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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 Editor David Abbott Senior Editor Jessica Johnson 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 29 Bugelli Dr. Whitby, Ontario Canada L1R 3B7 (905) 666-0258 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com WESTERN USA, WESTERN CANADA Tim Shaddick 4056 West 10th Ave, Vancouver BC Canada V6L 1Z1 604-910-1826 E-mail: twshaddick@gmail.com 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 Mobile: 34 66 931 5837 E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net

MAJOR PROJECT PLANS DOMINATED 2023 on’t look now, but the year is coming to an end. Overall, in terms of how the various structural and non-structural panel and engineered wood products producers fared in North America, the feedback I’m receiving is at least “pretty good,” and one veneerplywood producer went so far as to say “I’m shocked at how good it has been.”

I think it’s safe to say, at least as of this writing, that it has been “solid.”

In glancing back through the year’s issues of Panel World, these items warrant scrutiny down the road: ● RoyOMartin continued construction of its Corrigan II OSB plant in Texas. ● Roseburg ordered what is said to be the longest veneer dryer in North America, at 204 ft., from Westmill, to dry Douglas fir, hemlock and spruce veneer at the facility in Coquille, Ore. ● Siempelkamp and SMARTECH signed a partnership agreement to blend their technologies toward an autonomous processing engineered wood panel manufacturing plant. ● Huber dismissed its long-running plans to build an OSB plant in Cohasset, Minn. when a court of appeals ruled in favor of an environmental group and a Native American tribe that the environmental planning for the project was not detailed enough. (Considering that the area had recently lost a considerable number industrial jobs, it was a blow to the community, but Huber did all it could have been expected to do.) ● Tolko Industries announced plans for a new OSB line at High Prairie, Alberta; and RoyOMartin announced new investment in the finishing end at its plywood mill in Chopin, La. ● Büttner, known for its drying and energy plants, added wet and dry ESPs to its portfolio of offerings; and Dieffenbacher formed an energy division following its purchase of BERTSCHenergy of Austria. ● Roseburg announced a $700 million investment in its Oregon operations, including the construction of a

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$450 million MDF plant in Dillard, Ore., to be called Dillard MDF. ● Hood Industries announced it would invest more than $200 million to build a plywood mill near its idled facility at Beaumont, Miss. ● With Minnesota in the rear view mirror, Huber announced it was building an OSB mill in Shuqualak, Miss. ● Kronospan announced it would begin construction of a new OSB plant at its complex in Oxford, Ala. ● Structurlam, which started up a high production CLT facility in Conway, Ark., filed for bankruptcy, and Mercer International promptly swooped in and bought it and Structurlam’s other operations in British Columbia. ● The world’s largest wood products manufacturing event, Ligna, which missed 2021 due to the pandemic, bounced back in 2023 with 1,300 exhibitor companies and 80,000 visitors from 160 countries. ● CalPlant, the rice straw-based MDF plant built in Willows, Calif., gave up the ghost and put the plant equipment up for auction (though it was rumored that some previous investors had an interest in revitalizing it). ● Our friend Grady Mulbery announced his retirement as president and CEO from Roseburg, to be succeeded

by COO Stuart Gray. ● TimberHP started production at its new three-product wood fiber insulation manufacturing site in Madison, Maine.

RICH DONNELL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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

PanelWorld • NOVEMBER 2023 • 3

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(Founded as P l y w o o d & P a n e l in 1960—Our 523rd consecutive issue) VOLUME 64 NO. 6

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NOVEMBER 2023

Visit our web site: www.panelworldmag.com

PELICE ADDS TWO KEYNOTERS Numerous Technical Presentations Planned

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DRYER TECHNOLOGY New Developments In Methodologies

UPDATE APA Bronson Lewis Award

SUPPLY LINES Checking In On SIPA

GEO DIRECTORY Veneer/Panel Suppliers

WOOD DEMAND How The Numbers Stack Up

CLIPPINGS Tolko Leadership

PANELWORKS Classified Advertising

PROJECTS CLT In Austria

WHAT’S NEW Longoni Dry Process

EVENTS Looking Into Next Spring

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COVER: Rosboro in Springfield, Ore. continues to do what it does best, manufacture X-Beam glulam, while preparing for another major expansion. Story begins on PAGE 16.

(Dan Shell photo)

59 61 62

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 exportimport 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 800-6695613; 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 ® 2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Printed in USA.

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UPDATE PELICE 2024 CONTINUES TO BUILD LINEUP OF SPEAKERS Two more keynote talks have been added; agenda is coming into shape.

PELICE will be held for the ninth time in Atlanta, Ga., March 14-15, 2024.

anel & Engineered Lumber Inproducers to stay ahead of their competiternational Conference & Expo tion. Magid boasts an impressive tenure (PELICE), scheduled for next of more than 30 years in leadership roles March 14-15 in Atlanta, conin global high-tech companies, focusing tinues to add speakers to it lineon innovative technology, customer supup. The event, which is hosted by Panel port and operations.

World magazine and Georgia Research Lewis and Magid join a keynoters Institute, will be held for the ninth time at lineup, as previously announced in the the Omni Hotel in downtown Atlanta. last issue of Panel World, that also inAdditions to the list of keynoters includes Roy O. Martin III, chairman, clude Greg Lewis, vice president, Wood CEO and CFO of RoyOMartin (MartPanels, Forest Economic Advisors LLC, co), who will speak on “Empowering and Hanoch Magid, CEO of Culture: Navigating Change while PreSMARTECH. serving a Culture of Excellence”; ChrisLewis’ talk will be entitled “Strong tian Dieffenbacher, CEO of DieffenDemographic Tailwinds Will Support bacher, with his talk entitled “FutureWood Panel Demand Mid-Decade.” FolOriented by Tradition”; Stuart Gray, lowing near-term market weakness in late CEO, Roseburg, “Looking Back to 2023 and the first part of 2024, Look Forward: the History and FEA expects healthy demand Future of Roseburg Forest growth to resume in 2025. ConProducts”; and Matthew O’struction markets will improve Malia, co-founder of Timand absorb the growth in capaciberHP, speaking on “Prefabrity. Lewis writes FEA’s monthly cating the Future with Wood.”

Panel Advisor and is the primaIn addition to the keynotes, ry author of FEA’s quarterly PELICE continues to add Panel Forecasting Service pub- Greg Lewis speakers and presentations for lication. He has also co-authored the numerous technical sesstudies on the international sions on tap. Some of these inwood panel and lumber indusclude: l Bo Johansson, V.P Sales tries.

Building Material, LIMAB SMARTECH’s Magid will AB, “Benefits with In-Process address his company’s impleNon-Contact Dimensional mentation of AI technology, and Measurements” how it can reduce the use of raw materials such as wax and resin, l Torben Marhenke, R&D increase productivity, improve Team Leader, Fagus-Grecon, quality and stability, and reduce Hanoch Magid “Next Level of Panel Quality environmental impact, enabling Measurement”

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l Paul Gavin, Group Sales Manager, Biele North America, “Digital Solutions and Production Control in Press Lines” l Marcius de Oliveira, manager, Industrial Sensor Technologies and Informatics, InnoTech, along with additional Innotech personnel and representatives from Tolko Industries, “OSB AI Vision—Real Time, Online Strand Geometry Analysis Using Artificial Intelligence” l Karl Aicher, Director Project Engineering, Grenzebach, “Wood Fiber Insulation Batts—Properties, Use and Production Process l Lorne Fardy, Director, Product Development, Kadant Carmanah Design, and Conor McElveen, Sales Director, Aftermarket, Kadant Carmanah Design, “Smart-Connected Technology to Improve Stranding and OSB Production” PELICE continues to add keynote and technical presenters that will be announced in the coming weeks. The full agenda is expected to be announced in November.

PELICE 2022 attracted 450 industry personnel, including executives, plant managers, project managers, engineers, human resources and other personnel from 30 wood products producer companies, who heard 55 speakers address a range of technologies, and enjoyed a sold-out exhibitor hall of 100 equipment and technology companies.

For exhibitor information, contact Fred Kurpiel: fredkurpiel@gmail.com.

For presentation information, contact Rich Donnell: rich@hattonbrown.com.

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UPDATE

MURPHY RECEIVES BRONSON LEWIS AWARD FROM APA

Myrtle Point veneer mills. Just a few years later, in the early 1980s, he operated his first plywood mill in Natron, Ore., followed by plants in Milwaukie and Sutherlin, Ore. On July 5, 2005, the Murphy Company suffered a catastrophic fire at its Sutherlin plywood mill. In 2008, Murphy led the mill reconstruction efforts, overseeing its transformation into a state-ofthe-art engineered wood facility.

Under his watchful eye, the Murphy Company has grown tremendously to become a major player in the softwood plywood, hardwood plywood and LVL markets. Today, the Murphy Company John Murphy Sr. was named the 2023 employs more than 1,000 at six mill loBronson J. Lewis recipient during the cations throughout Oregon and WashAPA Annual Meeting in Palm Desert, ington.

Calif. held October 14-17. Now in its Murphy maintains a remarkable lega18th year, the Bronson Lewis Award cy of service to the industry. His contrirecognizes individuals for their leaderbutions include serving 25 years on the ship and outstanding contributions APA—The Engineered Wood to the engineered wood industry.

Assn. Board of Trustees, including Bronson Lewis served 24 years as a year as vice chair from 2003secretary and then executive vice 2004 and chair from 2004-2005. president of APA—The Engi“As a tireless advocate of APA neered Wood Assn. and the industry, we are thrilled to Having served the industry for recognize John with this year’s more than 50 years, Murphy’s dediBronson J. Lewis Award,” said cation and contributions are well-reAPA President Mark Tibbetts. spected. He is the third generation Upon receiving the award, Murto lead the Murphy Company as phy thanked his employees and the current President and CEO. communities where the company Born in Portland, Ore., Murphy has operated facilities for so many moved to Florence, Ore. in 1973 John Murphy Sr. and wife Chrissy, left, are presented years, and he recognized the imwith the Bronson J. Lewis Award by APA Board Chair to help operate the Murphy Com- Ashlee Cribb, VP Wood Products at PotlatchDeltic. portance of APA in providing a pany’s Cushman, Swisshome and forum for the exchange of innova-

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UPDATE

tive ideas between members.

Murphy Company was formed in 1909 by John Murphy’s grandfather, Edward Murphy, and continued to prosper under his father, Peter Murphy Sr. Murphy and his wife of 51 years, Chrissy, reside in Eugene, Ore., where they raised six children. Their son, John Jr., helps his father run the family business as executive vice president.

APA ANNOUNCES BOARD LEADERSHIP

A new chair, vice chair, finance committee chair and two new members have been elected to APA—The Engineered Wood Assn.’s Board of Trustees, as announced during the annual meeting in Palm Desert, Calif. in October.

Doug Asano, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Roseburg Forest Products, has been elected chair of APA’s Board of Trustees, succeeding Ashlee Cribb of PotlatchDeltic. Asano leads Roseburg’s sales, marketing, customer service and fulfillment teams. Asano

joined Roseburg in 2020 as director of sales excellence, focused on process and systems improvements and sales training.

Before joining Roseburg, he worked at Huber Engineered Woods for more than 17 years in multiple commercial leadership roles, most recently as vice president of sales and marketing.

