Winston Plywood & Veneer Hosts Ribbon-Cutting In Mississippi

Winston Plywood & Veneer Hosts Ribbon-Cutting In Mississippi

Joined by federal, state and local leaders, company associates and members of the community, Winston Plywood & Veneer hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new plywood mill in Louisville, Miss. in April 2017. The location was once home to a shuttered mill that was destroyed when an F4 tornado struck three years ago. Today in its place stands a state-of-the-art plywood facility that employs more than 300 and is expected to generate tens of millions in annual economic activity for the region.

“Today is a great day for all of us who work at WP&V,” commented Winton Plywood & Veneer President Jon Pierce. “We could not be more thankful for the collaboration and support we’ve had from Mayor Hill, Governor Bryant, the Mississippi Development Authority and those across our community. Everyone has stood with us as we worked together to make this mill a reality.”

“The grand opening of Winston Plywood & Veneer is a momentous occasion for this community and for our great State, showing what can be done when business partners with government at all levels to create jobs and spur economic growth,” Gov. Bryant said. “I am thrilled to be back here, standing with these newly hired workers and this company, to celebrate the official launch of this outstanding manufacturing business in Mississippi.”

“When we broke ground here two years ago, in the aftermath of a devastating storm, we said we would stay the course until we delivered and opened the finest plywood mill in North America. I am very proud to say today that we have kept that commitment, and that the future for this business is bright,” said Andrew Bursky, Chairman and Co-Founder of Atlas Holdings LLC, the parent company of New Wood Resources LLC. Winston Plywood & Veneer is an operating company of New Wood Resources.

“This occasion is to celebrate hard work, partnerships, community, and most of all hope. Our community has experienced the great recession, plant closures, and a devastating natural disaster in recent years. Winston Plywood & Veneer’s commitment after the storm forged a storybook partnership, giving hope to a community in need,” said Louisville Mayor Will Hill.

Winston Plywood & Veneer is well positioned for sustained success in the marketplace.  The company’s leadership team collectively brings nearly a century of direct industry experience and expertise; overall, the team includes 304 professionals, nearly two-thirds of whom are residents of the local community. Each associate has participated in extensive skills development training relevant to their job function and completed a comprehensive, mandatory workplace safety curriculum executed by WP&V.

The first such plywood mill constructed in the United States in more than two decades, the WP&V facility boasts 287,000 square feet and is more than 765 feet in length. The company sells structural and industrial plywood and veneer, procuring its logs from sources within 60 miles of the facility.

The company began shipping production this past November.

RELATED ARTICLES

PANEL WORLD NOVEMBER 2020

 

Latest News

Roseburg To Shut Down Dillard P’board

Roseburg Forest Products (RFP) announced on August 25 that it will shut down its particleboard plant in Dillard, Ore. The plant has been in operation since 1965, and will continue running as the plant prepares for shut down in the next 60 days…

Digital Platform Is Presented

Beginning September 27 exploreSiempelkamp will participate in the digital event, LIGNA.Innovation Network, organized by Deutsche Messe AG and the VDMA Woodworking Machinery Assn…

Producers Announce Personnel Changes

PotlatchDeltic Corp. has appointed Ashlee Cribb as Vice President, Wood Products. She succeeds Tom Temple, who is retiring in October after serving in this role since 2009. “We are thrilled to welcome Ashlee,” comments Eric Cremers, PotlatchDeltic…

Find Us On Social

Newsletter

The monthly Panel World Industry Newsletter reaches over 3,000 who represent primary panel production operations.

Subscribe/Renew

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.

Advertise

Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative. Contact us today!

Vaagen Timbers Gets Into CLT

Vaagen Timbers Gets Into CLT

 

Sawmillers have formed Vaagen Timbers, which will construct a mass timber facility in Colville, Wash. The new business will produce cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue laminated beams (glulam).

Vaagen Timbers is partnering with Vaagen Bros. Lumber, Inc. for the supply of lumber to the new facility, which will be adjacent the Vaagen Bros. Lumber sawmill in Colville.

“Although the entities will be operated separately, this connection will add value to both businesses,” comments Russ Vaagen. “This will allow Vaagen Bros. and Vaagen Timbers to tell the small log story from the forest to better buildings.”

The state-of-the-art facility will be designed to produce multiple sizes of straight glulam beams up to 60 ft. long. CLT production will be up to 12 in. thick, 4 ft. wide, and 60 ft. long. Operations are scheduled to begin in 2018.

Production capacity numbers are still being tested, but forecasted capacity on two shifts for two press lines will consume approximately 50MMBF per year. Once Vaagen Timbers develops market demand, plans for a second 8 ft. press will provide a more diversified product offering.

“This is exciting for all involved including the forest, the community, and the future of eco-friendly buildings in North America,” Vaagen adds.

Bert and Bud Vaagen founded Vaagen Brothers Lumber in the early 1950s and the business has not only been a sawmilling mainstay in the Northwest since then, but is recognized as one of the leaders of the industry. Current President Duane Vaagen was Timber Processing’s Man of the Year in 1989.

 

Latest News

Xylexpo 2020 Shows Promise

Xylexpo 2020 Shows PromiseThe biennial Xylexpo show returns in 2020 to FieraMilano-Rho, May 26-29, in Milan, Italy, with what promises to be an...

