TH E VOIC E O F THE HARDWOOD IN DUSTRY
H A R D W O O D M AT T E R S August 2020
ADVOCACY in the time of COVID
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2020 NHLA On DEMAND Conference and Exhibition T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E N AT I O N A L H A R D W O O D L U M B E R A S S O C I AT I O N S T R O N G R O O T S . G L O B A L R E A C H . | W W W. N H L A . C O M
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CONTENTS August 2020 • Issue 214
WHAT'S INSIDE feature 12 Advocacy In the Time of Covid
12 16
departments
ONLINE TOP POST OF THE MONTH at facebook.com/NHLAOfficial Hardwoods in History: The oldest door in Britain can be found in Westminster Abbey. The oak door was constructed in the 1050s and still stands today. Pretty amazing!
8 2020 NHLA On DEMAND Conference and Exhibition 16 Rules Corner More Educational Opportunities
by Chief Dana Spessert
17 Industry Insight Did You Know The Importance
of Airflow Management Inside Your Kiln? by Henco Viljoen
https://bit.ly/3et1wVE
reader services
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President’s Message CEO’s Message Educational Calendar Job Board
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H A R D W O O D M AT T E R S T H E VO I C E O F T H E H A R DWO O D I N D U ST RY National Hardwood Lumber Association PO Box 34518 • Memphis, TN 38184-0518 901-377-1818 • 901-382-6419 (fax) info@nhla.com • www.nhla.com
THE MISSION OF NH LA To serve NHLA Members engaged in the commerce of North American hardwood lumber by: maintaining order, structure and ethics in the changing global hardwood marketplace; providing unique member services; promoting North American hardwood lumber and advocating the interest of the hardwood community in public/private policy issues; and providing a platform for networking opportunities.
MISSION LEADERS
Darwin Murray McClain Forest Products President
Bucky Pescaglia Missouri-Pacific Lumber Co., Inc. Unique Services
Jeff Wirkkala Hardwood Industries, Inc. Vice President
Ray White Harold White Lumber Inc. Rules
Brent Stief Huron Forest Products, Inc. Past President 2016-2018
Joe Pryor Oaks Unlimited Industry Advocacy & Promotion
NHLA STAFF Lorna D. Christie CEO l.christie@nhla.com Amanda Boutwell Marketing and Communications Manager a.boutwell@nhla.com
ADVERTISER INDEX 5 Ally Global Logistics, LLC 7 Baillie Lumber 15 Breeze Dried 10 DMSi 3 King City/Northway Forwarding, LTD
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
IFC Pike Lumber Company, Inc. 15 Serra IBC TallyExpress by DMSi BC Tropical Forest Products 15 U•C Coatings, LLC 7 Wood-Mizer, LLC
For advertising contact: John Hester, Director of Membership and Business Development at j.hester@nhla.com or 901-399-7558 or Vicky Simms, Membership Development Manager at v.simms@nhla.com or 901-399-7557
Renee Hornsby Director of Marketing/ Communications r.hornsby@nhla.com Melissa Ellis Smith Graphic Designer m.ellis@nhla.com
■■■ Desirée Freeman Controller Julia Ganey Member Relations Manager John Hester Director of Membership and Business Development Jens Lodholm Data Administration Specialist Carol McElya Inspector Training School Administrator Roman Matyushchenko Associate Dean of Education
Jon Syre Cascade Hardwood, LLC Structure David Mayfield Mayfield Lumber Co. Membership & Networking COMMITTEE CHAIRS Stephanie VanDystadt DV Hardwoods, Inc. Membership Rob Cabral Upper Canada Forest Products, Ltd. Promotion & Advocacy Dennis Mann Baillie Lumber Co. Convention Scott Cummings Cummings Lumber Company, Inc. Inspection Services Bruce Horner Abenaki Timber Corp. ITS/Continuing Education Brin Langmuir Falcon Lumber Ltd. Communications & Marketing Joe Snyder Fitzpatrick & Weller, Inc. Rules
Vicky Quiñones Simms Membership Development Manager Dana Spessert Chief Inspector
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
I HAVE BEEN PROUD TO SERVE AS NHLA PRESIDENT
M
past two years.
