Freres Has Taihei Horizontal Press Going

by | Jan 30, 2020 | News

Freres Has Taihei Horizontal Press Going

 

Freres Lumber Co., Inc. has installed and is operating a Taihei horizontal hot press at Lyons, Oregon. Freres says they are already reaping numerous benefits the horizontal press offers over conventional vertical press technology.

The horizontal press differs from conventional vertical presses in that the heat plates are installed vertically and apply pressure to the plywood horizontally. Freres says it is increasing production efficiency, maximizing the uniformity of contact pressure, and is more energy efficient than a vertical press.

Additionally, the new system has a small footprint in relation to the number of platens, allowing Freres to install this 60-opening press, where previously there had been a 24-opening press.

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Freres Lumber Builds For The Future With New Mass Plywood Panels

by | Nov 29, 2018 | News

Freres Lumber Builds For The Future With New Mass Plywood Panels

 

Tyler Freres, vice president of sales for Freres Lumber Co., walked through a new manufacturing plant between Mill City and Lyons, off of Cedar Mill Road, and pointed out a stack of wood panels destined for Oregon State University this week. “I don’t even think we’ve started to tap the products and the projects we can make out of this,” Freres said.

Freres Lumber Co.’s mass plywood panels were certified for use at the end of July, and the product is already being used in buildings and for other construction purposes. And Freres is thinking big. “We have quite a bit of projects in the works, probably 14 to 16 projects quoted,” said Freres, whose ideas led to the creation of the mass plywood panels by his family’s company.

The OSU shipment is the final delivery of the panels to be used in two new buildings that will form the Oregon Forest Science Center on campus, which is estimated to cost $80 million and scheduled to open in the fall of 2019.

The mass plywood panels will be used for the roof of the George W. Peavy Forest Science Center, and for the interior and exterior walls of the nearby A.A. “Red” Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Laboratory.

Both buildings are showcasing innovative wood products made in Oregon, and the mass plywood panels are the latest entry into the market. Freres Lumber was only the third United States producer of mass timber panels to meet the Engineered Wood Association’s standards.

From the Corvallis Gazette-Times: gazettetimes.com.

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FRERES HAS TAIHEI HORIZONTAL PRESS GOING

 

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Freres Lumber’s Massive Plywood Panels Receive Big Grant

by | Jun 22, 2017 | News

A $250,000 grant from the U.S. Forest Service will help Freres Lumber Co. bring its veneer-based massive plywood panels to the market.

Announced late last year, Freres Lumber says its massive plywood panels (MPP) could be used for floors and walls in multi-story commercial buildings, and they could be made to order. Freres hopes its panels will revolutionize the construction industry.

“We were recently informed that our mass plywood plant was named the Forest Service’s top project in the U.S.,” Freres executive VP Rob Freres said. “This was a competitive process with 114 grant applications submitted for consideration.”

Designed to be an alternative to cross-laminated timber, Freres’ massive panels can be as much as 12 feet wide and 2 feet thick. Freres says there are many potential benefits.

Structures made of MPP could be made in days instead of months, says Freres, and use 20-30 percent less wood than cross-laminated timber. The lightweight nature of MPP could reduce truckload transport costs. Large format panels could be manufactured at a facility to include window, door, and all other required cut-outs – minimizing waste and labor on the job site.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/panel-supply/freres-lumbers-massive-plywood-panels-receive-big-grant

Freres Lumber Co. Responds To Report

by | Aug 21, 2015 | News

Last September, for what we believe is the first time in our company’s 93-year history, one of our employees was killed in an accident at one of our facilities.

Bryan Dodge was a local hero. He was a husband to his wife, Amy, father to four children and friend to many. With the guidance of Crisis Chaplaincy Services, we met with those affected to provide what support we could. Ultimately, no support can replace a husband, father or friend.

An Aug. 6 article in the Statesman Journal questioned our family’s business practices and safety record. The article inappropriately reopened a wound and did nothing but add confusion and erroneous information. It warrants a response.

In regard to the accident, we don’t know why company procedures weren’t followed, why the safety equipment wasn’t used or why Bryan was where he was that night. The reason behind his death will forever be a tragic mystery.

What we do know is that safety is our No. 1 priority at Freres Lumber and our history supports that fact. According to the state of Oregon, our lost workday incident rate is 30 percent lower than our peers on average.

From the Statesman Journal: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/08/13/freres-lumber-co-responds-article/31650909/

Freres Lumber Cited Multiple Times In 2014 Death

by | Aug 10, 2015 | News

Freres Lumber Co. was cited four times for safety and procedural violations uncovered during inspections launched after a worker died at its Mill City plant in September 2014, according to documents obtained by the Statesman Journal.

Bryan Dodge, a 34-year-old millwright, husband and father of four, was killed when a plywood press he was replacing a steam line for activated and pinned him between the press and a post.

According to a citation and notification of penalty report from the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division, the machine lockout procedures that prevent equipment operation were not followed. The company did not have or follow uniform lockout procedures for operating or servicing the press.

Freres Lumber, a plywood and veneer producer since 1922, allegedly violated safety rules at least 14 times in the last 10 years, according to inspection data. The company was fined and cited in 2005 after an employee lost part of his hand while attempting to free debris from a wood chipper. In 2007, a $5,000 fine was levied and later dismissed by the Workers’ Compensation Board after a worker flagging log trucks was killed when a log truck backed up over him. In 2013, an employee operating a scissor lift was seriously injured when the lift malfunctioned, pinning his head and neck against the ceiling, leaving him with a broken jaw and vertebra.

From the Statesman Journal: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2015/08/06/freres-lumber-cited-multiple-times-worker-death/31201141/