Find Us On Social

Newsletter

The monthly Panel World Industry Newsletter reaches over 3,000 who represent primary panel production operations.

Subscribe/Renew

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.

Advertise

Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative. Contact us today!

U.S. Forest Service: Build Better, Stronger, Faster With CLT

The U.S. Forest Service is working to build markets for innovative forest products. One of these products, cross-laminated timber, also known as CLT, offers an opportunity for raising tall buildings with wood, opening up a completely new market for wood products.

And there’s tremendous opportunity to increase the market share for wood-based construction. Because of its high strength, CLT is an advantageous alternative to traditional building materials such as concrete, masonry, and steel. Because CLT panels resist compression, they are well-suited for building multistory structures, especially mid-rise buildings. Made from layers of dried lumber boards, stacked in alternating direction at 90-degree angles, glued and pressed to form solid panels, CLT has exceptional strength and stability and can be used as walls, roofs, and floors.

Additionally, CLT is highly resilient to fire, earthquakes, and even explosions. In fact in a recent series of live blast tests, CLT passed with flying colors. An examination of the results showed that the CLT structures suffered less degradation than expected and might outlast concrete and steel.

In terms of fire, CLT is like using a large log to start a campfire—it doesn’t ignite easily. And when it does burn, a char layer forms on the outside, protecting the inside and allowing the wood panel to maintain its structural integrity during fire scenarios.

Researchers have conducted extensive seismic testing on CLT and found that the panels perform exceptionally well in multi-story applications. When a seven-story CLT building was tested on the world’s largest shake table in Japan, it survived 14 consecutive earthquake simulations with almost no damage.

From the USDA: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/04/04/build-better-stronger-faster-clt

Raute Corporation Acquires Metriguard Inc.

Raute Corporation and the owners of Metriguard, Inc. have agreed on the purchase of the business of Metriguard Inc., Pullman, Washington, USA.

Metriguard, established in 1972, is the world leader in high speed strength grading technology for lumber and veneer. Metriguard sells and provides services for its equipment globally, with installations in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Metriguard’s products and technology are complementary to Raute’s current product offerings. Over the years, Metriguard’s products have been integrated into dozens of Raute’s deliveries. Metriguard’s net sales were USD 4.6 million in 2016, with an EBIT of USD 0.8 million, and it employs 26 people.

Metriguard’s business will continue by a newly established Raute’s subsidiary Metriguard Technologies, Inc. Its financials will be reported as part of Raute’s wood products technology segment. The acquisition is deemed to have a positive effect on Raute’s net sales in 2017 and on its financial results starting from 2018.

The acquisition is made as an asset purchase. Intangible assets, working capital and fixed assets, except real estate, are acquired. Metriguard’s personnel will transfer in along with the acquisition. The purchase price, estimated at USD 4.5 million, is paid in two installments. A base purchase price of USD 3.1 million is paid at closing, additionally there will be an earn-out payment based on net sales for a 12-month period following closing of the transaction.

For more information visit https://www.raute.com/.

Wood Research Library Advances Timber Building Construction

Over the past several years, there has been a rise in mass timber construction around the world, demonstrating the strength, stability, and design flexibility of next-generation lumber technologies. To help inform architects, engineers, developers, industry professionals, students and interested parties, reThink Wood has launched the reThink Wood Research Library to serve as the go-to industry resource for those seeking information on the latest advancements in wood’s performance and advantages in the built environment.

reThink Wood is a body of research hoping to push boundaries and shift perceptions about building with wood.

Today, mass timber technologies, including cross-laminated timber (CLT), nail laminated timber (NLT) and glued laminated timber (glulam), are gaining traction in the U.S. for mid-rise and tall wood structures. The publicly accessible and comprehensive reThink Wood Research Library will be frequently updated with the latest research on wood building products and systems worldwide, as well as demonstrate where research gaps currently exist.

“The future of mass timber in the U.S. is really starting to heat up,” said Lucas Epp, head of engineering at StructureCraft. “In the next few years, there will be considerably more mass timber buildings built than we have today. The industry is starting to see that this type of construction is fast, cost effective and sustainable.”

Advocates of CLT say it can be used to construct buildings of equal strength and fire-resistance as those made of steel and concrete. It has also fueled the passions of architects and environmentalists, who believe it to be a much greener method for housing the world’s growing population.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/wood-research-library-advances-timber-building-construction?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news

U.S. Producers Seek New Duties Against Chinese Plywood

The Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood has filed “critical circumstances” petitions with the Department of Commerce to stop recent shipments of Chinese hardwood plywood imports into the U.S., according to the Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association.

HPVA said that the shipments are being made in an attempt to enter the market before anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders are imposed.

If the coalition’s actions are successful, anti-dumping and countervailing duties will be imposed 90 days earlier, subjecting Chinese hardwood plywood imports to duties of up to 100 percent or more.

Commerce’s preliminary determinations in the countervailing duty case and anti-dumping case are due no later than April 17 and June 16, respectively. If critical circumstances are found, Chinese hardwood plywood imported as early as January 17 will be subject to countervailing duties, and Chinese hardwood plywood imported as early as March 16 will be subject to anti-dumping duties.

See https://www.hpva.org/ and https://hardwoodplywoodfairtrade.com/ for more information.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/us-producers-seek-new-duties-against-chinese-plywood?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news