hm - June11 - cover.indd - National Hardwood Lumber Association

JUNE 2011 

HARDWOOD MATTERS 

THE VOICE OF THE HARDWOOD INDUSTRY 

HARDWOOD FEDERATION 

ALLIES KEEP THE PRESSURE ON 

EXAMPLE IS EVERYTHING 

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL HARDWOOD LUMBER ASSOCIATION 

STRONG ROOTS. GLOBAL REACH. | WWW.NHLA.COM

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DEPARTMENTS 

12 Green Wave 

14 Rules Corner 

15 Tally Sheet 

16 Where Are They Now 

24 Global Talk 

10 

READER SERVICES 

4 President’s Message 

6 Executive Director’s 

Message 

7 Inside NHLA 

20 Calendar 

22 Job Board 

IN THIS ISSUE... 

10 HARDWOOD FEDERATION 

ALLIES KEEP THE PRESSURE ON 

By Deb Hawkinson 

18 EXAMPLE IS EVERYTHING 

By Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. 

CONTENTS 

WWW.NHLA.COM JUNE 2011 HARDWOOD MATTERS 1

HARDWOOD MATTERS 

THE VOICE OF THE HARDWOOD INDUSTRY 

June 2011 ▪ Issue 113 

National Hardwood Lumber Association 

PO Box 34518 ▪ Memphis, TN 38184-0518 

901-377-1818 ▪ 901-382-6419 (fax) 

info@nhla.com ▪ www.nhla.com 

THE MISSION OF NHLA 

To serve NHLA Members in the North American hardwood 

lumber industry by: maintaining order, structure, rules, and 

ethics in the changing hardwood marketplace; providing 

member services unique to the hardwood lumber industry; 

driving collaboration across the hardwood industry to 

promote demand for North American hardwood lumber 

and advocate the interest of the hardwood community 

in public/private policy issues; and building positive 

relationships within the global hardwood community. 

The views of contributions do not necessarily reflect the positions of NHLA. All advertisements for Hardwood 

Matters are accepted and published with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are 

authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will 

defend, indemnify and hold any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarisms, 

copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such 

advertisement. NHLA neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and 

services advertised in Hardwood Matters. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part 

without written permission is prohibited. 

ADVERTISER INDEX 

9 Arch Wood Protection, Inc. 

23 eLIMBS, LLC 

13 Forestry Systems, Inc. 

21 Indiana Lumbermen’s 

Mutual Insurance 

17 Laidig Systems, Inc. 

7 The Lilly Company 

ifc Lumbermen’s Underwriting Alliance 

ibc 2011 NHLA Annual Convention 

& Exhibition Showcase 

bc NHLA Membership 

3 Ron Jones Hardwood Sales, Inc. 

19 USNR 

5 Weyerhaeuser Hardwoods 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

Dave B. Redmond 

Highland Hardwood Sales, Inc. 

President 

Joe Long 

J.E. Higgins Lumber Company 

First Vice President 

Ted Rossi 

Rossi Group 

Past President 2008–2010 

Mark A. Barford, CAE 

Executive Director 

NHLA STAFF 

Mark A. Barford, CAE 

Executive Director 

m.barford@nhla.com 

Renee Hornsby 

Director of Communications/Editor 

r.hornsby@nhla.com 

David George 

Creative Director 

d.george@nhla.com 

■ ■ ■ 

Chris Churchill 

Director of Education 

Denise Stewart 

Director of Finance 

Thomas Walthousen 

Director of Industry Relations 

Lisa Browne 

Convention Director 

Rich Hascher 

Inspector Training School Instructor 

Dana Spessert 

Chief Inspector 

MISSION LEADERS 

Nancy Arend 

Weyerhaeuser Hardwoods 

Industry Advocacy & Promotion 

Chuck Bice 

Sweeney Hardwoods 

Unique Services 

Chip Dickinson 

Anderson-Tully Lumber Co. 

Structure 

Scott Heidler 

Heidler Hardwood Lumber Co. 

Membership & Marketing 

Pem Jenkins 

Turn Bull Lumber Company 

Rules 

COMMITTEE CHAIRS 

Larry Evans 

Industrial Timber & Lumber 

Inspector Training School 

Orn Gudmundsson, Jr. 

Northland Corporation 

Finance 

Skip Holmes 

Thomas & Proetz Lumber Co. 

Continuing Education 

Sally Johnson 

Batey, Ltd. 

Inspection Services 

John Owsiany 

Hartzell Hardwoods 

Convention 

Greg Patenaude 

Péladeau Lumber, Inc. 

Marketing 

Jack Shannon 

J.T. Shannon Lumber Company, Inc. 

Hardwood Promotion 

Joe Snyder 

Fitzpatrick & Weller, Inc. 

Rules 

Gary Swaner 

Swaner Hardwood Company 

Membership 

For advertising inquiries: 

Contact John Hester, Marketing Director at j.hester@nhla.com 

or 901-399-7558. 

2 JUNE 2011 HARDWOOD MATTERS WWW.NHLA.COM

CONTRIBUTORS 

Crystal Oldham is the Executive Director of the Hardwood Forest Foundation and the former NHLA Director 

of Education. As the DOE she oversaw all things education for the Association, including the Inspector 

Training School and Continuing Education programs. Prior to joining NHLA, Crystal served as Consumer 

Education Coordinator for the State of Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions. Previously, she served 

as News Director for Thunderbolt Broadcasting. As News Director, Crystal gathered, wrote and produced 

newscasts for the company’s three radio stations. She also served as a Staff Reporter for Northwest Tennessee 

Times and Freelance Writer for the Weakley County Press. 

