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TA K I N G

STOCK

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. Street Address: 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Telephone: 334-834-1170 Fax 334-834-4525

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Publisher David H. Ramsey Chief Operating Officer Dianne C. Sullivan

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Editor-In-Chief Rich Donnell Senior Editor Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor David Abbott Senior Associate Editor Jessica Johnson Associate Editor Patrick Dunning Contributing Editor Fred Kurpiel

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Publisher/Editor Emeritus David (DK) Knight

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Production Manager/Art Director Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coordinator Patti Campbell Circulation Director Rhonda Thomas Online Content & Marketing Manager Jacqlyn Kirkland

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Advertising Sales Manager David H. Ramsey • (334) 834-1170

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES SOUTHERN U.S. Kathy Sternenberg • (251) 928-4962 ksternenberg@bellsouth.net Classified Advertising Bridget DeVane • (334) 669-7837 • 1-800-669-5613 bdevane7@hotmail.com MIDWEST USA, EASTERN CANADA John Simmons Mar-Tech Communications 32 Foster Cres. Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 1W1 (905) 666-0258 Fax: (905) 666-0778 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com WESTERN USA, WESTERN CANADA Tim Shaddick 4056 West 10th Ave, Vancouver BC Canada V6L 1Z1 604-910-1826 Fax: (604) 264-1397 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca Kevin Cook (604) 619-1777 E-mail: lordkevincook@gmail.com INTERNATIONAL Murray Brett 58 Aldea de las Cuevas Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain Tel: +34 96 640 4165 +34 96 640 4048 E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net

DEAR FRED, FROM KENNETH hile reading a draft of this issue’s cover story on Roseburg’s new LVL plant in Chester, SC, representing Roseburg’s first ever greenfield project in the South, I glanced at the letter that I’ve always kept on the bulletin board up and behind my iMac monitor. The bulletin board is mostly tacked with editorial planning and editorial style information, but this letter always appealed to me and I put it up there instead of filing it away into neverland. I’m the second person who felt the letter was worth keeping. The first person was the late Fred Fields, who worked for and eventually bought the panel machinery manufacturing company, Coe Manufacturing. I worked with Fields on writing and publishing his book, “My Times With Coe,” which came out in 2010. Fields, living in Portland, Ore., opened his massive files to me, and one thing I uncovered was a letter—written to Fields on December 4, 1964 by Kenneth Ford, the owner and president of Oregon-based Roseburg Lumber Co., as the company was called then. Ford signed it as Kenneth W. Ford. When Fields first traveled to the Northwest in 1952 for Coe one of his first projects was helping with the installation of a Coe lathe and dryer that Ford and Roseburg had purchased for Roseburg’s first plywood plant to be built in Dillard, Ore. That’s when Ford and Fields met for the first time and they struck up a tight, albeit sometimes sparring, business and personal relationship that lasted until Ford’s death in 1997. By 1964, Fields was living in Portland and working out of Coe’s new plant in Tigard, Ore. The letter reveals that Ford was thinking seriously about building a plywood plant in the Southern U.S., and that he understood that Fields had said the profitability for Roseburg from such an endeavor “looked good.” However, Ford added, his accountant had worked up some numbers for a possible plant in the South. Ford wrote, “The report which they

prepared is not what you would call lucrative. I am enclosing a copy of this report and wish you would please go over same and if you find that it is grossly in error…see if we can get the report corrected.” Apparently it was never “corrected” enough and Ford already had lots of other projects on his plate as Roseburg continued to build plants in the Northwest, including a massive plywood plant at Riddle, Ore. that came on in the early 1970s. Fields, who died in late 2011, the year after the book came out, obviously felt the letter from his friend was a keepsake, and upon completing our collaboration on the book generously invited me to possess it along with some of his other materials. Being a sports enthusiast, I’m all about sports memorabilia, and while it’s not sports I’ve always viewed this letter in a similar special light, involving two legends of the trade. At the upcoming PELICE in Atlanta, there will be discussion about Roseburg’s new LVL plant in South Carolina, and the company’s growing interests far away from its Oregon home base. I’ll be wondering, what if Kenneth Ford and Roseburg had built that plywood mill, or two or three or a half dozen of PW them in the South?

RICH DONNELL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ph: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525 e-mail: rich@hattonbrown.com

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(Founded as P l y w o o d & P a n e l in 1960—Our 513th consecutive issue) VOLUME 63 NO. 2

MARCH 2022

Visit our web site: www.panelworldmag.com

CLIPPINGS Mass Timber

GEO DIRECTORY Veneer/Panel Suppliers STATE OF OSB A Wild Two Years

TAKING STOCK Letter Keepsake

UPDATE All Things OSB

PANELWORKS Classified Advertising

WHAT’S NEW In The lathe

PELICE Agenda, Preview

28-52 SUPPLY LINES He'll Be Missed

COVER: Northwest-based Roseburg Forest Products slides East (okay, more like the South Atlantic) in a big way with its new LVL facility in Chester, SC. Story begins on PAGE 12. (Photo courtesy of Roseburg)

PROJECTS In The Works

STATE OF PLYWOOD Like Mark Twain Said

EVENTS Now We’re Talking

AD LINK Our Advertisers

Panel World (ISSN 1048-826X) is published bimonthly by Plywood & Panel World, Inc., P.O. Box 2268, Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 (334) 834-1170, Fax (334) 834-4525. Subscription Information— PW is sent free to owners, operators, managers, purchasing agents, supervisors and foremen at veneer operations, plywood plants, composite products plants, structural and decorative panel mills, engineered wood products plants and allied export-import businesses throughout the world. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $50 annually; $60 in Canada; $95 (Airmail) in all other countries (U.S. funds). Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds). Subscription Inquiries—TOLL-FREE 800-669-5613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.panelworldmag.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe or renew via the web. All advertisements for Panel World magazine are accepted and published by Plywood & Panel World, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Plywood & Panel World, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses, or other liability resulting from any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Plywood & Panel World, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Panel World. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertisement which it deems inappropriate. Copyright ® 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Printed in USA.

Member, Verified Audit Circulation Managed By Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc.

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UPDATE

GP PLANS OUPUT HIKE AT OSB MILL

GP’s Clarendon OSB mill was designed for added capacity.

Georgia-Pacific announced a planned $20 million addition to its oriented strandboard (OSB) facility in Alcolu, SC. The project will add a third strander, which will increase annual output by 150MMSF. Construction on the project is slated to begin in April, and the new addition is scheduled to come on-line in the first quarter of 2023.

“The addition of a third strander has always been in the plans for Clarendon,” says Tobey Elgin, Georgia-Pacific’s Director of Operations for OSB. “The site was originally designed for additional capacity, so adding this third strander will maximize the efficiency and output for the operation.” “The Clarendon facility is a tremendous asset in our OSB portfolio of five facilities,” adds Andy Konieczka, President, Georgia-Pacific Structural Panels. “Seeing it get to its full potential has been a vision that will soon be a reality.” Purchased from Grant Forest Products in 2010, Georgia-Pacific completed the construction, and the site began operations in 2013. “The multi-million-dollar improvement project will be a plus for the local economy,” Konieczka says. “Approximately 100 contractors are expected during the construction phase. Once the new strander is on-line there will be an increase in log trucks arriving and trucks departing with finished goods.”

HUBER SUBMITS REVISED EAW Huber Engineered Woods LLC (HEW) announced its submission of a revised Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) to the city of Cohasset, Minn. for review. HEW plans to build a $440 million OSB plant on nearly 200 acres adjacent Minnesota Power’s Boswell Energy Center in Cohasset. The project is expected to create 150 direct jobs with additional job and growth opportunities in adjacent industries like timber and trucking. Brian Carlson, President of HEW, states, “We appreciate the feedback we received from community members and stakeholders, and we revised the EAW accordingly to take into account the feedback we received. We intend to continue working with interested parties to move the project toward construction.” The updated EAW is submitted as a result of consultation with and review of comments by local citizens, state agencies, and other interested parties. Among

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UPDATE

other revisions, the updated EAW provides more information about the health of Minnesota’s forests and their ample ability to sustainably supply the facility. The EAW also provides more detail on the project’s carbon footprint, especially regarding the effects of generating much of the facility’s energy needs through wood fuels, and the carbon sequestration effects of the finished wood products. Construction on the project is expected to begin later this year following all permit approvals.

PEAK HIRES BAX AS CEO

Peak Renewables Ltd. has appointed Scott Bax as CEO. Bax is responsible for Peak Renewable’s hydrogen and OSB activities throughout North America, including the recently announced One Sky Forest Products OSB plant to be built in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, a partnership between Peak Renewables and 12 Indigenous Nations.

Prior to joining Peak, Bax spent eight years with Pinnacle Renewable Energy, most recently as COO, where he grew the business three-fold to more than 2.5 million MT of annualized wood pellet production and revenue in excess of $400 million. A leader who prioritizes people, relationships, accountability and results, Bax brings more than 25 years of experience of forestry and wood manufacturing operations throughout Canada and the U.S. “I am excited to be joining a talented and committed team engaged in the vital economic growth and renewables space,” Bax says. “Under Brian Fehr’s visionary leadership, I am focused on safely and sustainably growing a business that yields benefits to workers, communities, indigenous peoples, the environment and investors.” Fehr, who is Peak’s founder and ChairScott Bax man, adds, “Scott

brings experience, passion and leadership to help elevate Peak Renewables as a difference maker and major player in the renewable forest economy. A relationshiporiented leader with proven results, his approach and experience will accelerate Peak’s projects and optimize operations.”

EQUITY FIRM BUYS ROSBORO

One Equity Partners (OEP), a middle market private equity firm, has acquired a majority interest in Oregon-based Rosboro from Wynnchurch Capital. Rosboro is a leading manufacturer of glulam. Wynnchurch Capital will remain a significant minority shareholder. “Rosboro is an excellent business making high-quality differentiated engineered wood products at scale,” says Matthew Hughes, Managing Director at OEP. “Rosboro is poised to benefit from a number of growth drivers including single-family residential housing starts, net migration to the U.S. West, increasing residential repair and

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UPDATE

remodel, and glulam’s increasing share against structural wood alternatives and other engineered wood products.” OEP recently purchased sawmill equipment manufacturers USNR and Wood Fiber Group and subsequently merged them. Rosboro operates out of two manufacturing sites in Springfield and Veneta, Ore.

ROSEBURG ADDS COO POSITION

Roseburg has appointed Stuart Gray to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer. The company’s ongoing growth in a complex and fastpaced business environment drove Roseburg’s executive team to create the new role to leverage Gray’s skillset and experience. “As we continue to expand Roseburg’s business, our business context and related challenges are also increasing,” Roseburg President and CEO Grady Mulbery says. “Adding a COO to

our leadership structure is a very effective way to help continue our success.” Roseburg’s executive team will remain intact and move forward with their current roles and responsibilities. As COO, Gray will assume oversight for operations, sales and HR/EHS. With deep roots in the construction and building supply industry, Gray joined Roseburg in 2017 as senior vice president and general counsel, overseeing the company’s strategic business development, compliance and environmental teams.

WEYCO CANADA TAPS GRAHAM

Weyerhaeuser has appointed David Graham as President of Weyerhaeuser Co. Ltd., its wholly owned Canadian subsidiary. Graham’s appointment follows the planned retirement of Fred Dzida, who has served as president of the company’s Canadian subsidiary since 2014 and will stay on through March 2022. Graham joined Weyerhaeuser in

1991 as an engineer and has held a variety of senior leadership positions in the company’s Wood Products and Timberlands organizations, including most recently as vice president of HR supporting the Timberlands and Corporate Development businesses and previously as vice president of the company’s Oriented Strand Board business.

WEINIG GAINS CLT PROJECT

The Weinig Group reports it has received an order as a complete supplier for a CLT project at HolzBauWerk Schwarzwald GmbH, including all automation components, planers, crosscut saws, fingerjointing lines, edge-gluing machines for longitudinal and cross-layers, plus the surface press. Innovations that reflect the high level of quality and flexibility required by HolzBauWerk Schwarzwald GmbH have been incorporated into the project at Seewald-Besenfeld in Germany.

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WEBSTER WAS TRUE PLYWOOD MAN

Born in Portland, Webster was 19 when he assumed his father-in-law’s cooperative share and began working in Al Webster, longtime Northwest plythe Multnomah Plywood mill in Portwood industry participant who began his land. He rose through the ranks quickly, career and ultimately became general from pulling on the green chain, to millmanager, president and served on the wright, lathe operator, foreman and board of directors at worker-owned coopmanagement positions. erative Multnomah Plywood Co., which In 1967, Multnomah Plywood purstarted in the 1950s on the chased the more modern Crown banks of the Willamette River Zellerbach plywood mill in St. in downtown Portland, Ore., Helens, Ore. for $3.5 million, died December 1, 2021 in Sun soon shut down the Portland mill, City West, Ariz. He was 78. sold the 25 waterfront acres to Webster’s career transithe city for $1.5 million, and tioned from plywood operabarged some of its facilities to the tions to machinery sales, and St. Helens site. he served in a consulting ca- Al Webster “Over time we added capital pacity until not long before his expenditures amounting to over death. “I always enjoyed visiting with $30 million,” Webster recalled of the him at machinery expos and other indusoperation at St. Helens which grew to try gatherings,” comments Rich Donemploy 350. “We became the largest nell, editor-in-chief of Panel World. producer of exterior plywood siding at a “His depth of knowledge of the plywood very value-added price. We made a ton industry was unsurpassed. He took great of profit for the next 15 years.” pride in the history of the industry, in In the early 1980s the operation began which he played a major role.” to feel the cutbacks in timber harvesting

UPDATE

on federal lands combined with aggressive inflation and reduced housing starts, and competition from a new product called oriented strandboard. Webster left the company in 1984 and became general manager of Alpine Veneers, a veneer peeling plant in Cle Elum, Wash. Multnomah Plywood ultimately fell into bankruptcy and ceased operation in 1991. “They tried to hire me back but I knew it would be impossible to save them,” Webster said. “I would have if I could have.” When Alpine shut down operations in the late 1980s, Webster joined Panel Equipment Sales in Portland specializing in export sales of plywood manufacturing machinery. In 2002 he went to work for Coe Manufacturing as a sales manager and in 2005 came to Mill Machinery as a consultant in sales and manufacture. Webster was an avid snow skier and served as a supervisor on the Mt. Hood Ski Patrol for many years. He enjoyed traveling throughout the world for business and pleasure. He leaves behind his wife, Christie, and two daughters.

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BY JESSICA JOHNSON

DESPITE CHALLENGES, AND THAT VIRUS, ROSEBURG FP CHESTER EW COMES ALIVE Sticking with a process it knows— based on its Northwest operations—Roseburg Forest Products has its South Carolina LVL SYP mill on-line and going strong.

CHESTER, SC espite a few technical glitches during startup, and while muscling through a global pandemic, Chester Engineered Wood is a go for Roseburg. The industry looked on as Roseburg built its greenfield southern yellow pine (SYP) laminated veneer lumber (LVL) mill in South Carolina—the company’s first greenfield project in the U.S. South, though having acquired several panel plants in the South through the years and maintaining operations in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Nestled not far from major cities in the Carolinas—Charlotte is just 40 miles away, and Columbia, SC is 60 miles—Chester, SC is positioned well to serve the bustling metro areas that are seeing housing starts shoot through the roof. Chester Engineered Wood came online at the onslaught of the pandemic,

which, combined with the unique challenges that a startup presents, made for an interesting time. Plant Manager Mike Henry, who was at another Roseburg facility in the South before coming to Chester, says the extra challenges put additional pressure on a lot of people, but in the end, being creative and liking to solve problems, Henry and his management team hit the quality production the company was aiming for when the facility was constructed—it just took longer than expected to get there. “2020 was really more of a startup year, a building and fixing year,” he emphasizes. Announced in the summer of 2017, the plant pressed its first board in 2019. But “first board” was not indicative of production, not by a mile. Consistent day in and day out production didn’t come until summer 2021, and from there numbers started accelerating. The plant’s annual finished LVL capacity is between 7 and 10 million cubic feet. It’s a familiar story. Once COVID-19 hit, many were faced with difficult deci-

The Chester facility features the world’s largest production capacity LVL continuous press line.

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sions relating to travel restrictions, especially for the Europeans, and many had to scatter to their respective home bases. FaceTime and other digital communication means were used, but for Henry and his team those didn’t fill in the gaps the way they always needed. It also slowed down commissioning and startup timelines. “It was a battle,” Henry says of 2020. However, Roseburg’s in-house engineering team was able to travel back and forth from the West Coast to provide on site support to mill personnel, aided by local contractor teams. Things changed in the first quarter of 2021. The three main equipment suppliers for the facility, Raute, Dieffenbacher and USNR factory representatives were able to travel to South Carolina safely from their respective countries and everything began to click in the first quarter of 2021. Henry explains, “From the first quarter of ’21 to the end of the year, we made a lot of progress. Really as we finished up ’21 we were probably at the production rate we expected to be, in a turnkey fashion, in 2020.” With the COVID environment, hiring remains difficult even in 2022. “I know in the panel industry we’re all complaining about the same thing,” Henry says.

