Page 14 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

Bob Dewald, Reid & Wright Lumber Inc., Broomfield, Colo.; and Evelyn Currieand Jim Vandegrift, Bennett Lumber Products Inc., Princeton, Idaho

Bill McGovern, Pacific Western Lumber Inc., Lakewood, Wash.; TerryThompson, J&H Forest Products Inc., Boise, Idaho; and Steve Linton, Tri-ProTM

Forest Products, Oldtown, Idaho

Dan Hiltz, Sapphire Lumber, Hamilton, Mont.; Mike and Isabella Flynn, PotlatchCorp., Spokane, Wash.; and Luke Wenner, Grove Wholesale Lumber, MapleGrove, Minn.

Merry and Ralph Schmidt, and Grace, Columbia Cedar Inc., Kettle Falls, Wash. Carolee Merritt, Merritt Brothers Lumber Co. Inc., Athol, Idaho; Wade Wheeler,Idaho Forest Group, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Holly Janhsen, Merritt BrothersLumber Co. Inc.; and John d’Annunzio, Lumbermen’s Associates, Bristol, Pa.

Terry Thompson and Greg Schacher, J&H Forest Products Inc., Boise, Idaho;Pat Malloy and John Malloy, Idaho Veneer Co., Post Falls, Idaho; and SteveLinton and Terry Baker, Tri-ProTM Forest Products, Oldtown, Idaho

Kim Smith, Veneer Resource, Boise, Idaho; Dan Campbell and Joe Malloy,Idaho Veneer Co., Post Falls, Idaho; Terry Tebb, Defiance Forest Products,Tacoma, Wash.; and Rick Palmiter, Idaho Forest Group, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Dennis Badesheim, Idaho Timber Corp., Boise, Idaho; Evelyn Currie, BennettLumber Products Inc., Princeton, Idaho; and Dennis and Bobbi Buttice, ButticeForest Products Inc., Vale, Ore.

David Jaffee and Rozanne Dinatale, Russin Lumber Corp., Montgomery, N.Y.;and Buck Merritt, Merritt Brothers Lumber Co. Inc., Athol, Idaho

John and Amy Montague, General Building Materials, Denver, Colo.; and Ronnaand Garth Williams, Idaho Forest Group, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Bill McGovern, Pacific Western Lumber Inc., Lakewood, Wash.; and SuzanRoggenkamp and Bill Ahrens, Plum Creek Manufacturing, Meridian, Idaho

Tim Cornwell, BlueLinx, Atlanta, Ga.; Ken Koenig, Idaho Forest Group, Denver,Colo.; Ron Liebelt, Exterior Wood Inc., Washougal, Wash.; Troy Lundquist, LowGrade Lumber, Seattle, Wash.; and Erol Deren, Idaho Forest Group, Coeurd’Alene, Idaho

Randy Wiles, BMC, Denver, Colo.; Mike Slater, Boise Cascade Distribution,Denver, Colo.; and Tim Atkinson, Stimson Lumber Co., Portland, Ore.

Bob and Chery Lackey, Idaho Veneer Co., Post Falls, Idaho; and Mike Boeck, Tri-ProTM Forest Products, Oldtown, Idaho

Terry Miller, The Softwood Forest Products Buyer, Memphis, Tenn.; and Jill andSteve Linton, Tri-ProTM Forest Products, Oldtown, Idaho

Terry Johnson, TDJ Inc., Davenport, Wash.; and Adrienne Dybes, and ChrisTritschler, Channel Lumber Co., Richmond, Calif.

Ron Tiller and Schuyler Vezina, TJ Forest Products Inc., Nampa, Idaho; MarkMitchell, Stimson Lumber Co., Portland, Ore.; and Mike Ebert, Eagle ForestProducts, Eagle, Idaho

Continued on page 16

INLAND Photos - Continued from page 1

Ted Roberts, Roberts & Dybdahl Inc., Des Moines, Iowa; Russ Vaagen, VaagenBros. Lumber Inc., Colville, Wash.; Steve and Jill Linton, Tri-ProTM ForestProducts, Oldtown, Idaho.; and Linda Elliott and Ron Enyeart, Enyeart CedarProducts, Tigard, Ore.

September/October 2012 Page 15

growing frustration with the HouseNatural Resources Committee, whichto date has not taken any action onthe legislation.

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playing golf.For more information visitwww.zipolog.com.

•Solo”, served as the keynote speakerat the SLMA annual conference.Multiple speakers led a resource andoperations panel. They included: JimWimberly, of Wimberly, Lawson,Steckel, Schnieder & Stine PC, MikeCowley, president of CE MaintenanceSolutions and Tom Harrison, Lanigan& Associates PC.For more information about the asso-ciation, visit online at www.slma.org.

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neered wood products, which arebuilding products, which, the companystates, have improved structural char-acteristics and assist in utilizingforests more efficiently. The company manufactures approxi-mately 25 million cubic feet annually.Jantorno has been in his current posi-tion for one year and with BoiseCascade for 17 years. Previously hewas Boise’s Northeastern U.S. areasales manager.He received his Bachelor of Artsdegree from Western MarylandCollege, located in Westminister, Md.,and a master’s degree of public policyfrom Rutgers University located inNew Brunswick, N.J.For more information visitwww.bc.com.

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WHO’S WHO - JantornoContinued from page 2

“critical areas” designated as sufferingfrom “insect infestation, drought, dis-ease, or storm damage,” or at “futurerisk of insect infestations or diseaseoutbreaks.” The Noem amendmentbrought this authority to 10,000 acres. • Authorizes the Forest Service to hireback retirees to “provide technicalservices for conservation-related pro-grams and authorities on NationalForest System lands.”Officials indicated Schrader’s FarmBill amendment attempt was a sign of

WASHINGTON SCENE - Continued from page 2

SHERWOOD - Continued from page 1

The event was primarily focused onraising awareness of the availability ofthe new Engineered Lumber Productsin the Northeast, as well as the vari-ous uses and unique solutions it pro-vides. The open house also featured ameet and greet with the SherwoodLumber and Georgia-Pacific teams,key Industry presentations by DennisBott from Georgia-Pacific and JasonRastad from Sherwood Lumber, a fullday of social events, a BBQ andgames. The full-day event was heldat Sherwood’s 60-acre PrimeDistribution facility in Palmer, Mass.“It was great seeing our customersand friends from the industry togetherat Prime, a facility we’re so proud of.The weather and BBQ were fantastic,which only added to the event being ahuge success,” said Dave Gaudreau,vice president, Sherwood Lumber.The event was well attended byindustry leaders, Sherwood and GPcustomers, along with a host of localcommunity members. For further information on Georgia-Pacific Engineered Lumber Productsand the entire line of SherwoodLumber Products, visit SherwoodLumber.com.Sherwood Lumber & Georgia-PacificPartnership:The two companies finalized terms inMarch 2012 with a contract that allowsSherwood Lumber to supply its deal-ers with a complete line of Georgia-Pacific Engineered Lumber Products.The full line of ELP includes GP LAM,Wood I beam Joists, FiberstrongRimboard and GP Glulam Columns &Beams.When it comes to floor joists, rim-board, beams and headers, engi-neered lumber is a very popular selec-tion for contractors, architects andhomebuyers. The benefits includemore open spaces, quieter floors withless vibration, a flat, level, and morestable floor system. These environ-mentally responsible products alsocome with a lifetime-limited warranty.

