFibre. With the ClimbMAX machines, they cut up the hill. With the EMS system, the excavator with the winch assist is on the road, and the tethered Tigercat goes down the slope. “We need both machines to cut the whole profile.” But Bahen says there was a learning curve, when they first started working with the equipment. The ClimbMAX and EMS folks went over the equipment thoroughly with them—but it was, of course, up to CoastFibre to figure out the best ways to operate the machines in the tough ground of the B.C. Coast. “I’d say we are good at what we do now, but it took us a year to 18 months, to get there.” They had to figure out when
10
From their start on Vancouver Island about a decade ago, CoastFibre wanted to take more of a B.C. Interior-type approach to logging, vs. the traditional grapple yarder type of logging that has been the tried and true on the Coast. to change the cable, how to minimize the stretch in the cable, how to make sure the machines are as safe as possible on a slope. “It’s very difficult because each block is different.” The steep slope equipment aside, Bahen says there will always be situations where grapple yarding makes sense. He says they are looking at getting a Harvestline yarding system, which he says would be more nimble than a full grapple yarding set-up. The equipment investment has paid off in an improved safety record. Since CoastFibre has gone to steep slope equipment, they have not had a Lost Time Accident. Employees see the commitment to safety in the equipment you choose, says Bahen. “If you are going to dangle someone down a 50 per cent slope, you have to walk the talk with the equipment you have. The guys want to be confident that they have the best equipment out there,”
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
he says, noting the EMS system is a twocable system, and calls it the “Cadillac” of systems. “The ClimbMAX is a one rope system, but it has a winch and safety blade on it, so if the rope breaks, it will stay on the hill.” And despite the agility of the steep slope equipment, CoastFibre does not expect their operators to get every last stick. If there is a steep gully, or a rock face, the equipment can’t get at those trees, says Bahen. “That might be two to three per cent of the block—the equipment can’t go everywhere. But at the end of the day, even with leaving those trees, we’re still getting way more volume off a block than a yarder because we have less waste and breakage—and it’s way safer. “Part of our commitment to our people is we don’t want them to get hurt. How to page 12
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CoastFibre are big believers in purpose-built equipment, and are big Tigercat customers. Carrying out the processing for the operation are three Tigercat 880D machines, each with Southstar QS605 heads, and a Tigercat 880, with a Waratah head. from page 10 do we make that happen? We put our people in the safest equipment we can find. We know we’re still asking them to do a dangerous job, but we want to make it as safe as we possibly can. We want them to get home safe—period.” Their equipment line-up includes two tethered Tigercat 855C bar saw cutters, a Tigercat 870D buncher and a Tigercat 830D buncher. Helping to fill out the equipment line-up is a Cat D6NLGP dozer, two Hitachi ZX260F-6 Forester excavators, and two Hitachi ZX240F-3 Foresters. The excavators assisting on the Tractionline are a Hitachi ZX290F-3 Forester, and a John Deere 2954D. Doing the hoechucking are a Tigercat LS855E and a Tigercat LS855D. Their loaders are three Tigercat 880D machines. One of the loaders is equipped with a CWS grapple, and two others have Weldco-Beales grapples. Carrying out the processing are three Tigercat 880D machines, each with Southstar QS605 heads, and a Tigercat 880, with a Waratah head. Helping to fill out the fleet is a Tigercat 630E skidder. Also in the line-up are a Traxxon and two Tamrock rock drills and three Cat graders, two 14H machines and a 14G machine. They also have three Cat rock trucks, and a Moxy rock truck. Key to their safety program with all of this equipment, and their operators, is Mary DeLury, who oversees all the safety details, and has extensive industry experience dating back to her days as a treeplanter—and she is an RPF, to boot. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
Safety, Bahen and DeLury feel, goes way beyond someone wearing a high-vis vest out in the bush. “Personal protective equipment is important, but it’s just part of it,” says Bahen. In addition to the fact that having a good safety program is just plain the right thing to do, it also makes sense from a business perspective, says Bahen. “It’s the biggest variable you have control over vs. your competition. You can’t control the fuel costs or equipment costs, but you can control how safe you are.” And with that, your WorkSafeBC premiums. In addition to the financial savings to operating a safer logging operation, even more important is the protection of employees, some of whom have worked with Bahen and DeLury for decades. “I think what has made us successful on the safety side is that our safety did not start in 2009, when we moved to the Island,” says DeLury. “It has been developed over many years. I’ve been building safety programs since I was a treeplanter. When we were in the Interior, we were one of the pilot companies for the BC Forest Safety Council in 2005. “And the safety program we have now is very adaptable because I’m the one that manages it,” adds DeLury. “If something is not working on the safety side, we stop and make changes.” DeLury and Bahen believe the lean management system at the company helps them keep tabs on how safety is going. In to page 14
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contractorprofile from page 12 addition to the two of them, there is an office manager, a logging supervisor and a trucking supervisor—and that’s it. “There are no gaps—if someone gets hurt, we know about it.” Both DeLury and Bahen know full well that there are inherent risks to working in the forest industry. “We are in a dangerous business, by occupation,” DeLury says. “But you can choose to make it safer.” Bahen knows first-hand the risks of being on the ground in the bush, having been a faller in the B.C. Interior. And given the difficult ground conditions, it is even riskier being a faller on the B.C. Coast. And he notes that while there may be a high level of control for safety in the industry’s manufacturing facilities, it’s a different story out in the bush. With a sawmill or a pulp mill, the work area is fixed—you can isolate the danger, and make part of the plant a no-go or caution area. “You can’t do that in the forest—guys are operating all over the block,” he says. “And the blocks change—
things change every single day when you are logging.” Both Bahen and DeLury feel that safety is key to attracting the next generation of workers to the industry, such as Bahen’s son, Matt, who works as a processor operator. “The risks that previous generations tolerated are not acceptable to young people,” says DeLury. “If we don’t adapt, we won’t be able to get them to enter the forest industry.” Though he has criticisms of how the coastal logging industry operates, Bahen feels the forest companies operating on the coast are themselves strong, and have good vision, despite the criticism they sometimes receive. “You know, they get flak for being log exporters, but if that is the best return on their investment, I have no problem with that. If you’re a grain farmer, you don’t think anything of shipping grain to China. But if we ship logs, somehow that’s wrong? I don’t understand that—it’s a commodity.” Their experience in the B.C. Interior positioned them well in the transfer to the Coast, says Bahen. “It’s a lot differ-
ent—there is much more integration in the industry in the Interior. And you have to be more efficient because the Interior wood is much more of a commodity resource compared to the high value wood on the Coast.” And there are general cultural differences that they’ve noticed, as well. In the B.C. Interior, the forest industry is generally seen as central to the regional economy, and supporting jobs and businesses. There is more environmental pressure on the Coast, with its large urban centres, and the forest is often not seen by the public as a sustainable resource. But Bahen and DeLury, with their backgrounds in treeplanting, know that it is. “We come from a place where the forest is a resource and renewable, and we planted trees and they grow,” says DeLury. “Often, we go back to the first block we cut when we moved operations to the Island, at Port Renfrew, and the trees are 20 feet high now. “We’re pretty green, especially for loggers. We have planted many, many more trees than we harvested. We understand that trees are a renewable resource.”
Exhibit or Attend the
BC Saw Filer’s Association 68th Annual Conference and Trade Show!
Held Once Again in Kamloops at the Coast Kamloops Hotel & Conference Centre
April 25th - 27 th, 2019 Pre-Register Now!
v Annual General Meeting: Friday 9:00 AM v Friday Night: Buffet dinner followed by entertainment v Tradeshow: Thursday 1:00 – 6:00 PM Friday 12:00 – 6:00 PM v Keynote Speakers & Educational Presentations v Seminars on Saturday and Sponsored Lunch Find out more at
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
D SERIES WHEEL SKIDDER
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
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industryevents
Saw filers ready to sharpen their skills… The 2019 B.C. Saw Filers’ Association conference and trade show being held April 25 to 27 in Kamloops, B.C., could very well be the largest saw filers conference to date, and attendees will be able to see and hear about everything from new filing and automation technology to best maintenance and safety practices.
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
industryevents
By S. J. Trotton
L
ike so many industries experiencing challenges with a growing number of vacancies due to the fact too many workers are retiring or planning to retire in the near future, many of British Columbia’s remaining saw filers know only too well what it’s like to feel shorthanded in the workplace. “The challenge of not having enough skilled workers to replace your retirees is definitely becoming more apparent with each passing year,” says Matt Graves, secretary for the B.C. Saw Filers’ Association (BCSFA) and Tolko Industries Lavington Division saw filer veteran. “We were also talking about the same challenge last year and the year before that but still need to as the challenge just isn’t going away,” he added. The BCSFA is an independent, grassroots organization which aims to encourage the wide-ranging dissemination of knowledge and resources for the benefit of all those involved in the saw filing trade. Its membership tends to consist of a progressive group of filers who “focus on education and cooperation,” says Graves. “That is probably why our annual conference and trade show continue to be predominantly education-focused.” This year’s annual conference is
planned for April 25 to 27 and will be held once again at the Coast Kamloops Hotel and Convention Centre, located in downtown Kamloops. The event will once again include an annual general meeting portion and will feature exhibitors such as Thompson Rivers University’s (TRU) Industrial Trades and Technology Centre located in Williams Lake as well as talks
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
from some of their instructors. Graves says the hope is the conference can address the continuing skilled workers void some thought may be remedied by all of the advancements in innovative cutting-edge technologies. to page 20
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industryevents from page 19 The TRU campus in Williams Lake continues to be the only campus in Canada and the Western United States that offers technical training for the trade. At their campus, students can get hands-on training and as a result become certified in saw filing which is broken down into three industry trades: saw fitting, circular saw filer, and bench person. The forest industry continues to support the program, recognizing how much the industry needs skilled trade workers and particularly saw filers. In 2017 for example, the school received much-needed equipment donated by Canfor Corporation and HMT Machine Tools Canada. “Without saw filers, sawmills simply can’t operate,” Graves points out. Although the school helps tremendously with providing the certified training saw filers need and has produced more than 220 graduates since its start in 2013, Graves says it is only part of the solution. “Filers need more than the years of schooling they can now access,” explains Graves. “To really be good at the job, they also need plenty of training on-the-job so
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that they can get to a level they need to be at.” Currently, the association’s plans for their annual conference and trade show, which always attracts dozens of equipment manufacturers, are well underway. Graves says this year’s event may end up being the best attended yet as his
Logging & SawmillingPCL_PETROGUIDE_V1.indd Journal - March/April 2019 1
fellow association members are planning a packed agenda for the three days registrants will be meeting. That agenda will once again include dinner and entertainment for Friday
to page 22
4/3/18 3:37 PM
industryevents from page 20 night, says Graves, as well as additional recreational activities planned for the Saturday night. New this year will be the timing for the annual general meeting portion which will run Friday morning from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. as opposed to Saturday morning. “Changing the AGM time was something we thought we would try this year and see how it goes,” explains Graves. “We are anticipating it will allow for more educational sessions on the Saturday.” As in years past, attendees will be able to see and hear about everything from new filing and automation technology to best maintenance and safety practices during conference sessions and throughout the trade show. The annual conference typically attracts approximately anywhere from 150 to 160 registrants and is considered to be the largest convention of its kind in North America, reports Graves. “They come from all over Western Canada and even parts of the U.S. as the event is great for networking and learning not only what is the latest technology out
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there, but also what sort of best practices are being developed.” Last year, the event’s trade show portion brought together dozens of exhibitors who featured the latest innovation in filing technology, and the best in tooling and saw-related products and services. Already confirmed for this year’s event
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
are manufacturers known throughout the industry, says Graves. To become a saw filer, the industry requires people have a minimum of a Grade 10 education that includes English,
to page 24
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industryevents from page 22 Math and Science. Those in training then get broken into three levels of saw filing certification. To complete Level 1 successfully, saw filer students must complete the courses as well as obtain 1,680 hours of work-based training. Upon completion of all Level 1 requirements which includes obtaining at least 70 per cent on the final exam, students can then move on to Level 2 training. When Level 2 is successfully completed, the apprentice is granted a certificate of qualification, a certificate of apprenticeship and becomes a journeyperson. Those who choose to move on to Level 3 can transition from journeyperson status to bench person certified. Those who take this level of training become qualified for benching band saws which includes the lining up of head rigs and grinding of band wheels. Level 3 program training also requires 120 hours of in-school training, a mark of at least 70 per cent on the final exam and an additional 1,680 hours of work-based training. In an effort to streamline registration for membership and to establish numbers for the dinner and show, the association is offering pre-registration. Anyone wishing to pre-register for the conference is asked to email Graves at mdgrav@gmail.com. “And of course, when you pre-register, you don’t have to stand in line.” He asks that when people make their pre-registration requests, they make sure to include their name, company, mailing address, email, number of dinner tickets required and whether or not they are active or retired. “We will confirm your registration. Upon arrival at the show you may pick up and pay for your conference package
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and dinner tickets at the pre-registration desk.” The event is open to all filers, mill managers and maintenance supervisors, as well as anyone interested in seeing the latest industry trends. For those who miss the cut-off date or can’t commit that far in advance, registration will once again be offered on site as well, says Graves.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
To learn more about the annual conference, visit: www.bcsawfilers.com. To learn more about saw filing careers, visit: http://www.itabc.ca/program/ saw-filer. To learn more about Thompson Rivers University’s saw filing training program, visit: https://www.tru.ca/trades/tradesprograms/saw-filer.html.