Crystal holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism from the 

University of Tennessee at Martin. 

Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is an award-winning speaker and writer, who 

works with companies that want to be more competitive and with people 

who want to be more creative. As a marketing specialist he has served dozens 

of companies and advertising agencies and his efforts have earned eight 

SouthStar Awards from the American Marketing Association. As a nationally 

recognized humorist, who has been heard on more than 100 radio shows, he 

is the author of OFF THE WALL, The Best Graffi ti Off the Walls of America. 

He also writes a monthly column on motivation entitled "The Un-Comfort 

Zone" in Transaction World Magazine. 

As Executive Director of the Hardwood Federation, Deb Hawkinson 

oversees the day-to-day operations and the overall public policy goals 

of the Hardwood Federation – the largest Washington, D.C.-based 

trade association focusing exclusively on the hardwood industry. She 

also guides the Hardwood Federation’s Political Action Committee, 

HFPAC, and is organizing the most ambitious and aggressive 

expansion in the PAC’s history for the 2010 election cycle. Previously 

she spent 15 years in the Weyerhaeuser Company’s Federal and 

International Affairs office and served as Director of Operations and 

Director of Issues Management for the American Forest and Paper 

Association. Her experience has been in the alignment of business 

and public policy goals, and political involvement efforts including 

grassroots and PAC objectives. 


PRESIDENT’S 

MESSAGE 

THE WORLD IS GETTING SMALLER 

BY THE DAY 

While progress and more specifically “technological advances” are created to make 

life easier and more productive, it seems the rapid changes within our world are also 

giving birth to unintended consequences. Not many years ago barriers such as oceans 

or mountains or merely sheer distances hampered the movement of our goods and 

services. Most commerce was done within a nation or continent. Trade deficits were 

not a problem, not even contemplated. Presently, if there is a concern or even perceived 

concern in the Middle East, financial markets worldwide are negatively impacted. 

Like it or not, we cannot go back. Markets are ever changing, competing products are 

ever emerging, political differences are widening, and the hardwood industry must be 

adaptive and forward thinking. Fear not, there are solutions, we do have advocates! I have 

mentioned before and will continue stressing the importance of “strength in numbers 

and in unity”. Again, like it or not, foreign markets have been and will remain crucial to 

our success, even survivability. Our advocates, such as the American Hardwood Export 

Council (AHEC) the Hardwood Federation (HF), and associations such as the National 

Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) need our support. The time is long past where a 

few very large companies can carry the load for all. 

As I pen this letter on Our National Day of Prayer, I ask God to give each of us his 

guidance and direction. I give Him thanks for our abundant resource of hardwoods. 

I pray for our families and for those men and women serving our country, many in 

harm’s way. 

In closing, if the world is getting smaller by the day, why is it steadily costing more to 

move ourselves and our products to the same places 

Sincerely, 

Dave B. Redmond 

Highland Hardwood Sales, Inc. 

Markets are ever changing, 

competing products are 

ever emerging, political 

differences are widening, 

and the hardwood industry 

must be adaptive and 

forward thinking. 


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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S 

MESSAGE 

NORTH AMERICAN HARDWOODS IN 

ASIA GROWING STRONGER 

As I have previously written in Hardwood Matters, NHLA continues to increase its 

commitment to being active in the international markets for hardwood lumber. With more 

than a billion board feet of hardwood lumber going overseas, NHLA believes exports will 

lead the way for expanded business for 2011 and years to come. 

And this fact is made even more apparent when we review the current statistics for exports 

into Southeast Asia. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released figures showing the 

total value of American hardwood products (lumber, logs, veneer, plywood, moldings, 

flooring and siding) into this region as close to $1 billion and growing. The $1 billion 

figure mentioned is U.S. only; with the addition of Canadian exports, that number 

will easily exceed $1 billion. The U.S.D.A. reports that the value of hardwood lumber 

shipments alone into China increased by 72 percent in 2010 compared with 2009. In SE 

Asia, lumber exports increased by 58 percent and lumber represents a total of 66 percent of 

the hardwood products sold, while logs represented about 27 percent of the sold product; 

thus indicating that more Asian consumers are preferring lumber over logs. 

I recently returned from a three week trip through Australia and SE Asia and I am pleased 

to report that the mood and attitude towards American hardwoods is positive. Wood 

consumers tell us that much of the products going into SE Asia are being consumed in the 

country where they are being shipped or remanufactured and sent elsewhere in the region. 

Consumers in SE Asia utilizing North American hardwoods internally may offer the 

brightest business optimism the industry has seen in years. The middle class in China is 

growing at a tremendous rate and wages in China are expected to double by 2015. Their 

economy is expected to continue to grow between 9 and 10 percent each year, and many 

opportunities for increased business are likely. Yes, there are risks and unknowns, but the 

optimism in this market is a sharp contrast to the continued malaise that seems to be 

present in domestic markets for North American hardwoods. 

The importance of the market in this part of the world is brought home to any visitor that 

sees the many cranes and new construction taking place. For someone like me, who had 

not been there for several years, the change is dramatic. I truly believe that if these markets 

ever do develop a love affair with North American hardwoods, that our products so richly 

deserve, we will see an increase in demand that will be near impossible to meet. Now that’s 

a problem we would all like to have. 