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SLMA - Continued from page 13

WHO’S WHO - GrubeContinued from page 2

timbers up to 52 feet in length. Zip-O-Log also has the ability to surface tim-bers up to 20X28X52. In addition theyoffer kiln-dried timbers. They stock3X6 through 3X12, 4X6 through 4/12,6X6 through 6X12, 8X8 through 8X12and 12X12. They offer their dry tim-bers rough, surfaced or saw sized.Grube has been in his current posi-tion for seven years and a member ofthe Zip-O-Log team for 11. Previouspositions held by Grube include:sawmill supervisor for InternationalPaper; lumber superintendent atRosboro Lumber; and operationsmanager for Enterprise Lumber Co.He obtained his bachelor’s degree inforest products from Oregon StateUniversity, located in Corvalis, Ore.Mark and his wife Teresa have threechildren. In his spare time he enjoys

WHO’S WHO - ManningContinued from page 2

the last 20 years as sales manager.Durgin and Crowell produces 30 mil-lion board feet of kiln-dried EasternWhite Pine on an annual basis.Manning is a 1969 graduate of St.Thomas Aquinas High School, locat-ed in Dover, N.H., and then earned aBBA from Providence College inProvidence, R.I., in 1973. He hasbeen an active participant in the forestproducts industry, having served aspast chairman and member of theNortheast Lumber ManufacturersAssociation (NELMA), the NewEngland Lumberman’s Associationand New Hampshire Project LearningTree.Manning has been married for 35years to his wife, Liz, and has twodaughters. When not working, hespends winters snowmobiling and asan Alpine ski official. Summers arespent playing in competitive tennistournaments.

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Bob and Cathy Dewald, Reid & Wright Inc., Broomfield, Colo.; Terry Baker, Tri-ProTM Forest Products, Oldtown, Idaho; and John Grove, Oregon-CanadianForest Products, North Plains, Oregon

Page 16 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

Continued on page 18

INLAND Photos - Continued from page 14

UMPQUA Photos - Continued from page 1

Guy Burrell, Western Forest Products Inc., Vancouver, B.C.; Theresa Kimball,Spokane Forest Products, Spokane, Wash.; Kathleen Burrell, Western ForestProducts Inc.; and Bob Lackey, Idaho Veneer Co., Post Falls, Idaho

Peter and Zoe Bradley, Lumbermen’s Associates, Bristol, Pa.; and Shanna andPaul Caba, Blue North Forest Products LLC, Kamiah, Idaho

Bob Jahns, Bennett Lumber Products Inc., Princeton,Idaho; Jim Warren, Merritt Brothers Lumber Co. Inc., Athol,Idaho; and Mike Theberge, Phoenix Forest Products Inc.,Richmond Hill, Ont.

David Jaffee, Russin Lumber Corp., Montgomery, N.Y.;Jack Henderson, Bridgewell Resources, Portland, Ore.;and Paul Waldon, J&H Forest Products Inc., Boise, Idaho

Winners of the Horse Race competition: Travis Vezina, TJForest Products, Nampa, Idaho; and Dusty Hammock,Arrowhead Lumber, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Paul Owen, Vanport International, Boring, Ore., AhrenSpilker, Idaho Forest Group, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; andMike Flynn, Potlatch Corp., Spokane, Wash.

Some attendees of the ILP meeting took time out to enjoy a bike ride. Pictured are: Mike Boeck, Tri-ProTM ForestProducts, Old Town, Idaho; John Grove, Oregon-Canadian Forest Products, North Plains, Ore.; Todd Brinkmeyer,Plummer Forest Products, Post Falls, Idaho; Shawn Summer and Jeff Webber, Stimson Lumber Co., Portland, Ore.; TedRoberts, Roberts & Dybdahl Inc., Granite, Ill.; Scott Atkison, Idaho Forest Group, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Angie Morozzo,Plummer Forest Products; Dustin Colombini, Tri-ProTM Forest Products; Pete Henningfeld, Stimson Lumber Co.; andSteve Linton, Tri-ProTM Forest Products

Mike McInnes, Sourcewood, Park City, Kansas; Lisa and Todd Foxx, Columbia Cedar/Lazy S Lumber, Beavercreek, Ore.;Merry and Ralph Schmidt, Columbia Cedar, Kettle Falls, Wash.; and Sheila and Mark Carter, Edmund Allen Lumber,Momence, Ill.

Brian and Becky Jones, D.R. Johnson Lumber Co., Riddle, Ore.

Bert McKee, Parr Lumber Co., Chino, Calif.; Bill Young and Sal Camarda, Capital Lumber, Chino, Calif.; and Jerry Long,Parr Lumber Co.

Nancy Daniels, Swanson Group, Glendale, Ore.; Jim McMenamin, LMC, Wayne,Pa.; and Terri Collins, Swanson Group

Brian Jackson, American International, Portland, Ore.; and Denny Birenbaumand Gene Forman, J & P Wholesale, Klamath Falls, Ore.

Bryan Payne, American International, Portland, Ore.; and Stancy and KevinDaugherty, Swanson Group, Glendale, Ore.

Randy Wiles, BMC, Boise, Idaho; John Strader, Shamrock Lumber, Eugene,Ore.; and Jim Frank, BMC

Thor and Katie Yarbrough, Moss Adams LLP, Eugene, Ore.; and Maria and Larry Mussallem, Torgerson Forest ProductsInc., Beaverton, Ore.

Scott Swanson, BlueLinx Corp., Beaverton, Ore.; and Peggy and Jim Oliver,Swanson Group, Glendale, Ore.

September/October 2012 Page 17

DURGINCROWELL

TRIED AND TRUE.Manufacturers of Quality Eastern White Pine

www.durginandcrowell.com

• 30 Million BD FT of Production• 630,000 BD FT of Dry Kiln Capacity• Inline Moisture Detectors• Waco 30 XL Moulder• Modernized Cut Up Shop• Prefinished Interior Paneling

DURGIN & CROWELL LUMBER CO.231 Fisher Corner Rd.New London, NH 03257P: 603-763-2860F: 603-763-4498

WHO’S WHO - PowerContinued from page 2

CABIN CREEK - Continued from page 4

Mill and Timber Products specializesin Cedar decking fascia, boards, trim,patterns, dimension and timbers. Thefirm produces approximately 70 mil-lion board feet annually of WesternRed Cedar.Power has been in his current posi-tion for 22 years. Previous positionsheld include traffic manager at QuadraWood Products, Abbotsford, B.C., andCedar sales for Aspen Planers ofMerritt, B.C.Power and his wife Monique have onedaughter. In his spare time he enjoysspending time with his family, fishingand cooking.Mill and Timber Products is a longtime member of the North AmericanWholesale Lumber Association.For more information visit www.mil-landtimber.com.

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Ponderosa Pine, Ipe and cement sid-ing and aluminum railing.Kelly has been in the forest productsindustry for 30 years. He began hiscareer in inside sales. A graduate ofRocky Grove High School, located inRocky Grove, Pa., he obtained a B.S.degree from Clarion University locat-ed in Clarion, Pa.He and his wife Beth have two daugh-ters and two grandchildren. Kellyenjoys golf and traveling in his sparetime. Mid-State Lumber is a member ofHoo Hoo International, NorthAmerican Deck and Railing Assoc.,and Northeastern Retail LumberAssoc.For more information visit www.mid-statelumber.com.