lumbermarkets
still Canada’s top lumber producer West Fraser Timber kept its top spot among Canadian lumber producers in 2018. The wild card for this year would be a recovery in demand that would allow for more stable U.S. lumber prices, benefiting Canadian lumber producers.
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
lumbermarkets
By Russ Taylor
F
EA Canada/WOOD MARKETS’ 2018 annual survey of top Canadian and U.S. lumber producers features mixed production trends, partly as a result of alternately spiking and crashing U.S. lumber prices in 2018. With a few mill acquisitions by smaller companies (and one large company: West Fraser’s mid-2017 acquisition of Gilman in the U.S. South), most of the production gains in 2018 were facilitated by improvements at existing mills. Given ongoing industry consolidations, it is important to note that our complete survey now focuses on the top 15 lumber producers. Our early surveys, conducted in the 1990s, covered the top 30 companies; this illustrates how much the industry has changed in the last two decades. In our shortened Top 20 Canada list in 1998, only six firms on the list are still under the same ownership today! An excerpt from the full survey on Canada’s “Top 10” lumber producers is outlined here. Total North American softwood lumber shipments inched their way higher for the ninth consecutive year in 2018, increasing by about 320 million board feet (+0.5 per cent) versus 2017 (to 62.14 billion board feet from 61.8 billion). While growth in
the U.S. housing market slowed, there was good activity in residential repair and remodelling, as well as favourable demand in other segments. Export markets were unsettled, with U.S. exports increasing slightly and Canadian exports (including to the U.S.) decreasing by around one billion board feet. Logistics disruptions in western North America interacted with other events, leading to lumber market shortages in the first half of the year, followed by excessive field inventories in the second half. As a result, Canada’s total shipments declined Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
by 2.4 per cent (-680 million board feet to 27.36 billion board feet), with total U.S. shipments gaining 3.0 per cent (+1.0 billion board feet to 34.78 billion board feet). The Top 10 Canadian producers saw their shipments grow at a slightly slower pace than the overall Canadian industry in 2017 and again in 2018, the softwood lumber shipments of the Top 10 decreased at a greater pace than Canada
to page 28 27
lumbermarkets from page 27 as a whole (-3.0 per cent for the top 10; -2.4 per cent for Canada). The Canadian Top 10 saw their output decline to 15.7 billion board feet in 2018 from 16.2 billion board feet in 2017, and their share of national production decreased slightly, moving from 57.6 per cent in 2017 to 57.3 per cent in 2018. The drop in shipments are a function of a range of supply and market factors. The spectacular ramp-up in prices through June, and the subsequent crash by autumn, led to numerous mill curtailments. The implementation of import duties on lumber shipments to the U.S. finally took a hard bite out of Canadian mills’ margins (particularly those in the B.C. Interior due to rising log prices and forest fires; projected reductions in the overall SPF timber supply in that region will ultimately compound the challenges). As a result of the duties and weaker sawmilling economics, Canadian mill investments in the U.S. South are proving highly strategic due to ample timber supplies in the area and high sawmilling margins (the result of subdued timber prices due to oversupply).
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Currently, the collective U.S. mill count of West Fraser, Canfor and Interfor (46 mills at the end of 2018) enables their sawmill operations to enjoy excellent diversification on both sides of the border. Turning to the ranking of the Top 10
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
Canadian firms, six were based in Western Canada, and collectively they produced 11.35 billion board feet (41.5 per cent of Canada’s total shipments); this was down 340 million board feet (-3 per cent) from 2017. The four largest Eastern Canadian
lumbermarkets mills produced 4.32 billion board feet and 15.8 per cent of Canada’s total shipments. The Top 5 Canadian producers in 2018 had the same respective rankings as in 2017: West Fraser, Canfor, Resolute, Tolko and J.D. Irving. Together, these producers accounted for 11.6 billion board feet (43 per cent of total Canadian lumber output), versus 12.1 billion board feet in 2017. West Fraser retained its top spot, but total Canadian output inched down to 3.79 billion board feet (-0.4 per cent) at 13 Canadian mills. Canfor remained in second position with 3.55 billion board feet, recording a small output decline of almost 200 million board feet (-5.2 per cent) at its 13 western Canadian mills. Resolute stayed in third position but dropped its output by 165 million board feet (-8.2 per cent) to 1.85 billion board feet. Tolko, ranked fourth, saw its output fall by 165 million board feet to 1.46 billion board feet (-10.2 per cent). Finally, at #5, J.D. Irving reported 950 million board feet of production (+3.3 per cent), the only company in the Top 5 to record an increase. The four largest North American softwood lumber producers (West Fraser, Canfor, Weyerhaeuser and Interfor) all have operations in both the U.S. and Canada. The wild card for 2019 is a recovery in demand that would allow for more stable U.S. lumber prices. For Canadian firms, relatively high prices will be needed to offset the 20 per cent import duties to the U.S. With reductions in Canada lumber production anticipated again in 2019, lumber prices will need to be high enough to attract offshore exports (especially from Germany and Sweden); this is despite of the dozen new sawmill projects planned for the U.S. South in the next few years. U.S. lumber production is likely to continue expanding, with incremental offshore imports still needed to meet U.S. demand. This topic will be examined at length during our Global Softwood Log and Lumber Conference, to be held in Vancouver May 8–9, 2019. _________________________________ Russ Taylor is the Managing Director for FEA Canada (WOOD MARKETS; www. woodmarkets.com ) based in Vancouver. International WOOD MARKETS Group was purchased by Forest Economic Advisors LLC (www.getfea.com ) in August 2017 and now operates as FEA Canada.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
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FITTING all the pieces eastcoastlogging
TOGETHER... After stints driving logging trucks, and operating forwarders and harvesters, Carter Dickson set up his own logging operation and now has two Rottne forwarders and three Tigercats.
Working with a solid crew—and employing Tigercat, Rottne and Log Max equipment—New Brunswick logger Carter Dixon is finding he has all the pieces for a successful logging operation, including consistent work from a good customer, logging contractor Albeo Gould. By George Fullerton
N
ew Brunswick logger Carter Dixon began his career in the woods, with his brother Pat, when he was 12-years-old, cutting and selling hardwood. This initial enterprise was on the family farm in Shemogue, in the southeast corner of New Brunswick. They had lots of family support, to get the wood cut and
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hauled out. Now in his thirties, Dixon is still in the woods, and still with his brother, but harvesting wood at a different scale—working with three Tigercats and two Rottne forwarders. After graduating high school in 2008, Dixon went to work for Terry Wood, a major stump-to-dump contractor based in southeast New Brunswick, who also Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
took on contracts in Nova Scotia. Initially, Dixon was driving a log truck, and later on, operating forwarders and harvesters. In 2014, Dixon purchased a used log truck and hauled wood for J. D. Irving, as well as harvest contractors, including Albeo Gould. After about a year, Dixon to page 32
eastcoastlogging from page 30 bought a new Kenworth tractor from Bayview Trucks in Moncton and a new BWS trailer from NorthEast Truck & Trailer in Truro, Nova Scotia. Dixon hired a driver for the new truck and also double-shifted with the driver for a period. While hauling wood, Albeo Gould extended an invitation to Dixon: if Dixon bought a harvester, Gould could guarantee him lots of work. Gould contracts stumpage and buys woodland for his harvesting business. He owns nine trucks, and hires additional trucks, depending on operations. At one point, Gould operated a number of bunchers, harvesters and forwarders, but in the past few years has divested all harvesting equipment save for one forwarder. He now relies primarily on harvest and forwarder contractors to harvest and forward to roadside. Gould’s 2018 production is targeted to come in at around 50,000 tonnes. Dixon had hauled wood for Gould on different occasions over several years, and knew his operation and reputation well; Dixon realized the offer was a good opportunity. Dixon’s second major encouragement to buy a harvester was through talking with his brother, Pat. Pat had been working in the west, and he indicated that he wanted to return home to New Brunswick. Pat agreed that he would become a harvester operator and mechanic, if Carter made a deal on a machine. “Pat is an excellent harvester operator and he is a great mechanic. He can fix or build just about anything related to equipment,” explained Dixon. In 2015, Dixon began looking for a harvester. It was through contact with Wajax (Moncton) salesman Danny St. Jean that a well-used Tigercat harvester was located for sale, in Quebec. “I was convinced that I would buy a Tigercat,” said Dixon. “I had operated Tigercats with Log Max heads and Rottne forwarders for Terry Wood, so I was familiar with them. I knew what they were capable of and what it would take to keep them operating. “I figured my best strategy for success would be to stick with what I know. My experience was with Tigercat and Log Max so that is what I set my sights on.” The search turned up a used Tigercat 845 owned by a Quebec contractor. “We had to go into northern Maine to see the machine,” he says. “The Quebec contractor did not speak English, and I 32
New Brunswick logger Carter Dickson (above left with Albeo Gould) says he loves working in the woods.” I like working with equipment and I have a great crew to work with and a great operation to work for. Albeo Gould has lots of wood to cut, he builds great roads and the wood moves to market consistently.”