y time as NHLA President is rapidly coming to a close. This is one of my last two articles to write and I am somewhat conflicted as I compose these final words. When assuming the role of President, I had many goals and visions to accomplish, but it seems crisis management has overwhelmed us for the
I have been proud to serve this industry and NHLA, as President of the Board. If given the opportunity, I would sign-up and do it all over again. I have taken the role of NHLA President very seriously. When I received the call to consider serving, I sought advice from past leaders and a few stakeholders in NHLA, just to make sure I understood important information that I needed to serve you in the best manner possible. I learned a great deal from the research. My initial goals were to be the best leader I could be for NHLA. An association, an industry that I have been a part of since I was 16 years old. Early in the role, Lorna Christie and I spoke about vision and goals for the Association. The goals seemed simple . . .
to continue learning and networking. We are now working on the process where important Association business can be handled through the virtual method. NHLA continues to improvise, no matter the circumstances. But I do look forward to the days ahead when the virus is behind us, and we can once again all be together in a location participating in the greatest hardwood show on earth. I continue to believe in the power of the men and women in our industry when united. Unity and collaboration on advocacy and promotion of our industry are very important. This was our rally cry in the early days of my leadership. There has been success, but we must continue advancing our agendas. The final days as President are bittersweet. However, we have a President-Elect full of ideas and energy and is ready to assume the role. We have had lots of conversation, and I’m looking forward to his fresh, new, and energetic ideas for our Association. I will leave you with a quote that I thought was appropriate given the crazy days we have all come through . . . “May Success and a Smile Always be Yours!”
• Deliver high caliber member values and services • Increase membership and renewals • Focus on new members • Improve collaboration with affiliated organizations We also developed a strategic plan that we continue to follow and use as guidance when building our initiatives.
Darwin Murray, NHLA President McClain Forest Products dmurray@mcclainforestproducts.com
As a result of COVID-19, the Executive Committee recently approved a recommendation by the Convention Committee and Staff Directors to present a virtual event this year. What seemed to be a disappointment to many as the Louisville Convention was canceled, may have a silver lining. We are excited about the opportunity of the virtual event, as it will give all of our members an economical way
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CEO'S MESSAGE
IN TIMES OF CRISIS . . . NHLA INNOVATES TO SERVE OUR MEMBERS
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OVID-19 has profoundly impacted every aspect of the hardwood lumber industry over the past few months, including the NHLA Board’s most recent decision to cancel the in-person convention planned for Louisville, Kentucky.
While we are disappointed we won’t be able to welcome our members to Louisville, we are excited about the task of providing members with an innovative virtual networking opportunity. You can read more about the details on pages 8 and 9. Despite these difficult times, NHLA continues to innovate, and the partnership between NHLA staff and the Board Committees has never been stronger. Working with our Committees, we have made great progress in creating and delivering new value to our members despite ongoing industry challenges. In addition, we remain committed to our work on the Real American Hardwood Promotion Coalition, as well as our preliminary investigation into tackling faux wood products. Working alongside the Inspector Training School Committee chaired by Bruce Horner of Abenaki Timber, NHLA Chief Inspector Dana Spessert has introduced a test seven-week Inspector Training School class. This new class was created at the request of members who found it too costly to send students for the full 12week class. Taught by Rich Hascher and Roman Matyushchenko, the accelerated delivery of the ITS curriculum, as well as more hands-on-training has helped students focus and produce grade point averages on par with our traditional 12- week class. And thanks to the Inspector Training School Education Foundation’s donation of a “Smart White Board” we were able to conduct a virtual kiln course with Dr. Adam Taylor of UT Knoxville to complement the curriculum.
