The Softwood Forest Products Buyer - July/August 2024

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Vol. 39 No. 4 The Softwood Industry’s Only Newspaper...Now Reaching 36,187 firms (20,000 per issue) July/August 2024
WRCLA Celebrates 70 Years As Environmentally
Friendly Building Product
Photos By Zach Miller
Portland Teams Up With NAWLA
Regional Meeting
Photos By Zach Miller
Dennis Wight and Tyson Palmer, Pacific Western Wood Works Ltd., Delta, BC;
and Marie and Tom Pearsons, Nu-Forest Products (Canada) Inc., Beamsville, ON
This year marked the 70th Anniversary of the Western Red Cedar Lumber
Association, aka WRCLA/Real Cedar, established in 1954. That milestone was
celebrated by the more than 180 attendees, including delegate members and Cedar
School students who recently joined in beautiful Whistler, BC, to celebrate
and participate in the annual WRCLA Cedar Summit.
This year's Cedar Summit agenda included a series of events, such as a golf
tournament, a business session with keynote speakers, the Annual General
Continued on page 34
Hamilton Mateski, Allweather Wood LLC, Washougal, WA; and Simrat Singh and
Danny Blair, Humboldt Sawmill Company LLC, Washougal, WA
Additional photos on page 16
Amaterra Winery in Portland, OR, was the site recently for the North American
Wholesale Lumber Association's (NAWLA) Portland Regional Meeting.
The evening included networking with industry peers, as well as an informative
presentation by guest Speaker Jodi Hack. Hack is a third-generation
Oregonian and dynamic leader with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management
from Marylhurst University. Her multifaceted career includes roles as a
CEO, business owner and lobbyist. She served two terms as a state legislator,
concentrating on critical areas such as healthcare, education, transportation, and
small business growth. Currently, Hack holds the position of CEO at the Oregon
Homebuilders Association. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a
Continued on page 34
WWPA Honors 2024 Master Lumberman
Photos By Zach Miller
Aaron Snodgrass and Brad Beers, Boise Cascade Company, Tulsa, OK; and Michael
Naccari, Boise Cascade Company, Houston, TX
Additional photos on page 12
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U.S. POSTAGE PAID
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PERMIT 3886
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The Softwood Forest Products Buyer
P.O. Box 34908
Memphis, TN 38184-0908
Jim Vandegrift, Bennett Lumber Products Inc., Princeton, ID; Dan Claridge,
Thompson River Lumber Co., Thompson Falls, MT; and Duane Vaagen, Vaagen
Brothers Lumber Inc., Colville, WA
Additional photos on page 18
Western Wood Products Association (WWPA) concluded its 2024 Annual
Meeting recently at the Hotel Indigo in Vancouver, WA. The three-day event
brought together industry leaders and members for a series of informative sessions,
networking opportunities, and committee meetings.
A highlight of the event was a visit from U.S. Congressman Bruce Westerman,
(4th District, Arkansas), during the WWPA Industry Breakfast. Westerman
spoke about his background in forestry and about the future of the lumber industry.
The audience also received a surprise visit from U.S. Representative Marie
Continued on page 34

James Mortimer is an account manager-sales for Idaho
Forest Group, located in Coeur d’Alene, ID.
Idaho Forest Group is an annual producer of 1 billion
board feet of White Fir, Douglas Fir/Larch, Idaho White
Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Engelmann Spruce/Lodgepole Pine
and Inland Red Cedar lumber. Dimension is offered in 2x3
through 2x12 widths. Boards are available in 1x4 through
1x12, 5/4 and 6/4 thicknesses. Premium products are
marketed under the Idaho Forest Gold name.
James Mortimer
Products are offered to local and regional domestic
markets, as well as to international customers.
Who’s Who in Softwoods
Continued on page 38
Nyle Dry Kilns, located in Brewer, ME, a manufacturer
known for its high-quality and efficient dry kilns, recently
announced the hiring of Mark Metzger as their new Sales
Manager in the United States. Metzger joins the team with
an extensive background in the forest products industry, accumulating
over 30 years of experience.
Throughout his career, Metzger has garnered extensive
experience as an account manager and sales representative
Mark Metzger for a variety of esteemed hardwood lumber companies,
including Northwest Hardwoods, Weyerhaeuser, Legacy
Lumber and American Lumber. His most recent role involved wood protection
products, where he served as the Northeast representative for U-C Coatings. His
Continued on page 38
SLB Partnerships Make The Industry Stronger
Kelly Matthews is a senior sales representative for RoyO-
Martin in Alexandria, LA. Matthews joined the RoyOMartin
team almost 18 years ago as a member of the sales support
staff before becoming a dedicated sales representative in
2011.
RoyOMartin has been an industry production leader for
more than a century, specializing in plywood and OSB and
offering a variety of American solid wood products.
As the largest plywood plant in North America, RoyOMartin’s
Chopin, LA, plant produces approximately 510 million
Kelly Matthews
square feet per year. The organization also operates OSB plants in Oakdale, LA,
Continued on page 38
Rick Harris is the Director of Strategic Development at
Delta Forestry Group located in Pitt Meadows, BC, and is
managing and growing the Hemlock program as well as performing
some executive functions. Delta Forestry Group has
two sawmills that produce 120 million board feet annually
and distributes lumber worldwide. Delta Cedar Specialties
offers Western Red Cedar, Alaskan Yellow Cedar, Douglas
Fir and Hemlock in low grades through clears, dry or green
and rough or surfaced.
Rick Harris
Delta Cedar Specialties offers a full line of products milled
to their customers specification, whether rough sawn, rougher headed or S1S2E or
S4S. Their sawmills are capable of cutting timbers up to 32-feet in length.
Continued on page 38
Transparency In The Wood Products
Industry: AWC Receives Multiple
Grants To Continue Its Sustainability
And Transparency Efforts
Table of Contents
FEATURES
WRCLA Celebrates 70 Years ........................1
NAWLA Regional Meeting, Portland.............1
WWPA-Master Lumberman............................1
Richardson Timbers.......................................4
Safety Culture Blueprint................................5
Jazz Forest Products.....................................6
NAFF-Closing the Skills Gap ........................7
Culpeper Wood Preservers...........................8
Gobble-Fite Lumber Co..................................9
NAWLA Regional Meeting, Vancouver.......10
Old West Invitational Turkey Shoot............11
DEPARTMENTS
Who's Who in Softwoods.........................2
AWC News..................................................2
APA News...................................................2
NAWLA News.............................................2
SLB News...................................................2
Washington Report.................................24
Retail Review...........................................26
Northeast Bus. Trends............................28
Inland West Bus. Trends.........................28
Midwest Bus. Trends....................................30
West Coast Bus. Trends...........................30
Southeast Bus.Trends............................... 32
Ont./Quebec Bus. Trends.......................32
In Memoriam............................................70
Stock Exchange................................. 72-75
Industry News..........................................76
Calendar...................................................81
Classified Opportunities.........................82
Index of Advertisers................................82
By: Jackson Morrill
President & CEO of the American Wood Council
Through a diverse array of partnerships with both public agencies and private
organizations, the Softwood Lumber Board and its funded programs have proven
that the industry is stronger and produces greater results when we work collaboratively.
The SLB has a focused mandate—to increase demand and expand markets for
Softwood lumber products—but the reality is that achieving that goal of increas-
Continued on page 40
APA Members Win Safety And Health Awards
Manufacturers Recognized for Dedication to Workplace Safety
APA – The Engineered Wood Association has announced the winners of its
2023 Safety and Health Awards – the premier safety award program for North
America's engineered wood products industry. The program promotes and recognizes
operational excellence with the goal of reducing injury and illness rates.
The Safest Company Award went to two members. Canfor won in the category
of three or fewer mills, while West Fraser took the title for companies with four
or more mills. There were also two winners in the coveted Innovation in Safety
Award category. PotlatchDeltic’s St. Maries, Idaho, mill won the Equipment-
Based Innovation Award with its “Automatic Hot Press Panel Feeders.” RoyO-
Martin’s Chopin, Louisiana, mill won the Jeff Wagner Process-Based Innovation
Award for its “The IBIZ Now Safety Show.”
Seventy-three APA member engineered wood product facilities participated in
Continued on page 45
Jackson Morrill The American Wood Council (AWC) has been
a leader and strong supporter of the wood product
industry’s environmental data collection efforts and commitment to transparency.
To that end, AWC recently pursued and has been awarded multiple grants that
will support more robust data collection and analysis, helping us to better tell the
industry’s remarkable and truly unmatched sustainability story.
Last year, AWC received a Wood Innovations Grant (WIG) from the U.S. Forest
Service (USFS) to expand AWC’s Lifecycle Assessment database. The database
currently includes data from AWC member companies and is available only
to AWC members. However, the expansion will now allow non-member mills
and manufacturers to input data without an additional cost burden. The Lifecycle
Assessment database collects data related to sourcing and product manufacturing
that is analyzed and used to produce the industry’s Environmental Product
Continued on page 42
NAWLA’s Regional Meetings: A Platform for
Local Industry Connection
By The NAWLA Editor
NAWLA’s Regional Meetings are in full swing this summer following successful
events in Montréal, Vancouver, and Portland which collectively drew a little
more than 500 attendees. Curated by the NAWLA Regional Meetings Committee,
these one-day events take place throughout the United States and Canada
and offer peer-to-peer networking and educational opportunities on a local level.
Regional Meetings serve two important purposes — to educate and connect local
members, and to connect with members of other regions. Members from different
regions are encouraged to register for Regionals to connect with potential customers
or suppliers in these different markets.
Continued on page 44
A Bi-Monthly newspaper serving
North America’s Softwood Forest Products Buyers
Published by
Softwood Trade Publications, Inc.
P. O. Box 34908
Memphis, Tenn. 38134
Tel. (901) 372-8280 FAX (901) 373-6180
Web Site: www.softwoodbuyer.com
E-Mail Addresses:
Advertising: apryll@millerwoodtradepub.com
Editorial: editor@millerwoodtradepub.com
Subscriptions: circ@millerwoodtradepub.com
Terry Miller - President/Publisher
Zachary Miller - Sales Representative
Paul J. Miller Jr. - Vice President
Apryll Cosby - Advertising Manager
Sue Putnam - Editorial Director
Cadance Johnson - Associate Editor
Jeremiah C. Hall - Multi-Media Coordinator
Lara Stearsman - Staff Writer
Camille Campbell - Graphic Artist
Felicia Phillips - Graphic Artist
Lisa Carpenter - Circulation Manager
Canadian Correspondents: Toronto, Ontario, Vancouver,
B.C.
The Softwood Forest Products Buyer is the product
of a company and its affiliates that have been in the
publishing business for over 94 years.
Other publications edited for specialized markets and
distributed worldwide include:
National Hardwood Magazine • Hardwood Purchasing
Handbook • Import/Export Wood Purchasing News
• North American Forest Products Export Directory
• Imported Wood Purchasing Guide • Green Book’s
Hardwood Marketing Directory • Green Book’s Softwood
Marketing Directory
Subscriptions: U.S. and Canada: $65 (U.S. dollars)
- 1 year; $75 - 2 years; $90 - 3 years; Foreign (airmail)
$140 - 1 year; $235 - 2 years. Canadian and foreign
orders must be paid by check drawn on U.S. bank or by
wire transfer. Fax for more information.
Send address changes to:
Softwood Forest Products Buyer
P.O. Box 34908, Memphis, TN 38184-0908
The Publisher reserves the right to
accept or reject editorial content and
Advertisements at the staff’s discretion.
Page 2 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 3

Based in Dallas, TX, Richardson Timbers emphasizes its dedication to exceptional customer service. Pictured: Front L-R: Steven Rogers, Genaro Beronnes, Dustin
Hopper; Back L-R: Bill Wilk, David Chavera, Nate Davidson.
Richardson Timbers: 75 Years of Lumber Industry Excellence
Richardson Timbers, headquartered in Dallas, TX, is celebrating 75 years in
business. Founded in 1949, Richardson Timbers has served Texas — and surrounding
areas — with a quality-and-customer-first approach since its beginning;
a philosophy that has afforded it a loyal customer base and a reputation as one of
the most skilled highly specialized remanufacturers in the country supplying big
timbers, ornamental corbels, rafter tails and brackets.
Operating two facilities — the original Dallas site and the new Bertram, TX,
mill — helps Richardson handle and market more than four million board feet of
lumber and high-quality forest products every year. Its offerings include exclusive
Marketing more than four million board feet of lumber annually, inventory control
is an art with Richardson Timbers. Owner and CEO Lynn Surls said that a degree
of the company’s success through tough times can be credited to its ability to
responsibly stock the materials its customers need. Pictured is a portion of Richardson
Timbers’ inventory at its new Bertram, TX, facility.
By Terry Miller
“With 75 years comes a reputation; we get phone calls from Illinois, we get phone calls from Washington, the East Coast, the West
Coast — we’ve gotten phone calls from California. We’ve also shipped into Florida. You know, all you need to do is find the wheels
and we’ll go anywhere.”
– Steven Rogers, sales manager, Richardson Timbers
Its new Bertram, TX, facility brings the quality, experience and extensive milling
capability of Richardson Timbers’ to the Texas Hill Country.
surfacing timbers (all four sides up to 20”x20”), custom Tru-Ruf texture, custom
siding patterns, precision end trimming, trailer flooring, barge decking and
custom reman services. Richardson stocks No. 1 and Better in both green and
kiln-dried Douglas Fir timbers, Appearance grade Western Red Cedar timbers,
Common and Better mixed grain, vertical grain Fir, Common and Better vertical
grain Hemlock, A and Better vertical grain Western Red Cedar and mixed
hardwoods.
“All of our products are, pretty much, four-square edge, bright and clean products
coming in,” Richardson Timbers’ sales manager Steven Rogers said.
He continued, “The 10x10 and up, 12x12, 12x16, 20x20 — we don’t put a
Continued on page 53
Safety Culture Blueprint: How To Keep Employees Safe And Reduce Your Risks
Almost every Softwood business understands
the importance of safety. Yet a company’s risk
profile changes constantly, and it’s difficult for
many business leaders to keep up with all the
latest developments. One way to stay ever ready
is to embrace a culture of safety.
Let’s examine the core business risks impacting
Softwood suppliers and dealers today and
explore how a safety-first mindset can help you
address those risks effectively.
Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen significant
changes across four of the most common
Michael Culbreth risks: commercial auto, cybersecurity, weather
and fire.
In commercial auto, losses keep trending upward. This is creating a phenomenon
known as “social inflation,” where the increase in claims cost is outpacing inflation
across the general economy.
Rearend accidents often lead to the
most expensive commercial auto
claims. Distracted driving is one
potential cause for these types of
crashes.
Hardwood businesses with delivery
operations are at major risk.
These fleets often include heavy
and extra-heavy vehicles that must
share crowded urban roadways
with multiple vehicles. Another
contributing factor is the ongoing
shortage of well-qualified drivers,
which sometimes leads companies
to lower their standards during the
hiring and screening process.
While commercial auto risks
keep rising, so too do cybersecurity-related
exposures. We live in
a digital world, and today, data
breaches and ransomware attacks
impact companies of all sizes.
Hardwood businesses must continue
to bolster their data security
postures or run the risk of serious
financial and reputational damage.
When it comes to weather-related
losses, we’re seeing an interesting
pivot. Claims activity rose
dramatically in 2023, but the root
cause of those claims was different.
In most years, property damage
from catastrophic storms like tornadoes
and hurricanes made up the
bulk of wind and weather losses.
In 2023, roof damage ranked as
the top claim, driven mostly by
more powerful thunderstorms and
straight-line winds.
Amid all these emerging risks,
there was encouraging news: major
fire losses were down in 2023, according
to data from Pennsylvania
Lumbermens Mutual Insurance
Company (PLM). However, this
is one area where companies can
never let their guard down, because
it takes just one fire to devastate a
Softwood business.
Why having a culture of safety
How risks have evolved
By Michael Culbreth
It’s more than an
insurance policy.
Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company (PLM) goes beyond providing
coverages with an emphasis on preventing and reducing losses to safeguard our customers'
operations. Our Loss Control Representatives are experts in all aspects of risk management,
especially in the lumber and wood industry. They partner with our customers through
consultative services, helpful recommendations, and custom training plans to help mitigate
areas of risk and build safer and more resilient lumber businesses.
Get more from your insurance
policy with PLM’s Loss
Control Representatives who
are committed to the safety
of your business.
Request a quote at
www.plmins.com/SB.
Page 4 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 5
Risk
Management
Why having a culture of safety matters
matters
A culture of safety can help companies reduce their loss frequency dramatically.
Take, for example, a company with a high incidence of commercial auto-related
claims. It may choose to reverse the trend by investing in safety-related technology,
such as installing telematics and video cameras on their vehicles. The company
can then capture data, use it to inform safety training sessions, and reduce
their losses substantially.
Five building blocks of an effective safety culture
Five building blocks of an effective safety culture
Creating a culture of safety that addresses the top Softwood-related risks
doesn’t have to be complicated. Five best practices to follow are:
1. Start at the top. Everyone from the CEO on down must embrace a culture
of safety. Having management buy-in will create a ripple effect throughout the
entire business.
2. Commit to ongoing safety training. Establish and fully implement
written safety policies with the support of management. You should offer safety
Continued on page 66

Finished Western Red Cedar ready to be shipped out to Jazz’s customers.
Jazz Forest Products: A Family Company Producing The Finest Western Red Cedar
And Softwood Products
“Knowing that we have control over our products from the very beginning of the process to the very end allows us to make the right
end use product that we know is going into a person’s home. Our main goal will always be to provide a value-added product.”
– Parm Binning, head of marketing and business development, Jazz Forest Products
Jazz Forest Products, headquartered in Abbotsford, BC, is a multi-generational
family owned reman plant and intricate part of the ever-expanding Mirax Group.
The genesis of the company began in 1998 when brothers Jas, Sunny, and Manjit
Binning saw an opportunity to purchase a piece of land, 15 acres to be exact,
and built a remanufacturing business. What started as a custom cut remanufacturing
mill for other local primary manufacturers has grown to 500 employees, with
each of their locations ranging anywhere from 45-60 employees. Jazz has now
become much more than a remanufacturing plant producing Western Red Cedar
(WRC), Douglas Fir, Hemlock, Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF) and delivering to over 40
countries around the world.
Parm Binning, head of marketing and business development and part of the
second generation of the Binning family, explained, “Around 2006 we started
exporting primarily to India and China. Since then we’ve delivered our products to
Europe, UK, the Middle East, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, and of course the U.S.
About 25 percent of our sales go into the export market while the other 75 percent
is sold throughout the U.S."
A major acquisition occurred in 2020, Rav Binning, also a part of the second
generation and head of North American sales, said, “In 2020 right before Covid
we purchased a sawmill in Sechelt, BC, Suncoast Lumber, a strictly Cedar sawmill
that’s been running WRC for over 40 years."
Parm Binning said, “The purchase of Suncoast made us a vertically integrated
manufacturer. We are now logging crown and private land, sorting the logs at Avalon,
our log sort facility in Gibson, BC, where some go to the open market and the
rest are processed at Suncoast. Finally, the broken-down fiber comes to the site in
Abbotsford for further processing or to our newest facility, Lyle Specialty Forest
Products, which was acquired in February of 2023.”
When Suncoast was purchased, the sawmill had just recently been through a
By Zach Miller
Pictured is a machine feeder processing engineered Cedar boards to paneling at
Jazz.
massive fire. Once rebuilt the operation was equipped with state-of-the-art equipment
including a seven-foot circular double cut head rig, an end feed debarker,
a six-saw shifting edger, a five-foot vertical resaw for secondary breakdown and
trim decks and bin sorters.
“We are always adding, changing or modifying our facilities to make them
more efficient,” said Rav. Recently two high-speed planer lines were added to the
Continued on page 57
Connecting The Dots On Closing
The Skills Gap
Closing the skills gap is more than a popular media
topic; it’s a daily concern for many of us in the forest
products industry, especially as we think about what it will take to maintain sustainable
business operations into the future. Some might say let the “professionals”
deal with it–that is, the school systems and education programs “out there.”
But schools can’t do it alone.
The wood and forest products industry has a fundamental interest in cultivating
and developing the talent needed to handle the jobs that are open, and knowledge
that can help educators. We have a responsibility to continue planting seeds of
career interest in the hearts and minds of current and future generations, the same
way that we diligently plant billions
of seedlings every year to ensure
future growth for tomorrow.
Sometimes we need examples to
show us the possibilities that exist
around us and open our minds to
connecting the dots for our own
businesses.
NAFF Stays Focused
NAFF Stays Focused
On Educating The Next
On Educating The Next
Generation
Generation
In addition to our role as an
industry advocate, we provide
educational tools provided free of
charge to classroom teachers of
grades K-5. Teachers can use our
signature Truth About Trees kits
as springboards for discussion and
deeper learning. Our next step is in
the works–a gamified app directed
toward junior high school students–
that nudges them further along the
path of understanding.
We’re not the only ones helping
to cultivate a healthier future. In
fact, we’re inspired by the work of
other organizations: UFP Business
School, River Parishes Community
College, and companies like Frank
Miller Lumber are jumping in to
change the trajectory of the industry
by inspiring fresh interest in
jobs and career paths that too easily
are overlooked in the traditional
school curriculum or daily conversation
of the wider population.
Two Years to Bachelor of
Two Years to a Bachelor of
Business Administration a
Business Administration +
Rewarding Career – With Zero
a Rewarding Career – With
Debt
Zero Debt
The UFP Business School has
created a new model for education
and career success. With a cycle of
courses year-round for two years,
the program is accelerated, delivering
hands-on experience that combines
paid work with education.
What’s more, the 25 students
entering this program each year
By Allison DeFord
Executive Director
North American Forest Foundation
Collierville, TN
901-860-4131
adeford@northamericanforestfoundation.org
Reliable . Focused . Committed
WE WANT TO BE YOUR
PREFFERED SUPPLIER
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Save time with one-stop shopping from a broad and deep line of lumber,
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millwork, and metal products - all from quality mills and manufacturers.
Leverage the scope of a national distributor with local decision-makers who
are closest to our customers. Access local experts with up-to-the-minute
market information so you can make smart purchasing decisions with
confidence, and grow your business.
bc.com/distribution
© 2023 Boise Cascade Company. All rights reserved.
won’t be saddled with college debt. Instead, students who are accepted into the
program are employed by UFP and receive 100 percent scholarships into the Business
School.
Instructors in this program are all practitioners currently working for UFP in the
field in which they teach: finance, production management, plant management,
design, marketing, sales, maintenance engineering and IT.
Ann Baker, Dean of the UFP Business School says, “Not only does this reflect a
commitment to real world experience, but it also testifies to the commitment of the
executives who dedicate time and resources to the program.”
Continued on page 68
Page 6 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 7

