March 2021

March 2021

March 2021

Cover: Katerra Settles Into New CLT Facility In Spokane

SPOKANE VALLEY, Washington – It takes a lot of time, energy and finance to try and rewrite the modus operandi of the construction industry supply chain. Just ask Katerra.

Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Associate Editor, Panel World

Panel World March 2021 Cover

Inside This Issue

Taking Stock: The Best Of Both Worlds

Every now and then a wood product comes along that causes us editors to pause – not necessarily over its innovativeness, but rather over which magazine we should write about it in. It’s kind of a fun exercise actually.

READ MORE

Article by Rich Donnell, Editor-in-Chief, Panel World

UPDATE
  • U.S. OSB Output Had Uptick In 2020
  • Composites Ended On High Note
  • Kronospan Adds To Oxford Growth
  • Great Plains MDF Moves Forward
  • Good Earth Plans For EWP
  • Big Transaction Moves Forward
  • CEOs Address Climate Change
  • Arizona Tries To Find Footing
  • Bamboo Mill Gains Steam
  • IKEA Partner Buys Timberland
  • Weyerhaeuser Plans LVL Mill Upgrade
  • AEP Expands Manufacturing
  • Industry Weighs Biden Order
  • Kadant Completes Cogent Purchase
  • Freres Touts New EPD Report
Vaagen Timbers Rides CLT Momentum Into 2021 After 2020 Journey

COLVILLE, Washington – Coming from a long line of sawmillers, and himself once firmly entrenched in the family lumber business, Russ Vaagen recalls when he first approached his dad, Duane, about making a move into mass timber production.

Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Associate Editor, Panel World

Mass Timber Appears Ready For Boom In Activity

Building for years, mass timber construction and cross-laminated timber (CLT) products are on the cusp of a boom as the economy seeks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and housing and commercial and institutional construction grows.

Article by Dan Shell, Senior Editor, Panel World

Wood Yard

Editor’s Note: The following companies supplied editorial profiles and images to support their advertisements placed elsewhere in the Panel World March 2021 issue.

  • Brunette
  • CMC Texpan
  • John King Chains
  • Kadant Carmanah
  • Minimax
  • Rawlings
  • Metal Detectors Inc.
Projects
  • Silo Storage And Discharge Systems Complement New Egger Particleboard Mill
  • Egger Implements Dürr Megtec RTO
  • Nile Wood Orders Andritz Systems
  • Starwood Orders Thin-Board Plant
  • Yuhua Starts Up Fiberboard Line
Supply Lines
  • I4F Partners With Hymmen
  • Raute Will Host Virtual Event
  • Diffenbacher Expands In Turkey
  • Saturn Line Works At Hymmen
  • Miloptic Acquires Automation Industries
  • Andritz Supplies Lelin Group
  • Finna Reveals NIR Sensor
Clippings
  • Ben Crim Retires From Hood Industries
  • Gordon Started Valon Kone U.S.
  • Hood Names Director-EHS
  • Smith Serves As CPA Chairman
  • McCurdy Joins RoyOMartin

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Katerra Settles Into New CLT Facility In Spokane

Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Associate Editor, Panel World

SPOKANE VALLEY, Washington – It takes a lot of time, energy and finance to try and rewrite the modus operandi of the construction industry supply chain. Just ask Katerra.

No matter how the big picture evolves, the new Katerra CLT plant is an innovative blend of production technology that makes it one of the most advanced CLT processes in North America. For the employees, General Manager Jason Herman says the automated facility lives off three things – safety, quality and production, held together by three things – wood, glue and pride.

Herman, a wood products manufacturing veteran who’s been in the industry for 28 years and involved in CLT since 2012, notes if it wasn’t for the ownership of the 50 employees during construction, commissioning and up to that first order, the facility wouldn’t be where it is today; operating one of the highest CLT producing factories in North America at a current 90% uptime rate. Herman’s management style is to get things moving quickly, but it takes the right people and attitude.