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Chief Spessert and his team have made progress in delivering new virtual educational opportunities for our members. In May and June, more than 300 members signed up for our first webinar on kiln drying hardwood lumber taught by Dr. Gene Wengert. We are fortunate that Dr. Wengert has volunteered his services to educate our members and the industry on this important topic. Thanks to a continued partnership with Dr. Wengert, NHLA will be offering additional webinars on topics including Sawing Hardwood Logs, Improving Edging and Trimming Practices, and Air and Shed Drying. While we are excited about creating and delivering a new generation of value to our members, none of these opportunities, including NHLA 2020 on Demand, is possible without the unique partnership we have with our Sponsors. Both the webinars and our new seven-week ITS class have proven to be a great success. Rest assured, NHLA will never lose sight of the value our members place on in-person networking. I for one, look forward to the days when COVID-19 is behind us and we can once again all be together at the greatest hardwood show on earth in sunny Palm Beach, September 22-24, 2021. I look forward to everyone’s participation in NHLA 2020 On Demand. Stay tuned for our Enews alerts and website updates for the latest information.
Lorna D. Christie, NHLA CEO l.christie@nhla.com
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DARWIN MURRAY NHLA PRESIDENT
DANA COLE Executive Director of the Hardwood Federation
2020 NHLA On DEMAND Conference and Exhibition SEPTEMBER 22-24, 2020
DANA SPESSERT NHLA Chief Inspector
BOB GRAHAM CEO of Serious Soft Skills, LLC
NHLA is pleased to announce the 2020 NHLA On Demand Conference & Exhibition. Due to the cancellation of the 2020 NHLA Annual Convention & Exhibit Showcase in Louisville, Kentucky, NHLA will be providing members various educational and networking opportunities virtually. The 2020 NHLA On Demand, will take place September 22, 23, and 24. NHLA On Demand will include a keynote presentation from one of the leading U.S. economists, Dan North, a general session/membership meeting, and five additional educational workshops. All content will be made available free of charge through the support of Cascade Hardwood, a member that believes in the mission of the Association and the need for the hardwood industry to remain informed, optimistic, and well-connected during these times. Content will be delivered via the Zoom video conferencing app and Webinar Jam, a cloud-based webinar platform. These platforms were chosen because of their ease of use to attendees and presenters. NHLA will provide an easy how-to guide for those who may be new users of these platforms.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER DAN NORTH Chief Economist for North America for Euler Hermes
LORNA CHRISTIE NHLA CEO
MIKE SNOW Executive Director of the American Hardwood Export Council
Registration for the 2020 NHLA On Demand OPENS AUGUST 1 at www.nhla.com 8
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All educational webinars and events will be recorded and accessible on NHLA.com for 90-days following the Live event. In addition to the education sessions, attendees can also visit exhibitors through a new interactive Exhibition Floor Plan. The interactive plan will allow attendees to connect with exhibitors all year long. Attendees will be able to find an exhibitor by name, booth, or by category, see an exhibitor’s profile and bookmark a booth. The interactive Exhibition will launch on NHLA.com by September 1. W W W. N H L A .C O M
2020 NHLA On DEMAND
PREMIUM SPONSORS
Conference and Exhibition
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS DAY 1: SEPTEMBER 22, TUESDAY 10-11:30am
Opening Session/ Membership Meeting NHLA will hold an opening session featuring the State of the Association address followed by Board of Mangers Elections and more
FEATURED SPONSORS
DAY 2: SEPTEMBER 23, WEDNESDAY 10-11:30am
WEBINAR ED SESSION 1 – Advocacy in the Time of COVID by Dana Cole of the Hardwood Federation Sponsored by Hardwood Industries
Noon – 1:30pm WEBINAR ED SESSION 2 – Are You Operating Effectively? 4 Metrics to Track Operational Efficiency by Dana Spessert Sponsored by TRN
3:00-4:30pm
WEBINAR ED SESSION 3 – Guiding Your Sales Team During and After a Crisis by Bob Graham
DAY 3: SEPTEMBER 24, THURSDAY 10-11:30am
Keynote Speaker Dan North, Chief Economist for North America at Euler Hermes. As one of the leading U.S. economists, Dan North has appeared on CNBC, Fox Business News, ABC News Now, France 24, and Bloomberg Radio and Television. He will share his insights and attendees will learn about the latest trends and analysis to help keep your business growing.