Gobble-Fite Lumber Company: A Family Business Making Quality Products
By Scott Dalton
Photos By Cindy Shaver
“We come in every Monday morning and ask how do
we take care of our customers and how do we take
care of our employees, and if you do that, lo and
behold, you do make a profit.”
- Dan Fite, vice president, Gobble-Fite Lumber Company
Culpeper Wood Preservers, headquartered in Culpeper, VA, was founded in 1976 by Joseph (Joe) Daniel, Sr., starting as a local pressure treater with a single location.
Culpeper Wood Preservers: Providing A Multitude Of Quality Treated Products
“Our people make a huge difference. Their work ethic and commitment set the tone for the company, and it resonates with our
customer base. Their relationships with our suppliers and customers have enabled us to endure for over 50 years.”
Culpeper Wood Preservers, headquartered in Culpeper, VA, was founded in
1976 by Joseph (Joe) Daniel, Sr., starting as a local pressure treater with a single
location. Culpeper now has 18 locations East of the Mississippi River, ranging
from Maine down to Florida. Of the 18 locations, Daniel acquired 15 of them and
built two from the ground up.
“When Joe first decided to start the treating company, he didn’t know where
his customers would come from, so he sold to whoever. Once the business started
progressing, he shifted to selling primarily to independent retail lumber yards,”
said Chris Brown, vice president. Culpeper has since focused on tailoring their
business to the independent retail lumber yards by striving to provide the products
they want and need to succeed.
“A large part of the success of this company is due to the philosophy that Joe
started it with, which is, ‘Do what you say you are going to do, how you say you
are going to do it, when you say you are going to do it, for the price you promise
and do it every day.’ This has truly served our company well,” said Jonathan
Jenkins, president.
Initially, the company mainly sold CCA dimensional lumber and timbers. “For
years, we offered just one treatment and one retention,” Brown said. “All that has
changed, and we have gone through quite a few different retentions and chemicals.”
Culpeper now offers various products treated by various chemicals and
in multiple retentions. They offer decking, dimensional lumber, KDAT, fencing,
Culpeper Columns, Palmetto primed trim boards, heavy timbers, plywood, porch
flooring and T&G and custom millwork, as well as Slyvanix decking. They can
offer these products in treatments such as Micropro, Borate, CCA, FlamePro Fire
Retardant and Naturewood CA-C. “Each treatment has a different use, with the
Micropro used for residential uses. CCA has several uses, but a lot of it is marine
uses. Then, several other treatments we offer go into industrial usage, as well. We
By Terry Miller
– Jonathan Jenkins, President, Culpeper Wood Preservers
have a treated product for any use out there,” Brown continued.
Between the company’s 17 treating plants and their recently acquired Pleasant
Garden Dry Kiln Company, they purchase 700 million board feet of lumber annually
with the capability to grow by 25 percent—the majority of these plants, on
average, treat 50 to 60 million board feet per year.
Despite the size of the plant, each one is constantly being brought up to date,
from the installed equipment to the blacktop being laid. “When we first acquire
a new plant, the first thing that we do is look at the equipment that our folks are
using. Sometimes we go in and replace all of the equipment, sometimes it’s as
simple as making sure that the forklifts have cabs, so our employees aren’t out
in the open air in the dead of winter,” Brown said. “We go to extreme measures
to make sure our employees are happy and well taken care of.” Culpeper makes
capital investments every year into every one of its plants, ensuring its employees
are comfortable and happy.
“Our people make a huge difference. Their work ethic and commitment set the
tone for the company, and it resonates with our customer base. Their relationships
with our suppliers and customers have enabled us to endure for over 50 years,”
Jenkins added.
Through the positive atmosphere that Culpeper has continued to foster for their
employees, they can provide quality products to their customers.
Every customer of Culpeper is given an inside and outside sales representative,
and each assures the customer that they are not just order takers, but they are
building a partnership, one that will help the customer grow their business. “It is
a partnership we form with our customers,” Brown said. “We’re a family-owned
business, and we want to continue to make long-standing partnerships with our
customers, so if they need pieces, we pull pieces and rarely say no.
Continued on page 59
Gobble-Fite Lumber Company, founded by W.M. Gobble, has been a family institution
since 1934 in Decatur, AL.
If you happen to wander into the
Gobble-Fite Lumber Company in
Decatur, AL, there’s a good chance
you will run into one of the family
members who helps manage the
operation that handles upwards of
12 million board feet of lumber –
primarily Pine and Spruce – annually.
That’s because Gobble-Fite has
been a family-run institution since
1934. That’s when W.M. Gobble
first started his lumber business.
Over the next decade, three brothers
– Roy, Jack and Jim Fite – joined
him, giving the company its second
family name. In fact, at one point,
there were nine family members
overseeing the day-to-day operations
of the company, according to
vice president Dan Fite, whose
father Jim was one of the original
owners.
“I have been in it all my life,
straight out of school in 1988,” Dan
recalled. “I’ve been mainly in sales
and estimating and oversight here
for the last 10 to 15 years, but we’re
a worker bee company; basically
everybody handles a little bit of
everything.”
Dan noted that after W.M. Gobble
sold the company to his father
and his two uncles, they grew the
business steadily over the ensuing
decades, with various family members
joining in the business as they
came of age.
“At one time, we had about nine
owners and now we have three,
including my brother Pat, who is our
president,” he said.
As to how Gobble-Fite has been
able to remain an independent,
family-owned business over the past
nine decades, Dan laughed.
“It’s hard to say how we have
remained family-owned, stubbornness
has to be the main reason. We
really have not had a time period
in the last 89 years that we were in
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need of selling. It really worked out for a lot of industries to sell. Sometimes there
is a gap with no one to take over the business, but even in the worst years of the
housing downturn in 2008, we had enough of the next generation to keep going,” he
said, before adding, “Nobody offered us the right price either.”
Dan also attributed the company’s success to focusing on doing what they do as
Continued on page 62
Page 8 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 9

Vancouver Welcomes NAWLA Regional Meeting
Photos By Zach Miller
Fundraising Turkey Shoot Attracts 100 Hunters
Photos By Terry Miller
Matt Bruno, Executive Director, NAWLA, Chicago, IL; Ben Jordan and Morgan
Wellens, Nicholson and Cates Limited, Burlington, ON; Gavy Gosal, Terminal Forest
Products LTD, Richmond, BC; Kent Beveridge, Skana Forest Products Ltd.,
Richmond, BC; and Brian Hawrysh, BC Wood Specialties Group, Langley, BC
Dave Sundher and Trevor Sundher, The Sundher Group, Surrey, BC
Additional photos on page 20
The Vancouver Club in Vancouver, BC, was the site of a recent regional meeting
hosted by the North American
Wholesale Lumber Association
(NAWLA).
Scheduled speakers included:
•Bob Brash, executive director
for the Truck Loggers Association
•Honorable Andrew Mercier, the
Minister of State for Sustainable
Forestry Innovation.
The afternoon gathering concluded
with networking and a Q&A
session with attending industry
leaders.
NAWLA was founded in 1893
and represents the interests of
wholesalers, manufacturers and service
provider companies from the
planting of seedlings to the selling
of building materials and wood in
all of its forms.
Learn more at www.nawla.org. n
Jim D. Neiman and Jim S. Neiman, Neiman Enterprises, Hulett, WY; Mark Gordon,
Governor of Wyoming, Cheyenne, WY; and Sally Ann Neiman, Neiman Enterprises
Each spring, the Old West Invitational
Turkey Shoot (OWITS)
is held in Hulett, WY, with Devils
Tower National Monument as the
backdrop. The event is a cooperative
effort with a two-pronged goal,
according to the event's website;
raise funds for two great non-profits
and promote wildlife conservation
in Wyoming. Proceeds from
the event are split 90 percent/10
percent between the Greater Hulett
Community Center (GHCC) and
the Wyoming Wildlife Foundation
(WWF). WWF is a component
fund of the Wyoming Community
Foundation and uses their portion
of the proceeds to implement wildlife
habitat projects across the state.
In addition, GHCC uses their funds
to maintain the community center
and provide community services
and support for the town that 383
people call home.
The OWITS is an exclusive
event, based on a one-shot turkey
hunting competition. Nearly 100
hunters, including youth hunters
participate each year and enjoy a
guided turkey hunt. Participants
may even run into a celebrity or
two. OWITS has welcomed NFL
and MLB players, Olympians, and
multiple outdoor television personalities
in past years.
During the day hunters can
partake in a little friendly competition
at the fairgrounds with the
Annie Oakley shooting competition
or relax with a round of golf
at the Golf Club at Devils Tower.
Also, participants can take part in
exciting evening events, including
a calcutta, raffles, and bid on items
at the fundraiser auction.
This year's special guests included
Wyoming's 33rd Governor,
Mark Gordon, singing duo The
Swon Brothers, Western country
music artist Tris Munsick & The
Continued on page 69
Mark Hatfield, National Wild Turkey Federation, Edgefield, SC; Jim D. Neiman,
Neiman Enterprises, Hulett, WY; Rick Dillard, Fish & Wildlife Program Manager,
U.S. Forest Service National Forest in MS, Madison, MS; Terry Miller, The Softwood
Forest Products Buyer, Memphis, TN; and Todd Miller, Highbar Trading Co.,
Memphis, TN
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Page 10 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 11

WRCLA – Continued from page 1
Aidan Coyles, Gilbert Smith Forest Products Ltd., Barriere,
BC; Rick Palmiter, BPWood Ltd., Coeur d’Alene, ID; and Erika
and Chris Bouchard, BPWood Ltd., Penticton, BC
Gurinder Grewal and Taj Grewal, Partap Forest
Products Ltd., Maple Ridge, BC
Justin Veale, Forest Products Association of Canada, Vancouver,
BC; Kerry Patterson-Baker, Forest Products Association
of Canada, Ottawa, ON; and Paul Mackie, WRCLA,
Langley, WA
Deonn DeFord, Ganahl Lumber Company, Anaheim,
CA; James Snell, U.S. Lumber Group
LLC, Branchburg, NJ; and Chris Shelton, Downie
Timber Ltd., Revelstoke, BC
Mark Rutledge, Shakertown 1992 Inc., Winlock, WA;
Kay and Bill Hurst, Specialty Building Products, Duluth,
GA; and Cassidy Carew, Westcoast Wood Distribution
LTD, Vancouver, BC
Chris McDonald, National Forest Products Ltd., London, ON;
Dirk Kunze, Interfor, Burnaby, BC; Dan and Michelle Plouffe,
National Forest Products Ltd.; Rick Palmiter, BPWood Ltd.,
Coeur d’Alene, ID; and Daniel Rocha, Western Forest Products
Inc., Vancouver, BC
Jameson Craig and Jovan Gill, Fraserview Cedar Products Ltd.,
Surrey, BC; Max and Chelsea Jones, Furtado Forest Products
Ltd., Port Coquitlam, BC; and Hannah and Chase Johnston, Boise
Cascade Company, Dallas, TX
Gary Gill, Fraserview Cedar Products Ltd., Surrey,
BC; Derek Yan, Interfor, Vancouver, BC; Tianna
Roberts, Boise Cascade Company, Houston, TX;
and Jovan Gill, Fraserview Cedar Products Ltd.
Parm Binning, Manny Binning and Gulraj Binning,
Jazz Forest Products Ltd., Abbotsford,
BC
Landon Erbenich, Downie Timber and Selkirk
Cedar Ltd., Revelstoke, BC; and Peter Alexander
and Shelby Alexander, Holden Humphrey
Lumber Company, Chicopee, MA
Paul Harvey, Western Forest Products Inc., Vancouver,
BC; Martin Kincade, Lignum Forest Products LLP, Vancouver,
BC; and Lara Damen and Brad Flitton, Western Forest
Products Inc.
Mike Montoya, OrePac Building Products, Boise, ID; Matt
Page, OrePac Building Products, Salt Lake City, UT; and
Chance Hunter, Capital Lumber Company, Salt Lake City,
UT
Jay Poppe, WRCLA, Muldrow, OK; Charlie
Scott, Forest Products Supply Co., St. Louis,
MO; and Michael Thomas, Logan Lumber
Company, Tampa, FL
Addison Ross, Andy Johal and Adam Hazelwood, San
Group Inc., Langley, BC
J.M. Broschart, Woodtone, Chilliwack, BC; Rob Tryall,
Independent Dispatch Inc., Gig Harbor, WA; and James
Pampach, Independent Dispatch Inc., Portland, OR
Continued on page 14
Page 12 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024

WRCLA – Continued from page 12
Nolan Hein, Western Forest Products Inc., Nanaimo, BC; and
Paul Harvey, Western Forest Products Inc., Vancouver, BC
Simon Cameron and John Thomas, Bare Advertising
& Communications, Vancouver, BC
Dirk Kunze, Interfor, Burnaby, BC; Ben Meachen, OrePac
Building Products, Vancouver, WA; and Derek Yan, Interfor,
Vancouver, BC
Paul Mackie, WRCLA, Langley, WA; and Steve
Hickman, BlueLinx Corporation, Dallas, TX
Mark Dubois-Phillips and Brad Flitton, Western Forest
Products Inc., Vancouver, BC
Max King and Allan Hurd, International Wood Products LLC,
Clackamas, OR
Kent Beveridge, Skana Forest Products Ltd., Richmond, BC; Darrell
Ekelund, Central Cedar Ltd., Surrey, BC; and Scott Lindsay,
Skana Forest Products Ltd., Vernon, BC
Zach Miller, The Softwood Forest Products Buyer,
Memphis, TN; and Ryan Furtado, Furtado Forest
Products Ltd., Port Coquitlam, BC
Deonn DeFord, Ganahl Lumber Company,
Anaheim, CA; and Cory Dalos, Boise Cascade
Company, Boise, ID
James and Danielle Sangara, Leslie Forest Products Ltd., Delta, BC; and
Gary Gill, Fraserview Cedar Products Ltd., Surrey, BC
Zach Miller, The Softwood Forest Products
Buyer, Memphis, TN; and Gavy Gosal,
Terminal Forest Products Ltd., Richmond,
BC
Alex Langley and Brad Eckford, Tolko Industries
Ltd., Vernon, BC
Jay Poppe, WRCLA, Muldrow, OK; Tim Raphael and Kaitlyn Saunders, WRCLA,
Vancouver, BC; Meghan Kavelman, WRCLA, Nanaimo, BC; Brad Kirkbride, WRCLA,
Bend, OR; and Paul Mackie, WRCLA, Langley, WA
Jameson Craig, Fraserview Cedar Products Ltd., Surrey, BC; and John Lentz, Matt
Carney and Troy Johns, Boise Cascade Company, St. Louis, MO
Page 14 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024

Matt Ferguson, Aly Kingsley, Misty Dicks, Frank Forward,
Courtney Chesney and Todd Olson, Wildwood Trading
Group, Tualatin, OR
NAWLA PORTLAND – Continued from page 1
Roger Welling, Ryder Supply Chain Solutions,
Yorba Linda, CA; Matt Bruno, Executive Director,
NAWLA, Chicago, IL; and Cameron Waner,
Collins, Wilsonville, OR
Matt Bruno, Executive Director, NAWLA, Chicago, IL;
Matthew Wallerius and Dan Semsak, Murphy Company,
Springfield, OR; Josh Hamilton, International Wood Products
LLC, Clackamas, OR; and Tim Hussion, OrePac Building
Products, Wilsonville, OR
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Harp Dhillon, Lumber X Resources Corporation,
Vancouver, BC; and Riley Rausch, Stella-Jones
Corp., Tacoma, WA
Alayna Fernandez and Brystol Koch, NAW-
LA, Chicago, IL
Steve Anderson, U-C Coatings LLC, Buffalo, NY; Gunnar Brinck, Disdero
Lumber Co., Clackamas, OR; and Mike and Dawn Holm, Oregon-
Canadian Forest Products Inc., North Plains, OR
Judy Haney and Angela Reynolds, Boise Cascade BMD LLC,
Boise, ID; and Cameron Waner, Collins, Wilsonville, OR
Jurea Tan and Hailey Willett, Patrick Lumber Company,
Portland, OR
Zach Miller, The Softwood Forest Products
Buyer, Memphis, TN; and Anthony Muck, DMSi
Software, Omaha, NE
Steve Anderson and Spencer Bishop, U-C
Coatings LLC, Buffalo, NY; and James Russell,
U-C Coatings LLC, Lebanon, OR
Jurea Tan, Doreen Maness, Jenny Scull, Natalie Heacock
and Hailey Willett, Patrick Lumber Company, Portland, OR
Patrick Burns, Patrick Lumber Company, Portland, OR;
and Tyson Sands and Charlie Hanson, Disdero Lumber
Co., Clackamas, OR
Chelsea Zuccato, Patrick Lumber Company,
Portland, OR; Ryan Kline, Disdero Lumber
Co., Clackamas, OR; and Alyson McLaughlin,
Flagship Forest Products Inc., Brighton, MA
Micah Sutfin, Nova USA Wood Products LLC, Forest
Grove, OR; Marcos Flores, Elk Creek Forest Products
LLC, McMinnville, OR; Dillon Miller, International Wood
Products LLC, Clackamas, OR; and Keaton Smith, Nova
USA Wood Products LLC
Jake Moriniti, Wildwood Trading Group, Tualatin, OR; and
Nick Smith, Oregon-Canadian Forest Products Inc., North
Plains, OR
Continued on page 18
Page 16 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024
Scan the code to
connect with our
wholesale team.

NAWLA PORTLAND – Continued from page 16
Pete Qualls, Capital Lumber Company, Phoenix, AZ; Tina
Dunkley and Patrick O’Donnell, Elk Creek Forest Products
LLC, McMinnville, OR; and Ken Caylor, Capital Lumber Company,
Brookings, OR
Allen Gebarowski, Allianz Trade in North
America, Owings Mills, MD; and Terry Haddix,
Patrick Lumber Company, Portland, OR
Ryan Holwege, Oregon-Canadian Forest Products Inc.,
North Plains, OR; and Cam Stevens, Patrick Lumber Company,
Portland, OR
Mike Holm and Lauren Holm, Oregon-Canadian
Forest Products Inc., North Plains, OR
Alyson McLaughlin, Flagship Forest Products Inc., Brighton, MA; Thomas Compa, Kalayna Crook, Cam Stevens, Natalie
Heacock, Lena Jacobson, Hailey Willett, Jurea Tan, Jenny Scull, Doreen Maness, Chris Bell, Chelsea Zuccato, Patrick
Burns and Terry Haddix, Patrick Lumber Company, Portland, OR
WWPA – Continued from page 1
P.J. Smith, Washington Liftruck Inc., Seattle, WA; and Rob
Anatra and David Gully, Taylor Machine Works Inc., Louisville,
MS
Kenzie Hand, MiCROTEC, Corvallis, OR; and
Fidel Sandoval, Blanca Forestry Products
Inc., Blanca, CO
Troy Little, Boise Cascade Company, Boise, ID; Thomas
Lovlien and Frances Voulelis, Woodgrain Lumber & Composites,
Boise, ID
Joe Kneer, BID Group, Redding, CA; and Ryan
Czarapata, BID Group, Spokane, WA
Tony Hester, Bright Wood Corporation, Madras, OR;
Bruce Daucsavage, Ochoco Lumber Company, Prineville,
OR; and Scott Hill and Joseph D. Krauss, Bright Wood
Corporation
Sandy Hill, Bright Wood Corporation, Madras, OR;
Rachael Austin, WWPA, Roseburg, OR; and Juli
Hester, Bright Wood Corporation
Steve Anderson, U-C Coatings LLC, Portland, OR; and
Jim Vandegrift, Bennett Lumber Products Inc., Princeton,
ID
Sam Pope and Allan Czinger, USNR, Woodland, WA
Tracey Row, Humboldt Sawmill Company LLC,
Scotia, CA; and Ronald McCutcheon, Mendocino
Forest Products Company LLC, Ukiah, CA
Continued on page 20
Page 18 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024

WWPA – Continued from page 18
Brad Turner, HALCO Software Systems Ltd., Vancouver,
BC; and Rich Frazer, Western Forest Products Inc.,
Vancouver, WA
Robert Mertz, Mendocino Forest Products Company
LLC, Ukiah, CA; and Marcus Neiman, Neiman
Enterprises Inc., Hulett, WY
James Russell, U-C Coatings LLC, Portland, OR; and Joseph
LaBerge and Dean Johnson, Collins, Wilsonville, OR
nordic.ca
Justin Barnes, ResourceWise, Charlotte, NC; and Reed
Kelterborn, Softwood Lumber Board, Oregon City, OR
David Barbour, PotlatchDeltic Corporation, St.
Maries, ID; and Bob Mai, PotlatchDeltic Corporation,
Spokane, WA
Dean Kerstetter and Stacy Mertz, Mendocino Forest
Products Company LLC, Ukiah, CA; and Rachael Austin,
WWPA, Roseburg, OR
Paul McKenzie, F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co., Columbia
Falls, MT; and Zach Miller, The Softwood Forest
Products Buyer, Memphis, TN
Shawn Granton and Emee Pumarega, EJP Events/
WWPA, Portland, OR
Stacey and Jed Drennan, Idaho Forest Group LLC, Coeur
d’Alene, ID
NAWLA VANCOUVER – Continued from page 10
Lara Damen, Western Forest Products Inc., Vancouver,
BC; Darcy Mercer, Olympic Industries ULC, North Vancouver,
BC; Cassidy Schlosser, NAWLA, Chicago, IL;
and Marta Chiavacci, Hampton Lumber, Richmond, BC
Carmen Backs and Tyler Backs, Vancouver Specialty
Cedar Products Ltd., Maple Ridge, BC
Bo Didur and Mitch Stoochnoff, Western Forest Products
Inc., Vancouver, BC
WE TRANSFORM
WHAT WE GROW
Ben Jordan, Nicholson and Cates Limited, Burlington,
ON; Anthony Muck and Jordan Lynch, DMSi Software,
Omaha, NE; and Gavy Gosal, Terminal Forest Products
Ltd., Richmond, BC
Jake Kazakoff, Interfor, Burnaby, BC; Alex Lindsay,
Skana Forest Products Ltd., Richmond, BC;
and Anna Grekhneva, Interfor
Glenn Mattice, TRAPA Forest Products Ltd., Richmond,
BC; and Randi Walker, Michelle McCarthy and Brian Hawrysh,
BC Wood Specialties Group, Langley, BC
Kevin May, Skana Forest Products Ltd., Richmond, BC;
Parm Binning and Gulraj Binning, Mirax Group/Jazz
Forest Products Ltd., Abbotsford, BC
Bob Brash, Truck Loggers Association, Richmond,
BC; and Dean Garofano, Delta Forestry
Group, Pitt Meadows, BC
Zach Miller, The Softwood Forest Products Buyer, Memphis,
TN; and Rick Harris, Delta Forestry Group, Pitt Meadows,
BC
Continued on page 22
Page 20 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024
ENGINEERED WOOD PRODUCTS
A FULL RANGE OF I-JOISTS FOR RESIDENTIAL
AND LIGHT-COMMERCIAL USE