PROCESS CHALLENGES One area Chester battled was gluing and layup. Originally, the mill used a pressurized system with extruder heads to apply glue. It caused a lot of headaches. After spending a while trying to get things right, the team finally had to admit the truth, that the pressurized extruder heads were a maintenance nightmare. Chester transitioned the extruder heads to curtain coater heads, and swapped resin suppliers. The combination changed the performance of the glue significantly, Henry explains, especially with GP Chemicals having service techs in the plant every week. In September 2021, Chester switched out the original extruder/curtain coater heads to Koch curtain coater heads—the standard in Roseburg plants. A year after Henry and the maintenance staff first started trying to solve the glue performance issues, a new resin supplier and new application machine were installed. The facility breathed a sigh of relief when the new resin technologies partly fixed the veneer waste issue, as Chester dealt with skyrocketing plywood pricing.

Billet moves out of press and through board detection station.

Considering all needed veneer comes from peelers that are supplying plywood facilities or plywood facilities that are peeling and supply veneer, Henry knew plywood was taking the front seat because of the pricing. Working through relationships to get consistent supply helped keep Chester moving forward. Like many operations, Chester was hit with challenges because of the supply chain crisis. Henry was extremely aware of any failures in the plant because of the big risk that it could be a month or a year before a specific part could be shipped to South Carolina. In response, Chester kept more than one spare on the shelves and shared with other facilities not just in the Roseburg portfolio. “You tend to share with other facili-

ties because we’re all in the same boat,” the veteran Henry says. “Evaluate the risk, and if the risk is minimal go ahead and give them the part, even if you’re a competitor, because you’d hope they’d do the same for you. It’s always been that way, but the last year has exaggerated that.”

PROCESS FLOW In the last five to seven years, Oregonbased Roseburg Forest Products began expanding its footprint from the West Coast, helping to round out the company’s portfolio. It acquired 192,000 acres of timberland in North Carolina and Virginia and purchased the Del-Tin Fiber MDF plant in Arkansas, while continuing to operate particleboard plants in PanelWorld • MARCH 2022 • 13

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Chester operates with a dual Raute layup line.

Louisiana and Mississippi. Though the acreage in North Carolina was initially geared toward Chester, Roseburg since announced plans to build a SYP lumber mill in North Carolina, fed by those timberlands that will come on-line sometime in 2023. The timber Roseburg purchased and its inherent structural strength is more suited for lumber than veneer. Roseburg’s in-house experience with its RigidLam LVL dates back to the startup of its plant in Riddle, Ore. in 2001, almost exactly 20 years prior to the Chester startup. During the ensuing decades the Riddle operation expanded into fingerjointing and I-joist production. The ongoing success at Riddle supported the movement of RigidLam to Eastern markets from a new LVL facility. Chester brings in dried pine veneer purchased from multiple sources, though the plant was built with the ability to implement drying in-house. Initially, the plant started running with 1⁄8 in. pine veneer. It proved to be extremely brittle and contributed to Chester suffering from high waste issues in the layup process with the 4x8 sheets. A switch to 1⁄6 in., a more reliable available product in the South anyway, reduced overall veneer waste by 50%, Henry reports. Trucks deliver veneer 24/7, in grades G1, G2 and G3, that is warehoused until being called to the dual Raute layup line at a rate of nearly a 50/50 split of G1 and G2 with some sheets of G3 mixed in to

build 12 sheets per feather in two sheet lengths per feather. Henry says it’s borderline that the plant could run without a supply for about a week, but that’s about it. “We are reliant on suppliers having no process issues,” he emphasizes. Veneer sits in storage between one and three days before it is called up to

the line. The mirror image layup lines run east to west. A Metriguard VDA scanner that was originally in a different spot in the process was moved in March 2021, acting as a visual scanner for grading veneer as it comes off the feeders. It captures knotholes, widths, lengths and splits and does auto rejection if veneer does not make grade. Sheets pass a brush type moisture detection meter before the Koch glue heads. After a 90° section of conveyor, the dual layup lines merge together to form one billet to enter a Dieffenbacher microwave ahead of the largest capacity continuous LVL press in the world. The Dieffenbacher supplied microwave unit is a one off, as it was the biggest built at the time, with six zones, 100 kW per zone to super heat the veneer and glue. The microwave brings the ambient temperature veneer to a temperature of 165 to 175°F, so as it brings the board temperature up when it enters the press, the press requires less overall heat energy. “By warming up the board that much, you can, theoretically, run the press faster because it doesn’t have to generate more heat internally or you have to run your press temperatures up significantly higher to get speed out of it,” Henry explains. “You’re trying to drive heat through the press, through the rolling rods that are heated through the belt, and through each

The facility’s annual capacity is between 7 and 10 million cubic feet of finished LVL.

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Plant Manager Mike Henry

The Dieffenbacher continuous press looms large underneath USA and South Carolina flags.

layer of the board to get to the core to heat the core.” The Dieffenbacher continuous press has a wide range, with the capability to go from a ¾ in. product up to 51⁄4 in. thickness. Chester currently runs a 1.75 in. billet thickness—and has stayed at

that size since the plant started. Roseburg has found a solid place for its product in the 1.75 in. market, so the plan is the plant will stick with that size as the plant focuses on consistency and quality gains throughout the process. “Even though we’ve stayed with one

thickness we will change as the market changes. But the way the market has been, customers are buying every board we can produce. That’s allowed us to get better at what we’re doing without having to jump around,” Henry says. After the microwave, material enters

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USNR provided billet rip saw.

Boards are sealed using WVC sealers; printed on a Samuel printer.

the 68 m x 1.5 m, 38 frames, Dieffenbacher continuous press, with four heating zones, to make a 4 ft. oversized billet. Once out of the press, the oversized billets meet an edge trim saw and diagonal saw, both provided by Dieffenbacher Finland. These dual flying saws can cut billets anywhere from 24 ft. to 66 ft. long. Chester primarily sticks with billets sized between 40 ft. and 60 ft.—driven by its order base—

the majority being 48 ft. and 60 ft. lengths to cut down in equal increments at the bundle cut saws. After the Dieffenbacher line, billets are stored using one of two crane bays ahead of APA required testing. Once released from testing, billets travel to the finishing line, provided by USNR, starting with the rip saw. Moving one billet at a time, the autoadjusting gang rip saw makes cuts, in-

cluding a bevel edge. Two hogger heads take off the excess, taking billets down to 48 in. Six heads within the rip saw are automatically sliding, and can cut anything from a 3.5 in. to 24 in. piece. Chester is typically getting two 24 in. boards per billet, and only using three saws at time, where length doesn’t really matter. Once cut, in line with APA guidelines, every board is

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Chester uses two lines for strapping and wrapping, with one wrapper being a DO2 auto-wrapper.

inspected using high definition cameras to check the edges. Another change from the initial process, where someone was manually checking boards, Henry estimates the move to cameras cut inspection time from three minutes to 25 seconds. Once inspected, boards pass a grade mark system and Samuel printer. A Willamette Valley Co. sealer is applied and boards are transferred down to the

USNR sorter for stacking before being strapped by Signode strappers. There is a bundle cut saw if Chester needs to make any final cuts. Chester has two wrapping lines, one manual and one with a DO2 auto-wrapper that is typically seen in lumber mills where a robot wraps and staples finished packs. It took a lot of work in the facility to get the robot right, but it has gotten better.

TESTING Chester handles all APA required strength testing in-house, with APA coming into the facility monthly to audit the data. In the beginning, a lot of the issues Chester had to handle related to the technical difficulties with the machinery and resins. “Once we switched suppliers, we got a solid film of glue on the sheets and things improved tremendously,” says

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Henry, who arrived in Chester in May 2020. When Henry arrived, his first order of business was to get a grip on the quality issues customers were reporting. The team started in the finishing end of the plant, addressing quality issues and moved backward in the process to attack the quality items. As part of the corrective action, Roseburg toured their customers through the plant. Henry says during those tours customers were informed of the details that were changing. This was also an opportunity for Roseburg to address the problems customers were seeing head on, and how the plant was working through those issues. Currently, about 140 staff the facility. While everyone is happy with the culture, they are acutely aware it could improve. That will come in time Henry believes. He issued a safety challenge in December to finish 2021 strong—and the team members rose to occasion. Chester has gone eight consecutive months without a safety incident. The team’s ultimate goal for the plant is to, Henry says, “Make lives better from the ground up.” He explains, “In the experience I’ve had in the past, it’s about developing trust. Do they believe that we are here to protect them as best as we can, understanding that we will do whatever we can to protect you from getting injured? And then it’s developing the teamwork on their part to watch out for one another. We have to watch out for PW ourselves and our teammates.”

The Chester management team, front row, from left, Lanny Stone, Regina Mathias, Teresa Skidmore, David Hall, Anna Miller, Brandon Nicholson, and Mike Henry; back row, from left, Stephen Hall, Mark Bassing, James Traylor and Hunter Hinshaw

In-house strength testing adheres to APA requirements.

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PRODUCERS NAVIGATED CHANGING OSB MARKET DYNAMICS DURING PAST TWO YEARS From production reductions to record prices to long-term sustained demand outlook in barely 24 months. BY PATRICK DUNNING

s Dickens wrote: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” During the past two years, North America’s OSB producers have rallied through a worldwide health crisis and record-setting structural panel prices after a brief pandemic-induced market downturn. Initial uncertainties surrounding the novel coronavirus compelled some companies to temporarily reduce OSB production and capital expenditures. Almost simultaneously, one of the biggest surprises was a surge in remodeling and DIY markets as more consumers had more money and more time on their hands at home, much of it driven by stimulus money. Pent-up housing demand also began to loosen, putting pressure on manufacturers to increase output. Labor and supply chain issues added to the unprecedented chaos. “The past two years have been challenging to say the least,” Terry Secrest, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Product Sales, RoyOMartin, says of the OSB industry lately. “Since wood products were deemed essential business from day one of COVID, we were able to keep all our facilities operating and supplying customers with much needed panel products and timbers during the unprecedented demand of 2020 and 2021.”

RoyOMartin is building another OSB plant in Corrigan, Texas.

One ROM trademark that helped the company deal with the pandemic was its primary care clinics located at all locations, which provides appropriate care to team members and immediate families. “As with most people across the country, we implemented many COVID policies including temporary COVID sick leave pay, strict sanitizing procedures, social distancing requirements and quarantine at work when possible,” Secrest says. “We were fortunate to have a registered nurse at each facility who guided our team members through the dark days of COVID and kept our teams safe and healthy.”

SHOCKWAVE In early 2020, some of the larger OSB producer companies considered the worst and curtailed production and spending to see how global markets and livelihoods would be impacted by COVID. Louisiana-Pacific Corp. quickly cut OSB production by 100MMSF in April 2020, about one-third of its total capacity, through a combination of curtailments and reduced schedules. LP reduced its capital expenditure plans by 50% to roughly $70 million for the year. Norbord Inc. reduced production by

a quarter across its portfolio of North American OSB mills by reducing shifts and running several of its North American mills on alternating schedules to match production with anticipated reduction in OSB demand. The company also reduced its capital expenditures by 25%. “These are extraordinary times and difficult decisions, but they reflect the uncertainties facing businesses around the globe,” said Peter Wijnbergen, Norbord President & CEO. “Our first priority remains the health and safety of our employees. Further, we believe that reducing operating schedules across our mills gives us the best flexibility to adapt to the ever-changing demand landscape while still meeting our customers’ needs, reducing hardship on our employees and ensuring we are prepared for a return to growth when markets normalize.” Weyerhaeuser reduced production 15% for OSB through a combination of mill curtailments and shift reductions, and reduced 2020 capital expenditures by $70-90 million. Although dramatic, the early 2020 market decline didn’t last long. In March the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and U.S. Dept. of Labor deemed the wood products industry an essential critical infrastructure workforce, and Quebec and Ontario governments desig-

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nated the forest product sector an essential service to its population. Soon after, the U.S. Dept. of Treasury distributed its first batch of $1,200 stimulus payments to American households to encourage economic growth, and the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates to near 3% in March 2020 to support the housing market. Canada’s government enacted its own stimulus package, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). A demand explosion for DIY projects and remodeling helped kickstart the economy as more families worked from their home computers. Healthcare-related construction also elevated demand. The U.S stock market recovered by April and builders and consumers felt confident with spring’s construction season under way. Housing forecasts early in the year didn’t bode well for the U.S., but housing rebounded like everything else, finishing the year at 1.38 million, actually increasing 7% over 2019. Meanwhile, in 2020 North American OSB production finished at 22.99 billion SF., nearly identical to 2019 North American OSB producers had managed to put the pieces back together, and quickly, as the price of OSB began picking up in June 2020 and escalated into September, before plateauing and hitting a dip at year end, a dip mind you that was still two to three times the price during the early pandemic fallout. By the third quarter, any softness remaining in OSB production was more than offset by the pricing boom. And for the year, LP, for example, was reporting a net sales increase of 57% over 2019, primarily due to increased OSB prices on top of a small reduction in shipments.

OSB producers entered 2021 at full speed and activity was rampant in acquisitions, expansions and greenfield projects, while housing starts continued to escalate. If the price increase in late summer 2020 was impressive, as the saying goes, “you ain’t seen nothing yet,” as composite pricing shot out of the gate and skyrocketed to the $1500 range come summer, representing a more than 500% increase since pre-pandemic 2020. Many companies reported the best financial quarters they had ever had in the second quarter. Meanwhile: l West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. ac-

quired Norbord Inc., at the time the world’s largest OSB producer, in February 2021 for $3.1 billion (U.S.) Norbord operated 17 plant locations in the U.S., Europe and Canada, including 15 OSB mills. West Fraser also restarted its mill in Chambord, Quebec in March 2021, and in October purchased an idled OSB plant in Allendale, SC from GP. The plant has an estimated annual production capacity of 760MMSF (3⁄8 in. basis) and the company is investing $70 million to upgrade and optimize the facility for a restart in late 2022.

Huber’s restart of its Spring City, Tenn. mill was good timing.

Although dramatic, the early 2020 market decline didn’t last long. In March the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and U.S. Dept. of Labor deemed the wood products industry an essential critical infrastructure workforce. GP brought the Clarendon, SC mill back to life in a big way.

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Housing construction at Miramar Beach (Sandestin), Fla. in early 2022.

LP restarted the previously idled Peace Valley OSB plant in Fort St. John, BC in June 2021 with a production capacity near 750MMSF. The Peace Valley restart quickly jumped ahead of its planned ramp-up curve and produced more than 100MMSF in the third quarter, another example that the market needed the mill’s output. A modest softening in OSB prices encouraged some companies to take a deep breath. In a 2021 third quarter earnings call, Alan Haughie, CFO, LP, noted, “After running our mills at near

maximum capacity for more than a year, we completed some necessary sustaining maintenance projects,” he said. In a third quarter earnings call, Devin Stockfish, Weyerhaeuser President and CEO, noted OSB composite pricing weakened significantly at the beginning of the third quarter with the softening of DIY projects and remodel activity. People were leaving their homes and going back into the workplace. “This dynamic drove lower sales activity and higher inventories at the home centers. As a result, we experienced a rapid decline in pricing from

Tolko’s maintenance overhaul at Meadow Lake paid off.

peak record prices that we reached in July,” Stockfish said. “Pricing then stabilized above the historical average in August as strong demand from strong new home construction activity continued and the market faced supply constraints resulting from ongoing availability and transportation challenges.”