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WHO’S WHO - KellyContinued from page 2

WHO’S WHO - ChapmanContinued from page 2

utors, wholesalers and industrialusers in the utility and construction,food and agriculture, mats products,commercial and industrial construc-tion and wood products industries. The Specialty Building Products divi-sion of Bridgewell Resources offers awide assortment of products includinglumber, flooring and roofing as spe-cialty solutions for a myriad of buildingneeds. The company’s factory- andmanufacturer-direct sale of domesticand imported products allows it tospecialize in liquidations, excessinventory, seconds, obsolete items,and on- and off-grade building prod-ucts.Chapman was an integral part of thestart-up of the Daphne office inOctober 2011. Supporting the tradingteam, developing new businessopportunities and providing service toexisting customers are a few ofChapman’s responsibilities. From han-dling logistics to working with suppli-ers, he focuses much of his time onfinding solutions for customers andfostering long-term relationships. A native of Charleston, S.C.,Chapman came on board withBridgewell with six years of experi-ence in the forest products industryincluding two years of trading andthree of sales management.Additionally, Chapman holds a degreein transportation and logistics from

Auburn University, located in Auburn,Ala., and has 15 years experience ofthe same. Outside of work, Chapman coacheslittle league, plays golf and is an avidAuburn football fan. He also enjoys theunlimited outdoor recreation offeringsof Daphne with his wife, Michele, anddaughters Riley, 9 and Kerigan, 4. Bridgewell offers several value-addedservices including mixed-size loadsand LTL shipments, full in-houselogistics management, and strategi-cally located inventory, all from a sin-gle point of contact. It is an operatingcompany of Atlas Holdings LLC, aConnecticut-based company thatowns and operates businesses in anumber of industrial sectors.More information about products and

services can be found atBridgewellResources.com.

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formally joined Cabin Creek after mar-rying Bill in December of 2001. Joworks in sales and makes sure thefinancial part of the timber framing

process moves smoothly. Cabin Creek Timber Frames has thecapability of designing timber framestructures using the latest in CADsoftware. Only after the design is com-pleted, their artisan timber framersgrade and select each and every tim-ber that will go into the timber frame.Every piece of the timber frame ishandcrafted to exacting specifications.Once all the individual pieces havebeen handcrafted, the craftsmen per-form a trial assembly of the structurein the beamery of their own facility. “Trial assembling double checks thatall 'the individual pieces' are correct,ensuring that once we are on your job-site the work flow is as safe andas smooth as possible,” the com-pany website www.cabincreektimber-frames.com states. “The timberframers who handcrafted your timberframe are the SAME individuals whowill be erecting it on your job site.”Kevin Lanier, experienced timberframer and CAD designer, was adeputy sheriff for Cobb County, Ga.,for eight years. Lanier started hiscareer with Cabin Creek TimberFrames as a timber framer and lateras a designer. Lanier’s knowledge ofuniversal building codes and what isfeasible for different areas of the U.S.

is vast. One of Cabin Creek’s com-pound joinery instructors both in thebeamery and in their workshops, heuses a state-of-the-art timber designCAD program to draw in 3-D and cre-ate blueprints for cutting timbers intheir beamery.The firm’s timber frame artisansinclude John Booker, Jeremy Fordand Roy Holloway.The timber framers who cut the frametravel to each job site to raise theframe. “Prior to the raising of theframe, post lengths are left long.Often, sub-floors built prior to ourarrival are not level. We measure ele-vations of each post position and cutthe post to the correct length for eachposition on site to ensure a level andplumb frame.”Tongue and groove or paneling isapplied next. “We encourage the useof what we consider the most costeffective insulation on the markettoday, SIPS,” Cabin Creek’s websiteexplains. “A sandwich panel of orient-ed strand board (OSB) on both sidesand Styrofoam in the middle, SIPSsare much tighter in controlling air flow(or heat loss) through the walls or roof.SIPS adds a very strong component

Continued on page 19

Jack Jordan, Jordan Lumber & Supply, Mt. Gilead, N.C., with keynotespeaker Waldo Waldman.

Ken Morgan, Morgan Lumber Co., Red Oak, Va., with speaker MikeCowley of CE Maintenance Solutions, Buffalo Junction, Va., and SteveAyers of J.P. Smith Lumber Co., Menlo, Ga.

Winning team of the SLMA golf tournament; Mike McCoy, BB&T,Kennesaw, Ga.; Jeff Clay, Safetarp Corp., St. Augustine, Fla.; DannyWhite, T.R. Miller Mill Co., Brewton, Ala.; and Robin Little of BB&T,Greenville, N.C.

Page 18 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

UMPQUA Photos - Continued from page 16

Terry Johnson, TDJ, Davenport, Wash.; Bob and Fran Maurer, Swanson Group,Glendale, Ore.; and Tonya and Kevin Caughron, Wood-Ply Forest Products,Chico, Calif.

Chuck Danskey, Billboard Lumber Products, Riddle, Ore.; Kris Lamke, BoiseCascade Corp., Boise, Idaho; and Steve Killgore, Roseburg Forest Products,Roseburg, Ore.

John Rotticci, International Wood Industries, Turlock, Calif.; Terri Collins,Swanson Group, Glendale, Ore.; and Randy Gregory, Billboard LumberProducts, Riddle, Ore.

Leland Curtiss, Billboard Lumber Products, Riddle, Ore.; Charity McSperittand J.T. Taylor, Roseburg Forest Products, Roseburg, Ore.; and Steve Loebner,Sherwood Forest Products, Portland, Ore.

Grant Phillips and Kevin Dodds, Collins Pine, Portland, Ore.; Kris Lewis, C&DLumber, Riddle, Ore.; and Joe LaBerge, Collins Pine

Kurt Batey and Joe Robinson, TJ Forest Products Inc., Nampa, Idaho; BrendaLovell, D.R. Johnson Lumber Co., Riddle, Ore.; and Ron Tiller, TJ ForestProducts Inc.

Lynn Herbert, Herbert Lumber Co., Riddle, Ore.; Karen Slaughter, Elk CreekForest Products, McMinnville, Ore.; and Rod Lucas, Action Wood Products,Turner, Ore.

Lee Klain, Action Wood Products, Turner, Ore.; Beverly and Bob Shook,Matheus Lumber Co. Inc., Chandler, Ariz.; and Randy Johnson, Action WoodProducts

Joe Ferreira and Austin Knecht, Hagle Lumber Co. Inc., Somis, Calif.; and JimMcMenamin, LMC, Wayne, Pa.

Alice Briggs and Tim Hunt, D.R. Johnson Lumber Co., Riddle, Ore.; MattFullerton, David Franklin and John Bullion, Central Oregon Pacific Railroad,Roseburg, Ore.; and Bill Livingston, Desert City Forest Products, Winchester,Ore.

Cameron and Sarah Krauss, Debra and Steve Swanson, Crystal and ChrisSwanson, Swanson Group, Glendale, Ore.

J.T. Taylor, Roseburg Forest Products, Roseburg, Ore.; Joe Jameson, WhitsellManufacturing, Cottage Grove, Ore.; and Matt Campbell, Swanson Group,Glendale, Ore.

SLMA Photos - Continued from page 1

Randy Gregory, Billboard Lumber Products, Riddle, Ore.; Dixie Tibbets, retired,Swanson Group, Medford, Ore.; and Wayne Miller, The Softwood ForestProducts Buyer, Memphis, Tenn.

Terri Collins, Swanson Group, Glendale, Ore.; Tod and Dana Kintz, Pelican BayForest Products, Bend, Ore.; and Nancy Daniels, Swanson Group

Justin Heusser, Plateau Forest Products, Bend, Ore.; Lindsay Eggleston, C&DLumber, Riddle, Ore.; and Scott Nelson, Plateau Forest Products

September/October 2012 Page 19

SM

Since 1951 we've been making quality forest products usedby distributors, dealers, builders, remodelers, and do-it-yourselfers.

For over fifty years we have followed the same principles: take care of the land and it willtake care of you; strive for excellence and efficiency in manufacturing; and treat all suppliersand customers the way you would like to be treated.