Consumers in SE Asia 

utilizing North American 

hardwoods internally may 

offer the brightest business 

optimism the industry has 

seen in years. 

Sincerely, 

Mark Barford, CAE, Executive Director 

National Hardwood Lumber Association 

www.nhla.com 


INSIDE NHLA 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARK BARFORD 

TRAVELS TO AUSTRALIA AND ASIA 

Mark Barford recently travelled to Australia and Southeast 

Asia on behalf of NHLA and the American Hardwood Export 

Council (AHEC) for the purpose of market promotion. He 

began the trip by attending DesignEx in Melbourne, Australia. 

DesignEx is aimed at interior designers and decorators and 

held in one of the two largest cities in Australia. The biggest 

attraction was the solid white oak floor on display. While on 

the stand, Mark met with several local members of the press 

and had an extensive interview with Tony Neilson, editor of the 

Australian wood publication In-Wood. 

After Melbourne, Mark traveled to Sydney where he made 

a presentation to the Sydney “International Order of Hoo 

Hoo,” or as its better known, the Sydney Timber Industry 

Institute. The group had an interest in learning about American 

hardwoods and Mark provided a general overview of the NHLA 

grading system and a review of species. The group was especially 

interested in learning how North American Forests cover such a 

large portion of the landscape and are growing at over two times 

the level of harvesting. 

In SE Asia, Mark met with AHEC personnel in Singapore 

and Hong Kong. Mark again made time for two separate 

press interviews coordinated by Michael Buckley of Turnstone 

Singapore who manages public relations for both AHEC and 

NHLA in Southeast Asia. In Hong Kong, John Chan of the 

AHEC Hong Kong office organized a welcome reception. In 

attendance was Erich Kuss, the U.S. Director of the Agricultural 

Trade office and several interior designers who use North 

American hardwoods. 

“The trip was a great success due to pre-planning that allowed 

me to meet with many of the advocates who are on the ground 

working for our industry,” Barford noted. “I have traveled 

extensively to SE Asia over the past 20 years, and it was helpful 

to get a first hand feel of how things have changed, and how this 

market continues to grow.” 

ELIMBS GIVES PRESENTATION TO THE 164TH CLASS 

NHLA would like to thank Nicole Thompson from eLimbs for 

taking time out of her busy schedule to visit the 164th class of 

the Inspector Training School. Nicole offered a presentation 

on industry technology that was well received and very much 

appreciated by the Inspector Training School staff and its 

students. The Inspector Training School would like to invite 

all members to become part of the learning experience. 

Interested students or presenters can contact Chris Churchill 

at 901-399-7555 or c.churchill@nhla.com. 


INSIDE NHLA 

MALAYSIA TIMBER COUNCIL VISITS NHLA 

The Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) recently completed a 

mission to the United States which included stops in Los Angeles, 

New Orleans and Memphis. On April 18, MTC delegates 

visited NHLA headquarters where NHLA Chief Inspector, Dana 

Spessert gave a presentation on the NHLA rules for grading North 

American hardwood lumber. Other speakers included David 

Caldwell and Judd Johnson of the Hardwood Market Report who 

reported on hardwood market conditions. On day two of the 

Memphis visit, delegates toured the NHLA member facilities 

of J.T. Shannon Lumber in northwest Mississippi. The tour 

provided delegates a unique opportunity to view the green chain, 

grading stations, sorting and kiln facilities, as well as the flooring 

manufacturing and packaging complex. 

The MTC U.S. Mission had four outlined objectives: 

• To enhance trade relations and increase timber trade with 

the U.S. 

• To promote Malaysian timber products and create awareness 

on Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) in the U.S. 

• To exchange business ideas and information on timber utilization 

and explore business opportunities. 

• To look into remanufacturing opportunities with U.S. 

manufacturers and explore the possibility for sourcing 

American hardwoods. 

The MTC Global WoodMart will be held October 4-6, 2012 in 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

NATIONAL INSPECTORS ATTEND QUALITY 

CONTROL TRAINING 

NHLA National Inspectors; Jack English and Benji Richards 

recently attended two Quality Control Workshops offered by the 

Lumber Quality Institute. The first two-day course held May 2-3 

focused on lumber quality and process control. 

“These workshops are geared toward softwood but many of 

the applications can be used in a hardwood mill”, stated Chief 

Inspector Dana Spessert, who previously attended the quality 

control workshop. 

Benji and Jack represented the only hardwood industry people in 

the class of thirty. “But we often added to the conversations, giving 

a hardwood approach to a softwood situation,” explained Jack. Both 

inspectors agreed that the concepts learned in the workshop would 

help the hardwood industry by increasing profits by better quality 

without losing production. “This is important to all hardwood 

producers not only in these tough economic times but also when 

things improve in our industry,” said Jack. 

The second workshop on Lumber Quality Leadership was held 

May 4-5. The leadership workshop was conducted by Terry Brown, 

Director of the Lumber Quality Institute with more than 30 years 

of experience in helping sawmills solve quality and productionrelated 

problems. 

“The knowledge gained at the leadership workshop will help us 

on a daily basis to work with NHLA members, employees and 

colleagues,” explained Jack. “Sometimes it only takes a different 

thought or attitude to change a negative situation to a positive one.” 