LOOKING AHEAD Three greenfield OSB plant announcements came forth in 2021. l Huber Engineered Woods LLC, a subsidiary of J.M. Huber Corp., announced plans to build an OSB facility in Cohasset, Minn. The Cohasset location will be HEW’s sixth mill in the U.S and first in Minnesota. “We saw a strong start in 2021 and are optimistic for continued growth of our specialty products for the coming years,” HEW President Brian Carlson said during the company’s new project announcement. “We are pleased to share our plans for increasing production to help keep pace with the growing demands of our customers.” HEW plans to increase the company’s production of its ZIP System and AdvanTech structural panels to better serve the U.S. West and Midwest housing markets. At the end of 2021, Huber had revised its previously submitted environmental assessment worksheet to address some feedback it had received from various local parties, and the city still needed to approve it this spring. Huber expects to begin construction later in 2022. l Louisiana-based RoyOMartin an-

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nounced in August that its Texas subsidiary, Corrigan OSB, L.L.C., would be building a second OSB facility near its current and basically new OSB plant in Corrigan. The greenfield project hit the ground running and construction began in November, with startup expected in 2023. ROM’s Secrest says its second OSB plant will mirror the first in several ways. “The Corrigan 2 facility will have many of the same features as our ex-

isting Corrigan OSB operation. We will utilize the same technology for stranding, screening, drying, blending and pressing with the multi-opening press. The new line will focus on value-added products to enhance our portfolio,” he says. And “a new kid on the block,” Canadian-based Peak Renewables, announced that its One Sky Forest Products affiliate and Indigenous partners would build an OSB plant in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, with construction

And “a new kid on the block,” Canadian-based Peak Renewables, announced that its One Sky Forest Products affiliate and Indigenous partners would build an OSB plant in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, with construction starting the latter half of 2022. starting the latter half of 2022. At year end APA estimated 23.8 billion SF of North American OSB produced in 2021, up 3.6% from 2020, attempting to fill capacity for 1.595 million housing starts, which were up 15.6% from 2020. Annual starts in 2021 ranked the highest since 2006 when starts totals 1.8 million units. Single-family starts last year increased 13.4% to 1.123 million units. Multi-family starts rose 21.9% to 472,000 units in 2021. Among the 57 OSB plants currently operating in the U.S. and Canada, 10 producers accounted for 100% of OSB production in North America in 2021, according to Forisk Consulting. Top firms include West Fraser, LP, Weyerhaeuser, GP, Huber Engineered Woods, Tolko, RoyOMartin, Arbec Forest Products, Forex and Langboard Inc. First-of-year OSB pricing remained strong and producers remained bullish on demand, with most housing projections for 2022 showing a slight increase over 2021. “U.S. housing starts continue to surpass expectations,” Secrest noted. “More millennials are buying their first homes, and second or vacation home purchases are at all-time highs.” The last two years companies in the manufacturing industry had a special responsibility to keep their employees safe and healthy while answering the bell to an increasingly robust marketplace. The OSB industry delivered on both counts and moved in 2022, as Casey Smyth, LP OSB/EWP Brand Manager, commented, with a purpose of providing solutions toward “building a better world.” PW

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EIGHTH PELICE OFFERS PRODUCERS, SUPPLIERS CHANCE TO STEP OUT AND TAKE IN ore than 50 speakers, including eight keynoters, will participate in the eighth Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo to be held March 31 to April 1 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Ga. The event, which is hosted by Panel World magazine and Georgia Research Institute, will also include 90 equipment and technology exhibitor companies stationed in the Grand Ballroom North immediately adjacent the meeting rooms. Exhibitors signed up for either the Gold, Silver or Bronze sponsorship packages. (See page 32 for the exhibitor listing and pages 34-35 for the exhibitor logos and their levels of sponsorship.) “After the uncertainties of the past two years, it’s refreshing to see the participation from producer and exhibitor companies and their personnel that continues to build for PELICE,” comments Rich Donnell, Co-Chairman of PELICE and Editor-in-Chief of Panel World magazine. “Everybody is ready to get out and see each other in person again. And while they’re enjoying each other’s company and the several food functions, they can also experience a great conference program.” Keynote speakers come from the likes of RoyOMartin, Roseburg, Swiss Krono, Egger and Coastland Wood Industries, which is representative of

Johannes Eder

Jake Elston

Wedig Graf Grote

Jackson Morrill

Doug Pauze

Scott Poole

Philipp Sauter

Roger Tutterow

PELICE and its appeal to both the structural and non-structural wood producer segments. Other keynoters will provide economic and market forecasts and address the environmental advantages of wood products that the public and even the construction industry at long last is becoming increasingly aware of. (See the speaking agenda and timeline on pages 30-31.) Technology sessions will focus on Quality Control, Resins & Waxes, Air Treatment, Fire Prevention, Process Optimization, Veneer-Based Technologies, Research & Labor, and Energy Applications. A special session hosted by attorneys from nationally renown Bradley is entitled “What Is Keeping Your Legal Team Up at Night?” and Bradley speakers will address drug testing issues, dust

and environmental issues, and sheathing code and compliance issues. “Producers need to send their legal bodies to sit in on this session,” Donnell comments. “Those three subjects are paramount in the wood products industry.” Donnell adds, “I can’t express enough appreciation for the speakers who are volunteering their time and the exhibitors who have worked PELICE into their budgets. All sectors of the panel industry have been performing great and we’re planning for PELICE to capture that spirit. The eighth PELICE may be the best one yet.” PELICE is immediately preceded by what will be the seventh Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, which is hosted by Wood Bioenergy magazine and PW Georgia Research Institute.

PELICE REGISTRATION: WWW.PELICE-EXPO.COM

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MARCH 31-APRIL 1, 2022 Omni Hotel at CNN Center Atlanta, GA, USA THURSDAY, MARCH 31 EXHIBITORS/ATTENDEES BREAKFAST (Grand Ballroom North) 7:30-8:25 a.m. MORNING KEYNOTERS SESSION (Rooms B-C) 8:30-8:35 a.m. Welcoming Remarks and Keynoters Introduction —Rich Donnell, Conference Co-Chairman; Editor-in-Chief, Panel World 8:40-9:05 a.m. Project Indy-OSB 3.0 —Scott Poole, President and COO, RoyOMartin 9:10-9:35 a.m. Roseburg Forest Products Growth and Geographic Diversification —Jake Elston, Senior Vice President of Operations, Roseburg Forest Products 9:40-10:05 a.m. Establishing an Integrated European MDF Mill in the Southeast U.S. —Wedig Graf Grote, Chief Operating Officer, Swiss Krono USA TIME OUT WITH EXHIBITORS 10:10-10:30 a.m. WHAT IS KEEPING YOUR LEGAL TEAM UP AT NIGHT? (Room B) 10:35-10:40 a.m. Moderator Introductions and Legal Overview —Charles Stewart, Partner, Bradley 10:45-11:05 a.m. Specimen Cups —Sarahanne Vaughan, Associate, Bradley 11:10-11:30 a.m. Dust and Stuff —John Hargrove, Partner, Bradley 11:35-11:55 a.m. Exterior Wall Sheathing Options: Code Compliance and Other Issues —David Pugh, Partner, Bradley GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES & TRENDS (Room C) 10:35-11:00 a.m. Global Influence: A Convergence on North America —Cole Martin, Capital Sales & Modernization Manager, Dieffenbacher

—Colin Folco, Director Modernization North America, Dieffenbacher 11:05-11:30 a.m. Raute RX Series: “Fit to Your Need” —Trevor Wendt, Market Area Vice President—North America, Raute 11:35-Noon Breaking Down the Complexity of Delivering Capital Projects —Bijan Shams, President, Cogent Industrial Technologies QUALITY CONTROL (Hazelnut Room) 10:35-10:55 a.m. Automatic Grading Technology: Update on the Technology and Real Life Experiences —Richard Lepine, General Manager, Argos Solutions LLC 11:00-11:20 a.m. An Overview of In Process Board Measurement Technologies —Michael Spurgin, Sales Manager– North America, LIMAB Inc. 11:25-11:45 a.m. How MONITOR Plus GmbH Production Monitoring Systems Meet a Variety of QC Needs for Your Flooring, Furniture and EWP Lines —Keith Mays, President, EWS North America LLC 11:50-12:10 p.m. Increase Throughput and Profitability through IoT Data-Driven Moisture Control —Jason Kovacik, Sales Manager, Finna Sensors GREEN END IMPROVEMENTS IN VENEER PEELING AND COMPOSING (Oak Room) 10:35-Noon A Panel Discussion on New Lathe and Composer Technologies and Recent Installations —Anna McCann, President, Merritt Machinery, LLC, U.S. Representative for Meinan Machinery Works —Doug Pauze, President, Coastland Wood Industries —Rob Freres, President, Freres Lumber Co., Inc. EXHIBITORS/ATTENDEES LUNCH 12:00-1:20 p.m.

AFTERNOON KEYNOTERS SESSION (Rooms B-C) 1:25-1:30 p.m. Remarks and Remembrance —Dan Shell, Senior Editor, Panel World 1:35-2:00 p.m. Positioning EGGER High-Quality TFL for North America —Johannes Eder, Head of Sales North America, EGGER Wood Products 2:05-2:30 p.m. Building on a Foundation of Success Through COVID —Doug Pauze, President, Coastland Wood Industries TIME OUT WITH EXHIBITORS 2:35-2:45 p.m. PLYWOOD AND VENEER-BASED TECHNOLOGIES: INNOVATION, CHANGE, AND THE CARBON CONNECTION (Room B) 2:50-3:05 p.m. Moderator Introductions and The Carbon Connection —Dick Baldwin, Ph.D., Managing Partner, Oak Creek Investments 3:10-3:30 p.m. The Expanding Role of Plywood and VeneerBased Products in Construction —Fred Kamke, Ph.D., Professor, Dept. of Wood Science & Engineering, Oregon State University, and Director, NSF Wood-Based Composites Center; Arijit Sinha, Ph.D., Professor, Dept. of Wood Science and Engineering, Oregon State University, and Associate Director, NSF Wood-Based Composites Center 3:35-3:55 p.m. How the World Changed and Veneer Lathes Evolved —Alan Knokey, Vice President, USNR 4:00-4:20 p.m. Steps Taken to Invent Mass Ply Panels and Continuing Innovations at Freres Lumber —Rob Freres, President, Freres Lumber Inc. 4:25-4:45 p.m. The Softwood Plywood Producer: Finding and Integrating Technological Advancements —Tom Evans, former Chief of Operations, Coastal Forest Resources Co. 4:45-5:00 p.m. Closing Discussion

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RESINS, WAXES, COATINGS (Room C) 2:50-3:15 p.m. Engineered, Value-Add Wax for Enhanced Panel Performance and Improved Safety —Jesse Paris, Ph.D., R&D Group Leader – Bio Materials, Willamette Valley Company 3:20-3:45 p.m. Next Generation Resin Technology for Decreasing Press Cycle Times 8-13% —Jeffrey Otjen, Technical Services Project Manager, Georgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC 3:50-4:15 p.m. Recent Advancements in UF Scavenger Technologies Lead to Decreased Cycle Times and Improved Tack —Robert Miller, Senior Scientist, GeorgiaPacific Chemicals LLC; Bill Arndell, Senior Research Scientist, Georgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC 4:20-4:45 p.m. Developments in Protective Coatings for Engineered Wood —Brian Delbrueck, Head of Business Development Wood Specialties, North America, Arxada AIR TREATMENT (Hazelnut Room) 2:50-3:15 p.m. Advancement in WESP Design for Dryer Particulate Control —Rodney Schwartz, Senior Vice President, Dürr Systems 3:20-3:45 p.m. Microemulsion Assisted Biotreatment of VOCs in Exhaust Gases —Rakesh Govind, Ph.D., President, PRD Tech, Inc. 3:50-4:15 p.m. Latest in WESP-RTO Installation Designs and Alternate Solutions —Rodney Pennington, Senior Director – Specialized Sales, Nestec Inc. FIRE PREVENTION (Oak Room) 2:50-3:15 p.m. Latest Advances in NFPA Compliant Material Handling —Dane Floyd, Principal, Veneer Services, Inc. 3:20-3:45 p.m. Water Mist Technology for Fighting Fires in Large Material Storage Areas —Ed Pridgen, Minifog Product Manager, Flamex, Inc. 3:50-4:15 p.m. Recent Advancements in Spark Detection Better Protect Your Panelboard Process —Jeff Nichols, Managing Partner, Industrial Fire Prevention 4:20-4:45 p.m. Advances in Water Mist Fire Protection for Specialty Process Areas —Jason Krbec, Sales Engineering Manager, CV Technology

EXHIBITORS/ATTENDEES RECEPTION (Grand Ballroom North) 5:00-7:00 p.m.

FRIDAY, APRIL 1 EXHIBITORS/ATTENDEES BREAKFAST (Grand Ballroom North) 7:30-8:25 a.m. MORNING KEYNOTERS SESSION (Rooms B-C) 8:30-8:35 a.m. Welcoming Remarks —Fred Kurpiel, Conference Co-Chairman; President, Georgia Research Institute 8:40-9:05 a.m. On the Economic, Business & Political Climate —Dr. Roger Tutterow, Director of the Econometric Center and Professor of Economics, Kennesaw State University 9:10-9:35 a.m. Wood Processing Post-COVID-19 —Dr. Philipp Sauter, Principal, Wood Products Consulting, AFRY 9:40-10:05 a.m. Driving the Carbon Story for Wood Products: An Update from the American Wood Council —Jackson Morrill, President & CEO, American Wood Council TIME OUT WITH EXHIBITORS 10:10-10:30 a.m. PROCESS OPTIMIZATION (Room B) 10:35-11:00 a.m. Challenging the Traditional Model of Experimentation and Trials through a Design of Experiment Methodology Approach —Jeff Vaughn, Eastern Regional Technical and CI Manager, Continuous Improvement and Optimization Team (CIOT), Roseburg Forest Products 11:05-11:30 a.m. Application of EVOP and Tagucchi Designs for the Wood Products Industry —Terry Liles, Ph.D., Director of Raw Materials, Huber Engineered Woods 11:35-Noon Digital Twins Using Machine Learning for Optimization in the Sustainable Biomaterials Industries —Timothy Young, Ph.D., Professor/Data Scientist, University of Tennessee 12:05-12:30 p.m Optimizing Forest Products Mills —Thomas Brotski, Principle/Senior Consultant, Harrison Group, Former Director of Reliability, Georgia-Pacific; Matt Cowen, Sales Manager, KCF Technologies

PRODUCTS, RESEARCH, LABOR (Room C) 10:35-11:00 a.m. Non-Wood “Green” Boards and Building Materials —Wendy Owens, CEO, Hexas Biomass LLC 11:05-11:35 a.m. Scrimber CSC—Carbon Sink Concrete —Stefan Zöllig, Principal, Timbatec AG Timber Engineering 11:35-Noon I-Corps—Commercialization Boot Camp for Any Research Enterprise —Patrick Donahue, Building Products Research Program Manager, University of Minnesota Duluth—Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) 12:05-12:30 p.m. Wood Products Employment Trends and How to Keep Your Employees Engaged —Richard Poindexter, President, Search North America ENERGY APPLICATIONS (Oak Room) 10:35-11:00 a.m. Innovative Low Ash Biomass Energy System for Wood Products Plants —Kevin Nesbitt, National Sales Manager, Player Design, Inc. 11:05-11:30 a.m. Fines to Energy: Developments in Suspension Burning for Board Plants —Tom Wechsler, President, Wechsler Technologies & Engineering LLC 11:35-Noon. The Impact of Friction on Energy Consumption— A Case Study from the Wood Processing Industry —Steffen Bots, Technical Sales Expert, Addinol Lube Oil AIR TREATMENT (Hazelnut Room) 10:35-11:00 a.m. Base-Metal Catalysts for Wood Industry RCOs: Operating Experience and New Developments —Grigorii Bunimovich, Owner and COO, Matros Technologies 11:05-11:30 a.m. RTO Media Maintenance 101 —Lance Austenberg, Senior Sales Manager, Durr Systems, Inc. 11:35-Noon RCOs for Wood Dryer VOC Control—Why Not? —Steve Jaasund, Geoenergy Products Manager, LDX Solutions, LLC CASH DRAWING (Must Be Present To Win)

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MARCH 31-APRIL 1, 2022

Omni Hotel at CNN Center • Atlanta, GA, USA

2022 EXHIBITORS Company..............................Booth #

Company..............................Booth #

Addinol Lube Oil ...........................517 AFRY Management Consulting......504 AirPro Fan & Blower .....................519 Altec ............................................604 Applied Catalysts..........................407 Argos Solutions ............................213 Arxada .........................................206 Ashland........................................512 Atlantic Combustion Technologies ..600 BID Group ....................................502 Casey Industrial............................610 Claussen All-Mark Industries........614 Cogent Industrial Technologies .....701 Combilift USA ...............................602 Con-Vey ......................................209 Continental Conveyor ...................307 Costa Sanders..............................205 Crow Engineering–Miloptic...........515 Custom Engineering .....................303 CV Technology..............................513 Dieffenbacher USA .......................103 Dieffenbacher-Zaisenhausen........628 Durr Systems ...............................107 Eagle Project Services..................501 Electronic Wood Systems N.A.......208 Evergreen Engineering .................508 Evertree Technologies ..................214 EWTA .......................................... 709 Fagus Grecon...............................700 Finna Sensors ..............................420 Flamex.........................................304 Fromm Packaging Systems ..........511 George Koch Sons ........................506

Georgia-Pacific Chemicals............202 Georgia Research Institute............711 Globe Machine Manufacturing......203 Grenzebach..................................412 Hansen-Rice ................................308 HGA .............................................706 Hurst Boiler & Welding .................320 IMAL-PAL Group...........................316 Imerys..........................................414 IPCO.............................................105 John King USA .............................703 Jones Construction.......................606 KCF Technologies .........................708 Kraft Powercon ..................413 & 415 Laidig Systems.............................305 LDX Solutions...............................416 Limab North America ...................403 Matros Technologies ....................409 Matthews Marking Systems .........516 Meinan Machinery........................650 Mid-South Engineering.................215 Mississippi State University ..........711 MoistTech ....................................402 NESTEC........................................216 Nextwire ......................................309 Oak Creek Investments ................710 Oregon State University................711 Panel World Magazine ..................405 Paratherm Heat Transfer Fluids ....626 Player Design ...............................704 PRD Tech .....................................314 Raute ...........................................109 REA JET .......................................507

Rodewisch ...................................404 Roo Glue ......................................406 Samuel Coding & Labelling...........212 Search North America ..................705 SHW Storage & Handling ..............507 Siempelkamp LP ..........................113 Sigma Thermal.............................302 Signode........................................306 Smartech .....................................618 SonicAire .....................................312 Southern Environmental ...............624 SparTek Industries........................408 Steinemann..................................117 Stiles............................................117 Sweed Machinery ........................608 TAG America Chemicals ...............204 Taihei Machinery Works ...............702 Tanguay .......................................315 Timber Products Inspection ..........115 Timber Structures 3.0 (TS3) .........707 TSI ..............................................302 USNR ...........................................217 Venango Machine.........................303 Veneer Services ...........................317 Voigt-Abernathy ...........................207 Walker Emulsions.........................313 Wechsler Technology & Engineering.............................417 Westmill Industries.......................421 Willamette Valley Co.....................509 WPS Industries.............................501

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(Exhibitor signups as of February 18, 2022.)