For sales call: 1-800-331-0831www.swansongroupinc.com

Dimension

Structural Panels

Studs

MEMBER

to the already quite strong timberframe. SIPS are precut with preparedwindow and door openings, which areready to accept units from a supplier.After this is done, we turn over theessentially green project to the gener-al contractor.”A testament to their belief in thismethod, the Bells built their own tim-ber frame home in 2005 utilizing SIPSfor insulation. “Over five years, with anelectric heat pump, it averages $80per month to heat, cool and power,”Dr. Bell explained.Cabin Creek Timber Frames is amember of the Timber Framers’ Guildand the Timber Frame BusinessCouncil. Dr. Bell is an accredited lec-turer for the American Institute ofArchitects and a diplomat of theAmerican Board of Anesthesiology.For more information visit www.cabin-creektimberframes.com or contact(828) 369-5899.

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ty stocking distributors. “Our biggestwholesale distributor customers relyon us,” said Rick Palmiter, accountmanager. “If that means mixing a lot ofproducts on the load, we’ll do that. Onany given truck we may have eight to12 different items on it. We load a sub-stantial amount of highly mixed trucksin order to enhance our customersinventory turns.”The people at IFG have a “can-do”attitude that speaks for itself. In addi-tion to Deren and Palmiter, other salespersonnel at IFG include: AhrenSpilker, Mason Anderson, GarthWilliams, Andy Dunham, Ken Koenigand Wade Wheeler.The company belongs to the NorthAmerican Wholesale LumberAssociation (NAWLA), where Spilkersits on the board of education com-mittee. IFG is also a member of theWestern Red Cedar LumberAssociation, where Palmiter is on theboard. The company belongs to theWestern Wood Products Association,Forest Stewardship Council, andSustainable Forestry Initiative.Idaho Forest Group will have anexhibitor’s booth supporting their

America,” Deren said. As another part of its strategicgrowth, the company has invested sig-nificantly in technology, with comput-ers making precise evaluationsthroughout the milling and kiln-dryingprocess.“We certainly have pursued machin-ery that gives us more product fromthe log, but even more important,gives us the tightest tolerances thattoday’s professional contractor andeven do-it-yourselfers are demand-ing,” Deren said.Idaho Forest Group was formed in2008 when two successfulIntermountain West timber interests –Riley Creek Lumber and BennettForest Industries – combined theirresources. “Both of these longtime companiesare family-owned with a traditionalvalue mindset,” said Marc Brinkmeyer,founder of Riley Creek Lumber andnow president of Idaho Forest Group.“Our two businesses shared commontraits that fostered a successful merg-er, including like commitments to serv-ing customers and employees, invest-ing in facilities, and embracing the for-est products heritage.”For the year ahead, IFG will continueto fine-tune production and shippingfrom the Lewiston location, Derensaid, along with expansion of special-ty products.“It will be interesting to see how thelumber industry responds to the signsof the housing recovery taking place,”Deren said. “We know there willinevitably be a lag in response, due tothe down-scaling in infrastructure fromthe forest to the job site. The questionwill be how our industry steps forwardto meet that new demand.”Other future plans for IFG includeexpansion of the company’s ability tooffer custom profiles and patterns,adding scope and value to specialtyproducts. Other fine-tuning is expect-ed to lead to shorter shipping timesand better inventory management forcustomers.IFG also has the ability to manageinventory at their locations for special-

friends and customers at the NAWLATraders Market® November 7-9 at theHyatt Regency in Chicago, Ill. “We continue to grow in capacity andto strengthen our focus on the busi-ness fundamentals,” Brinkmeyer said.“Our never-ending goal is gettingquality products out of theIntermountain West and into our cus-tomers’ hands.”For more information visit www.idaho-forestgroup.com.

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The company recently opened a newshowroom in Seattle, Wash., called“Seattle Green.” The 1,200 square footfacility showcases all of the firm’sonline offerings.A member of the U.S. Green BuildingCouncil, the California RedwoodAssociation, and the Western WoodProducts Association, the companyhas faced its share of challenges overthe last 28 years. “The past several

years has been a major challenge,”said Fernandez, who points to the cur-rent economy as a particularly difficulthurdle. He sees the new online storeas one way to overcome the obstacleand reach customers on a new, self-service level. “The idea is for the independent con-tractor that’s out in Wisconsin on thejobsite, trying to find studs, framing,siding, or flooring to go online on hislaptop or smart phone, check out ourinventory, read a product review, andplace an order,” said Fernandez. “Withjust a few clicks he can get it shippeddirectly to the jobsite.”Looking ahead, Fernandez antici-pates a time when a good portion ofNorth Cal Wood Products’ customersfire up their computers and placeorders online. “The online store isn’t abig business right now, but it’s growingand customers are responding veryfavorably to it,” Fernandez said. “Weexpect our online sales to continue togrow this year as we roll out our YouClick It, We Ship It Campaign.”For more information, visit online atwww.northcal.com.

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CABIN CREEK - Continued from page 17

NORTH CAL - Continued from page 7

IDAHO FOREST - Continued from page 6

Page 20 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

Midwest Business Trends

By Paul Miller Jr.Assistant

Managing Editor

2x4/8’s and 4x4/8’s Cedar fencing prod-ucts. Our inventory levels are at about70 percent of what they were threemonths earlier.”Going forward the contact has a “wait-and-see” approach. “We’ll know moreabout what next year will bring once theelection is finished. I think the remain-der of this year will follow out the samebut next year is kind of hanging in thewind until that time.”A Spruce Pine Fir, Hemlock Fir andPine supplier said Spruce has pickedup over the last few weeks. “Spruce hastaken an unanticipated turn in the lastfour weeks. Demand for certain items isso high that production isn’t keeping up.For our industry this is a good indicatorof things to come.”When asked about pricing he said,“Prices are up, but we’re not con-cerned. We expect things will level outas we get later into the fall. We hadsuch a mild winter across the countrylast year that we had a lot of housingstarts and commercial activity goingearlier in the year. It probably robbedsome business that would have hap-pened in the spring and summermonths but this recent uptick is surpris-ing this late in the season. We welcomeit but I personally don’t believe it willcontinue much further than September.

Softwood suppliersand end users inthe Midwest regionexperienced asteadier summerthan in years past.Some contacts saidbusiness that nor-

mally dries up in the latter months ofthe season has continued. “We areexpecting a little spike in September,” asource in Missouri explained. “Our par-ticular location and market segmentfeels the outset of a ‘rush’ on the tail-end. From what we’ve been hearingwe’re expecting the fall to be fairlydecent.”As for pricing he noted, “Pricing hasheld fair, the only thing that’s reallybeen a problem is broken tallies andthings like that. So we’ve been quitehappy with the year so far.”He did however indicate his operationis experiencing some supply shortages.“Mostly we’re having trouble finding

In mid-August,suppliers on theWest Coast told usthat 2012 wasshaping up to be abit better than lastyear with signs ofcontinued strength

for the rest of the year, and possiblysteady growth into the new year.In Maple Ridge, B.C., Archie Rafter,in sales for Anderson-Pacific ForestProducts, said, “Our Cedar sales rightnow are seeing the dog days of sum-mer. It’s fairly quiet, but we have agood order file taking us to the end ofSeptember. The Fraser River droppedby 10 feet a couple of weeks ago, mak-ing it a bit easier to bring logs in (fromthe river), so we are currently runningour mill on 10 hour shifts. Logging lev-els are still not steady, so it is hard toplan production, at times even day today, but for sure week to week. Thereis not a lot of high grade Cedar around