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Bamboo Mill Gains Steam

Bamboo Mill Gains Steam

 

Resource Fiber, a leader in efforts to manufacture commercial bamboo products, plans to establish its first full-scale production plant in Sulligent, Ala. Resource Fiber plans to invest $3.6 million in the Lamar County facility, where it will produce engineered bamboo products such as bamboo nail laminated timbers used in the construction of multi-storied buildings.

Founded in 2011, Resource Fiber has engaged in extensive research and development activities focusing on bamboo products, with six U.S. patents and five U.S. patent applications pending. It has developed bamboo railroad ties and a laminated timber system to replace steel roof and floor decks in commercial buildings.

Resource Fiber CEO David Knight says the company operates the nation’s largest commercial-scale bamboo nursery in Greene County had been looking at nearby locations for its first manufacturing facility. Last year, the company analyzed seven buildings in four Alabama communities. Resource Fiber relocated an experimental pilot facility in Oneida, Tenn. to the Sulligent site in November 2020. The company expects to begin hiring and launch manufacturing at the Alabama facility in the second quarter of 2021.

To make the project possible, Resource Fiber received support from the State of Alabama, which is providing incentives under the Alabama Jobs Act, and the City of Sulligent, which purchased a building it is leasing to the company. The Houston-based Harry E. Bovay Jr. Foundation also provided a grant to facilitate the project. In addition, the company also received a USDA Rural Business Development Grant, administered by the City of Sulligent, to apply towards the purchase of manufacturing equipment.

 

Latest News

Panel Industry Checks Into TP&EE

While traditionally known as a sawmill show, the recent Timber Processing & Energy Expo experienced a healthy turnout from producer companies that also participate in the structural panel and engineered wood products sector, including the likes of ATCO Wood Products, Boise Cascade, Coastland…

APA Honors Tony Vuksich

APA—The Engineered Wood Assn. presented Tony Vuksich the 2022 Bronson J. Lewis award during the APA Annual Meeting held October 15-18 at the J.W. Marriott Turnberry Resort in Aventura, Fla. The award is named in honor of the late Bronson Lewis, who served for 24 years as secretary and then executive vice president of the association. The award recognizes individuals for their leadership and outstanding contributions to the engineered wood industry…

SmartLam Announces Alabama Glulam Facility

SmartLam North America announced several major projects that will have a significant impact to the mass timber industry. SmartLam North America, which is the first U.S. manufacturer and is reportedly the largest manufacturer in North America of cross laminated timber (CLT), announced it will build a $50 million glulam…

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Collins Appoints TJ Rosengarth As President & CEO

Collins Appoints TJ Rosengarth President & CEO

 

Collins has appointed TJ Rosengarth as President & CEO. Rosengarth succeeds Eric Schooler and assumed responsibilities on February 15.

Rosengarth is well known for his extensive background in the wood products industry, including stints with Willamette Industries in composite panels (1985-2000), Weyerhaeuser as VP of Composite Panels (2001-2006), Flakeboard as Chief Operating Officer (2007-2011), and Northwest Hardwoods as President and CEO (2011-2018). Most recently he served as a partner with a private equity firm where his focus was acquiring companies.

“TJ is the right and best choice for our company to lead us forward,” states Cherida Collins Smith, Board Chair. “He has a depth of experience and success in our industry, which is especially important during these challenging times. He embodies the ethics and values that have been and continue to be core to our company.”

Rosengarth received an Operations Management degree from Portland State University as well as Executive Management Studies from Stanford University.

Based in Wilsonville, Ore., Collins has been family-owned since 1855. It operates softwood sawmills in Chester, Calif. and Lakeview, Ore., hardwood sawmill in Kane, Pa., particleboard and siding/trim operations in Klamath Falls, Ore.

