Great Plains MDF Moves Forward

by | Feb 12, 2021 | News

Great Plains MDF Moves Forward

 

Great Plains MDF announced it has selected a site for its greenfield wheat-straw based MDF plant, has added two industry veterans to its team, and has formed an alliance with a construction firm.

The company says the plant will be built in Kneehill County in Alberta, Canada. The site, which is in Equity, between Three Hills and Trochu, will house the proposed production facility and storage of wheat straw. The site is approximately 90 km (56 miles) from Red Deer, AB and 140 km (87 miles) from Calgary, AB.

The Great Plains development plan will see Great Plains pursuing permitting with all the appropriate regulators (Government of Alberta, local municipality) in the coming months with construction expected to begin in the fall of 2021.

Great Plains Innovations is the parent company of Great Plains MDF – Three Hills, which will build, own and operate the mill. Great Plains Innovations intends to build a series of similar facilities across the Canadian prairies and elsewhere over the next 10 years. Great Plains MDF reports it has spent years researching and developing a process to make high quality medium density fiberboard out of agrifibers, using no-added formaldehyde.

Great Plains MDF also announced the appointment of two MDF veterans to its sales and operations teams. Lanny Hammock will serve as Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, while Wade Gregory will serve as Vice-President, Operations.

Earlier, Great Plains MDF announced it has signed a partnership agreement with PCL Construction toward the building of the wheat straw MDF plant.

Great Plains and PCL expect to complete their pre-construction work over the next few months.

PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across  Canada,  the U.S., the Caribbean, and in Australia. Together, these companies report an annual construction volume of $9 billion, making PCL the largest contracting organization in Canada.

 

Latest News

The Show(s) Must Go On!

Article by Rich Donnell, Editor-In-Chief, Panel World September 2022 – If you think the pandemic caused the death of live trade shows, think again. Just take one quick browse through the Panel World September 2022 issue. In fact, trade shows almost snowballed us over this month…

Saariaho To Start As President & CEO Of Raute Corp. On October 1

Mika Saariaho’s starting date as President and CEO of Raute Corp. has been specified. He will start in the position on October 1, 2022. On May 24, 2022, Raute announced Saariaho’s appointment and that he will assume his position at the latest on November 24, 2022…

LP Goes With Biele For Manitoba Shake Line

Louisiana Pacific and Biele Group have successfully implemented their first project—a shake profile production line in Swan Valley, Manitoba, Canada. This investment is part of the company’s expansion plans for siding products within their LP SmartSide…

Find Us On Social

Newsletter

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

Subscribe Now
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.

Complete the form
Advertise

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

Contact Us

March 2020

March 2020

by | Feb 10, 2021 | Magazine

March 2020

Cover: Manthei Veneer Goes Forward

PETOSKEY, Michigan – Like many have before, and likely many will in the coming years, Manthei Veneer had a fire. The green end of the rotary face veneer mill in picturesque Petoskey was a total loss in August 2017.

Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Associate Editor, Panel World

See More

Inside This Issue

Taking Stock: Where Plans Take Shape

From the looks of it going in, the Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE), which is scheduled for March 12-13 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is offering up its best lineup of speakers and sessions since the inaugural PELICE in 2008. That’s saying something, because there have been some good ones.

Read more

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

UPDATE
PELICE 2020 Preview

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following editorial profiles are of companies that have placed advertisements in this issue of Panel World and that are also exhibiting at PELICE 2020:

Altec Integrated Solutions; Cogent Industrial Technologies; Con-Vey; Custom Engineering; Dieffenbacher; Durr Systems; Evergreen Engineering; Electronic Wood Systems; Fagus GreCon; Hexion; IMAL-PAL Group; LDX Solutions (Geoenergy); Mid-South Engineering; Matthews; Paratherm; Raute; Roo Glue; Samuel Coding and Labeling; USNR; Westmill Industries; Willamette Valley Company; Timber Automation

North American Plywood Industry: Current State And Outlook

Plywood manufacturing remains a tough and turbulent business. After the North American industry rightsized during the Great Recession (2008-2009), the industry again is struggling. Identifying root causes and analyzing possible remedies are the basis for finding solutions.

Article by Richard F. Baldwin, PhD, Managing Partner, Oak Creek Investments, and Richard W. Baldwin, MBA, CFO/Treasurer, Oak Creek Investments

Projects
  • Pollmeier Finds Drying Solution
  • Metro Upgrading Kanchanburi
  • Framing Firm Plans CLT Plant
  • Boise Focuses On Lathe
Supply Lines
  • One Stop Trading In Shanghai at the Shanghai International Furniture Machinery & Woodworking Machinery Fair (WMF)
VIEW MORE BACK ISSUES

Find Us On Social

Manthei Veneer Goes Forward

Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Associate Editor, Panel World

PETOSKEY, Michigan – Like many have before, and likely many will in the coming years, Manthei Veneer had a fire. The green end of the rotary face veneer mill in picturesque Petoskey was a total loss in August 2017. After squeaking by during the downturn, focusing on getting as lean as possible while still providing top quality products, the fire caused President (and third generation family owner) Jeremy Manthei to question whether it was going to make sense to rebuild.