West Coast Business Trends

By Wayne MillerExecutive Editor

Continued on page 35

Continued on page 34

due to erratic logging.”Rafter said, “Buyers seem optimisticthese days. The export markets havedefinitely helped sales volumes overthe year, however, due to Europe’suncertain financial markets, sales tothat area have fallen off. I feel thatoverall we may see a quiet fall. Westill get inquiries regularly, but some ofthem are absurd. One guy calledwanting 10,000 feet of all 18 footWestern Red Cedar 2 x 10 verticalgrain clear. To get that we would haveto run 100,000 feet! Buyers want veryspecified tallies, only exactly whatthey need. Those kind of orders donot support a sawmill. I think mostsuppliers would agree that 2012 hasbeen better than the previous year,but there are no legs to the market onan annualized basis. This makes ithard to plan production. Of course,this has to be an even bigger problemfor the really big sawmill suppliers.”Al Fortune, head of Mid ValleyLumber Specialties, Aldergrove,B.C., said, “Overall this year has beenbetter than the two previous years forour Cedar sales. It slowed some thissummer, but not to the extent it didover summer of 2011 and 2010. Wesee signs that the last quarter of theyear will be strong, giving us a fairlypositive year in sales. Supply from themill side isn’t bad. The supply hasmanaged to stay fairly even withdemand (without over producing), sothere has been no weakening inprices from the mill.”Carlos Furtado of SawarneLumber, Richmond, B.C., said,“Cedar supplies are tight on someitems. At the beginning of the year wehad an incredible amount of snow,then floods on the Fraser River, whichcurtailed logging. The supply of logs isstarting to loosen up. I’d say overallthe market looks and feels promising.Housing seems to be slowly improvingand this drives sales. This year we arefeeling good about making somesmall profit for all the work we havedone.”Kent Beveridge of Skana ForestProducts, Richmond, B.C., said, “It’sbeen a decent year for us in a supplydriven market. There are fewer millsaround and less production than inyears past and somehow the remain-ing mills have not gotten ahead of themarket and weakened prices. Exportmarkets are buying, too, which helpskeep prices strong. Customers aresounding much more positive thisyear, but say they are having to workharder for orders. Buyers are not will-ing to order ahead, but only orderwhat they need right now. People aredefinitely protecting their cash flow.We have 16 traders now, but only oneworking in Cedar. We have a veryhealthy Cedar program. There are twonew guys on our sales team---Beecher Rusin, who is a rookie andwho we are sending to the NAWLAschool, and Frank Feldmann, who hasseveral year’s experience.”Andy Carr, in sales for GormanBrothers, West Bank, B.C., said“There has been no slowdown in pro-duction of our Board sales. We aresold out into November for new ship-ments. We did not see much of theusual lull in sales to the U.S. this year.Instead buying has remained fairlysteady all year long. Our prices havebeen steady, although we did increaseprices slightly at the beginning of theyear. Those increases have held.Sales volumes to the U.S. are slowlyincreasing, but our export marketshave remained very strong. Our com-pany has made some recent moves toensure we have plenty of timber sup-ply for the future, and we feel goodabout that. I am headed out on a salestrip to Japan for 10 to 14 days, and we

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September/October 2012 Page 21

It Best Corp. staff, vendors and mem-ber-owners recently contributed to thebuilding of a Habitat for Humanityhome in the co-op’s hometown, locat-ed here.The project is scheduled to runthrough early October. In addition tofully staffing the build, Do It Best Corp.is funding the project, including mate-rials and professional service provid-ed by licensed specialists. This is thesecond company build the co-op hassponsored, with the first coming in2008.“Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful,important organization that helps peo-ple get back on their feet and thriveindependently, and it keeps peoplerooted in their communities,” said Do ItBest president and CEO Bob Taylor.

•

Timberline Adds LocationGloucester, Mass.–TimberlineEnterprises, located here, hasreceived planning permission to opena second site in Newburyport, Mass.The facility will encompass four acres.Timberline serves professionalbuilders and operates as a wholesalelumber business, accompanied byincidental retail. Timberline paid $1.4

engineered lumber products.GSC distributes roof trusses andGeorgia-Pacific engineered woodproducts via four Short & Paulk loca-tions.

•

Washington Welcomes NewBuilders Surplus

Chehalis, Wash.–A new location forBuilders Surplus Northwest Inc.recently opened here. The store offersflooring, moulding/trim, doors, win-dows, lumber, cabinets and counter-tops, among other building materialproducts.To contact the store, call 360-748-6269.

•

Cape Cod Breaks New Ground

Abington, Mass.–Cape Cod LumberCo. Inc.’s new facility, which will belocated here, spans 136,000 squarefeet, including warehouse, office anddrive-thru lumberyard. The grand opening for the site is setfor January 2013 and will serve asCape Cod’s headquarters and opera-

RETAIL REVIEWWeyerhaeuser Chooses ATFS

Washington, D.C.–The American TreeFarm System (ATFS) recentlyannounced that Weyerhaeuser Co.has announced its official preferencefor purchasing wood that is certifiedunder ATFS. More than 89,000 familyforest owners managing 27 millionacres of forestland are part of theAmerican Tree Farm System.“Weyerhaeuser’s announcement isjust what certified tree farmers havebeen waiting for,” said Tom Martin,president and CEO of the AmericanForest Foundation. “Healthy forestsneed healthy markets because pro-tecting your trees against pests,pathogens and catastrophic fires canbe expensive. These landowners arehardworking people who want to keeptheir forests, as forests, and keepthem in their family. “Weyerhaeuser’s continued commit-ment to ensuring woodland ownershave the tools to manage sustainablyis laudable.”Headquartered in Federal Way,Wash., Weyerhaeuser Company, oneof the world's largest forest productscompanies began operations in 1900.The company grows and harveststrees, builds homes and makes arange of forest products essential toeveryday lives. At the end of 2011,Weyerhaeuser employed approxi-mately 12,800 employees in 11 coun-tries. Learn more at www.weyer-haeuser.com.

•

Arrowhead Building SupplyInvests, Grows

St. Peter, Mo.–Arrowhead BuildingSupply has announced it is investing$3 million to add equipment, add 10jobs and a 30,000-square-foot ware-house at its location in Stafford, Mo.Arrowhead serves building contrac-tors in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansasand offers roofing, siding, decking,railing, windows and doors, amongother building material supplies.To learn more, visit online at www.arrow-headbuildingsupply.com.

•

Fire Doesn’t Dampen LaValley’s Spirits

Middleton, N.H.–A dehumidifyingkiln building atL a V a l l e yM i d d l e t o nBuilding Supply,located here,recently under-went repairs afterbeing damagedby a two-alarmfire. LaValley dis-tributes WhitePine to thisregion.Marcella Perry,

general manager at the facility, saidthe structure suffered between$30,000 to $40,000 worth of damageto the kiln, a fan and sections of theroof. She added this situation actuallyaffords the company the opportunityto upgrade the building, which wasbuilt around 1980.For more information about this com-pany, visit www.lavalleys.com.

•

Georgia-Pacific To Use NewStocking Distributor, GSC

Tifton, Ga.–Georgia StructuralComponents (GSC), a recentlyformed wholesale division of Short &Paulk Supply, located here, is now astocking distributor for Georgia-Pacific

Continued on page 22

tions center.For more information, visit online atwww.cclco.com

•

Pennsylvania ACB Supply To Open

Carnegie, Pa.–Roofing distributorABC Supply recently opened a newstore here that encompasses 42,000square feet and contains a warehouseand showroom space in two buildings.Designed to serve residential andcommercial construction profession-als, the new store will carry a com-plete assortment of low-slope andsteep-slope roofing materials, siding,windows, doors, gutter, decking andrelated tools and equipment.ABC Supply has 13 additionalbranches throughout Pennsylvania.ABC Supply is headquartered inBeloit, Wis., and has more than 450branches in 45 states.