Chris Degnan, director of commodities and home improvement warehouse for Weyerhaeuser, was elected to fill the vice chair position. Degnan has a diverse background, having worked in engineered wood product sales, marketing and manufacture since 1997. He began his career as a district forester in Louisiana. He was a sales manager for Willamette Industries and in 2014 was named director of sales and marketing for OSB and plywood for Weyerhaeuser. He has served on the APA Board of Trustees and Residential Marketing Subcommittee. He has also served as advisory committee chair for the Engineered Wood Technology Assn. since 2021.

Stephen Williams, executive vice pres-

ident and chief financial officer of Western Forest Products, was elected to serve as chair of the finance committee.

Williams joined Western Forest Products in May 2014 to assist with implementing Western’s strategic initiatives. He leads the company’s corporate finance, corporate development, investor relations, IT, shared services and legal teams. Williams is a strategic leader with more than 25 years of experience in the forest industry and extensive experience in acquisitions and divestitures. Before joining Western Forest Products, he worked at Interfor.

Two new members to the board include: John Murphy Jr., executive vice president of Murphy Company. Murphy Jr. began his career at the family’s White City, Ore. veneer mill. In 2010, he assisted with the startup of the company’s softwood plywood mill in Rogue River, Ore., where he learned first-hand the business of plywood manufacturing. In 2013, he transitioned to the company’s headquarters, where he became part of the executive team. Since then, he has been in-

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UPDATE

volved in all phases of the family business, including timber resourcing and engineered wood production and sales.

Murphy Jr. replaces his father’s seat on the board.

Rich Babcock has led Rosboro as chief executive officer since 2005. He joins the APA board with a rich background, having been in the industry since 1990. In his time with Rosboro, he has held a variety of positions including corporate controller, senior vice president of administration and now chief financial officer.

ARAUCO NAMES PRESIDENT OF NA

Arauco has named Russ Jordan as President of Arauco North America, reporting to Pablo Franzini, the President of Arauco’s Global Wood Business.

Jordan is in his 19th year with Arauco and recently served as Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Logistics. During his tenure in North America, he has held numerous leadership roles for all of Arauco’s commercial segments. “Russ’

leadership has been crucial in establishing Arauco’s longstanding customer relationships,” Franzini says. “We are excited about the future for our partners and our North American team.”

In conjunction with Jordan’s appointment, John Atkinson has been named Vice President of Sales. Atkinson, formerly the National Panels Sales Director, just completed 20 years with Arauco, serving in various commercial leadership roles.

Additionally, Matt Swinnie has been named Vice President of Operations.

Swinnie recently served as Vice President of Human Resources, Environmental, Health & Safety, and has held other leadership roles within operations and finance during his 12-year tenure with Arauco.

“I am extremely excited to have John and Matt lead our North American Sales and Operations teams,” comments Jordan. “Both are outstanding leaders who will continue to dedicate relentless efforts to better serve our customers, our suppliers, and our colleagues.”

LABOR DEPT. SLAPS SAWMILL OPERATOR U.S. Dept. of Labor obtained a federal consent order and judgment against a Northern sawmill operator following the death of a child due to an “industrial accident.” The order requires the company to place labels and signage to prevent children under age 18 from using dangerous equipment and entering the company’s sawmill and planer buildings. The company has agreed not to hire anyone under the age of 16 and if the company hires anyone between the ages of 16 and 18 in the future, the company must strictly comply with the requirements for apprentices or student learners and inform the department before hiring them.

The action follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division into a 16-year-old worker’s death at the sawmill, which led to the department invoking the “hot goods” provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The division opened the investigation after the teenager suffered severe injuries in June and

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UPDATE

died two days later.

In September, in a U.S. District Court, the company agreed to, and was ordered by the court, to comply with federal child labor regulations now and in the future.

In February the department announced the creation of an Interagency Task Force to Combat Child Labor Exploitation to better align federal efforts to protect children from exploitative situations in the workplace. Led by the department, the task force includes the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice and State to improve cross-training, outreach, education and health outcomes of children that could be subject to child labor.

In addition to learning of the 16-yearold worker’s death, the division’s investigation found the following: —Three children, ages 15 to 16, suffered injuries in November 2021, July 2022 and March 2023. One child suffered injuries on two separate occasions.

—The mill company employed nine children, ages 14 to 17, to illegally oper-

ate machinery, such as a chop saw, rip saw and other automated machines, which federal law considers hazardous occupations for workers under 18.

—The company employed seven children, ages 14 and 15 years old, to work outside legally permitted hours.

The Fair Labor Standards Act forbids any producer, manufacturer or dealer from shipping or delivering for shipment in interstate commerce hot goods removed from the producing establishment in the 30 days after a child labor violation. Prohibition on shipping hot goods is not limited to employers who initially produce products with child labor. Rather it also applies to any producer, manufacturer or dealer who later receives them.

During its investigation, the division also alerted two of the sawmill’s customers that they possessed goods subject to the hot goods provision. Both customers agreed voluntarily to refrain from shipping or delivering for shipment in interstate commerce the hot goods they received until the legal matter was resolved.

The day after the teen’s death, the mill

company terminated all employees under age 18 at its facility, and later verified to the court that no one under the age of 18 is now employed by the company. After the company agreed to pay $190,696 in civil money penalties to resolve its child labor violations and the court executed the order and judgment, the department lifted its objection to shipment of the goods.

In accepting the court’s judgment, the mill company also agreed to the following conditions to prevent future violations of the FLSA’s child labor provisions: —Placing signage to warn children not to enter the sawmill and planer buildings at its locations.

—Using the division’s Youth Employment Compliance Assistance Toolkit to identify materials for use in training employees, provided in a language understood by workers, and maintaining training logs.

—Auditing machinery and labeling machines with stickers warning that workers must be 18 years of age or older to operate legally.

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ROSBORO’S MARKET POSITION, UPCOMING EXPANSION BOOST EWP INNOVATION Ownership and business model changes help keep Rosboro atop the glulam industry.

BY DAN SHELL

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. uring the past decadeplus, Rosboro has made several major moves and undergone big changes, including the introduction of a revolutionary glulam product, the sale by family ownership to institutional investors in 2016 that included selling its timberlands—and subsequent acquisition by One Equity Partners in 2021.

Along the way, the company has upgraded its operations and is on the cusp of a major expansion.

“Not much has changed fundamentally for us—we’re

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still the same company with the same values and focus,” says Brian Wells, Rosboro Senior Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Development. However, no longer having that readily available and low-cost timber base to help absorb market impacts has made the company more responsive, he believes.

“The lack of timber has forced us to get better at what we do,” Wells says. “We make moves every day to respond to the market.” He adds that “at the end of the day we believe in our position as the top producer of glulam in North America—and we intend to keep growing that position.”

Rosboro is a legendary name in West Coast forest products manufacturing, founded when the Caddo River Lumber Co. moved west from Rosboro, Ark. in 1939 and began producing lumber on the site it still occupies in Springfield.

Veneer and plywood operations were added in 1959, and the company opened its first glulam plant in 1963. A pioneer then as now, Rosboro’s plant was the first to use a continuous fingerjoint line, RF glue curing and machine-rated lamstock.

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Rosboro is the top glulam producer in North America.

A new HewSaw line is a recent improvement at the company’s stud mill.

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can react quickly to market demand will get the order.” Smith adds, “and we have to be able to support that demand.”

MAJOR INVESTMENT

Much of the company’s lumber output is in green studs.

GLULAM SUCCESS A big part of Rosboro’s glulam market strength comes from X-Beam, the company’s full framing width stock architectural glulam introduced in 2010.

The product turned heads and drew a slew of skeptics when it hit the market: priced the same as its previous architectural beams but with more wood fiber to fit wall framing widths, many believed the product was leaving money on the table. However, X-Beam’s benefits, which include uniformity with standard framing widths, fewer SKUs for wholesalers to stock and better construction performance such as reduced shimming and other job-site alterations and modifications, won over the market.

Instead of balking, building materials suppliers and builders loved the XBeam product and its convenience. “We had the vision and courage to make the leap, although we had no idea it would be so successful. Over the years the product has become so popular that

most builders consider it to be the standard in glulam,” Wells says.

According to Rosboro Senior Vice President of EWP Sales David Smith, the product gives builders an edge that benefits their construction operations, “and it’s now the dominant glulam beam on the West Coast.”

To support the product, Rosboro keeps plenty of X-Beam in inventory at the plant. “We’re a single-source supplier and offer next-day availability to our customers,” Smith says. “There’s virtually no lead time for distributors, and it’s a significant commitment in space and money to provide that service.”

The same goes for both rough green and dry finished lam stock, which is inventoried in significant amounts to allow the company to react quickly to market demands at any of their operations while offering a wide variety of glulam products for any beam, header, column or decking application.

“We know that responsiveness is critical in this business. The supplier that

One additional edge that Rosboro has is an ownership group with the strategic vision to focus on glulam markets and a commitment to upgrading and expanding production capabilities. Rosboro recently announced a $120 million investment that includes a new glulam plant to increase and modernize beam production, a new planer mill and expanded dry kiln capacity. According to Wells, the investment will increase Rosboro’s vertically integrated X-Beam glulam output by roughly 50%, while also boosting efficiency and quality.

The multi-phase project is scheduled to be complete sometime in 2026.

Following the expansion, Rosboro will operate four glulam production lines: two at the Springfield facility and two in nearby Veneta, one of which is the Western Structures custom plant Rosboro acquired in 2019 to provide distributors with a full complement of stock and custom glulam.

The moves underscore the commitment to investing in operations and producing the highest quality lumber, lam stock and glulam. In addition to the recent expansion announcement, Rosboro has in recent years added a new HewSaw primary breakdown system at its stud mill, expanded kiln capacity and added a new log merchandising system.

MASS SUPPORTER With glulam production that dates back 60 years, Rosboro has been a leader in mass timber for decades, Wells

After an upcoming expansion, Rosboro will operate four glulam plants.

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Expanding kiln capacity is a priority for Rosboro.

says. The company welcomes the recent growth of the mass timber building movement, but Rosboro isn’t jumping into the fray and forming mass timber development and sales teams to pursue turnkey projects. Instead, Rosboro remains committed to the two-step distribution model primarily serving the residential construction market and supporting its wholesaler customers.

“Mass timber is more focused on commercial structures than we are, but we’re very supportive of the segment and our beams are being used in many mass timber projects,” Wells says, adding that the company views itself as a major mass timber promoter by providing glulam beams, columns, and decking to established construction markets. “Our strategic focus is to be the best supplier to wholesale EWP distributors in the business.”

Seeing the opportunities that more wood construction and mass timber building might offer, Rosboro recently developed a fire retardant rim board, XRim FRT, after working with Hoover Treated Wood Products to develop a proprietary treating specification that’s both UL and APA certified. According to Rosboro, it’s the only UL classified, APA certified fire retardant treated glulam in the market.

PROCESS At the Springfield facility, all incoming logs are scaled and graded individually, then directed to one of the two sawmills based on proprietary grading standards.

Smaller diameter logs are processed by the stud mill. Most end up as green fir studs, but some of the stud mill’s output is dried as well, although lam stock always takes priority at the kilns.

“The focus of our sawmill operations is keeping lam stock fed to the glulam mills,” Wells says. The large log mill’s production is dedicated to producing lam stock. There, the goal is to emphasize 20 • NOVEMBER 2023 • PanelWorld

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output of longer lengths of the highgrade fiber needed for glulam recipes.

Lam stock is currently finished on two planers, and the stud mill has its own planer mill. Following the upcoming improvements, both sawmills will be producing lam stock to be finished, graded, and defect trimmed by the new planer.