“We had to take some time to figure out if it was time to call it good,” he explains of the gut reaction to the fire. The business, built by his grandfather and his grandfather’s brother more than 75 years ago, is in an industry that has faced some challenges over the last number of years.

Want More Content?

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.

Subscribe Today
Newsletter

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

Subscribe Now
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.

Complete the form
Advertise

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

Contact Us

January 2020

January 2020

by | Feb 10, 2021 | Magazine

January 2020

Cover: Arauco Grayling Comes Alive

GRAYLING, Michigan – When Arauco North America announced it would be building a greenfield particleboard plant in north-central Michigan there was a collective gasp from the composite panel producing community.

Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Associate Editor, Panel World

See More

Inside This Issue

Taking Stock: 500 Has A Nice Ring To It

This issue of Panel World is number 500 in its 60-year lifespan, having been founded in 1960; and while Panel World many not be destined for anybody’s Hall of Fame, there’s still something to be said for its longevity as we enter 2020.

Read more

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

UPDATE
Hunt Forest Products: Plywood Mill Gets New Crop Of Leaders, Technology In Louisiana

POLLOCK, Louisiana – Synonymous for southern yellow pine (SYP) plywood in Louisiana thanks to its plant in Pollock, Hunt Forest Products has been producing product in the same location for more than 40 years – and has two employees who’ve been with the facility since nearly the beginning.

Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Associate Editor, Panel World

Projects
Supply Lines
  • Mid-South Has 50 Under Its Belt
  • Former Equipment Rep Farrens Dies
  • Westmill Appoints Read As VP
Clippings
  • Canadian CLT Firm Coming South
  • Hardwood CLT Bound For Tasmania
  • Sterling Opens Lufkin CLT Mill
  • RoyOMartin Names Leadership
  • Dawson Receives APA Award
  • Aldred Is New Chair Of CPA
  • Johnston Joins Structurlam
  • Arauco Adjusts Sales Leadership
VIEW MORE BACK ISSUES

Find Us On Social

Arauco Grayling Comes Alive

Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Associate Editor, Panel World

GRAYLING, Michigan – When Arauco North America announced it would be building a greenfield particleboard plant in north-central Michigan there was a collective gasp from the composite panel producing community.

The last greenfield particleboard plant in North America started up in 2001, compliments of Willametter Industries (which became Weyerhaeuser, which became Flakeboard, which sold to none other than Arauco).

Arauco would not only be blazing a greenfield trail to close out this decade, but the plant would be the largest single-line capacity plant on the continent.

North America’s largest single-line capacity particleboard plant, Arauco’s Grayling, Michigan facility gets it done with a 172 ft. continuous press from Dieffenbacher.

The ones that get it done: Grayling’s management team.

Want More Content?

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.

Subscribe Today
Newsletter

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

Subscribe Now
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.

Complete the form
Advertise

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

Contact Us

Coastal Plywood Has Time On Its Side

Coastal Plywood Has Time On Its Side

by | Dec 28, 2020 | Taking Stock

COASTAL PLYWOOD HAS TIME ON ITS SIDE

Article by Rich Donnell, Editor-In-Chief, Panel World January 2021

One thing I’ve always felt is that Panel World magazine offers an historical perspective on many aspects of the panel industry. One reason is because some of us on the editorial staff have been around a long time, just like this magazine has. And one aspect we thoroughly enjoy following is a plywood mill that—much like ourselves— has shown considerable staying power.

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, knowing we had visited there and written it up at least a few times.

Alas, I discovered that as you are reading this issue’s article on the plant (beginning on page 12), the plant is celebrating its 40th anniversary. How do I know? Because in researching our archives I quickly discovered that the first article on the Coastal-Havana plywood plant to appear in Panel World (which was actually called Plywood & Panel back then) was in the June 1981 issue.

Yep, the new Coastal Plywood mill began operation in February 1981, 13 months after land-clearing, and held an official opening dedication in May, when editors Bob Dixon and Steve Charles toured the facility for the article.

The plywood plant and its log procurement was integrated into an existing sawmill site, and as the article said, “is already one of the most modern plywood mills in the United States, featuring programmable logic controllers throughout and what may be the fastest green end in the country.”

Coastal was better known for its sawmill operations then, particularly hardwood sawmills, and building a plywood mill was seen as a bit of a risk, especially starting one up in the middle of a recession. But as president Paul Barringer stated in the article, “We have an expression—a philosophy—that all the fruit grows out on a limb and you have to go out there to get it.”

Annual production capacity was around 110MMSF. It started up with a Premier lathe, the first Durand rotary clipper in the U.S. (according to the article), two Coe (10- and 20-section) dryers and two 24-opening Williams- White presses.

