by Web Editor | Jan 15, 2016 | News
Louisiana-Pacific Corp. recently broke ground on a project that will add a FlameBlock Fire-Rated OSB Sheathing line at its Clarke County oriented strand board (OSB) mill. A new facility will be constructed to house the production line for the company’s fire-rated sheathing product.
Louisiana-Pacific CEO Curt Stevens said the new line in Clarke County will meet the growing demand in the single-family, multi-family and light commercial construction markets.
The company selected the Clarke County mill for the new line because of its strong workforce and proven performance in manufacturing commodity OSB from a safety, quality and environmental perspective, Louisiana-Pacific said in a release.
Plans call for the multi-million dollar project to be completed in the third quarter of 2016, with production scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2016.
The Clarke County mill opened in 2007, and is one of the company’s 10 OSB manufacturing facilities in North America – employing 161 workers.
From the Birmingham Business Journal: https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/morning_call/2016/01/louisiana-pacific-adds-production-line-at-clarke.html
by Web Editor | Jun 24, 2015 | News
Thirteen composite panel facilities and one corporation as a whole were recognized for their safety achievements during the Composite Panel Association’s annual spring meeting held last week in Bonita Springs, FL.
Arauco North America received the Safety Innovation Award for the Safety Leadership Program implemented at its particleboard and MDF mills in Moncure, NC. Arauco’s use of leadership training, monthly safety updates communications, and procedure and policy development resulted in the facilities recording their lowest incident rate in the last 15 years, while the severity and frequency of incidents also decreased. Workers’ compensation claims also dropped 90% in 2014.
Composite panel plants in the Class I (low worker-hours) and Class II (high-worker hours) were also recognized for:
• Best long-term safety record over the past three years: Del-Tin Fiber LLC, El Dorado, AR (Class I) and Louisiana-Pacific Corp., East River, NS (Class II).
• Having zero incidents among Class I plants during 2014: Arauco North America (MDF), Bennettsville, SC; Arauco North America, Malvern, AR; Arauco North America, Sault Ste Marie, ON; and Del-Tin Fiber LLC, El Dorado, AR.
• Safety improvements: West Fraser Mills Ltd. (WestPine), White Court, AB (Class I) and Langboard Inc., Willacoochee, GA (Class II).
• Achieving an incident rate of less than 50% of the industry average, over the past three years. Class I plants were: Arauco North America, Malvern, AR; Del-Tin Fiber LLC, El Dorado, AR; SierraPine, Martell, CA; West Fraser Mills Ltd. (Ranger Board), White Court, AB; and West Fraser Mills Ltd. (WestPine), Quesnel, BC. Class II plants were: Arauco North America, Albany, OR; Louisiana-Pacific Corp., East River, NS; Louisiana-Pacific Corp., Roaring River, NC; and Roseburg, Missoula, MT.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/composite-panel-plants-recognized-safety-achievements
by Web Editor | May 27, 2015 | News
B.C. OSB Mill Given Green Light On MDI
Despite local opposition, Peace Valley Oriented Strand Board (OSB) in Fort St. John has been granted an amendment to its Environmental Certificate to allow the use of a controversial chemical in its manufacturing process. The plant is currently only permitted to use phenol formaldehyde resin as an adhesive — a condition on its original certificate.
The Louisiana-Pacific Ltd. (LP) plant applied for the amendment to use methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, or MDI, at its factory for the production of its particleboard items in spring 2014. Before that, it had applied to the Ministry of the Environment for an amendment to its Discharge Authorization Permit to use MDI at the plant in late fall 2012.
MDI would be incorporated as a resin into the core of the oriented strand board before it undergoes the pressing process. During that process, MDI would be discharged from the press vent stack.
The news of the certificate’s amendment was met with disdain from at least one Baldonnel resident, Sandra Cushway, whose 2013 Freedom of Information request revealed “hundreds of pages” of non-compliance to environmental regulations with Peace Valley OSB.
Peace Valley OSB is now following up on its discharge permit from the Ministry of Environment to have it altered to include MDI emissions.
From Alaska Highway News: alaskahighwaynews.ca.
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by Web Editor | Apr 8, 2015 | News
Louisiana-Pacific Reconfigures Management Team
Louisiana-Pacific Corp. announced several changes to its executive management team. CEO Curt Stevens says, “These changes provide opportunities for LP to benefit from the shared perspectives and best practices across businesses as we continue to develop our top leadership talent.”
Mike Sims becomes senior vice president sales and marketing. He replaces Rick Olszewski, executive vice president of sales, marketing and South America, who is retiring from LP. Frederick Price, president of LP South America, reports to Stevens.
Brad Southern becomes executive vice president OSB, replacing Jeff Wagner, who will retire from LP mid-year. In the interim, Wagner will be executive vice president Growth and Innovation, reporting directly to Stevens.
Brian Luoma becomes executive vice president Siding, replacing Southern in that position. Neil Sherman becomes senior vice president, EWP, replacing Luoma in that position.
Stevens continues, “LP is very fortunate to have a strong bench of management talent; these team members represent decades of industry and LP experience. We were able to make these moves internally as a result of the talent pool within LP and our robust succession planning process. I would also like to thank Rick Olszewski and Jeff Wagner for their important contributions to LP.”
The monthly Panel World Industry Newsletter reaches over 3,000 who represent primary panel production operations.
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.
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative. Contact us today!
by Web Editor | Feb 11, 2015 | News
From: Panel World Staff
Norbord Inc. and Ainsworth Lumber Co. Ltd. announced that the Supreme Court of British Columbia has granted a final order approving the previously announced merger of Norbord and Ainsworth. Meanwhile Norbord and Ainsworth are providing the U.S. Dept. of Justice with the information it has requested about the transaction. Subject to the satisfaction of all closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter.
The merger would create the largest OSB producer in the world with an OSB production capacity of 7.7 billion SF, according to the companies.
Norbord, based in Toronto, operates seven OSB North American mills, (six of them in the U.S. South) with one mill in Quebec, along with four mills in Europe. Ainsworth, based in Vancouver, BC, operates four Canadian OSB mills—three in Western Canada and one in Ontario. Prior to this transaction, Norbord reported it was third in OSB production capacity behind Louisiana-Pacific and Georgia-Pacific.
The new company will have opportunities to increase capacity through the expansion of Norbord’s OSB production in Western Europe, the restart of Norbord’s two idled mills in North America, and the completion of Ainsworth’s second line in Grand Prairie, Alberta.
The combined company will operate under the Norbord name. Upon completion of the transaction, Norbord shareholders will own 63% and Ainsworth shareholders will own 37% of the combined company.
Read more on this story in the March issue of Panel World…