Random length lam stock pieces are fingerjointed into laminas up to 66 ft. which are then laid up and introduced to a continuous beam press. Leaving the press, beams are planed to size, voids are filled, before being passed through a sander for the final architectural finish.

Less than 5% of Rosboro’s lam stock is sourced from outside suppliers—a big change from the pre-X-Beam era when the company sourced most of its lam stock from several external suppliers. Moving lam stock production inhouse gives the company more control over its raw material supply, but also more insight into product development and performance.

“This gives us the ability to really understand how log characteristics translate to lam stock and how that all impacts glulam product performance,” Wells says.

Rosboro has occupied the same site in Springfield since 1939.

FUTURE Wells says that despite political headwinds operating a wood products business in the state of Oregon, including upcoming regulation intended to further reduce harvest levels, he believes in the sustainability of Rosboro’s operations.

“We’re in the most fertile Douglas fir region in the world,” he notes, adding that producers should focus on maxi-

mizing the value added to this highly sought-after species while aiming for 100% utilization.

“Find a higher value use for that fiber than just turning it into commodity lumber: To me, that’s the most responsible thing a Pacific Northwest manufacturer can do with our limited but highly prized natural resource,” Wells concludes. With its current market position and upcoming expansion, Rosboro is PW doing just that.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The following companies submitted these editorial profiles and images to complement their advertisements placed elsewhere in this issue. Please refer to those advertisements for web site and contact information. All statements and claims are attributable to the companies.

BÜTTNER Büttner Energie- und Trocknungstechnik GmbH—part of the Siempelkamp Group—has sustainably strengthened its competence in the field of belt dryers: A cooperation agreement was concluded with the internationally operating Swiss supplier W. Kunz dryTec AG—also known as Swiss Combi—which complements the existing Büttner dryer portfolio.

In addition to a cooperation in sales, the cooperation also includes the collaboration in process engineering, automation, assembly and commissioning.

While Büttner has been known in the dryer segment mainly for drum dryers, tube bundle dryers, and flash tube dryers, Swiss Combi has been supplying belt dryers for biomass and the particleboard industry for more than 30 years.

Managing Director Alexander Kunz emphasizes the synergies of the partnership: “Büttner and Swiss Combi, two leading suppliers of drying solutions, combine their competences in the wood-based panel industry and will jointly offer belt dryers. In this partnership, Dryer competence times two: Büttner and Swiss Combi Büttner benefits from Swiss Combi’s experience in belt dryer technology with more than 200 realized belt dryers in various industries worldwide. Swiss Combi profits by the broad customer network that Büttner and the Siempelkamp Group have at their disposal. In addition, the alliance allows us to offer customized solutions of energy systems combined with belt dryers and filter systems that will be cleaner—by reducing emissions—and more efficient—by utilizing waste heat—for the benefit of our customers.”

Büttner Managing Director Andreas Klug agrees: “Through the cooperation with Mr. Kunz and his team, both we at Büttner and Swiss Combi are in a position to jointly offer complete drying solutions in belt dryers and the related process heat generation. This integrated solution from one source has been appreciated by our customers for quite some time and they increasingly decide in favor of a drum or flash tube dryer including an energy system from Büttner.”

Carsten Otto, Head of Sales at Büttner, adds: “Büttner has already presented the extended product range including the belt dryer at Ligna 2023 in Hannover, which enables us to advise the customers fully independent of the system and offer tailor-made solutions— whether it is ‘just’ a dryer or whether we are planning the entire plant. First and foremost, we take into account our customer’s wishes, as well as his raw materials as well as the available media, energy flows and fuels. Based on this, we develop the economical and efficient package consisting of energy generation, residual heat utilization, drying equipment and, if necessary, environmental technology.

With Swiss Combi, we have a competent partner at our side.”

Concluding, Andreas Klug sees only advantages for both partners: “Two companies with decades of experience in their respective specialties are now working together—this will be a success story for both companies.”

DIEFFENBACHER Dieffenbacher drum and flash tube dryers are recognized worldwide for their efficiency, reliability and ability to meet high safety standards.

Since 1979, Dieffenbaher has delivered several hundred dryers to companies across the globe.

New Zealand’s Fletcher Building Limited recently ordered a complete CEBRO plant from Dieffenbacher to produce Fine OSB. To support New Zealand’s goal of a low-carbon circular economy, Fletcher Building’s order includes Dieffenbacher’s new, highly sustainable belt dryer.

Featuring low thermal energy consumption, the new belt dryer dries wood particles for particleboard and pellet production (e.g., mini chips, recycled material), strands and wafers for OSB production, and disintegrated seasonal annual Dieffenbacher’s new belt dryer 24 • NOVEMBER 2023 • PanelWorld

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crops and other biomass. It saves costs and supports sustainability because it works at lower temperatures than drum dryers and can use low-calorific energy from the waste heat of other plant components that would otherwise remain unused. Furthermore, it can be used in combination with cogeneration.

In addition to its high capacity and variability, the new belt dryer features easy and product-friendly material transport. Wet material is fed onto the lower belt of the belt dryer. At the end of the lower belt, the material moves by means of a pulley onto a second belt above that, which travels in the opposite direction. The drying air is drawn through the material from above. Heat is transferred to the material for water evaporation through convection from the drying gases. The material is transported out of the dryer at the end of the upper belt. Continuous cleaning of the level beneath the belt keeps the belt dryer clean and makes it easy to maintain. The belt dryer’s self-supporting construction requires only a small footprint, and its modular design makes it adaptable to different capacity requirements and is easily expandable.

“It’s only a small part of our new plant, but the belt dryer is a perfect example of Dieffenbacher’s advanced solutions,” says Paul Thorn, Fletcher Wood Products, Capital Works Manager at Fletcher Building. “We chose Dieffenbacher because we are assured that they will help us move our business forward.”

GRENZEBACH Grenzebach supports the wood industry in veneer manufacturing with customizable drying systems. Automatic feeding results in increased efficiency, while the integrated Grenzebach VIL-mtd moisture, thickness and density measurement system provides data for process optimization.

Whether ash or beech, cherry or maple, pine, walnut or zikonia, veneer is made from numerous tree species. The varying degrees of moisture and strength of the natural raw material, however, pose challenges for further processing into high-quality veneers, making the drying process increasingly crucial for maintaining high veneer quality under continuous production conditions.

Grenzebach knows the natural raw material is the core of their drying system designs, so air circulation, material handling systems and drying speed are optimized for the type of veneer being processed.

Proper air circulation is the key factor for achieving the best possible veneer drying, with flow-optimized air distribution zones and balanced air volume through all decks At the Pollmeier operation in Thuringia, Germany, the sine-wave belt providing uniform drying results. The result is a higher dryer supplied by Grenzebach is a key element in processing beech drying capacity at lower energy consumption, and a high- veneers. quality final product.

CFD-optimized jet tubes with our sawtooth orifice plate design guarantee a homogenous distribution of the drying air over the entire product width, producing veneer that is neither too wet nor to dry, and preventing damage to the veneer sheets. Customers benefit from a reduced risk of rejects with optimized product quality.

The special sine-wave guiding system between carry and cover belts help reduce the waviness in particularly wet and difficult-todry veneer species. Woods such as beech, which are likely to suffer severe waviness and cracking during drying, can be successfully processed by Grenzebach veneer dryers with low final moisture levels.

These concerns were the top priority for German hardwood processor Pollmeier. The sine-wave belt dryer from Grenzebach was installed to produce a high-quality veneer with a sheet length of 2,100 mm and a width of 2,200 mm, and without unacceptable waves or cracks.

Grenzebach offers veneer, plywood and furniture manufacturers an entire range of equipment and machines for veneer manufacturing: from individual dryer plants with manual feeders, sorting and stacking, to complete veneer drying lines with automatic feeders, scanners and stacking systems. The dryer length can be designed to meet different requirements thanks to modular working widths.

Depending on the dryer technology, four, six or eight decks with a working width of 4 m, 4.8 m, 5 m, 5.8 m and 6.2 m are also available.

The integration of the Grenzebach VIL-mtd Veneer Inspection Line Scanner, measuring moisture, thickness and density, significantly boosts the quality and energy management in wood processing companies. It can instantly measure each condition in an offline solution or be integrated into the production line for real-time evaluation of veneer properties. The VIL-mtd can be installed up- or downstream of the dryer, or even directly after veneer peeling as the system can measure moisture levels of more than 140% with high accuracy. This makes the system an ideal choice for the green end of a plywood plant.

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RAUTE

The modern drying solution must produce optimally dried veneer sheet efficiently and consistently. With Raute’s new Veneer Drying Line R7, you can do just that.

Whether you’re looking for a new dryer or additional drying capacity, the Veneer Drying Line R7 can boost your drying capacity by 10% and reduce your energy consumption by 15%.

Raute’s engineers have built upon their company’s extensive legacy of veneer production innovation to create the Veneer Raute’s Veneer Drying Line R7 “is conquering Canada.”

Drying Line R7. They’ve also collaborated closely with their North American customers. That feedback has led to significant modifications and improvements, including: l Raute has upgraded—and, in some cases, fully redesigned—the Veneer Drying Line R7’s essential components, from its stainlesssteel skin, floors, and doors to its jet boxes, heating elements, and sealant cells. l An optimized airflow maximizes drying efficiency per square foot, directing between 25% and 30% more hot air to the surface of each veneer sheet. l A new make-up air system feeds a precise amount of heated air into the dryer, reducing the buildup of corrosive and flammable pitch at entry points. l Automatic screen changes alleviate the need for frequent maintenance, keeping the Veneer Drying Line R7 online and driving revenue. l The Veneer Drying Line R7 features Allen-Bradley controls, eliminating the need for multiple line operators and specialized technical support.

Raute has already installed several Veneer Drying Line R7 units across Canada. “Once it became obvious that their two dryers had reached the end of their lifecycle, Columbia Forest Products in Ontario chose to replace them with the Veneer Drying Line R7. Another customer, Coastland Wood Industries in British Columbia, will be increasing their productivity using the same solution,” explains Spencer Pringle, Key Account/Sales Manager at Raute. “These and other recent Canadian sales have solidified Raute’s position as a leading provider of veneer drying solutions in North America.”

Learn how you can maximize the lifetime value of your entire veneer manufacturing line with the Veneer Drying Line R7.

STELA During stela’s company history of more than 100 years, more than 4,000 drying plants have been delivered and commissioned in more than 60 countries. Whether in timber, pellet, the pulp and paper industry, cement industry, and other industries, stela’s lowtemperature belt dryers are operating in a wide range of industrial processes.

One of the greatest benefits using high efficiency belt dryers is the use of waste heat or other low-temperature sources. Lowest temperatures starting at 90°F can be used reasonably in belt dryers. Usual heat transfer media are stela low temperature belt dryer e.g., hot water of cogeneration plant (CHP, ORC) or flue gas condensation, low-pressure steam or thermic oil.

For decades stela has been working intensively on wood drying, implementing sawdust, fiber, wood chips and now OSB strands.

Customers can benefit from stela know-how throughout their drying systems.

Belt dryers score points in having an indirect heating and a low temperature process, with low electrical consumption, reduced fire and explosion risk, long maintenance cycles, efficient consumption figures, highest level of drying quality, and fully automatic control of the drying process.