Noon-1:30pm WEBINAR ED SESSION 4 – Fighting Faux Wood Claims by the NHLA Promotion Committee Sponsored by Swaner Hardwood 3:00-4:30pm
WEBINAR ED SESSION 5 – International Hardwood Market Trends by Mike Snow, Executive Director of the American Hardwood Export Council Sponsored by Kuehne + Nagel
GENERAL SPONSORS Brewco Ecolab Inc. Froedge Hardwood Industries HDI ISK Biocides Kuehne + Nagel Mason's Mill and Lumber McDonough Mfg Mellott Mfg Messersmith MOPAC Lumber Piche Signode Swaner Hardwood TRN Tropical Forest Products USNR
Sponsors as of July 15, 2020
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT DMSi
DMSi:
Left to Right: TallyExpress uses artificial intelligence to make end tallying accurate, fast and easy. Henry German (left) and Andy Nuffer (right) lead the TallyExpress team.
THE ART OF WORKING SMARTER
C
hances are, you’ve heard the old saying, “work smarter, not harder.” While hard work is essential to success, there comes the point when you have to look for ways to make it easier to grow. Melissa Gratias, a workplace productivity coach, says, “working smarter is the pursuit of productivity coupled with a respect for downtime and rest.” This quip is the perfect way to describe DMSi.
Rule number one in ‘working smarter’ is understanding you can’t be everything to everyone. That’s why DMSi chose to specialize in a single industry – the lumber and building materials industry. By being a part of the industry, DMSi understands our language. You can call DMSi to talk about 8/4 Walnut on sticks, and they know exactly what you are talking about - they speak ‘lumber.’ Kerry Blusys, a senior account executive who has been with DMSi since 1992, said, “We don’t just want to make a product that happens to
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do things for hardwood lumber companies. We want to be the best possible partner for our customers to help them grow their business in a larger context. DMSi understands the needs of the industry because we are a part of the industry.” A testament to their involvement is DMSi’s inventory software, Agility ERP. Agility is specifically designed for dimensional products. It streamlines catalogs yet accounts for every inch of inventory in the yard and can find a specific board among a hundred bundles. W W W. N H L A .C O M
“We have a great relationship with our customers and taking care of them is of the utmost importance. It’s a reciprocal relationship, which is nice. We see our customers as people, which sounds a little cheesy and trite, but it’s true. We know the people who are using our software, not just their company name.” — Kerry Blusys
DMSi’s Mobile Proof of Delivery app is part of their Agility inventory software and allows drivers to snap a photo of a delivery and capture a digital signature.
Another example of DMSi’s industry focus is TallyExpress, a mobile app for tallying lumber. DMSi saw TallyExpress as something that could solve a common problem for hardwood businesses. Often, businesses want their highest-skilled, most-trusted employee doing the tallying because it directly affects the bottom line. Unfortunately, the burnout rate among the people doing the tallying is quite high because it is such an exacting, grueling job. Andy Nuffer, part of the Business Development team for TallyExpress, explains, “TallyExpress has made the job of tallying much easier. We’ve had customers who say there was a general morale boost around their yards once they started using TallyExpress. The software has taken an arduous job and made it much simpler, and now companies can keep their talented employees. After all, they’re not burning them out with tedious labor.” Andy continues with an instance from one of their new customers, “The client was in the middle of their free 30-day trial, and I was following up with him, when the customer told me that he loved it so much, once the free trial was over, he’s buying the software. He said if he tried to take this software away from his workforce, he’d face a revolt!” W W W. N H L A .C O M
TallyExpress runs on smartphone technology, which most people are already comfortable using. You take a photo of the end of a bundle of lumber and then input a small amount of information about the bundle, and you’ll instantly get an accurate tally of your product, improving efficiency and saving money. Andy says that he will get some resistance to change, and some people may feel as though TallyExpress is too good to be true. “We work hard to explain how it works and show exactly how accurate it is. After all, finding reliable labor is incredibly difficult. TallyExpress shows up on time to work every day. It tallies a bundle in 60 – 90 seconds and allows businesses to free-up their employee’s time to do something that’s more impactful for you.” Another issue facing business today is the COVID-19 pandemic. One of DMSi’s first action steps was to help customers set up environments that let office staff work remotely. Additionally, DMSi is helping customers make use of this time to tackle