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(Exhibitor signups as of February 18, 2022.)

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Preview

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following preview section was made available to companies that are both advertising in this issue and exhibiting at PELICE 2022. Please refer to those advertisements for web site and contact information. All statements and claims are attributable to the companies.

ALTEC Is your company looking for real ways to improve green end recovery, production, quality and uptime? Then be sure to stop in to see Altec at its booth (#604) at the 2022 PELICE show in Atlanta. Altec will listen to your operational challenges and share real results achieved at mill locations around the world that have led to sustained improvements in solving those challenges. You can learn about the innovations they have made on green ends, from block charging all the way to sorting and stacking. Altec manufactures and supplies all sections of the green end, using innovative technology to control and maintain performance year over year. Altec has delivered step feeders, chargers, lathes, carriages, scanners, tray controls, electric clipper solutions, multi-point diverters, robotic strip handlers and green veneer stackers, all with the most advanced control systems in the industry, to more than 50 lines since 1999. Be sure to ask about recent installations, new product evolutions and new product releases. Altec specializes in green end technologies. Booth 604.

CLAUSSEN ALL-MARK “I would first like to thank all of the wood producers and workers that have kept our industry flourishing over the years; our products are dedicated to all of you. Thank you. My name is Dalton Jon Rosenfeld and I am the grandson of Gary Jon Claussen, the founder of Claussen All-Mark. In my younger years I spent a great deal of time at our family’s manufacturing facility and although I didn’t know it at the time, it would eventually become my passion. I remember standing on a stool looking over a machinist’s shoulder, stepping out of the yellow lines was not allowed, but I was fascinated by the Claussen engraving being done on an older vertical milling machine. We still have that milling machine today and I can see my younger self watching when we engrave the Claussen name into every printer that is sent out. “You probably have heard of the industry renowned Claussen printing/stamping machines as well as the Claussen High Performance ink roll. If you haven’t, then you have at least heard of a variety of look-alikes and copies. None have come close to the efficiency and effectiveness of our products. The Claussen High Performance roll and Claussen printers have not needed change since my grandfather introduced them to the market. Many of Claussen All-Mark co-owner, Dalton Rosenfeld our printers outlast the mill they were originally installed in and go on to help a new mill with their needs and growth. “Only manufactured in the USA by Claussen All-Mark, the High Performance Claussen ink roll is still, to this day, the industry standard. No competitor or manufacturer has been able to replace our product. The Claussen HPB Series rolls, specifically the High Performance Black ink roll (HPB-4360 4 in. x 3 in. x 6 in.) is capable of imprinting on green and treated lumber alike. When paired with a USA Made Claussen printer, this ink roll has the capacity to make the highest number of imprints per roll in the industry. A special thanks to my grandfather Gary Claussen and my mother Cybelle Claussen. Booth 614.

DIEFFENBACHER At PELICE 2022, wood panel manufacturers will hear from Dieffenbacher, a world-leading manufacturer of complete turnkey production lines for wood-based panels, on how global trends are influencing the North American market and how a new smart plant concept called CEBRO can help producers profit from these trends. In their PELICE 2022 speech, titled “Global Influence: A Convergence on North America,” Cole Martin, Capital Sales & Modernization Manager, and Colin Folco, Director Modernization North America at Dieffenbacher Customer Support, will take a look at how global cultural differences and challenges are beginning to influence the North American market and how sustainability is increasing in importance for North America. They will also discuss how European influence drove the desire to manufacture a new product—wood fiber insulation board—in North America and how the need to address raw material challenges may create potential markets. Lastly, 36 • MARCH 2022 • PanelWorld

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they’ll offer their predictions for the next emerging global market. The Dieffenbacher booth at PELICE 2022 will focus on the new holistic smart plant concept called CEBRO that will help manufacturers accelerate their success. CEBRO combines digitalization and advanced plant engineering solutions with operational excellence and sustainability initiatives. The new digitalization platform, EVORIS, is a pillar of CEBRO. Based on standardized interfaces that collect and process sensor and actuator data—including camera footage—EVORIS gives manufacturers more insight into their production and processes. AI-supported analysis of live data is just one tool EVORIS uses to help plant operators better understand and control their plants and make important decisions more quickly. CEBRO’s advanced plant engineering solutions include intelligent heat recovery concepts such as reusing heat from the press and dryer exhaust air elsewhere in the Dieffenbacher’s Cole Martin, left, and Colin production process to reduce energy costs and emissions and increase profit. To Folic will speak on global impressions in help manufacturers achieve operational excellence, CEBRO uses optimized pro- North America. cesses and innovative technologies that improve board quality, increase output, save costs and support a plant’s sustainability. With wood recycling solutions, smart environmental and new energy-generation technologies, CEBRO also helps manufacturers find the right balance between economic and sustainability goals to build a better future for business and the environment. Companies around the world rely on Dieffenbacher plants and expertise to help them manufacture particleboard, MDF, OSB, LVL and wood fiber insulation boards. Based in Germany, the company has 16 production sites and sales offices worldwide. Dieffenbacher Customer Support, located in Alpharetta, Ga., concentrates on sales, service, spare parts and upgrades for the North American market. Booth 103.

DÜRR MEGTEC Dürr Megtec is a global supplier of turnkey clean air solutions that meet stringent emissions regulations, improve process performance and protect thermal downstream equipment. The engineered wood products industry relies on Dürr Megtec for effective emissions control of particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from dryers and press vents. With thousands of systems installed worldwide in many process industries, we have the knowledge to provide an optimized solution engineered to meet specific needs. Our designs are modular, operator-friendly, and cleanable, including alkali-resistant ceramics and corrosion-resistant materials of construction to suite the application. Dürr Megtec is a single-source supplier offering optimized sys- Dürr Megtec air treatment technologies at an OSB mill in the tems, including the Oxi.X RC regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) Southern U.S. to control VOCs, combined with our Part.X PW wet electrostatic precipitator to remove sub-micron particulate and fumes from dryer and energy-system gas streams with unparalleled uptime and reliability. Wet scrubbers provide high-efficiency particulate removal for dryers, press vents, and energy systems, thereby preventing buildup on the connecting ductwork and downstream equipment. We further confirm our commitment to the wood products industry with the availability of a pilot unit scrubber/wet ESP/RTO for testing process slipstreams to determine the optimal pre-filtration and RTO ceramic bed configuration. The Dürr Megtec aftermarket services team delivers right-from-the-source expertise. Our people are skilled in helping you maintain your equipment by recommending upgrades and rebuilds of your existing equipment, with the goal being to optimize its efficiency and performance, which reduces energy costs. Our full spectrum of service offerings includes preventative maintenance, parts and technical support, oxidizer media care, catalyst and carbon testing, and heat recovery solutions. Booth 107.

EVERGREEN ENGINEERING Evergreen Engineering announces the recent transition of its company leadership from President Gordon Yutzy to existing Principals and partners, Justin Price and Danielle Daniels. Yutzy, who has served as president since 2009, will continue to serve as a principal and liaison for his longstanding clients as he prepares for retirement in the coming year. Justin Price, a longtime Evergreen principal, will serve as Evergreen’s new co-Chief Executive Officer. Price began his career in the wood products industry more than 30 years ago and most recently served as Evergreen’s Director of Project Management. “Evergreen has a culture defined by our mission statement, to move our client’s vision Justin Price

Danielle Daniels

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to reality,” he says. “We remain committed to being an organization marked by high energy, a strong performance orientation, and confidence in our continued success.” Danielle Daniels will join Justin as co-CEO. She has led the Evergreen office management team as Director of Operations and Finance since 2014. Her career in the engineering world has spanned the better part of 20 years, providing leadership in an accounting and human resources capacity. Her role will encompass both, while her experience in managing these departments will bolster the CEO position. “I am excited to usher in the next phase of Evergreen’s growth and continued serving of the industries we support,” Daniels says. “We are growing in each of our offices and working hard to maintain our company’s culture by embracing our core values: integrity, respect, trust, ethical, remarkable, perspective and urgency.” As Evergreen begins this next phase of engineering excellence, here is what clients and colleagues can expect: —CEO roles are changing, but our day-to-day mission is the same – Evergreen team members will continue to serve our clients with expertise, integrity and excellence. —There will be a season of transition. In the next three to six months, we will be focusing on ensuring existing clients are well acquainted with the new faces of Evergreen and aware of their points of contact, Principals In Charge (PICs) and project managers. Booth 508.

ELECTRONIC WOOD SYSTEMS Electronic Wood Systems (EWS) provides a wide range of measuring and inspection systems for process and quality control as well as spark detection and extinguishing systems to engineered wood panel manufacturers worldwide. The systems are engineered in Germany and suited to the customer’s individual requirements and applications with a focus on proven capability and reliability. For example, SicoScan, in cooperation with Siempelkamp, is available deeply integrated into the production line automation. The SicoScan concept was already ahead of its time when developed 15 years ago and today is well-known as Industry 4.0. The EWS technology is designed with a holistic approach for R&D on the pulse of application considering material and EWS panel quality control center comprising blow detector and thickprocess. “In our system development we start thinking the ness gauge innovations from the application with the customer requirements and bring them together with our solutions considering the technological and scientific possibilities,” says head of R&D Dr. Konrad Solbrig. Increasing ranges of panel thickness, density, production speed, and capacity in modern lines are already met by most of the EWS technologies (e.g. fast zero calibration of the thickness gauge or the continuous non-contact panel scale CONTI-SCALE X) and further development is in progress. Today and increasingly in the future, there are other raw materials than just wood from logs for panel manufacturing. Beyond technology, individually suited maintenance management concepts are developed including on-site service and spare part packages with a main focus on preventive maintenance considering local conditions and performance of the production line. This helps the customer to decrease downtime with consequently higher equipment effectiveness. EWS is your experienced and innovative technology and service partner ready for the future in engineered panel production. Booth 208.

FAGUS GRECON Since 1911, Fagus GreCon has created innovative technology to maximize production. Our goal is to assist our customers by providing technologically advanced equipment to ensure safer facilities, optimized production, and verifiable product quality. l GreCon Spark Detection and Extinguishing Systems Processing wood products can create ignition sources that can be quickly transported through conveying systems and can ignite product and waste dust causing fires and explosions. One of the most efficient measures to prevent fire or dust explosion is the early identification of the ignition source. GreCon Spark Detection & Extinguishing Systems provide excellent preventive protection; it does not wait for an actual fire or Fagus GreCon Formator enhances mat composition. dust explosion to erupt. The GreCon system prevents the development of these hazards by early detection and elimination of the ignition source. IR detectors monitor the conveying paths and activate high-speed water extinguishing within milliseconds. Fagus GreCon’s new DLD 1/9 Spark Detector offers additional protection with new intelligent detection technology (IDT). IDT not only identifies hazardous moving ignition sources before a fire breaks out, but the DLD 1/9 detector is also able to differentiate between 38 • MARCH 2022 • PanelWorld

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dangerous sparks or harmless incidence of extraneous light due to leaky/damaged pipes or an opening of an inspection flap. l GreCon Measuring Equipment With the primary goals to save you time and money, we offer systems to the wood-based panel industry that record and process almost every relevant measuring need and size our customers require. Our equipment includes thickness measurement, blow/delamination detection, fiber inspection, moisture measurement, length control, optimization of material/mat distribution and multiple laboratory measuring devices. One of our most impactful measuring devices is the GreCon Formator. The Formator reduces materials cost, improves quality, and helps reduce process costs by using a combination of an x-ray scanner (GreCon Dieffenser) and a segmented scalper. These two pieces of equipment work together to improve the material distribution of the mat. Booth 700.

GRENZEBACH As a supplier of complete drying lines for veneer production with individual dryers, scanners and stackers, Grenzebach continues to improve equipment efficiency. The focus is on higher drying capacity at reduced energy consumption and a high quality end product. A whole series of optimizations contributes to these objectives: 1) Automatic infeed system with up to 23 cycles/min 2) Seal sections at the inlet and outlet avoid condensation and carbonization of wood pitch 3) Modular working width 4) Sine-wave system reducing the waviness of wet and difficult to dry veneer species 5) Optimized jet boxes with saw tooth tread design for a homogenous air distribution 6) Three flow-optimized air distribution zones and a balanced air volume over all decks for uniform drying results 7) Special door design and insulated dryer floor Grenzebach offers veneer manufacturers: longstanding wood technology and expertise (high quality and service); versatile veneer production (from individual dryers to complete veneer plants); uniform veneer drying (over the entire dryer width and through all decks). Booth 412.

HANSEN-RICE l Begin

with the End Total facility design to enhance operational efficiency. Ensure that your site, equipment, process, and building envelope seamlessly function as a complete system to optimize employee welfare and maximize throughput. Hansen-Rice, Inc. (HRI) leads in high-performance solutions that optimize operational efficiency and positively impact the owner’s IRR and ROI. HRI’s approach is rooted in lean manufacturing and lean construction principles. Our subject matter experts leverage extensive mill operations, process engineering, project planning, and fast-track construction experience to plan and deliver solutions in context with the entire system and your business goals. l Timely, Informed, Competent Decisions Successful decision-makers naturally seek operational efficiencies. In today’s complex labor, supply chain, and regulatory environment, it takes a team of competent subject matter experts who understand the industry and business within the context of the whole to make timely, informed decisions. HRI has delivered solutions to engineered wood producers for 36 years to improve their bottom line. Ours is a collaborative approach with owners, from concept to commissioning. l Define First, HRI works with owners to define the vision, operational philosophy, objectives, project criteria, and how success is defined and measured. l Customize Next, HRI’s subject matter experts help plan and guide project requirements as an integrated whole to provide optimal capital investment value. Our industry knowledge and technical experience strengthen inter-disciplinary process equipment coordination and facility construction, saving money and time. HRI’s value-added solutions offer creative approaches to impact scope, schedule, price and risk: Critical Path for Cost and Schedule; Master Planning of Site, Equipment, Process and Facility Design to Optimize Operational Efficiency; and Selection of Robust Equipment Islands. l Deliver Finally, Hansen-Rice team members convert vision into operational excellence with Project Execution Plans, Project Safety Plans, 40 • MARCH 2022 • PanelWorld

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Commissioning and Startup Solutions, and Performance Guarantees and Certifications. l Assured Delivery Program Managing quality begins at project inception. HRI’s ISO-based quality management program, rooted in client satisfaction, delivers assurance that goals and objectives are achieved. Booth 308.

HEXION Hexion continues to enable the expanded use of wood in building and construction and leads the charge as we’ve done for more than 80 years. Our resins and adhesives are the key to transforming wood veneer, fibers and strands of lumber into engineered wood like plywood, OSB, flooring and I-joists. Thanks to Hexion, every tree that enters a mill can be used to its maximum potential. Making the most of our resources is just the start. Technology developed in our labs has reduced emissions from composite wood and other building materials such as thermal insulation by over 90% since the 1970s. We are the adhesive—both literally and metaphorically—in sustainable construction. Adhesives and resins for structural engineered wood products must meet many standards including heat performance, customer Hexion resin products enhance wood construction possibilities. quality and emissions regulations. Our versatile EcoBind adhesives for structural engineered wood products completed all independent laboratory testing required by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and is certified for high volume manufacture of glue laminated beams (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT).