had no French, so we communicated through Danny, and made a deal on a 2000 model year 845B Tigercat, with 69,000 hours on it.” Dixon said that while the machine had a lot of hours on it, he could see it was well maintained, and had lots of life left in it. “I was happy with the deal. “I have great confidence with Tigercat. They are reliable and consistent. They might burn more fuel than other machines, but they cut a lot of wood. I like tracks—they are always ready to go, and they wear well in our terrain. I am really happy with Tigercat.” With brother Pat in the Tigercat, Dixon then made a deal with Rottne Canada in Moncton, on a 1999 15 tonne forwarder, to put wood to roadside. The only cautionary note that Dixon had about the harvester deal was the Log Max head. The old Log Max head was simply worn out. “My plan was to put a new Log Max head on the machine once I had some production out of the old one.” About a year after the initial purchase of the harvester, Dixon made a deal with Log Max salesman Rob Moran on a new Log Max 7000. Dixon explained that the new head has met his expectations, with higher and more consistent production. “We are producing more wood and there is a lot less downtime,” he says. “With the new Log Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
Max 7000 head on the Tigercat, I know we are capable of cutting any size and type of tree growing in New Brunswick.” The 7000 head was installed with the new Log Mate 510 computer. “The 510 is a far superior system compared to the old 392 model it replaced,” says Dixon. “Everything works better, operators are more comfortable with it and it provides far better performance, overall.” The new head and computer was installed at the Log Max shop in Moncton. The changeover took just three days. “Once the machine was back in the woods, Log Max’s Danny Cormier came out to the operation and trained us on the new computer,” explained Dixon. With his operation benefitting from higher production with the new Log Max head, early in 2018 Dixon was encouraged to make a deal on a second harvester, a used Tigercat 845C, also equipped with a Log Max 7000 head, operating with a 402 computer system. Dixon initially thought that his one Rottne would be able to forward production from two harvesters, but when wood was piling up on trails, he made a deal on another used Rottne. Dixon was operating the newly acquired Tigercat harvester himself when he recruited 19-year-old Jeremy Hicks to to page 34
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eastcoastlogging from page 32 train to operate the 845C machine. Realizing that Hicks faced a very steep learning curve as an operator with absolutely no harvester experience, Dixon came up with a stepped training solution for Hicks, while scanning Kijiji. The solution came in the form of a well used Tigercat feller buncher. The old buncher would become a training module for Hicks. “The buncher provided Jeremy with familiarization on the Tigercat machine, how it traveled, the joysticks and maintenance. Felling and bunching trees provided significantly less challenge than trying to figure out the harvester head,” said Dixon. “Jeremy would spend the first half of
the day in the buncher working on a strip, while I harvested on an adjoining strip. For the second half of his shift, Jeremy would get in the harvester that I had been operating, and process on the buncher piles he had made in the morning. “The training allowed him to gain the basic operating skills in the Tigercat, and processing from the piles gave him skills operating the harvester head, without the challenge of felling trees. Once he was doing well with the processing, he began to harvest standing trees and only had to add that one skill to all the skills he built bunching and processing.” With the buncher having served its purpose to build Hick’s operating skills, it was then parked on the work site, with the expectation that it would be sold.
Logger Carter Dickson likes Tigercat equipment, and his line-up includes a Tiger 845C equipped with a Log Max 7000 head (above) and a Tigercat 845B, also equipped with a 7000 head. 34
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
That was the basic plan, until Dixon’s operation hit a significant patch of trashy wood. “The wood was poor and our production went down significantly,” said Dixon. The solution to the situation was staring him in the face—and he jumped in the buncher and began bunching the low grade stand, with the two harvesters following and processing the wood. “That old buncher sure helped us out,” he says. “If we had stuck with harvesting the poor wood, we would have struggled to make half the production we made by processing the bunched trees.’’ Dixon confessed that perhaps the old buncher might stick around and earn its keep. Dixon’s wife, Victoria, handles the day to day bookkeeping for the business, along with her job with an optometrist’s office in Amherst, Nova Scotia, which is just a 10 -minute drive from their home in Pointe-de-Bute, New Brunswick. The Dixon operation takes a month shutdown in the spring and all the harvesting and forwarding equipment is floated by Albeo Gould, to his shop in Shemogue. “We have a good idea what we need to work on for each machine and the operators all help out,” says Dixon. “I consider it very important to take that time to go over the machines and fix or overhaul things, so that when we go back to the woods, we are ready to make our production numbers.” In the woods, each machine carries replacements for major hoses. They also have one complete hose kit for their Log Max 7000 heads, divided between the two harvesters. Pat has a hose building kit in the shop at his home. Good equipment and maintenance is important, but a solid crew is key for a successful operation, says Dixon. “You need good operators, and I think we have the best. We operate a single twelve-hour shift. I’ve double shifted with my trucks, and I never liked it at all. I promised myself that if I ever had a harvest operation, I would run it as a single shift. “I love what I am doing,” Dixon adds. “I love working in the woods, I like working with equipment and I have a great crew to work with and a great operation to work for. Albeo Gould has lots of wood to cut, he builds great roads and the wood moves to market consistently, so we get paid consistently. Together, this all makes going to work a lot of fun and rewarding.”
workplacesafety Ontario sawmill representatives recently attended a workplace risk assessment workshop to identify the top health and safety risks in the industry— and they identified substance use as the number one risk.
DEALING WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE… IN THE SAWMILL
Ontario sawmill reps have identified substance abuse as the top health and safety risk in the workplace—and now have some action suggestions on how to deal with it.
By Tony Kryzanowski
S
ubstance use, where an employee is under the influence of alcohol, prescription, or other drugs, has been identified as the number one health and safety risk by sawmill representatives taking part in a series of workplace risk assessment workshops hosted over the past two years by Ontario’s Workplace Safety North (WSN). 36
Initially, representatives identified over 80 potential health and safety risks and then narrowed it down to the top 10. Dr. Sujoy Dey, Corporate Risk Officer with the Ontario Ministry of Labor (MOL) and a risk assessment expert, emphasized that the issue is substance ‘use’, not necessarily ‘abuse’. The other top 10 health and safety risks identified by the Ontario sawmill representatives were training issues; improper Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
equipment lock-out; inexperienced new and young workers; distractions while working; slips, trips and falls; occupational disease such as hearing loss; job and family-related stress; working at heights; and, dangers working around mobile equipment. Although substance use was identified by industry reps as the top health and safety risk within northern Ontario sawmills, there was no immediate demand
workplacesafety
to address this issue with such mitigating measures as random drug testing, which has been implemented in other industries in Ontario, particularly in the mining industry in some of their fly-in operations. So far, the focus has been on prevention, education, and better supervisor training to identify and respond to perceived incidents of employees being under the influence, and thus representing a health and safety risk requiring removal of that employee from the work environment. Dr. Dey says that the top 10 health and safety risks identified by these Ontario sawmill representatives are probably not unique and are likely common in all sawmills across Canada, just to a lesser or greater extent, depending on local circumstances. to page 38 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
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workplacesafety from page 37 The top issue of substance use came as a surprise to both WSN and MOL workshop facilitators, which included Dr. Dey and WSN Industrial Director, Tom Welton. “What was a real surprise to us and an eye opener was that substance use was identified by everyone in the room as a number one priority,” Welton says. “When we started to talk about it through the working group sessions, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone that this was a concern in their operation and something they’d heard in other operations as an ongoing concern, as well.” Welton agreed with Dr. Dey that substance use and other issues identified by industry reps on the top 10 list are likely common within the industry throughout Canada. WSN services northern Ontario communities and is one of four not-for-profit, industry-supported health and safety organizations, focused on consulting, training, ergonomic assistance and industrial hygiene assistance to resource industries, such as forestry, pulp and paper and
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Industry, Workplace Safety North and Ontario’s Ministry of Labour have drafted five specific and immediate actions that should be taken by industry to address the substance use concern. mining. The MOL provides overall WSN oversight. WSN funding comes from Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) premiums paid by industry, which is Ontario’s version of workers compensation boards in other provinces. “Historically, we have always based our goals and what we are trying to focus on through lagging indicators and statistics that we get from WSIB,” developed from incident reports from industry, says Welton. Substance use was not identified by WSIB as a concern based on informa-
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
tion gathered from those incident reports, which is why it was not on WSN’s radar. “In most cases, it’s because someone slipped on ice or a guard was removed or a procedure was not being followed. They (WSIB) were not looking deep into why they slipped on the ice,” says Welton. “It may have been because someone was under the influence that made them more susceptible to that type of thing happening.” However, by obtaining direct feedback from sawmill representatives through the workplace assessment process, Welton says that this has provided WSN and MOL with a fresh look from an industry perspective on what they are witnessing today as some of the highest risks. That’s how substance use surprisingly appeared at the top of the list as a significant potential underlying factor contributing to incidents. The challenge is that even now, underlying causes like substance use may not begin to appear in incident reports and WSIB stats because Welton says it will be difficult to document unless the employee to page 40
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workplacesafety from page 38 admits to it or there is some sort of drug testing to prove it. The desire to hold a risk assessment workshop involving the sawmill industry was spawned by a similar process of risk assessment and ascertaining the root causes of the top workplace health and safety risks started within the Ontario underground mining industry in 2015. The Ontario government had identified mining as one of the highest risk industries in the province. As sawmilling and logging were also identified as high risk industries, and with WSN’s tiein with these sectors, the workplace risk assessment process was implemented for forestry as well in 2017. According to WSN, the Ontario sawmill industry has had three fatalities in the past four years, contributing to its high risk designation, although substance use was not identified as a root cause in any of those fatalities. As with the mining program and after the initial workshop which provided feedback from sawmill representatives, WSN, in concert with the MOL, followed up with a process to identify the top 10 root causes of substance use in the workplace. Dr. Dey says that identifying root causes are important because otherwise only band-aid solutions are developed. What they found was a lack of preventative tools like policies and procedures, testing, and communication within saw-
mills to nip substance use in the bud; no consensus within governing bodies on safe limits for consuming cannabis or prescription drugs; variability on how these drugs affect different individuals; lack of management support to tackle this issue; lack of quality training for supervisors; social acceptance of drug use; and, no information or stats on how substance use may be impacting workplace incidents. Industry, WSN and MOL have drafted five specific and immediate actions that should be taken by industry to address the substance use concern.
to remove that employee to avoid a potential incident. Dr. Dey always tells employers to try to get to the root cause as early as possible, to prevent an incident. “But after the fact, when an incident occurs, that means that risk management has failed and it then becomes issues management. That means from a cost perspective it goes off the charts.” But the worst thing, of course, is that if somebody got hurt, he emphasizes. Welton says that there should be no illusions of just how challenging it is for supervisors to identify and address potential substance use situations—but what makes it worse is if the supervisor has had no training in how to address it. That is what WSN is working to improve with training opportunities in how to identify a potential hazard and remove an employee, who is suspected of being impaired, from a safetysensitive position. The legalization of cannabis and the imminent availability of cannabisinfused edibles is something on the horizon that has the potential to significantly complicate the substance use issue in the workplace. “During a presentation with our slides, we present a cookie and a cannabisinfused cookie—no difference,” says Dey. “Also we show a gummy bear versus another gummy bear. There are huge challenges and that’s why it is complicated. But in the end, the discussion has to be, how do we get the worker home healthy and safe.”