Belt dryers are characterized by lowest dust and VOC emissions, by low thermal and electrical consumption through optimally synchronized components. The high safety and emissions standards are ensured by indirect drying system and low specific electrical con28 • NOVEMBER 2023 • PanelWorld

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sumption. Using lowest process temperatures and minimized product warming meet stringent emission limits. Increasing demand of sustainable alternative energy fuels reveals the potential of these efficient drying methods as well in the U.S.

TAIHEI MACHINERY WORKS Taihei Machinery Works, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025, has a history of manufacturing more than 600 dryers to meet the needs of not only plywood but also a variety of industries, and has expanded its market not only in Japan but all over the world.

If we consider the history of manufacturing more than 100 roller jet dryers, we can see that they have evolved dramatically over the past 20 years.

Needless to say, at the time of the Ligna Exhibition in 2017, Taihei declared that an installation of a Taihei dryer can be completed in just two weeks if the user’s installation environment is in place. The reason for the short Taihei Super Roller Jet Dryer—SRJ125, infeed side construction period is that the dryer is unitized into 2-meter sections.

However, the essence of the dryer that Taihei is proud of includes: First, the level of perfection of the automatic dryer infeed using suction pads has increased to a surprising degree.

Second, reduce exhaust gas in response to environmental issues, we are actively promoting the installation of RCO. Third, we have thoroughly reviewed the roller support mechanism that transports the veneer, and have made the gap between the upper and lower rollers uniform to an extremely minimum value.

If the veneer sheets are inserted into the dryer in rows of three or four, the veneer sheets in all adjacent rows can be out-fed with their tips aligned substantially. Also, thickness irregularities observed in the past never occur on the veneer near the end of the roller.

As a result, the lathe peeling thickness can be reduced by even 0.1 mm, improving lathe recovery.

This revolutionary development is called the CRU mechanism.

Fourth, there is a solution to the accident of veneer getting stuck in the dryer unfortunately and not being transported. Until now, it was impossible to remove jammed veneers without pulling out the upper roller and jet box from the dryer. Now, this effort has been reduced and the veneer can be removed without pulling out the upper roller and the jet box from the dryer.

Based on our long experience, Taihei aims to innovate to reduce these accidents and provide wood-friendly machines to users in the veneer industry.

USNR Today’s high-capacity veneer dryers are robust and finely tuned machines that consistently and efficiently produce high quality veneer with a uniform dry moisture content and aesthetic appearance. It comes from a history of jet dryers beginning with Coe in 1961 and has advanced to meet the needs of the plywood industry as they have changed over time.

USNR continues to advance the technology involved in drying veneer and has made many significant leaps in efficiency and productivity: l Automatic Dryer Exhaust Con- USNR: Not the same dryer you installed 30 years ago. trol (ADEC) System (Patent #’s 8,046,932 and 8,381,414) l Balanced Cooling Control (Patent #’s 8,196,310 and 8,667,703 and 9,228,780 and 9,797,655) 30 • NOVEMBER 2023 • PanelWorld

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l Roll-in dryer installation (Patent #’s 9,500,408 and 10,161,679 and 10,788,265) l All electric dryer feeder

l Gas/Steam hybrid dryers

l Computer aided vibration analysis to develop more rigid designs

l Redesigned water mist system for improved mist distribution and reliability

l Improved star gear tooth profile provides smoother operation, reduced wear, and stronger teeth. This new tooth profile is available with cast teeth or machined teeth (high-performance dryers only) l Recirculating Hilman expansion rollers are used under the dryer and always keeps the rollers directly under the dryer cross braces l Self-cleaning dryer nozzles “jet tubes” (Patent #’s 9,494,365 and 9,995,532) l Increased clearance for seal welding the stainless floor panels, resulting in better field welds for the sealed floor l Thicker steel for the internal duct pans provides increased strength and better field welds for the sealed duct l Combined duct structure with duct pans for quicker installation and less seal welding l Stronger stop-offs, made from thicker steel plate for improved resistance to warping l Guard rail on top of duct has been stiffened, simplified for quicker installation, and includes fall protection tie-off points on the fan side l New proprietary steam heaters have an improved design for better heat transfer which results in hotter zone temperatures, and increased production. l The interior door in the wet-end seal section is now self-closing, which prevents the dryer from being run with the interior door left open Contact USNR to learn more about these advancements in veneer drying technology to streamline your operation and boost your productivity.

ANGELO CREMONA In the intricate world of veneer processing, the crucial phase of drying holds unparalleled importance. A.Cremona, distinguished by its extensive variety of dryers, commits to providing groundbreaking solutions to the complexities of this critical process. Our dryers, shielded by international patents, prove the validity and modernity of the solutions we adopt. Our machines, configurable up to six floors and offering various transport modes (such as mesh, roller, and roller shutters), are designed to meet demands to diverse production needs.

A.Cremona’s assurance extends Angelo Cremona dryers combine innovation and longevity. globally, promising exceptional productivity as the meticulous management of the drying process involves achieving the perfect balance of temperatures, humidity levels, and homogeneity across various working areas. The finished product is free from criticalities and upholds the highest quality standards.

The robust construction of our machines guarantees smooth operation over many years of use, ensuring longevity and reliability.

The considerable volume of supplies over the years has naturally led us to design completion facilities for our dryers, such as automatic loading systems for sheets, equipped with humidity level analysis. These systems allow the complete management of the drying process, enhancing efficiency and precision. The constant search for new solutions and upgrades for our lines of dryers has yielded innovations such as new airflow technology, an in-house resin deposit prevention system, intelligent fire detection, and more.

Our commitment remains unwavering throughout the years, not only to demonstrate our dedication to staying at the forefront of industry trends but also to provide state-of-the-art equipment. We have continually evolved our in-house procedures. The goal is to swiftly identify and resolve any issues that may arise, maximizing up-working time and ensuring smooth operation of your equipment.

Our global team of assistance experts is available worldwide, either through smartphones or by directly accessing your machine PLCs, providing real-time support during your processing journey.

For more than 130 years, our philosophy at A.Cremona has been focused on pursuing the best-quality veneer output with unmatched efficiency. This dedication extends beyond mere production; it encompasses a commitment to excellence, innovation, and unwavering support for our clients.

PW

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WESTMILL INDUSTRIES

Westmill designs and manufactures state-of-the-art veneer dryers as well as infeed, outfeed and stacking equipment. Serving the North American and international plywood industries, our equipment is designed to improve plant efficiency and production.

Westmill distinguishes itself from the competition in each of the following ways: l Westmill is the “Subject Matter Expert” in veneer drying. As a privately held family company, operating since 1975, we successfully compete with large multi-national corporations by focusing on veneer dryers (and related infeed/outfeed equipment) rather than trying to be experts in other areas of the process. This dedicated focus combined with an innovative culture has led to a continuous series of incremental dryer improvements. As a badge of honor, we have seen these same dryer improvements—conceived, engineered, pioneered, and Westmill integrates expertise, innovation and support with its proven by Westmill now often being incorporated into competitors’ veneer dryer. equipment. With superior insulating techniques, seal-welded housing and our patented dryer humidity control system, we have designed the most energy-efficient dryer available in the market. l Westmill’s “Got Your Back” attitude. Ask anyone from the plant manager, project engineer to the maintenance manager why they prefer to deal with Westmill, and overwhelmingly they will tell you that it is because Westmill has a “got-your-back” attitude. We not only stand behind the equipment we sell but also squarely behind the customer before, during, and well after the warranty has expired.

Westmill provides a level of support that only a family-owned company can, drawing upon decades of specific, subject-matter expertise. l Dryer Reliability & Uptime. We design and build our dryers with rugged, quality components to provide great performance with minimal downtime. Our customers’ experiences provide evidence of the differentiated reliability of a Westmill dryer. Many years after completing a major dryer project, a long-time Westmill customer recently told us: “My Westmill dryer is like a dependable old car. I can just jump in, turn the key and it always just runs without a problem…I know I can trust it. My other dryers are too fussy!”

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his brief white paper and a new interactive dashboard provides a quantitative view of the U.S. and Canadian forest products sector. There are about 1,850 operating mills in North America (U.S. and Canada) that use wood as their primary input. North America’s managed forests supply more than half a billion metric tons per year to produce products that many of us take for granted.

These products produced from trees are commonplace in the forms of packaging and shipping boxes, lumber and other wood-based construction materials, flooring, furniture, tissue, and many other less obvious uses. Unlike products based on refined petroleum products, these materials are from a perpetually renewing resource.

As noted in an earlier FutureMetrics’ white paper, the forest products industry in the U.S. and Canada has every motive to make sure that the working forests that provide the raw material for mills are managed sustainably. In other words, the mills, which cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build, are sized such that the intake rate of the mill does

T

WOOD DEMAND NUMBERS SHED LIGHT ON RAW MATERIAL SUPPLY CHAIN Where do you think lumber, furniture, flooring, paper, cardboard boxes, tissue, and toilet paper come from?

BY WILLIAM STRAUSS

not exceed the surrounding working forest’s growth rate. If the mill needs 200,000 tonnes per year of wood, the forests around the mill have to add at least 200,000 tonnes per year of new growth. Otherwise, the resources would become scarce, more costly over time, quickly deplete, and cause the mill to prematurely close. Unlike drilling rigs extracting oil, a sawmill, pulp mill, or pellet mill cannot be moved when the raw material is depleted. Sustainability is baked into the business model.

Many who do not live in areas in which there are mills that convert wood into goods do not grasp the breadth and size of the industries that provide those goods. The table shows the potential maximum annual demand (in short green tons) across the major sectors of the forest products industry.

Nameplate capacity is defined in this analysis as the output of the mill if it were to run at its nominal output rate every hour of the year. Mills never operate 100% of the time due to scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Actual capacity factors vary by mill and, in aggregate, by sector.

Estimating actual annual wood de-

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2023 North American Annual Wood Demand at Operating Mills Short To Tons if at Nameplate Capacity

Percent of Total To

Lumber, Furniture, Flooring

324,120,000

43.4%

Paper, Packaging, and Tissue

259,926,000

34.8%

Oriented Strand Board (OSB)

41,263,000

5.5%

Chips (many uses including paper, OSB, and pellets)

37,824,000

5.1%

Export Pellets

36,008,000

4.8%

Plywood and Ve Veneer

35,304,000

4.7%

Domestic Pellets for Heating

12,268,000

1.6%

746,713,000

100.0%

Source: Forisk North American Forest Industry Capacity Database, July 2023, Analysis by FutureMetrics

mand requires several assumptions, including the capacity factors mentioned above. To quantify and visualize wood demand, FutureMetrics has produced a dashboard that allows many of those assumptions to be set by the user. Below is an image of the dashboard. There are several insights illustrated in the dashboard that are important in gaining a fuller understanding of the forest products industry.

Note that the majority of the primary harvests (that is material from the forest) are used in the paper, packaging, and tissue sectors, and in the sawmilling sectors.

Note also that residuals from the sawmilling and certain engineered wood products sectors are used in other sectors.

So-called forest residuals (parts of the tree not suitable for sawmills and other higher value uses) are chipped and used in several manufacturing applications.

The Sankey chart shows how the primary harvest is divided up and how residuals from some of the manufacturing is used in other sectors. Given the baseline capacities, the assumed capacity factors, and the other input assumptions, a total of about 580 million metric tons of wood will be used in 2023.

The largest demander of raw material from the forest is the lumber, flooring, furniture, and cabinetry mills.