IMAL-PAL GROUP The IMAL-PAL Group is a leading and flexible manufacturer of equipment and engineering for plants and complete lines, with an extensive reference list for a growing number of applications for the production of OSB, MDF, PB, wood fiber insulation board, pressed pallets, pallet blocks and special production lines for pellets. Imagining an entire woodworking line, production begins from the log yard. Here GLOBUS, a world leader in log yard management, follows the installation of chipping lines able to accommodate any production capacity up to 300 t/h of wet wood, strander and debarking lines, flaking for PB and OSB and refining mill, till raw board breaking machineries after the press line. Globus continued to expand its product range to include the production of the WMG, a fully automatic knife ring washing system which is part of the Sharpening Room ASR, where the Imal-Pal Group offers total plant technologies. flaker knives are sharpened by a 6-axe anthropomorphic robot suitable for any kind of knife ring flakers manufacturer. Immediately after we find the preparation area where PAL has invested heavily to design integrated high-tech wood preparation solutions that have become references in panel processing plants worldwide. Screeners and sifters are their consolidated technology for material classification. With an extensive production range from log yard to forming line, they are always able to furnish the most suitable solution on the basis of the raw material available and the final product expected. Finally there is IMAL with its long and extensive experience for all the other stages of the panel production process: drying, gluing and blending, pressing, on line and lab quality control and process control. The company is showcasing the latest evolution of the DYNAPRESS, a continuous press for the production of PB, MDF and OSB integrated with the Dynasteam, the mat steam injection system, installed on more than 130 production lines, and with which it is possible to increase production by up to 30%. Another of the group’s core technology is the Hi-Jet resination system for existing and new PB, MDF and OSB lines which can reduce resin addition by as much as 20%. The group has 215 plus systems currently in operation around the world. The new generation SMC (sand, mark and cut) will also be presented, a fully automatic system for preparing laboratory samples. The group has also installed more than 76 of the Full Bond/Blister Classifier and 866 thickness gauges. Lastly, new online millimetric wave technology quality control systems will be presented. The group will also offer new and modern systems for the production of pallet blocks and pressed pallets, ideal for valorising recycled wood for the manufacture of wood-based products with an elevated added value. Booth 316.

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JOHN KING GROUP John King specializes in the manufacture, supply and installation of materials handling equipment to the wood based panel industry. The company has enjoyed unrivalled success and expansion in the last decade. Today it operates from five locations worldwide and exports mechanical handling equipment to more than 65 countries. The business is now focused on a provision of a total supply package to the materials handling industry. From survey to drawing to production to installation, here’s why John King should be your first-choice integrated supply partner: —Supply of high-quality conveyor chain and related conveyor spares —Design and re-engineering drawing service —Fully integrated site service, installation and maintenance packages —Full range of manufacturer approved spares from stock —Industry leading laser cutting and fabrication service —Full range of industry specific lubricants for high temperature and abrasive environments —Complete conveyor design construction and installation —Commitment to safe working practice —ISO 9001 accredited John King emphasizes materials hanJohn King Group employs best in class manufacturing techniques including CNC machin- dling technologies and services. ing, fibre laser technology and robotics. Ongoing investment combined with a focus on quality and service make them leaders in their field of expertise. Booth 703.

LIMAB LIMAB is the market leader in non-contact thickness measurement of wood based panels. Our PanelProfiler system is an excellent in-line quality control tool for all types of panels, like MDF, plywood, OSB, particleboard, hardboard and engineered wood products. The system can help improve both the products and process in presses, sanding and finishing lines. The unique laser based PanelProfiler thickness measurement system is nearly maintenance free. There are no moving parts like contact rollers that wear and require expensive replacement and frequent cleaning. The system is available in several versions including single and multiple fixed position measurement tracks, traversing single track and automatically width adjustable outer tracks for varying product widths. It is also possible to install up to three measurement stations combined in, and displayed on, one single system computer. This is very useful in sanding lines before/be tween/after sanders to see how much has been sanded off and for LIMAB PanelProfiler stationed after OSB pressing. quick trouble shooting help for out-of-tolerance conditions. All measurement frames are unique in that they are temperature stable due to special materials and system design. Therefore the high measurement accuracy remains constant over time and ambient temperature changes, without the need for constant recalibrations. The user-friendly system software displays real-time panel thicknesses numerical and graphical, in 2D and 3D, with clear out-of-tolerance indication and alarms. Panel flatness, width and length can also be calculated. Trend diagrams, product recipe handling and data logging of important panel data is standard. There are many advantages with non-contact measurement technology, some of which include: —High accuracy for all types of products, also for thin and rough surfaced panels —No wearing parts means low maintenance costs. Our sensors have a three-year warranty —No scratch or dirt marks on panels —It measures the whole panel length, from the very front edge. It doesn’t need to wait until contact is made and leveled out. Depending on speed, in some systems several feet are missed with contact rollers —Temperature stable design gives stable measurements also in continuous and high speed lines l Our new North American Sales Manager, Michael Spurgin, will have a presentation at the conference to tell you more about the benefits you receive from our measurement solutions. We would be very happy to welcome you at PELICE. Booth 403.

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MATTHEWS MARKING SYSTEMS The VIAjet V-Series marking system is a large and small character drop-on-demand (DOD) valve marking system specifically designed for challenging industrial applications. It gives you reliable DOD valve technology to mark porous and non-porous substrates including wood, engineered wood, panels, paper, pulp, metal, concrete rubber and plastic. Considered the fastest and most reliable in the industry, our DOD printers allow your production to meet critical deadlines with precision jewels set in the stainless steel printhead faceplate to reduce ink consumption for a lower cost-per-mark. The V-Series is ideal for both large character and small character, low-resolution marking with the capability to stack printheads for very large logos and graphics. Flexible mounting over, under, or beside the production line allows for seamless Matthews V-Series DOD printhead integration into your production line. These features, combined with its rugged design, make the V-Series ideal to meet the demands of extreme environments such as building product manufacturing plants and other challenging industries. The exclusive micro-valve technology dramatically lowers ink consumption while maintaining impressive quality and speed. Our robust 8000+ series printheads produce a high-resolution mark by overlapping a series of smaller dots. l Low maintenance With our 8000+ printheads flushing valve system, cleaning and maintenance of our equipment is a breeze, even in dusty environments. l Seamless integration Easily integrates with existing or new production lines. Pairing with MPERIA ensures total line control across all print platforms and technologies. l A complete solution Systems can be stand-alone or networked, providing a flexible, scalable solution for any size application. l Features include: —9 billion cycles before tuning, outlasting the competition —Runs up to 780 FPM (240 m/min) for high-speed productions —Handles pigmented ink marking without typical clogging issues —Excellent performance with inks formulated with aggressive fast-dry solvents —Fast startup without purging, and easy color changeover —High-performance inks engineered for your application —Flushing valve system for easy maintenance Booth 516.

MEINAN MACHINERY Meinan Machinery will present their latest lathe and composer technology to provide automated green end solutions for veneer manufacturers. Recent installations include the first Meinan 8 ft. veneer composer capable of joining green or dry veneer at Freres Lumber Co., a new Meinan lathe and charger integrated with existing downstream equipment at Coastland Wood Industries, and the world’s first automated 10 ft. veneer lathe line with inline green composing at Timber Products Co. Meinan’s equipment and production methods can be found in panel and engineered lumber plants throughout the world, producing veneer, plywood and LVL from various raw materials with significant process and efficiency improvements, and most importantly— fast payback. Booth 650. Meinan 8 ft. green/dry veneer composer at Freres Lumber Co.

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MID-SOUTH ENGINEERING Founded in 1969 in Hot Springs, Ark., Mid-South Engineering has deep roots in the wood products industry. In our 50+ year history we have grown to include locations in Cary, NC; Orono, ME; Rogers, Ark.; and Richmond, BC. Our team has had the opportunity to help clients on thousands of projects ranging from small troubleshooting problems to massive greenfield facility construction. We have a long history of successfully helping our clients achieve their goals. Our process knowledge in wood/building products ranges from lumber to engineered wood products and includes structural and non-structural panels along with gypsum wallboard. In the biomass / bioenergy market, our experience array goes from pellets to biochar to liquid biofuels. We have the expertise and experience to help with whatever your challenge may be. Mid-South’s services include a wide range of engineering and Mid-South Engineering provides multi-discipline services. project support. Our multi-discipline engineering team includes licensed civil, structural, industrial, mechanical and electrical engineers. We have acted as Owner’s Engineer and as Engineer of Record on EPC and turnkey projects. We can support your project whether you are in the early stages of development requiring a feasibility study or front-end design or if you are further along and need detailed design or construction support. In recent years we have advanced our ability to produce 3D designs for both new and existing facilities, greatly improving constructability and communication in our projects. In addition to design software like Civil 3D, Revit and BIM360, our 3D capability includes aerial imagery and LIDAR scanning. Contact us for more information and to discuss how Mid-South can help you. Booth 215.

RAUTE The volatility of the past two years has accelerated many engineered wood product manufacturers’ modernization efforts. To respond to its customers’ evolving needs, Raute, a global market leader in plywood and LVL production technologies, revised its offerings in 2020 with the introduction of its modular R-Series. “We wanted to respond to the volatile market situation and offer more sustainable and agile solutions,” says Tapani Kiiski, President and CEO of Raute. “However, a completely new line is not always the best option. So the three different product series, each de- Raute R-Series: Finding The Right Solution For Your Need fined by its own technology, serve every possible need where investment in new equipment represents the smartest available solution.” Raute developed its newest solution, the R3-Series, after listening to its customers in emerging markets. Explains Jukka Siiriäinen, President of Raute Group Asia, “The R3 Series offers exceptional value: sturdy, durable machinery that does the job with accuracy, low energy consumption, and fewer operators.” Although it may be ideal for startups, the R3-Series compact size and raw materials-processing versatility also make it a good fit for established operators seeking to ramp up capacity or branch out into manufacturing new classes of end products. The R5-Series is a true workhorse, offering proven capacity and longevity. Some of the R5-Series machines delivered in the 1970s are still running strong today. Moreover, R5-Series equipment can be easily upgraded. R5-Series solutions are an excellent choice for operators who are looking to scale production up to the next level and prolong equipment life cycles. The R7-Series is Raute’s most data-driven solution. It makes extensive use of automation and machine vision to recover as much raw material as possible, produce high-grade end-products, and ensure safe operations. The R7-Series is the preferred solution among larger manufacturers aiming to achieve peak efficiency, realize significant cost savings, and future-proof their operations. If you’re interested in learning more about the R-Series and how it can help you meet your need, start a conversation with Raute today. We are the only company in the world to provide a mill-wide range of technologies for the production of plywood, LVL and veneer. Our experts look forward to learning more about your operation and working together to develop a solution that exactly matches your specifications and requirements. l Also, during PELICE, Trevor Wendt, VP North America Raute, will be delivering an insightful presentation on the Raute R-Series technologies and solutions. Mark your calendar for March 31, 11:05 a.m., in Room C off the Grand Ballroom North at the Omni Hotel. Booth 109.

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SAMUEL CODING & LABELING Samuel Coding and Labeling Div. is the industry leader in custom and off the shelf solutions for the wood products industry. With years of experience in the wood products industry, we are uniquely suited to provide you with solutions that are tailor made to suit your facilities. We provide a full system solution with design, fabrication, installation and ongoing support. With hundreds of installations across North America we offer unparalleled industry experience. Samuel Coding & Labeling systems for panel products include ink jet grade mark systems, ink jet printers for marketing information, ink jet nail line systems, ink jet stencil machines, automatic systems to print labels and staple them to finished packages, product tracking, and print and apply UPC bar codes for panel products that are guaranteed to remain bonded to the panels. Samuel provides ink jet and printing systems. Booth 212.

SAMUEL PACKAGING SYSTEMS Samuel Packaging Systems Group is pleased to introduce the SSE-900XP Strapping Head to the panel industry. Designed with three separate cartridges the SSE900XP provides the high strap tension and seal joints that Samuel is known for with “quick-change” capability that allows an operator to replace a malfunctioning cartridge in minutes. The head functions via three direct-drive servomotors—one for each cartridge. Servomotors eliminate clutches, brakes, and timing adjustments frequently associated with strapping heads. Servo technology also allows advanced IoT communications to highlight potential performance issues and allow predictive maintenance. When installed in a Samuel machine the cartridges communicate to the PLC— identifying themselves to provide an operation and maintenance record for each module—simplifying troubleshooting and long-term maintenance planning. Servo controllers can communicate valuable performance data to identify wear before it Samuel offers new strapping head technology. creates downtime. The cartridges vary in weight with the heaviest being 50 lb. Easy replacement allows repair either by local maintenance staff or allows inexpensive shipment to one of our repair facilities. In order to reduce operating costs, the rugged design has 30% fewer parts than competitive units, reducing the potential for downtime. The Samuel SLP-25 (HS) strapping machine is the latest high-speed unitizer from Samuel Packaging Systems. Rugged design, the SSE-900XP strapping head, and IoT features ensure high productivity and will remain a valued part of your packaging line. Booth 212.

SIGNODE Signode’s BPX compression strapping system provides load stability and integrity throughout the transportation cycle. It incorporates independent side compression along with advanced consumable systems that work together to provide consistent load alignment and tension levels for unparalleled package performance. The BPX’s streamlined design with innovative, built-in features enables faster cycle times for higher throughput rates to maximize efficiency. The BPX simplifies operation and maintenance to maximize uptime. It includes a highly intuitive, user-friendly HMI to streamline operation. Machine pre-programming allows for a wide range of flexibility, including quarter-packs, half-packs and long loads, while limiting downtime due to production changes. Plus, the HMI provides quick and easy diagnosis of machine functions. The BPX features a unique modular design, and separate, lightweight strapping heads that are easy to access and remove for maintenance. Signode BPX strapping system with new guarding Other productivity-enhancing features include remote strap feeding and large capacity consumables to limit production interruptions. The BPX comes standard with a number of features, including an automated platen latch, multiple e-stops and more, to enhance operator safety and improve OSHA compliance. In addition to strapping systems, Signode also provides coding, marking and labeling solutions for the lumber and panel industry. From label applicators capable of applying preprinted labels to the end of boards, to multi-technology direct-to-product print50 • MARCH 2022 • PanelWorld

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ing solutions, we have a variety of options available to suit both large and small operations. Signode’s automated printing and labeling equipment is easy to use and will integrate seamlessly into your production line. PLC based programming allows you to adjust your printing message and parameters between jobs quickly and effortlessly. Builtin features like emergency clear functions and error detection systems minimize downtime. Booth 306.

SPAR-TEK SparTek Industries, the leader in providing automated production machinery solutions to the wood products industry, is now providing panel manufacturers our latest innovation in our NextGen series, designed to optimize and leverage the manufacturing efficiencies and reliability on our customers’ production floor. Most recently SparTek announced and has shipped the industry’s first AllElectric Flying Panel Saw. This NextGen series version of our highly successful hydraulic panel saw completely eliminates hydraulics and provides a low maintenance solution, better control of all axes of the saw, and increases uptime. It includes a VFD controlled three phase induction blade motor and a servo drive motor for the cross travel. Our intelligent design increases the reliability, robustness, and speed of the saw carriage. The new servo design also decreases wear and tear on the entire piece of equipment. This All-Electric Flying Panel Saw is intended for use in spray, liquid extru- Spar-Tek electric flying panel saw sion or foam layup lines at up to 128 linear board feet per minute. The saw will cut core lines of single or double panel layers at this speed and will stay within +/- ¼ in. of the line between panels. Learn more at flyingsaw.spartek.com. Serving the wood products industry for more than 30 years, we have a proven process to assist panel manufacturers in updating or enhancing their production line through proven, reliable and cost-effective solutions. We do this by providing standard product platforms and technologies configured to serve each individual customer need and application. Recognized as experts in panel handling, glueline, cutting and pressline automation technologies, SparTek continues to invest in developing NextGen solutions to move the industry forward. Common challenges our customers combat include downtime, bottlenecks, and labor shortages. Are you confident you are getting the most out of your manufacturing production line? Contact us to arrange a free initial assessment of your equipment and processes from SparTek Industries. We invite you to join us at the PELICE show in Atlanta on March 31-April 1 to learn more about how SparTek might assist you in your challenges for 2022. Booth 408.