One workshop participant wasn’t surprised substance use was identified as the top health and safety risk, because of the high public profile of this topic with the recent legalization of marijuana. They are: clearly defined, well-written, and effectively communicated policies related to substance use; specific training for supervisors on recognizing and dealing with impairment; basic awareness training to all in the workplace, including how to recognize impairment; taking an inventory of safety-sensitive job tasks; and, training for management and supervisors to effectively communicate company policies on substance use. The highest priority is on supervisor training to recognize a potential problem with substance use impairment, and actions
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workplacesafety
Health/safety workshops provide a refresher to industry By Tony Kryzanowski
T
he workshops on the top sawmill health and safety risks that have been hosted by Workplace Safety North (WSN) over the past two years in North Bay, Ontario were an important refresher and reminder on the inherent dangers of working in this environment, says one industry participant. “There’s a lot of risks in sawmills,” says Jocelyn Lagace, Health, Safety and Risk Manager at EACOM, which operates several sawmills in Ontario. “There are a lot of aspects to the jobs where there can be situations where an employee can get hurt. It’s there, we know that, and we always aim to make sure that the employee knows the risks, and they know how to react when they encounter a risk,” he says. Lagace added that he was not surprised
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Workplace Safety North is now working with Ontario’s forest industry to grow awareness of the top 10 risks in the workplace that over 80 health and safety risks were identified by industry representatives during the initial workshop set up by WSN and the Ontario Ministry of Labor. It aimed to identify the top 10 health and safety risks—and the single biggest risk—in north central Ontario sawmills today. “Sometimes we can forget how many risks we can encounter in just one day,” says Lagace. “So I wasn’t surprised that there were over 80 identified because of
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
the nature of the industry we are in.” There was strong industry participation in the workshops, with representation from all company sizes. For its part, EACOM had representation from both management and employees because the company felt that this was an important topic as a reminder, and to build awareness at all levels. Several companies followed this pattern of employee involvement in the workshops. Lagace says that he wasn’t surprised either that substance use was identified as the top health and safety risk, partly because of the high public profile of this topic with the recent legalization of marijuana in Canada. Although marijuana is now legal, Legace says he has not noticed that substance use is any more common in the workplace than prior to legalization, “but we are more aware and more equipped to deal with that issue today.” EACOM already had specific policies in place regarding drug impairment on the job. More resources became available after the workshops to help companies review current policies and to update them where necessary. He agreed that the priority of providing better training and resources to supervisors working on the front line was a good approach to ensuring that there was timely and appropriate response when a potential case of substance use and potential impairment is identified. “It’s really about teamwork,” says Legace. “We have to make sure that supervisors are aware of what can happen and that they are equipped on how to deal with those situations—because they are the interface between the employee and management. So it’s really important that they are well trained.” Although there are consequences to actions, the ultimate goal is to help the employee to be aware and to arrange help, where appropriate. The goal is to have them fit to work. Although substance use was identified as the top health and safety risk, Legace says that the other items on the top ten list were equally important, both in terms of reminding employees of these risks, and to instigate a review of policies on how they should be mitigated, and communicated. in the workplace.
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contractorprofile
BUILDING the base Saskatchewan’s Freedom Logging started operations in the jaws of the economic downturn, and has gradually built its volume—and its equipment base—to the point that it now has more than triple the cut that it started with, in 2008. By Tony Kryzanowski
I
n hockey, coaches frequently talk about the importance of the “compete” level of players to achieve success—and the same can be said about logging today. In today’s business environment, where rate negotiations are always a challenge, often the only way to make it is to bring your “A” game to the cutblock every day. On the management side, that means being fully committed to the industry and thinking of ways that the company can work more productively. That’s the philosophy that drives
Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan-based, Freedom Logging Ltd. Owned by Randy Lay and his son, Jonathan, they are a stump-to-dump contractor, harvesting primarily hardwood for Tolko Industries’ oriented strand board (OSB) plant east of Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. Incidental softwood is shipped to NorSask Forest Products also east of town, or Carrier Forest Products in nearby Big River. Their annual cut is 283,000 cubic metres, with logging taking place within about a 150 kilometre radius of town. Hardwood content in each cutblock
varies from 60 per cent to 90 per cent, depending on the time of year and where they are logging. Log diameter can also vary from 8” up to 16”, depending on the area. Known for its farming, Saskatchewan also boasts a significant forest resource starting north of Saskatoon, which provides hundreds of forestry jobs. There are modern sawmills, OSB plants and pulp mills stretching west to east, primarily along the Hwy. 55 corridor. Saskatchewan is also noted for its leadership in First Nations’ direct investment and involvement in forestry, with
Jonathan Lay, (right, in photo), looks after day-to-day operations at Freedom Logging, with father and business partner, Randy, helping with advice and equipment operation. Both are “hands on” in the Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan-based business.
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
contractorprofile the Meadow Lake Tribal Council, owners of NorSask Forest Products and Mistik Management, having been involved in the forest sector for decades. Jonathan, along with his wife, Kellie, is the fourth generation of the Lay family to take up logging as his occupation. He manages day to day operations. Randy is also hands-on in the business, and helps out by sharing his experience, and running equipment. Randy says that the family’s involvement in the industry probably dates as far back as the 1940s. His grandfather and dad were logging before him, and he’s been at it for 40 years. Most of their logging and sawmilling was done north of Goodsoil, Saskatchewan, west of Meadow Lake. “Grandpa Albert was sawmilling on his own and selling to the Timber Board or whoever wanted lumber,” says Randy, “and then my dad, John, and his brother began sawing lumber for the Timber Board in Meadow Lake. Wherever the Timber Board sent them, they went.” The forest industry in Saskatchewan has an interesting history tied somewhat to the politics of the province, which is the birthplace of Tommy Douglas, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) Party and later the New Democratic Party (NDP). For years, sawmilling and lumber sales in the province were managed through a single, governmentcontrolled entity created after the Second World War called the Saskatchewan Timber Board. They controlled who was allowed to log—and who could operate a sawmill on Crown land. When a large sawmill was established in Meadow Lake, the Lay family switched primarily to logging. Originally, their equipment consisted of chainsaws and farm tractors or Caterpillar dozers. They still own a John Deere skidder that was purchased in 1971 by Randy’s uncle, Art Lay. Having grown up in bush camps and running the skidder starting when he was 12-years-old, it was a natural fit when Jonathan partnered with Randy in 2008 in Freedom Logging, after Randy and his brother wrapped up their logging business. The company is now celebrating its tenth anniversary. Their log volume has grown steadily, starting at about 80,000 cubic metres annually, and is now more than triple that amount. They have also built a brand new shop in Meadow Lake to service both their logging equipment and their log trucks. In addition to Freedom Logging,
Freedom Logging favors Tigercat for their feller bunchers, citing reliability and ease of operation. The outfit harvests about 283,000 cubic metres annually, primarily for the Tolko OSB plant near Meadow Lake, with incidental softwood shipped to NorSask Forest Products or Carrier Forest Products.
Randy and Jonathan partnered in 2016 with Randy’s son-in-law, Cort Nicholson, in their log haul operations through a company called CJR Freedom Trucking Ltd. It currently operates six log trucks, consisting of five Kenworths and one Western Star. Freedom Logging is a true family business, with Randy’s daughter, Nicole Nicholson, also working in the office and his wife, Iris Lay, ensuring that the company is meeting all its safety obligations. So it goes without saying that the entire Lay and Nicholson families are hands-on in the day-to-day operation of the business. They are also a major local employer,
to page 46 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
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contractorprofile from page 45 providing jobs for between 25 and 40 workers, depending on the season. Logging is typically happening from July 1st to March 31st. The company is also responsible for all the road building related to their logging activities, which essentially means that they are in control of all aspects of accessing timber and delivering it to their customer’s doorstep. “It’s definitely more work, but it’s a situation where we are not waiting on the next guy. So we have more control over our entire operations,” says Jonathan. “When we started logging 10 years ago, we started with one feller buncher, one skidder and two processors, and we grew from there.” Freedom Logging was incorporated in December 2008, right in the midst of the last major forest industry downturn, precipitated by the housing crash in the United States. For Randy and Jonathan, the timing actually worked out quite well. “I guess you could say that we started at the bottom of the hill and chugged along to where we are today,” says Jonathan.
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The Lay family has a long history of John Deere equipment being the backbone of their logging fleet. Jonathan Lay, wife Kellie, and children (above) stand beside the John Deere skidder that the Lay family purchased back in 1971. (Photo by Kellie Lay) “When prices were low, the mill was leaning on contractors for help and we took a couple of pay cuts. But we had a small fleet and we did a lot of the work ourselves and had some good operators and help at the time.” The Lay family has a long association with John Deere equipment as the backbone of their logging fleet, with some
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
Tigercat equipment added in. They have three Tigercat 870C feller bunchers, one purchased just a year ago and the oldest one being a 2013 model. Freedom Logging believes in operating newer equipment to maximize uptime. The heads are Tigercat 5702 felling heads with high rotation wrists. Jonathan says that they have chosen
contractorprofile Tigercat for their feller bunchers because they find them to be operator friendly, fairly reliable, with smooth and efficient operation. Typically, they keep their feller bunchers up to 10,000 hours. Their skidding fleet consists of a John Deere 948L skidder, a John Deere 848L skidder, and a Tigercat 635D skidder. They operate their skidders for about 8,000 hours. The Deere skidders are top notch, says Jonathan. “They are quiet, the cabs are comfortable, they have good visibility, good lighting and the operators really like them.” Their processing complement consists of two John Deere 2154G carriers with Waratah 622B processing heads. They also have three John Deere 2154D carriers with 622B Waratah heads. Again, these are newer models, the oldest one having been purchased in 2015. Jonathan says that he has been working with Waratah processing heads since 2003. They purchased two new processors last year and typically hold onto their processors for between 15,000 and 20,000 hours. “The last two processor carriers we bought came with a new cab design,”
says Jonathan. “It has lots of leg room, good lighting, good visibility and good air conditioning. They are a big improvement from the older series.” He appreciates John Deere’s JDLink equipment communication program—he can receive information on his cell phone related to troubleshooting codes, fuel consumption, and idle times. Freedom Logging tries to maintain brand consistency for particular functions because it pays off in parts purchases and ease of maintenance. “We try to keep our brands consistent,” says Jonathan. “If you have a buncher starter, it fits all three, if you have a feed roller motor for the processor, it fits all five. We stock a lot of parts and we believe that this is key to saving on downtime. Also, if I have an unusual problem with a machine, I have probably dealt with it before and don’t have to call in technical support.” Often, he can diagnose the problem over the phone because of past experience. For log loading, they use a John Deere 2154D log loader with a CWS head and a John Deere 2454D log loader with a Brandt grapple.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
Freedom Logging’s road building and maintenance fleet consists of two Caterpillar D7R dozers, a John Deere 772D grader, a John Deere 872GP grader, a John Deere 270DLC track hoe, and a John Deere 270CLC track hoe. Over the past four winters, the company has been logging in areas with a lot of muskeg; depending on weather conditions, it can be a challenge to access cutblocks and organize the log haul. So, Freedom Logging recently added a Bombardier BR275 Snow Cat to their fleet. This piece of equipment is particularly handy for building dependable winter access roads on swampy ground. Jonathan says that the mill previously hired a subcontractor to do this work, but this year, they decided to take on this task themselves. It gives them another measure of control. When purchasing new equipment, Freedom Logging rates a history of consistent production and uptime for each piece of equipment as the most important considerations, followed by dealer support and then operator comfort.
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Ontariologging
E
QUIPMENT VOLUTION
E
Ontario logger Dave Quehl has made the move into cut-to-length harvesting, and his equipment line-up has evolved—with a Caterpillar 521B tracked harvester with a Quadco 5660 head and John Deere 1510E forwarder now fitting the bill. By Heather Hudson
I
n 2009, Dave Quehl was faced with a tough decision: follow the time-honoured tradition of conventional, labour-
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intensive tree length logging—or chart a new course in cut-to-length harvesting with leading edge machinery? It had been almost 10 years since he’d gotten his start in forestry working for his Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
father-in-law’s outfit, Robert D. Robinson Logging Ltd. As one of the biggest logging contractors in the Maynooth, Ontario area, the company at its peak harvested 100,000 cubic metres a year.
