Longtime Boise Cascade Manager Steve Stoler Retires

Steve Stoler will retire from his position as particleboard sales and marketing manager at Boise Cascade this August, marking the end of a 39-year career with the company.

From the beginning of his career at Boise Cascade Company, Stoler has been a trailblazer. He started with Boise Cascade in 1979 when he was contacted to handle claims on rough sawn mahogany siding. He continued to advance through the company, and was promoted to manage the siding claims office in Minneapolis in 1986.

Thirteen years later, Stoler relocated to the corporate office to handle large claims. Stoler is known for his focus on the facts. Morgan Olson, particleboard plant manager for Boise Cascade in La Grande, Ore., noted the impact Stoler’s close analysis of the mill’s production process data had on developing a cost model.

“Steve has had a very large impact on helping the mills stay profitable or increase profits by having that cost model in place,” he said.

Stoler’s exceptional leadership skills extend beyond the Boise Cascade office. Beginning in 2004, he served as Boise Cascade’s representative on the board of directors of the Composite Panel Association. In 2016, Stoler became Chairman of the Composite Panel Association, the first and only Boise Cascadian to have served in that role. In addition to his emphasis on the importance of knowing and understanding the facts, Stoler’s strong communication skills have been essential in his career. His peers noted the impact his influence has had on their own professional growth.

Read more on this from Woodworking Network at https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/panel-supply/steve-stoler-retires-boise-cascade-after-39-years?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news.

OSU Gets Grant For Cross-Laminated Timber Research

OSU Gets Grant For Cross-Laminated Timber Research

 

Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Agriculture subcommittee, and Ron Wyden announced Thursday that a nearly half-million dollar U.S. Department of Agriculture grant was awarded to Oregon State University for research on the durability of cross-laminated timber, an innovative product that is helping to advance wood as a construction material for tall buildings.

“We have been working to establish Oregon as a hub for mass timber products, using local timber and bolstering our forest products economy,” said Merkley, who each year on the Appropriations Committee has fought to fund this important grants program.

“This research at OSU supports the innovative manufacturing that helps to create jobs in the rural part of the state, and lays the groundwork for tall wood building construction in urban parts of the state. I will continue to use my seat on the appropriations committee to get this important research and development funded.”

“Oregon is leading the way in developing state-of-the-art timber products that are revolutionizing our nation’s construction industry,” Wyden said. “This funding supports the ongoing research and innovative work Oregon State University is doing to ensure timber products can continue to spark economic growth and create good-paying jobs across Oregon.”

“Oregon State University is at the forefront of research to inform engineering design guidelines for cross-laminated timber structural systems,” said Anthony S. Davis, Acting Dean of the Oregon State University College of Forestry. “This grant award is another example of the excellent research done by scientists affiliated with OSU and the TallWood Design Institute.

Read more on this from KTVZ 21 News at ktvz.com

 

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Global Wood-Based Panel Market To Reach $174 Billion By 2025

Global Wood-Based Panel Market To Reach $174 Billion By 2025

 

The global wood-based panel market size is expected to reach $174.55 billion by 2025, registering a 7.7 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research.

High demand as an insulating material for wall cladding, ceiling, roofing, and flooring applications is expected to boost market growth over the coming years, said the report “Wood-Based Panel Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Plywood, MDF, Particleboard, Softboard, Hardboard), By Application (Furniture, Construction, Packaging), And Segment Forecasts, 2018 – 2025”.

The global industry is dynamic and highly competitive in nature. Investments, divestments, and regional expansions are key strategies adopted by players to strengthen their presence in the market.

On the down side, increasing raw material prices and lack of technological innovation are expected to be a key concern for industry players.

Innovations in the traditional woodworking industry to produce more sustainable products, such as MDF, particleboard, OSB, and HDF, which can be employed in specific application areas, are expected to boost market growth over the forecast period. Companies are investing in R&D activities to come up with environmentally-friendly manufacturing wood-based panels.

From Trade Arabia: tradearabia.com.