INSIDE NHLA 

NHLA HOLDS ITS SIXTH ADVANCED LUMBER 

GRADING COURSE IN CHINA 

NHLA recently held its 6th Advanced Lumber Grading Course in China taught 

by former NHLA Chief Inspector and Inspector Training School Director, Bob 

Sabistina. The three-day course was held May 4-7, 2011 at the Furen Timber 

Wholesale Market in Shanghai, China. 

A total of 17students attended the three-day lumber grading course; with 

approximately 50 percent of the students being U.S. export members and the 

other 50 percent being local distributors. The class was lively. Mr. Chen Yaozhu, 

the Vice General Manager of the Furen Timber Market gave the welcome remarks. 

He stated that “more and more traders have started to carry North American 

hardwood, partly thanks to the promotion through the NHLA grading training 

over the past two years.” 

At this time it is the 3rd NHLA three-day short course to be held at the Market 

since the international short courses began three years ago. 


LEGISLATIVE LOG 

HARDWOOD FEDERATION ALLIES KEEP THE PRESSURE ON 

By Deb Hawkinson, Executive Director, Hardwood Federation 

Over the last several years, the Hardwood Federation has spent a 

great deal of time and energy promoting the industry with Members 

of Congress, the Obama Administration, and other organizations 

that impact our industry. We have seen positive results, for example, 

the unanimous passage of House Resolution 81 in 2009 and the 

passage of Senate Resolution 411, both of which express the sense 

of Congress that the American hardwood industry is sustainable, 

renewable and should not be excluded from any government 

procurement programs. 

This was followed by the recent announcement by the U.S 

Department of Agriculture that going forward; U.S. wood products 

such as American hardwoods would be promoted by that agency and 

the U.S. Forest Service. This victory is a direct result of our education 

and outreach efforts. USDA is also exhibiting leadership on Capitol 

H ill and among the federal agencies to demonstrate the economic 

and environmental benefits wood products bring to the country and 

specifically jobs and rural communities. 

All of these efforts have been an important step to help mitigate green 

building strategies that are ill informed. Recently HF was notified 

that a United States military base was renovating and building new 

structures. Part of that project called for a new ‘renewable’ floor 

for a gymnasium, and apparently, the Department of Defense had 

indicated bamboo was the preferred renewable product. Basically, 

the choice came down to bamboo or hardwood maple, and bamboo 

received preference with a price tag of $30,000 more. 

HF took this to Capitol Hill and to Department of Defense. After 

meeting with key leaders on the House Armed Services Committee, 

and Second-term Congressman Larry Kissell (D-NC) has stepped 

up on behalf of our industry. The letter below is to Dorothy 

Robyn, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and 

Environment, Congressman Kissell has asked the Secretary to explain 

how this could have happened. 


LEGISLATIVE LOG 

April 28, 2011 

Dorothy Robyn 

Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment 

Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations & Environment) 

3400 Defense Pentagon, Room 3B856A 

Washington, DC 20301-3400 

Dear Secretary Robyn, 

Thank you for your continued efforts on behalf of our services members, their families, and ourmilitary installations. The initiatives 

of your organization under your leadership are critical to the long term sustainability for our Armed Forces and therefore benefit our 

nation. I am writing today with concerns regarding a contract with the Naval Engineering Corps that if found to besubstantiated 

would call into question oversight and vetting procedures for certain construction initiatives on our military installations. 

Recently, I met with a constituent regarding a contract in the process of being finalized by the Naval Engineering Corps. I refer you 

to project number P-714 and work order number 796454 or project number P-1160 with solicitation number N4008509R3220. 

The project number indicates that imported bamboo is to be utilized for flooring to complete this project. It is my understanding 

that “Buy American” provisions apply to this contract and that furthermore, the use of imported bamboo would result in excess costs 

of approximately $30,000.00 when compared to domestically available hardwoods. I am gravely concerned that a proposal for the 

use of imported hardwoods, rather than domestically available products, was vetted and approved for construction purposes on a 

U.S. military installation. 

Additionally, after reviewing additional solicitations, it appears that the language used to define “qualifying materials” may be 

exclusionary towards certain domestic hardwoods. These solicitations appear to favor potentially imported bamboo over domestic 

hardwoods because of the environmental sustainability of bamboo. As I’m sure you are aware, however, U.S. hardwoods are abundant, 

renewable, and sustainable. Oversights or exceptions in the consideration of what products are used in military installations should 

not unreasonably disadvantage domestic products. 

During this continued economic instability, the people of our nation are desperately in need of employment; any irregularities in 

government contracting processes may result in further employment loss and uncertainty. I ask that you promptly review the above 

referenced project numbers and provide me with a written response regarding your selection of imported bamboo over domestic 

hardwoods and whether a “Buy American” waiver was necessary and was subsequently obtained for this project. I would also 

appreciate a detailed explanation comparing standards your organization applies when determining whether to utilize imported 

bamboo over domestic hardwood. 

As you can imagine, any oversight or exception to our “Buy American” policies may have an inadvertently disproportionate impact 

on North Carolina’s hardwood industry, and the hardwood industry in general. Ultimately, we must ensure the use of U.S. products 

in U.S. government projects whenever possible. Thank you for your attention to this matter and I look forward to your response. 