Ontariologging Ontario logger Dave Quehl is pleased with the efficiency of the cut-to-length system, particularly the ability to do all the work in the bush, leaving the residuals in the forest.
times. He sub-contracted for Robinson, who cut for Murray Brothers Lumber Co. Quehl says the terrain in the area—where he still cuts today—is rocky and hilly and features mostly poplar, aspen and a small percentage of pine. Select cutting hardwoods was a common practice when he was transitioning in 2009, but not many people were doing it mechanically. “It was just beginning to trickle into the area. They were using feller bunchers and grapple skidders, but nobody was doing cut-to-length.” As he sub-contracted for his father-in-law, he had an opportunity to dabble in mechanization alongside the more conventional system. Intrigued with the precision and efficiency modern equipment brings to harvesting, Quehl reconsidered his business model and took the plunge into exclusively cut-to-length hardwood harvesting. This required deep investments and a leap of faith, but it’s a move he’s glad he made. “At first, mechanization set me apart from other loggers in the area. The hardwood field in Ontario is one of the slowest areas to recognize advancements in the industry. When the old guys had something that worked, they stuck with it. “As the younger generation, we came along and found an easier way of doing things. I guess we don’t want to work as hard,” he laughed. Quehl says the cut-to-length system he’s running is huge in the U.S. hardwood market. “A few states are 90 per cent cutto-length. There’s less damage, it’s better on residuals and it’s more efficient. I’m finding I can keep employees going now full, 44-hour weeks. Before, if it rained, they would have 20 hours one week and 44 the next. It’s hard to keep guys interested in that kind of work.” Quehl’s annual harvest in the cut-tolength system is around 40,000 cubic metres. With selective hardwood, there’s not the same volume; trees are marked by the Bancroft Minden Forest Company and the harvest blocks are prepared. “We go from stump to dump. We harvest and truck it into the mill yard.” The system requires only himself and an employee in the bush, plus two truckers.
They do selective hardwood cuts exclusively for Murray Brothers. “We’re thinning the bush, but we don’t want to push the basal area below 18 BA.” With little competition from other provinces (besides Quebec), the market for hardwood is fairly strong, though it’s always something Quehl keeps an eye on. Weather conditions are the biggest challenge. He says it’s one of the factors that put him over to the cut-to-length system. “When we used grapple skidders years ago, we lost a lot of time to wet weather. You can’t damage residual stems in the forest. With the harvesting system we currently have, we’re able to place brush in front of us and the ground pressure of the forwarder is very minimal. Our eight-wheel John Deer 1510E forwarder does the job well.” When Quehl started his business, he was felling trees manually with a chainsaw and using a cable skidder to haul them out. In 2003, he purchased his first Timberjack 608 feller buncher for more heavy duty work. By 2005, he added a Tigercat 822 feller buncher, two grapple skidders and a line skidder. “We were topping our wood manually with chainsaws, which worked since we’re primarily cutting hardwood.” This equipment produced well for them, but Quehl ran into a consistent problem of finding people to cut the tops off the trees. “It’s hard manual labour and the workforce of people willing to work long hours in the bush is shrinking.” It was at this point that he transitioned to cut-to-length. To get the job done well, he knew he needed the right equipment. That’s when he twigged onto the idea of incorporating a Quadco 5660 processing head, and a Tigercat 1065 forwarder. “We went through growing pains and bumps and curves trying to transition from the tree length to cut-to-length operation, but the equipment helped make it work.” A few years ago, he upgraded to a John Deere 1910E forwarder, which works well for heavy removals like poplar and pine. But in the summer of 2017, they entered
Select cutting hardwoods was a common practice when Dave Quehl was transitioning in 2009, but not many people were doing it mechanically. “It was just beginning to trickle into the area.”
But times had changed since he founded David Quehl Forestry Services. The challenges were different than the ones Robinson faced in his heyday. “They had some big years in the 1980s and 1990s, but everything was done conventionally back then, with chainsaws and skidders that required plenty of manpower. They had lots of people. Today, nobody wants to work in the bush,” said Quehl. For the first nine years of business, Quehl ran a full tree length operation, employing up to six staff during busy
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
to page 50 49
Ontariologging
With the Cat 521B tracked harvester equipped with a Quadco 5660 processor head, Dave Quehl says he wanted to be able to go to a controlled fell head—to just pick up a tree and place it. “With this equipment we can carry a hardwood stem out of a residual and place it on the trail to process it. It’s very precise,” he says. from page 49 into a five-year selective hardwood plan and found it too big for the kind of work they were doing. “We traded it in for a John Deere 1510E and it’s been working super for us for selective hardwood. With the shorter frame length, we’re able to access our branch trails much easier and we’re able to have a lighter load which works better in dark hardwood soil,” said Quehl. They ran into a similar size challenge with their John Deere 753JH with a Waratah 622B head. It worked well when they were doing poplar and pine removal, but it wasn’t up for heavier duty hardwood. “We were using it to fell at the stump and process our trees. It worked great until we came to hardwood, when we found the bar and chain very slow in production of large hardwood. It was bending bars and breaking chains in big maple. For small hardwood it was fine, but for large hardwood and timber it was a little small.” That’s when a Cat 521B tracked harvester equipped with a Quadco 5660 processor head came in. “We wanted to be able to go to a controlled fell head—just pick up the tree and place it. With this equipment we can carry a hardwood stem out of a residual and place it on the trail to process it. It’s very precise. “The disc saw on the 5660 works wonderful in underbrush among the hardwoods. It handles large hardwood logs quite well, too, and protects the residual stems much better.” Another advantage of the Cat is they put a lot of oil out to the end of the stick so the Quadco head works well without having to run additional hoses. Quehl says they don’t have to add extra to page 52 50
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
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Ontariologging from page 50 pumps or lines, which helps them avoid the fuss of adding hoses in areas engineers didn’t design. The lift capacity and tractive effort was also a huge selling point of the 521B. To make their operation even more efficient, they use self-loading and centre-load log trucks, which allows them to cut and fell trees, process them and use the forwarder to put the wood roadside. “All I use for equipment now is the harvester, the Cat 521B and forwarder. And I can do it all with just me, one other person and two truckers.” Quehl says they generally harvest from June till March. They consult with Murray Brothers Lumber in the spring to learn what products they want and when. “During
April and May we come up with an annual work schedule for what harvest areas we’ll work in and what time of the year we’ll access them. Some are winter access only and some are summer access only.” He continues to be pleased with the
disposing of it. “We’re doing the same work with less equipment, manpower and fuel. And it’s easier on the residuals.” He says there are smaller scale operators operating this way in the same area and he can see it gaining in popularity, noting that it’s younger people like him that are starting up. “The majority of the workforce is 55+ and they’re not interested in investing in $1.5 million for a cut-to-length system, but younger guys are more willing to do that.” Still, making a switch is not for the faint of heart. Quehl says he had to clean house and sell off a bunch of equipment to fund the new venture. “Sometimes the risk is worth it. I’m betting on technology and investing in mechanization for the future.”
To make their operation even more efficient, they use self-loading and centre load log trucks, which allows them to cut and fell trees, process them and use the forwarder to put the wood roadside. efficiency of the cut-to-length system, particularly the ability to do all the work in the bush, leaving the residuals to go back to the earth as nutrients rather than dragging it out to become a woodpile and
The John Deere 1510E forwarder has been working very well for the operation, in selective hardwood. “With the shorter frame length on the 1510E, we’re able to access our branch trails much easier and we’re able to have a lighter load which works better in dark hardwood soil,” says Dave Quehl. 52
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
eastcoastaddedvalue
CATCHING a great wood products market
New Brunswick’s GL Wood Products has established a very unique market niche: producing lumber components for fish boxes for shipping smoked and salted fish to overseas markets. By George Fullerton
Y
ou could easily say that GL Wood Products targets their lumber products to a very unique market niche—and the company has had its hooks in that market for quite a while. The reman mill is located in the community of Haute Aboujagane, about 40 kilometres from Moncton in southeast New Brunswick. It was established by Gaston and Marita LeBlanc in 1982, and supplies lumber components for fish 54
boxes that are used to ship smoked and salted fish to foreign markets, primarily in the Caribbean. Wooden fish boxes continue to be a major product for the reman operation, with an expanded operation supplying pallets to industries throughout the Maritime Provinces. GL Wood Products also manufactures dunnage products for a variety of manufacturers, as well as stickers and lath to the lumber industry. In the early years, Gaston supervised the operations of GL Wood Products, with Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
Marita keeping the books and managing the office and administration tasks. Over the past several years, management responsibilities have been transferred to their daughter Nicole and son-in-law Guy Donele. The southeast region of New Brunswick has a major herring fishery, with a good deal of the fish being smoked and shipped to Caribbean and African to page 56
eastcoastaddedvalue from page 54 countries. The preferred, and traditional, method to ship smoked fish, which is very oily, is in wooden boxes, spruce being the favoured species. Currently, fish box components make up nearly 30 per cent of GL Wood Products’ production, with the balance made up by other products. The company is a significant employer in the area. The plant currently employs some 60 people on double-shift basis Through its history, the operation has gone through several equipment upgrades and expansions. The original plant measured 80 x 140 feet, then added an 80 x 200 foot expansion, and later on another 80 x 100 addition, and most recently a 70 x 170 foot addition. The product line, in addition to fish boxes, includes crates for berries and potatoes, pallets and pallet components, kiln stickers, lath, shipping dunnage for an array of manufactured products and packaged kindling wood. The reman operation utilizes about 600,000 board feet, or 15 truckloads, of lumber weekly. One of the major changes to the
Guy Donele (above) of GL Wood Products notes that the incorporation of WoodMizer equipment has had a major impact on the company. In the mid 1990’s, they purchased a Wood-Mizer six head horizontal resaw, and they had such great success with the equipment that it led them to purchase a second six head unit.
