by Web Editor | Jul 27, 2018 | News
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.
by Web Editor | Mar 21, 2018 | News
Egger Group, a wood-based materials supplier for the furniture, wood construction and flooring industries, broke ground on its North American corporate offices in North Carolina’s Davidson County. The Austrian panel producer says this is a critical step in expanding its U.S. presence to better serve North American customers.
The office building, which is scheduled for completion in early 2019, will house Egger’s North American future office staff. This building also lays the groundwork for future plant operations, which includes an ‘ultramodern’ particleboard manufacturing plant.
Construction of the plant is expected to start at the end of 2018 and production at the future facility is slated to begin in 2020. Sources report the 4.5 million-square-foot production facility will be spread across more than 200 acres in an industrial park. The first stage of the project will involve the construction of a composite panel plant with coating capacities. The company said the North Carolina plant will feature state-of-the-art facilities and will enable it to better serve customers in North America.The company also plans to establish a training center at this location to train and grow skilled workers in the region.
“Today, we celebrate a significant milestone for Egger’s presence in North America,” said Bernhard Vorreiter, technical project manager. “This groundbreaking is an important moment as we work to become a leading resource for wood-based solutions in North America.”
The office building will house approximately 80 workplaces and improve access for architects, designers, wholesalers and furniture industry customers to Egger’s wide range of wood-based products and cutting-edge designs.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/egger-group-breaks-ground-office-building-will-accompany-massive?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news
by Web Editor | Jan 22, 2018 | News
Shipments of particleboard and MDF in 2017 totaled 5.560 BSF for the year, an increase of 0.9 percent over 2016, according to the Composite Panel Association. December shipments totaled 395 MMSF (3/4-inch basis), down 4.14 percent compared to the same month a year ago at 412 MMSF.
Particleboard shipments in December were 232 MMSF (3/4-inch basis) and 3.309 BSF for the year, a 0.1 percent increase from 2016. MDF shipments totaled 163 MMSF (3/4-inch basis) for the month and 2.250 BSF for 2017, a 2 percent increase compared to 2016.
Also, CPA reported that shipments of thermally fused laminate (TFL) in 2017 totaled 1.267 BSF, a decrease of 0.5 percent compared to 2016. Fourth quarter shipments were 303 MMSF, up 1.7 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2016. December shipments were 86.4 MMSF, down 0.2 percent from the same month in 2016.
Shipments were extrapolated based on data from 87.3 percent of the U.S. and Canadian industry. Quarterly, the TFL Monthly Shipments Report also includes data on shipments by substrate, country of origin, two-sided lamination and print pattern and color applications.
The Industry Snapshot Report is published each month and is available to members on CPA’s website, https://www.compositepanel.org.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/final-cpa-numbers-show-panel-shipments-gain-2017?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news
by Web Editor | Oct 6, 2017 | News
Arauco North America President Kelly Shotbolt has been named the first recipient of the Brock R. Landry Industry Leadership Award. The award, given by the Composite Panel Association, honors individuals for their outstanding contributions and leadership to the composite panel industry.
Shotbolt was presented with the award during the CPA’s Fall Meeting, held in conjunction with the Material, Technology and Design Symposium. The event took place Oct. 1-3 in Savannah, Georgia.
The association created the annual award in recognition of CPA counsel Brock R. Landry, who retired last year after more than 40 years of significant contributions in service to the North American composite panel industry. The recipient of the award was selected by CPA members.
In presenting the award to Shotbolt, CPA Chairman Emilio Ayub of Duraplay commended Shotbolt on his impact and vision for the industry, including his role in bringing together the U.S., Canadian and Mexican panel industries to form a united North American presence represented by the CPA. Shotbolt has also served for a number of years on the association’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors, including two terms as CPA Chairman. In a statement, the association also noted that Shotbolt’s “involvement and long-term commitment to the industry on significant advocacy and regulatory issues have been vital to the industry’s success.”
CPA President Jackson Morrill said, “I cannot think of a more deserving individual to be the first recipient of the Landry Award. Kelly has truly been a remarkable leader, spokesperson and strong advocate for the North American composite wood industry.”
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/araucos-kelly-shotbolt-receives-landry-leadership-award?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news
by Web Editor | Sep 11, 2017 | News
Thanks to a partnership with the Oregon State University College of Forestry, D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations in Riddle, Oregon, recently became the first U.S. certified manufacturer of cross-laminated timber.
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is a massive structural composite panel product usually consisting of three to nine layers of dimensional timber arranged perpendicular to each other, much like layers of veneer in plywood and can be used as prefabricated wall, floor and roofing elements in residential, public and commercial structures. It is extremely strong and flexible, making it resilient to seismic activity.
Lech Muszyński, assistant professor of wood science and engineering, first saw CLT in production during his 2009 sabbatical in Austria. He says those facilities were unlike anything he had ever seen.
“I decided to visit as many as I could because the diversity was astounding,” Muszyński says. “I learned that you don’t need to be a big operation to make a difference in the market.”
Once back at OSU, Muszyński began making the rounds to industry partners to gauge their interest in constructing CLT test panels. He had little success until a meeting of the college’s Board of Visitors. Valarie Johnson, president of D.R. Johnson Lumber was in the room.
From Oregon State University: https://www.forestry.oregonstate.edu/osu-dr-johnson-work-together-produce-cross-laminated-timber