NAWLA VANCOUVER – Continued from page 20
Gary Reid and Dean DeCraene, Delta Forestry Group,
Pitt Meadows, BC
Lucas Rodakowski, Prime Forest Products
LLC, Beaverton, OR; and Rob Tam, Triad Forest
Products Ltd., Delta, BC
Shane Harsch, Woodtone, Chilliwack, BC; John McCarter,
Triad Forest Products Ltd., Delta, BC; and Tyson Sands and
Ryan Kline, Disdero Lumber Co., Clackamas, OR
Don Archer, BPWood Ltd., Penticton, BC; and Chris
Carter, Sidca Trading Ltd., Coquitlam, BC
Michael McInnes, Mary McInnes and Romtin
Ghorbannia, C2M Professional Services Inc., Sun
City West, AZ
Brandon Kump, Bakerview Forest Products Inc., Maple
Ridge, BC; Rob Sundher and Kevin Sundher, The Sundher
Group, Surrey, BC; and Nick Smith, Oregon-Canadian Forest
Products Inc., North Plains, OR
Jack Gardner, Stein Lumber Corp., Maple Ridge, BC;
and Lucas Rodakowski, Prime Forest Products LLC,
Beaverton, OR
Paul Dandy, Arxada LLC, Oakville, ON; Barry
King, Stella-Jones Corp., Tacoma, WA; and Brian
Delbrueck, Arxada LLC, Bellevue, WA
Suki Sanghera, Addison Ross, Adam Hazelwood and Paul
Deol, San Group Inc., Langley, BC
Nolan Jackson, Kevin May and Kent Beveridge, Skana Forest Products Ltd., Richmond, BC; Dave Pellizzari, Canfor, Vancouver, BC; and Steve Gotch, Riley Tough and
Tony Darling, Skana Forest Products Ltd.
Page 22 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024
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Unemployment For Construction Workers Declines; Otherwise
Mixed Employment Report
(Editor's note: For more
information on the following,
visit www.eyeonhousing.org.)
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Despite high interest rates, job
growth accelerated in May (the
most recent data available at press
time), but the unemployment rate
increased to 4.0 percent. Overall,
the labor market remains strong, but
there are signs of slowing, which
signals monetary policy easing in
the months ahead.
Additionally, wage growth accelerated
for the first time in four
months. In May, wages grew at a
4.1 percent year-over-year (YOY)
growth rate, down 0.5 percentage
points from a year ago. Wage
growth is well below a 5.9 percent
YOY growth rate in March 2022.
However, wage growth has been
trending down over the past two
years, while productivity growth has
rebounded. The gap between wage
growth and productivity growth has
narrowed.
Total nonfarm payroll employment
increased by 272,000 in May,
following a downwardly revised
increase of 165,000 jobs in April, as
reported in the Employment Situation
Summary. The estimates for the
previous two months were revised
down. The monthly change in total
nonfarm payroll employment for
March was revised down by 5,000,
from +315,000 to +310,000, while
the change for April was revised
down by 10,000 from +175,000 to
+165,000. Combined, the revisions
were 15,000 lower than the original
estimates. Despite restrictive
monetary policy, nearly 7.7 million
jobs have been created since March
2022, when the Fed enacted the first
interest rate hike of this cycle. In the
first five months of 2024, 1,239,000
jobs were created, and monthly
Continued on page 46
Page 24 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024

Kodiak Building Partners Acquires Minnesota’s Simonson Lumber
Recently, Kodiak Building Partners, a Colorado distribution company and
building materials supplier providing various species of Softwood, revealed its
acquisition of Simonson Lumber.
Kodiak Building Partners was born in 2011 as a firm focused on supporting
locally held and operated companies that manufacture building materials, in
addition to acquiring said businesses. Across the country, thousands of people
who serve general contractors, sub-contractors, homebuilders, remodelers and
consumers are employed by Kodiak.
Simonson Lumber, offering Pine, Cedar, Hemlock, Fir and Baltic Birch for
a variety of products, started in 1913 and upholds its dedication to impressive
customer service with its varied clientele, high-quality products and innovation
through this acquisition by Kodiak Building Partners.
Kodiak intends to use this acquisition to help both companies benefit from
their family-operated philosophy, which encourages both institutions to forge
bonds that go beyond business with their customers and suppliers.
Go to www.kodiakbp.com to learn more.
Retail Review
Truckee-Tahoe Lumber Co. & Design Center Expands Through Truss
And Component Division
The president of the Truckee-Tahoe Lumber Co. & Design Center (TTL),
Andrew Cross, recently announced that the fourth-generation, family-owned
lumber and building materials provider planned to expand through the acquisition
of NVO Construction Components assets. Based in Reno, NV, NVO Construction
Components began operating in 2021. According to published sources, they
are dubbed as a leading manufacturer of floor and roof trusses, in addition to prefabricated
wall panels, prefabricated stairs and panelized floor and roof cassettes.
According to their company website, TTL offers Pine, Cedar and Redwood. The
transaction creating Truckee-Tahoe Lumber Co. Truss and Component division
will be completed at press time for this publication.
TTL was incorporated in 1931 and since then, it has grown to serve not only
Northern NV but also surrounding states. The company has opened a concepts
design center, door shop, four lumber yards and a 75,000-square-foot manufacturing
plant that serves the framing community.
According to TTL’s president, the company will continue to develop the
products currently offered by NVO, while the former NVO team promises to
continue to expand and innovate
its products and technologies
to serve the needs of framers
throughout Northern Nevada and
the nearby regions.
Visit www.ttlco.com to learn
more.
LeNoble Lumber Grows In
New Jersey
LeNoble Lumber Co., Inc.
was recently due to open a new
distribution center in Edison, NJ
to better broaden their customer
base by supplying easier access to
major transportation routes, their
modernized logistics and their all
new rail access.
The company provides lumber
species such as: Yellow Pine,
White Fir, Hem Fir, and Douglas
Fir, in addition to many others
that can be viewed on the company’s
website. They also provide
plywood, building materials and
other architectural products.
According to the company
website, LeNoble Lumber Co.
Inc., which was started by Paul
LeNoble in New York City in
1965, supplied materials for many
of New York’s motion picture
companies and it celebrated its
50th anniversary in 2015.
Matt Dienstag, co-president
of LeNoble Lumber Co. Inc. is
hopeful about the opportunities
the new distribution center will
present for their future and how
this puts them in a position to increase
customer support. Co-President
Marc Bernstein agrees with
Dienstag about the benefits of
the new distribution center, being
especially enthusiastic about the
inclusion of the rail access, which
will increase their momentum and
accuracy.
The positive attitude LeNoble
Lumber Co., Inc. has toward their
recent expansion further portrays
Continued on page 46
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Page 26 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024

Northeast Business Trends
By Cadance Hanson
Staff Writer
Northeastern Softwood lumber suppliers reported, at the
time of this writing, a variation of market activity.
A contact in Massachusetts said that the market is very
“hit or miss. We’re getting a lot of conflicting reports from
people. Some people have a strong order file, some people
don’t. It doesn’t seem to be limited to any particular geographic
area or industry, either.” She also added that it is
worse than six months ago, citing that a lack of confidence
in the economic markets, which is driving people to exercise more caution and
“play their cards close to their vest,” is a contributing factor.
The company handles Eastern White Pine and Western Red Cedar, which is selling
the best, in all NELMA and WRCLA grades.
As for their customer base, they sell primarily to industrial manufacturers and
independent lumber yards. Regarding commentary from their customers about
the market, they said, “The response I’m getting from my client base is just that
they’re being very cautious with their finances. It’s an election year. There are a lot
Continued on page 48
.Smart People Know It’s Not About Price.
Most lumber producers are competitive on price, and Idaho Timber competes
with the best of them. But far more important than what you pay for lumber is what
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n Consistent quality in milling and grading keeps your customers satisfied and
minimizes field returns and associated costs.
n You get just what you want, right when you want it – on highly mixed trucks for
greater control of your inventory and cash. With 10 production facilities
strategically located across the USA, we deliver your wood in 24-48 hours.
n Our just-in-time service sharply reduces inventory and capital requirements, cuts
carrying costs and multiplies your turns and GMROI for higher true net profit.
Best price doesn’t necessarily mean best deal. Call Idaho Timber to learn how
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We make you more profitable.
Inland West Business Trends
By Terry Miller
President
Across the Inland West region lumber sources that
were contacted said that their marketplaces were challenging,
at the time of this writing, and that this may be due in
part to the excess of inventory with certain species.
In Idaho a lumberman said that with his company
being a multi-product, multi-species mill, he has noticed
some fluctuation with several different species and products.
“White Fir dimensional products in particular have
been very flat, while our Cedar board business has continued to remain strong.”
He noted that his sales continue to remain steady, adding that activity is adequate
to support the amount of lumber that they produce.
His company offers White Fir dimensional lumber, Cedar boards and various
Pine boards in a variety of grades and thicknesses.
“I sell to wholesale distribution and large retailers,” he said. “It appears to me
that commodity sales are down, while specialty items, like the Cedar boards, are
still selling pretty well.”
When asked if he is having issues with maintaining his labor force, he noted
that while he is able to maintain
enough employees to cover all of
the shifts that they currently run,
they would not be able to add
(800) 654-8110
another. He stated that they are
maxed out on labor.
Another lumber spokesperson
in Idaho noted that his market is
proving to be challenging as his
customers continue to be concerned
with the economy.
“Sales are more challenging
than they were six months ago,
especially for me as I specialize in
Pine and Cedar, and we are seeing
an over supply of Ponderosa Pine
right now,” he said.
He noted that his company as a
whole sells Douglas Fir, Ponderosa
Pine, Cedar, Idaho White Pine
and Spruce-Pine-Fir, in a variety
of grades and thicknesses.
He noted that his company
sells mainly to distribution yards,
wholesalers and home centers.
“Their sales seem similar to ours.
There is demand and the lumber is
moving, but we aren’t seeing anyone
that is wanting to stock up on
inventory. Instead our customers
are buying on a need-to basis.”
A lumber saleswoman in Montana
said that she has noticed that
her market is spotty, at the time
of this writing. “There is a lot of
inventory out there from what I
understand,” she said, adding that
she believes that her company
is doing about as well as it was
six months ago, but that they are
doing worse than they were a year
ago.
Her company offers Ponderosa
Pine, Douglas Fir, Larch, White
Fir, Engelman Spruce Lodgepole
Pine. “We offer dimension items
in 2x4-2x12, Ponderosa Pine in
1x4-1x8, Douglas Fir boards in
4-12 inch and the inland species
are 5/4 and 6/4 thicknesses. We
also offer pattern stock.” added
Continued on page 49
Page 28 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024

WHAT’S NEW?
Tolko and
introduce
Midwest Business Trends
By Paul Miller Jr.
Vice President
Lumber sources that we spoke with in the Midwest
region were a bit of a mixed bag as to how their markets
were, with only one source stating that his sales have
remained stable.
A lumber supplier in Missouri said that his marketplace
is slow at the time of this writing. “The housing
market has slowed down, and while we don’t sell a lot into
the housing market, we do sell to the remanufacturers and
end-use manufacturers that sell into it.” He added that his sales are worse than
they were six months ago, when asked.
His company offers Spruce-Pine-Fir and Southern Yellow Pine in all grades and
thicknesses.
He noted that the manufacturers and the end-use manufacturers that he sells to
have noticed that their sales have also slowed down.
In Texas a lumber spokeswoman said that her market is slow. “Our sales are
slow right now due to the high interest rates and the general state of the economy,”
Bert and Bud Vaagen founded Vaagen
Brothers lumber in the early 1950’s.
Today, the company continues as a
closely held corporation owned by
members of the Vaagen family. This
continuity of management, vision, and
leadership has helped guide the
company for more than half a century.
Creating a culture of innovation,
integrity, and cooperation that’s
fueled Vaagen’s advancement, evolution
and growth over the years.
WHAT’S NEW?
Continued on page 49
WHAT’S NEW?
West Coast Business Trends
By Zach Miller
At the time of this writing, West Coast producers are
struggling with high log costs and lack of high-grade fiber.
Labor seems to always be an issue and framing prices
currently remain flat, however there are some bright spots.
West Coast producers are chugging along and looking
forward to a busier second half of the year, this is what a
few of them had to say:
Dean Garofano of Delta Forestry Group, Pitt Meadows,
BC, said, "Overall, the demand this spring improved
from the early part of the year but not as strongly as some anticipated. Distributors
are reporting an average take away for the most part while box stores seem
to be a little busier with their core items. The resistance of reducing interest rates
in both Canada and the USA is a big factor; as builders, prospective home buyers
and those thinking of remodeling continue to move cautiously.”
Garofano continued, "Meanwhile at the mill level, the demand feels stronger
than it actually is, due to the supply issues impacting British Columbia. We at
Delta Forestry Group have been busy most of the year working hard to try and
catch up to our order file. Log supply
has been challenging not only
in Cedar but also Hemlock which
is something new. Some good
news, we have had a few weeks
of rainy cool weather in late May
and early June, which held off the
Tolko’s is now offering Zinc Borate treatment for
T-TEC LSL, providing product protection without
compromising Tolko’s now offering structural Zinc integrity. Borate treatment for
T-TEC LSL, providing product protection without
compromising Tolko’s now offering structural Zinc integrity. Borate treatment for
T-TEC LSL, providing product protection without
compromising Tolko’s now offering structural Zinc integrity. Borate treatment for
T-TEC LSL, providing product protection without
compromising
Tolko’s is now offering
structural
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integrity.
Borate treatment for
T-TEC LSL, providing product protection without
compromising Tolko’s now offering structural Zinc integrity. Borate treatment for
Tolko’s T-TEC LSL, is now providing offering product Zinc Borate protection treatment without for
T-TEC compromising LSL, providing structural product integrity. protection without
compromising structural integrity.
much-anticipated early fire season.
This will help to keep logging
going throughout the summer
months. BC forestry has had a significant
number of policy changes
in the past few years, with little to
no industry consultation, which
has resulted in the BC harvest
level being down to less than 60
percent from the allowable cut.
Fiber supply remains the single
biggest issue for manufacturers in
British Columbia.”
Garofano finished with this,
“A recent grass roots campaign
called Forestry Works For BC
was launched in May to promote
the benefits of a strong BC forest
sector. The campaign is focused
on working with government and
leaders across British Columbia
on strategies to ensure BC’s forest
sector is sustainable and thriving.”
John McDowell of Oregon
Industrial Lumber Products
Tolko and Hunt Forest Products (OILP), Springfield, are excited OR, said, to
introduce Bienville Lumber, “Yellow a joint-venture Cedar supply and twoline
Tolko sawmill and Hunt in the Forest US South Products are in with a close are a equilibrium kiln excited capacity on to clears
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Page 30 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024
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Southeast Business Trends
Ontario/Quebec Business Trends
ARCHITECT: MARTIN FENLON | PHOTO: ZACH LIPP
By Sue Putnam
Editor
Throughout the Southeast region, lumber suppliers had
mixed reviews when asked about how their market was
faring at the time of this writing.
A lumber salesman, when asked about the company’s
South Carolina location, had the most positive response,
saying, “It’s moderate.” Despite this, he claimed that they
are doing worse than six months ago.
He said that the company is “not a typical Softwood
mill for Yellow Pine,” which they offer in 4/4 and 8/4
thickness.
The company sells to industrial businesses, treaters and exporters in addition to
moulding plants and re-manufacturers. The lumber they sell is sold as far south as
Alabama west to Nebraska and as far north as Maine, as well as overseas customers
in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
In Mississippi, a lumber spokesperson said that the market has been “pretty flat”
and that it’s slower than six months ago.
A family-run operation.
An international reputation.
Highest quality, select knotty, fascia & trim,
siding and specialty products.
Continued on page 51
Wide range of superior, clear, vertical grain
decking, siding and specialty products.
Paneling | Siding | Fascia & Trim | Dimension | Engineered
pwww.ca | 604.946.2910 | Delta, BC, Canada
By Richard Lipman
Guest Writer
On the SPF side, “Technically it is really quiet, looking
at say Montreal and Toronto, we are noticeably down over
last year and production is still booming," reported one
Quebec wholesaler. "Housing starts are down and interest
rates are the main reason why they are not building right
now and the renovation is down as well. Nothing is selling
better than anything else – even the low grade has been
down, MSR lumber for trusses has been down as well."
Noted a Quebec producer, “I don’t see it getting better
for 2024. I think it is going to stay like this. We are already mid-June and we
haven’t seen much happening. I don’t want to be too pessimistic but I would say
2024 is going to be a bit of a write off, but 2025 should get better."
An Ontario manufacturer noted, “The low grade material seems to be selling,
like economy lumber for the pallet and box people, that seems to be selling fairly
steadily, but construction material is iffy. Building seems to be off because of the
interest rates. The potential Canadian Border Services strike is not of big concern
at this time – for exporters it should not have a real impact – if you are bringing in
material, that might be a different
story."
An Ontario wholesaler reported,
“The market is very soft and demand
has dried up significantly on
both sides of the border, where we
work. Do I think it is a long- term
thing, no, there is just oversupply
in the market and one of the main
reasons in my opinion is imports
from Europe which are massive,
especially on the U.S. side. Also
there are an increasing number of
American mills, Southern Yellow
Pine mills, coming on line. The
European wood is way more
prevalent than it was five years
ago. You would think at this level
it would draw attention by the
Dept. of Commerce, but for some
reason it hasn’t. This significant
increase in imports to the U.S. is
definitely affecting our business."
On the Pine side of the market,
one Ontario manufacturer
mentioned that conditions are
“quiet. I wouldn’t say it was dead
but it is certainly not the spring
rush we would have liked to have
seen. Things have slowed down,
but material is still moving and I
haven’t had to give up really anything
on price on the upper end."
This was echoed by a Quebec
producer who said, “On the
industrial side, that is where the
problem is, things have tanked out
there. There doesn’t seem to be
any movement as far as product.
That is about the only thing that
has slowed up is the industrial
grades. White Pine is like a substitute
for the Spruce in the crating
and packaging industry and pallets
and that has slowed right up,
which tells you that manufacturing
has certainly slowed up, so the
demand isn’t there."
Noted an Ontario manufacturer,
“the upper grades – the 3 and Better
– are still ok, but we are not
Continued on page 52
Page 32 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024

WRCLA —Continued from page 1
Meeting and Board of Directors Meetings, and of course lots of networking opportunities.
Brad Kirkbride, managing director of the WRCLA, said, "We are grateful for
record attendance of delegates and students for the 2024 WRCLA Cedar Summit
and Cedar School in beautiful Whistler. This event celebrated the most versatile
and environmentally friendly building product on earth – Western Red Cedar –
and planned future initiatives to promote Cedar and its competitive advantages
over non-wood substitutes."
For more information about this organization, visit www.realcedar.com. n
NAWLA PORTLAND —Continued from page 1
devoted family person, married to Steve, with two children and two granddaughters.
In her spare time, she enjoys being with loved ones, reading, and indulging in
outdoor activities such as hiking and fishing.
The next NAWLA Regional Meeting is set for Sept. 23 in Arlington, TX at
Live! By Loews.
Learn more at www.nawla.org. n
WWPA —Continued from page 1
Gluesenkamp Perez (3rd District, Washington) who shared some of her insights
working with the logging community in her district.
Another highlight of the meeting was the Master Lumberman Awards. The
award recognizes outstanding lumber grading and quality control professionals
in the Western lumber industry. It is a prestigious honor with only a select few
achieving Master Lumberman status each year.
Below are the winners of the WWPA Master Lumberman Awards, Safety
Awards and Hi-Q Awards:
2024 Master Lumberman:
Jeff Hahn (Idaho Forest Group), Tracey Row (Humboldt Sawmill Company),
Hank Spears (Sierra Pacific Industries), Chris L. Cannon (Woodgrain) and Joseph
D. Krauss (Bright Wood Corporation).
Chairman's Award
Lowest 5-year incidence rate awards (2019-2023):
Hampton Lumber - Tillamook, OR
Interfor U.S., Inc. - Molalla, OR
Western Forest Products - Vancouver, WA
District Safety Awards: 2023 Lowest 1-year incidence rate awards by district
District 1: Hampton Lumber Mills Darrington Div. - Darrington, WA
District 2: Interfor U.S., Inc. -
Philomath, OR
District 3: Woodgrain Lumber -
Pilot Rock, OR
District 4: Montrose Forest
Products - Montrose, CO
District 5: PotlatchDeltic Corporation
- St. Maries, ID
WE ARE PINE
PASSIONATE.
We source our wood
primarly from New
Hampshire and Vermont,
and the majority come
within a 50-mile radius,
Dual Weinig Powermat 2500 Moulders
Customizable Moisture Detection
Nelma grades and patterns
Specialized Dry Kilns
Enhance by Durgin
and Crowell is our line
of pre-coated, cured
Eastern White Pine
paneling product.
At Durgin and Crowell, we promise to be dedicated to offering our
customers the personal service that is essential to delivering the
highest quality, fully sustainable Eastern White Pine, on time, and
to the specs desired. We provide hands-on solutions because we
are Pine Passionate.
C
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Hi-Q Awards (2023 Recipients)
Boise Cascade Company -
Kettle Falls, WA
C&D Lumber Company -
Riddle, OR
Canyon Lumber Company, Inc.
- Everett, WA
Interfor U.S. Inc. - Longview,
WA
Mount Hood Forest Products -
Hood River, OR
PotlatchDeltic Corporation - St.
Maries, ID
Stimson Lumber Company -
Plummer, ID
Stimson Lumber Company - St.
Maries, ID
Stimson Lumber Company -
Clatskanie, OR
Stimson Lumber Company -
Tillamook, OR
Western Forest Products US
LLC - Vancouver, WA
Willamina Lumber Company -
Willamina, OR
The annual meeting concluded
with the Industry Reception and
Exchange Show, offering another
opportunity for attendees
to network. The annual meeting
serves as a valuable platform for
the WWPA to connect its members,
address industry issues, and
promote collaboration.
Learn more at www.wwpa.
org. n
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Page 34 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 35