•

Do It Best Builds A Habitat House

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Page 22 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

NFL Home Center here. Formerly thehome of Coast Building Supply, plansfor the new location are expanding theNFL brand.“The new store in Gautier is part ofour plan to expand the NFL brandalong the Gulf Coast,” said JimmySmith, chairman of CNRG. “We werepresented with a good opportunity toreopen a store that had recentlyclosed. It fit within our strategic plansfor NFL perfectly.”CNRG currently operates home cen-ter and hardware stores in Mississippi,Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee,Texas and North Carolina under theHome Hardware Center, MorrisonTerrebonne Lumber Center, NFLHome Center, Elliott’s Hardware andTown & Country Hardware brands.

•

Menard’s To Add Four Stores In Michigan

Eau Claire, Wis.—Menard’s, head-

quartered here, announced it will addfour stores in Warren, Livonia,Belleville and Chesterfield, Mich.The home improvement retail chainhas also recently broken ground for anew 162,000 square-foot store locat-ed on 28 acres in Garden City,Kansas.The privately held company head-quartered in Eau Claire, Wis., hasapproximately 270 stores in 14 states:Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois,Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa,Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, SouthDakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, andKentucky.

•

RETAIL REVIEWContinued from page 21

million for the parcel and plans to teardown one building, preserve two oth-ers and construct four new structures,including two drive-through storagebuildings, one three-sided materialsstorage building and one three-sidedstorage building with enclosed stor-age.For more information about this com-pany, visit online at www.tlumber.com.

•

CMI Acquired by Jeld-WenKlamath Falls, Ore.–Jeld-Wen,located here, has agreed to acquireCraftMaster Manufacturing Inc.(CMI),Chicago, Ill, during the close of thirdquarter 2012.CMI makes CraftMaster molded doorfacings and doors, MiraTEC exteriorcomposite trim, and Extira exteriorcomposite panels. Primary productionis implemented in Towanda, Pa.

•

Aaron Carmack Named CanadianChief at Home Depot

Atlanta, Ga.—Home Depot, head-quartered here, recently announcedthat Aaron Carmack, regional VP forthe Pacific North region, has beenpromoted to president of Home DepotCanada.Carmack will replace AnnetteVerschuren, who is leaving the com-pany after nearly 15 years of service. The Home Depot is an Americanretailer of home improvement andconstruction products and services.The Home Depot operates many big-box format stores across the UnitedStates (including all 50 U.S. states,

the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,the Virgin Islands and Guam), all 10provinces of Canada, Mexico andChina.

•

AG Supply Opens 6th AceWenatchee, Wash.—AG Supply Co.,based here, recently held a grandopening for its 6th Ace Hardwarebranch in Sultan, Wash. The new store, managed by localarea resident Chuck Estes, is locatedat the site of the former Front PorchFeed & Seed just across the SultanRiver Bridge on the north side ofHighway 2. AG Supply also operates AceHardware locations in EastWenatchee, Quincy, Ephrata andBrewster, Wash.Ace Hardware was founded in 1924by Richard Hesse, E. GunnardLindquist, Frank Burke, and OscarFisher in Chicago, Ill. Ace Hardware,incorporated in 1928 as Ace StoresInc., was founded to provide a central-ized purchasing organization to sup-ply the founders' and members'stores. The company was named afterthe Ace fighter pilots of World War I,who were able to overcome all odds.Its retail network expanded to hun-dreds of dealers by 1949, when annu-al sales reached about $10 million.

•

Peach Tree True Value BuildsSecond Location

Grand Junction, Colo.—Peach TreeTrue Value Hardware, based here,recently purchased a 70,000-square-

foot facility in Fruita, Colo., to buildits second location.

•

Tri-State Ace Relocates andHomCo Ace Earns Certification

Bullhead City, Ariz.—Tri-State AceHome Center recently relocated itsfacility to a larger, 20,000 square-foot operation here. Formerly locat-ed at Hancock Road and LakesideDrive, Tri-State Ace Home Center isnow in a Riverview Mall location at2350 Miracle Mile.In Flagstaff, Ariz., HomeCo AceHardware has earned ForestryStewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certification fromScientific Certification Systems.Local owner Mike Brackenaddressed the new certification in arecent blog on the company’s web-site. “As you may already know,HomCo Ace Hardware made a com-mitment last year to "go green." “After going green internally, westarted looking outside the companyfor more ways to reduce our envi-ronmental impact. I'm pleased toannounce that HomCo AceHardware has earned ForestStewardship Council (FSC) Chain ofCustody certification from ScientificCertification Systems, one of theworld's leading FSC certifiers and afounding member of FSC.”

•

Central Network Retail GroupOpens NFL Home Center

Gautier, Miss.—Central NetworkRetail Group recently opened a new

Continued on page 26

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Continued on page 26 Continued on page 26

By Gary MillerManaging Editor

Softwood suppli-ers in theSoutheast regionreported steady

order files. At press time, sourcesaccounted for a three-week “run.”Although some mentioned discount-ing prices to attract buyers, inMississippi a Southern Yellow Pinesupplier said price cuts are expectedfor No. 2 and Better. “Some of the millswith larger inventories took the pricecuts and broke even. Those that didn’tsold a smaller volume and will beshelved with the inventory during thefall,” he explained.A Softwood supplier in Alabama said

his company has been enjoying abusy season. “The retail yards andtreating plants are busy right now,” heexplained. “We’ve had more housingstarts in this area and overall I thinkwe are experiencing an increase indemand.”Handling Southern Yellow Pine,

Spruce, OSB and Hemlock andDouglas Fir, the contact indicatedSpruce as his best moving item. “Allthe Spruce PET 9-foot studs are mov-ing and OSB has taken off like a rock-et in the last two weeks.”He said products are available but

shipment times are a little longer thanusual. “We had gotten into a situation

where everything was slow, so trans-portation followed that lead. Now thatthings have picked up, it’s going totake a while to get a balance going inthat area again.”He noted his prices are up. “When

you look at OSB and Spruce theprices are up but Southern YellowPine has slowed down a little.Plywood is also moving up steadilyand prices are holding.”When asked about his customer’s

markets, he said, “Our customers areaware of the price increases andsome of them may hold off on jobsdue to the prices but the other half ofthem realize that they have to get itdone and they pay the prices.”Going forward he indicated his

expectations for what remains of 2012are cautiously optimistic. “Headinginto the winter prices generally godown. I don’t really have any words ofwisdom but I think we’re definitely inbetter times. Production is finally bal-ancing with demand. There is current-ly more demand than production andthat’s why we see the increases. Wehope it continues.”Elsewhere in Mississippi a Softwood

supplier commented, “Our business isgood. I can’t really speak for otherpeople in the industry but we’re in acouple of market segments that haveheld up pretty well. Our sales are upabout 20 percent over last year. We’repleased with the way things aregoing.”Like others in the region he noted a

“takeoff” in recent weeks. “In the last30 days we’ve really seen a strongmarket. Most of what we sell is lowergrades in plywood and OSB but weoccasionally buy some items like ¾BB ply-form and we had a recentorder of three truckloads recently. The