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
eastcoastaddedvalue
The GL Wood Products product line, in addition to fish boxes, includes crates for berries and potatoes, pallets and pallet components, kiln stickers, lath, shipping dunnage for an array of manufactured products and packaged kindling wood.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
breakdown equipment at GL Wood Products occurred in the mid 1990’s when they purchased a Wood-Mizer six head horizontal resaw. “It was at a time when Wood-Mizer was just beginning to adapt their portable sawmill technology to industrial type breakdown and processing machines,” explained Donele. “We realized WoodMizer had a great reputation for their portable mills, and the six head unit they offered was very compact. The unit is about forty feet long, compared to their closest competition, which offered a unit closer to seventy feet long. “The Wood- Mizer also brought thin kerf, which allowed us to recover an entire board when we broke down a dressed twoinch plank,” added Donele. “That extra recovery was major for our bottom line.” Donele contends that thin kerf, and the increased throughput of the Wood-Mizer saws, gained them a good 20 per cent in their production, compared to their previous equipment. “We’ve been very happy with the to page 58
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performance and reliability of the WoodMizer product. Over the years, the only service it has required has been the replacement of wear products, such as bearings and blade wheels,” he says. The success they witnessed with the Wood-Mizer resaw led them to purchase a second six head unit from Wood-Mizer in 2005. Each individual saw is powered by a 25 horsepower, 200 amp electric motor. They run 1.25 inch wide blades, have 34 inch band wheels, and feature hydraulic blade tensioners, a steel conveyor belt and powered hold-down rollers. The newer Wood-Mizer resaws material up to twelve-inches wide. Blades are changed twice daily. Blades are sharpened at least six times before they are disposed of. “We considered one-use blades, but found that it was more economical to sharpen blades and get extended life out of them,” says Donele. “We have very few blade breakages. For the past two years we have been using a fully automatic sharpening system manufactured by Wood-Mizer and it works flawlessly, and adds a lot of efficiency to our operation.” The operation relies on a variety of cutoff saws, mostly purchased used or in auctions and adapted to their specific needs. Profiling and additional reman tasks are handled by a tried and true Yates A20 planer. “The Yates is an older machine, but it is very versatile and reliable,” says Donele. Sawdust and shavings control is handled by blowers, which transfer material into bins, which is picked up by local Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
farmers for bedding. A portion of the residual scraps of lumber are cut to length and bagged as kindling wood and marketed to various retailers. Additional residue is fed into a boiler for heating the plant through the cold months. GL Wood Products sources primarily heat-treated SPF from a number of sawmills in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Sexton mill in Newfoundland. “We also source a good deal of lumber from mills in Quebec. We have also used lumber from British Columbia. We watch for opportunities to get deals on lumber,” said Donele. Spruce is the preferred species for fish boxes because it is stronger than fir and pine. Planks are broken down into five ¼” slats, which make the sides, bottoms and tops of the box. The ends of the boxes are resawed to a thickness of 9/16”. GL Wood Products has a printer which stencils the shipper’s name and other information on the ends of the boxes. All the fish box components are strapped and packaged and shipped to customers, who employ their own crews to staple the components together. Donele pointed out that wooden fish boxes are a tradition, and they have the ability to absorb oil from the fish. A good deal of the smoked and salted fish is delivered to countries in the Caribbean and less developed countries elsewhere, and the wood is re-used for other purposes. The company also markets fish boxes to Scandinavia. All the lumber utilized for fish boxes
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eastcoastaddedvalue from page 58 and crates for other food products—as well as all their pallets—is required to be heat treated in order to meet phytosanitary regulations, whether it is used domestically or for shipping goods out of the country. In recent years, GL Wood Products has seen a sharp growth in demand for oyster boxes. “The Maritimes produces a lot of oysters and customers increasingly want them shipped in wooden boxes,” says Donele. “It’s become somewhat fashionable to display and sell this very special food in wooden boxes. “We make up more orders for oyster boxes all the time. Some customers have us stencil the ends, and some use their own stencils when they assemble the boxes, in order to ensure their brand is handled as they wish.” Pallets make up close to one-third of the plant’s overall production. There are three individual pallet machines, which are in operation continuously. “We have about fifty set designs we manufacture for our customers. We’re always ready to set up for a new design, and we can quickly make modifications to a set design to meet customer needs. On average, once a week we will get an order for pallets with a particular change or modification on one of our standard designs.” Having a highly motivated work force and good processing equipment, these requests are met and filled, and then delivered on schedule, says Donele. “We always keep a stock of common sizes so we can move to fill an order very quickly. We use a variety of local trucking and transport companies to ship products to customers in a timely fashion.” The GL Wood Products plant is situated just a half-hour from Moncton and Prince Edward Island, and is well served by highways to move materials in, and products out to customers. Safety is a serious business for GL Wood Products. “Safety is our priority. We consider safety with every process and action in our plant,” explains Donele. “We want to be assured that all our employees go home to their families following their shift. “We have a joint Heath and Safety Committee, and we have monthly meetings to look at any concerns or issues raised by employees or staff. We closely observe lock out procedures, and make sure everyone follows safe practices while 60
Pallets make up close to one-third of the plant’s overall production. There are three individual pallet machines, which are in operation continuously.
carrying out their tasks.” While visiting the GL Wood Products operation, it’s plainly evident that there is a lot of effort and attention directed to making the workplace, inside and out, very tidy and clutter free. Lumber and product handling in the yard is handled by a Cat 924 wheel loader. The wheel loader is serviced by the Toromont dealership in Moncton. Handling material and product inside the plant are four 5,000 pound capacity Toyota forklifts supplied by Liftow Ltd., also based in Moncton. “We have an excellent relationship with our Toyota forklift dealer,” says Donele. “The machines perform very well and the service is excellent. And we find Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
our Cat loader a very versatile machine— the quick attach function allows us to switch between buckets and forks seamlessly. That kind of performance keeps operations moving smoothly.” And keeping operations running smoothly means they can focus on customers and an evolving market for their wood products. “We are continually attracting new customers and adding new and innovative products to their product list,” says Donele. “We have a highly motivated production crew and a dedicated administrative team. GL Wood Products is service driven and we take pride in meeting all our customer needs.”
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TECHUPDATE
By Tony Kryzanowski
Canter head and knife systems Key Knife
Key Knife says that its high performing customer base is the driving force behind its latest product evolution, HY2 SPIRAL. The new chipping solution was developed to aid mills in their effort to increase canter feed rates to unprecedented levels, some in excess of 900 fpm. HY2 SPIRAL heads use a spiral knife configuration that produces a smooth cutting action, especially prominent in large depths of cuts. Also, the SPIRAL configuration uses a shared high capacity gullet design that is critical when removing material at high rates. Key Knife says that many of its customers have already upgraded from their first-gen HY2 heads to HY2 SPIRAL heads, and are achieving new production records, as well as benefitting from improved board finish and chip quality. HY2 SPIRAL heads are value-engineered to deliver the highest level of performance and reliability, while keeping operating costs low, says the company. Consumable parts are standardized to allow for rotation, and to keep inventory costs low. The long lasting Ridge XL Knife is rehonable, in many cases multiple times, which significantly reduces knife costs. Additional value adding features that significantly prolong part life include a new hard
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surface on counterknives, and extended counterknives that protect segments from wear. www.keyknife.com
LINCK
At LIGNA 2019 in May in Hannover, Germany, LINCK will present a new generation of cutter heads for its chipper canters. The number of knives of this three-step cutter head can vary between three and six depending on the requested chip length. For producing fine chips, the number of knives in the first step can be doubled.
In contrast to the previous knife disc which has a truncated cone shape, the new generation cutter head is designed with a cylindrical outer disc. This flattening leads to a reduced disc
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
to page 64
techupdate from page 62 diameter. The rollers in front of and behind the chipper canter can thus move closer to allow a better guiding of short logs. This new generation includes all well-known advantages of today’s available cutter heads, such as guide disc, the possibility to change from saw rings to dressing knives, the use of regrindable knives and the production of high quality chips. www.linck.com
Comact
Comact, a division of the BID Group, has launched its propriety disposable chipping knife system and new line of chipping heads.
Comact says that Blade 4.0 is the most advanced disposable chipping knife system on the market. The unique patent pending clamping design ensures quick and accurate positioning of the blade in the holder. Knife changes are easier and faster, while cleaning of the contact surfaces is reduced to a minimum, saving time and money. Developed at its new, state-of-the-art Research and Development Centre, specific attention was given to the quality of the steel to create a more durable knife edge that resists wear and abrasion. Lumber finish is improved while knife changes and downtime are reduced. BID Group chipping head designs are available in various versions: conical, cylindrical and profiling. With over 35 years of experience and facilities throughout North America, BID Group is a leading integrated supplier of turnkey solutions for equipment, technology, data analytics, and service to the forest products industry. The BLADE 4.0 disposable chipping knife system and chipping heads now add a personalized tooling solution to the company’s offering. www.bidgroup.com
Andritz Iggesund Tools
Innovation is the mantra at Andritz Iggesund Tools. Since it pioneered the solid canter head with its disposable TurnKnife system in 2003 called the Powerhead, the company has delivered over 700 chipping heads to mills all over North America. Andritz Iggesund Tools has optimized the design of its chipping heads and TurnKnife System, introducing its Next Generation Powerhead (NG) to ensure that its mill customers have the absolute best options for canter heads. Larger face plates to keep the cant stable, knife counts up to 10, ability to work with feed speeds over 700 fpm, and improved chip evacuation are just a few improvements on the Powerhead NG. Andritz Iggesund Tools delivers its heads to all of the OEM suppliers of canter lines to help them meet customer demands from either a new processing line or a revamped one. Andrtiz Iggesund Tools says that its Powerhead NG has proven to be the most economical, trouble-free chipping head available to mills today. With its durable construction, and coupled with its TurnKnife System, this gives mills the worry-free operations they need, the company says. www.andritz.com
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
March/April 2019
The Edge
Residual harvesting in British Columbia: online presentation now available!
W
ith utilizing forest harvest residues being an issue of growing urgency in the British Columbia forest industry, FPInnnovations’ Fibre Supply group introduced the guide, Best Management Practices for Integrated Harvest Operations in British Columbia, in 2017. This year, to address the growing need to access information online, FPInnnovations is proud to introduce an online narrated presentation that summarizes the guide, and highlights its main concepts. “Viewing this presentation is the first step forest managers can take to address
the issue of how to handle logging residues in a proactive manner,” explains Stuart Spencer, researcher in the Fibre Supply group. “The simple changes of practices outlined in the presentation can go a long way towards reducing costs and facilitating residue extraction.” The presentation, available on FPInnovations’ Youtube channel (https://youtu. be/nMsDnCPPdzY), is meant for resource managers interested in further utilization of logging residuals. Topics covered include a description of residual piles and components, and outline best practices for both primary and secondary harvesters.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
The guide—Best Management Practices for Integrated Harvest Operations in British Columbia—is also available to view or download on FPInnovations’ Tools and Resources webpage (https://fpinnovations. ca/ResearchProgram/forest-operations/ fibre-supply/pages/tools-and-resources. aspx).
For more information about the guide or the online presentation, please contact Stuart Spencer (stuart. spencer@fpinnovations.ca).
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The Edge
Wood bridges for resource road: the Petawawa Case Study
T
he construction of timber bridges offers many benefits such as competitive cost, speed of construction with prefabrication, lighter foundations, and quicker installation. The weight of wood is lighter when compared to concrete and steel, and this has a major influence on foundation design, seismic load during earthquake events, and transportation costs. The speed of assembly associated with prefabrication has positive financial, noise, health and safety, and environmental implications. The construction of the Petawawa Research Forest (PRF) Centennial Bridge offered a perfect example of that. The Petawawa Research Forest (PRF) was established in 1918 and is the oldest research forest in the country. Managed by the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) under the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, it influences forest policy, industry, silvicultural
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practices, and private forest management practices across Canada. In recent months, the failure of a culvert system impacted movement of logging trucks, vehicles, and research teams, in addition to negatively impacting water flow and habitat. FPInnovations collaborated with different partners and stakeholders to help design a modern single-lane engineered wood products bridge, named the Centennial Bridge. As a result of the advancement of new engineered wood products (EWPs) and increased interest in using environmentally responsible and renewable resources, the bridge was designed out of EWPs, in accordance to CSA S6-14 Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC) with CL-625ON Truck Load. An environmental assessment took place to ensure the protection of environmental and wildlife values. The Petawawa Research Forest (PRF)
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
Centennial Bridge is an excellent example of how a modern forest access road bridge can be built with new engineered wood products (EWPs). It demonstrates that timber bridges could be compatible with Sustainable Forest License (SFL) needs when constructing water crossings. Costs would likely be similar, with EWPs being more economical in some situations. The difference in cost between steel and EWPs may be relatively small in relation to the total installed cost of the bridge. A time-lapse video showing the progress of the project is presented here: https://youtu.be/Eo9F63Uzf0U). More information can also be obtained by contacting John Pineau, FPInnovations’ Ontario Provincial Leader (john.pineau@fpinnovations. ca).
The Edge
Woody biomass options and opportunities for the expanding Canadian bioeconomy BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI
T
he key to building any commercial venture is having a consistent, reliable, affordable, and accessible feedstock upon which to develop products that are in demand in the marketplace. The Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) has developed, reviewed, assessed and validated two sources of woody biomass feedstock over the past 15 years that represent potential pathways for individuals, investors or established businesses to more directly participate in Canada’s growing bioeconomy. The first source of this valuable feedstock can be called opportunity wood biomass. “This is basically woody biomass derived from residues associated with some other action like logging, sawmilling, and forest products processing as well as the residues from final uses like renovation and construction waste, which can be defined as urban wood waste,” says Derek Sidders, Project Manager for Technology Development at CWFC. Logging alone generates several million oven dried tonnes (ODT) annually of field residues. Between 20 and 30 million ODTs of residue or secondary wood product materials are generated annually from the various industries associated with primary forest product manufacturing. Urban wood waste represents between 8 and 12 million ODTs annually of opportunity biomass, often simply disposed of in landfills.