Are you a Lumber or
Are Building you a Lumber or
Materials or Buyer?
Attending the 2024 Global Buyer’s Mission is a must for North American wood products buyers with inventory holes to fill. The
goal of this event is to connect our exhibitors, potentially your suppliers, with some of the best, hard-to-find fiber in the world.
Making these connections is essential to the procurement of BC lumber and building materials that buyers in the US - and all over
the world are finding difficult to locate.
The GBM also offers a number of excellent networking events, where you can do business while socializing in stunning Whistler
venues, including the top of Whistler Mountain after a wonderful gondola ride, and the incomparable Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural
Centre in Whistler, which features every commercial and specialty species of wood from British Columbia. Excellent food and
libations create a pleasant and memorable experience in world-class Whistler!
US buyers can find what they’re looking for at the GBM in Whistler
You DO NOT want to miss this event!
Why Why Should You Attend the
Why Should Should You You Attend Attend the
the
GLOBAL BUYERS MISSION?
GLOBAL BUYERS MISSION?
WHISTLER,
WHISTLER,
CANADA
CANADA
WHISTLER, CANADA
Immerse WHISTLER, yourself in a stunning CANADA
mountain
Immerse yourself
landscape
in a
and
stunning
explore the
Immerse
pedestrian-only
mountain yourself landscape in a
village
and stunning explore the
mountain pedestrian-only Immerse landscape yourself village in and a stunning explore the
pedestrian-only mountain landscape villageand explore the
pedestrian-only village
800
800
CONNECTIONS
CONNECTIONS
800 CONNECTIONS
Receptions 800 CONNECTIONS
and networking events
to
Receptions
connect with
and
industry
networking events
Receptions to connect with and industry networking events
to Receptions connect with and industry networking events
to connect with industry
What are other’s saying?
As an East Coast Wholesaler, I always prioritize the GBM as a go-to industry event. For all of the years I have attended, to the best of my
knowledge, I have never left without at least one new product source. The diversification of exhibitors gives a fresh perspective on the
industry and potential new lines for our offerings.
In addition to the Trade Show, the sponsored events throughout Whistler are very enjoyable and well done by you and the entire GBM
organization. I look forward to attending the 2024 GBM in September as well as many more in the future. Thanks again for all of your hard
work bringing these together.
Curt McLeod, VP of Sales, Capital Forest Products, Hingham, MA
2023 was our first-year attending, and we enjoyed the facilities and the area was a real highlight as it was the first time we were in
Whistler. We were there for procurement of Douglas fir products and seeing all of the vendors all in one spot was a good thing. Also,
getting a sense of everything from politics to economics, to business flow, to logs and procurement was a big deal for us. It was a
successful trip and I think we might take a little bit bigger group this year. A positive experience and looking forward to staying in tune
with what’s going on north of the border.
Brett Slaughter, Elk Creek Forest, McMinnville, OR
GBM is always a great way for us to see many of our Canadian supply partners in a smaller, more intimate setting rather than a large
convention center floor. The thoughtful activities and overall access throughout make it a successful networking event for us that we
continue to look forward to each year.
Kalyna Crook, Patrick Lumber, Portland, OR
Page 36 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024
100+
100+
SUPPLIERS
SUPPLIERS
100+ SUPPLIERS
Connect
100+
with
SUPPLIERS
suppliers of
Western
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products
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Fir, Hemlock, Yellow
SPF, wood Cedar, and products Douglas other value-added Fir, Hemlock,
wood SPF, products and other value-added
wood products
3-DAY
3-DAY
EVENT
EVENT
3-DAY EVENT
3-DAY EVENT
Transfer to/from Vancouver
and
Transfer
all meals
to/from
and
Vancouver
activites
Transfer
included
and all meals to/from
from
and Vancouver
Sept
activites
5-7, 2024
and included Transfer all meals from to/from and Sept activites Vancouver 5-7, 2024
included and all meals from Sept and activites 5-7, 2024
included from Sept 5-7, 2024
What
What Will You Get For Your $395 Registration Fee?
What
Will Excellent networking opportunities with over 100 Canadian wood products suppliers including lumber and building
• Excellent Will
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materials.
• Excellent materials. networking opportunities with over 100 Canadian wood products suppliers including lumber and building
• Free transfer from YVR or downtown Vancouver to Whistler and return
•
materials. Excellent networking opportunities with over 100 Canadian wood products suppliers including lumber and building
Free transfer from YVR or downtown Vancouver to Whistler and return
All materials.
• meals and activities during the event
Free
All meals
transfer
and
from
activities
YVR or
during
downtown
the event
Vancouver to Whistler and return
• Discounted Free transfer hotel from rates YVR in or Whistler downtown
• and Vancouver the lower mainland to Whistler for and pre return and post stays
All
Discounted
meals and
hotel
activities
rates in
during
Whistler
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and the lower mainland for pre and post stays
• All meals and activities during the event
• Discounted hotel rates in Whistler and the lower mainland for pre and post stays
CONTACT CONTACT CONTAC US US TOD
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• Discounted hotel rates in Whistler and the lower mainland for pre and post stays
CONTACT US TODAY TO CONTACT US TODAY TO REGISTER!
REGISTER!
CONTACT US TODAY TO REGISTER!
For more information, contact
For more information, contact
For gbm@bcwood.com visit
gbm@bcwood.com more information, or contact visit
globalbuyersmission.com
gbm@bcwood.com
For more information,
globalbuyersmission.com or visit
contact
globalbuyersmission.com
gbm@bcwood.com or visit
globalbuyersmission.com
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more For c m
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gbm@bcwood.com gbm or v
or globalbuyersmission.co
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• materials. Excellent • Excellent networking networking opportunities materials. materials. wit
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• Discounted • Discounted hotel rates hotel • in rates Discounted Whistler in Whist and h
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What What Will Will You What You Get
W G
Connect Connect with suppliers with suppliers of of
Western Connect Connect with suppliers of
Western Red with Cedar, suppliers
Red Yellow of
Cedar, Yellow
Cedar, Western Douglas Western Red Cedar, Red Cedar, Yellow
Cedar, Douglas Fir, Hemlock, Yellow
Fir, Hemlock,
SPF, Cedar, and Douglas Cedar, Douglas Fir, Hemlock, Fir, Hemlock,
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SUPPLIERS
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WHO’S WHO – MORTIMER Continued from page 2
Mortimer who specializes in Pine and Cedar, earned a Bachelor of Arts in
Finance from Washington State University, located in Pullman, WA, in 2002. He
joined the Idaho Forest Group team in September of 2015. His first position in the
forest products industry was in 2003 as a sales trainee for Hardwoods Specialty
Products. Additional areas of the industry in which Mortimer has worked include
desk sales, inside and outside sales, as well as operations manager.
Idaho Forest Group is a member of the North American Wholesale Lumber
Association.
In his spare time Mortimer enjoys participating in triathlons, playing basketball
and golf. He has been married to Jennifer for 13 years and the couple has one son,
Logan.
For more information, visit www.IFG.com. n
WHO’S WHO – MATTHEWS Continued from page 2
and Corrigan, TX. In addition to producing its standard offerings, RoyOMartin
operates a dedicated canter mill from its Chopin, LA, plant from which it produces
a variety of small timbers.
The recipient of a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management and Tourism
from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA, Matthews has one son
and one daughter with her husband, Dustin Matthews. Matthews and her husband
have organized and managed an annual golf tournament in Alexandria, LA, since
2005 to benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and
recently, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In total, the event has raised more
than $100,000.
RoyOMartin celebrated its 100-year anniversary in November 2023 and continues
to grow its production through two recently completed plant expansions.
For more information, reach out to Matthews at 800-808-6127, Kelly.matthews@royomartin.com
or visit www.royomartin.com. n
WHO’S WHO – METZGER Continued from page 2
comprehensive understanding of both the buying and selling aspects of kiln-dried
lumber, coupled with his experience in selling protective products, provides him
with unique insights into the specific needs of kiln-drying customers.
Metzger's educational background includes an associate’s degree in wildlife
technology from Penn State University - DuBois and a bachelor's degree in business
administration from Edinboro University. His strong commitment to delivering
a customer experience rooted in honesty and integrity aligns perfectly with
Nyle Dry Kilns' values. Metzger is passionate about collaborating with customers
to enhance their businesses, and his addition to the team is anticipated to bring
valuable perspectives and drive
further success.
Nyle Dry Kilns is thrilled to
have Metzger on board and looks
forward to the contributions he
will bring to the company and its
clients.
For more information visit
www.nyle.com. n
WHO’S WHO –
HARRIS
Continued from page 2
For Those
Who Think
Big.
neiman.com
866646665254
As a fourth-generation, family-owned operation, we
bring a legacy of excellence for high-quality pine
boards, paneling, shop, and studs.
Our steadfast dedication to providing exceptional
customer service and maintaining the highest
standards of quality makes us a reliable choice. Elevate
your standards – where heritage, quality, and business
reliability have taken root.
Harris recently joined Delta
Forestry Group in September of
2023. He has been in the forest
products industry for over 30
years. He started his career in the
forest products industry at Paynter
Timber Ltd., located in New Zealand,
where he sold framing lumber
and imported hardwood trellis
into the New Zealand domestic
market for six years. He then immigrated
to Vancouver in 1997,
where he worked for Interfor as
general manager of export sales
and marketing for 18 years.
He graduated high school for
Christ’s College in Christchurch,
New Zealand. He then went on
to receive a bachelor’s degree in
marketing and economics, as well
as diplomas in farm management
and agriculture, from Lincoln
University in Christchurch, New
Zealand. He also received a certificate
in agriculture from Flock
House in Bulls, New Zealand.
In his spare time, Harris enjoys
fishing, hiking, rugby, tennis
and learning his family’s history.
He has been married to his wife
Vicky Harris for 28 years and has
two sons and one daughter.
Delta Forestry Group is a member
of BC Wood, North American
Wholesale Lumber Association
Continued on page 40
W O r l d’ s
Largest CDK
PRODUCTION OF 300MM+ BDFT.
10 GRATE / 50MMBTU GREEN SAWDUST GASIFIER
kdskilns.com
828.891.8115
Page 38 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 39

WHO’S WHO – HARRIS Continued from page 38
and Truck Loggers’ Association.
For more information call 604-612-0073, email rharris@deltacedar.com or
visit www.deltaforestrygroup.com. n
SLB COLUMN —Continued from page 2
ing demand means relying on partners with different mandates but coordinated
interests. Often, the SLB acts as a nucleus for a much broader effort, making
significant investments in the growth of the wood products sector and, in turn,
attracting like-minded investors, working together toward the common goal of a
thriving and sustainable forest products sector.
In some cases, the SLB supports organizations that have vision and capability
but can achieve more with additional funding. In others, the SLB acts as the
execution arm for funders who seek to activate change. Here’s a look at how the
SLB leads a united effort, utilizing partnerships to achieve the industry’s common
goals.
Activating lumber markets with investment from public-private
partnerships
The SLB’s work with the USDA Forest Service shows how public-private
The SLB’s work with the USDA Forest Service shows how public-private
Patrick Lumber Company
Over 100 Years in Business
Est 1915
partnerships allow for effective investment of talent and resources toward shared
goals. The organizations first signed a memorandum of understanding in 2015,
then a second MOU in 2021 expanded the partnership that seeks to grow demand
for wood products as natural climate solutions.
The SLB and USDA Forest Service jointly fund WoodWorks, an organization
that works directly with design and construction teams to support projects and
lead them to specify wood and grow market share in non-residential and multifamily
buildings, with the SLB funding half of the organization’s annual budget
and the USDA Forest Service providing an additional 25%. The USDA Forest
Service has also provided major grants to the American Wood Council, which
supports codes and standards favorable to wood products.
The USDA Forest Service’s mandate is to sustain the health, diversity, and
productivity of U.S. forests, and driving growth in demand for lumber through
increased use in multifamily and non-residential buildings helps achieve those
goals. The USDA Forest Service provides funding—$775,000 over the last two
years—for the SLB’s Think Wood communication and education campaign, supporting
the program’s work to build interest and intent to specify wood in those
sectors.
The SLB and the USDA Forest Service are also working together to expand the
market for mass timber to drive further demand for lumber. The USDA Forest Service
co-funds the SLB’s Mass Timber Competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon,
which aims to accelerate the use of mass timber by supporting innovative building
projects, enabling the research
and lessons learned during those
projects to be shared and encouraging
the wider use and adoption
of mass timber in future projects.
Over the two iterations of the
competition, the Softwood lumber
industry invested $2 million for
the prize funding, leveraging an
additional $2 million from the
USDA Forest Service.
Targeted investments in Boston,
New York City, and Atlanta have
leveraged local partners’ funding
and expertise alongside the
SLB and USDA Forest Service to
identify and fund promising mass
timber projects in those cities and
work to overcome obstacles to
their construction. These “accelerators”
combine work to streamline
barriers in the code with technical
assistance from WoodWorks, creating
fertile ground for additional
mass timber growth in those
metro regions.
Leading and investing in
growth Leading initiatives and investing in
growth initiatives
The SLB also partners with
private organizations with coordinated
interests to achieve common
goals. As with its USDA Forest
Service partnerships, the SLB
often provides leadership and
execution for these efforts. For
example, the U.S. Endowment
for Forestry and Communities,
which aims to keep rural communities
healthy by promoting
sustainable working forests, is
investing $384,000 over three
years to support SLB Education’s
faculty workshops to help develop
architecture and engineering
school faculty proficient in wood
construction, enabling two additional
workshops in 2023. Five
workshops are planned for 2024.
In other cases, the SLB provides
support and funding to pro-
Continued on page 42
Page 40 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024
2
0
2
4
The
Save the Date for the
Traders Market!
Come and check out the 2024 NAWLA Traders Market,
taking place November 13-15, 2024!
Traders Market is the intersection of industry veterans and emerging
professionals in the forest products industry. With unparalleled opportunities
to connect with leading buyers and suppliers, there is no other event like
Traders Market! NAWLA is excited to welcome all of you back to Phoenix, AZ
this fall.
Phoenix, AZ
*Renewed Advertisers in Blue
*AGL Group, The
*AHC Hardwood Group
*Air Systems Mfg. of Lenoir, Inc.
*Alta Forest Products
*American Wood Technology, LLC
*Automation & Electronics USA LLC
*Baillie Lumber Co.
*Bennett Lumber Products, Inc.
*BID Group
*Biolube
*Boise Cascade BMD
*Boise Cascade EWP
*Bowers Forest Products
*BPWood Ltd.
*Brunette Machinery
*Brunner Hildebrand Lumber Dry Kiln
*Cersosimo Lumber Co., Inc.
*Classical American Hardwoods
*Cleereman Industries
*Collins
*Continental Underwriters
*Corley Manufacturing Co.
*Culpeper Wood Preservers
*Delta Cedar Specialties
*Diorio Forest Products
*DiPrizio Pine Sales
*DMSi
*Durgin and Crowell Lumber Co.
*Elk Creek Forest Products, LLC
*New Advertisers in Red
*Empire Lumber Co.
*Furtado Forest Products Ltd.
*Gates Milling
Goodfellow, Inc.
*Hancock Lumber Co.
Hood Industries
*Horizon Coatings Inc.
*Humboldt Sawmill
*Hurst Boiler & Welding Company, Inc.
*Huscroft, J.H., Ltd.
*Idaho Forest Group
*Idaho Timber
*Irving Forest Products
*Jazz Forest Products
*KDS Windsor Lumber Drying
Technologies
*King City Forwarding USA, Inc.
*Kop-Coat Inc.
*LaSalle Lumber Company
*Legna Software, Inc.
*Leslie Forest Products
*Lewis Controls, Inc.
*Lumber Blue Book Services
*Mars Hill
*McDonough Manufacturing Co.
*Messersmith Manufacturing
*MiCROTEC
*NAWLA
*Neiman Enterprises
Reserve your position in the
2024 NAWLA Special Edition
of the Softwood Forest Products Buyer
*NELMA
*Nicholson and Cates Ltd. Bldg Prod.
*Nicholson Manufacturing
*Nordic Structures
*Nyle Dry Kilns
*Pacific Western Wood Works Ltd.
*Partap Forest Products
*Patrick Lumber Company
*Paw Taw John Services
*Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual
Insurance Co.
*PotlatchDeltic Corp.
PPG Industrial Coatings
*Prime Forest Products
*Quebec Wood Export Bureau
Real Performance Machinery
Restoration Forest Products
*Richardson Timbers
*Robbins Lumber, Inc.
Rosboro
RoyOMartin
*San Group, Inc.
*Seaboard International
*Shaver Wood Products, Inc. Reload Div.
*Shelton Lam & Deck
*SII Dry Kilns
*Silvaris Corporation
*Skana Forest Products, Ltd.
*Smith, Gilbert Forest Products
www.softwoodbuyer.com
Call 800-844-1280
and ask for Zach or Terry
or email confirmation to
apryll@softwoodbuyer.com
*Southern Forest Products Assoc. (SFPA)
*South Coast Lumber Co. & Pacific Wood
Laminates
*Specialty Building Products
*Stella-Jones Corporation
*Stiles, A.W., Contractors, Inc.
*Sundher Group
*Thompson River Lumber
*Timber Products Co.
*Tolko
*Tristar Companies
*TS Manufacturing
*TUFF-STIK LLC
*U-C Coatings
*USNR
*Vaagen Bros.
*Valutec
*Warren Trask Company
*West Bay Forest Products & Mfg. Ltd.
*Western Forest Products
*Western Red Cedar Lumber Assoc.
*Westervelt Lumber
Weston Forest Products
*Wholesale Wood Products
*Woodgrain Lumber
*Wood-Mizer
*Zip-O-Laminators, LLC

SLB COLUMN —Continued from page 40
grams with high impact. The Working Forests Initiative (WFI) works to improve
the reputation of the forestry industry and working forests in the U.S., helping to
advance a common understanding of the benefits of working forests and sustainable
wood products and the critical role forests play as a natural climate solution.
The SLB is a minority funder on behalf of the industry, but SLB investors are also
supporting the WFI’s work directly.
British Columbia’s Forestry Innovation Investment (FII), which supports the
Canadian province’s lumber industry, is an investor in WoodWorks, and the SLB
and FII have collaborated on several research projects, most recently on a mass
timber industrial building report to identify the opportunity for wood structural
systems in buildings such as warehouses and distribution centers.
The SLB has even found common ground with the steel industry. Through
the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and constructsteel,
the SLB helped launch the Steel-Timber Hybrid Buildings Conference in 2022.
CTBUH is producing a technical guide on the potential of steel-timber hybrid
buildings featuring detailed case studies, set to be published in Q3 2024. The SLB
has also co-funded work with the Charles Pankow Foundation on a study of steeltimber
hybrid floor designs. In both cases, supporting repeatable mass timber-steel
hybrid buildings provides the lumber industry with an opportunity on project
LOCK-DECK
Lock-Deck combines beauty,
strength and durability in
a structurally engineered
product. The design and
construction possibilities are
limited only by imagination.
Lock-Deck is used in buildings
where the beauty of the wood
structure is left exposed to
create a unique architectural
experience for its occupants.
The flexibility of the unique
laminated manufacturing
process makes any
combination of species, size,
length, texture and color
possible.
Species: Douglas-Fir, Pine, Cedars, and many more
Sizes: 2x6 through 5x8 and lengths up to 34’
Textures: Smooth or rough sanded, re-sawn, wire-brushed, circle sawn.
Factory finishing in 24 colors or custom matched.
Lock-Deck is manufactured with pride by Shelton Structures, Inc. in Chehalis, WA
For more information visit LockDeck.com. Email Gunnar Brinck at
GBrinck@disdero.com or call
1-800-547-4209
types where lumber previously wouldn’t have been considered.
The continued support of the SLB’s investors is vital in maintaining this successful
network of partners working toward stronger markets for lumber and
wood products—because without that support, the industry stands to lose the
gains it’s made. Visit softwoodlumberboard.org for the latest updates from the
SLB’s investments and to check out the annual report detailing the impact of that
work. n
AWC COLUMN —Continued from page 2
Declarations (EPD). This expansion will help strengthen the industry’s EPDs and
ensure that the data used is representative and more accurately communicates the
sustainability of U.S. wood products. The work to increase data collection under
the WIG grant has already begun with AWC holding several trainings for other
wood product associations as they prepare to support their members in submitting
data.
In May, the Softwood Export Council (SEC) announced AWC would receive a
$750,000 Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) grant to generate life
cycle assessments (LCAs) and EPDs for U.S. engineered wood products. These
LCAs will address the increasing consumer interest in and legislation on transparency
and environmental sustainability data of U.S. wood products. In addition, the
grant will support AWC’s efforts related to the American Society of Heating Refrigerating
and Air-Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE) and International
Organization for Standardization
(ISO). Work in these
arenas will help protect wood
products from unfair treatment in
new and existing standards in the
U.S. and globally.
Earlier this year, AWC also
submitted a $10 million grant
application to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
(EPA) that if received, will fund
a number of important projects
related to data collection, Product
Category Rules (PCR) and EPD
development. It also provides
pass through funding for several
partner organizations to undertake
stand-alone projects that AWC
would facilitate through the grant.
We are eagerly awaiting EPA’s
expected announcement of the
grant recipients.
These grants are part of the
bigger story AWC, and the wood
products industry, is telling:
U.S.-based wood products are
the most sustainable, renewable
building material with the data
to show it. AWC’s commitment
to transparent data collection and
environmental product criteria is
helping position the industry as a
leader in environmentally friendly
building materials and sets the
standard for transparency. These
grants are funding projects that
will highlight and demonstrate the
sustainability story of U.S. wood
products.
As part of the WIG grant,
AWC’s Life Cycle Survey will
launch in August. All American
wood products mills are eligible
to be a part of this impactful survey
that will inform the industry’s
regional EPDs. If you are not an
AWC member and are interested
in participating contact: Adam
Robertson adam@sustainatree.
ca. n
Page 42 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024
The NAWLA
Traders Market!
Special Edition
Should You Be A NAWLA Special Edition Advertiser, Now’s
The Time To Plan YOUR Editorial Submission For The 2024
NAWLA Special Edition!
Help Us Get The Word Out About Your Unique Business!
Please Submit Your Editorial Content By July 15.
This Includes A 600-Word Feature Story, Headline & 3 High Quality Photos.
Got Questions?
Email editor@millerwoodtradepub.com.