However, as the dashboard shows, a significant portion of the sawlogs that enter a sawmill do not become end prod-

ucts. The default settings in the dashboard show that about 42% of softwood roundwood (typically used to produce lumber for construction like the wellknown 2x4) and about 38% of hardwood roundwood (used, for example, for flooring and furniture) are byproducts.

Some years ago, much of that residual material was simply burned (often in those infamous “beehive” burners).

For environmental and business reasons, those days are long gone. Some of the residuals are used in sawmills to fuel the energy plants that provide drying heat for curing the lumber. The rest of the sawdust, chips and bark are products that sawmills sell into other sectors (as illustrated in the diagram).

One of the beneficiaries of both sawmill and forest residuals is the wood pellet sector (shown in the dashboard as “export” and “heating” mills). As FutureMetrics has discussed in many white papers and is seen in some press reporting, the pellet export sector is sometimes portrayed as a poor steward of the forest resources. Implications of continuous and permanent deforestation to satisfy the millions of tonnes per year of pellets produced in north America are not uncommon.

These accusations are illogical. It makes no sense to deplete the resources around a mill. And it makes the export (or “industrial) pellet sector out to be far

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more influential in how forest resources are allocated than it is.

Note in the diagram that, given the input assumptions, the export pellet sector only receives about 3.2% of the total primary harvest directly from the forest. Most of that 3.2% is roundwood that is unsuitable for higher value use. Those are typically crooked stems, rotten center stems, or species interspersed in the harvest that are not suitable for the primary uses for the harvest. Some are thinnings from managed plantations. Those intermediate harvests may have no other merchantable markets other than pellet mills. Occasionally stands that were “high graded” are clear-cut, the otherwise nonmerchantable timber sent to a pellet factory, and the stand is remediated to correct the negative effects of high grading.

So what is the reason for the opposition to the tiny export pellet production sector in the much larger forest products industry (all of whom depend on trees being grown and harvested on a more or less continuous basis)?

Perhaps it is because the product is used as fuel. But as numerous FutureMetrics white papers, and other highly

credible scientific analysis has shown, if fundamental sustainability criteria are followed (and proven with independent third-party auditing), the use of pellet fuel to replace coal in power generation is highly carbon emissions beneficial.

With the addition of carbon capture and storage, those power stations can simultaneously produce baseload and/or ondemand power while subtracting CO2 from the atmosphere.

Perhaps it is because currently almost 100% of the industrial pellets produced in the U.S. and Canada are exported. In the last year, U.S. exports of lumber and pulp (and scrap paper) averaged about $1.4 billion per month. Pellet exports were about one-tenth as much at about $110 million per month.

Perhaps it is because many do not know better. Perhaps they are clueless as to the size and scope of the forest products industry. Perhaps they don’t connect the dots between the source and their Amazon delivery boxes, their toilet paper, their books, the structural lumber underlying many of their homes, the doors, windows, their hardwood flooring and the cabinets in those homes. Perhaps they believe that one small sector in a large industry can be

responsible for the destruction of the forest lands around those pellet factories; but the other 96.8% of primary harvest going to the rest of the mills is okay.

A factual perspective does not support a vision of forests being permanently removed to support pellet production. As the dashboard illustrates, the North American sawmilling sector uses 10 times more wood directly from the forest per year than the pellet export sector.

This researcher cannot provide a reason that is based on facts and logic for much of the opposition to the production of industrial wood pellets. Fortunately, we all agree that forests are good for many reasons and should be nurtured so that in aggregate they never shrink in size and are growing trees forever.

Hopefully, this white paper and the dashboard provide information and analysis in an easy-to-understand format that can help everyone gain a reality-based perspective.

PW William Strauss is the president of FutureMetrics, 207-824-6702; e-mail: info@futuremetrics.com web: www.futuremetrics.info

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PROJECTS AUSTRIA’S THEURL ADDS CLT TO PRODUCT LINEUP ustria. East Tyrol. It is a region where people like to spend their vacations. Only those who look more closely discover more than nature: “Our sawmill is one of the most modern ones in Europe,” says Stefan Theurl.

Together with his cousin Hannes, he is the managing director of Theurl Austrian Premium Timber. Behind it is a family business in the fourth generation.

In 1932, Peter Theurl bought a farm together with a Venetian saw in Assling and laid the foundation of the company with lumber and construction timber.

“Each generation has seen it as its task to develop the business,” Hannes Theurl explains. In the course of 91 years, a sawmill, a planing mill, a glulam mill and a CLT mill have been built, always equipped with the most cutting-edge technology.

The CLT mill built in 2019 with a capacity of 100,000 sqm/year, which is 100% supplied from the company’s own sawmill, has been actively supported by the fourth generation. “The CLT mill is the perfect complement to our sawmill. We couldn’t imagine life without a CLT mill,” Gerald Theurl says with a laugh. The 28-year-old project manager was responsible for setting up the CLT mill.

“We have been producing glulam since 2006. It looks similar, but is completely different from CLT in terms of production, logistics and processing. A combined glulam and CLT line, as is commonly found in North America, was therefore never an option for us,” Gerald adds.

CLT is one of the construction materials of the future. The process offers the possibility of producing panels with high structural strength from almost any type of wood, which also meets strict fire protection regulations. Production is

A

CLT factory is the company’s newest operation.

made to order, not for stock—and this requires a very high degree of flexibility. Wood is supplied from local forests. The slowly grown and sustainably harvested mountain timber from the south side of the Alps is widely known for its excellent quality. Hardly any log has traveled farther than 150 kilometers.

“All or nothing!” is the motto of the Theurl family.

“If we’re going to do some- Theurl “scenic” operations thing, we want to do it at a memory system enables fully automatic, world-class level—and that’s the case individual adjustment of the pressure also with CLT,” explains Theurl Jr. for each cross section. The Weinig “And if you want to produce CLT at the Wood Saving Technology with two adhighest level, you inevitably need the justable support rails in the machine inmost advanced production equipment.” feed in combination with floating vertiIn the past, Weinig has been chosen cal spindles ensures an optimum materiagain and again for investments. The al yield at supreme quality. various plants have been producing reli“With Weinig Wood Saving Technolably for decades with machines and sysogy, we can cleanly plane out cupped tems from the Weinig Group. boards and heartwood boards without planing them to undersize, which reWEINIG TECHNOLOGY duces the cutting dimension in the “The centerpiece in our quality sortsawmill,” Theurl adds with satisfaction. ing is the Hydromat 4250 planer with a In CLT production, the lamellas are feed speed of 250 meters per minute. It produced in two parallel lines, each with is designed as a left-hand machine and an OptiCut 450 optimizing crosscut saw equipped with a new generation WMC from Weinig Dimter and a PowerJoint machine control system,” says Harald 15 fingerjointing line from Weinig GreKlöck, who supervised the project for con. Dimensional changes in the singleWeinig, outlining the key specifications cycle system are fully automatic. Gerald of the system. The integrated pressure explains: “With a single-cycle system,

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you hardly ever see fingerjoint offset, EGGER STARTS UP which has a very positive effect on mateSATURATION LINE rial yield.” The cured lamellas are then replaned on four sides on another HydroWood-based materials manufacturer mat, the focus here being on minimal EGGER Wood Products recently comwaste removal in conjunction with paralpleted construction of a $22 million lel and glueable surfaces. decorative paper saturation line at its In the next step, the lamellas are sepLexington, NC facility. The new line arated for longitudinal and cross layers. will infuse decorative papers with resin An OptiCut 450 Quantum cuts the adhesive necessary for thermally fused lamellas for the cross layers from mullaminate (TFL) production. The intiple lengths to the required fixed creased capacity will alleviate supply lengths, i.e. the later panel width. The chain issues and logistical costs, while glued lamellas are packaged before allowing for greater production flexibilbeing inserted into the pressing bed and ity to better serve customers in the glued in the ProfiPress C 3.600 gluing North American market. machine from Weinig Dimter to form single-layer cross layers. Single-layer longitudinal layers are produced from the longitudinal lamellas in the larger ProfiPress C 16.200.

Both presses feature automatic filling and removal units.

Formatting of the glued panel is performed by integrated crosscut saws, and variably connectable trim saws remove excess lamella material. For Theurl, the intermediate step Jamali Lewis signs first decorative paper. of gluing the lamellas into singlePreviously, saturated papers were layer panels is essential to meet the shipped from EGGER’s manufacturing high quality requirements. CLT panels facility in St. Johann in Tyrol, Austria, a with a length of up to 16 m and a width process which could take up to three of 3.5 m are produced from the individmonths. The local saturation line will ual layers. The maximum thickness of reduce the company’s carbon footprint the wall elements is 360 mm. as well as: “With the young, competent team on —Allow for greater production flexithe customer side and the know-how of bility to produce different board sizes the Weinig Group, this project has been and formats which will better serve the a tremendous success,” says Klöck with company’s customers in North America. great satisfaction. “The connectivity of —Provide faster delivery times for the system is also cleverly thought out. the EGGER Decorative Collection and All control panels are mirrored into the custom orders. control center and onto tablets, so that it —Increase capacity to alleviate supis possible to operate the entire system ply chain issues and logistical costs. from anywhere.”

The investment also allows EGGER Gerald Theurl is also very satisfied: greater efficiency by significantly re“Due to the general shortage of personducing waste and managing costs. nel in Europe, we wanted a fully autoDuring TFL production, a short cycle mated production line that is highly press uses high heat and pressure to fuse flexible and at the same time delivers the saturated paper onto both sides of the best quality—that is just what we raw particleboard, creating decorative achieved. Since the start of production TFL panels for use in interior design apin 2020, we have demonstrated our plications. flexibility and quality internationally in In addition to the completion of the more than 2,700 projects, ranging from new saturation line, September also small projects of a few cubic meters to marked the three-year production anlarge projects of several thousand niversary of EGGER’s Lexington plant, cubic meters.”

Article and photos submitted by Weinig. which first started operations in 2020.

Visit weinig.com and theurl-holz.at/en.

During the past year, nearly $90 mil-

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lion in new investments have been completed at the company’s North American facility, including a third lamination line, a wood recycling center and a third dump trucker—plus the new paper saturation line. In total, these four investments have added 50 jobs to the company’s Lexington facility, which now boasts nearly 500 employees.

PREHEATING SHOWS BENEFITS Masisa S.A. has commissioned an EVOsteam steam preheating system from Dieffenbacher at its particleboard plant in Cabrero, Chile.

“Dieffenbacher’s EVOsteam is a low-investment solution for great improvements, including boosting the capacity of our particleboard production in Cabrero,” says Roberto Stück, Technical Director at Masisa. “It speeds up our production and simultaneously improves mechanical board properties.”

Installed directly at the press infeed, the EVOsteam preheats the mat by injecting steam. This reduces the time needed to heat the mat inside the press, accelerating production and increasing capacity by up to 20%. “The upper unit of the steam preheating system can be used either in lifted operation as a steam shower or in lowered operation to directly inject steam into the mat,” says Tobias Hempel, Product Manager at Dieffenbacher.

“In light of the sharp rise in gas prices, which have also caused an enormous increase in resin prices, EVOsteam has an important benefit besides increasing capacity. It saves resources, especially resin. If the higher mat temperature is not used to increase production speed, the resin has more

Masisa speeds up production with EVOsteam from Dieffenbacher.

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time to cure in the continuous press. As a result, enough ‘resin bridges’ are formed to produce high-quality boards, even with less resin.”

