Longtime Boise Cascade Manager Steve Stoler Retires

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.

Composite Panel Market To Grow 4.21% In 2016

Capacity for the North American composite panel industry is expected to increase 4.21 percent in 2016, Composite Panel Association Chairman Steve Stoler told a record crowd at the CPA’s spring meeting in Tucson, Arizona. Increased usage of engineered wood panels in cabinetry, furniture, flooring and other products is helping spur the growth.

The upward trend follows a three-year capacity decline, reported Stoler, general sales manager of Boise Cascade. Capacity is defined as the amount of panels produced, based on maximum press utilization.

“I’ve been encouraged by signs of growth an new investment in our industry after a long period of inactivity,” Stoler said, citing recent announcements of plant upgrades and new lines. The addition of three mills in Mexico also is projected to increase North American MDF capacity by 10 percent.

The CPA also projects shipments of particleboard and MDF to grow 3 percent in 2016. Last year’s shipments of U.S. and Canadian panels hit 5.561 BSF, which was up 3 percent from 2014 figures.

More than 300 people from more than 100 companies attended the April 17-20 CPA event.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/composite-panel-market-to-grow-4-percent?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news