TAIHEI MACHINERY WORKS At Taihei Machinery Works, we are positively working on enhancing product quality, increasing productivity, improving factory environment, labor saving operations and more. We have been providing solutions for the various challenges encompassing the industry. And now, we have contrived an unmanned and automated system from a hot press process to finishing processes in plywood manufacturing. This is one example of an automated system that embodies the manufacturing concept of Taihei Machinery Works. A transport conveyor automatically feeds the stack of pre-pressed panels into the horizontal hot press. The panels are loaded into each shelf of the horizontal hot press as the application of temperature and pres- Taihei horizontal hot press outfeed automatic transport sure transforms the panels into plywood. The finished plywood is stacked and transported by an automatic transport robot called AGV to the feeding device that sets the plywood on the cutting saw for simultaneous trimming of the sides. Plywood cut to the specified size is stacked and transported in this series of the unmanned automated systems. Compared to the conventional vertical press, which exhibits a large deviation in contact pressure, the horizontal hot press applies uniform pressure on all the plywood. This most notable feature of the horizontal hot press has been made possible by our unique horizontal compressing system. With this system, variability in thickness and quality during pressing is negated with the horizontal hot press. Furthermore, unlike the vertical press, the horizontal press does not require the plant to have high ceilings, simplifying foundation and installation work, which is one of the main features. The horizontal hot press makes loading and unloading of plywood efficient. And efficiency in the pressing process is highly significant in plywood production. Pressing has finished, and the plywood is ejected from the machine. The plywood is then stacked and taken to the next process. The automatic transport robot AGV is used for transport. Unmanned transport by AGV aims to employ the replaced personnel for PanelWorld • MARCH 2022 • 51

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more advanced work such as quality and production control. As you can see, Taihei Machinery Works is capable of proposing an abundant lineup of innovative systems. The times call for suggestions for the future of plywood manufacturing plants, and undertaking systems like these embodies the concept of manufacturing at Taihei Machinery Works. Booth 702.

USNR Liftoff measurement is the best overall indicator of the structural health of your press. USNR’s new Liftoff Monitoring System measures and monitors the overall tightness of the press at the column nut/platen mating surfaces l What is liftoff? Each time the press goes under tonnage, the “C” position nut tries to lift off the bottom platen, while the top platen tries to lift away from the “B” position nut. Movement at the “B” and “C” nuts is called “liftoff” and can be measured with a dial indicator. Measurements of 0.010 in. or less are acceptable. l Why measuring liftoff is important. The columns of the press are the most important part of its structure, holding the press together during each press cycle. Column nuts keep the top platen and the bottom platen at the correct distance from one another. Measuring liftoff as part of a regular maintenance schedule should indicate that liftoff at the “B” and “C” positions is acceptable. Liftoff at each column should be similar, ensuring that no column is put under more tension than the others. All columns should “share the load” to avoid fatigue cracking and subsequent column failure. Too much liftoff, or a broken column leads to broken press platens if operation is sustained, resulting in costly repairs. l Measuring liftoff Measuring liftoff can be cumbersome, time consuming, and potentially unsafe because the press is hot and the platens are covered in debris. USNR’s Liftoff Monitoring System remotely and continuously measures liftoff by attaching an inductive measurement (displacement) sensor to the column nuts, where it can operate unaffected by debris buildup, moisture, and temperature. With decades of knowledge and expertise in press design, operation and maintenance, we know that uninterrupted performance is critical in today’s challenging operating environment. Get the most out of your system with reliable, unique upgrades from USNR. Booth 217.

WESTMILL Westmill is very proud to announce that we have been granted a patent for our Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) system. The ICCP system stops the destructive effects of corrosion on a veneer dryer. It keeps the equipment in an “as new” condition. It protects your capital investment and provides guaranteed long-term structural protection, ensuring steady production with reduced downtime. l How does the system work? A piece of bare iron or mild steel left outside and exposed to moisture will rust quickly. It will do so even more quickly if the moisture is corrosive in nature such as the chemicals and minerals naturally found in wood tannins and moisture that evaporates from veneer. Westmill’s ICCP system forces the protected structure (the veneer dryer) to become the cathode. When connected to Westmill’s proprietary anode material located inside the dryer, we can vary the current to the anode to achieve the exact amount of protection required to virtually stop Protect your capital investment with Westmill’s patented electrochemical corrosion from taking place. ICCP system. ICCP is not experimental, it is a proven technology. It has been successfully used for decades protecting large structures such as steel pipelines, storage tanks, offshore oil platforms, etc. l Proven results Westmill has also proven this technology in the field. The ICCP system was installed on a new 4-deck veneer dryer at Coastal Forest Products’ Chapman, Ala. plywood plant. After 24 months of continuous operation, it has been found to have virtually eliminated any corrosion of the protected dryer structure. With Westmill’s ICCP system connected, the dryer has an electrical potential of 0.827 volts making the steel unable to donate electrons back to ground. Data log analysis revealed that in the 24 months of operation, the dryer lost only 0.02 lbs. of steel. In a typical dryer without corrosion protection, 18-22 lbs. per year of steel are lost to the environment. A visual inspection also confirmed that the whole dryer remains in brand-new condition. The ICCP system starts protecting the dryer the moment the system is activated. Even if your equipment has existing rust and corrosion, it’s not too late to protect the steel from further corrosion. It will not reverse the damage, but it will absolutely stop further damage. Booth 421. 52 • MARCH 2022 • PanelWorld

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INGENUITY, INNOVATION WITHIN THE VENEER-BASED INDUSTRY: A REPORT FROM THE FIELD The softwood veneer and plywood industry appears to have found new momentum, as it always seems to. BY RICHARD (DICK) BALDWIN AND RICHARD (RICH) BALDWIN

ngenuity and innovation have been the lifeblood of the veneer-based industry since its inception more than 100 years ago. However, during recent decades the competitive matching of costs and features with competing products has slowed. Substitutes, such as oriented strandboard (OSB) and other wood and non-wood materials, have significantly reduced North American demand for plywood. Estimated North American demand for softwood plywood in 2021 was about half of 20 years ago. This secular decline of the North American plywood industry prompted the following questions. Is the ingenuity and innovation that once fostered the industry’s growth and prosperity still alive and well? Assuming it is, what is taking place to reimagine and revitalize our industry? The authors contacted mill operators, made on-site visits (during lulls in the ongoing pandemic), and reviewed other data sources to answer those and related questions. This article analyzes the findings and applies the lessons to softwood plywood and other veneer-based industries.

VENEER LEGACY Finding solutions requires team members with varied skills and backgrounds who effectively collaborate to find solutions. The late Rush Limbaugh succinctly said “words mean things,” and this ar54 • MARCH 2022 • PanelWorld

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ticle defines ingenuity as “mentally mapping” new ways of solving problems and innovation as implementing the new ideas. These “things” provide a basis of thoughtful understanding and joint effort. Softwood plywood, the primary veneer-based product, has historically competed for solid lumber in a variety of uses and now primarily competes in the panel market for market share with OSB and other wood panels. These competing sectors continue to invest in significant modernization and growth, in contrast to near stagnation of the veneer-based sector. North American plywood usage has declined over the past decade, even though higher LVL production means that total veneer need has slightly increased. (See Exhibit 1) Growth will resume for veneer-based products when architects, wood engineers

(Photo by Oak Creek Investments)

and consumers again see veneer-based products as cost competitive, versatile and compatible with market demands for “Tall Wood” buildings and other ecologically-friendly end uses. However, overcoming obstacles to growth requires identifying a viable path. (See Exhibit 2)

GAME CHANGER Portland Manufacturing Co. (PMC), founded in 1901 and equipped with a St. Joe rotary lathe, processed and peeled a variety of tree species. The veneer was then fashioned into baskets, crates, barrels and drums. The baskets and crates were used for packing fruit, and the drums and barrels were used as coffee and spice containers. Gustav Carlson, the manager and an owner of PMC, accepted a challenge

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from the organizers of the 1905 World’s Fair. “Early in 1905, Portland was getting ready for a World’s Fair as part of the centennial observance of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was to be a gala, colorful affair with hundreds of booths and exhibits. Portland Manufacturing Co. was asked to prepare an exhibit featuring something new and unusual.” (Robert Cour, The Plywood Age, 1955, page 13) While each container was veneerbased, none could be considered “new and unusual.” Softwood plywood subsequently became the new and unusual product. Plywood originated several millennia ago in Pharaoh’s Egypt as functional art. Using Douglas fir that readily peeled into veneer plus animal-protein glue, the Carlson team reinvented glue-laminated veneer as a structural and industrial panel product. The resulting panel was initially called wallboard and later ¼ in. AD plywood and the market grew over the years as new uses were created or devised. The events at PMC were later recognized as a disruptive technology that displaces an established technology and shakes up the industry and/or a groundbreaking product that creates a completely new industry. (Or in other words, a Game Changer.) Significant follow-up developments typically increase the usefulness of the foundational idea. (See Clayton Christensen, The Innovator’s Dilemma, 1997.) For example, Carlson’s water-soluble bonding technology was a problem that literally begged for a solution. “Gluing was a serious problem. The animal glue smelled so bad the men fre-

Peelable logs at Timber Products Co. veneer mill in Yreka, Calif.

quently had to seek the comfort of outdoors.” (The Plywood Age, p. 14) However, the stench was a minor inconvenience compared to moisture-induced delamination that made plywood unsuitable for many end-uses. For example, the functional life of plywood running boards on a Ford Model T was short because moisture absorption frequently caused veneer ply separation. The problem of moisture-induced delamination remained unsolved for 30 years until a group of mill owners recruited Dr. James V. Nevin to work on the problem (The Plywood Age, Pages 90-91). In 1934, Nevin and his team finally developed a water-resistant adhesive and hot-pressing technique that greatly reduced customer complaints and product rejections. Mill owners and investors, who had desperately sought a

solution, at last saw “daylight at the end of the tunnel.” This singular innovation set the stage for the plywood industry to become a major supplier to WW II armaments producers. Water-resistant plywood was used in military applications such as the fuselage skin of the De Havilland Mosquito aircraft (Wisconsin and British Columbia mills provided most plywood) and naval hull plating (including for John F. Kennedy’s ill-fated PT 109). The North American economy boomed following WW II and many young families with children moved to the suburbs. A large single-family house, with flooring, exterior walls and roofing made of exterior-rated plywood sheathing, became the American (Canadian) Dream. The plywood industry replaced 4⁄4 shiplap lumber on the residential envelope resulting in a better answer with the increased housing starts at War’s end, and into the succeeding decades. That is until OSB developed into a substantial sector in the 1980s and 1990s; and plywood imports from outside North America became a significant factor. (See Exhibit 3)

LVL

Veneer drying line at a Coastal SYP plywood mill, in Havana, Fla.

During the 1960s, Art Troutner and Harold Thomas of Sun Valley, Idaho created an ingenious “engineered” wood product with stress-rated lumber as top and bottom flanges and steel webbing connecting the chords. This product substituted for increasingly hard-to-find large-dimension timbers and beams used in construction. The initial Troutner/Thomas innovation required a supply of premium lumber, and by 1970 long, high-strength lum-

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ber was hard to find. Extractive logging had previously harvested much of the structural-type wood source, the West Coast old-growth forests. Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) was then reimagined to replace the premium lumber used on the top and bottom I-Joist flanges. Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is a glued assembly of parallel laminated veneer plies (no cross-banding) originally invented in the 1940s to make aircraft propellers. Under the name Trus Joist, Troutner and Thomas decided to manufacture and use LVL as the top and bottom flanges. Rough LVL billets up to 80 ft. long were subsequently ripped into desired widths for flanges, and plywood (later replaced by OSB) became the lower cost replacement for the steel webbing. LVL has become a major product innovation, and the product continues to build market share for I-beams, trusses and headers in North American residential and commercial construction. (See Exhibit 4)

THREE LEVELS There are three distinct levels of ingenuity and innovation: l Level One (Disrupting “Game Changer” Technology) These reimagine and/or reinvent an industry, such as the PMC creation of Douglas fir plywood or the Troutner/Thomas substitution of LVL for scarce premium lumber. These breakthrough ideas infrequently happen, and often require further improvements to fully realize market growth. l Level Two (Sustaining “Epic Occurrence” Technology) These advances contribute to the success and progress of Level One events, such as the water-resistant adhesive that greatly improved the utility of softwood plywood panels or the substitution of plywood (later OSB) for steel webbing in LVL I-beams. l Level Three (“Continuous Improvement”) These are the regular advances in means and methods that keep the business competitive; they build upon the art and science of the two earlier levels. Level Three (Continuous Improvement) is essential to long-term success and survival of a business. However, having effective leadership is job one in setting the stage for each of the three levels of ingenuity and innovation. Fostering ingenuity and innovation within a business-effective leadership, identification of real needs, and a can-do 58 • MARCH 2022 • PanelWorld

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working environment are the crucial “common threads” that foster ingenuity and innovation. The following describes the Transformative Leader (TL0 leadership style: “…a leadership style that can inspire positive changes in those who follow… (And is) generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate.” (from verywell mind.com, Dec. 12, 2021.) An effective TL will be recognized as the enemy of the status quo. The TL’s prevailing “stock-in-trade” is a questioning attitude, solicitation of team-member participation, and focusing organizational time and energy on real needs. Gustav Carlson and Art Troutner were transformational leaders by all accounts.

CONDITIONS A 1970’s era plywood mill occurrence on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State continues to provide insight into the creation and application of ingenuity and innovation. This anecdote demonstrates unchanging principles that apply regardless of today’s more advanced technology. After being told that an ailing plywood plant would be a good place to learn, a

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novice manager was assigned to turn around an old plywood mill. Recently converted from a mixed sanded/sheathing order file, the mill now featured an all-overlay panel mix. The new products required much more precision in manufacturing. Well into the transition, the mill continued to under-perform. Operating continuously since starting up in the 1920s, the occasional improvements were not nearly enough to keep up with the passage of time. Lighting was poor, the roof leaked, and an assortment of obsolete equipment continued in use. Senior management had earlier expressed reluctance to invest additional capital, citing poor returns from previous spending and current market conditions. The existing salary and hourly crew, most high seniority personnel, recognized that the prospects were poor for continued operation. However, the rookie manager seemed to spend more time on the floor (at all hours) than he did in his office. He listened and interacted with the crew on the job, while seeking to understand “how things work around here.” During his walkabouts, he soon identified the influencers. Asking questions, he sought answers and ideas. He prompted the crew into thinking and talking about what could be done to improve the prospects for survival, and he listened. Soon a massive cleanup began and old inventory removed. Finally, after a couple of false starts, the leaky roof was finally repaired the low budget way; namely, plastic sheeting was rolled out to cover the roof and then held down with nailed dry kiln stickers. Next came cleaning light fixtures and repainting walls in the work area. One older lady, when asked to step aside while the light fixture over her Raimann veneer patcher was being cleaned, confronted the young manager as he passed, “… you can’t waste money like this, everyone knows they are going to shut this mill down!” The answer: “I don’t know that, let’s work with what we have, and figure out what can happen.” Word of the veneer patcher encounter spread throughout the crew. Later, when returning to work on Monday after a weekend of “roof-fixing,” the glue room crew discovered task-specific mechanical assists for working dry veneer and repair of the roof leaks over the work area. Word quickly got around that the rookie welcomed ideas and involvement and those ideas were being implemented, and there was hope. After subsequent months of profitability, senior managers decided to relocate the operation to a modern facility. The veterans transitioned to the new mill, and mentored a young generation (most of whom now in turn also have retired) of employees.

ANOTHER LESSON The author witnessed an example of Level Three, Continuous Improvement, event in the 1960s, when a memorable “Eureka Moment” sparked an out-of-the-box solution. The Water Quality Act of 1965 required states to control water quality or else the Federal Government would step in. This law forced plywood plant operators to rush to comply in areas like disposal of the contaminated process water left over after glue mixing, glue application, and cleanup. Local authorities ordered a plywood layup mill operator in a Western state to cease and desist (even if it meant plant closure). However, contaminated process water continued to regularly overflow into the ditch of a neighboring pear orchard. As the operator later related, the spark of ingenuity occurred after a Sheriff’s Deputy arrested him and booked him in the 60 • MARCH 2022 • PanelWorld

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County Jail. He recounted sitting in the holding cell and profoundly analyzing the problem. A simple idea came to him as he reviewed his plight and that of his plant. A “Eureka Moment” saved the day. After posting bail and returning to the plant, he installed a glue water collecting tank. His staff and the resin supplier then created a new procedure to reuse the glue waste water in fresh glue mixes. The innovative solution required greater process control, but it solved the problem. Facing the same environmental dilemma at a bayside mill, his later interviewer returned to his home mill and promptly duplicated the solution. By the end, the pioneering solution became a win-win for the community, mill and industry.