Sincerely, 

Larry Kissell 

Member of Congress 

It is because of the continued outreach by the Hardwood Federation 

and our allies, and the vigilance of our partners that we were able 

to identify this issue; and thanks to the willingness of Congressman 

Kissell to stand up for our industry and what is right, that we may 

successfully resolve this issue, save the American taxpayers money, 

inject needed capital into the local economy, and continue to 

improve our legacy of sustainability. For more information go to 

www.hardwoodfederation.net. 


GREEN WAVE 

STATE LAUNCHES “MADE WITH 

JERSEY GROWN WOOD” STAMP 

The state of New Jersey has launched a new campaign in an effort to 

attract people to locally harvested wood products. The “Made with 

Jersey Grown Wood” stamp will first be emblazoned on birdhouses 

and birdfeeders. The goal is to promote the state’s dwindling sawmills 

as well as the practice of sustainable tree harvesting through an easily 

identifiable logo. 

The state Audubon Society drove the creation of the “Jersey Grown” 

label. The birdhouse project is an extension of the society’s product 

line called S.A.V.E. – Support Agricultural Viability and the 

Environment. 

According to Paul Schairer, co-owner of Schairer Brothers Sawmill, 

“these last few years have been brutal.” He hopes the new “Jersey 

Grown” label will do something to change that. 

“We’re putting this on everything,” he said of the new stamp. 

AUSTRALIAN WOOD INDUSTRY AND 

NGO TEAM UP TO PROMOTE WOOD 

Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), the industry body 

behind the Wood Naturally Better program and Planet Ark are 

joining forces to encourage the use of sustainably-sourced wood. 

Planet Ark is interested in helping house builders, developers, 

architects, the general public and school children recognize the 

environmental benefits of using sustainable timber over other, 

more polluting alternatives. 

Over the coming months, Planet Ark will develop educational 

materials, an interactive website and deliver an extensive media 

campaign to raise awareness. 

“Sustainable timber use is an important step in the transition to a 

low carbon economy,” says Paul Klymenko, CEO of Planet Ark. 

IPAD CASES MADE OF SUSTAINABLE WOOD STYLISH 

Oregon based Substrata makes specialty wood products like cutting boards and cabinets but they 

also offer a line of cases for iPhones, Macbook Air computers and iPads. To follow up on the 

release of the new iPad 2, the company has created a new line of cases to suit the revamped iPad. 

Three models of cases are available for purchase now with an expected ship date sometime in 

May. The “Tabletop” case is made from solid birch plywood and leather that is reclaimed from 

local scrap. The “Open” case acts as an iPad frame, is made of solid hardwood and allows access 

to all buttons and jacks on the iPad. The “Artisan” model can be ordered to include one, two or 

three different wood types, has a lid with wooden hinge that turns the iPad screen on and off 

as it is opened and closed and functions as a stand for the iPad in both horizontal and vertical 

orientations. www.substrata.net 

UNIVERSITY SUSPENDS GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM 

Vancouver Island University’s green building and renewable energy 

technician program has been suspended just three years after it 

started. The green building program teaches students how to 

make buildings more energy efficient and about renewable energy 

applications in buildings. It prepares students to provide technical 

communication, design, assessment and evaluation services to 

professionals working on green building or renewable energy projects. 

“The university is reviewing the program because it is new and 

because there are only 10 people graduating this year,” said VIU 

spokeswoman. “Results of the review should be available in the 

next few months and we expect it will include recommendations on 

way s to improve the program, not a recommendation to cancel it 

altogether.” 

Greenwave continued on page 23 


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RULES 

CORNER 

WALNUT STEAMING 

By Dana Spessert, NHLA Chief Inspector 

One of the most interesting things I have noticed since becoming 

Chief Inspector, is at times there seems to be some areas of the rules 

that are not covered extensively enough in the NHLA Rules Book. 

One such area is the walnut grades, specifically in regards to the 

steaming process. The reason that I bring this up is because I recently 

received questions about the quality of the steaming process of some 

walnut shipments. I would like to make it clear that NHLA does not 

have any official rule regarding the quality of the steaming process. 

The quality of the steaming process has always been monitored by the 

industry and varies from facility to facility. 

In the following words I would like to clarify the walnut rules as it 

pertains to the sapwood limitations in the various grades. The first 

sentence under the “Walnut and Butternut” section of the 2011 

Rules Book states: 

“When Walnut has been steamed and is sold and specified as 

‘Steamed Walnut’, sapwood shall not be considered.” 

That statement pertains to the sapwood limitations of the area of 

the faces for which they are allowed when the walnut has not been 

specified as ‘Steamed Walnut’. Defects that show up in the area of the 

sapwood or heartwood should always be considered when grading 

walnut regardless of whether it is steamed or not. 

CUP ALLOWANCE 

Another question I recently received was in regard to the amount of cup that is 

allowed in a board. The answer is very simple, although the way to measure for it 

may not be. The amount of cup is defined in paragraph 29 “Cutting” which states: 

“A portion of a board or plank obtained by crosscutting or ripping, or by both. In 

the Common grades, a cutting shall be flat enough to surface two sides to standard 

surfaced thickness after it has been removed from the board. In the grades of Selects 

and Better the entire board must be flat enough to surface two sides to standard 

surfaced thickness (for skip limitations, see page 50 under the rule “Clear-Face” 

Cutting Grade). Diagonal cuttings are not permitted.” 