By Michelle KellerAssociate Editor

Stability hasproven to be anelusive quality in

the Softwood lumber market for thepast few years, but some mill andwholesale operations are now report-ing that a bit of equilibrium is returningto the industry. Some attribute thisshift to a better balance of supply anddemand. Others note that slowdownsin United States’ milling operationshave opened up an opportunity forCanadian suppliers. Regardless of theexact cause, many are pleased tofinally see some prospect of bettertimes.The president of one Ontario mill saidthat although demand for White Pinehas remained static for several years,demand for both Red Pine andSpruce has begun to pick up.Unfortunately for his company, morethan three quarters of its business isderived from White Pine sales. Hesaid that he looks south in terms of hishopes that this particular market mightimprove.“We need the Americans to startbuilding homes again,” he said, addingthat U.S. lumber suppliers have begunflooding the Canadian market withproduct. “There is a lot of White Pinecoming into our area from the States.”He said the lack of demand is cou-

pled with a diminished supply of cleanWhite Pine, adding that he sees a lotof lumber coming through with moreknots than in previous years. He notedthat the White Pine market may needmore time to recover than otherSoftwood species.“Speaking about White Pine, I do notsee a change in the next year. Maybea change in five years, but I thinkthings are going to stay the way theyare right now for a while.”The sales manager of a Quebec-based mill said she is seeing substan-tial improvements in terms of the mar-ket. Her mill, which works with BlackSpruce, Jack Pine, Balsam, and a bitof White Spruce, has remained busythroughout 2012.“It’s a lot better; there’s no compari-son,” she said of difference from lastyear. She added that there seems tobe several factors affecting theimprovement in the market. “Honestly,I think there are lots of reasons. Thereare some mills shut down, and thenthere is the crisis in [British Columbia]with the mill explosion and beetleinfestation. The U.S. demand is a bitmore. In fact, loggers, or at least somesawmills, are having a hard time get-ting logs. I think there are a lot of rea-sons, but it’s probably a combinationof all that.”If there is one dark cloud on the hori-zon for her company, it is the minimaldemand for wood chips, which shesaid is a drag on finances.“The wood chips are our main chal-lenge right now. There are not a lot ofbuyers for wood chips right now,” shesaid. “If we cannot sell the chips, wecannot stay open. This is probablyhelping the prices too; some mills areshutting down because they cannotsell their chips.”

South/SoutheastBusiness Trends

Ontario/QuebecBusiness Trends

tighter and prices starting to rise.”In Maine a Softwood supplier said thelumber market is consistent. “We hadsome bumps in the beginning of theyear but now it seems to be pickingback up. I think the commercial part ofthe market has been steady andincreasing a little. A lot of people inthis area are doing some renovations,which has been a key component ofour business.”Handling Eastern White Pine, thecontact indicated availability of prod-uct has not been an issue for his oper-ation. “Everything that we are market-ing is pretty consistent in supply. We’realso not having any issues in movingour products.”When asked about his inventory lev-els he said “maintaining” is the nameof the game. “We maintain an invento-ry level where we know from month-to-month what is required for our oper-ation to run efficiently.”He noted that transportation issuesare beginning to loosen up headingout of the produce season. “The truck-ing situation is always tough for thespring and summer months whentrucking companies are handling veg-etables and fruits. That’s starting toloosen up now as the season ischanging.”Marketing to wholesale distributors,manufacturers and buying groups, aSoftwood supplier in New York said,“Everybody has changed their busi-ness and has learned how to becomemore efficient. I think everybody has abetter grasp on how to run their busi-ness, how to order and how to main-tain their inventory now.”The Forest Stewardship Council andForestry Stewardship Initiative certi-fied supplier also said that he hasn’tseen any immediate increase in

Page 24 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

Softwood lumbermarket conditionshave slightlyimproved to flatfor the Westernregion. Some con-tacts indicated

business had been steady simply dueto the season while others noted nochanges.In Montana a contact mentioned his

markets have been relatively flat forthe last few years. “With the exceptionof the occasional item here and therethat may pick up. Our business is sta-ble and we don’t begrudge the manu-facturer some price increasesbecause we need them to remainhealthy. Prices have been higher froma starting point this year. Combinedwith the trucking issues that we hadearlier this year, where trucking wasso difficult we have had timesthroughout the year where our mar-gins have been pinched. But overallI’m really pleased because our salesare steady and that’s a good trend.We see the economy improving incre-mentally; its nothing dramatic but itdoes seem to be getting better yearover year.”In Colorado a source noted some of

the upper grade products his compa-ny stocks are in short supply.“Combined with the fact that over thepast several years since the housingmarket has been so depressed there

are less manufacturers available andthe ones that remain are not runningnear optimum capacity. So the sup-ply/demand balance is perfectlyaligned. The mills have it down to ascience as far as how much they canrun. I think we’re in a situation whereyou have about a third as many hous-ing starts as we had back in 2006.And when you see a little rally likewe’ve had in recent weeks it dispro-portionately affects prices becausethese mills are not going to add addi-tional shifts. They may ramp produc-tion up or run some extra hours butthey’re not going to go to 2 millionhousing start production levels basedon the strength of a three to four weekrun. So that will lend itself to this typeof availability problems and dramaticprice increases because production isnot responding to the short-termincrease in demand, which pushesorder files out and prices up. That cre-ates an uncomfortable situation in themarketplace.”A source in Idaho commented, “I

think the strategy of the sawmills notflooding the market with additionalproduct over a short period of time isdead on. Because I don’t think any-body expects these prices to staywhere they are 30 days from now.”Marketing to pro-dealers, distributors

and big box home centers, he said hiscustomers are cautious about theremainder of the year. “Being a presi-dential election year there is a lot ofspeculation about what is going tohappen on a political landscape aspertains to taxation and regulationsthat business owners have to be con-cerned about.“Our company viewpoint is that we’ll

see more of what we’ve seen earlierthis year. I really think the recent ‘blip’on the radar is short-lived. I would be

Western BusinessTrends

By Terry MillerAssociate Editor

Softwood suppli-ers throughout theNortheast saidmarket conditionsare better thanwhat they expect-ed earlier this

year. “We haven’t had any majorshortages and business has heldsteady,” a contact in Pennsylvaniacommented. Handling all Softwood species thesource said he isn’t having any avail-ability issues and prices are fairacross the board. “Everything in gen-eral has been pretty flexible for us.Going into the final quarter we are inbetter shape than we had expected interms of year-over-year margins.”As for inventory levels he noted nochanges. “Inventory and pricing isexactly the same as it was this timelast year. We haven’t changed ourprices in almost a year.”He did indicate cost of transportationis rising. “Transportation costs are def-initely going up, which affects youravailability to transport lumber outsideof your local area at a reasonablerate.”Marketing to the building and con-struction segments of the lumberindustry, the contact said his cus-tomers’ markets are steady. “We canbe hopeful that things will continue toremain the same but with fuel pricescreeping up I anticipate things getting

By Sue PutnamEditorial Director

Northeast BusinessTrends

Continued on page 27 Continued on page 27

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B.C.: Bill LeGrow, Andy McGibbon,and Mark Thomson (including acameo by Mike Flanagan). Honoredat the event was the 2012 Lumbermanof the Year, Joe Heath, NorthAmerican sales manager for WestFraser Mills. This marked the 32ndyear in which the BCWLA hosted theroast.

For more information aboutthe BCWLA, visit online atwww.bcwla.org.

•

Matt Tobin and Gini Harvey, West Fraser Mills, Quesnel,B.C.; Ted Seraphim, West Fraser Mills, Vancouver, B.C.;Kyle Lewis, West Fraser Mills, Quesnel, B.C.; and PeteSeraphim, Olympic Industries Inc., North Vancouver,B.C.

