by Web Editor | Nov 9, 2015 | News
From: Panel World Staff
Weyerhaeuser Co. and Plum Creek announced a merger that will leave nearly two-thirds majority ownership in Weyerhaeuser shareholder hands. The combined company creates a $23 billion timber REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) with more than 13 million acres of timberland in the U.S.
The combined company will retain the Weyerhaeuser name. As previously announced, Weyerhaeuser intends to move its headquarters to Seattle in mid-2016. Weyerhaeuser brings nearly 7 million acres and Plum Creek 6.3 million acres to the deal.
Weyerhaeuser also announced it is exploring “strategic alternatives” for its Cellulose Fibers business, including a possible sale. The company’s Cellulose Fibers business includes pulp mills in Port Wentworth, Ga.; Vanceboro, NC; Grande Prairie, Alberta; and a modified fiber mill in Columbus, Miss.; as well as other facilities internationally.
Plum Creek operates a medium density fiberboard plant, plywood mill and a board sawmill in Columbia Falls, Mont.; a plywood mill in Kalispell, Mont.; and a stud mill in Kalispell/Evergreen, Mont.
Weyerhaeuser operates approximately 11 sawmills in the Southern U.S., four in the Northwest and three in Canada. It also operates various engineered wood products facilities in North America.
Weyerhaeuser’s Doyle Simons will serve as president and CEO of the combined company. Plum Creek’s Rick Holley will serve as non-executive chairman of Weyerhaeuser’s board, which will be expanded to 13 directors, which will include eight directors from Weyerhaeuser and five from Plum Creek.
The transaction requires the approval of shareholders of both Weyerhaeuser and Plum Creek and is subject to customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in late first quarter or early second quarter of 2016.
by Web Editor | Nov 4, 2015 | News
Grand Rapids, MI-based Universal Forest Products, manufacturer of wood and wood-alternative products, pressure-treated lumber, and engineered wood products, opened a new manufacturing plant in Magna, UT this year.
General Manager Jon Christiansen told Deseret News that the new facility is expected to hire approximately 30 workers over the next three to five years.
Universal, founded in 1955, has subsidiaries that supply wood, wood composite and other products to the retail, construction and industrial markets.
Earlier this year the company purchased the assets of Idaho-based Rapid Wood Mfg., and it also has acquired a majority interest in the Brisbane, Australia-based Integra Packaging Proprietary, which manufactures packaging and wood specialty packaging products.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/universal-forest-products-opens-utah-plant-adds-30-new-jobs?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news
by Web Editor | Nov 2, 2015 | News
From: Panel World Staff
Jackson Morrill, president of Composite Panel Association, updated the executive committee’s recommendations on “policy positions” with regard to energy/biomass issues that impact wood fiber supply during the September Fall Meeting in Banff, Alberta.
CPA opposes government policies that distort the market for woody biomass raw material, Morrill noted, adding that market forces should determine all uses of wood and wood residuals for renewable energy; policies that have the direct effect of diverting biomass supply to subsidized energy should be avoided; and governments that choose to initiate policies intended to increase demand for biomass energy production should couple them with policies that increase the available long-term supply of wood to meet future demand of composite wood panels as well as new and growing markets for energy and other uses.
Morrill said CPA will stay silent on the carbon neutrality of wood-to-energy, noting however that forest derived biomass should be treated as carbon neutral where there is a sustainable growing forest; within carbon accounting frameworks, the composite panel industry’s use of wood residuals to make long-lived products should be treated as a higher value use than energy recovery; the composite panel industry’s use of wood residuals is an important alternate use that should be considered when determining the scope of “qualified biomass” under the U.S. EPA Clean Power Plan.
Morrill said CPA will advocate that composite wood products be recognized for their carbon sequestration benefits; that public policies should recognize that sustainably managed forests and forest products sequester and store carbon and reduce CO2; the use of biomass in creating long-lived products that serve as carbon sinks should be formally recognized in any carbon calculations that might be referenced in a future carbon economy.
by Web Editor | Oct 30, 2015 | News
There will be no Hardwood Checkoff promotions program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has stopped the rulemaking process on the controversial “Hardwood Lumber and Hardwood Plywood Promotion, Research and Information Order.” Published in the Oct. 28 Federal Register, the notice from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service states: “Based on comments received, outstanding substantive questions and significant proposed modifications from stakeholders, USDA is terminating the proceeding.” The termination is effective Oct. 29.