In order to determine the amount of cup that would be allowed can be very difficult 

to measure in the common grades as the Cuttings themselves only need to be flat 

enough to S2S to standard surfaced thickness. In my experience, most facilities 

surface their lumber prior to the ripping or crosscutting in order to make the in-feed 

process more efficient. The problem with this setup is that it takes too much material 

away on the edges of one side of the piece and too much from the middle of the 

other side resulting in thick and thin staves after the ripping and crosscutting process. 

My only advice in handling such a situation is to separate the pieces that will not 

surface properly and rip those first to negate the effects of the planer and to help in 

the recovery of the material. 

As always, I welcome your inquiries and hope my explanations help to clarify 

these questions. 

NHLA Chief Inspector, Dana Spessert can be reach by phone at 901-399-7551 

or by email at d.spessert@nhla.com. 


TALLY SHEET 

FOREST PRODUCTS LAB CHRONICLE PUBLISHED 

For 101 years, scientists have toiled at the Forest Products 

Laboratory (FPL) in Madison, Wisconsin; searching for ways 

to increase the sustainability and product mix of the United 

States’ forests. In the new book, Forest Products Laboratory, 

1910-2010: Celebrating a Century of Accomplishments, John 

W. Koning, Jr. details the 100 year breadth of the publicly 

supported Forest Products Laboratory’s research, problemsolving 

and accomplishments. 

The book can be purchased from the Wisconsin Historical 

Society with SKU: 9780299283209. The book can also be 

found on most major book store websites. 

DMSi SOFTWARE REACHES BIG MILESTONE 

In 2011, software provider for the building materials industry, DMSi 

Software, has brought seven Agility customers live on Warehouse 

Management Systems (WMS). In just the past few months, Boise 

Cascade Building Materials (Boise, ID), Building Products, Inc. 

(Watertown, SD), Eastern Aluminum Supply Co. (Goldsboro, 

NC), Kohl Building Products (Reading, PA), One Tree Distribution 

(Syracuse, NY), Texas Plywood & Lumber Co. (Grand Prairie, TX) and 

Wurth Wood Group (Charlotte, NC) are already seeing signs of how 

WMS is transforming their warehouse operations. 

Fully integrated with DMSi’s comprehensive ERP system, Agility, 

the wireless WMS provides real-time system direction and inventory 

management of warehouse activities. For more information on DMSi 

Software, please call 800-347-6720 or visit dmsi.com. 

WOOD-MIZER ACCEPTING ENTRIES FOR 

PERSONAL BEST 2011 CONTEST 

Every other year Wood-Mizer hosts their Personal Best 

contest, a long-standing tradition of recognizing Wood- 

Mizer sawmill owners who cut lumber for their building 

project to fulfill a dream. This contest is open to all 

Wood-Mizer sawmill owners interested in competing for 

their share of $20,000 in Wood-Mizer prize credits. 

Three awards are now given in each of eight 

different categories. 

1. Homes & Major Structures 

2. Small Homes & Cabins 

3. Large Barns and Garages 

4. Small Barns & Tool Sheds 

5. Interior Projects 

6. Exterior Projects 

7. For the Good of Others 

8. Open, Unusual, Unique Projects 

Grand Champion, First Place, and Honorable Mention 

will be named in each category. Prize credits up to $1,250 

can be won and used to purchase any Wood-Mizer 

products. 

Entries will be accepted from now, until September 1, 

2011. Customers can apply through or download Wood- 

Mizer’s online application at www.woodmizer.com/pbest, 

or by sending in the completed entry form included in 

the next issue of The Wood-Mizer Way. 


WHERE ARE 

THEY NOW 

EMILY AND JENNA HORMUTH, 

INSPECTOR TRAINING SCHOOL 163 RD CLASS 

By Crystal Oldham 

purchased it from my grandfather when he retired in 1978. They 

then bought Orange County Lumber Company (OCLC) in 1988. 

OCLC was relocated from Santa Ana to Rialto, California in 1993. 

Rick went to run OCLC, while John and Steve stayed with OCHL. 

In 1991, they started Strata Forest Products, and John went to run 

SFP. Currently, Steve has retired, and Rick and John are owning 

partners of Hormuth Group Lumber Companies,” Emily said. 

When a person visits Las Vegas, the betting is usually done with 

a game of Poker, Black Jack or even the standard slot machine, 

but when recent NHLA Inspector Training School graduate Jenna 

Hormuth visited Sin City recently, she won her money through a 

guessing game. The game “Guess what Jenna does for a living.” 

The answer Lumber Sales. 

As the tradition-loving lumber industry continues to evolve into 

a modern and global industry, traces of the lumberman stereotype 

continue to be present, but two California natives are working hard 

to find their place in the industry. And the first stop on their journey 

into the forest products industry was the NHLA Inspector Training 

School. Jenna and her cousin, Emily Hormuth- both of Strata 

Forest Products in Orange County, California are graduates of 

the 163rd Class. 

In addition to being the typical “California Girls,” the Hormuth 

cousins are third-generation lumbermen and the pride they have in 

continuing with the family business is evident. 

“My grandfather, William Hormuth, started in the lumber industry 

working for Hammond Lumber Company in San Fernando. He 

relocated to Santa Ana to be GM of their new yard. He wanted to 

go into business for himself and bought Orange Coast Hardwood & 

Lumber around 1960. The name was eventually changed to Orange 

Coast Hardware & Lumber (OCHL). My father, Rick Hormuth 

and my uncles, John and Steve Hormuth worked for OCHL then 

“Knowing my family has been in the forest products industry for so 

many years is pretty special. Every time I make a new connection 

with someone in the industry, it’s like you have an unspoken bond, 

which really makes me proud on a daily basis. I love the old school 

vibe, it is a true business based on relationships and honesty. It is also 

such an important facet in so many other businesses, I feel like I am 

part of something bigger than myself.” Jenna added. 