SURVIVORS Today’s “Survivors of the Survivors” mill operators continue to make Level Three continuous improvements, as described in the following illustrations: l Recent Example 1. A follow-up visit to a West Coast green veneer operation occurred in spring 2021. During an earlier visit, the crew’s conversation focused on breaking anew a recent production record. Peeling #2 Douglas fir sawlogs at 1⁄8 in. nominal thickness, the record became a norm, and a norm that continued to move upward. The mill has three common threads, mentioned earlier, that foster ingenuity and creativity in outperforming its peers. l Recent Example 2. A Western Washington mill built during the 1960s was visited after the Great Recession and again sought out recently. Expected questions were asked such as “how are you and your crew coping with the pandemic and the unprecedented market?” The manager mentioned their continued focus on additional low-cost improvements in mill practices, product diversification, and marketing. He cited advantages of customer relationships being further developed, a favorable access to wood fiber, decreasing operating costs, and a more advantageous access to market with other mill closures and curtailments. l Recent Example 3. A multi-plant operator in the Southeast offered a similar response in describing mill improvements and access to markets. Recent record product prices were providing the added resources to significantly upgrade operations. Other Southeastern operators cited similar tactics in coping with pandemic absenteeism and low-cost Brazilian imports. A common denominator of mills that survived the Great Recession is their efforts to facilitate, identify and implement Level Three improvements. The more successful operators implement home-grown innovations in addition to new equipment. Continuous home-grown improvements, coupled with timely capital improvements, typically outperform those that primarily expect expensive new equipment to solve operating problems.

DEVELOPMENTS The pandemic and other challenges remind industry participants of the never-ending need for ingenuity and innovation. However, the growing recognition that trees and wood products benefit the environment also will stimulate usage of existing and other to-be-invented veneer-based products. l The Carbon Connection Society increasingly accepts the unpleasant reality that human activities significantly contribute to higher emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases, and that these noxious gases result in atmospheric warming and climate change. It is also becoming generally accepted, based upon science, PanelWorld • MARCH 2022 • 61

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that growing trees gather and sequester atmospheric CO2. Therefore, the increased conversion of wood fiber from well-managed forests into long-lasting wood products will become an important step in the environmental value chain. Wood-based building materials store the carbon for the life of the structure, and beyond if recycled/repurposed. Virtually all wood building materials emit less carbon dioxide during manufacture and installation compared to concrete and steel. A process that converts the highest proportion of wood fiber into a finished product sequesters the most atmospheric carbon, and converting trees into veneer-based products minimizes waste and maximizes green benefits. And veneer-based products appear to have superior “green” benefit. Veneer uses a greater percentage of the wood fiber than many other log conversion options. Peeling veneer does not waste wood fiber with saw kerf, slabs and edging; and current peeling technology can convert a log as small as 7 in. in diameter down to a 2.5 in. core. The trend is toward peeler cores as small as 1 in., decreased roundup production through more precision, and assembling narrower

and smaller roundup pieces into useable veneer components. l Mass Plywood Panel (MPP) The Mass Plywood Panel currently being manufactured at Freres Lumber Co. is a “game changer.” Earlier, company leaders became concerned that future commodity softwood veneer and plywood demand could be insufficient to profitably operate their veneer lathes and dryers. With support from Oregon State University’s A.A. “Red” Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Laboratory and its staff; plus, research by the TallWood Design Institute (TDI) (a collaboration between OSU & University of Oregon), a massive veneer-based assembly was conceived by initially transforming small-diameter second and third growth logs into value-added products. The resulting raw MPP assembly initially emerges as a large veneer-based billet (up to 48 ft. long, 12 ft. wide, 24 ft. thick) that is an environmentally virtuous alternative to structural concrete, steel and other competing wood and nonwood products. Given the strength enhancing defect dispersal with the veneer layering process, this novel engineered wood product may match the engineer-

ing characteristics of CLT with 20% less wood fiber. The basic building block is a nine-ply nominal 4x8 plywood panel, assembled in the nearby Freres plywood plant in place of commodity plywood. The plywood panel is designed somewhat akin to the strength enhancing recipe of an LVL panel to achieve the structural strength needed in the finished product. After the raw billet is assembled, secondary manufacturing usually occurs using either a specially designed USNR 5 ft. bandmill and carriage, and/or a downstream CNC router. While reflecting upon the heritage of his family’s business that had commenced lumber production in 1922, the rollout of MPP prompted Kyle Freres (VP Operations) to say: “We are going to be around for another hundred years and if we weren’t thinking that way then I don’t think we would have made a $45 million investment in an MPP facility, that I think and hope will sustain us for another hundred years.” (EESI, “Oregon Lumber Company Showcases new Mass Timber Product, Invests in Sustainability,” Sept. 22, 2020, p. 2) Fred Kamke and Arijit Sinha, respectively Director and Associate Director of

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the NSF Wood-Based Composite Center at Oregon State University, later acknowledged: “MPP is a bold game changer—a calculated risk to leverage plywood manufacturing experience and timber resources toward capturing market share in the emerging mass timber building industry. Seeing the success of MPP, several veneer-based mass timber products are in the advanced stages of development.” (Abstract for presentation at March 2022 PELICE conference)

EPIC OCCURRENCES There are at least two Level Two Epic Occurrences on the horizon that could further enhance veneer-based products competitive prospects. The first is a delamination detector for thick veneerbased members. The second is a bold move to reimagine the traditional veneer peeling process of the last 100 years. Both are currently “works in progress.” l Delamination detector for thick engineered wood

An unresolved impediment for wider usage of thick engineered wood materials such as CLT and MPP could be a more pervasive testing of internal glue bond integrity. For example, during March 2018 about 100 10 in. thick prefabricated Cross Laminated Lumber (CLT) assemblies failed during construction of Peavy Hall on the OSU campus. Unfortunately, the resulting faulty glue bonds were only detected when one floor of the multi-story building collapsed during construction. Nobody was injured, but finding the root cause of the structural failure and then manufacturing replacement CLT assemblies contributed to costly delays and overruns. Earlier, the softwood plywood producer had a similar problem. In the early 1970s, Clyde Steffens initiated a solution that was introduced to producers through mill visits and demonstrations with a portable blow detector. His ultrasonic technology allowed plywood producers to scan a panel and detect delamination and other strength reducing defects. Steffen’s invention, labeled a Trienco blow detector, identified faulty gluelines, blows, and other internal defects that caused delamination between plies. Before the Steffens innovation, the plywood producer relied on process control to assure bond quality. Steffens’ innovation was soon characterized as a “belt and suspenders” approach to total quality assurance. Process control was the “belt,” the Steffens innovation became widely accepted as the “suspenders.” Upon a request from Trus Joist, Steffens developed a more powerful ultrasonic system that will locate internal defects in LVL and other wood glued assembles up to about 3.5 in. thick, more than twice as thick as the usual plywood panel. At the PELICE conference in March 2020, Steffens presented a shockwave sound technology concept that could locate internal defects in wood billets more than 12 in. thick (namely, able to evaluate most CLT and MPP assemblies). Steffens continues his research and development of the shockwave technology. The shockwave system, or another practical quality auditing technology, could be the key (as with plywood earlier) for greater acceptance of CLT and the newer MPP. l Higher production from smaller logs and smaller cores The “right-sizing” of the plywood industry during the Great Recession substantially reduced veneer manufacturing capacity. A question posed to Pacific Northwest and Southeast operators during recent interactions was: “What do you see

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as the greatest opportunity for overcoming a medium-term gap in veneer availability if the veneer-based industry expands in the coming years?” Answers varied, but a common response cited mill operators who are seeking crucial yield, operating reliability, and overall greater productivity at the lathe. This recognizes the changing raw material; some situations will require peeling small diameter logs of 6-7 in. that are currently being converted into other products such as OSB, studs and pellets. Reducing the residual peeler core to a 1 in. diameter was also mentioned as a need. Complicating the improvement challenge is that mill operators are further complicating the improvement challenge by being unwilling to sacrifice high hourly production coming from peeling larger logs; and they just want to simplify the peeling process with more userfriendly equipment. Many operators have faith that harmonizing these mutually contradictory objectives is not impossible! To satisfy these goals, a veneer lathe is challenged to function more like a well-honed “peeling machine” versus the current assemblage of discrete systems and subsystems that requires considerable maintenance and

synchronization adjustments. The commitment of monetary and nonmonetary resources to improve efficiency of the veneer-based production process may never have been greater. Historically high product prices plus ongoing absenteeism during the pandemic are current and continuing drivers. During a recent mill tour, one operator identified proposed robotic applications to replace human workers. He had already installed an unmanned grading and stacking station at the outfeed of a veneer dryer. The veneer stacked and graded by the robot was fast and accurate. Further, mills appear to be progressing beyond traditional layup line and spreader configurations that require much manual labor. Amazing systems are being introduced that incorporate robotics or automated electro/mechanical systems into assembling veneer and adhesive into a plywood panel. High product prices, and the pandemic, have created situations where equipment vendors are now overwhelmed with orders after years of struggling for each order. An executive for a major equipment supplier stated that his order file had never been larger; he was now booked out more than two years and struggling to

find steel and other components. He also mentioned that some mills submitted purchase orders before identifying specific projects in order to have the equipment available when appropriate. Most veneer-based mills appear to have generated record sales and profits over the past 18 months. Yet the quest for effective leadership continues as a key that unlocks greater ingenuity and innovation within a veneer-based organization when pricing, demand and costs become comparably less favorable in the future. Advancements in process technology are expected to extract more usable veneer from the available small diameter softwood species while converting an ever-greater volume into other than commodity softwood plywood panels. Meanwhile, these advancements will create a greater need for the application of ingenuity and innovation. The plywood and veneer-based industry may be progressing full circle from its creative origin in 1905 into a repeat of an PW emerging growth industry. Richard (Dick) Baldwin, Ph.D., is managing partner of Oak Creek Investments LLC. Richard (Rich) Baldwin, is CFO of Oak Creek Investments. E-mail: dbaldwin@ ocinvest.com

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S U P P LY

LINES

INDUSTRY MOURNS LOSS OF GUSTAVSEN

Tor Gustavsen, former Managing Director of Argos Solutions, and highly respected as a dedicated, thoughtful and passionate leader of his company, and a joyful, caring family man, died February 5 Tor Gustavsen following an illness in Kongsberg, Norway. He was 60. “Our thoughts are with Tor’s family, and we hope they can find comfort in the certainty that he has made an impact on so many,” according to a statement from Argos Solutions. Gustavsen grew up in Kongsberg and earned his Bachelor degree from Kongsberg State College in Mechanical Automation and Business Administration before starting his professional career with one of the largest hightech companies in Norway, and proceeded to work with companies focusing on automation processes within the automobile, sign, paper and wood industry. He held numerous positions from service manager, product manager, sales and marketing manager as well as managing director. “Kongsberg is a small town, but it hosts many high-tech companies the common platform of which is integration of mechanical, electrical and software solutions, which also is the foundation for the product range of Argos Solutions,” Gustaven once said. He started with Argos in 1999 and was responsible for building up worldwide sales and distribution of the companies surface grading and panel repair systems. He became managing director in 2009. Gustaven is survived by his wife, Tove, and children, Stian and Tonje. A memorial service was held February 17 in Kongsberg.

SIEMPELKAMP SETS RECORD With a record order intake of EUR 855 million in 2021, Siempelkamp Group clearly exceeded its previous

year’s order intake of EUR 552.7 million, encompassing its business units Machinery and Plants, Casting Technology, and Nuclear Technology. “Our realignment in the area of sales, process organization, and global manufacturing excellence, which was initiated in 2020, has proven its worth in all areas and has born fruit in 2021,” comments Dr. Martin Stark, CEO of Siempelkamp Group. Siempelkamp positioned itself successfully particularly in its core market, the wood-based materials industry. Both long-standing existing customers and new customers worldwide decided in favor of Siempelkamp’s overall plant competence and technological know-how. Within the wood-based panels industry Siempelkamp continues to push forward the realignment of board production. Climate change and the scarcity of resources require solutions for the use of alternative raw materials. Depending on their local raw material supplies and their market situation, wood-based panel producers can resort to new, resource-saving processes.

BAKELITE BUYS GP PHENOLICS

Bakelite Synthetics is purchasing Georgia-Pacific’s Phenolics Chemicals business in the Americas. The transaction will provide complementary resin and formaldehyde technology and end markets which will improve Bakelite’s market valuation position. The transaction includes 11 chemical facilities employing 600 in the U.S. and South America. The sale does not include GP Pine Chemicals, which is part of the company’s packaging and cellulose businesses.

doubt prove to be a very positive step for FLAMEX as these highly capable gentlemen will bring a new vision and direction to our company,” comments Wagoner. “It has been my honor and privilege to have been able to play a role in the management of our company and I look forward to remaining with the organization for an indefinite period of time to serve at the pleasure and in support of the new management.” FLAMEX anticipates another very successful year in 2022 as it brings on new products and new opportunities.

AMERICAN SECURITIES PURCHASES HEXION Hexion Holdings Corp. has entered into an agreement to be acquired by affiliates of American Securities LLC. The transaction follows Hexion’s previously announced sale of its Epoxy business to Westlake Chemical Corp. Hexion remains a leading global producer of adhesives and performance materials that enable the production of engineered wood products and other growing specialty materials. The company has 27 manufacturing facilities globally and 1,300 employees. Craig Rogerson, Chairman, President and CEO, comments, “This transaction, along with the sale of our Epoxy Business, is the conclusion of a comprehensive evaluation of strategic actions aimed at maximizing value for our shareholders and best positioning the company for long-term growth.” Operating under American Securities’ ownership, Hexion Holdings is poised to build on its momentum and continue its record of delivering innovative, high-quality products and service to customers.

FLAMEX NAMES NEW PRESIDENT FLAMEX Inc. announced Tony Thomas as its new President, succeeding Allen Wagoner who served 13 years at that post. Thomas has been with the company for almost 32 years and has been serving as vice president. Ed Pridgen assumes the role as Vice President in addition to his position as MINFOG Product Manager. “This change in leadership will no

SEE YOU AT PELICE MARCH 31-APRIL 1

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PROJECTS AL TALAH BOARD USES PALM WASTE

120,000 m³ of OSB per year. Dieffenbacher, their production knowAl Talah Board contracted with Diefhow, and because of their expertise in the fenbacher in 2019 to create the unique field of alternative raw materials.” In December Al Talah Board of Abu OSB plant, which will help keep slow-toDhabi, United Arab Emirates, produced biodegrade palm waste out of landfills MURASHINSKIY its first branded “Desert Board” on a and industrial composting pits. DieffenGOES WITH BIELE new Dieffenbacher plant using recycled bacher’s scope of supply included the Russia-based Murashinskiy Plywood date palm tree waste to manufacture strand production, drum dryer, screens Plant and the Spanish woodworking OSB. The mill will use about 15% of and material recovery equipment, gluing machinery specialist Biele Group have the 500,000 tonnes of palm waste gensystem, forming station and forming line, successfully implemented their first erated yearly in the UAE to produce CPS+ continuous press with press emiscollaboration project consisting of an sion control system, raw automatic 35-daylight hot press line board handling and with a production 50,000 m³/year of electrics and plant au8x4 plywood panels. tomation. The investment is part of the MGZ “Our Chairman Mr. factory expansion plans, and despite the Hatem Farah envisioned 18 years ago using our country’s abundance of palm trees to produce sustainable building products. The state-ofthe-art technology and innovative plant concept were most important for us when we chose Dieffenbacher for our project,” comments Mazen Dukmak, Business Development Manager at Al Talah Board. “We are the world’s first company to use recycled palm waste to produce premium quality OSB. We made this happen with the Biele hot press line at Murashinskiy Plywood Al Talah Board produces first date palm OSB. technical collaboration of

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special times due to the pandemic the line was delivered and successfully put into production in record time. In Technical Director Anton Lelekov’s words, “We chose Biele because of the high standards of quality, their flexibility to adapt and customize the project to our unique needs and due to the detailed and professional approach to the project management. Now I can say that we got the right decision choosing Biele as a partner.”

COLUMBIA FP INVESTS IN USNR CHARGER Columbia Forest Products is investing in a new USNR charger at its Old Fort, NC plywood production facility. After many years of dependable operation at this location, the existing equipment is due for a complete replacement. The updated design will feature heavy-duty cross tubes to maximize stability and accuracy. The Model 765 veneer lathe charger is an industry workhorse that provides

PROJECTS

decades of reliable performance for veneer production. This proven design stands up to hard-wearing use and is a durable solution for veneer lathe charger applications. This project is scheduled for installation in Q3 of 2022.