Panel World editors visited the plant again in 1988 for an article in the July issue and in 2003 with the article appearing in the September issue.

In the 1988 article, written by John Stevenson, the mill was getting into more specialties, such as siding. It had upgraded the Premier lathe and modified the layup line from four booths to six to gain a double four-ply panel. By then the mill was producing 140MMSF annually.

Yours truly visited the plant in 2003 to see the new radiant barrier sheathing laminate line, and to see other improvements that had enhanced annual output to 212MMSF, including the addition of a third Coe dryer, a Spar-Tek reconditioned layup line with double five-ply capability, and a third Williams-White 30-opening press.

Now, a mere 18 years later, we’re publishing our fourth article on Coastal-Havana. It makes me wonder whom the next Panel World editor will be who stands on the Coastal catwalk and watches the steam rising from the ribbon.

 

 

Latest News

The Show(s) Must Go On!

Article by Rich Donnell, Editor-In-Chief, Panel World September 2022 – If you think the pandemic caused the death of live trade shows, think again. Just take one quick browse through the Panel World September 2022 issue. In fact, trade shows almost snowballed us over this month…

Saariaho To Start As President & CEO Of Raute Corp. On October 1

Mika Saariaho’s starting date as President and CEO of Raute Corp. has been specified. He will start in the position on October 1, 2022. On May 24, 2022, Raute announced Saariaho’s appointment and that he will assume his position at the latest on November 24, 2022…

LP Goes With Biele For Manitoba Shake Line

Louisiana Pacific and Biele Group have successfully implemented their first project—a shake profile production line in Swan Valley, Manitoba, Canada. This investment is part of the company’s expansion plans for siding products within their LP SmartSide…

Find Us On Social

Newsletter

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

Subscribe Now
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.

Complete the form
Advertise

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

Contact Us

January 2021

January 2021

by | Dec 23, 2020 | Magazine

January 2021

Cover: Coastal Plywood Commits To The Future

HAVANA, Florida – While the Coastal Forest Resources Co. plywood mill (Coastal Plywood) in Havana, Florida has been a successful operation for a long period of time, the equipment in the facility had not seen any major upgrades in nearly 20 years. For example, the mill’s lathe left much to be desired, according to Plant Manager Trey Pierce.

Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Associate Editor, Panel World

See More

Inside This Issue

Taking Stock: Coastal Plywood Has Time On Its Side

One thing I’ve always felt is that Panel World magazine offers an historical perspective on many aspects of the panel industry. One reason is because some of us on the editorial staff have been around a long time, just like this magazine has. And one aspect we thoroughly enjoy following is a plywood mill that – much like ourselves – has shown considerable staying power.

READ MORE

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

UPDATE
Softwood Plywood Industry Encountered Perilous Year

The authors commented that “Plywood manufacturing remains a tough and turbulent business” in their March 2020 Panel World article entitled “North American Plywood Industry: Current State and Outlook.” In retrospect, this remark greatly understated what was to occur over the following year. As for every other walk of life, 2020 was completely unprecedented for North American plywood producers.

Article by Dick Baldwin, PhD, Managing Partner of Oak Creek Investments, and Rich Baldwin, MBA, CFO/Treasurer of Oak Creek Investments

2021 Director/Buyers’ Guide
  • Products/Services/Supplies
  • Machinery Manufacturers/Suppliers
  • Trade Associations
Projects
Supply Lines
Clippings
What’s New
  • Dust Collector
  • Drum Blender
  • Road Builder
  • Security Gate
View More Back Issues

Find Us On Social

Coastal Plywood Commits To The Future

Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Associate Editor, Panel World

HAVANA, Florida – While the Coastal Forest Resources Co. plywood mill (Coastal Plywood) in Havana, Florida has been a successful operation for a long period of time, the equipment in the facility had not seen any major upgrades in nearly 20 years. For example, the mill’s lathe left much to be desired, according to Plant Manager Trey Pierce.

Purchased at auction in 2005, the lathe evolved into a hybrid machine that was a monster to keep up. “If you didn’t stay on top of it, it wouldn’t run,” Pierce says. “We could get it right for the moment, but it wouldn’t stay there.” However, thanks to a dedicated maintenance team, the lathe continued to run successfully for 15 years.

As technology improved, the prevailing thought was that it was time to make a change. “We’ve had a lot of success keeping it simple in this mill for a long time,” Pierce says. “We felt like it was time to move into the next generation and get more efficiency, better recovery, and get with the times.” And so, the first of many roundtable discussions about pushing the 40-year-old mill into the future took place.

Left to right, looking a little more relaxed than a year ago at this time: Ryan Daniels, Trey Pierce, Mike Smith, Clyde Lee, Corky Palmer

Coastal Plywood neatly meshed the installation of an Altec scanning and peeling system with two dryer rebuilds from Westmill Industries.

Want More Content?

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.

Subscribe Today
Newsletter

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

Subscribe Now
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.

Complete the form
Advertise

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

Contact Us