Former Memphian and NHLA Graduate Lou Kretzer is a member 

of the Strata Forest Products team and suggested the women attend 

the School. 

“The School is a great way to get experience in an industry with 

immeasurable potential and opportunities. Anyone with drive 

and willingness to put in hard work can find a career in hardwood 

lumber; it doesn’t have to start as a family business. I have noticed 

that people who work in hardwood lumber appreciate hard work 

and honesty in people and that sort of thing gets noticed here above 

a fancy college degree or social group. It doesn’t just have to be a 

career in lumber grading; sales, marketing, management, etc. are 

also avenues to take in the industry. Also, I witnessed classmates get 

approached with job opportunities before they had even graduated,” 

Jenna said. 

Emily served as Class President while at the School and held the 

second overall grade average among her peers. In addition, she 

received the Leadership Award, presented by the Lumbermen’s 

Club of Memphis. 

“I enjoyed my time at the School. I met some great people. The staff 

was very helpful and dedicated. I made new friendships with my 

fellow classmates and I look forward to hearing about their progress 

in the industry. My goal was to get acclimated with the industry 


WHERE ARE 

THEY NOW 

and prepare myself for working with lumbermen; I reached 

that goal thanks to our instructor and my mentor, Rich 

Hascher, the staff at NHLA, our valuable field trips and my 

classmates.” Emily said. 

Jenna agrees that the Memphis experience was a success for 

her, as well and believes it is key to her hardwood career. 

“The experience I gained at NHLA is invaluable to selling 

hardwood lumber. From the terminology to grading, I 

can confidently talk and inquire with customers, make 

recommendations and understand their concerns with 

purchasing. Hoping to work in many facets beyond just sales, 

I feel like my overall knowledge of the industry grew at the 

School, as well. I can even put faces to the names of some of 

the mills we purchase from. The whole picture of the industry 

began to immerge while I was in Memphis,” Jenna said. 

credibility rises exponentially. It takes the negative focus off of those 

insignificant qualities and lets my abilities shine,” Emily said. 

“I think most men in the industry can respect what Emily and I are 

doing, and I think we can bring a different perspective to the industry,” 

Jenna added. 

In addition to the NHLA Inspector Training School, the Hormuth 

cousins are both graduates of California universities. Jenna holds 

a Public Relations and Advertising degree from Chapman University 

and Emily holds a Marketing Management degree from California 

Polytechnic State. Jenna is also an alumnus of NHLA’s Hardwoods 101. 

To learn more about the NHLA Inspector Training School 

or to enroll in an upcoming class, contact Chris Churchill, 

NHLA Director of Education at 901-399-7555 or email 

c.churchill@nhla.com. 

Just months after graduating from the School, Jenna and 

Emily have already settled into the industry nicely as sales 

executives. 

“I am currently able to assist my customers (who are mostly 

furniture manufacturers, general contractors, flooring 

installers, cabinet manufacturers, as well as smaller lumber 

companies without mills who supply mouldings and s3s 

lumber) with lumber purchasing. I am able to ensure they 

receive the correct grade, color sort and species of lumber 

that they aim to purchase. I am also able to offer alternative 

lumber suggestions depending on the customer’s desired use. 

When I tell my customers that I graduated from NHLA, 

that grants me more respect and confidence in their eyes,” 

Emily said. 

And being a young female in a mostly male industry doesn’t 

hinder the Hormuth cousins from knowing what they want 

out of the industry and doing what it takes to get it. 

“When I tell people that I am a trained lumber inspector, I 

get a weird look and a snicker because they think I am joking. 

Then I go on to explain exactly what that entails and I get 

their full attention and respect. There are many challenges 

for young women in the industry: first and foremost being 

female, then young and green to the industry. That is why I 

see NHLA as a very important step for young women entering 

the industry. As soon as I start talking about what I learned at 

the School, explain that I graduated with honors and engage 

in relevant conversation with my customers and peers, my 


CEO CORNER 

EXAMPLE IS EVERYTHING 

By Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. 

As you finish reloading your rifle, you realize there’s a lull in the 

fighting. There is no gunfire, no explosions, the screaming and yelling 

have subsided. After three hours of battle, it’s become relatively quiet 

on both ships. You take a moment to assess the situation. 

From the beginning you’ve been at a disadvantage. The enemy’s ship 

is newer, bigger, faster, and has more guns than yours. You admit she’s 

a beauty, built to be a warship, unlike yours which was retrofitted for 

war from an aging merchant ship designed for trade and cargo. 

Your opponent hit you pretty hard with its first volley. Those big guns 

ripped huge holes in the sides of your ship. You had some pretty big 

guns too, but the first one fired exploded and took out all the cannon 

around it. Now that deck is useless and most of the men on it 

are dead. 

The battle started at nightfall, and you’ve been fighting by moonlight. 

There are other ships on both sides, but in the smoke and the 

darkness no one can tell friend from foe. One of your own ships, 

thinking you were the enemy, fired a broadside which killed a dozen 

of your men. 