So that is the biomass opportunity. Here is one way to find it. To assist in locating potential Canadian sources of opportunity or purpose-grown wood fibre, CWFC has completed a national online inventory called the Biomass Inventory Mapping and Analysis Tool (BIMAT). It gives users the ability to conduct a query in various locations across Canada, starting with a point on a map and conducting a radius sweep from that point to estimate the potential supply of annual wood residue within that circle. The second source of woody biomass feedstock is purpose-grown wood biomass. “An example of purpose-grown biomass is dedicated wood fibre grown on agricultural land or land bases that have not been historically treed. The site is basically planted and managed to produce woody biomass like a conventional crop,” says Sidders. “It could be in large stem form similar to what you might see in a natural forest from a tree size perspective, or it could be small stems, very similar to what you might see in a tall, dense hedge.” CWFC has also created a site suitability classification specifically for purposegrown woody biomass. It uses agriculture land bases to identify the bio-geoclimatic variables to produce a satisfactory woody biomass yield to economically produce certain wood-based end products. In other words, crop volume and attributes can be customized from specific sites to provide the feedstock needs for an end product.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
“Basically what we have witnessed through our research and development is that 8 to 12 times the yields can be garnered from a purpose-grown plantation versus a natural forest,” says Sidders. These plantations can also be located within close proximity to the final user and methodologies have been developed by CWFC to finely manage these plantations to maximize health and yield. “Tree solids are half carbon, and are thus significant contributors to our carbon budgets, and if we look at the issue of a changing climate, they can contribute both from a carbon perspective as well as an offset perspective by developing new and alternative energy sources,” says Sidders. Canadians now have a good understanding of the location, attributes, science and management of these woody biomass resources because of the work done to date by CWFC. The challenge now is to identify what opportunities and challenges exist to fully benefit from these readily available resources to both grow the bioeconomy and address climate change issues.
For more information about woody biomass options and opportunities in Canada, contact Derek Sidders at derek.sidders@canada.ca or Tim Keddy at tim.keddy@canada.ca.
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The Edge
Shared practices for working in and around wetlands
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etlands, a critical and valued component of boreal landscapes across Canada, comprise a significant proportion of operational tenures within the in situ oil sands regions of Alberta. The Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) Land Environmental Priority Area recently initiated a project to create an inventory of shared practices, improve knowledge sharing, clarify knowledge gaps, and identify opportunities for innovation. To accomplish these goals, standard operating procedures from COSIA companies were reviewed and interviews with key company personnel were completed. A series of field visits were conducted to further understand the context for practices and to observe their effectiveness. FPInnovations brought to the research team its expertise from the forest industry, which could also be applied to in situ oil sands operations. Terry Osko, from Circle T Consulting, and Matthew Pyper, from Fuse Consulting, also shared considerable expertise from their personal fields of focus. The result was a wetlands shared-
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practices toolbox which summarized several common and uncommon practices in field-ready factsheets. Common practices included preplanning efforts to understand wetland characteristics, use of culverts, and use of geosynthetics to improve bearing capacity. Uncommon practices included the use of corduroy in road and pad construction, use of rock drains to improve drainage, and use of piles to support culverts during road or pad settlement. Providing time for peat consolidation during a road or pad construction sequence was a practice that was increasing in popularity due to the improved effectiveness and reliability of the compressed matrix. “In addition to the shared-practice toolbox, this project highlighted a series of core opportunities to improve practices,” explains Clayton Gillies, a senior researcher in FPInnovations’ Roads and Infrastructure group. These opportunities included: • Developing programs that train staff to identify different wetland types and use existing digital products that identify wetland types
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
• Adopting a staged approach to constructing pads and roads to enable peat consolidation and encourage strengthening of the peat foundation • Increasing the frequency of drainage structures, such as culverts, along roads • Developing an operational field guide for operating in and around wetlands • Continuing to identify opportunities to minimize footprints and/or improve the resilience of footprints that are placed on wetlands The full report is available by consulting COSIA’s website: https://www.cosia.ca/ sites/default/files/attachments/COSIA-WetlandSharedPracticesReport-2018-02-27. pdf. More information on this project can also be obtained by contacting Clayton Gillies (clayton.gillies@fpinnovations.ca) More information can also be obtained by contacting John Pineau, FPInnovations’ Ontario Provincial Leader (john.pineau@fpinnovations.ca).
industryevents
Conference a success—with more to come The HarvestTECHX conference held in Vancouver in March proved to be very successful—and there’s more to come for the forest industry with the Woodflow Logistix 2019 conference coming up in October.
T
he HarvestTECHX conference held in Vancouver in March proved to be a hit with loggers and the forest industry, with the conference and display space virtually sold out. The conference provided an essential and independent platform to showcase new innovations and operating practices suited to North American harvesting operations. It highlighted how automation and technology are advancing operational safety and productivity for operators, contractors and the general industry. The conference theme for 2019 was “Smarter Logging Automation & Technologies”. There were keynote presentations on key paradigm shifts to logging and forestry technologies, and the conference featured experts detailing developments, technologies, issues and new opportunities impacting the sector. It included a full line-up of technologies, innovative new platforms and exciting new applications. Formerly called the Steep Slope Logging Conference, the new name—HarvestTECHX—covers all machine-based forestry and logging operations for west coast operations in North America. The conference was organized by the team at Innovatek, Logging & Sawmilling Journal and TimberWest. Among the presentations were Taking a Leadership Role in Safety Technology, with Dale Ewers, Director, Moutere Logging, New Zealand; More Automation, Less Labour, with Eric Krume, Owner of Krume Logging; and Forestry 4.0: Implications for Harvesting Planning, with Mathieu Blouin, Business Development Manager, FPInnovations, Canada. On the equipment manufacturing side, Rob Archibald, Project Engineer at Tigercat, spoke on the Tigercat RemoteLog Telematics System. Matt Flood, Foresight Manager, John Deere, Canada, spoke about New Developments and
Technologies with TimberMatic Maps and TimberManager. The conference was followed by a Winch Assist Logging Workshop sponsored by WorkSafeBC and the BC Forest Safety Council. The one-day workshop provided the latest information on the safe operation of winch assist logging equipment. Trainers included international experts who shared their experiences from New Zealand and the United States. The workshop included presentations and in-the-field sessions with winch assist equipment at the UBC Research Forest in Maple Ridge. With this year’s HarvestTECHX behind them, the conference team at Innovatek, Logging & Sawmilling Journal and TimberWest are pleased to announce their newest industry conference for leading loggers and forest managers for 2019: Woodflow Logistix. Woodflow Logistix will cover new innovations and operating practices in wood transport and logistics operations in North America, and be held October 22-23 at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond, B.C. This new and exciting conference will be highlighting how automation and technology are advancing operational safety and productivity for operators, contractors and foresters within the North American forest industry. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
“With a top lineup of speakers and presenters, we’re really looking forward to tackling the major issues in the wood transport and logistics areas for the forest industry,” said Anthony Robinson, associate publisher of Logging and Sawmilling Journal. “We believe the conference will be a must-attend event for anyone involved in those areas of the industry.” Among the areas that will be covered at Woodflow Logistix 2019: • Disruptive technologies reshaping business operations within the wood supply chain • Innovations around log scaling, measurement and tracking • Remote sensing and real-time tracking of logs and wood products • Innovative systems to integrate planning, operations, harvesting, transport & sales • Advances in automated log measurement and materials handling • Telematic tools to better drive improved fleet productivity and safety • New digital platforms to improve data connectivity and data transfer • Electric fleet, autonomous trucking and platooning technologies • Opportunities with robotics, augmented and virtual reality & machine learning • Utilization of smart harvester production and productivity data • Health and safety initiatives around forestry and wood transport operations
Full details on Woodflow Logistix 2019 are available at https://woodflowlogistix. events/ Also, it’s not too early to plan on attending HarvestTECHX 2020. Information will be available soon on HarvestTECHX 2020 at https://harvesttechx.events/ 71
Don’t Miss These Exciting Features at the Show: • Interior Safety Conference on Friday • Recruitment Fair on Saturday
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S T I B I H OR EX
SUPPLIERNEWSLINE Komatsu purchases TimberPro
Komatsu America Corp has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire TimberPro Inc. Established in 2002, TimberPro is a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of purpose-built forest machines and attachments, offering tracked feller bunchers and harvesters, forwarders, wheeled harvesters, and felling heads. “Acquiring TimberPro will strengthen the company’s position in the full-treelength market and enables us to offer a highly competitive range of products for professional logging,” says Rod Schrader, CEO, Komatsu America Corp. Komatsu America Corp is a U.S. subsidiary of Komatsu Ltd, the world’s second largest manufacturer and supplier of earth-moving equipment. It also serves the forklift and forestry markets. www.komatsuamerica.com
fuel leakage and spillage during fuel filter changes. A new hinged AC condenser improves access, making it easier to clean out debris trapped between the radiator and AC condenser. The G series machines also feature remote grease lines for the boom cylinder base pins, improving ground-level serviceability. An optional hydraulic oil level alarm provides an audible and visible alarm that the hydraulic oil level is extremely low and requires immediate machine shut down. www.johndeere.com
A larger travel device improves tractive effort on the 2654G and 2656G machines, as well as select 2154G and 2156G models. The new LH side door features an easy-to-remove screen, allowing for the removal of collected debris. The cabs have been changed, adding a USB port for device charging and relocating the auxiliary and USB ports to behind the seat. A pre-cleaner for engine air intake of the Final Tier 4 engines improves air filter life, while fuel shut-off valves eliminate
The 890 Logger is Tigercat’s highest capacity machine
Weighing 47,900 kgs (105,600 lbs), the Tigercat 890 is the largest, highest capacity machine in Tigercat’s purpose-built forestry product line.
New marketing manager for Sennebogen
Sennebogen has appointed marketing veteran Ryan Kolb to reinforce its support to distributors and their sales staff.
John Deere launches updated G series swing machines
John Deere has updated its G series swing machines to improve operator experience. From changes to machine design to new features to improved serviceability, the updated swing machines include eight models: the 2154G, 2156G, 2654G, 2656G, 3154G, 3156G, 3754G and 3756G.