projects they may have put off. Webinars and educational emails cover topics such as inventory control plans, sales best practices, and data management. And of course, that’s where their stellar customer service shines. “We have a great relationship with our customers, and taking care of them is of the utmost importance. It’s a reciprocal relationship, which is nice. We see our customers as people, which sounds a little cheesy and trite, but it’s true. We know the people who are using our software, not just their company name,” Kerry says. Andy chimes in, “We talk to customers anytime they need us. When you call us, you get a real, live person. It’s helpful for our customers who only have time to talk at an odd hour. We can help them when they need us instead of making them wait for us to get back to them.” Kerry credits some of their success to their NHLA membership, saying, “our NHLA membership is critical to us because we don’t merely want to serve this industry—we are a part of this industry. And so being there with our customers, talking to them about the things that are going on in their business helps us because our fortunes are tied together.” “Our membership in NHLA helps DMSi become a better partner to the Hardwood industry. We need to be sure we keep up with the growing trends, issues, and ideas that happen within the industry as a whole to be sure we can build software solutions that foster growth.” Work Smarter with DMSi and TallyExpress. To contact DMSi, please visit: www.dmsi.com. To contact TallyExpress, please visit: www.tallyexpress.com. Sources: www.psychcentral.com/lib/8-ways-to-work-smarter-not-harder/
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ADVOCACY In the Time of
COVID
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by DANA COLE, Executive Director Hardwood Federation egular readers of Hardwood Matters are well aware of the Hardwood Federation and our efforts on behalf of the industry in Washington, D.C. We often refer to ourselves as the “Voice of the Hardwood Industry” as we work to support positive federal policies that support the economic viability of hardwood companies and employees across the country. We are your advocates in our nation’s Capital, one of hundreds of trade associations that work to support various industry sectors by presenting their priorities to the Administration and Congress and explaining how action in the right direction will help create jobs and strong local economies. Equally important is we are here in D.C. to play defense, continually building relationships on and off the Hill so that we are in position to kill an emerging policy threat to our sector even before it gains traction. Trade associations, like the Hardwood Federation, are important to the business community because they are able to focus day in and day out on a specific set of problems and can consistently communicate with and educate policymakers on the impacts proposed legislation and regulations can have on employers and employees in their communities. Trade associations also
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Over the past few years nearly 250 NHLA member companies have directly contributed approximately $70,000 annually to the Hardwood Federation. This is in addition to the annual contribution of 10% of NHLA membership dues to the Federation. Photos: NHLA participating in past HF Fly-Ins.
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develop consistent messaging that represents general industry agreement on important issues. In a perfect world, everyone in the industry can deliver the same message and strengthen the argument to make policy that best supports hardwood businesses. As a member of the hardwood business community, the majority of your professional focus is on the business and not on politics. The Hardwood Federation focuses on the politics to make your job easier. Traditionally our work is done on a very personal level, often one on one with Members of Congress or Administration officials. Small group meetings are also popular, sometimes with industry leaders and sometimes with representatives from other forest products associations with common interests. While the days of the three-martini lunch are behind us, fundraising meals and receptions still happen . . . or did in the days before COVID-19. All that has changed in the last six months. Since the arrival and spread of COVID-19 in the United States, trade association staffs, including those with the Hardwood Federation, have had to adjust the way they do business. Where we were once internally focused, working directly and in-person with policymakers and their staff, we are now externally focused, communicating primarily via phone, e-mail and most recently, various virtual meeting systems. While this is different, it does have its benefits. Zoom calls with many participants are more controlled by staff, allowing everyone access to the Member of Congress and reducing the chances of one or two people dominating the conversation.
