Oregon-based Swanson Group announced the appointment of Chris Swanson as President. In the expanded role he will assume control of the day-to-day management of the company. This transition ensures the continuation of family management of Swanson Group.

During his 25 plus years with Swanson Group, he has served in various operations, sale and management roles across all facets of the company. 

Steve Swanson, who has managed the company since 1988, will maintain a presence, serving as CEO and Chairman of the board.

USA BioEnergy (USABE) has signed a letter of intent with LP Building Solutions (LP) outlining plans to enter a long-term supply agreement for sustainably sourced wood fiber to support operations at USAB’s planned Texas Renewable Fuels (TRF) biorefinery in Bon Wier, Tex. The advanced biorefinery will require raw wood feedstocks for the production of renewable fuel. Once finalized, the agreement would provide for up to 2.2 million tons of woody biomass annually for an initial term of 20 years.

This advanced biorefinery will convert forest thinnings into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other renewable fuels. LP is expected to serve as the exclusive procurement agent for TRF under the future agreement,.

“LP is proud to bring our deep roots in sustainable forestry to support the Texas Renewable Fuels project,” says LP Natural Resources Manager Steven Meadows. “Our long-standing commitment to responsible resource management is well aligned with USA BioEnergy’s vision for sustainable fuel production. We look forward to advancing this effort, which benefits the regional economy, promotes environmental stewardship, and advances the clean fuels industry.”

In January, USABE closed on the acquisition of over 1,600 acres of land in East Texas for its new $2.8 billion advanced biorefinery, designed to convert wood waste into sustainable, net-zero SAF. The planned greenfield facility is currently in detailed design and engineering and aims to address airlines’ growing demand for SAF, and has secured a 20-year offtake agreement with Southwest Airlines. 

After the engineering and design process is completed, construction of the biorefinery is expected to take approximately two years, followed by a six- to eight-month commissioning period. The facility will annually convert one million tons of sustainably sourced woody waste into 65 million gallons of premium net-zero transportation fuel, including sustainable aviation fuel and renewable naphtha. The plant will also capture and sequester over 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over the biorefinery’s lifetime.

Hampton Lumber and affiliate, RedBuilt, are pleased to announce the appointment of Ted Osterberger as Chief Executive Officer of RedBuilt, effective June 1, 2025. Osterberger succeeds Don Schwabe, who will retire later this year after ten years of leadership.

Based in Boise, Id., RedBuilt is a provider of innovative engineered wood products and structural solutions. Osterberger currently serves as RedBuilt’s Vice President of Operations and brings over 25 years of industry experience to his new role.

“Ted’s deep knowledge of the business, his unwavering commitment to people, and his proven leadership make him the ideal choice to lead RedBuilt into the future,” says Randy Schillinger, CEO of Hampton Lumber, RedBuilt’s parent company.

Schwabe will remain with the company through September 1, 2025, to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.

“It has been the greatest honor of my career to lead RedBuilt and to work alongside such a talented and committed group of people,” says Schwabe. “I am also incredibly grateful for having had the opportunity to carry on the legacy of Harold “Red” Thomas, Tom Denig, and Kurt Liebich. And now, as part of Hampton Lumber and under Ted’s leadership, the best is yet to come for RedBuilt.”

Schwabe’s tenure included the successful acquisition of RedBuilt by Hampton Lumber in 2024.

Washington, D.C.-based law firm Wiley, on behalf of the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, has filed antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) petitions with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission, seeking relief from unfair trade practices by Indonesia, Vietnam, and China. These petitions have significant implications for the U.S. economy, in which hardwood plywood plays a critical role in producing numerous downstream products.

The Coalition represents a substantial majority of hardwood plywood production in the U.S., and its members include Columbia Forest Products, Commonwealth Plywood, Manthei Wood Products, States Industries, and Timber Products.

The petitions, filed May 22, allege that the governments of Indonesia, Vietnam, and China are actively subsidizing their industries through dozens of programs, including providing products at subsidized rates and multiple grant, tax, and lending programs. Additionally, hardwood and decorative plywood producers from the three countries are dumping their products into the U.S. at margins of up to 133.7% for Vietnam, 202.8% for Indonesia, and 474.2% for China, according to the petitions.

These unfairly traded imports have caused material injury to the domestic hardwood and decorative plywood industry, including reduced production, shipments, profits, and employment. Without trade relief under U.S. AD/CVD laws, the petitions argue, the domestic industry and the thousands of American jobs it supports are in jeopardy.

“Domestic hardwood and decorative plywood manufacturers have been harmed for decades by dumped and subsidized imports from Indonesia, Vietnam, and China,” said Timothy C. Brightbill, co-chair of Wiley’s International Trade Practice and lead counsel to the Coalition. “Trade remedies are necessary to restore fair competition for this essential U.S industry.”

The Coalition members operate more than a dozen facilities across the country, including in Arkansas, California, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The Wiley team representing the Coalition also includes International Trade partner Stephanie M. Bell and associate Stephen A. Morrison.

Andritz has acquired LDX Solutions, a provider of emission reduction technologies and related services in the North American industrial market, with annual revenues of about $100 million. This acquisition further strengthens Andritz’s offering of environmental technologies and its presence in the growing North American market.

Comprising the strong legacy brands of Dustex, Geoenergy and Western Pneumatics, LDX Solutions offers a wide range of technologies and engineered solutions for a cleaner environment. The company’s wet electrostatic precipitators (WESP) and regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTO) will further complement Andritz’s comprehensive clean air technologies portfolio. With a team of 250 experts, decades of experience, and an installed base of more than 2,000 systems, LDX Solutions also enhances the service offering for Andritz customers throughout North America.

Harald Reissner, Senior Vice President Clean Air Technologies at Andritz, comments, “We are very pleased to welcome the LDX Solutions team to our Environment & Energy business area. Their long-standing industry experience, excellent product portfolio and operational excellence perfectly support our long-term growth strategy that focuses on sustainable solutions minimizing CO2 footprint.”