By individually adjusting the amount of steam in each mat zone, the EVOsteam enables excellent density profiles. “The result is better convective heat penetration in the press and a faster increase in the raw density profile at the outer edge layer of the board. This enables lower sanding allowances and lower production costs,” Hempel says. “Adding more steam to the center of the mat instead of the edges also avoids blisters.”

In addition, the EVOsteam prevents condensates on the belts by using thermal oil from the secondary heating of the press to preheat the steam platen.

It’s easy to operate, requires little maintenance, and the low wastewater volume keeps the total cost of ownership low. The integrated belt cleaning and drying system ensures high production reliability. “Due to its positive impact on product quality and its contribution to material savings, the EVOsteam can even be an alternative to press extensions,” Hempel adds.

For new EVOsteam installations, Dieffenbacher ensures complete service from engineering up to technically optimized three-shift operation. “Before we leave the customer, we make sure that the EVOsteam is perfectly integrated into the production process and delivers the best possible production results,” Hempel explains. “We also reduce rejects and workload for our customers with fully integrated recipe management. Whenever the plant is switched to a new product, the EVOsteam changes its settings accordingly.”

Other companies, including Pfleiderer and Sumitomo Group subsidiary Vina Eco Board, are also successfully using EVOsteam. In Baruth, Germany, Pfleiderer operates the steam preheater in an MDF plant, while Vina Eco Board uses the machine in particleboard production at its site in Long An, Vietnam.

“Following a very short installation time, we have operated the EVOsteam for more than two years,” says Christoph Liese, Production Manager at Pfleiderer. “It’s a great solution. From day one, we increased our production speed, and we can produce significantly more boards per day than we could before retrofitting with the EVOsteam.”

METSÄ WOOD NAMES CONSTRUCTION PARTNER Metsä Wood and construction company SRV have signed an agreement for the construction of Metsä Wood’s new Kerto LVL mill in Äänekoski, Finland.

“Our choice of partner was influenced by SRV’s expertise in industrial project construction and the contract model based on close cooperation,” says Jaakko Anttila, EVP, Metsä Wood.

Metsä Wood decided to build a new Kerto LVL mill in June, and preparatory work at the mill site has progressed as planned. The employment impact of the construction phase of the project is estimated to be around 1,000 personyears. When completed, the mill will employ 150 directly and 200 in its direct value chain. The mill is expected to start production in the second half of 2026. The mill will have an annual production capacity of about 160,000 m3, which represents a 50% increase in the company’s total Kerto LVL capacity.

“The Äänekoski Kerto LVL mill will be carried out using a modern cooperative model, which is clearly becoming more common in industrial projects due to its advantages. During the development phase, we planned and coordinated the project in good and close cooperation with the client, and are now ready to launch the implementation phase,” says SVP Hannu Lokka, responsible for SRV’s regional units.

AUSTRALIAN PANELS PLANS LARGEST LINE Australian Panels (a Borg company) has opted for Siempelkamp technology for the largest particleboard production line in Australia at the Mount Gambier location, which is located in the southeast of the Australian state of South Australia, half way between Melbourne and Adelaide.

The plant will have an annual production capacity of more than 650,000 m3. Siempelkamp will supply the forming and press line including an 8 ft. x 55.5 m ContiRoll continuous press with NEO infeed. The scope of supply also includes the cooling and stacking line.

Pallmann, a specialist in size-reduction technology, will be supplying new knife-ring flakers, double stream mills, and the established cleaning and grind-

ing robots for knife rings. Buttner, one of Siempelkamp’s subsidiaries, will be supplying a 6.5 x 32R sized drum dryer and flash-tube.

The fact that a reliable and fast service is available in the country—with Siempelkamp Pty Ltd. under the management of Geoff Robson—made it easier for the project to proceed.

Australian Panels is now realizing its fifth Siempelkamp press with this order.

In 2016, the Australian company ordered a particleboard line with an almost identical scope for its site in New South Wales. At 8 ft. x 50.4 m, this press is shorter than the one for the current project. Australian Panels most recent order was for an 8 ft. x 18.8 m MDF line with ContiRoll for the production of thin boards, which was placed in 2019.

“We’re pleased to be working with our Australian customer to complete the ‘Big Five’ of their plant portfolio. Being involved in a project of this scale is a great compliment for everyone in our group,” says Samiron Mondal, Managing Director Siempelkamp Group.

FIBER PREP ORDERED FOR FRONDS MDF MILL Andritz will supply a complete fiber preparation line for a greenfield plant in the Toshka area in the south of Egypt.

The pioneering and eco-friendly plant will produce high density and medium density fiberboard (HDF/MDF) from date palm fronds, a material normally considered farm waste.

Andritz will execute this order in cooperation with the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) specialist Weser Industrie- und Anlagentechnik GmbH and Dieffenbacher GmbH Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, a leading manufacturer of press systems and complete plants for the wood-based panel industry. On behalf of Egypt’s National Service Projects Organization (NSPO), the German company Weser is acting as the general contractor for this turnkey project.

Michael Frint, Director Technology Panelboard Systems at Andritz, comments, “Alternative raw materials, in particular from waste streams, are becoming increasingly important in the panel industry. Participating in this innovative and sustainable NSPO project

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is an important milestone for us.”

The Andritz line, with a capacity of up to 14 bdmt/h, will process date palm fronds from a nearby 40,000 acre date farm. It includes a system to wash and condition the chips from the palm frond stems, and a pressurized refining system with a well-proven refiner to process the washed and conditioned chips into high quality fibers at very low energy consumption. The fibers will be used to produce high quality fiberboards, mainly for the flooring and furniture industries.

The plant is scheduled to commence production in the autumn of 2025.

BE&E MAKES DEAL WITH BID GROUP BID Group and Biomass Engineering & Equipment (BE&E) announced a strategic supply and outsourcing partnership, in which BE&E will acquire the Vibrapro brand and manufacturing operations located in Boise, Id., and the BID Group fabrication plant in Greenville, Ky. BE&E, based in Indianapolis, Ind., is a rapidly growing, innovative engineering services and machinery manufacturer specializing in bulk materials handling for multiple industries across the globe.

“I am excited to welcome the Boise and Greenville teams into the family,” comments Dane Floyd, CEO of BE&E. “This strategic acquisition and the partnership with BID Group fits perfectly into our growth plan and I am confident it will benefit our respective customers.

The amazing BE&E growth required additional manufacturing space and a West Coast facility to serve our growing customer base in that region. Our growth plan included adding a vibratory conveyor and screening solutions and Vibrapro is well-recognized for a very high-quality product. It’s not often one can find such a perfect fit.”

BID Group is a leading turnkey builder of sawmills and provides a range of equipment and technologies to the wood products industries.

“On behalf of BID Group, I would like to thank the Boise and Greenville teams,” says Alistair Cook, CEO of BID Group. “You are the reason that this deal has such value. BE&E is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of bulk material handling systems, and we believe the preferred relationship between the two companies

PROJECTS

will provide an increased level of opportunity for our people and even more value for our customers.”

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter this year and is subject to customary closing conditions.

SONAE ARAUCO ORDERS REFINING SYSTEM Andritz will supply a pressurized refining system to Sonae Arauco Deutschland GmbH’s mill in Meppen, Germany, to produce wood-based insulation products. This will be the 15th insulation board production line equipped with an Andritz pressurized refining system.

The new line will process a mixture of wood chips from different types of timber to produce insulation board for the construction industries. Startup is scheduled for 2025.

Bernd Runge, Construction System Project Manager, Sonae Arauco Deutschland, says, “The fiber preparation systems from Andritz offer significant economic and environmental benefits. We are confident that Andritz’s advanced technology will meet our requirements and ensure the production of high-quality insulation products.”

At the heart of the new line will be a pressurized refining system featuring the 44-1CP single disc refiner and a 14 in. plug screw feeder to ensure improved fiber quality with reduced electrical and thermal energy consumption. The scope of supply also includes a C-feeder and a pressurized digester with counterflow and steam regulation system.

With 23 industrial and commercial units in nine countries and about 2,600 employees, Sonae Arauco is one of the world’s largest producers of woodbased panels.

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SIPA PRODUCES SPECIAL PLYWOODS

SIPA marks 75 years of Italian wood processing expertise.

With a production of more than 300,000 Special Plywoods per year, SIPA touts its market leadership in Europe. Since 1948 the company has been manufacturing special products with the same unchanging passion and without compromising on the quality of raw materials, per the best Italian know-how.

SIPA began its activities after the hard years of war as a supplier of special equipment for cellars and the wine industry, in Canelli (Piedmont), between Langhe and Monferrato hills, lands renowned for the high quality of their wines.

The initial production of wooden boxes and oak easels (Pupitres, used for the production of sparkling wines like the Italian Spumante) needed skilled craftsmen and Pupitres became the flagship of SIPA, distinguishing itself for precision and build quality.

Very soon, Soria family, part of the founding group that ultimately became the exclusive owner, understood the limits of a local market, and thanks to this intuition, by taking advantage of the acquired know-how with new investments, with research and development as a mainstay of its policy, SIPA gained a leading position in the growing market of clad panels for furniture.

At the beginning of the ’90s, SIPA took a step forward, with Corrado, Maurizio e Sergio Soria, third generation of the family, by increasing the range of products with Special Plywoods for doors, which is the current core business of this company that maintains a strong presence in the territory of origin, although is fully integrated in a European and world mar-

ket thanks also to high technology innovation and a new broader vision.

With 75 years of activity and experience, in a manufacturing plant that covers an area of 12,000 m², SIPA adapts its strategies to the needs of market, design and environmental support policies, including implementation of certified Chain of Custody (CoC) according to the standards FSC and PEFC. “The secret of SIPA Special Plywood is a magical combination of precious natural woods, Italian craftsmanship and innovative production methods respecting both environment and people, like the best Made in Italy tradition,” the company states.

SIPA has always been associated with “Competence, Quality and Innovation,” a combination that is the result of the commitment of every day attention to high quality of products, best manufacturing organization, research for new flexible and customized solutions, based on a competitive price.

Visit sipapannelli.com

IMALPAL EXPANDS IN NORTH AMERICA The IMALPAL Group reports that as a result of the ever-growing interest and the great potential of its technologies it is strengthening its presence in the North American market and the services offered.

For more than 50 years, the Group— which brings together five specialized companies—IMAL, PAL, GLOBUS, PSP, ITALSORT—has been manufacturing and supplying machinery and complete plants for the production of wood-based panels (particleboard, OSB, MDF, insulation board) and products for the packaging industry produced from pressed wood (pallets, pallet blocks, bars and stringers) throughout the world.

In view of the large number of plants installed, plants which will be installed in the near future and those projects which are ongoing, and with the aim of offering its customers first rate and allround support, the Group has reorganized its technical-commercial business in North America and set up a new company based in Georgia to provide prompt and direct customer assistance: IMALPAL Group Service North America.

The immediate and long-term goal of

IMALPAL Group establishes new support company in the U.S.

the new company, which works alongside the existing sales and marketing division, and with its locally based team of highly qualified engineers, is to support and assist the customer by being on site immediately, thus reducing costs and eliminating waiting time.

The company, headed by CEO Enrico Barbesino, is able to intervene in a timely manner at all the North American facilities that have lines and machinery supplied by the IMALPAL Group and is taking further steps to form a service team of 15-20 engineers to achieve wider coverage and rapid assistance.

The other target of the new division is to keep an ample stock of spare parts so that these may be supplied quickly without having to wait for them to be shipped out or cleared through customs.