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We have also implemented new ways for the industry to get more actively involved. Usually, we host our annual Fly-In to DC, inviting members of the industry to come to town and meet with their federal officials to tell their story and express their opinions. Between fifty (50) and eighty (80) individuals took us up on this offer in the past. This year that won’t be possible, so we have provided the industry with a new tool, Phone2Action, allowing individuals to send texts and e-mails directly to Congressional offices. To date, we have initiated three industry outreach campaigns sending 4,000 e-mails and texts from over 1,000 hardwood industry leaders to their Members of Congress, reaching 88 Senators and almost 300 Representatives. We have also used this tool to send thirty-one (31), Covid-19 related Issue Alerts and Updates since the crisis hit in March. This isn’t to say that we can only rely on one system of communication going forward. We believe future advocacy efforts will include a smart mix of all strategies . . . in person, virtual meetings, direct texting . . . to press our point of view. Crisis often leads to creative problem solving and new, more efficient ways to get the job done. The Hardwood Federation team is doing our best to identify ways to effectively represent you in Washington, D.C. during these unprecedented times, and we are also constantly thinking about how to take the best practices learned from this experience with us into the future. We know many of you are facing the same challenges at your facilities. Hopefully, we will all be in more positive times soon, but until then, we are confident the industry will rise to the occasion and come out stronger than before. W W W. N H L A .C O M
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RULES CORNER
More Educational Opportunities with Chief Inspector Dana Spessert
The second webinar in this series will focus on edging and trimming. These two webinars will be based on another book co-authored by Gene, “Sawing, Edging and Trimming Hardwood Lumber Putting Theory into Practice,” as well as the many years of practical experience obtained in working at and managing sawmills. We will continue to provide webinars based on the various aspects of wood product manufacturing, and we have more interesting topics in the works such as Air and Shed Drying, Tips for Drying Oak, Tips for Drying Hard Maple, Tips for Great Gluing, Machining Defects and Cures, Yield Improvements in a Rough Mill and many more.
A
s we watch our world changing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NHLA continues to look for new ways to meet the educational needs of the hardwood industry.
In June, NHLA held its first live webinar event on the topic of kiln drying hardwood lumber. We were fortunate to work with Dr. Eugene Wengert, aka the “Wood Doctor” and co-author of the manual Drying Hardwood Lumber, who graciously volunteered to teach the series. The topics for the Kiln Drying webinar series ranged from cutting samples to storing kiln-dried lumber. The webinars were set up to allow attendees to ask questions via typed messages and the presenter to respond to the questions at the appropriate time. The webinar series had more than 400 registrants and more than 250 attendees at each live session. The webinar series has been archived on NHLA.com and is available for replay at your convenience. Since the first series of webinars were so well received, we are pleased to announce that we will be continuing our partnership with Dr. Wengert to offer more educational opportunities for the industry. The first webinar of the new series that will be centered around manufacturing in the sawmill and will be on the topic of sawing.
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I would welcome recommendations on topics that would have the most benefit to your company or the overall industry. Please email me at d.spessert@nhla.com or give me a call at 901-399-7551. NHLA will be providing more information on these events as they become solidified using our website, E-newsletters and social media outlets. So please make sure to follow-us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram and subscribe to the Enewsletter.
Remember NHLA has programs in place to help with Profit Recovery. The program will conduct an audit of your facility to measure production performance throughout the sawmill, dry yards and kilns. The audit will provide measurements of profit recovery as well as identifying educational needs and outlining a plan of action. For more information on this program, please contact your area National Inspector or the Chief Inspector.
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INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Did you know the importance of airflow management inside your kiln? • Loading – Face of bundles flush. Not only will this improve airflow distribution, but it will also make baffling easier
by Henco Viljoen, Dry Kiln Specialist at Nyle Dry Kilns
A
ir is lazy! It will always take the path of least resistance.
Why is this important? Well, the air is the vehicle responsible for transporting the energy required for evaporation to the timber and for removing the evaporated moisture from the timber. So, when loading a kiln, the goal should be to create a timber stack barrier that spreads resistance and energy & airflow evenly.
How not to do it: Huge gap between bundles and bafles.
The path of least resistance inside a kiln is affected by: • Uniformity of Stacking – Stickers of the same gap (dimension), parallel to each other to prevent narrowing funnels between board layers that may speed up or slow down the airflow. • Uniformity of Stacking – Stacking density, meaning full board lengths in terms of length of the bundle. Shorter boards stacked amongst full-length boards on the same layer creates turbulence, affecting resistance. It is better to load 2 x 8 ft long bundles and baffle off 4 ft in a 20 ft chamber than to try and stretch the 8ft bundles to 10 ft by offset stacking every second board.