By Tony Kryzanowski
Kolb has joined the head office team in Stanley, North Carolina, in the newly created position of Marketing Manager, Americas. An MBA graduate from Pace University, Kolb held several senior marketing positions within a worldwide industrial group over the past 12 years, and frequently earned recognition there for successful, innovative marketing leadership. “I was involved in launching a wide range of new products in that time,” Kolb says. “That exposure to different needs and applications allowed me to see how different sales tools work in different situations, and in different hands. I think that will help us at Sennebogen, to make sure that our sales network is well equipped to take on the varied challenges of our established markets as well as the new opportunities that we are continuing to develop.” www.sennebogen-na.com Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
The Tigercat FPT C87 engine delivers 245 kW (330 hp) at 2000 rpm for Tier 2 and Tier 4 emission compliance. The large swing bearing provides increased capacity and swing torque. The twin swing drive system reduces gear tooth loads, and a massive single-piece, forged pedestal strengthens the undercarriage and improves durability. A new, longer F7-172 heavy duty, 10 roller track frame with a wide stance carbody gives the 890 exceptional stability. Track components are co-designed with Berco to provide maximum durability in forestry applications. The 890 Logger shares the modular main hydraulic valve with all other Tigercat 800 series carriers for improved parts commonality. With the ability to easily swap out a valve section, the modular design simplifies maintenance. New larger capacity valve sections are used for main and stick boom circuits to provide higher flow rates and improve efficiency. The 890 has plenty of cooling capacity with an automatic variable speed fan for improved fuel efficiency and an automatic reversing cycle to clean the heat exchangers. Another fuel saving feature is the energy recovery swing system. A closed loop drive feeds power back to the engine when swing decelerates, reducing fuel consumption and recovering energy for other machine functions. www.tigercat.com to page 74 73
suppliernewsline from page 73
Morbark adds to product mix with DENIS CIMAF acquisition
Morbark has completed the acquisition of DENIS CIMAF Inc, based in Roxton Falls, Québec. This transaction is the company’s second acquisition since private equity firm Stellex Capital Management LP acquired Morbark in 2016. The acquisition of Rayco Manufacturing in October 2017 brought a lineup of innovative equipment into the Morbark family across multiple product categories, in particular, Rayco stump cutters, aerial trimmers, forestry mulchers and crawler trucks. The company says that its purchase of DENIS CIMAF is another step in its strategic focus on broadening the range of tree care and industrial equipment, aftermarket parts, and service offered to its customers. Founded by Laurent Denis and his wife, Monique Vaillancourt, in 1998, DENIS CIMAF specializes in the development of high-performance brushcuttermulcher attachments for excavators, skid steers, forestry tractors, graders and other types of heavy equipment. The company manufactures three main lines of products: the DAH series, industrial mulcher attachments for excavators; the DAF series, attachments for skid steers and other dedicated carriers; and the EWF series, dedicated hydraulic power packs. The company celebrated its 20th anniversary in business this past summer. www.morbark.com
Wood-Mizer introduces LX150 twin rail sawmill
Wood-Mizer has launched the LX150 twin rail sawmill, which it says is designed for hobbyists and professionals looking for a robust, portable sawmill with powered saw head controls and a large 35½” width of cut, ideal for sawing wide, live edge slabs. This is the second LX series sawmill offered by WoodMizer in North America. A key innovation of the Wood-Mizer LX sawmill series includes the rigid LX
Stage-5 compliant FTX300 mulching tractor from Fecon
Fecon introduced the latest addition to its lineup of forestry mulchers, the Stage-5 compliant FTX300 mulching tractor, at the recent Oregon Logging Conference. This low-ground pressure tractor features an oscillating undercarriage with 30” track shoes, providing balanced traction in hard or soft conditions.
A spacious cab features air suspension and a heated seat, as well as a new larger touchscreen IQAN display, and keyless ignition with security, for operator comfort and control. It is powered by a Cummins QSB 6.7 Stage 5 engine that delivers 310 net horsepower, offering the latest in efficient emissions technology, and an average fuel consumption rate of just 8 to 12 gallons per hour (gph). With an aggressive 115 gpm, 5600 psi high flow hydraulic system, Fecon says that this mid-sized tractor has ample power for forestry attachments. The FTX300 features a BH120 forestry mulcher with variable speed motors and three optional
frame sawhead tower that holds the control panel, engine, and the sawmill head. Designed to accommodate a larger width and depth of cut, the LX frame travels on twin parallel hardened steel rails on the bed and allows the operator to have better visibility while sawing. www.woodmizer.com
rotor systems, including Fecon’s Depth Control Rotor (DCR) technology. www.fecon.com
EACOM President/CEO named to SFI Board
Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc (SFI) has elected four new members to its board of directors, including Kevin Edgson, President and CEO, EACOM Timber Corporation. “These four board members join us at a critical juncture given SFI’s current work to set our strategic direction for the next five years,” says Mark Rodgers, President and CEO, Habitat for Humanity Canada and Chair of the SFI Board of Directors. Edgson leads the second largest lumber producer in Eastern Canada. He has more than 30 years experience in multiple sectors, provincial jurisdictions, and roles in the Canadian forest products industry. SFI says that he is committed to meeting the highest standards for forest, environmental, and quality management. Since 2015, EACOM has worked to expand certification to the SFI Forest Management, Fibre Sourcing, and Chainof-Custody standards across its Ontario and Quebec operations. “As our company grows, so does our commitment to promoting sustainable forest management and driving continuous improvement for our sector,” Edgson says. “SFI’s collaborative engagement with countless communities, organizations and individuals resonates with EACOM’s desire to share our passion for forests and engage others in responsible resource management.” www.sfiprogram.org
TS Manufacturing acquires Automation & Electronics
Ontario’s TS Manufacturing has completed acquisition of Automation & Electronics (NZ) Ltd and its subsidiaries. The company says that this acquisition strengthens the TS Controls division in North America and provides greater amalgamated support worldwide for the existing installed base of TS and A&E customers. The existing A&E management teams in New Zealand and North Carolina will remain intact. TS Manufacturing says that the acquisition creates a deep team of over 16 PLC and software support staff, operating natively from three time zones. to page 76
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
CALL FOR SPEAKERS The conference team at Innovatek, Logging & Sawmilling Journal and TimberWest are pleased to announce their newest industry conference for leading forestry, wood products and transport companies for 2019. Woodflow Logistix covers all aspects of the wood supply chain from forest to mill for west coast operations in North America. The conference theme for 2019 is Global Technology Advances for Wood Supply Chain Operations. Our Woodflow Logistix 2019 conference is scheduled for October 22nd & 23rd, 2019 at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond, Vancouver, Canada. This conference will be providing practical tools, new innovations and key insights to help improve planning, logistics and operations within the wood supply chain. We are working closely with international technology leaders, logging transport contractors, service providers, researchers and industry and government agencies to develop a strong and innovative programme. If you are keen to be a speaker at our conference and you are an early adopter, developer, innovator, contractor, technology supplier, service provider or researcher within the wood transport & logistics sector, we’d like to hear from you. This upcoming Woodflow Logistix conference includes sessions on: •
Disruptive technologies reshaping business operations within the wood supply chain
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Innovations in log scaling, measurement and tracking
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Remote sensing and real-time tracking of logs and wood products
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Advances in automated log measurement and materials handling
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New digital platforms to improve data connectivity and data transfer
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Autonomous trucking and platooning technologies
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Advances in hydrogen and electric prime motors
•
Opportunities with robotics, augmented and virtual reality & machine learning
If you are interested in being considered as a speaker, or would like to recommend an early adopter, case study or international expert, please contact: Conference organizers Anthony Robinson, 604-990-9970, robinson@forestnet.com Or John Stulen on +64 27 275 8011, john.stulen@innovatek.co.nz
More information can be found at: www.woodflowlogistix.events
classified
suppliernewsline from page 74 “This acquisition is more like a merger of like-minded professionals all dedicated to the wood products industry,” says Riley Smith, Sales Manager for TS Manufacturing. “It’s our intent for existing vendor and customer relationships to remain unchanged. Existing customers will now receive enhanced worldwide support from a diverse range of time zones and offices.” Each company will mutually benefit from the broad and varying experience of the other, and customers will get the most expedient and capable solutions in the wood products industry, Smith added. www.tsman.com
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
77
thelastword
A recovering pulp sector is good news for solid wood producers—and loggers By Tony Kryzanowski
T
here are definite signs that the worst is over for the pulp side of the Canadian pulp and paper sector. It may also be time to rebrand it as the ‘cellulose’ branch of the forest industry because, let’s face it, digital media is kicking the legs out from consumption of certain types of paper in North America. But pulp, or cellulose, well, that’s another matter entirely. Why the solid wood industry should take note of what’s happening in the pulp sector is because of the close integration between sawmills and pulp mills. Many sawmills would not survive if they did not have a market for their chips, so what happens in the pulp sector really matters to all of forestry. The evidence of a silver lining in the pulp industry is in the large number of acquisitions and new players arriving, particularly in Western Canada, as well as how several pulp producers are refocusing their marketing on sales to more nonpaper customers. For example, Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries (Al-Pac), located near Boyle, Alberta, has increased its sales to the tissue sector from 10 per cent to 33 per cent, according to Geoff Clarke, Program Leader for Bioproduct Development. On the acquisitions side of the ledger, here are some of the recent highlights. In British Columbia, Paper Excellence was notified in February that the Canadian Competition Bureau has no issues with the company’s desire to purchase Richmond-based Catalyst Paper, which owns manufacturing facilities in Crofton, Port Alberni and Powell River, as well as a distribution centre in Surrey. Now here is a company that has come a long way in the Canadian pulp sector in a very short period of time, stating in its press release on the Catalyst purchase that “Paper Excellence has evolved from
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a new entrant in the value-added natural resources (pulp) industry less than a decade ago to being among one of Canada’s larger pulp producers.” In Alberta, Mercer International Inc has purchased the Canadian assets of Daishowa-Marubeni International (DMI) for $465 million. DMI was owned by Marubeni Corporation, Nippon Paper Industries Co Ltd, and Daishowa North America Corp. It owned a bleached kraft pulp mill in Peace River and a 50 per cent interest in the Cariboo Pulp and Paper Company, a joint venture that operates a bleached kraft pulp mill in Quesnel, B.C. The disappearance of the DMI name marks a sad end to an important chapter in the establishment and growth of Alberta’s pulp industry, as it, along with Al-Pac, was a huge player in the expansion of the industry in the province several decades ago. But times are changing. Mercer is no stranger to the Canadian pulp industry, given its ownership of the Celgar mill in Castlegar, B.C. In Saskatchewan, Paper Excellence could be making huge headlines soon, but it’s not clear on which side of the column. The company purchased the massive Prince Albert pulp mill from Domtar in 2011, but has not operated the mill because of a non-compete clause in the sales agreement. That clause expires in March 2021, which has local union leaders wistfully speculating that it is only a matter of time before the pulp mill re-opens. There are discussions about adding green power production at the Prince Albert pulp mill in addition to pulp production. For its part, Paper Excellence says that it is still evaluating whether re-opening the pulp mill makes sense. If it does, there will be dancing in the streets by the more than 185 staff who have recall rights to possible future jobs at the pulp mill— Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2019
but also at sawmills east of Prince Albert, who would then have a market for their chips a lot closer to home. Paper Excellence is already a major player in the province’s pulp industry, with a plant in Meadow Lake. Perhaps the most intriguing good news story of all is the saga of the kraft pulp and paper mill in The Pas, Manitoba. The mill produces heavy kraft paper used in such applications as cement bags, sugar, seeds, and potatoes, producing about 164,000 tonnes of kraft paper annually. Two years ago, a decidedly mysterious White Knight buyer purchased the kraft pulp and paper mill mere weeks before it was slated to close, as it was deemed financially unsustainable by the previous owner. The closure would have meant unemployment for 330 workers and loss of an annual payroll of about $37 million to the community, with the town’s mayor stating that it would impact about a third of the town’s population of 5,500 residents. But the mill was purchased by a previously unknown player in Canada’s pulp and paper market, Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Limited (CKPI), in partnership with Swampy Creek Holdings, a local First Nations business. CKPI is a branch of a much larger conglomerate called American Industrial Acquisition Corp (AIAC). Since 2016, it has invested over $20 million into the mill. Recently, CKPI was awarded the Turnaround of the Year Award for a midsize company by the Turnaround Management Association. In 18 months, the mill went from multi-million dollar losses in 2016 to a profitable 2017, to record profitability in 2018. So maybe the Canadian pulp industry wasn’t dying after all—maybe it just needed some new blood, new focus, and new ideas.
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