AAHP Critical Of New Duties On Chinese Hardwood Plywood

The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood expressed disappointment in the April 18 announcement by the U.S. Department of Commerce about imposing preliminary countervailing duties of 9.89 percent on Chinese exporters of hardwood plywood.

Commerce separately applied a penalty margin of 111.09 percent to one Chinese company that did not fully cooperate with the investigation as well as companies that did not return the quantity and value questionnaire, possibly because they do not export plywood.

“The federal government has tied one arm behind the backs of the U.S. cabinetmakers and other manufacturing industries by denying them a level playing field in raw material sourcing with their offshore competitors,” said AAHP chairman Greg Simon in a statement.

“This case is presented as cracking down on Chinese trade ‘cheating’ and protecting American jobs but it will benefit nobody in the United States. The cabinet industry, flooring, recreational vehicle and furniture industries use the Chinese plywood for different purposes than the U.S. plywood. The petitioners’ dreams that they will enjoy sales increases are a fantasy, even with these high duties. The government should not be in the business of trying to pick winners and losers. In fact, in these trade cases, nobody wins.”

In 2012-13 DOC also announced combined antidumping and countervailing duties of nearly 150 percent, but ITC threw the case out after a full investigation.  That ruling was later affirmed by a federal judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/aahp-critical-new-duties-chinese-hardwood-plywood?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news

Arauco Breaks Ground On Michigan Particleboard Plant

Arauco North America has broken ground on its $400 million particleboard plant. The new operation will employ more than 250 and will make both raw particleboard and TFM. The Grayling particleboard plant is reported to be one of the largest mills of its kind. When completed the new location will feature North America’s largest continuous particleboard press.

Kelly Shotbolt, president of Arauco North America, said the upper Midwest is the largest consuming region of particleboard in all of North America. Shotbolt and Rick Snyder, governor of Michigan, spoke at the groundbreaking event. The plant is expected to be completed in late 2018.

The Arauco Grayling plant will create approximately 700 construction jobs and about 250 permanent jobs. Once complete, the plant will measure 820,000 square feet with an annual capacity of 800,000 square meters or 452 million square feet of particleboard, along with full lamination capabilities.

The company hired Amec Foster Wheeler for construction management services. In addition to Amec, Arauco has engaged multiple local and Michigan-based companies in support of the plant’s design and site development.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/arauco-breaks-ground-michigan-particleboard-plant?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news

Washington CLT: ‘The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Wood’

Washington CLT: ‘The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Wood’

 

Cross laminated timber, or CLT, is being touted as a revolutionary and environmentally friendly building material that can support structures reaching 12 stories and potentially higher, and could a game-changing economic factor that timber communities have been looking for since the industry began to decline three decades ago.

“It’s the greatest thing since sliced wood; that’s my tag line,” said former state senator Brian Hatfield, Gov. Jay Inslee’s personal pick as his go-to guy for studying ways to breathe life back into the state’s wood products industry.

CLT’s potential economic impact on a timber area like the Twin Harbors is not lost on Hatfield, or 6th District Congressman Derek Kilmer, a Democrat from Gig Harbor.

“God knows we’ve got proximity to the natural resource base,” said Kilmer. “This has the potential to be a real win-win for the area; certainly a win for the economy. The timber industry has been around a long time. We’ve taken some shots to the chin over the last few decades, but I think this provides an opportunity to have the Olympic Peninsula take the initiative and show the world that timber towns can be relevant, and innovative, in the 21st Century.”

What is CLT, and what makes it such a promising alternative to more traditional wood and steel – and even heavy timber – construction? The CLT Handbook, produced by Canada-based FP Innovations in 2013, describes cross laminated timber as “several layers of lumber boards stacked crosswise (typically at 90 degrees) and glued together on their wide faces and, sometimes, on the narrow faces as well.”

From The Daily World: thedailyworld.com.

 

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Kronospan Expands With $200 Million Investment, Creates 120 Jobs

Kronospan, an international manufacturer of wood panel products, will invest $200 million in the expansion of its mills in Belarus – creating 120 new jobs in 2017 and 2018.

Kronospan announced the expansion March 21 when Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko visited one of the company’s OSB plants in Belarus, reported BelTA news.

Since 2010, Kronospan has invested nearly $1 billion in its Belarus operations, and has created over a thousand jobs in the country. Plants in Belarus manufacture laminated and non-laminated particleboard, MDF, impregnated paper, and floor pavement. Kronospan alone accounts for nearly 30 percent of Belarus’ annual woodworking industry output.

Last year, Kronospan invested $362 million in its Alabama plant, adding 160 jobs. It has invested $650 million in total in the plant, with its workforce numbering 270 people.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/panel-supply/kronospan-expands-200-million-investment-belarus-creates-120-jobs?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news

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.

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