Neat Stacking. Stacks Square, stickers above supports and above each other
• Uniformity of Stacking – Square bundles make loading bundles edge to edge easier, reducing the need for additional baffling later.
• Loading – Stacks filling "face" of airflow. In side-loading kilns, this means the face of the stack must be wall-to-wall, track kilns – door to door would be perfect. However, realistically it does not always work like this. The gap must be closed by a side baffle that can extend up to 3 ft over the end of the load. In sideloading kilns with multiple stacks deep, without baffles, offset the stacks, so the first row of stacks aligns to the left wall, next row to the right wall. • Baffling – If a skunk sized animal can pass through the stack unhindered, baffling is inadequate! Ensuring that stacking, loading, and baffling is brought to a standard and kept there, is the first step to improving drying efficiency and contributes to making the effect of a schedule change more predictable. CONCLUSION: Managing the above points will ensure that as close to 100% of energy added in terms of airflow and heat for the evaporation process is distributed to as close to 100% of timber evenly, resulting in less energy used per board foot dried!
NHLA PROVIDES EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO IMPROVE YOUR BOTTOM LINE Register for classes at www.nhla.com/Education.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
SEPTEMBER
1-Nov. 20 Inspector Training School 193rd Class
Traditional 12-week hands-on training to achieve the certificate of completion in Hardwood Lumber Inspection. Venue: NHLA Headquarters Memphis, TN Instructor: Roman Matyushchenko, Associate Dean of the Inspector Training School
SEPTEMBER
14-17 Intro to Hardwood Lumber Grading
SEPTEMBER
14-18 Intro to Hardwood Lumber Grading
Intro class to gain a basic understanding of the NHLA hardwood lumber grading rules and how the rules affect the value of lumber.
Intro class to gain a basic understanding of the NHLA hardwood lumber grading rules and how the rules affect the value of lumber.
Venue: WV Wood Technology Center Elkins, WV
Venue: Wood-Mizer, LLC Indianapolis, IN
Instructor: Mark Depp, NHLA National Inspector
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Instructor: Kevin Evilsizer, NHLA National Inspector
| A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 H A R D W O O D M AT T E R S
W W W. N H L A .C O M
COVID-19 IMPACT:
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
At the time of publication, these educational courses are being offered. However, due to the unknowns of the COVID-19 pandemic please visit nhla.com for the latest information or call NHLA headquarters at 901-377-1818 to confirm that these courses are taking place.
OCTOBER
!26-29
New
Complete Kiln Drying Lumber Workshop
From fundamentals to advanced: students will learn not only what to do but how and why. New kiln operators, trainees, supervisors and managers can advance their skills by attending. Venue: NHLA Headquarters Memphis, TN Instructor: Gene Wengert – “The Wood Doctor� Sponsored by
OCTOBER
w! 28-29 NeAdvanced Kiln Drying Lumber Workshop
This class is designed for people who have some experience running drying equipment. Basic procedures such as measuring moisture content are NOT covered. Students should bring real-life problems to the instructor for evaluation, discussion and resolution. Venue: NHLA Headquarters Memphis, TN Instructor: Gene Wengert – “The Wood Doctor� Sponsored by W W W. N H L A .C O M
JANURAY
4-March 26 Inspector Training School 194th Class
Traditional 12-week hands-on training to achieve the certificate of completion in Hardwood Lumber Inspection. Venue: NHLA Headquarters Memphis, TN Instructor: Roman Matyushchenko, Associate Dean of the Inspector Training School
A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 H A R D W O O D M AT T E R S |
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
NHLA JOB BOARD
Here you will find our current job listings. To see more details or to post a job, visit www.nhla.com/industry-services/job-board.