NAWLA COLUMN – Continued from page 2
Attendees enjoy the recent NAWLA Portland Regional Meeting.
NAWLA’s Executive Director, Matthew Bruno explains the importance of
NAWLA’s Regional Meetings saying, “The impact of each regional meeting is
demonstrated at each event we hold. We’re there to connect and discuss the unique
challenges and opportunities that exist within each of the regions. In addition to
A.W. Stiles Contractors, Inc.
A.W. Stiles provides a full line of Modern Day Equipment serving both Softwood and Hardwood markets. New Installations
and Complete Rebuilds on Existing Equipment: High Temp Track Kilns, Hardwood Package Kilns, Predryers, Walnut Steamers
(Right) Charles Ingram Lumber in Effingham, SC. A.W.
Stiles Contractors fabricated and installed a patent pending
dual path kiln consisting of a 60’ center chamber and 40’
extension chambers. The engineering firm over the project
was Tinsley Consulting Group of Hot Springs, AR.
Complete Rebuilds Including:
• Roof Replacements/Complete Reskins
• Heating Coils and Complete Steam Systems
• Energy Efficient Upgrades -
controls, insulation additions, wind flow,
heating capacity, door seals, etc.
(Left) T. R. Miller Mill Co. in
Brewton, AL. A.W. Stiles Contractors
fabricated and installed two
steam-heated patented dual path
kilns each kiln consisting of 94’
center chambers and 62’ extension
chambers. The engineering firm over
the project was Tinsley Consulting
Group of Hot Springs, AR.
• Doors and Carriers
• Structural Repairs
• Protective Coatings
• Complete line of replacement parts
Lee Stiles Cell: (931) 409-0144
Email: lee@awscontractorsinc.com
Glenn Thompson Cell: (615) 372-4261
Email: glenn@awscontractorsinc.com
Casey Miller Cell: (931) 607-7451
Email: casey@awscontractorsinc.com
Office: (931) 668-8768 • Fax: (931) 668-7327
286 Bass Lane, McMinnville, TN 37110
awscontractorsinc.com
connecting and reconnecting with others in the industry, the educational component
serves as a platform to drive in-depth conversations. A good example of that
is the in-depth discussion unique to Redwood in regions around Vancouver.”
Registration to NAWLA’s Regional Meetings is currently open to members and
non-members of the organization. Information on past and upcoming events is
made available on NAWLA’s website.
• Montréal – April 9, 2024
o Held in conjunction with the Montréal Wood Convention at Fairmont Queen
Elizabeth, the meeting served as a hub for industry professionals, enthusiasts, and
experts to come together to shape the future of our dynamic industry. Montreal
Regional Meeting attendees had the chance to hear from David Gourde, Senior
Vice President-Engineering, Product Line Management, Service and Reliability
- BID Group; Louis-Philippe Poirier, P. Eng., M.Sc.A., Director of Operations at
Nordic Structures; and Tony Gerber, President of Flash Freight Systems.
• Vancouver – May 22, 2024
o Hosted at the Vancouver Club, attendees were able to hear from a panel of
speakers including Bob Brash, executive director of the Truck Loggers Association
(TLA); Ken Kalesnikoff head of Kalesnikoff Lumber Co.; and Hon. Andrew
Mercier, Minister of State for Sustainable Forestry Innovation. The panel
discussed various issues about the Red Cedar industry that are prevalent in the
region.
• Portland – June 6, 2024
o Portland attendees heard from Jodi Hack, CEO of the Oregon Homebuilders
Association on Thursday, June 6 at
the Amaterra Winery.
• Southeast – June 20, 2024
o The Southeast Regional Meeting
is hosted in collaboration with
the MLMA Convention and Trade
Show where attendees had the opportunity
to interact with influential
Mill Members and a diverse group
of Associate Members. Southeast
attendees were invited to hear from
Crystal Gauvin, the primary author
of FEA’s Lumber Market Status &
Trends newsletter, who is responsible
for FEA’s Sawmill Profiles, and
heads up FEA’s new pricing service,
PricePulse, North America’s first
direct-transaction price report for
wood products.
• Midwest – August 8, 2024
o Back by popular demand, the
Midwest Regional Meeting is being
held at BIG Bar in Chicago, IL this
fall. This was the former home of
Traders Market for many years and
NAWLA is excited to host members
here again!
• Northeast – September 18,
2024
o Continue to check the NAW-
LA website as more details become
available.
• Texas – September 23, 2024
o NAWLA will be hosting the
Texas Regional Meeting in collaboration
with the LAT Annual
Convention and Expo. Founded in
1886, the Lumbermen’s Association
of Texas (LAT) is a non-profit trade
association representing lumber and
building material dealers, the majority
independent, multi-generational
family-owned businesses. The
Annual Convention and Expo is
scheduled for Monday, September
23, through Tuesday, September 25,
at the Live! by Loews in Arlington,
Texas. Texas Regional attendees
will be able to hear from Tom
Grieve, longtime television analyst
for the Texas Rangers. n
APA COLUMN – Continued from page 2
the 2023 program. Twenty facilities representing eight APA member companies
earned awards in various competition categories. Some mills were multiple award
winners.
“We take pride in our members’
hard work and dedication to improving
worker safety each year,”
said APA President Mark Tibbetts.
"It's crucial that as an industry, we
advance and adopt best practices to
ensure our workplaces remain as
safe as possible."
In its 16th year, the program
is spearheaded by APA’s Safety
and Health Advisory Committee
(SHAC), comprised of APA member
company safety professionals.
“Our industry experienced significant
staffing shortages, which
added unprecedented complexity to
our manufacturing processes,” said
APA SHAC Chair Steve McKenney.
“Our ability to navigate these
challenges and reduce our TIR by
over 5 percent is truly a testament
to our commitment to safety and
health.”
The full list of winners and more
information on the APA Safety and
Health Awards Program can be
found on the association’s website
at www.apawood.org. n
QUALITY PEOPLE CREATING QUALITY WOOD PRODUCTS
GREEN & KD LUMBER
GREEN TIMBERS
ROUGH OR DRESSED
ATLANTIC WHITE CEDAR
POPLAR
OAK
Connecting North American
Forest Products Globally
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Page 44 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 45

WASHINGTON REPORT —Continued from page 24
employment growth averaged 248,000 per month, compared with the 251,000
monthly average gain for 2023.
In May, the unemployment rate rose to 4.0 percent, from 3.9 percent in April.
The number of unemployed persons rose by 157,000, while the number of employed
persons decreased by 408,000.
Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate, the proportion of the population
either looking for a job or already holding a job, decreased two percentage points
to 62.5 percent for May. Moreover, the labor force participation rate for people
aged between 25 and 54 ticked up to 83.6 percent. While the overall labor force
participation rate is still below its pre-pandemic levels at the beginning of 2020,
the rate for people aged between 25 and 54 exceeds the pre-pandemic level of
83.1 percent.
For industry sectors, health care (+68,000), government (+43,000), leisure
and hospitality (+42,000), and professional, scientific, and technical services
(+32,000), have notable job gains in May.
Employment in the overall construction sector increased by 21,000 in May, after
no change in April. While residential construction gained 3,500 jobs, non-residential
construction employment added 17,100 jobs for the month.
Residential construction employment now stands at 3.4 million in May, broken
down as 950,000 builders and 2.4 million residential specialty trade contractors.
The 6-month moving average of job gains for residential construction was 6,167
a month. Over the last 12 months, home builders and remodelers added 71,900
jobs on a net basis. Since the low point following the Great Recession, residential
construction has gained 1,376,000 positions.
In May, the unemployment rate for construction workers declined to 4.2 percent
on a seasonally adjusted basis. It marks the lowest unemployment rate for construction
workers over the past 11 months. The unemployment rate for construction
workers remained at a relatively lower level, after reaching 15.3 percent in
April 2020, due to the housing demand impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mortgage Rates Increase Slightly, Then Ease Back In June
According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased
by 7 basis points (bps) in May 2024, reaching 7.06 percent, up from 6.99 percent
the previous month. This represents a 64 bps increase from the previous year,
when it stood at 6.34 percent. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage also saw an increase,
rising 8 bps from April 2024, and 54 bps compared to May 2023.
As of the week ending June 7, 2024, the latest data shows a slight easing
in mortgage rates, with the 30-year mortgage at 6.99 percent and the 15-year
mortgage at 6.35 percent. On the other hand, the average 10-year Treasury yield
decreased slightly by 6 bps after a sharp increase between March and April.
Per the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) forecast, they expect
30-year mortgage rates to stay elevated at around 6.66 percent at the end of 2024
and eventually to decline to under 6 percent by the end of 2025. The NAHB
outlook is for the federal funds rate
to be cut at the December Federal
Reserve meeting and six more rate
cuts in 2025. n
RETAIL REVIEW —
Continued from page 26
their dedication to innovation,
broadening their customer base and
continuing to add to their history as
providers for the film and television
industries, according to a company
statement.
Visit www.lenoblelumber.com
for more information.
R.P. Lumber Co. Expands In
Missouri
R.P. Lumber Co.’s acquisition of
Thorne Lumber Co. was recently
finalized but the agreement terms
have not been disclosed. Thorne
Lumber Co., founded in 1988, is
an independently owned retailer of
building materials and hardware
with three locations in Northwest
Missouri.
R.P. Lumber Co. opened its first
location in Staunton, IL in 1977 to
serve the St. Louis area, in Edwardsville,
IL, before expanding its
reach to other states. R.P. Lumber
Co. will have a total of 87 locations,
with 20 of those locations in
Missouri.
R.P. Lumber intends to collaborate
with the existing teams at
each Thorne Lumber store, while
growing their mixture of products
and available services as they
initialize a spotless transition and
continue to serve their customers.
Visit www.rplumber.com to find
out more.
Lugbill Supply Center Acquires
Affiliated Lumber
Lugbill Supply Center, a member
of the Fort Wayne, IN, based Do it Best co-op, has announced the acquisition of
Affiliated Lumber as part of a bigger plan for expanding the business, which now
has expanded to two locations in Northwestern OH. Affiliated Lumber, a provider
of lumber and building materials, is located in Swanton, OH and has been
serving Northwest, OH for over 70 years.
According to their website, Lugbill began as a company that traded livestock
around a century ago and in 1962, the company purchased a lumber business
from Riegsecker Bros. Since then, Lugbill Supply Center has been gradually
increasing, modernizing and adding to their product line.
Lugbill President Isaac Weber is open-minded about company growth and
competition, which stems from his drive to expand the company through more
acquisitions or from the ground-up. Weber also desires that these locations be
accessible for all types of customers, according to published reports.
Visit www.doitbest.com for more.
Carter Lumber Expands In Kentucky
The success of Carter Lumber’s showroom collection, which opened in 2020
to serve remodelers and professional builders while focusing on cabinetry and
millwork, encouraged the company to create a full-service lumberyard. Despite
beginning deliveries in May to more established customers, the official start-date
of the lumberyard was June 1, 2024.
The company was founded in 1932 in Arkon, OH and, as written on the company’s
website, they offer 12 – 15 species of wood for a variety of products, in
addition to floor and roof trusses.
As the fifth largest, professionally
focused lumber and building materials
supplier in the United States,
Carter Lumber serves its customers
through more than 170 locations
across 13 states. The location will
be managed by a professional with
over 20 years of experience and
Carter Lumber promises a seamless
transition.
See the company’s website,
www.carterlumber.com for more.
US LBM Acquires Better Built
Truss
Privately owned company US
LBM is considered the largest,
full-line distributor of specialty
building materials in the United
States and they expanded the scale
of their network of nation-wide
locations by acquiring Better Built
Truss. Better Built Truss, located in
Northern California, was originally
named Durabilt Truss Inc. when
it was established in 1964 as a
prime manufacturer and supplier
of structural roof and floor components
and from 1996, the company
has been experiencing sustained
growth.
As noted on their company website,
after its opening in October of
2009, US LBM has over 450 locations
nationwide and, in addition to
other accomplishments, they were
also ranked at no. 2,408, for the
three-year period of 2019 – 2022 in
the 5000 list. After acquiring Better
Built Truss, U.S. LBM operates 12
locations in Northern California, in
addition to Homewood Truss and
three structural component manufacturing
facilities.
President and CEO of US LBM,
L.T. Gibson, mentioned that the
addition of Better Built Truss will
permit them to meet the growing
demand for structural building in
Northern CA and acquire more
customers.
Jeff Qualle, who joined Better Built Truss in 1996, will continue to control the
company’s day-to-day operations while US LBM will use its national platform
and marketing skills to continue to grow and improve the business.
Visit www.uslbm.com to learn more. n
In today’s complex world
at least one thing is plain and simple.
At Cersosimo we provide you with the
largest and most consistent supply of
quality Eastern White Pine and
hardwood – from the heart of New
England forests. We’ve been doing it
for over 75 years. You’ve come to count
on us to be there and deliver the best –
and do it consistently.
It’s straight talk from folks who are
easy to talk to, who know the business
inside and out – and whose integrity
is as solid as the lumber we provide.
www.cersosimolumber.com
Page 46 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 47

NORTHEAST BUSINESS TRENDS - Continued from page 28
of questions about interest rates and purchasing power.”
In Vermont, a lumber spokesperson said that the market is “kind of slow” but
“about the same” as it was six months ago because “we didn’t get the seasonal
pickup we normally would have had.”
He said that they sell Eastern White Pine and “do everything from 4/4 to 12/4.”
Typically, they sell to wholesalers and manufacturers. They said that, as for
their customers, “most people are telling me the same thing, that it’s pretty slow
for them right now.”
In New Hampshire, a contact noted that the market is “mediocre at best,” but
“slightly better” than six months ago, during which they were “kind of in a downward
trend.” He also stated, “We did have a small uptick in the market, but we’ve
been back sliding here for a while. Why was it better? Maybe coming into the
spring, we still had business, now it seems like they’re waiting for the last shoe to
drop to purchase anything.”
They sell Spruce and Fir in 2-inch thickness. The most activity they are experiencing
is with their 2x6s even though there is “higher demand for the 2x10, but
there is very little of it around,” according to the source. He also noted that “most
of the loads we get are heavily mixed, like wholesaling-type of orders.”
The company sells to buying groups, distributors and wholesalers, in addition to
talking to a few retailers. When asked about any comments their customers have
provided about the marketplace for their goods, the source mentioned that “a lot
of them are on the same level, saying their customers aren’t interested in buying
anything unless they can get it tomorrow. They can’t wait. We can tell from their
inquiries. The potential customers
try to counter us as well, trying to
get us to take a cheaper price.”
The spokesperson doesn’t believe
that transportation is “affecting us
as much as the higher interest rates
and as much as they say the economy
is doing well, it doesn’t seem
to be passing on to the homebuyers.
The higher interest rates are kind
of putting a damper on the housing
market.” n
MIDWEST BUSINESS TRENDS —Continued from page 30
she added.
When asked if her sales are better
or worse than they were six months
ago, she said that they are worse.
Her company offers Southern
Yellow Pine in 1-inch boards and
in thicknesses of 1x4-1x8 and in all
grades, adding that they specialize
in pattern stock lumber.
“I only sell to brokers, and from
the way that they are placing orders
I can tell that they are also slow
due to interest rates,” she said when
asked if she has heard any comments
from her customers.
She mentioned that in order for
her company to begin to thrive in
the market again they will need to
see interest rates drop. “My customers
aren’t able to continue with
their regular purchasing practices.
They are only buying what they
need and nothing more, they have
no room to stock their inventories.”
She mentioned that her company
is having to sell lumber under the
market price just so they can move
inventory.
A sawyer in South Dakota said
that his market is starting to look
stable. “I think that we are gaining
this sense of stability as the weather
changes,” he added.
His company offers Engelman
Spruce Lodgepole Pine, Hemlock
Fir, Spruce-Pine-Fir and Cedar.
“We offer Engelman Spruce
Lodgepole Pine in 1x’s, Hemlock
Fir and Spruce-Pine-Fir in 2x’s and
we offer Cedar in 1x’s and 2x’s,”
he noted.
When asked which of the species
that he offers is selling the best, he
said that Cedar seems to be continuing
to do well.
He stated that he sells to lumber
yards, when asked what types of
customers he sells to. “A lot of my
customers are waiting for sales to
kick off. I’m not sure what it is
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going to take for their sales to kick off since we are already in the middle of summer,”
he said, adding that it seems that everything is slower to get started. n
INLAND WEST BUSINESS TRENDS —Continued from page 28
She added that Ponderosa Pine is their brightest spot.
She mentioned that transportation has become very easy to schedule, with shipments
that used to take them a week to 10 days to schedule taking less than 24
hours now.
“We are continuing to remain positive. We are hoping that the market will turn
around and that people will calm down and get back to work,” she said. n
Stay in touch and informed
@ softwoodbuyer.com
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PHONE: (1) 716.833.9366
EMAIL: sales@uccoatings.com
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Page 48 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 49

WEST BUSINESS TRENDS —Continued from page 30
Miller Wood Trade Publications
since 1927
Connecting North American Forest Products
Suppliers With Buyers Globally
McDowell continued, “Customers’ moods are a bit all over the place. In some
markets sales are slowing down, in others its steady. Due to high interest rates and
high pricing most people do not want to carry inventories of material. Especially
when expecting the traditional slowdown in sales pre-election. It appears that the
log supply for Douglas Fir clears in the U.S. is limping along, but I would expect
logs to become harder to come by as we progress through the summer/fire season.
Large logs in Canada are supposedly few and far between due to the old growth
legalities still working themselves out.”
McDowell finished rating 2024 on a scale of 1-10 "OILP’s year is a seven
currently. It’s a real rollercoaster from one month to the next, both due to supply
and demand. Industry wise I would guess other remanufacturing plants are
faring about the same. Everyone is still working on coping or battling against
rising overhead costs and wood costs. The big questions are when will the slow
down pre-election begin? How long will it go on for? How soon will our country
embrace or at least accept the election decision so that the economy can begin to
run again on all cylinders."
Chris Bouchard of BPWood, Penticton, BC, said, "Douglas Fir timbers
remain softer than I’ve ever seen since starting to sell them in 2017. My customers
are buying as little as they can to keep things moving. There is little to no real
momentum in the market – many see this as what we can expect from the rest of
the year. This year has been a solid five out of 10 for us so far but all of the major
issues remain including labor and transportation challenges."
Mark Gray of Patrick Lumber Company, Portland, OR, said, "High grade
Softwoods are seeing a healthy
demand in the marketplace. Overall
tight supply is resulting in upward
pricing pressures. Customers seem
to be happy with YTD results. Their
greatest challenge is planning twoplus
months ahead with inventory
purchases…that’s the world we live
in today. They’re used to buying
exactly what’s needed, and fairly
prompt, but that’s not possible as
order files are extended.” Gray
continued, “On a scale of 1-10 it’s
been a solid 7/10, and above average…but
the number one challenge
is having enough supply. Summer is
here and we’re expecting an uptick
in business.” n
SOUTHEAST BUSINESS TRENDS —Continued from page 32
The company predominantly offers 2x4 and 2x6 in Southern Yellow Pine.
He said that they sell, “mostly to pallet folks.”
In response to the question on whether the company’s customers had any comments
about the current market for their own products, he mentioned, “I think
everybody is pretty slow all over, except for one or two places that are pretty big.”
As for transportation, he claimed that in some parts of the country, “trucks are a
little bit hard to find.”
A lumber salesperson in Louisiana shares the sentiments of the spokesperson
from Mississippi, emphasizing that at the time of this writing, the market is not
great and that business is not at the level it was six months ago.
The company specializes in Southern Yellow Pine, strictly selling 2-inch in No.
1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 Common.
He stated that they “sell to the whole gamut,” listing off traders, retailers and
wholesalers as their clientele.
Regarding the state of transportation and other factors that may be negatively
effecting the business, he blamed the current economy, connecting it to a variety
of set-backs. The first was a customer that had six stores who was purchasing 10
loads a week from them several months ago but is now down to purchasing only
one or two loads a month. He also added that, “a lot of people that I deal with are
having to cut people back.” Trucking is also “tough from time to time” but that
just two weeks ago, he had “three incoming calls about lumber and 31 incoming
calls from truckers looking for loads.” On the day of this interview, he had “two
incoming calls about lumber, but the callers were just checking when their loads
were going to ship.” n
read every issue online
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Page 50 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 51

ONTARIO/QUEBEC BUSINESS TRENDS —Continued from page 32
moving the volumes that you would typically move this time of year. Everybody
is still taking load lots and there is still a good diversification of product. It is just
the industrial end, those grades are backing up."
A Quebec wholesaler reported that is “not a question of price, there is just no
demand. There might be some out there who are cutting prices to try to get things
going, but really the demand isn’t there, so I don’t know why people would be cutting
prices. They are shooting themselves in the foot. It is easy to drop a price, but
try to get it back up again."
According to an Ontario wholesaler, “People are glad to see that so far, forest
fires have not been an issue, but if it gets dry, it could become as serious as last
year. I know out west it has started already and there has been a fair bit of closures
on some mills too through curtailment and wood supply as well. It will take a long
time for that to filter through and we don’t have a whole lot of home construction
going on right now. It’s died right off and that takes up a lot of the Spruce."
“I don’t think things will start to turn around until the New Year," said an
Ontario producer. "It is a big wheel to try to turn, but if we get a couple of rate
cuts maybe that happens a bit sooner. It’s all about consumer confidence and it is
all about the economy. If people feel good about themselves and good about their
jobs, they are making some money and their debts are in line, they will spend
money. In uncertain times, they are not going to go out and do that job, they will
put it off until things get better."
Said an Ontario manufacturer, “The DIY buyers are not as active now, and that
goes back to the retail and service people and that is why we don’t have the orders
that we normally would this time of year, because money is tighter. The free
money is not out there any more – the CERB money – that was the big boost and
people had the time, so they went out and did what they had always wanted and
just something to keep themselves busy. But now with inflation….everything is so
expensive."
“The lowering of the interest rates last week, for the first time in four years, is
going to create some optimism," reported a Quebec wholesaler. "It is not going
to make a huge difference at the start but when it gets to three quarters or one
percent, after a couple of rounds of cuts, that will stimulate things a little bit. The
unfortunate thing with the interest rates is that housing is not going to change
in terms of price, if anything, it might even get worse. It is going to create an
inflationary item there, because people that are sitting on the sidelines right now
because that one percentage point is the barrier between them getting a mortgage
or not. They are all going to be out there chasing the market once the rate comes
down enough and it is just going to fuel the flames again. Prices are just going to
go up again. It is a really sticky situation." n
RICHARDSON TIMBERS—Continued from page 4
Operations manager Gerano Berrones with Richardson Timbers’ new Tru-Ruf machine.
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on social media!
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heart spec on that. People typically aren’t getting that picky, but, having said that,
we can get it. We are happy to source any non-stocking product that the customer
wants. We can get a lot.”
Richardson, however, seldom needs to search long to meet its customers’
needs. Rogers said that not only does it have one of the largest stocks of kilndried
Douglas Fir timbers in Texas, but its ability to maintain certain custom tools
on site significantly cuts down on lead time.
“We don’t have to wait the three or four weeks to get it off the West Coast
because we have it here,” Rogers said. “We sharpen our own knives here. We
have the knife stock here. If there has been a pattern put on the wall in the past
75 years, more than likely we still have the knives that were made to produce that
pattern.”
Success in any industry requires that those charged with making important
decisions have a clear picture of the direction of their business. Looking forward,
co-owner Bubba Finnell knows that there is plenty to be optimistic about, but
worries that as tenured employees begin to retire, a competitive job market will
make it more difficult to attract the next generation of lumber industry professionals.
“In my opinion, the biggest challenge today is the ability to get young people
involved in our business,” Finnell began. “When I look around at the other orga-
Continued on page 54
R
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Page 52 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 53
8/23/18 6:38 AM