Collins upholds its long-standing commitment to land and resource stewardship with more than 311,000 acres of FSC-certified forestlands. Collins was the first privately-owned forest products business in the U.S. to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

 

Latest News

Mercer Purchases Katerra CLT Facility

Mercer International Inc., a global forest products company based in Vancouver, BC, reported it received approval from the applicable Bankruptcy Court for the purchase by its subsidiary, Blue Varsity, of the cross-laminated timber manufacturing facility in…

Producers Sign Orders

Boise Cascade in Chester, SC has ordered its third veneer dryer system from USNR. The 14-section steam heated M-72 jet dryer includes USNR’s Unloader, Gsc2000 scanning system, Sequoia Sentry moisture detector, and a 4-bin random/sheet stacker…

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David Smith Serves As CPA Chairman, ’21 Board Announced

David Smith Serves As CPA Chairman, ’21 Board Announced

 

 

Composite Panel Assn.’s 2021 Board of Directors leadership team includes David Smith of Timber Products Co. as 2021 CPA Board Chairman with Steve Carroll of Arauco North America as Vice Chairman and Dan Beaty of Langboard as Secretary/Treasurer. Pat Aldred of GP Wood Products completed his term as CPA Chairman at the end of 2020 and now serves as Immediate Past Chairman.

Ashlee Cribb of Roseburg and Erik Christensen of Swiss Krono are members of CPA’s Executive Committee. Cribb replaced Jim Buffington who retired from Roseburg at the end of 2020.

RELATED ARTICLES

CPA FALL MEETING LOCATION CHANGE

AWC NAMES JACKSON MORRILL PRESIDENT/CEO

ANDY O’HARE NAMED NEW CPA PRESIDENT

 

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Coastal Plywood Has Time On Its Side

Article by Rich Donnell, Editor-In-Chief, Panel World January 2021 – Take Coastal Plywood at Havana, Fla. for instance. Senior editor Jessica Johnson visited the plant in December to catch up on recent lathe and dryer projects. It prompted me to look back at the history of the plant and Panel World’s coverage of it…

Alex Hunt, Jr. Led Family Business

Alexander (Alex) Trotter Hunt, Jr., who began his wood products career working for the family’s lumber business in Louisiana, oversaw Willamette’s sawmill, plywood…

Plywood Leader Crutchfield Dies

Richard (Dickie) Lawrence Crutchfield Sr., who led Whiteville Plywood in Whiteville, NC, died peacefully November 28 at The Arboretum at Heritage Green in Greensboro…

Taylor Forms Consulting Firm

Consultant Russ Taylor has announced the formation of Russ Taylor Global, a “re-invented” company that focuses on wood business and market consulting. Taylor’s return to…

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

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Kadant Completes Cogent Purchase

Kadant Completes Cogent Purchase

 

Kadant Inc. completed its acquisition of Cogent Industrial Technologies Ltd., a leading industrial automation and controls solution provider. The acquisition enables Kadant to deliver a more data connected and integrated solution to its customers seeking increased visibility into their operations.

“The addition of Cogent to the Kadant family significantly increases our ability to deliver automation and plant-wide technology solutions to process industries,” says Jeffrey Powell, president and CEO of Kadant Inc.

Cogent Industrial Technologies Ltd. is based in British Columbia, Can. The company has established a reputation as a leader in industrial technology solutions, offering expertise in process technology integration, industrial automation and controls, industrial safety, project management and operational performance management systems.

 

Latest News

Mercer Purchases Katerra CLT Facility

Mercer International Inc., a global forest products company based in Vancouver, BC, reported it received approval from the applicable Bankruptcy Court for the purchase by its subsidiary, Blue Varsity, of the cross-laminated timber manufacturing facility in…

Producers Sign Orders

Boise Cascade in Chester, SC has ordered its third veneer dryer system from USNR. The 14-section steam heated M-72 jet dryer includes USNR’s Unloader, Gsc2000 scanning system, Sequoia Sentry moisture detector, and a 4-bin random/sheet stacker…

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!