by Web Editor | Sep 14, 2018 | News
Boise Cascade Company has entered into an agreement with Woodgrain Millwork to sell its northeast Oregon lumber mills in Pilot Rock and La Grande and the particleboard operations in Island City. The planned transaction does not include Boise Cascade’s plywood mill or the powerhouse and log utilization center, based in Elgin, OR.
Woodgrain is a manufacturer and supplier with a diverse product offering including moulding, door shop products, and window parts, headquartered in Idaho. “The sale to Woodgrain allows us to further focus on our veneer-based engineered wood products and plywood businesses,” said Mike Brown, senior vice president of operations, Boise Cascade Wood Products division. “Woodgrain is a family-owned company with a solid reputation in the industry. The products manufactured at these northeast Oregon facilities are a good fit with their business strategy.”
“Being a fully integrated company in each step of our supply chain has become one of our core strengths as a company,” said Kelly Dame, Woodgrain CEO. “Being able to grow the Woodgrain Lumber division is a key step in growing as a company. We are excited about the opportunity it offers.”
The details of the agreement were not disclosed and the transaction is contingent upon the results of the due diligence process, which is expected to take approximately 60 days.
by Web Editor | Aug 8, 2018 | News
A burgeoning industry based on a relatively new type of material may be coming to Minnesota. Known as mass timber, the material is an alternative to steel in building construction. While dozens of buildings constructed with the product are dotted around the country, the majority stand in the Pacific Northwest.
“This type of building product is new to the U.S.,” said Brian Brashaw, a program manager with the U.S. Forest Service. “It’s geared at taller buildings; it’s building more along the lines of four, five and six stories. That product is seeing a lot of growth in the United States.”
Now, local groups and governmental agencies are working on a plan to bring that industry to the Midwest. But before a production facility can set up shop in Minnesota, officials need to know if the right kind of raw materials can be produced in the region.
“This is a feasibility study where we’re taking a closer look at if the Midwest has the lumber production capacity and softwood lumber supply chain in place,” wrote Kristen Bergstrand, of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, in an email.
A survey is being sent to 11 sawmills in the region that will help gauge if the state can sustain a mass timber industry. APEX, the local business and economic development organization which is sending out the survey, wants to learn the grade and board footage that mills have produced for trees such as red pine, jack pine, spruce and balsam — all considered viable materials for mass timber.
Read more on this from the Duluth News Tribune at https://duluthnewstribune.com/business/manufacturing/4482202-minnesota-looking-attract-mass-timber-producers.
by Web Editor | Apr 6, 2018 | News
If you manufacture finished goods that contain particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF) or hardwood plywood (HWPW), then you likely have been preparing to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Formaldehyde Emissions Standards for Composite Wood Products rule. If this is the first time you have heard of this Regulation, known also as “TSCA Title VI” after the statutory authority for the regulation, there is still time to prepare for compliance, but time is of the essence. This article provides a general outline of the TSCA Title VI requirements applicable to manufacturers of finished products containing composite wood panels, as well as the key dates for compliance, which have only just been finalized through recent litigation.
TSCA Title VI covers all finished goods and component parts made with particleboard, MDF and HWPW. Fabricators that make component parts using a wood or woody grass veneer (such as bamboo) attached to a composite wood core that is later used in a finished product may also meet the definition for “laminated product” producers, which triggers several additional requirements starting March 22, 2024. TSCA Title VI does include a “de minimis” exemption for finished goods or component parts sold directly to end users if its composite wood content does not exceed 144 square inches on its largest face. This exemption applies only to labeling; products such as small picture frames and others that meet the de minimis definition must still be made with compliant composite wood and comply with recordkeeping requirements.
The central requirement for manufacturers of finished goods is that they use compliant composite wood and that this is documented throughout the supply chain. On March 13, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order altering many TSCA Title VI compliance dates, including those related to sourcing. Fabricators must either begin using TSCA Title VI certified composite wood panels in all component parts and finished goods by June 1, 2018, or be able to prove that the composite wood panels or component parts were manufactured before, or were in inventory prior to, that date. The Court has now also allowed California Air Resources Board Airborne Toxic Control Measure Phase 2 (“CARB 2”) certified composite wood panels to be considered TSCA Title VI compliant until March 22, 2019.
Read more on this from Woodworking Network at https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/management/quickguide-to-epa-formaldehyde-regulation-what-woodworkers-need-know?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news.
by Web Editor | Apr 4, 2018 | News
Katerra, a high-tech construction firm, has secured $865 million in funding from SoftBank Vision Fund. That money will go toward ongoing projects in the U.S., like the company’s planned cross-laminated timber plant in Washington, as well as research and development activities.
Katerra says its upcoming 250,000-square-foot Washington plant will help scale up U.S. production of CLT so that the material can be more broadly adopted across the construction industry. Katerra’s manufacturing presence in the region will provide hundreds of jobs and stimulate additional jobs through the larger supply chain and associated industries, including design, engineering, and construction. More than 150 construction-specific jobs will be created to build the CLT factory.
Cross-laminated timber, or CLT, is a key ingredient in the so-called timber towers – multi-story high rises built of wood, some reaching 18 stories or higher. Katerra says CLT is valued due to its low carbon footprint and strength.
“CLT… is a material that creates beautiful spaces, is designed for manufacturing, and is sustainable all at the same time,” said Michael Marks, chairman and co-founder of Katerra. “This material represents a great opportunity to create new value within the construction industry and will be central to many of the projects we’ll be designing and building. We feel very comfortable and excited, particularly with the knowledgeable team we have, to make the jump into manufacturing mass timber. We are ready to help bring mass timber to the mainstream of U.S. construction.”
Katerra is already applying its high-tech construction techniques to manufacture building sections in an existing Phoenix factory, in processes similar to auto plants. The Phoenix plant uses CR Onsrud and Laguna machinery, and fabricates rooms and building sections, including cabinetry, plumbing and wiring.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/katerra-receives-865-million-fund-massive-cross-laminated-timber?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news
by Web Editor | Jul 28, 2017 | News
Following the general election held on June 8th, The Confederation of Timber Industries (CTI) announced the reconstitution of the Timber Industries All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG); their first annual general meeting (AGM) was July 12th at the House of Commons.
The Timber Industries APPG will help promote timber as the most sustainable and renewable building material and develop initiatives and economic measures to grow the whole UK Timber Industry supply chain. The Confederation of Timber Industries will assist Parliamentarians in their work by acting as the group’s secretariat and providing relevant information and logistic support.
The timber sector is in the top 50% of manufacturing industries in the UK, attracting investment and supporting jobs across the manufacturing and construction sectors, and adding over £10 billion per year to the UK economy. Every constituency in the UK benefits from jobs provided by our sector, whether in construction, manufacturing or distribution.
“We are pleased to see such widespread, cross-party support for our Industry,” said Roy Wakeman OBE, Chairman of the CTI. “The timber sector represents a major engine for the growth and development of the UK economy and, with the help of the Timber Industries APPG, we can deliver this message straight to key decision makers in Westminster. The CTI will be on hand to provide assistance and information to any MPs interested in the Industry, along with arranging regular visits to timber operations all over the country.”
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/pricing-supply/renewed-all-party-parliamentary-group-timber-industries-meets-westminster?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news