RICHARDSON TIMBERS—Continued from page 53
Proving its dedication to the industry, Richardson Timbers continuously evolves
to meet the needs of customers. This means it must have the right equipment to
complete specialized jobs.
nizations, I see more older individuals than I do younger ones. We need to do a
better job of attracting young talent.”
Richardson’s machining capabilities are vast thanks to its collection of top-tier
equipment: a Cantek GT 635ARD double-planer, a Weinig moulder, a Cantek
twin band horizontal resaw and a 54-inch McDonough Manufacturing band saw.
Honoring the success of its Dallas facility, Richardson has purchased and installed
much of the same equipment in its Bertram mill. It, however, does not stop
with the equipment; Richardson has implemented many of the same systems and
procedures as well.
“That’s the idea long term,” operations manager Genaro Berrones said. “We
want to be able to duplicate the same production capabilities that Dallas has at our
Bertram location.”
While developing the site and operation to a point where it is running as efficiently
as Dallas, Richardson is working to build out its Bertram staff. In the
spirit of Berrones’ plan to “copy-and-paste” the elements that have made Dallas
successful, he said that he hopes to eventually have a substantial staff of workers
in Bertram similar to those in Dallas. Beronnes acknowledges that finding
the right kind of skilled labor takes time and that putting together an experienced
team is paramount to Richardson’s continued growth. While it’s taking the time to
find the right team to grow Bertram, both mills are operating with the same commitment
that powered Richardson through its first 75 years: meet and exceed the
needs of its customer.
Proudly based in Texas, Richardson’s market reach has expanded in to neighboring
states (and farther). Rogers understands that growth is a biproduct of
conducting business the right way: “with 75 years comes a reputation.”
“We get phone calls from Illinois,” Rogers said. “We get phone calls from
Washington, the East Coast, the West Coast — we’ve gotten phone calls from
California. We’ve also shipped into Florida.”
He added, “You know, all you need to do is find the wheels and we’ll go anywhere.”
A highly specialized remanufacturer that deals exclusively to retail lumber
yards and truss manufacturers, Richardson prides itself on going above-andbeyond
to help its customer. Rogers said that while it does not sell direct to
consumers, Richardson enjoys the opportunity to educate its customer’s customer
through learning sessions, by attending conferences and co-hosting customer appreciation
events.
Richardson Timbers produces quality cuts every time thanks to its collection of
advanced equipment.
When asked to what he attributed Richardson’s ascent over 75 years — and
its resiliency through hard economic times like the Great Recession of 2008 —
owner and CEO Lynn Surls said that its “ability to adapt quickly to the situation
and maintain in constant contact with [its] suppliers” allows the company to
better forecast its customers’ production needs and helps its customers complete
jobs more efficiently and with less downtime. Surls added that it’s also “very
important” to have “strong and talented employees that share our commitment to
outstanding customer service.”
Developing relationships and a “commitment to outstanding customer service”
has always been one of Richardson’s focuses and its dedication to that is made apparent
through its long-tenured sales team.
Jamie Hursh, the longest-serving member of the sales team, works with customers
in the Dallas/Fort Worth market, markets west of I-45 and the markets “all
the way down to Waco.”
Nick Zilliken came to Richardson with many years of experience in the timber
industry and has helped the company reach new territories. Zilliken serves
customers along the I-20 corridor, I-45 North, parts of East Texas, Louisiana and
Oklahoma.
David Lawrence covers much of the southern part of Texas. His territory
includes the markets south of Waco, down to The Valley, parts of West Texas and
New Mexico. Lawrence has been with Richardson for nearly a decade and spent
many years in the industry before joining the team.
Chris Brennan, Richardson’s most recently hired salesperson, also has “a ton
of experience in the timber industry.” Brennan covers the region along the I-45
South corridor leading into Galveston, the Houston market, East Texas markets
south of the I-20 corridor and parts of Louisiana.
Rogers hinted that Richardson employees are a close group and that they look
out for each other; this is one of the reasons that the company has had the success
it has over its 75 years. “Anyone in the office can pick up the phone and quote,
call a trucker,” he continued, “you know, we can wear different hats.”
Regardless of the “hat”, each member of Richardson’s team leads with a
customer-first attitude, and it reflects in the quality of its products, the longevity
and success of the company and the loyalty of its customer base.
Into the next 75 years, Richardson plans to remain focused on the keys to its
success, keep customers at the center of everything it does and, as Rogers said,
Continued on page 56
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Page 54 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 55

RICHARDSON TIMBERS—Continued from page 55
JAZZ FOREST PRODUCTS —Continued from page 6
Proudly based in Texas, Richardson Timbers’ market reach continues to expand
thanks to its ability to service and ship to customers locally and in surrounding
areas.
“continue being that friend that is always going to be there for you.”
Richardson Timbers maintains memberships with the Lumbermen’s Association
of Texas and the North American Wholesale Lumber Association.
For more information, visit www.richardsontimbers.com. n
read every issue online
www.softwoodbuyer.com
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Jazz Forest Products is a is a multi-generational family owned reman plant and
intricate part of the ever-expanding Mirax Group, that was founded in 1998.
Continued on page 58
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Page 56 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 57

JAZZ FOREST PRODUCTS —Continued from page 57
Abbotsford facility. This location also has a Yates Planer line with retrim redecks,
a Stetson Ross 6-12 planer with inline horizontal resaws, vertical resaws,
automated trimmers, a 24-saw auto trimmer and at the end of the green chain an
automated stacker.
The company’s newest acquisition, located in Chilliwack, BC – Lyle Specialty
Forest Products – was established in 1972 as a wholesale specialty producer and
custom reman operation. Today this location acts as a last stop for final processing
of WRC products before shipping to customers. Rav said, “Our main goal
with this new location is extracting as much value from those broken-down logs
as possible. By purchasing and investing in Lyle Specialty, we’ve given ourselves
the opportunity to have a vertically-integrated company that focuses not on high
production but extracting every bit of value out of our logs and delivering those
products directly to our customers.”
Parm added, “Knowing that we have control over our products from the very
beginning of the process to the very end allows us to make the right end use product
that we know is going into a person’s home. Our main goal will always be to
provide a value-added product.
“All products coming out of Lyle Specialty are WRC and Hemlock including
and not limited to siding, paneling, mouldings, casings, trellis’, and engineered
wood products,” said Parm. He continued, “These products are going to distributors,
the box stores and retailers. We also service wholesalers, lumber yards and
other secondary manufacturers in other species from our other locations.”
Jazz Forest Products is 100 percent family owned, and that is how they treat
the people they work with, like family. Parm stated, “Over 50 percent of our
employees have been with us since day one.” A testament to the quality and high
standards that are maintained throughout all divisions of the company. The retention
rate at which Jazz has kept its employees is not the only visible advantage to
continuing to treat the company as a small family-owned business, but the manner
in which decisions are made and how quickly they take affect has impacted
the overall success of the company. “We aren’t a big corporation, so if a decision
needs to be made, or there needs to be a change made at one of our mills, we can
do it on the fly and have the change implemented within hours,” Parm added.
When asked about the future of Jazz Forest Products, Parm responded, “There
are plans for us to grow; we are not content to stagnate but for the time being we
are very happy with our group of companies and continuing to keep our customers
satisfied.”
Jazz Forest Products is a member of the North American Wholesale Lumber
Association, Southern Forest Products Association, BC Wood and Canadian Mill
Services Association.
For more information, visit www.Jazzforest.ca or email their team for inquiries
at info@jazzforest.ca. n
Western Red Cedar timbers at Jazz Forest Products, located in Abbostford, BC,
ready to be shipped and distributed.
CULPEPER —Continued from page 8
Culpeper Wood Preservers makes capital investments every year into every one
of its plants, ensuring its employees are comfortable and happy.
“We get to know our customers and educate them through our education
department about the different treatments, retentions, and grades and what would
best suit their customers and their intended use. We want to ensure that we have
the products to cover that intended use,” Brown noted.
Continued on page 60
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Page 58 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 59

CULPEPER —Continued from page 59
Culpeper’s representatives are in the know every step of the way with their clients’
orders; from the moment they place an order to the moment they receive it,
there is never a step in the process that isn’t communicated. “When our customers
place an order, they get confirmation. If they change their order, they get confirmation
and are given an ETA of when to expect it,” Brown said. “Our customers’
know what to expect, so they can tell their customers when they will get it. If we
have the product in our yard, they should expect it in one to three days, and if we
need to order it or wait for the product to be delivered to us, it may take five to
seven days. No matter how long it is going to take to get what our customers want
into their hands, they are going to know where we are in the process of getting
them exactly what they want.”
Culpeper’s urge to go above and beyond is a testament to what products they
are willing to keep on their shelves, which is literally whatever the customer wants
and needs. “We take the stance of if a customer wants it, we stock it,” Brown said.
“There isn’t a line that is ever drawn regarding what our company will stock.
We’ll stock the same grades and thicknesses in various ways depending on the
treatments and the retentions. This allows us to have such a quick turnover when a
customer puts in an order. So, to keep up the inventory that we need to make this
happen, we have to constantly try to find new suppliers.”
As Culpeper continues to meet whatever demand their customers throw their
way, they are looking to expand. Their expansion isn’t about becoming a larger
company but it’s about being able to get closer to their customers so that they can
help them build their footprint.
Culpeper Wood Preservers is a member of the American Wood Preservers Association,
Southern Pine Inspection Bureau, Treated Wood Council, Northeastern
Retail Lumber Association, and North American Wholesale Lumber Association.
For more information, visit www.culperwood.com. n
read every issue online
Between Culpeper Wood Preservers’ 18 facilities they purchase 700 million board
feet of lumber annually.
Culpeper Wood Preservers offers their products in treatments such as Micropro,
Borate, CCA, FlamePro Fire Retardant and Naturewood CA-C.
www.softwoodbuyer.com
Culpeper Wood Preservers’ urge to go above and beyond is a testament to what
products they are willing to keep on their shelves, which is literally whatever the
customer wants and needs.
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Page 60 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 61

Gobble-Fite—Continued from page 9
(from left to right) Pat Fite, president of Gobble-Fite; Davis Fite, operations manager
of Gobble-Fite; and Dan Fite, vice president of Gobble-Fite.
best as they can, and to “rolling with the punches” when it comes to the changing
tastes and demands associated with their customers.
“We’re what I would call a good, solid, medium-sized family business. About 80
percent of our business is supplying building materials to new construction projects.
The remaining 20 percent is a combination of retail and industrial supplies,”
he explained. “We do remanufacturing, sizing wood to specific lengths and widths,
industrial lumber low-grade Pine, as well as standard building material, lumber,
plywood, and columns.”
Gobble-Fite Lumber can also boast an employee retention rate that would be the
envy of just about any industry these days. But as Dan noted, having a low turnover
of key personnel has both its positives and negatives.
“We have so many good people, plus or minus 50 employees, and many have
been with us for 10, 15, and even over 20 years. That is great for stability, but also a
gut punch when somebody leaves,” he said.
He added that he has seen enormous changes in the industry as a whole over the
past 35 years that he has been a part of it. For example, he said that for years, lumber
yards like Gobble-Fite bought their lumber almost exclusively from local mills.
Today, a lumber supplier likely gets lumber from a combination of mills, buyer
groups and European suppliers.
The customer base has changed as well over that same period of time.
“For a long time, the custom home builder that we would partner with were the
10 to 25 homes-a-year guys. When the housing crisis happened, less and less of
like and follow us
on social media!
@millerwoodtradepub
Gobble-Fite handles upwards of 12 million board feet of lumber – primarily Pine
and Spruce – annually.
Stay in touch and informed
@ softwoodbuyer.com
those guys stayed in the market. Now, we’re working with the large scale tract
builders,” he said. “That’s very different, and we have adjusted to the volume game
and lower margin game. It’s really something that is for us interesting because it is
a little different from what I’ve done all my life.”
Dan’s nephew, Davis Fite, who serves as operations manager, has also seen how
those trends have impacted the family business.
“It can be a thankless business. You go from a buyer being your best friend
when you are offering the best price to them not knowing you when you are half
a percent high. We’ve seen some people leave the industry who appreciated good
service and quality. But we have really hung our hats on product knowledge and
custom homes over the years.”
Dan agreed.
“It’s still the bulk of our business. Today, we have one customer who used to be
five customers. Instead of building 10 houses, they’re building 50. They are the
ones we want to shine with because that is who we want to be our customer,” he
said, adding that product lineups have changed as well. “What goes into a house
has changed so much in the last 35 years. Then, I could tell you what would make
up 80 percent of the products of their house. Now, there are so many choices, and
customers see what they want on the internet. When I started, there were all of two
or three door panels that they were using regularly. Now there are 20 or 30. This
presents inventory challenges.”
Still, Gobble-Fite has been up to those challenges, in part thanks to its considerable
facilities. With a 10,000 square foot showroom, one side of which features a
large sales counter and a series of offices, as well as an adjacent 10,000 square foot
warehouse filled with doors, windows and cabinets, plus another 45,000 square feet
of outdoor storage, a milling operation and a couple of acres of industrial and low-
Continued on page 64
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Page 62 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 63

Gobble-Fite—Continued from page 63
Gobble-Fite’s facilities include a 10,000 square-feet warehouse, plus another
45,000 square-feet of outdoor storage, a milling operation and a couple of industrial
and low-grade lumber storage.
Stay in touch and informed
@ softwoodbuyer.com
“About 80 percent of our business is supplying building materials to new construction
projects. The remaining 20 percent is a combination of retail and industrial
supplies,” said Dan Fite, vice president, Gobble-Fite Lumber Company.
grade lumber storage, the company is ready to meet the existing and emerging needs
of its customers.
The company also has a long history of being thrifty to help keep costs and prices
low. Davis recalled working during vacation from school, driving trucks and helping
out.
“They were very smart and frugal,” he said of the family members who came
before him. “They got every mile out of every piece of equipment they could. They
had a mechanic who kept the vehicles taped up pretty much indefinitely. In the last
Gobble-Fite has a 10,000 square foot showroom, pictured above.
20 years or so, we have switched to buying new equipment relatively regularly, but
we still get a lot out of it.”
That sort of can-do spirit truly came to the forefront during the Covid-19 pandemic,
as employees stepped up and did what needed to be done to keep things moving.
“It was really a challenge, although looking back on it we did not have near as
much trouble as most people did,” Dan said. “We were considered essential and
were allowed to stay open, so we were doing our daily work as we usually do.”
The biggest issue, he added, was getting commodities in a timely manner. By way
of example, he said when it came to things like windows, it sometimes took up to
six months from order to delivery.
“The contractor all of a sudden had to plan for that. There were several products
like that. Adding to the perfect storm, we had low interest rates. It made a boon like
we have never seen; there’s never been a time when I have seen business as good as
it was, but also as hard as it was. Still, we can’t complain; the money part was great,
and our buying groups we were affiliated with did a great job. We did not have as
much trouble as some people did, but I have never seen a more stressful time.”
As far as what the future holds for Gobble-Fite Lumber, both Dan and Davis said
that the company’s employees will remain at the heart of its success.
“We are extremely employee-focused, and if we take that perspective, we will see
more profit down the road. But we don’t focus on profit; we focus on getting good
people,” Davis said.
Dan echoed those sentiments.
“That is literally how we are still here; we are coming in every Monday morning
and asking how do we take care of our customers and how do we take care of our
employees, and if you do that, lo and behold, you do make a profit,” he said, adding
that he hopes to see the next generation of family members build on the traditions of
the past 89 years.
“I have four children, and my youngest, who is a senior in high school, has an
interest in being part of the business, and that will be interesting. If the good Lord
blesses me, we are hoping to make systematic progress. Davis has done a great job
working on that,” he said. “Decatur is a small town of about 50,000 and my dad and
uncles were pretty well thought of. We are well thought of too, but a lot of that has
to do with the folks that came before us. That is something we are trying to build on.
From the outside looking in, people thought they were savvy business men, but what
we are savvy about is working hard.”
For more information, visit www.gobble-fite.com. n
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Page 64 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 65

PLM GUEST ARTICLE—Continued from page 5
training to new hires and host refreshers at least annually. Implement in-themoment
training after any incident.
3. Show genuine concern for your employees. Let them know that
your goal is for them to return home in the same condition – safe and healthy –as
they arrived.
4. Recognize safe performance. While a formal incentive program is
value-added, you should also give your employees affirmation for doing their job
safely. A simple word of thanks can go a long way.
5. Develop a tight relationship with your carriers. Seek insurers who
understand the Softwood niche. They can help you design a program that best
mitigates your risk. The right carrier will offer you property and casualty coverage,
and also help you identify other coverages, such as cybersecurity or employment
practices liability, that could benefit your company.
What to include in your risk mitigation plan
As you build out your culture of safety, consider taking these steps to reduce
some of the most frequent causes of losses.
• Step up your fleet safety. Create a fleet safety program that addresses
driver training, hiring and screening. At minimum, review motor vehicle reports
before hiring any candidate. Consider adding telematics and cameras to your
vehicles. This has quickly emerged as the gold standard approach because it empowers
companies to address risky driving behaviors before an accident occurs.
• Fortify your facilities. Protect yourself from wind damage with proper
roof maintenance. If you’re not sure of your roof’s current condition, perform an
inspection. Use aerial photography to identify emerging issues. Then compare
those photos with a walk-through inspection. Look for signs of water intrusion or
damage in potential trouble spots.
• Enhance your fire protection. Test and maintain all fire protection
systems, including smoke or heat alarms, automatic sprinkler systems and fire
pumps. Implement a hot work permit program for welding fire safety. Sawmill
and pallet manufacturers should consider using infrared thermography to scan
electrical panels for potential hot spots.
• Test your network safety. Work with IT professionals and put appropriate
cybersecurity safeguards in place. Consider running phishing simulations that
give your employees a score based on how accurately they identify potentially
harmful emails.
• Reduce your general liability-related risks. Keep aisles of retail
locations clear and clean. Make sure storage racks are secured properly. Institute
forklift safety programs that address optimal loading and unloading procedures.
Make sure employees wear personal protective safety equipment. If your business
contracts with installers, institute proven risk-transfer controls.
As weather-related risks grow and digital networks become more complicated,
the risk profiles of Softwood businesses will continue to evolve. By taking a
top-down approach to risk management, you can make safety an ongoing part of
everyone’s job, improve your loss profile, and help keep your workers happy and
healthy.
The The author
Michael Culbreth is a loss control consultant with Pennsylvania Lumbermens
Mutual Insurance Group (PLM). PLM is the nation’s oldest and largest mutual
insurance company dedicated to the wood products, lumber and building materials
industry.
Learn more at www.plmins.com. n
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The
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Vol. 39 No. 4 The Softwood Industry’s Only Newspaper...Now Reaching 36,187 firms (20,000 per issue) July/August 2024
WRCLA Celebrates 70 Years As Environmentally
Friendly Building Product
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
DALLAS,TX
PERMIT 3886
Photos By Zach Miller
Dennis Wight and Tyson Palmer, Pacific Western Wood Works Ltd., Delta, BC;
and Marie and Tom Pearsons, Nu-Forest Products (Canada) Inc., Beamsville, ON
This year marked the 70th Anniversary of the Western Red Cedar Lumber
Association, aka WRCLA/Real Cedar, established in 1954. That milestone was
celebrated by the more than 180 attendees, including delegate members and Cedar
School students who recently joined in beautiful Whistler, BC, to celebrate
and participate in the annual WRCLA Cedar Summit.
This year's Cedar Summit agenda included a series of events, such as a golf
tournament, a business session with keynote speakers, the Annual General
Continued on page 34
Aaron Snodgrass and Brad Beers, Boise Cascade Company, Tulsa, OK; and Michael
Naccari, Boise Cascade Company, Houston, TX
Additional photos on page 12
Change Service Requested
The Softwood Forest Products Buyer
P.O. Box 34908
Memphis, TN 38184-0908
Portland Teams Up With NAWLA
Regional Meeting
Photos By Zach Miller
Scan QR code to sign up
for each digital issue
Hamilton Mateski, Allweather Wood LLC, Washougal, WA; and Simrat Singh and
Danny Blair, Humboldt Sawmill Company LLC, Washougal, WA
Additional photos on page 16
Amaterra Winery in Portland, OR, was the site recently for the North American
Wholesale Lumber Association's (NAWLA) Portland Regional Meeting.
The evening included networking with industry peers, as well as an informative
presentation by guest Speaker Jodi Hack. Hack is a third-generation
Oregonian and dynamic leader with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management
from Marylhurst University. Her multifaceted career includes roles as a
CEO, business owner and lobbyist. She served two terms as a state legislator,
concentrating on critical areas such as healthcare, education, transportation, and
small business growth. Currently, Hack holds the position of CEO at the Oregon
Homebuilders Association. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a
Continued on page 34
WWPA Honors 2024 Master Lumberman
Photos By Zach Miller
Jim Vandegrift, Bennett Lumber Products Inc., Princeton, ID; Dan Claridge,
Thompson River Lumber Co., Thompson Falls, MT; and Duane Vaagen, Vaagen
Brothers Lumber Inc., Colville, WA
Additional photos on page 18
Western Wood Products Association (WWPA) concluded its 2024 Annual
Meeting recently at the Hotel Indigo in Vancouver, WA. The three-day event
brought together industry leaders and members for a series of informative sessions,
networking opportunities, and committee meetings.
A highlight of the event was a visit from U.S. Congressman Bruce Westerman,
(4th District, Arkansas), during the WWPA Industry Breakfast. Westerman
spoke about his background in forestry and about the future of the lumber industry.
The audience also received a surprise visit from U.S. Representative Marie
Continued on page 34
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Vol.50 No.6 Serving Forest Products Buyers Worldwide JUNE/JULY 2024
IWPA’s 2024 World Of Wood Convention Another Record-Breaking Year For The Montréal
Hailed As A Success
Wood Convention
281 Registrants from 24 Countries Attend 68th
Photos By Terry Miller
Annual Meeting In San Diego
Photos By Paul Miller Jr.
Angelina Rouget, Malaysian Timber Council, Houston, TX; Lee Robinson, Overseas Yvon Millette, Vexco Inc., Plessisville, QC; Peter Lovett, King City Northway Forwarding
Ltd., Montreal, QC; and Eric Vigneault, Vexco Inc.
Hardwoods Company, Mobile, AL; and Lai Mei Theng, Malaysian Timber Council
Additional photos on page 6
Additional photos on page 8
The International Wood Products Association (IWPA), based in Alexandria, The Montréal Wood Convention (MWC) 2024, the premier event for the wood
VA, declared the 68th World of Wood Convention a success. The annual event industry in North America and the largest of its kind in Canada, drew over 1150
was held recently at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, CA and brought together participants from across the globe with 112 booths showcasing the latest trends,
281 professionals from over 24 countries, showcasing a rich exchange of industry technologies, and products by the biggest companies in the industry. This marked
knowledge, market intelligence, and regulatory expertise.
back-to-back record-breaker years for the MWC.
“This year’s World of Wood was another big success, offering vital networking
opportunities and expert insights into the evolving landscape of the globally series of seminars, discussions, and panel sessions featuring leading industry ex-
The MWC took place at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montréal and featured
sourced wood products industry,” said IWPA Executive Director Ashley Amidon. perts. One of the highlights of the event was the keynote speech by tech titan Michelle
Romanov where she opened up about her own entrepreneurial experiences
“Participants gained invaluable perspectives on regulatory compliance, corporate
leadership, and the latest design trends and technological tools.”
and offered valuable tips applicable to the wood industry and beyond. Benjamin
The convention featured a diverse lineup of speakers and panel discussions, Tal’s perspectives on economy was also very popular among the participants.
providing attendees with forward-thinking strategies and practices:
According to Sven Gustavsson, the Event Director, the Montréal Wood Convention
2024 was a great success on many fronts. “The event was a success because
• "Powered Productivity" and "Tech Tools for Serious Self Care" by Beth
Ziesenis, Founder of YourNerdyBestFriend.com
Continued on page 18
• “New Trends in Design” by Tatiana Machado-Rosas, Senior Interior Designer,
Qualcraft Construction, Inc.
• “U.S. Customs & Border Protection – An Introduction to Wood Products CHB Wraps Up Another Spring Meeting; Sets
Classification” by Laurel Duvall, National Import Specialist with Customs and
Sights On October Gathering
Border Protection
Photos By Terry Miller
• Update sessions on Homeland Security Wood Investigations, Overseas Perspectives
on EUDR, Lacey Act and Formaldehyde Regulations
Six IWPA board members were reappointed for another term including Jim
Continued on page 18
The original innovator in saw lubrication.
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Chad Johnson, Baillie Lumber Co., Hamburg, NY; Chris Castano, Maine Woods Company
LLC, Portage Lake, ME; Greg Patenaude, Retired, Laval, QC; and Scott Rossi, Rossi
Group, Cromwell, CT
Additional photos on page 10
The spring 2024 meeting of the Canadian Hardwood Bureau (CHB) was held
recently in Montreal, QC, at the Double Tree by Hilton Montreal, with almost 100
delegates in attendance. The event provided those in the hardwood industry with
the opportunity to get together, learn and network.
Chairman Shaun Rowe, of Quality Hardwoods, presided over the meeting and
updated members on CHB’s activities and plans for grading courses, hardwood
promotions and meetings/events. The meeting featured a variety of excellent
Continued on page 18
Page 66 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024