S’KAMP EXPANDS LEADERSHIP TEAM The Siempelkamp Group is realigning its Management Board to include seven members to bundle market-oriented core competencies together and integrate a modern management concept.

Martin Scherrer, CEO of the Siempelkamp Group, will be working with Samiron Mondal, Stefan Wissing and Dirk Howe, who will each lead a newly formed Business Unit. Companies will be grouped together in the Business Units so that they can cooperate more closely and address their focus markets in a more targeted manner.

Martin Sieringhaus as Chief Financial Officer, Stefan Ziemes as Chief People Officer and Axel Baumeister as Chief Technical Officer are also part of the leadership team.

“Other core competencies now re-

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profile is sharpened in the area of research and development.

“In the 140th year of our company’s history, we are making our company more modern, more efficient, closer to our customers, resulting in it being more powerful than ever. We are looking forward to the tasks that we will now be tackling together so that we can meet the requirements of customers, partners and employees even better in the future,” adds Martin Scherrer.

SENNEBOGEN OPENS STEEL FACTORY New Siempelkamp leadership team, left to right, Dirk Howe, Stefan Wissing, Samiron Mondal (all heads of the newly formed Business Units), Martin Scherrer (CEO Siempelkamp Group), Axel Baumeister (CTO), Martin Sieringhaus (CFO), Stefan Ziemes (CPO)

flected in the new Management Board are crucial for the success of a modern managed company,” the company states. “Strategically focused HR work is of major importance in today’s world.

This includes modern personnel devel-

opment, targeted talent management and stringent succession planning. For a technology company such as Siempelkamp, it is also essential that the technological vision is driven forward at the top management level and that the

With the official opening of the new steel plant of Termelés-Logistic-Centrum GmbH in Litér, Hungary, material handling equipment and cranes producer Sennebogen is continuing its growth strategy while expanding its capacity for steel assemblies and welded constructions.

The 315,000 sq. ft. (29,000 m²) manufacturing facility and modern office complex was built on a 32 acre site about half an hour’s drive from the first Sennebogen steel plant in Balatonfüred.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held with shareholder Walter Sennebogen, Managing Director of the site Michael Seiferling, Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó and MP Károly Kontrát in attendance.

Walter Sennebogen comments, “Termelés-Logistic-Centrum is our most important supplier of steel assemblies. With this greenfield investment in Hungary, we are not only expanding our capacities to meet the growing demand, but also building reserves for the future.”

Designed for handling large and heavy components up to 98 ft. long (30 m) and weighing in at 50,000 lbs., this production facility will produce 40 million lbs.

(18,144,000 kg) of steel structures per year in its current configuration. Its warehousing, work preparation, and intralogistics are optimized and geared toward the particularly large components and will deliver increased capacity. Significant investment was also made in modern machine tools and machining centers for mechanical processing as well as flame and laser cutting.

As is the case in all Sennebogen facilities, a holistic design approach was used. To complement the manufacturing process, an ergonomically sophisticated

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cient with the electrical power generated from its PV system. The office building is also heated with energy-efficient underfloor heating and the production hall with low-temperature heating via concrete core activation.

Constantino Lannes, President of Sennebogen LLC, adds, “We were thrilled to learn about this investment when it was first decided over two and a half years ago and today this is going to allow us to continue to meet customer expectation in terms of meeting the market demand.”

In order to meet growing demand, Sennebogen has built a state-of-the-art steel plant in Litér, Hungary on 32 acres (13 ha).

welding area for the production of welded structures was created, as was a paint shop equipped to the latest standards. “With the new plant we are supplementing our previous steel component production capacity in Balaton-

füred. The locations are also logistically connected via plant traffic,” adds Managing Director Seiferling.

The plant is equipped with a photovoltaic system with an output of 2.4 MW so that it will be energy self-suffi-

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CLIPPINGS TOLKO NAMES PUCCI AS COO

Brad Thorlakson, President and CEO of Tolko Industries, announced that Pino Pucci, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Logistics, will assume a newly created interim role as Tolko’s Chief Operating Officer.

“This role has been created to support our succession planning process, as Pino will eventually succeed me as President & CEO,” Thorlakson says.

“Pino’s proven leadership experience, significant focus on people and culture, and his alignment with our values make him the perfect candidate to lead us in the execution of our current strategy, and beyond.”

Pino assumes oversight of Tolko’s Solid Wood, Strand Based Business and U.S. Operations and retains his current responsibility for the marketing, logistics and transportation portfolio. There has been no formal date set for the CEO transition to occur.

Brad Eckford, currently Manager, Logistics & Transportation, will succeed Pino as Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Logistics.

Rhys Thompson, currently Manager, OSB Sales and Marketing, will expand his role to include Manager, Logistics and Transportation.

Kiley Sales, Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Logistics, will support both Pucci and Eckford.

VELARDE JOINS AFRY TEAM AFRY Management Consulting announced that Guillermo Velarde will lead the Wood Products and Surfaces Team in North America. Velarde has been named a Principal Consultant at the AFRY’s New York office. He has more than 15 years of experience in the wood products industry value chain within the North and South American markets. His areas of expertise include composite panels, surfacing materials, engineered wood products, mass timber and flooring products.

As a Principal at AFRY, Velarde will advise industry and financial clients in corporate strategy, product strategy, market analysis and due diligence projects.

Prior to joining AFRY, Velarde held Director positions at Arclin USA, where he managed complex projects in the areas of product strategy, market growth, marketing, and corporate development.

Guillermo has also held and will continue with different roles in industry trade associations to support and promote the entire industry and the market. E-mail: Guillermo.Velarde@afry.com

Foley, Director of Timber Investments.

In conjunction with this announcement, Acres now provides users with access to the timber site index, a measure of forest productivity at a sub-parcel level. The timber site index data alongside Forisk timber mills and the intuitive geospatial interface of Acres make for a powerful combination of tools and data for the timber industry.

ACRES PARTNERS WITH FORISK

WEYCO GOES AFTER CARBON CREDITS

Acres, a data-driven land research platform that supports fast, informed decision making, is partnering with Forisk Consulting, a leader in analyzing timber markets and wood baskets, to visualize timber data for both companies’ clients. This collaboration between Acres and Forisk will further expand Acres’ capacity to provide and visualize important information on U.S. timberland through its powerful land valuation tool.

“We’re thrilled to bring Forisk’s experience and data to the Acres platform to help more investors and managers in the timber industry. We care about helping the forest industry make better decisions, and we see this partnership with Acres as a great way to enhance that value,” says Forisk President and CEO Brooks Mendell.

Acres and Forisk’s partnership creates deeper access to timberland insights for customers of both companies.

The Forisk North American Forest Industry Capacity Database (“Mill Database”) covers 55 states and provinces in both the U.S. and Canada.

With Acres, users can interact with nearly 2,000 wood-using mills nationwide to quickly view the mill type, status, current and historic owner information, capacity, and certifications. This data is key to understanding how much a mill can process and produce and overall supply chain progress.

“Data-driven insights into timberland add up. If you don’t see the whole picture of land you’re buying or selling, you can’t get the most out of your transaction. Our strategic partnership with Forisk Consulting is an immense opportunity to create a 3D image for people in the forest industry so they can continue to do the important work of driving the national timber supply chain,” says Mark

Weyerhaeuser Co. announced it has received approval from the American Carbon Registry for its Improved Forest Management (IFM) carbon credit project in Maine. Covering approximately 50,000 acres and verified through a third-party auditor, the Kibby Skinner IFM Project is the first issuance of credits for Weyerhaeuser through the voluntary carbon market. The project has an estimated initial credit issuance of nearly 32,000 mtCO2e, with one credit equal to one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent. Over the lifetime of the project, it is expected to generate 475,000 credits.

“Forests represent one of the largest and most readily available opportunities to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and help address the impacts of climate change,” says Russell Hagen, senior vice president and chief development officer for Weyerhaeuser. “Since launching our Natural Climate Solutions business, we have been working to develop forest carbon projects that can generate meaningful carbon additionality with measurable climate benefits. This initial project is an important milestone for Weyerhaeuser and demonstrates our commitment to offering only the highestquality credits to the market.”

Weyerhaeuser is currently in the early stages of developing several IFM projects on select areas within its 11 million acre land base in the U.S., including two in the South slated for completion in late 2023 or early 2024. As it develops these projects, the company is working with experts at Carbon Direct to ensure that all credits offered will generate real, additional carbon absorbed and stored in project areas. Carbon Direct will provide advisory and marketing services and evaluate Weyerhaeuser projects against the Criteria for

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High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal, which provides science-based benchmarks to drive effective, equitable climate action at scale.

“As the demand for carbon removal projects increases, it is important to recognize that these projects will only be effective if they represent real and additional carbon removal,” adds Jonathan Goldberg, CEO of Carbon Direct. “Our team, including leading experts on Improved Forest Management and other nature-based removals, worked closely with Weyerhaeuser to ensure the credits meet the most stringent quality standards for scientific integrity.”

“Carbon Direct brings deep experience and scientific expertise in the area of forest carbon,” Hagen says. “We are building our Natural Climate Solutions business and strengthening our ability to offer the highest-integrity carbon credits to the market as it continues to grow and mature.”

ROSEBURG TRUCK GOES HYBRID Roseburg produces a wide range of sustainable wood products, but those products are no good if they can’t get into the hands of people building homes, offices and other projects.

That means Roseburg relies heavily on its Logistics team to keep things moving.

September 10 through 16 marked National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, so in addition to celebrating the folks who keep Roseburg moving, the company took a look at some recent initiatives within Roseburg to invest in the future of trucking.

When Roseburg’s Transportation team noticed signs of aging and wear in Roseburg’s fleet of trucks, they recognized an opportunity to launch an experiment in fuel efficiency.

While the latest truck models brought big improvements in tailpipe emissions thanks to advancement in automobile technology, they wanted to aim higher. So, the team set out to retrofit one of the fleet’s trucks into a hybrid model.

The Transportation team partnered with Hyliion, a vehicle electrification company, to update an existing Roseburg truck with an electrified powertrain solution. The goal was to assess whether the technology could bring additional improvements to emissions and fuel economy. Over time, this could be a win for not only the Transportation team, but for the environment.

“The hybrid technology bridges the gap between diesel and battery electric vehicles,” Dillard Support Services Operations Manager Garret Ogan says. “While fully electric trucks are beginning to emerge on the market, their limited range, high upfront cost of ownership, and lack of charging infrastructure create barriers that most (if not all) carriers are not able to overcome.”

The pilot truck will travel nearly 500 miles per day during this project while delivering resin from Roseburg suppliers to Riddle Plywood, Coquille Plywood, and Riddle Engineered Wood. This project could result in a 10-12% reduction in fuel consumption, which, over the course of a full year, reduces tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions by 15 metric tons a year.

That’s the equivalent of removing four cars from the road— and that’s only one truck.

“We applaud our team’s drive for innovation in testing a more sustainable transportation solution for the company. The project has exciting potential for improving efficiency and inspiring a greener future for the world of transportation,” Roseburg comments.

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CLIPPINGS

KIOSK IMPROVES TRUCK TURNAROUND

At all RoyOMartin manufacturing facilities, improving truck turnaround time is a crucial metric. Turnaround time measures the number of minutes it takes a truck to weigh in on the entrance scales until the time the truck weighs out once it is unloaded. Optimizing turnaround times increases the productivity of truckers and loggers and decreases the amount of fuel trucks use while waiting to be unloaded.