 

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Freres Lumber Representatives Visit Japanese Wood Products Manufacturers

One of the best aspects of our industry is how open and inviting other producers are to visitors. It is a fact that in the wood products industry some of our fiercest competitors may also be our best customers, which encourages companies to be open and helpful. Visiting mills can often be the best way to build relationships, learn about new production processes and equipment, and develop partnerships. This is not only true for North American producers, but also foreign producers.

In January of this year, representatives of Freres Lumber learned this first-hand. Invited by Taihei, a Japanese equipment manufacturer, Freres Plant Manager Bill Childress, Chris Harpole our Plywood Maintenance Manager and myself traveled almost 24 hours to Japan for a whirlwind, five-day tour of manufacturing and equipment fabricating facilities. There was much to learn and much to see.

In a production line the magic is often in the small details, but we noticed some large differences between U.S. and Japanese production processes right away. From the start of the production, many of the blocks were conditioned in nominal 12’ lengths. A standard metric sheet of veneer or plywood is 1-meter x 2-meter, or about 3’ x 6’. Blocks this size would be difficult to handle, so they kept full length and cut in half at the lathe.

Japanese veneer processing lines are not unheard of in the States, and in fact Swanson Group, a local Oregon manufacturer has a Japanese Meinan lathe. These lathes are known for their precision and how few people are required to operate the line. They also have a substantially different philosophy in handling random veneer, which was not only evident on the veneer line, but also in the plywood workstations.

U.S. production on lines typically add the people they need to handle small, random pieces. Japanese producers crowd, stack, and compose the random veneer instead. It varies from plant to plant whether or not random veneer is composed green or dry.

Read more of this article from Kyle Freres at https://frereslumber.com/blog/2018/07/freres-lumber-representatives-visit-japanese-wood-products-manufacturers/?utm_source=Forest+Business+Network+email+newsletter&utm_campaign=7bbb0fdb95-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_07_04&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3a629cb392-7bbb0fdb95-111950185.

Pacific Northwest Weyerhaeuser Employees Vote On Union Strike Authority

Pacific Northwest Weyerhaeuser Employees Vote On Union Strike Authority

 

About 1,200 Weyerhaeuser Co. employees in Washington and Oregon voted overwhelmingly Thursday to give the regional woodworkers union strike authority, paving the way for a work stoppage if negotiators continue to disagree on terms of a new labor contract.

The final ballot tally was more than 90 percent in favor of strike authority, said Wayne Thompson, district business representative of the International Aerospace and Machinists/Woodworkers Local District W24 Lodge. The vote total included ballots from nearly 400 union sawmill and other workers in Longview-based Woodworkers Local 536. Workers from Coos Bay, Ore., to Aberdeen, Wash., also participated in the vote.

Union members also voted down the most recent version of a proposed contract by roughly the same margin, Thompson said Friday. “I’ve never seen our crews this solid,” he said. Thompson said negotiators are still working with Weyerhaeuser representatives to get back to the bargaining table.

“We are disappointed in this outcome, but optimistic that we can continue to work with union leaders to reach a mutually acceptable agreement,” Weyerhaeuser said Friday in a statement.

No date has been set for a strike, but no further contract talks are scheduled, Thompson said. However, an official at Woodworkers Local 24 in the Raymond area said the union and company have scheduled talks on July 10-11, the Raymond, Wash.-based Willapa Harbor Herald reported late Friday afternoon.

From The Daily News: tdn.com

 

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Metsä Group and Sweco have signed an agreement for the implementation planning of the new Kerto LVL mill in Äänekoski, Finland. “We have strong confidence in Sweco’s expertise and resources from our previous collaboration projects. It is therefore natural that we continue our cooperation in this project to develop the Äänekoski mill area,” says Jaakko Anttila, Executive Vice President, Metsä Wood…

Find Us On Social

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The monthly Panel World Industry Newsletter reaches over 3,000 who represent primary panel production operations.

Subscribe/Renew

Panel World is delivered six times per year to North American and international professionals, who represent primary panel production operations. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.

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