NAFF—Continued from page 7
During the summer session students are placed in six-week immersive internships
in the field–at any one of 14 plants throughout the company. Cycling
through work and study experiences that give them an intensive, application-rich
education. Baker adds that, “the problems they address are real; the results they
achieve are real; and upon graduation they are ready to step into a career path that
moves them ahead.”
Interested in the possibilities? Reach out to Ann Baker, Ann.Baker@ufpi.com,
to find out how the program works in detail.
Targeted Educational Partnerships with Industry Bring Career
Targeted Educational Partnerships with Industry Bring Career Opportunities
to Students
Opportunities to Students
While River Parishes Community College (RPCC) in Gonzales, Louisiana
does not specifically serve the wood products industry, it does serve a region with
a similar challenge: stable, high-paying, secure jobs go begging because people
don’t realize the opportunities exist.
RPCC is located in an area of heavy advanced manufacturing with a high presence
of petrochemical, oil, and gas companies. Not only are children unaware
of the possible careers they could one day pursue, but many of the adults around
them–including teachers and counselors–don’t realize the opportunities that surround
them.
Under the leadership of Chancellor Quintin Taylor, RPCC is taking intentional
steps to build for the future. They asked their industry partners some key questions:
• Where are we meeting the mark, where are we falling short?
• Where are our greatest areas of opportunity for growth?
• How do we become the preferred workplace solution for industry
partners?
RPCC’s response has been to adapt the curriculum to align with the talent and
skills development needed now and in the future as the industry changes. This
includes stackable credentials that can be earned in anywhere from two months to
two years and immediately put to use on the job.
Taylor notes the strong influence teachers and counselors have on students and
has positioned RPCC to provide them with the information and experiences that
help them understand regional industries. With that deeper grasp of potential opportunities,
they can in turn share that information with students.
RPCC is intentional in taking other steps to reach younger generations as well.
Working with the feeder system of schools in the region, RPCC is participating in
providing age-appropriate education for children in grades K-3 so that their eyes
are open to the full breadth of careers that could be open to them in the future.
Where can you partner with a community college or educational program in
your region? Don’t wait to be asked, do the asking.
Frank Miller Lumber Understands the Value of Focusing on Succession
and Business Sustainability
Frank Miller Lumber Understands the Value of Focusing on
Succession and Business Sustainability
Steve James, President and CEO of Frank Miller Lumber in Union City, Indiana
believes it’s vital to be actively involved in partnership with local schools - - elementary
as well as high school. He describes several outreach and educational
efforts that are in the works with the school systems in his region.
● Created an immersive, virtual reality experience that allows 8th graders to
tour the plant and explore the kinds of jobs that are available. As part of the East
Central Indiana Service Center, the project reaches students throughout the region.
● Industry partner with the P-Tech program at Winchester High School,
Winchester, Indiana. The program will take in twelve 9th graders each year, in an
internship format designed to develop a range of trade and other skills. James is
working with the students on a marketing project providing other leadership training.
● As an IHLA task force member, promoting opportunities for internships
and apprenticeships for students. Recent clarification on rules means that while
students younger than 18 cannot operate dangerous machinery, they can be in the
plants and participate in internships.
● The Frank Miller Lumber plant hosts an annual open house for the public to
raise awareness and has the ability to provide wide-aisle tours for small groups of
elementary school children.
● All jobs in the facility are videoed so that when they are posted, interested
applicants can easily see and understand what would be involved.
While this is an abbreviated list of all the actions these organizations are taking
to develop talent and close the skills gap, it does illustrate the kinds of steps that
are possible. The industry offers many ways to build a solid career without necessarily
following a path that includes college.
What unites these stories and others like them is the dedication to the industry
and a willingness to reach out and share by taking action and finding ways to
reach young people.
Here’s Your Challenge
Here’s Your Challenge
Who will you connect with? How can you make the industry–and an understanding
of your business–more accessible to those in your community or region?
Over and over, we hear that while it’s good to involve high schoolers, the age
we need to reach is far younger. Why not be the one to visit a kindergarten or early
elementary classroom and just talk about what your company does in an age-appropriate
way?
Or dip your toe in the water and start by sponsoring Truth About Trees kits for
classroom teachers, and even visit a classroom to share what you know and learn
what the kids want to know–the questions on their minds.
See where you and your company fit in, then consider what you can do to help
cultivate a healthier future for the wood products industry. n
OWITS—Continued from page 11
Todd Miller, Highbar Trading Co., Memphis, TN; Joe Croell, Wonder View Ranch
LLC, Sundance, WY; and Matt Lesko, Landing Strip Calls, Salem, OH
Innocents, as well as veterans John Dunbar, John Costello, who served as Master
of Ceremonies, Sidney L. Keller, April Hanley-Grady, Tray Lange, Brian Grady,
Ted Emmons, Tim Hower and Richard Watson.
Want to know more? Visit www.oldwestturkeyshoot.org. n
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Page 68 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 69

In Memoriam
Jenness L. Robbins, at the age of 85, passed away
peacefully on May 3, 2024, in Searsmont, ME. He was
surrounded by his loving family.
Jenness was a recognized leader in the lumber
industry. He felt himself fortunate to live in Searsmont
his entire life. He and his brother, Jim Robbins, owned
and operated Robbins Lumber Company in Searsmont;
and Jenness served as President of the Company for 27
years prior to selling the business to his brother Jim in
2003. Up until his death, he continued serving as a consultant
to the business and made a valuable contribution
Jenness Lee Robbins
to the “Mill” and the lumber industry he loved.
Jenness counted himself fortunate to be a lifelong resident of Searsmont.
He loved Maine; and, in addition to his business responsibilities, he dedicated
himself to a wide variety of community services in both Searsmont and neighboring
towns. He served as a member of the MSAD #34 School Board, the Board
of Directors of Farm Credit, Inc, and as the President of the Board of Directors
of Waldo County Healthcare, Inc. His other community work included serving
as the Clerk of the Works for the building of the Searsmont Community Center,
the Maine Forest Products Council Office Building in Augusta and the new Fire
House in Searsmont. Additionally, he volunteered for 10 years with Habitat for
Humanity and coordinated the building of 4 houses in Waldo County. He is a
former member of the Searsmont Planning Board and served as President of the
Belfast Curling Club and also a tenure as President of the Northeastern Loggers
Association. In 2004, he was honored to receive the Albert Nutting Award
for Outstanding Leadership in the Forest Products Industries, and in 2019, the
Retail Lumber Dealers Association of Maine presented him with the Lifetime
Achievement Award. Additionally, Jenness was also honored by the Boy Scouts of
America receiving both their prestigious Silver Beaver Award and Golden Eagle
Award. In addition to his public community service, Jenness felt strongly about
quietly helping those in need with individual acts of generosity. He was adamant
in his life about giving back to his community. His acts of service and generosity
leave behind many powerful legacies.
Jenness was a natural leader, overflowing with charisma. He developed deep
and long-lasting friendships which inspired friends from inside and outside of
Maine to visit him for decades. Rarely, did he go anywhere without being stopped
by someone who knew him and wanted to talk to him. His sense of humor and
practical joke skills were legendary and he truly enjoyed laughing at himself. Jenness
was an avid outdoorsman who loved to fly fish, hunt, walk in the woods and
drive his antique cars. He was also very proud of being a careful steward of the
land.
Most of all, Jenness loved his family. He is survived by his wife, Carol Barr
Robbins and daughter, Amy Robbins-Wilson and husband, Timothy Wilson and
son, Clayton Wilson; daughter Lorie Kulbe and husband, Christopher Kulbe and
children: Jenness (Jesse), Jordan and Drew Kulbe; daughter Susan Robbins and
children: Chloe Libby and Alden and Ben Robbins; stepson Jon Barr and wife,
Annette Schumacher-Barr and children: Catherine Mary and Anne Barr; stepson
Thomas Barr and wife, Maria Renz and children: Jackson and Brennan Barr; and
stepdaughter Jennifer Kulis and husband, Robert Kulis and children: Christopher,
Harrison and Hudson Kulis. Jenness is also survived by his brother James Robbins
and wife, Ann Robbins and his sister Roberta Walker and husband, Gary
Walker. He leaves behind many beloved nieces, nephews and other close family
and friends. He was pre-deceased by his parents: Lawrence & Louise (Sprowl)
Robbins.
Donations may be made in his memory to the Jenness and Carol Robbins Fund
at the University of Maine Foundation. The fund was established to support the
health and safety of the elderly and those in need in the Town of Searsmont.
Jenness’ family held a Living Celebration of Life for him on October 7th, 2023
at Robbins Lumber Mill. More than 400 friends and family celebrated Jenness’
life with a long log-truck parade, multiple stories and incredible love. Jenness and
his family were deeply moved by the celebration and the outpouring of support by
all attendees.
A private burial will be held for him at a later date. •
Softwood Marketing directory
online will give you access to over 4,600 industrial buyers and wholesale distributors combined!
These are high grade & low grade
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specifications including wholesale
distributors that buy 100,000
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LEASE ONLINE NOW
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Cedar ..............................540
Cypress ..........................138
Fir ...................................818
Hemlock..........................147
Juniper ................................1
Larch.................................35
Mixed Softwoods ............125
Pine ................................495
Ponderosa Pine ..............202
Radiata Pine .....................21
Redwood ..........................67
Softwoods .........................83
SPF.................................805
Spruce ............................539
White Pine ......................438
Yellow Pine .....................1884
Oriented Strandboard .....453
Particleboard ..................315
Plywood ..........................930
The Softwood Marketing Directory has 71 years of research helping firms discover new
buying opportunities and contains all North American species and also Imported Woods.
GREEN BOOK, INC.
P.O. Box 34908 Memphis, TN 38184
Phone: (901) 372-8280 FAX: (901) 373-6180
www.millerwoodtradepub.com E-mail: greenbook@millerwoodtradepub.com
Page 70 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024

Softwood Forest Products’ Stock Exchange
Softwood Forest Products’ Stock Exchange
WORLD-CLASS EASTERN WHITE PINE
IDAHO TIMBER – Lake City, Florida
SPF Dimension, 2x2 Banding Groove
2x4 - 2x12 up to 24’, all Grades
All Standard Stud Trims, Util/Stud/#2
Custom PET Stud Trims 92-5/8” to 10’
7x9-8’ #1 & #2 Used Creosote RR Ties
1x2-8’ Utility Furring Strips
Contact: Rusty, Glen, Kirk or Doug
(800) 523-4768 (386) 755-5555
Sagebrush Sales - Albuquerque, NM
SPF, HF & PP 2x4 - 2x12, All Grades
SPF, HF PET Studs - all Trims
2x2 8’-16’ Furring Strips
4/4 Boards, 4/4 & 8/4 Pattern Stock
Plywood, Hardboard, Fiber Cement Siding
IDAHO TIMBER – Fort Worth, Texas
SPF 2x4 - 2x12 8’-20’ #2/#3/Util/Econ
H-F 2x4 - 2x12 8’-20’ #2/#3/Util/Econ
2x4 & 2x6 Stud Trims, Stud/#2
Custom PET Stud Trims up to 140-5/8”
2x2 8’-16’ Furring Strips
Contact: Dave, Noland, or Garrett
(800) 542-2781 (817) 293-1001
IDAHO TIMBER
Meridian, Idaho
Corporate Sales Office
(800) 654-8110 (208) 377-3000
Check us out
online
Hancock Lumber operates four state-of-the-art
sawmills in Maine and New Hampshire and specializes
in producing to your specific needs.
Manufacturing 4/4, S4S, S1S2E, Rough and Pattern in 2–12"
MANUFACTURING NeLMA GRADES INCLUDING:
• C Select • DBTR Select • Premium • Industrial
• D Select • D Select/Finish • Standard • Shop
FROM FOREST TO
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TRUCK IN 14 DAYS OF OUR PINE IS
DELIVERED WITHIN A
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OUR SAWMILLS
Contact our sales team today:
Matt Duprey: 207-627-6113
Ron Dusavitch: 603-651-7055
www.HancockLumber.com/Sawmills
Manufacturers of Eastern White Pine.
2024_HL_Softwood Buyer_Stock Listings_Ad.indd 1
1x12 BAND TEX
1x8 STD Pattern Stock
4/4 and 5/4 EWP C SEL
6/4x8 Log Cabin Siding
1/2x6 1/2x8 Prem Bevel Siding
1/30/24 9:13 AM
APA Western Softwood Plywood
Manufactured for structural use and
can be produced to meet customer
specifications for specific applications.
Sheathing: CDX, CDX Structural 1,
CCX, CC Plugged & Touch Sanded
Underlayment: C X-band, Tongue &
Groove
All panels available in a variety of sizes:
Lengths: 8’ through 10’
Widths: 4’ through 5’
Thicknesses: ¼” through 1½”
Full sanded softwood plywood available
in grades: AC, BC, and Marine
QUALITY PEOPLE CREATING
QUALITY WOOD PRODUCTS
AMERICAN CYPRESS
Dimension Lumber
4/4 through 8/4
Green & Kiln Dried | Up to 16’
S2S & Pattern Work Available
Timbers
3x3 through 16x16
Green | Up to 26’
Surfacing Available
POPLAR
4/4 Dimension Lumber
FAS, 1C, 2AB, Stained – Stock Width & Random
Green & Kiln Dried | Up to 16’
S2S & Pattern Work Available
ATLANTIC WHITE CEDAR
Dimension Lumber
4/4 through 8/4
Green & Kiln Dried | Up to 16’
S2S & Pattern Work Available
Fire-Retardant Lumber and Plywood
Glulam Beams, Engineered Joists, LVL
OSB - all thicknesses, Used RR Ties
Contact: Bret, Victor, or Eddie
(800) 444-7990 (505) 877-7331
millerwoodtradepub.com
DiPrizio Pine Sales
Route 153 & King’s Hwy.
Middleton, N.H. 03887
603-473-2210 603-473-2314
Douglas-fir Siding available: 11/32” -
19/32” thickness. 8’, 9’, and 10’ lengths.
Contact: Kevin Smith
800-547-9520
timberproducts.com
Timbers
3x3 through 6x6
Green | Up to 16’
Surfacing Available
WWW.GATESMILLING.COM
(252) 357-0116
Miller
These are high grade & low grade
National Hardwood Magazine buyers listed with their buying
www.nationalhardwoodmag.com specifications including wholesale
distributors that buy 100,000
Hardwood Purchasing Handbook
www.hardwoodpurchasinghdbk.com board feet or more throughout
North America!
publications and online Cedar..............................540
directories
Cypress...........................138
Fir....................................818
Imported Wood Hemlock..........................147
Purchasing Guide
Juniper................................1
www.importedwoodpurchasing.com
Larch.................................35
Mixed Softwoods.............125
Import/Export Pine.................................495
Wood Purchasing News
www.woodpurchasingnews.com
Ponderosa Pine..............202
Radiata Pine.....................21
Greenbook’s Hardwood Marketing Directory
The Softwood Redwood...........................67
Forest Products Buyer
www.millerwoodtradepub.com
www.softwoodbuyer.com
Softwoods.........................83
SPF.................................805
Spruce.............................539
Greenbook’s Softwood Marketing Directory (on-line only) The Softwood Forest Products Buyer
White Pine.......................438
www.millerwoodtradepub.com
Special NAWLA Yellow Edition Pine......................1884
www.softwoodbuyer.com
Oriented Strandboard.....453
Forest Products Export Directory
Particleboard...................315
www.forestproductsexport.com
Forest Products Plywood..........................930
Stock Exchange (on-line only)
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LEASE ONLINE NOW
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Miller Wood Trade Publications proudly serves the
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Located in
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300 MMBF CAPACITY
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www.millerwoodtradepub.com
PLEASE VISIT US ONLINE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PUBLICATIONS
For more information contact our LaSalle Bienville Sales Team
(318) 242-4007 sales@lasallelumber.com
Page 72 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 73

Softwood Forest Products’ Stock Exchange
Softwood Forest Products’ Stock Exchange
Deeply rooted.
Growing together.
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lumber in a variety of lengths and
grades, these two new sawmills are
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Contact our sales team today!
sales@lasallelumber.com (318) 242-4007
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since 1927
Connecting North American Forest Products
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Visit our site at: millerwoodtradepub.com
Think quality, think Delta
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DELTA SUPERIOR KILN DRIED S1S2E
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DELTA SELECT GREEN S1S2E
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www.deltacedar.com
Sales at 604-589-9006
Delivering Quality Timbers to
Our Dealers Nationwide
Home for all your timber needs
Douglas Fir - Sizes to 20”x20” - Lengths to 40’
Kiln Dried Douglas Fir - Sizes to 12”x12” -
Lengths to 24’
Cedar - Sizes to 16”x16” - Lengths to 32’
Mixed Hardwoods - Sizes to 12”x12” - Lengths to 20’
Larger sizes available on special order
Products and Services include:
• Corbels, Brackets, Rafter Tails
• Exclusive and Hand Hewn Surfacing
• Custom Siding Patterns
• Surfacing (all sides up to 20”x20”)
• Material Run to Pattern
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• Trailer Flooring
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• Precision End Trimming
• Reman Customer Material to Spec
We offer a full line of Reman Services –
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214-358-2314
RichardsonTimbers.com
REDWOOD
Uppers available in 1-inch, 2-inch and 4-inch
dimensions in lengths from 6-20 feet
Timbers available in 6-inch and larger dimensions,
up to 12”x24”, and lengths up to 24 feet
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Joists and planks available in 4-inch
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To order, please call (707) 764-4450
GetRedwood.com
Softwood Forest Products’
Stock Listing Service
Available Exclusively to
SIX TIME ADVERTISERS
in
The Softwood Forest
Products Buyer
A PRIMARY PRODUCER OF PREMIUM
PRODUCTS FROM LOG TO LUMBER
Partap Forest Products now
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR FULL
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E: sales@partap.ca
PARTAP.CA
Page 74 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 75