LUMBER GRADER IN GRANITE FALLS, NC Granite Hardwoods is in search of an NHLA Certified Lumber Inspector to grade both Green and KD Appalachian Hardwood Lumber. Skills & Experience Required Certification from NHLA Inspector Training School. Salary & Benefits Great Pay plus Bonus Program. 401(k) Retirement Plan. Health Care Benefits. Excellent community, with a fun and competitive work environment. How to Apply Send your resume to: richard@granitehardwoods.com Granite Hardwoods 550 North Main St | Granite Falls, NC 28630 828-396-3395 | www.granitehardwoods.com LUMBER GRADER, SPARTA, TN White County Lumber Co., Inc. is in search of a lumber grader. Must be able to grade, measure, and identify hardwood lumber according to the NHLA rules and regulations. Skills & Experience Required Certification from NHLA Inspector Training School. Experience is preferred. New graduates will be considered. Job Responsibilities Grade and mark all lumber to be sorted according to NHLA rules/ guidelines and industry standards. Communicate effectively with your team and other departments. Adhere to all safety policies and perform tasks in a safe and responsible manner. Salary & Benefits Competitive wage. Health, dental, and life insurance. Holiday pay and paid vacation. How to Apply Send your resume to: wclumber@gmail.com White County Lumber Co., Inc. 931-738-5403 | www.whitecountylumber.com 2025 Sullivan Knowles Road | Sparta, TN 38583
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| A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 H A R D W O O D M AT T E R S
LUMBER INSPECTOR IN PIQUA, OHIO Hartzell Hardwoods is seeking a Lumber Inspector. This position reports to the Lumber Operations Supervisor and receives written and/or verbal orders/specifications. It is the Lumber Inspector’s responsibility to maintain the highest standards of grading when receiving or shipping lumber. Job Responsibilities • Visually inspects lumber according to species, grade and dimension. • Uses NHLA lumber grading rules to inspect lumber while sitting on an automated grading deck. • The Lumber Trainee will grade offline, or with an experienced grader until they are qualified to grade at the accuracy and speed determined by Hartzell standards. • May be required to do their own sorting setups before starting another run per sorting specifications. (e.g., vendors, kilns, etc). • Corrects any skews and situations that stop the lumber line from running. This may require getting off the grading deck and correcting the problem within their area. • All inspectors may be required to switch off with another lumber inspec tor. Lumber inspectors are required to work in another assigned position when they are not grading lumber. Skills & Experience Required • Must be able to operate a grade console and board turner. • This position operates and controls the Lumber Handling Machine from the grading deck platform. The employee must be aware of the manufacturing process and the safety hazards related to the machine’s operations. • Previous experience in grading walnut lumber along with other hard woods species is desired • NHLA schooling is preferred but not mandatory. • Familiar with lumber grading rules, calculator, tally book, pencil, lumber crayon stick, grad console and board turner is a plus • Long periods of sitting on grading deck. Occasionally turns boards weighing between 5 lbs. to over 60 lbs. using lumber grading rulers. • Ability to climb stairs onto grading platform. Salary & Benefits Competitive starting pay, vacation, and insurance benefits. How to Apply Send Resume and Cover Letter to: arengers@hartzell.com Hartzell Hardwoods 1025 South Roosevelt Avenue | Piqua, Ohio 45356 937-615-3004 | www.hartzell.com
W W W. N H L A .C O M
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Easy to use and easy on the body. TallyExpress means no “One we were up more day crouching andbacked measuring with 12 bundles on our line. each board one at a time for Normally, it would have taken a hours on end. All you need to do very stressful 30 minutes to get is take a picture of the bundle, those tallied and moved. With let the A.I. program TallyExpress, we didmeasure all 12 each board for you inminutes seconds,and bundles in about ten adjustments, and itmake was a few stress-free experience.” –you’re Granite Hardwoods, Inc. done.
“I“The wanted this is product its training almostfor nothing. speed and accuracy but I People take pictures with also their noticed a big morale boost smartphones every day. It’s in myfamiliar yard. Anyone who has very technology. hand tallied knows it’s pretty Basically, you show someone unpleasant. is so how to use itTallyExpress on one bundle easythey’re to use, ready my guys areIthappy and to go. really to tallyonly now.” does take a couple of -minutes Granite to Hardwoods, Inc. train someone.” – Allegheny Wood Products
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