Originally published in the Federal Register in November 2013, the proposed Hardwood Checkoff sought to set a tax on lumber producers to help promote wood sales, similar to the “Got Milk?” and “Pork: The Other White Meat” ad programs. The USDA said it received more than 900 comments to the original proposal, the majority of which opposed the program.
A supplemental notice was issued in June 2015, with comments collected through Sept. 7. The sponsoring Blue Ribbon Committee also submitted revisions in September in an attempt to gain the necessary support for the program. Those revisions, which included the removal of plywood, flooring and green mills, and the scaling back of fees, would have reduced the generated revenues significantly below the $10 million sought in the original proposal.
However, the USDA said, “In response to the supplemental notice, USDA received over 300 comments; a majority of the comments continued to oppose the program. Based on all the comments received, outstanding substantive questions and significant proposed modifications to the proposed program from stakeholders, USDA is terminating the proceeding. This action also terminates the proposed rules on the referendum procedures.”
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/usda-kills-hardwood-checkoff-program?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news
![PELICE Adds More Keynoters, Technical Session Topics Announced]()
by Web Editor | Oct 21, 2015 | Update
Organizers of the fifth Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo have announced further developments for the event to be held April 7-8, 2016 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Three more keynoters have joined the foursome previously announced.
Jackson Morrill, president of Composite Panel Assn., will address the group’s positions and concerns with various issues ranging from the pressures on woody biomass raw material to continuing developments with EPA and CARB on regulations that pertain to formaldehyde in composite wood products.
Morrill will have completed his first year as president of CPA when he speaks at PELICE. Educated and trained in environmental law (Tulane Law School), Morrill before coming to CPA served as director for the American Chemistry Council, where he managed the Formaldehyde Panel.
Luis Tejado, president of Blue Drop in Mexico City and an affiliate of Proteak, will review the development of the new Proteak MDF plant in Huimanguillo. Tejado led the entrepreneurial efforts to purchase the largest eucalyptus plantation in Mexico while also raising $170 million for the Proteak MDF project. He continues to serve on the board of Proteak and is a member of the forestry and MDF committee. After obtaining a Master in Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School, Tejado spearheaded numerous developmental projects for several companies before joining Proteak in 2007 and leading a major teak forest planting and management program.
Rodney Schwartz, vice president of sales of B&W Megtec, will address developments in clean air technology and their implementation at panel producer operations, while also reviewing the current state of clean air regulations. Schwartz has worked 30 years in air pollution control technology and was vice president and business director at Megtec Systems when it was purchased by Babcock & Wilcox in June 2014.
Morrill, Tejado and Schwartz join keynoters previously announced, including Jonathan Martin, chairman and CEO of Martin Companies, LLC; Steve Swanson, president and CEO of Swanson Group; Kurt Liebich, CEO of RedBuilt and New Wood Resources; and Brian Carlson, president of Huber Engineered Woods LLC.
PELICE will include up to 50 technical session presentations in the structural and non-structural fields. Technical session subjects planned include:
- Adhesives, Resins, Binders, Agents—Technologies, Solutions, Implementation.
- Air Emissions Control—Technologies, Maintenance, Retrofits.
- Log Lathe Systems—Improvements, Refinement.
- Wood Yard Raw Materials Preparation—Processing, Transfer.
- Cross Laminated Timber—Production, Markets.
- Real Time Quality Control—In-Line Detection, Measurement.
- Engineered Wood Products—Continuing Developments.
- Press Line Enhancements—Forming, Pressing, Controls.
- Operations Data Management—Recording, Reviewing, Reacting.
- Dryer Line Technologies—Drying, Grading, Detection, Testing.
- International Developments: The China Factor.
- Fire Hazard Prevention—Technologies, Implementation.
- Finishing End Systems—Strapping, Painting, Wrapping.
- Export Considerations—Shipment, Standards.
- Vendor Service Capabilities—Service Centers, Communications.
PELICE will be immediately preceded by the fourth biennial Wood Bionergy Conference & Expo on April 5-6, which is hosted by Wood Bioenergy magazine, an affiliate of Panel World magazine.