INDUSTRY NEWS
Delta Forestry Group Makes New Installation
Pictured is Delta Forestry Group’s Halo Sawmill’s new Raptor trim line
and sorter.
Delta Forestry Group’s Halo Sawmill, located in Pitt Meadows, BC,
recently installed a Raptor automated trim line and 80 bin sorter with an
automated stacker. The trim line is modified to allow up to 6 inch thick
pieces as well as shorts and timbers.
This installation will enable the Delta Forestry Group to increase their
production and add value with improved trimming decisions. This capital
investment will also help to improve productivity and ensure long term
employment for the company’s 100 valued employees, according to a
company spokesperson.
Delta Forestry Group is a vertically integrated company offering premium
timber products. With four divisions: Delta Cedar Specialties, Delta
Cedar Sawmill, Halo Sawmill and Delta Timber, Delta Forestry Group
works across the entire timber lifecycle. Delta Cedar has been processing
Cedar, Hemlock and Fir logs into rough cut specialty lumber and grades
for over 60 years.
For more information, visit www.deltaforestrygroup.com.
Nicholson & Cates Welcomes Brian
Hornbostel
Brian Hornbostel has joined the team at Nicholson
& Cates Ltd. as Pine Sales Manager within
the Lumber and Building Materials Division.
Hornbostel brings 24 years of Canadian National
Pine Distribution experience to Nicholson &
Cates (N&C), immediately establishing a presence
and credibility in a new line of lumber
products to the growing portfolio of N&C.
Hornbostel began in retail lumber while in high
Brian Hornbostel
school in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. Hornbostel
transferred to a Toronto store while attending
college. That store offered Hornbostel a management position that drew
Hornbostel away from college. That was the beginning of his lumber and
building products career. Eventually, Hornbostel was hired by a supplier/
distributor where he honed his sales skills on a much larger scale. Within
10 years, those skills were parlayed into success as National Pine Product
Manager within a significant corporate entity.
Along the way, Hornbostel returned to his roots in Southwestern Ontario.
Hornbostel and his wife, Shelly, live in Port Stanley, on the north shore
of Lake Erie. They have two grown children, ages 36 and 21. As if work
and family aren’t enough, Hornbostel is an avid hockey player, dart player,
bowler, golfer and fisherman. Additionally, Hornbostel gives back to his
community by coaching and supporting the sport of Ringette. He coached
his daughter for her 10 year career, and is further involved in convening
both on local and regional Ringette boards.
Morgan Wellens, co-owner of Nicholson & Cates, has shown his enthusiasm
for Hornbostel’s arrival at N&C by referring to Hornbostel as the
“Professor of Pine”. Expectations are high for Hornbostel as he ushers in
Pine to both new and established retail and industrial clientele. Nicholson
& Cates is excited to have Pine in the lineup, including rough and dressed
in all grades and sizes, as well as value-added and remanufactured. Orders
will be shipping via N&C distribution and direct sales.
For more information, visit www.niccates.com.
Culpeper Wood Preservers Acquires
Pleasant Garden Dry Kiln Company
Culpeper Wood Preservers, a leading producer
of pressure-treated wood, recently announced
that they have acquired Pleasant Garden Dry Kiln
Company in Pleasant Garden, NC.
With this acquisition, Culpeper Wood Preservers
adds additional drying capacity for Softwoods
and hardwoods. This further enhances the capabilities
and distribution coverage area for its
Jonathan Jenkins pressure-treated wood into markets that stretch
from the Southeast to the Northeast and through
the Midwest. Culpeper Wood Preservers now has
18 facilities within its footprint.
"We are excited about the acquisition and adding additional drying
capacity to our company. This will allow our company to further broaden
the capabilities of certain products. Culpeper Wood Preserver’s continued
growth highlights our commitment to excellence for our customers, suppliers
and employees," said Jonathan Jenkins, president of Culpeper Wood
Preservers.
“My father started this company in 1966. For the 32 years he led this
company, his vision was to ensure our employees and customers were
always at the forefront of everything we do. And I’ve continued the same
for the past 26 years. With this acquisition by Culpeper Wood Preservers,
I am excited for the continued success of this facility,” said Jerry Millikan,
owner of Pleasant Garden Dry Kiln Company.
In 1976, Culpeper Wood Preservers started from a single location in
Culpeper, VA. Today, the company is a leading manufacturer of pressure
treated products to the residential, commercial, industrial and marine
markets. Culpeper Wood brand name products are sold exclusively through
lumber dealers throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Midwest and
Southeast.
For more information, visit www.culpeperwood.com.
Brad Thorlakson
Pino Pucci
Tolko Announces Leadership
Transition
After 14 years as president and chief executive
officer (CEO) of Tolko, and over 40 years with
the company founded by his grandfather Harold,
Brad Thorlakson has transitioned to the role of
executive chair of the board. Further to Thorlakson’s
transition, Pino Pucci has assumed the role
of president and CEO.
Pucci joined Tolko in 2015 as vice president,
sales, marketing and logistics, leading the implementation
and growth of the company’s customercentric
distribution network across North America.
With 35 years of industry experience, his innovative
approach to leadership continues to inspire
and challenge his teams to be their best and
deliver results.
“Pino’s unwavering commitment to safety, people
and values have him well positioned to lead
Tolko into the future,” said Thorlakson. “Tolko
will remain a private, family-owned business and
the family remains committed to the long-term
success of the company.”
Pucci was appointed chief operating officer in
September 2023. In that period, he prioritized
listening and engaging with operational employees
Continued on page 78
Free &
Clear
BUILD THE
WORLD WITH
DURABLE
WOOD
Timber Products’ KodiakPly Shasta
Series siding is the same KodiakPly panel
you know and trust, but with a patchfree,
Okoume face. The answer to your
exterior needs, KodiakPly Shasta Series
is made with a Douglas fir core and holds
a timeless look with durable properties to
meet the demands of the environment.
Contact us today to learn more!
KopCoat Protection Products offers specialty chemical programs and application
products designed to safeguard against biological and weathering damage. Through our
commitment to innovation, we’ve developed cutting-edge technologies that address
the common challenges associated with wood: weathering, rot, and decay.
3040 William Pitt Way | Pittsburgh, PA 15238 | 1.412.227.2426 | kop-coat.com
1-800-547-9520 | timberproducts.com
KodiakPly Shasta Series Siding Panels
Sizes: 4' x 8', 4' x 9', 4' x 10'
Thickness: 11/32", 15/32", 19/32"
Groove patterns: Plain, 4", 8", RBB 12"
Patch-free face
Cedar-like appearance
Page KC-24011 76 SW Buyer Jan 2024 Ad_6.4x9.35-hor.indd 1
Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 12/7/23 8:48 2024 AM
Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 77

INDUSTRY NEWS
Continued from page 77
Two Coat Exterior Prime
Our two-coat process starts with a sealer to block
tannin migration, followed by a high performance
acrylic primer.
The result: RESERVE quality, inside and out.
Superior Wood
Made of quality, clear, finger-jointed Cedar or
Redwood, these products are naturally designed
for exterior use both species are ideal for enduring
extreme weather.
Surfacing + Sizes
+ Lengths
RESERVE products
come in a
wide range of
sizes, lengths and
finishes. Whether
the project
calls for S1S2E
or S4S, we offer
lengths ranging
from 16’ to
20’. Pattern
stock is also
available.
1x4 1x12
5/4x4 5/4x12
2x4 2x12
The Finest Stock, The Best Coating
Our Siskiyou Forest Products
RESERVE line is specially manufactured
and treated to create the highest quality
product available. Using state-of-the-art
application and curing equipment, our
premium Cedar and Redwood stock is made
to last for many generations. We are proud to
offer a beautiful, durable product that is ready
for installation and final painting the moment it
reaches the craftsmen.
across the business, introducing Tolko’s new five-year strategy and
becoming more familiar with Tolko’s production workforce, teams and
assets.
“I’m honored to build upon the generational legacy of the Thorlakson
family,” said Pucci. “For over 65 years we’ve maintained a strong customer
and people focus. This, coupled with Tolko’s values, have been the
foundation of our success and are what will lead us moving forward.”
Established over 65 years ago, Tolko Industries Ltd. has grown to
become an industry leader in specialty, value-added, industrial and
engineered wood products. Headquartered in Vernon, BC, Tolko is a
multigenerational, family company built on foundational values of safety,
respect, integrity, progressiveness, open communication and profit.
With manufacturing facilities in Western Canada and the Southern U.S.,
Tolko delivers incomparable customer value through its growing suite
of sustainable wood products, integrated distribution network and valueengineering
solutions.
For more information, visit www.tolko.com.
Patrick Lumber Co. Recently Hosted NAWLA and PWLA
NAWLA 2024 Spring Wood Basics hosted by Patrick Lumber.
Patrick Lumber Co. hosted the North American Wholesale Lumber Association
(NAWLA) Spring Wood Basics students at their headquarters in
Philomath, OR. This event included a comprehensive facility tour and an
in-depth class on grade rules, providing participants with hands-on learning
experiences in the heart of the lumber industry. Lumber for the grading
class was generously provided by Wren Hill Lumber in Philomath,
OR, and the class was expertly taught by Skeet Rominger of the Pacific
Lumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB). The Patrick Lumber headquarters
served as an ideal location for this immersive learning experience. The
NAWLA Wood Basics course is designed to equip employees with the
training and confidence they need to excel in the forest products industry.
Additionally, Patrick Lumber Co. hosted the Portland Wholesale Lumber
Association (PWLA) as part of their "Logs to Lumber" event. This
initiative aims to foster new relationships and expand industry knowledge
through tours of various industry partners. Participants toured an active
logging site with Starker Forest Products and the Wood Science and Engineering
labs at Oregon State University's College of Forestry. The lunch,
held at Patrick Lumber's headquarters, provided a perfect interlude for
networking and knowledge sharing.
Patrick Lumber manufactures and trades wood products to diverse markets
worldwide. Learn more at www.patlbr.com or call 503-222-9671.
USNR Improves Kiln Efficiency At Toney Lumber
USNR, located in Woodland, WA, recently implemented several upgrades
to the batch kiln at Toney Lumber in Louisburg, NC, that purchases
100 percent Southern Yellow Pine. This project included reskinning
the kiln, replacing the doors and upgrading to more efficient materials.
The all-aluminum door panels and skins with wrap-around style corners
minimize leaks, improving drying times and providing better structural
integrity to produce top-quality lumber products.
According to a company representative, USNR is proud to work with
Toney Lumber in Louisburg on these essential maintenance and upgrade
projects.
Visit www.usnr.com to learn more.
TUFF-STIK Releases "XS Series"
Of Aluminum Kiln Sticks
TUFF-STIK, located in Lake Ozark, MO,
announced the launch of its new, multi-patented
"XS Series" a 3/4" x 3/4" aluminum alloy
dry kiln stick.
This newly multi-patented kiln stick truly
features a 4-Way “Universal” placement under
the layers of lumber. Having a design that
maximizes a smaller footprint while at the
Charlie Thomas III same time, an increased airflow and faster heat
transfer through the lumber package, offering
benefits to both the Softwood and hardwood
industries. According to a company representative, several leading mills
are already developing plans to upgrade their existing kiln stick systems
with the new XS Series.
The new TUFF-STIK XS Series is designed to withstand the harsh
conditions of lumber drying processes while maintaining their structural
integrity and shape. This durability translates into direct cost savings for
mills through reduced stick replacements and downtime, said a company
representative.
Shuqualak Lumber placed the very first truckload order of XS Tuff-
Stik in May of 2024 and began integrating the XS Series into their
operations.
"The XS Series kiln sticks align perfectly with our mission to lead
the industry not just in volume, but in innovation and efficiency," said
Charlie Thomas III, Vice-President of Shuqualak Lumber. "TUFF-
STIK's new aluminum sticks present a game-changer for us, enhancing
our drying processes and improving the overall quality of our lumber."
The XS Series sticks unique design ensures optimal airflow and
maximum heat distribution during the drying process, which is critical
for maintaining the wood's quality and reducing defects. The aluminum
material does not absorb moisture, which helps prevent the growth of
mold and bacteria that can compromise wood grade quality.
For more information about the XS Series and other TUFF-STIK
products, please visit them at www.tuff-stik.com.
read every issue online
www.softwoodbuyer.com
Continued on page 80
YOUR CHIP SUPPLY
BRUNETTE HORIZONTAL
DRUM CHIPPERS
• High inertia rotor
• Primary & secondary anvils
• Oversized infeed - 39¼"wide
• Powered feedworks
• Optional bottom screen
KEY FEATURES
• Heavy duty uni-body frame
• Full-width chipping
• Rear access door for safe,
easy maintenance
• Quick-change knife system
BRUNETTE HORIZONTAL DRUM CHIPPERS
AVAILABLE IN TWO CONFIGURATIONS
4840 HB4V Veneer
Designed to produce quality chips
from veneer and roundup
4840 HB4T Horizontal
Built to produce a superior chip
from trim blocks and reject boards
1.800.686.6679
www.brunettemc.com
sales@brunettemc.com
PERFORMANCE • RELIABILITY • RECOVERY
Page 78 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 79
4840 HB4V Veneer

INDUSTRY NEWS
Continued from page 79
Having freightmares
about forest products?
TALK WITH A
SPECIALIST
SHIPPING LUMBER
MADE EASY
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SFPA Receives $1.24M in RAPP
Funding for International SYP
Promotion
The Southern Forest Products Association
(SFPA), located in Metairie, LA, has received
approval for $1.24 million in funding over five
years from the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service’s
(FAS) Regional Agricultural Promotion
Program (RAPP).
The USDA recently announced the funding
for the $1.2 billion program launched in 2023 to
Eric Gee
support market development activities to expand
exports, address trade barriers, and showcase
American agricultural products in new and diverse markets.
“The RAPP program allows SFPA to complement established promotional
efforts that educate trade and consumers about the benefits of
Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) lumber in two important markets: Egypt
and the Caribbean,” said SFPA Executive Director Eric Gee. “RAPP’s
five-year award will expand efforts to lay a firm foundation of knowledge
about SYP in Egypt and provide a long-term strategy of consistency and
presence in the Caribbean region, where sustainably grown SYP from the
United States is desired for its strength and quality.”
The RAPP program aims to diversify and expand market opportunities
for U.S. food and agricultural products beyond the traditional top
customers – Canada, Mexico, the European Union and China (including
Hong Kong and Macau) – which collectively comprise nearly 60 percent
of U.S. agricultural export sales, according to FAS. Instead, RAPP will
focus on enhancing U.S. exports to new markets in parts of the world –
including South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and
Africa – where the middle class is growing.
SFPA has facilitated international trade of Southern Pine lumber for
more than 35 years, receiving federal funding to assist in foreign market
development. The RAPP funds will bolster SFPA’s international program,
which offers companies a variety of ways to get engaged and take advantage
of the promotion opportunities.
SFPA is a nonprofit trade association that has represented manufacturers
of Southern Pine lumber since 1915. Today, SFPA is the leading
source of information about Southern Pine lumber products for designbuild
professionals and consumers.
For more information, visit www.sfpa.org.
Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Wood Products
And Forests
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small announced that
the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is investing nearly $74
million to spark innovation, create new markets for wood products and
renewable wood energy from sustainably sourced wood, and increase the
capacity of wood processing facilities as part of President Biden’s Investing
in America agenda.
Made possible in part by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure
Law and the Inflation Reduction Act – the largest climate investment in
history — these investments fund 171 project proposals across 41 States
and American Samoa and directly support forest health and the wood
products economy.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting innovation
in the wood products and wood energy economies, which are at
the heart of so many small towns, especially in Tribal and rural communities,”
said Deputy Secretary Torres Small. “These investments will
support good paying jobs for families and communities. It will increase
the economy’s capacity to manufacture wood products. In turn, sustainably
sourcing the wood used to manufacture these products will make our
forests healthier and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires.”
Sustainably sourcing materials for wood products directly supports
efforts to improve forest health. Removing dead trees and overgrown vegetation
reduces wildfire risk, improves forest health and creates wildlife
habitat, all while supporting the forest products economy.
The Forest Service is awarding grants to entities across the public,
private and non-profit sectors through its Wood Innovations Grant, Community
Wood Grant and Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Grant
Programs. Grant funding will support proposals that increase demand
and create new and innovative uses for sustainably sourced wood.
Funded proposals include converting heating systems in schools to sustainable
biomass boilers, installing cutting-edge equipment in sawmills
and processing facilities to increase efficiency, supporting innovative
housing using mass timber and more.
The Forest Service will also be providing more than $7 million to 10
project proposals from Tribes that will directly support Tribally owned
businesses and project proposals from Tribal governments.
For more information, visit www.usda.gov.
Umpqua Valley Lumber Association, Banquet and Golf Tournament,
Seven Feathers Casino, Canyonville, OR. www.uvla.net. July 30-Aug. 1.
Page 80 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 81
August
International Woodworking Fair, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta,
GA. www.iwfatlanta.com. Aug. 6-9.
CALENDAR
July
September
21st Annual Global Buyers Mission, Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler,
BC. www.globalbuyersmission.com. Sept. 5-7.
NeLMA, 91st Annual Meeting, Samoset Resort on the Ocean, Rockport,
ME. www.nelma.org. Sept. 17-19.
2024 APA Structural Panel &
Engineered Wood Yearbook
Now Available
Increases in housing starts should
boost engineered wood demand, analysis
says.
After dropping from near-record
highs in 2021 and 2022, inflation has
plateaued at around 3 percent in North
America and Europe. What that means
for the global economy in general and
the engineered wood products industry
in particular, is revealed in the 2024
Structural Panel & Engineered Wood
Yearbook. The Yearbook focuses on factors impacting the demand for
engineered wood products.
Economic growth exceeded analysts’ expectations in 2023, thanks
to strong consumer spending and incentives for business investment in
manufacturing facilities. This was especially true with plants for producing
chips, semiconductors and electronics and government spending
on defense and infrastructure. Homebuilders used mortgage buydowns
to counteract rising mortgage rates, which supported greater new home
sales than expected a year ago. With low unemployment, strong investment
in artificial intelligence and continued incentives to drive sales
by homebuilders, the economy and single-family housing starts are
expected to grow in 2024. An upward revision to the outlook for U.S.
single-family starts provides a slight lift for structural panel and engineered
wood product demand in 2024.
The entire 2024 market forecast, including all market segments and
production outlook, as well as statistical data, is included in APA’s 2024
Structural Panel & Engineered Wood Yearbook, form MKO-E189.
Founded in 1933 and based in Tacoma, WA, APA represents about
175 plywood, oriented strand board, glulam timber, wood I-joist, rim
board, cross-laminated timber and structural composite lumber mills
throughout North America. Its primary functions are quality auditing
and testing, applied research and market support and development.
For more information visit www.apawood.org.
LMC Expo, Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, PA. www.lmc.
net. Oct. 23-25.
October
Blane
Contact
Mars Hill, Inc.
at (866) 629-9089 for obtaining the
best looking White Poplar
you’ve ever seen.
We like to say “It’s so white, it’ll blind you!”
We offer White Poplar in 4/4 through 8/4 thicknesses
in Sap 1F & Btr, 1 Com and/or FAS/1F grades in truck
load or container load quantities only.
ATT: PALLET - STAKE - INDUSTRIAL MFRS!
Hardwood Lumber Rough Green
4/4xRWxRL • 4/4x6/RL • 8/4xRWxRL • 6/4xRWxRL
SYP Heat Treated
1x4x40 • 1x6x40 • 2x4x40 • 2x6x40
2x4x48 • 1x2x12” - 36” SYP KD Stakes
Other sizes from can to cant! All inquiries welcome!
Dense HDWD Stakes, Chisel Point
1 1/8x1 1/8
Truckload lots available, quoted F.O.B. your yard.
(866) 629-9089
Fax: 601-671-0736
e-mail: mwood@marshillinc.com
www.marshillinc.com
We accept major credit cards

OUR CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING WORKS
800-844-1280
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Connecting North American
Forest Products Globally
LIKE AND FOLLOW US
ON:
AGL Group, The..................................... 80
AHC Hardwood Group........................... 65
Air Systems Mfg. of Lenoir, Inc.............. 80
Alta Forest Products.............................. 24
American Wood Technology LLC........... 64
Arxada........................................................
Automation & Electronics USA LLC....... 25
BC Wood Spec./Global Buyers Miss...... 36
Baillie..................................................... 57
Biolube................................................... 66
Blue Book Services....................................
Boise Cascade BMD LLC........................ 7
Boise Cascade EWP LLC..........................
Bowers Forest Prod............................... 69
BPWood Ltd........................................... 10
Bright Wood...............................................
Brunette Machinery................................ 79
Cersosimo Lumber Co. Inc.................... 47
Collins.................................................... 46
Continental Underwriters, Inc................. 68
Culpeper Wood Preservers...................... 9
DMSi...................................................... 35
Delta Cedar................................................
Diorio Forest Products, Inc........................
DiPrizio Pine Sales................................ 11
Disdero Lumber Co................................ 42
Durgin & Crowell Lumber Co................. 34
Elk Creek Forest Products..................... 59
Empire Lumber Co................................. 84
Gates Milling.......................................... 45
Hancock Lumber Co.............................. 17
Horizon Coatings Inc/Ready Pine.......... 70
Humboldt Sawmill............................... 83
Hurst Boiler & Welding Co., Inc.............. 62
Huscroft, J.H., Ltd.................................. 61
Idaho Forest Group................................ 15
Idaho Timber.......................................... 28
Jazz Forest Products.................................
KDS Windsor......................................... 39
Keller Lumber Co................................... 81
Kop-Coat Protection Prod...................... 76
LaSalle/Bienville Lumber Co. LLC......... 73
Legna Software...................................... 56
Mars Hill, Inc.......................................... 81
Messersmith Manufacturing................... 29
MiCROTEC............................................ 48
Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Assoc.
(MLMA)......................................................
Neiman Enterprises............................... 38
Nicholson & Cates Ltd............................. 3
Nicholson Manufacturing....................... 74
Nordic Structures................................... 21
N. Amer. Forest Foundation (NAFF)..........
N. Amer. Whls. Lbr. Assoc. (NAWLA).........
N. Eastern Lbr. Mfg. Assoc. (NELMA)........
Nyle Dry Kilns........................................ 23
Pacific Western Wood Works Ltd........... 32
Partap Forest Prod. Ltd.......................... 75
Patrick Lumber Company...................... 40
Paw Taw John Services, Inc......................
Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance
Co. (PLM)........................................ 5
Prime Forest Products........................... 51
Quebec Wood Export Bureau/Montreal
Wood Convention.......................................
Richardson Timbers............................... 53
Robbins Lumber Inc............................... 27
RoyOMartin................................................
SII Dry Kilns........................................... 19
San Group.............................................. 52
Sandy Neck Traders..................................
Shaver Reload...........................................
Shelton Lam & Deck.............................. 42
Silvaris................................................... 58
Siskiyou Forest Products....................... 78
Skana Forest Products.......................... 54
Softwood Lumber Board (SLB)..................
Southern Forest Prod. Assoc. (SFPA).... 60
Smith, Gilbert Forest Prod..................... 63
Stiles, A.W., Contractors Inc.................. 44
TS Manufacturing................................... 13
Thompson River Lumber....................... 33
Timber Products Co............................... 77
Tolko Industries Ltd................................ 31
TUFF-STIK.................................................
U-C Coatings......................................... 49
U.S. Lumber........................................... 26
Vaagen Bros. Lumber............................ 30
Valutec Wood Dryers............................. 55
Warren Trask Co........................................
West Bay Forest Products Ltd...................
Western Forest Products Inc......................
Western Red Cedar Lbr. Assoc. (WRCLA).
Woodgrain Lumber & Composites.............
@millerwoodtradepub
www.millerwoodtradepub.com
USED MACHINERY FOR SALE
USED MACHINERY FOR SALE
• USNR 4TA30 Top Arbor Three Shifting Saw Edger
• Infeed Landing Deck
• USNR – Lunden Cam Unscrambler S/N 41419
• Even Ending Rolls
• Queuing Hooks (2) ahead of Scanner
• Queuing Hooks (2) after Scanner
• Edger Infeed Model 600 Maximizer S/N 2951-A
• USNR 4TA30 Edger with 200 HP Arbor Drive Motor
• Outfeed Belt with Shifting Edging Shears
• Specs – Hardwood 1” to 4” Thick x 4” to 24” Wide x 6’ to 16’ Long
• Saw Kerf .160” x Saw Plate .120”
• Two Hydraulic Units
• Water Mizer Oil Mist Guide System
• Set of Babbitt Guide Tools
• USNR 4TA30 Top Arbor Three Shifting Saw Edger: 200 hp drive motor,
includes unscrambler, control cab, infeed and outfeed. $95,000.
Contact: James Robbins Cell: (207) 322-3162
Email: jarobbins@rlco.com
CLASSIFIED OPPORTUNITIES
Classified Rates: Display $60.00 per column inch, fractions of an
inch will be charged as a full inch.
All classified Ads must be received by the 15th of the preceding
month. Example: Ads for the January/February 2021 issue must be
in by December 15th, 2020.
Also, please specify the number of times Ad is to run. All Ads to be
inserted on prepaid basis only.
Classified advertising accepted only for: Position Available,
Position Wanted, Business Opportunities, Machinery For Sale,
Machinery Wanted, Wanted To Buy, Service Offered.
800-844-1280
Page 82 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024 Page 83

“Stewards of the Forest Since 1956”
Page 84 Softwood Forest Products Buyer • July/August 2024