September/October 2012 Page 25

Continued on page 26

the West Coast homebuilding indus-try.Attendance at the PCBC was similarto last year, making it a premier tradeshow on the Pacific Coast. PCBC waslaunched in 1959 and features exhibithalls manned by industry leadingmanufacturers and suppliers. Theproducts and services displayed spandozens of various categories.In addition to hundreds of booths dis-playing new products, dozens ofinformative seminars and conferencesare provided for attendees whochoose to participate. Among thelargest at this year’s PCBC was theMultifamily Trends Conference. Thissession lasted two days and was leadby analysts and operators in for-rentand for-sale multifamily housing.Discussions included trends in theeconomy, supply and demand, capitalmarkets, investment strategies, devel-opment trends and macro/regionalmarket conditions.Gary Vaynerchuk served as the gen-eral sessions keynote speaker.Viewed as a marketing trailblazeramong his peers, Vaynerchuk has asuccessful career as an entrepreneurand social media guru who grew hisfamily wine business from $4 million to$60 million in five years. He is a NewYork Times best-selling author, mostrecently of The Thank You Economy,which focuses on the most recent shiftin culture that businesses have wit-nessed, how everything has changedexcept human nature, as well as whysmart people dismiss social media(and why they should not).Examples of other forums hosted byPCBC for attendees are: The CapitalMarkets Forum, The ConsumerInsight Forum, The 50+ HousingForum and The Design Trends Forum.Additionally, PCBC hosts the GoldNugget Awards. Now in its 49th year,

IDAHO RECEPTION -Continued from page 9

BCWLA -Continued from page 11

PCBC -Continued from page 12

ROBBINS -Continued from page 8

ner at the Bonsai Bistro here.Additionally, guests were invited totour IFG’s Chilco mill, one of fiveowned and operated by the company.The other four mills are located inGrangeville, Laclede, Lewiston andMoyie Springs.IFG hosts the reception and dinnerannually to extend thanks to its loyalcustomers for their continued sup-port.Idaho Forest Group’s mills produce acombined capacity of more than 800million board feet. For more companyinformation, visit online at www.idaho-forestgroup.com.

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according to the company, withapproximately 6.8 million acres inmajor timber producing regions of thecountry. The company produces lum-ber, plywood and medium densityfiberboard in its wood products manu-facturing facilities in the Northwest.Plum Creek is headquartered inSeattle, Wash.Stimson Lumber is a privately-heldforest products and natural resourcecompany in Portland, Ore. With its ori-gin dating back to the 1850s, it is oneof the older continuously operatingforest products companies in the U.S.

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PLUM CREEK-Continued from page 10

this awards program honors creativeachievement in architectural designand land use planning for residential,commercial and industrial projects.Tentative dates and location havebeen announced for PCBC 2013.They are June 5-7, 2013, at the SanDiego Convention Center, in SanDiego, Calif.For more information, visit online atwww.pcbc.com.

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L U M B E R D I V I S I O NP R O D U C T SJ.S.Jones

Teal-Jones GroupThe

A Family Of Fine Forest Products

Stag Timber

PEFC/01-31-103

Teal-Jones GroupThe

involved in the industry are feelingmore optimistic about the future. Thisannual conference brings togetherthousands of homebuilders, contrac-tors, lenders, developers, architectsand manufacturers to learn about thelatest trends and news pertaining to

Ryan Higman and Rob Holland, Pacific ArchitecturalMillworks, Brea, Calif.

with them, running, cooking and hav-ing a “backyard farm.”In his spare time, Jim Sr., enjoyshunting, fishing, white water canoeing,boating, hiking, cross-country skiingand antique autos. Friends and indus-try members may contact him at jim-sret@rlco.com.Robbins Lumber Inc. owns and man-ages 30,000 acres of its own forestsand buys logs from over 150 inde-pendent loggers. Milling operationsare located on a 40-acre site thatincludes a 700,000 board foot capaci-ty kilns, computerized sawmill, planing

Page 26 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

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mills, a pre finishing facility, cut-upshop, 100,000 square feet of ware-house, and the company's generaloffices.A vertically integrated forest productsfirm, Robbins produces Eastern WhitePine lumber and byproducts in its mill,while at the same time caring for andgrowing forest products on itssuperbly managed woodlands. Mainecraftsmen and women are employedproducing approximately 28 millionboard feet of top quality White Pinelumber. Another three million boardfeet are made into pre-cut parts andsecondary manufactured products inthe cut-up shop. For more informationabout Robbins Lumber visitwww.rlco.com.

uct offering at this point.“We’re a very traditional company.We’re basically in the business of sup-plying home builders. That is what wehave been, and what we will be for theforeseeable future,” he said.One Quebec wholesaler questionedthat approach. She argued that thecompanies that will survive throughthese still-uncertain times are theones that are willing to look for newways to make money.“A lot of mills have curtailed their pro-duction, but there is still only so muchbusiness out there,” she said. “You’vegot to be more diversified now to suc-ceed. Other than that, you’re not goingto make it. You’ve got to be very flexi-ble, and have the right products andright price. It’s not an easy combina-tion, and it’s not going to happentomorrow. Our sales are off from lastyear, and we have a good productmix. Those that don’t, I don’t knowhow they are managing.”As the vice president in charge of allPine products, she works with thespectrum of Pines, including importsout of Brazil and other SouthAmerican countries. She said certaingrades of lumber are doing better thanothers. “Select prices have gone downtremendously, but premium gradesare holding their own. Standard is a bittighter in supply, but I would say theareas the prices are most affected isthe select because there doesn’tseem to be a big demand there,” shesaid. “People are going to less expen-sive industrial, and standard grades.It’s just a matter of economics; peopledon’t have the money to spend onhigher grades.”She added that she sees fewchanges in the immediate future.“I don’t see any big changes in the

next 12 to 18 months; I see the marketcontinuing on the same trend,” shesaid. “There will be more exports toChina and Asia, especially the lowergrades, but domestically I don’t seeanything exciting happening in thenext year, year and half. Even theretail markets are slow…everyone’sfighting for the same business.”

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She said that her customers, whichinclude retailers and distributors, arereporting improved sales over thistime last year, and she said that allsigns indicate that those gains arehere to stay for at least a while.“I think we’re on a good stretch there,”she said. “I’m hoping. It’s been hap-pening for a few months now. I thinkwe’re looking at a slower fall, but Ithink spring will be good again.”That sense of consistency wasechoed by the manager of an Ontario-based wholesale business. Hedescribed the market for Softwoodlumber as steady, and added that it isnice to see such improvement afterseveral rough years.“We had an OK summer last year.Generally, the market is constant atthis point,” he said, adding that bothprice and volume numbers haveimproved over the last twelve months.“This year, overall, it’s been signifi-cantly better than last year.”He said the change in price can becorrelated to the reduction in supplyduring the past year. He said he wasunsure as to how much change therehas been in actual demand, butdescribed the current balance asdecent.“The Canadian market right nowlooks pretty constant,” he said. “It’sdestined to slow down a little bitbecause of the prices, but overallwe’ve been pretty constant.”He said his company, which workstraditionally with SPF, has been tied tothe home building market for manyyears, and that it is unlikely that theywould consider diversifying their prod-

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RETAIL REVIEW-Continued from page 22

Old West Lumber Re-Opens Choteau, Mont.—Old West Lumber,based here, recently held a grand re-opening to display its extensive reno-vations.According to sources, the renovationmore than doubled the size of itsshowroom to 2,400 square-foot andexpanded its inventory.Manager Gene Christensen said thestore served hamburgers and hotdogs and other refreshments. A draw-ing to benefit the Choteau Lions ClubSwimming Pool was also held.Christensen said the raffle raisedabout $3,500 for the pool over thepast two years.

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SOUTH/SOUTHEAST TRENDS - Continued from page 23

market is just on fire with OSB andplywood items. The dimension markethas been good in terms of priceappreciation while the panel marketshave had 30 to 40 percent priceincreases in the last three weeks. It’salmost unprecedented for this time ofthe year.“As a result those price increases

make for ‘sticker shock’ on the cus-tomer end,” he continued. “Our cus-tomers are used to prices not beingthat volatile because we’re selling toan industrial customer base unlikeselling to a retailer or a truss manu-facturer that is used to Pine price fluc-tuations. The lower grade items don’ttend to move quite as much as theuppers even when the market is up,they just move in smaller percentagesnormally. Some of the prices we’veseen on 2x4 No. 4 and lower gradetimbers that generally don’t move well,are getting to the point where it’s cost-ing us orders because the customersare stunned with the pricing. That initself is not unprecedented for thistime of year.”Looking ahead he expects a general