by Web Editor | Aug 5, 2016 | News
From: Panel World Staff
While housing starts in the U.S. ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.17 million units in the second quarter, and Canadian housing starts ran at 198,000 units, North American structural panel production and apparent consumption rose 6% and 6.6%, respectively, in the second quarter compared to the first quarter. Relative to the second quarter of 2015, North American structural panel production was up 6.5%, and consumption increased 8.1%, according to data reported by APA—The Engineered Wood Assn.
Compared to the first quarter of 2016, North American glulam production rose 4.7% in the second quarter. I-joist production increased 4.1% and LVL output rose 3.9%. On a year ago quarter basis, glulam production was up 6.7%, while I-joist and LVL production increased 4.5% and 9.4%, respectively.
OSB production in North America increased 6.5% in the second quarter versus the first quarter, and was up 7.8% from the second quarter of 2015. First half production totaled 10.775 billion SF, up 7.5% from the first half of 2015.
North American plywood production was up 4.9% in the second quarter versus the first quarter, and was up 3.9% from the
second quarter of 2015. Plywood production in the first half of 2016 was 1.2% greater than the first half of 2015. Led by a 7.4% increase in the South, U.S. plywood production jumped 5% in the second quarter versus the first quarter, and was up 4.6% from the second quarter of 2015. Canadian production increased 4.9% in the second quarter, and was up 0.6% from the second quarter of 2015.
Read more on this in the July 2016 issue of Panel World…
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 | 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…