DIEFFENBACHER TAPS €400 MILLION Dieffenbacher reports nearly 400 million euros in sales in 2021 due to high demand for new wood-based panel production plants, diversification of its forming business, growing customer interest in sustainable solutions and the introduction of a smart plant concept that gives manufacturers more insight into their production and processes. “Despite many restrictions related to COVID-19, it was an excellent year for Dieffenbacher. We served our customers just as well as in the times before the pandemic, and that makes me very proud of our team,” says CEO Christian

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PROJECTS

Dieffenbacher. “Each of our three business units—Wood, Forming and Recycling—performed well and received significant new orders from customers.” The Wood business unit recorded high demand for new plants on nearly every continent. In Europe, Dieffenbacher received an increasing number of orders for plants that produce special products such as wood fiber insulation boards and plants that deploy advanced environmental technology solutions for greater sustainability. “Our customers are increasingly opting for complete plants supplied by a single source,” Christian Dieffenbacher comments. An example is HOMANIT Group’s order for a new plant in Pagirai, Lithuania, that combines environmental technology solutions with the fiber dryer and a 50 MW energy plant to ensure minimal emissions. Dieffenbacher also received four orders for plants to produce wood fiber insulation boards. The Recycling business unit attracted customers with sustainable solutions in the areas of wood recycling, alternative

fuels and “Waste2Product.” The business unit designs and supplies plants that process recycled wood for particleboard production—using state-of-theart sorting technology to achieve purity levels of up to 99.5%—and plants that produce pallets from 100% recycled plastic materials. “We want to gradually expand (sales) to over 500 million euros over the next few years,” Dieffenbacher says. “We can accomplish this by continuing to offer innovative and compelling products, supported by qualified and committed employees. A double-digit million euro investment at our headquarters in Eppingen will help us achieve these growth targets.” With 16 production, service and sales locations worldwide, Dieffenbacher is geographically close to customers while also offering a global production and supply network. “That’s more important than ever today because it means that supply chain interruptions or insufficient availability of important resources rarely affect us. Our customers can be confident in our ability to supply them in the best way possible,” Dieffenbacher asserts, while adding he is optimistic that the business will achieve a sales volume of approximately 450 million euros in 2022.

EGGER PLANS THIRD TFL LINE Egger Wood Products will invest $20 million for an additional thermally fused laminate production line at the company’s sole U.S. location in Lexington, NC. The company’s Supervisory Board announced the investment, part of completion for Phase I work at the site, after visiting the U.S. plant for its quarterly meeting. Since September 2020, the facility has been producing particleboard and thermally fused laminate (TFL) for use in interior design applications. Scheduled for completion by the end of 2022, the third lamination line will represent a 50% increase in TFL production capacity and shorter lead times for customers. Carsten Ritterbach, plant manager for commercial services, says, “In light of the supply chain disruptions experienced around the world this year, increasing production capacity is one of the best ways we can serve our customers in the United States and Canada.” 72 • MARCH 2022 • PanelWorld

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BUILD BACK BETTER AWARDS OREGON GROUP Oregon Mass Timber Coalition was named by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) as a finalist in the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The coalition was awarded $500,000 to create a strategy for a Mass Timber Modular Manufacturing Facility at Marine Terminal 2 in Portland. The Oregon Mass Timber coalition is a partnership among the Port of Portland, Business Oregon, Oregon Dept. of Forestry, DLCD and the Tallwood Design Institute (a partnership between U of O and OSU). The coalition will advance to Phase 2 and compete for up to $100 million in American Rescue Plan funding to develop and scale mass timber manufacturing in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. EDA received 529 applications from regions in all 50 states and five territories, and the 60 finalists represent regions that formed extraordinary coalitions, demonstrated regional needs, and presented bold proposals to grow their target industry clusters. In Phase 2, finalists compete for significant implementation assistance. EDA will award 20-30 coalitions each up to $100 million. These awards will assist communities in executing ambitious plans to supercharge their regional economies across a variety of strategic growth sectors.

CLIPPINGS

Marc Brinkmeyer, Idaho Forest Group; Furman Brodie, Charles Ingram Lumber Co.; George Emmerson, Sierra Pacific; Jack Jordan, Jordan Lumber; Nate Jorgensen, Boise Cascade; Fritz Mason, Georgia-Pacific; Kevin McKinley, Canadian Wood Council; Andrew Miller, Stimson Lumber; Grady Mulbery, Roseburg Forest Products: Keith O’Rear, Weyerhaeuser Co.; Joe Patton, Westervelt; Fred Stimpson, Canfor Southern Pine; and Duane Vaagen, Vaagen Brothers Lumber Company.

AWC ESTABLISHES NEW BOARD LEADERS American Wood Council (AWC) elected PotlatchDeltic President and CEO Eric Cremers as Chairman of the AWC Board of Directors for a two-year term, effective January 1, 2022. Ricky Stanley, President and CEO of TR Miller Mill Co., was elected the First Vice Chairman, and Sean McLaren, West Fraser President, Solid Wood, is the Second Vice Chairman. Duane Vaagen, President of Vaagen Brothers Lumber Co., was also elected as a new member of the Board. The full AWC Board of Directors includes: Chairman Eric Cremers, PotlatchDeltic; First Vice Chairman Ricky Stanley, TR Miller Mill; Second Vice Chairman Sean McLaren, West Fraser; Mike Blosser, LP Building Solutions;

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CLIPPINGS JON POTTER HEADS STRUCTURLAM NW

Structurlam Mass Timber Corp. has welcomed Jon Potter as the company’s newest mass timber specialist. Based in Seattle, Potter will be responsible for building Structurlam’s Pacific Northwest regional presence, continuing to promote and expand the company’s mass timber projects. With a master’s degree in civil engineering, he has a background in structural analysis and design with a focus on wood design projects. Structurlam is based in Penticton, BC and has mass timber production facilities in Penticton, Okanagan Falls, Oliver, BC, as well as Conway, Ark.

DIEFFENBACHER TURNS 70 Wolf-Gerd Dieffenbacher celebrated his 70th birthday on December 20, 2021. Until his withdrawal from the day-to-day business on July 1, 2019, the entrepreneur was active for more than

40 years in the Eppingen, GemanyHe laid the foundation for new foreign based family business Dieffenbacher subsidiaries in the United States, Gmbh Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, Malaysia, India, Russia, China and elsewhich he led as CEO beginning in where and production sites in Canada, 1985. As a member of the Board of Adthe Czech Republic and China. Addivisors and in various other capacities, tionally, he led the acquisition and inteDieffenbacher remains closely associatgration of several competitors, including ed with the company. Schenkmann-Piel, Schenck, Maier, After completing his studies in busiMetso and SWPM, transforming the ness administration at the University of company from a nationally oriented maSaarbrücken, Dieffenbacher gained his chine manufacturer to a globally focused first professional experience at the maand world-leading plant manufacturer. chine manufacturer Pathex in Toronto, Beyond all these milestones and his Canada. In 1979 he returned to Gerentrepreneurial talent, Dieffenbacher’s many and took over the commercial leadership skills were ever prevalent, management of the family fulfilling his social and socibusiness run by his father Geretal responsibility by training hard Dieffenbacher and his fayoung people. ther’s cousin Albert DieffenHe considers among his bacher. Six years later, Wolfgreatest accomplishments leavGerd followed in his father’s ing the company with the footsteps as a member of the strong management team of his Management Board. son Christian Dieffenbacher as Internationalization and the CEO and his fellow members strengthening of the company’s of the Management Board, Wolf-Gerd complete plant competence Dieffenbacher CFO Volker Kitzelmann and highlighted Wolf-Gerd’s work. CTO Lothar Fischer.

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VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS

DIRECTORY ASIA

AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA

■ Switzerland

■ India

SPECIALISTS IN AUSTRALIAN & PACIFIC VENEERS FSC & PEFC ECO-CERT Veneers from around the world Over 150 species in stock Reconstituted veneer/spliced faces/rotary veneers Website: Email: Tel:

www.briggs.com.au admin@briggs.com.au +61 2 9732-7888 www.fsc.org

EUROPE ■ Italy

NORTH AMERICA ■ Canada ■ British Columbia

6670 - 144th Street, Surrey, BC V3W 5R5 Plant: (604) 572-8968 Fax: (604) 572-6608

Producers of high quality fine face veneers. Specializing in species indigenous to the West Coast. We manufacture Music grade solids and veneers. We also offer custom slicing, cut-to-size and log breakdown. Fir • Hemlock • Spruce • Pacific Maple (Figured and Plain) • Alder Western Red Cedar

■ Malaysia

■ Poland

■ Ontario

Manufacturer In Malaysia A FULL SERVICE PLYWOOD & VENEER COMPANY

CARB P2 / EPA Certified

WE OFFER: Short turnaround time, In-house veneer mill—ROTARY, FLAT CUT, RIFT and QUARTERS, Custom pressing capabilities, Architectural specified plywood jobs, Huge veneer and core inventory, Over 100 natural species and engineer veneers in stock, All sizes and thicknesses–6'x4' to 5'x12', Internal logistics for fast on-time deliveries

Fancy plywood/MDF/ Particle Board/ Blockboard Layon Veneer, Veneer Parquet, etc. Lot 488, Jalan Jati Kiri, Kg. Perepat 42200 Kapar, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Tel: +603 3259 1988 • Fax: +603 3259 1886 E-mail: bungaraya@bungarayapanel.com Website: www.bungarayapanel.com

Contact us: Birchland Plywood-Veneer Ltd. TeL: 705-842-2430 • Fax: 705-842-2496 Visit www.birchlandplywood.com to view our “Live Log Program”

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VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY ■ United States

■ Ohio

■ Georgia

■ Michigan ■ Pennsylvania

■ Indiana Amos-Hill Associates, Inc.

Quality Veneers Manufacturers of Decorative Hardwood Veneer Domestic and International Markets Species include: Walnut, White Oak, Red Oak, Hard Maple, Cherry and Birch “Quality is the Lifeblood of our Business” 112 Shelby Ave. ◆ P.O. Box 7 Edinburgh, IN 46124 Phone: 812-526-2671 ◆ Fax: 812-526-5865 E-mail: info@amoshill.com Website: www.amoshill.com

■ Mississippi

The mark of responsible forestry FSC Supplier: SCS-COC-002445 * SCS-CW-002445

ESTABLISHED 1972

Proudly serving our clients in the hardwood plywood sheetstock, plywood component, solid wood component, face and core veneer markets for over 40 years. Looking forward to applying our worldwide knowledge and resources to help create the solution you need. inquiry@pittsburghforest.com Office: 724.969.5000 375 Valleybrook Rd, McMurray, PA 15367

LOCATE VENEER & PLYWOOD PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WORLDWIDE. Call Melissa McKenzie 800-669-5613

■ Vermont

NORSTAM VENEERS, INC. Proud to announce we have the “Newest Veneer Mill in the World” MANUFACTURER OF QUALITY HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD VENEERS

Kiln Dried Thick Backing Boards

P.O. BOX 32 HWY. 135 BUS: 812.732.4391 MAUCKPORT, IN 47142 FAX: 812.732.4803 EMAIL: info@norstam.com

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Recruiting Services

1615

Executive – Managerial – Technical - Sales

JOHN GANDEE

& ASSOCIATES, INC Contingency or Retained Search

9237

Depending on Circumstances / Needs

“Your Success Is Our Business” Serving the Wood Products and Building Materials Industries For more than 26 years.

512-795-4244

Call or Email me anytime! john@johngandee.com www.johngandee.com 3220

Top Wood Jobs 1009

Recruiting and Staffing George Meek geo@TopWoodJobs.com www.TopWoodJobs.com (360) 263-3371

3779

Jon Olson

Tel: (800) 985-5191

jon@olsonsearch.com Custom search & recruitment services for the complete range of composite panel and related careers in the U.S., Canada and Europe. www.olsonsearch.com

4231

Austin, Texas

THE Forest Products Group

W H AT ’ S

NEW

LATHE CARRIAGE USNR’s Lathe Carriage Planetary Screw Actuator and directcoupled AC servo motor are housed in a linear actuator assembly that replaces hydraulic cylinder and ball screw technologies. This mechano-electric design reliably and consistently retracts the lathe carriage at a sustained rate up to 20" per second, ensuring consistent peel thickness and higher quality veneer. With hydraulic fluid compression, peeling thicknesses may vary resulting in sub-standard veneer quality. The use of hydraulics can sometimes present environmental concerns with oil leaks and frequent repairs. Hydraulic systems demand much greater power for actuation than similar electrical components. USNR’s Carriage Plane-

tary Screw Actuator eliminates these issues. Roller screw technology does not require a complex support system of valves, pumps and filters, simplifying maintenance. The linear actuator consists of a servo motor direct coupled to a planetary roller screw mechanism. This provides a compact, simple, energyefficient solution. Redundant Temposonic probes for each roller screw assembly are attached directly to the knife bar, preventing any opportunity for carriage skew. USNR’s Carriage Planetary Screw Actuator eliminates issues related to hydraulics. The assembly provides an easy retrofit, attaching directly to an existing lathe carriage end frame. No modifications needed, and it adapts to any brand of veneer lathe. Visit usnr.com PanelWorld • MARCH 2022 • 77

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EVENTS MARCH

AUGUST

15-17 • Dubai Woodshow, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Call +971 4 39 23232; visit dubaiwoodshow.com.

23-26 • International Woodworking Fair 2022, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 404-693-8333; visit iwfatlanta.com.

29-30 • Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 334-834-1170; e-mail dianne@hattonbrown.com; visit bioenergyshow.com.

SEPTEMBER

29-April 1 • Fimma-Maderalia 2022, Feria Valencia, Valencia, Spain. Visit fimma-maderalia.feria valencia.com/en. 31-April 1 • Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE), Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 800-669-5613; visit pelice-expo.com.

APRIL 6-8 • International Wood Products Assn. 66th World of Wood Convention, Omni Orlando Resort At Championsgate, Orlando, Fla. Call 703-820-6696; visit iwpawood.org. 27-29 • International CLT Conference, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. Visit sfws.auburn.edu.

MAY 1-4 • Composite Panel Assn. Spring meeting, Laguna Cliffs Marriott, Dana Point, Calif. Call 703-724-1128; visit compositepanel.org. 15-17 • American Wood Protection Assn. annual meeting, Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, SC. Call 205-733-4077; visit awpa.com. 20-21 • 38th East Coast Sawmilling and Logging Exposition, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond, Va. Call 804737-5625; visit exporichmond.com. 24-26 • 2022 Western Wood Products Assn. annual meeting, Skamania Lodge, Stevenson Wash. Call 503-224-3930; visit wwpa.org.

JUNE 2-6 • IndiaWood 2022, Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bangalore, India. Call +91-80-4250 5000; visit indiawood.com. 22-25 • BIFA WOOD Vietnam, Binh Duong Convention, Thu Dau Mot City, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. Call +84 274 222 1735; visit bifawoodvietnam.com.

panelworldmag.com

28-30 • Timber Processing & Energy Expo, Portland Expo Center, Portland, Ore. Call 334-834-1170; visit timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

●

This issue of Panel World is brought to you in part by the following companies, which will gladly supply additional information about their products. ADVERTISER

Altec Integrated Solutions Andritz Biele Automation Process Buttner GmbH Claussen All-Mark International CMC-Texpan Coil Manufacturing Corvallis Tool Custom Engineering Daubert Chemical Dieffenbacher GmbH Durr Systems East Coast Sawmill Expo Electronic Wood Systems Evergreen Engineering Fagus GreCon Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH Hansen-Rice Hashimoto Denki Hexion Imal S.R.L IMEAS S.P.A. Itipack Systems John King Chains Johnson & Pace Limab Matthews International Meinan Machinery Works Metal Detectors Mid-South Engineering Munzing North America Pal S.R.L Paratherm R & S Cutterhead Manufacturing Radian Robotics Raute Roo Glue Samuel Coding & Labeling Group Samuel Packaging Systems Group Signode SparTek Industries Stela Laxhuber GmbH Sweed Machinery Taihei Machinery Works USNR Wemhoner Surface Technologies Westmill Industries Willamette Valley Woodmac Industries Yalian Machinery

PG.NO.

5 27 63 29 9 59 71 73 39 79 7 41 67 20 70 43 62 33 69 2 15 49 26 53 72 60 16 80 6 74 72 15 45 73 64 25 8 10 21 18 66 61 11 57 19 71 17 74 47 65

PH.NO.

604.529.1991 +43 50805 56225 +34 629 429 620 +49 2151 448 844 800.252.2736 +39 035 737111 604.596.7578 541.929.2234 814.898.2800 844.243.0855 +49 0 7262 65 103 920.336.5715 804.737.5625 +49 5151 5574 0 888.484.4771 704.912.0000 +49 6621 81 3000 208.465.0200 281.741.0410 888.443.9466 +39 059 465 500 678.364.1900 866.999.3695 +44 1977 681 910 903.753.0663 +46 31 58 44 00 888.622.7183 +81 562 47 2211 541.345.7454 501.321.2276 973.279.1306 +39 0422 852 300 610.941.4900 815.678.2611 905.639.7370 604.524.6611 877.766.4583 800.667.1264 800.323.4424 800.323.2464 503.283.4749 +49 8724 899 0 800.888.1352 +81 568 73 6421 800.289.8767 +49 5221 7702 0 877.607.7010 541.484.9621 +91 98150 66198 +86 0433-6346788

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