In February 2023, kiosk machines were installed at log scales to help decrease turnaround times and simplify the scaling process at the plywood mill in Chopin, La. Since the addition of these machines, average turnaround times have decreased from 16.78 minutes to 15.15 minutes, resulting in an almost 10% improvement over the traditional weigh-in process. Though this may not seem like a significant measurement, when an average of 100 truckloads collectively cross this scale every day, that’s a 2.7-hour daily improvement!

Increased safety for the drivers is another important benefit.

Prior to the kiosk system, they walked up and down steps and across a busy lane of mill traffic to reach the scale house.

Now, the drivers only have to take a few steps from their trucks to reach the kiosk.

This technological upgrade has improved the company’s relationships with truck drivers and strengthened RoyOMartin’s position as a destination of choice.

TIMBER HP IS GEARING UP Timber HP was on hand at the IWBC offsite wood construction event held in late September in Washington, DC. Timber HP is ramping up to produce three wood insulation board products at its facility in Maine— TimberFill (which is in production), TimberBatt and TimberBoard, both of which are nearing production.

There are plans to install additional kiosk machines at the plywood entrance scales in the future. These machines have also proved beneficial at both RoyOMartin OSB manufacturing facilities in Oakdale, La., and Corrigan, Texas.

(Article from the company’s Overstory newsletter.)

52 • NOVEMBER 2023 • PanelWorld

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W H AT ’ S

NEW

LONGONI ROBERTO TOUTS LAMIDRY PROCESS ongoni Roberto e figli srl has operated in the market of high pressure laminates and panel manufacturing for the furniture industry since 1997, with know-how in this sector rooted in the 1970s thanks to the background of the founder.

The HPL manufacturers are facing new challenges to reduce pollutants emissions and explore more energy ef-

L

Kraft paper after flat head coater application

ficient production processes. Longoni Roberto has developed and industrialized a patented technology to treat the surface of kraft papers for HPL and compact HPL using dry phenolic resin, getting a paper ready for high pressure lamination that perfectly fits the existing HPL pressing cycles.

The simple question is: Why should we wet kraft paper with liquid resin, just to dry it up afterwards using a 40 m long big box of hot air? And then we still have to remove phenol and formaldehyde from exhaust fumes.

By extruding a phenolic resin dry film on kraft paper, Raw phenolic resin flakes the “Lamidry” process avoids the need of drying wet impregnated kraft paper, eliminating completely the phenolic and formaldehyde polluted exhaust fumes of impregnation.

Longoni Roberto lines have a very high capacity in a relatively Coating group with cooling, IR scanner and rewinding station small area: The

Melt resin from coater

roll-to-roll coating line at 300 m/min is 26 m long.

The resin used directly in dry form excludes the issue of handling dangerous liquids, no more spills or pollution.

It also has a much longer shelf life: more than one year compared to a few weeks of liquid phenolic resins.

This process is efficient on recycled kraft papers, which normally are very hard to use in wet impregnation.

The HPL manufacturer has to change his mind on every day habits and realize that what everybody has done in the past 90 years may be different in the coming 90.

Longoni Roberto has produced full scale lots of coated kraft papers on an existing industrial coating line in Italy, and different major HPL manufacturers have used its papers in the standard pressing cycles of their factories, obtaining a fully qualified final product without any special arrangement in the PW press cycles. Visit longoni.biz

54 • NOVEMBER 2023 • PanelWorld

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W H AT ’ S

NEW

EMISSION CONTROL Dieffenbacher’s emission control solutions include emission measurements and dryer and press emission control systems.

Emission measurements help plant operators understand which emissions are

Dieffenbacher carries out emission measurements to better understand plant emissions.

present and determine the type and amount of emissions. For example, using state-of-the-art methods, uncomplicated in-house emission measurements can be taken on stacks downstream of the dryer or the press exhaust system. This includes measuring parameters such as total organic carbon (TOC) and many different substances such as water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, methane, ethane, propane, formaldehyde, methanol and other gases.

Dust in the exhaust gas can also be measured using additional equipment. Subsequent correlation analyses of production parameters and emissions provide a better understanding of plant emissions.

The Dryer Emission Control System cleans dryer exhaust gases using an inline scrubber in compliance with local environmental standards. The main components are the unique inline scrubber and water treatment and distribution systems. The inline scrubber efficiently separates dust particles from the gas

stream. Optional auxiliary equipment captures water-soluble VOCs, notably formaldehyde.

The Dryer Emission Control System is applicable for horizontal and vertical operation and costs less than an electrostatic filter. It also impresses with its low freshwater demand, reliable design for high uptime and small space requirements.

The Press Emission Control System cleans exhaust gases from the press through a washing process. Dust and condensable fractions of exhaust gases are bound to fine water droplets. These solid and liquid parts are separated in the inline scrubber. Pre-Absorber units can be supplied to reduce VOC emissions, particularly formaldehyde.

As a fluid-optimized system, the Press Emission Control System is highly energy-efficient. Like the Dryer Emission Control System, it is characterized by low freshwater demand and small space requirements. Visit dieffenbacher.de

56 • NOVEMBER 2023 • PanelWorld

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W H AT ’ S

NEW

MOISTURE METER The Imal Pal Group, one of the main suppliers of complete machinery and plants for the production of PB/SPB, MDF, OSB/LSB panels, insulation panels and also of pellets, pallet blocks, pressed wood pallets, stringers and beams as well as products from pressed wood in general, has always made huge investments in the research and development of machin-

ery for on-line quality control, an activity that allows achieving an important reduction of production times, a saving in terms of costs, and that ensures quality control and intrinsic quality of the finished products. A complete turnkey plant of the IMAL PAL Group includes the added value of such fool-proof measurement and control Imal Pal UM400 moisture meter systems.

These years of research and development have led to the development of a large range of machines for on-line quality control, including a complete range of moisture meters for keeping the key factor of moisture under control during the production process. UM400 is the Imal Pal solution, a continuous moisture meter that by a pneumatic arm extracts the material from the production line, introduces it into a thermostatic chamber equipped with an accurate scale and performs the measurement. The microprocessor stores the initial weight of the material, checks if that value is within the pre-set range and enables the drying stage. This procedure is completely automatic, no operator intervention is required.

The installation of UM400 offers countless advantages: real-time material monitoring, very high accuracy and reliability of measurements, no human error risk during measurements, very little maintenance needs, but, most important, it is possible by just one computer to manage up to eight UM400 units at a time placed at different positions of the plant from which the information about material moisture content is essential. Visit imalpal.com New products and technologies published here are submitted by the manufacturer and supplier companies or representatives thereof, and all statements and claims are attributable to the submitting parties.

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VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS

DIRECTORY AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA

■ Switzerland

■ United States ■ Georgia

113 Years Experience

In Wood

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: www.briggs.com.au Email: admin@briggs.com.au Tel: +61 2 9732-7888

EUROPE ■ Italy

www.fsc.org

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

■ Poland

■ Indiana

■ Ontario

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

NEXT CLOSING: MARCH 25, 2024

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

11/23

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VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY ■ 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

■ Ohio

VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY NEXT CLOSING: MARCH 25, 2024 Send your ad information on a separate sheet of paper, or send via email, and we will typeset it for you for FREE.

■ Michigan

■ Pennsylvania

Please be sure to include appropriate contact information so we may contact you for questions and payment.

Make sure to send any artwork that should be included in your ad. It should be a good-quality print or high resolution logo.

We will fax or email you a proof before final print for your approval.

Reserve your space today.

Call Melissa McKenzie 800-669-5613

■ Mississippi ESTABLISHED 1972

Proudly serving our clients in the hardwood plywood sheetstock, plywood component, solid wood component, and face and core veneer markets for over 50 years. Looking forward to applying our worldwide knowledge and resources to help create the solution you need.

Send ad info to: VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY PO Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 or send ad to: melissa@hattonbrown.com

inquiry@pittsburghforest.com Office: 724.969.5000 375 Valleybrook Rd, McMurray, PA 15367

11/23

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Recruiting Services Executive – Managerial – Technical - Sales

JOHN GANDEE

THE Forest Products Group

Jon Olson

& ASSOCIATES, INC

Tel: (800) 985-5191

Contingency or Retained Search

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

Depending on Circumstances / Needs

4231

9237

jon@olsonsearch.com

1615

“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

Austin, Texas

3220

1009

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

3779

13868

PANELWORKS

PanelWorld • NOVEMBER 2023 • 61

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EVENTS FEBRUARY 2024

AUGUST 2024

22-26 • IndiaWood 2024, Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bangalore, India. Call +91-80-4250 5000; visit indiawood.com.

6-9 • International Woodworking Fair 2024, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 404-693-8333; visit iwfatlanta.com.

MARCH 2024

SEPTEMBER 2024

5-7 • Dubai Woodshow, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Call +971 4 39 23232; visit dubaiwoodshow.com.

9-12 • Lesdrevmash 2024, International Exhibition for Machinery, Equipment and Technology for Logging, Woodworking and Furniture Industries, Expocentre Fairgrounds, Moscow, Russia. Visit lesdrevmash-expo.ru/en.

12-13 • Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 334-834-1170; e-mail dianne@hattonbrown.com; visit bioenergyshow.com.

14-15 • Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE), Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 800-669-5613; visit pelice-expo.com.

Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

A ● D ● L ● I ● N ● K 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

APRIL 2024 2-4 • American Forest Resource Council annual meeting, Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, Wash. Call 503-222-9505; visit amforest.org.

7-10 • Composite Panel Assn. Spring meeting, Omni Amelia Island, Amelia Island, Fla. Call 703-724-1128; visit compositepanel.org.

10-12 • International Wood Products Assn. 67th World of Wood Convention, San Diego, Calif. Call 703-820-6696; visit iwpawood.org.

29-May 2 • Amer. Wood Prot. Assn. annual meeting, Westin Portland Harborview, Portland, Maine. Call 205-7334077; visit awpa.com.

MAY 2024 14-16 • Decorative Hardwoods Association Spring Conference & 103rd annual meeting, Scottsdale, Ariz. Call 703-4352900; visit decorativehardwoods.org.

14-17 • Fimma-Maderalia 2024, Feria Valencia, Valencia, Spain. Visit fimma-maderalia.feriavalencia.com/en.

17-18 • East Coast Sawmilling and Logging Exposition, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond, Va. Call 804-7375625; visit exporichmond.com.

21-24 • Xylexpo 2024, FieraMilano-Rho Fairgrounds, Fieramilano, Italy. Phone +39-02-89210200; Visit xylexpo.com.

panelworldmag.com

Altec Integrated Solutions Angelo Cremona S.P.A. Anthon GmbH Biele Group Buttner GmbH Carl KRAFFT & Söhne Gmgh Claussen All-Mark International Coil Manufacturing Corvallis Tool Custom Engineering Dieffenbacher GmbH Dunhua Bytter Technology Electronic Wood Systems Fagus GreCon Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH HAPCO Machinery Hashimoto Denki HIGHTEN Shanghai Imal S.R.L IMEAS S.P.A. John King Chains Kings Mountain International Ledinek Engineering Meinan Machinery Works Mid-South Engineering Nanjing Mingke Process Pal S.R.L Raute Samuel Coding & Labeling Group Samuel Packaging Systems Group Sherdil Precision Signode Stela Laxhuber GmbH Sunds Fibertech Sweed Machinery Taihei Machinery Works USNR Wemhoner Surface Technologies Westmill Industries ZST

PG.NO.

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PH.NO.

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ADLINK is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

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