You believe you have the smarter captain. He has outmaneuvered 

the enemy at least once. He saw that the big warship had turned in 

such a way as to lose all the wind in its sails. Rather than take the 

opportunity to flee, he took the more daring option of sailing right 

up against it, so that the two ships were side by side. Your captain was 

even the first to start lashing your ship to the enemy’s so they could 

not get away. 

At that point the battle really became fierce. The enemy’s cannons 

continued to blow holes in your ship. However, now with the two 

ships locked together, the cannon balls shoot straight through the hull 

and out the existing holes on the other side limiting the destruction. 

Unfortunately, the damage has been done, water is pouring in and 

your ship is sinking. You can feel it and see it. Your top deck is 

already lower than the enemy’s. Half an hour ago, they tried to take 

advantage of that by boarding your ship. You and your fellow sailors 

engaged in savage hand-to-hand combat led by your captain until you 

forced the enemy to retreat back to their ship. 

Nevertheless, things are looking pretty grim. You’re not just sinking; 

one of the decks below is on fire. Plus, all your sails are aflame, 

lighting up the night and making all the damage to your ship 

clearly visible. You can see that half your crew is dead. You were 

outnumbered to begin with, now the odds seem impossible. You can 

feel the fatigue starting to seep into your muscles, and you figure the 

fight is over and that you’ll soon be in chains in the warship’s brig. 

The British Captain is thinking the same thing, and yells across the 

bow, “Do you surrender” 

You look around, but your captain is nowhere in sight. A shipmate 

says the captain and the first mate are dead. Suddenly, the ship’s 

carpenter takes it upon himself to give up and starts yelling, “We 

must strike the colors!” You think the ship must be gravely damaged, 

and sinking faster than you thought if the ship’s carpenter is crying 

out for surrender. 

You hear someone shout, “Stop!” It’s the captain, who has just 

appeared out of the smoke. The carpenter doesn’t hear and continues 

running toward the flag pole. The captain pulls a pistol from his belt. 

You think he is going to shoot the carpenter, but instead he throws 

it with pinpoint accuracy hitting the man in the head and knocking 

him out cold. 

Once again, the British captain cries out, “Do you surrender” 


CEO CORNER 

Your captain, John Paul Jones, replies loud enough for everyone on both ships to hear, “I have not yet begun to fight!” 

A rallying cheer erupts on board your ship, and you think, “This man is amazing!” You fire your musket as everyone on board begins 

to fight again. You double your efforts and reload faster than you ever have before. A shipmate throws a grenade, hitting a pile of 

munitions on the British ship. There is a massive explosion and moments later, you and your crew swarm over the gunwales onto 

the top deck of the enemy ship. Within minutes that deck is captured and the British captain surrenders by pulling down his flag. 

You look at Captain Jones and think, “It 

looks like we had the advantage all along.” 

Time and again, John Paul Jones led by 

example and motivated his crew to fight on 

against unimaginable odds. That hard won 

naval victory is, to this day, considered the 

most important in U.S. history because it set 

the standard for the American navy. 

Leading successfully begins with being a good 

role model. I recall my parents saying, “Do as 

I say, not as I do.” In the end, I always did as 

they did. What they did not realize is that 

whether you intend to or not, you always lead 

by example. Mahatma Gandhi understood this 

when he said, “We must become the change 

we want to see.” 

When you communicate by example, you say 

non-verbally that you would not ask your 

people to perform anything that you are not 

willing to do yourself. 

Or as Albert Schweitzer observed, “Example 

is not the main thing in influencing others. 

It is the only thing.” 

Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is an author, speaker 

and humorist. He works with companies that 

want to be more competitive and with people 

who want to think like innovators. For more 

information on Robert, please visit 

www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com. 

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CALENDAR 

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS NHLA 

New England Lumbermen’s Association 

Summer Meeting (NELA) 

North Conway, NH | June 8 

Attending: Tom Walthousen, 


AHEC 16th Southeast Asia and Greater 

China Convention 

Nanjng, China | June 29 

Attending: Dana Spessert, 

NHLA Chief Inspector 

Institute for Organizational Management 

Athens, GA | June 26 - July 1 

Participating: Tom Walthousen, 


Institute for Organizational Management 

Los Angeles, CA | July 10-14 

Participating: Chris Churchill, 

Director of Education 

AWFS Fair 2011 

Las Vegas, NV | July 20-23 

Participating: John Hester, Marketing Director 

INDUSTRY EVENTS 

China Furniture & Woodworks 

Dalian, China | June 9–12 

AHEC Southeast Asia & Greater 

China Convention 

Nanjing, China | June 28–29 

Forest Products Machinery & 

Equipment Exposition (EXPO2011) 

Atlanta, GA | August 11-12 

2011 Kentucky Wood Expo 

London, KY | September 16–17 

Egypt Woodshow 

Cairo, Egypt | September 16–18 

London Design Festival 

London, UK | September 17–25 

Timber Expo Show and Conference 

Coventry, UK | September 27–28 

International Scientific Conference 

on Hardwood Processing 

(ISCHP) 2011 

Blacksburg, VA | October 16–18 

Virginia Tech 

AHEC Europe Convention 

Warsaw, Poland | October 27–28 


CALENDAR 

EDUCATION & TRAINING 

Energy Efficiency in Hardwood 

Manufacturing 

Wood Education and Resource Center 

Princeton, WV | June 2 

Contact: Brian Bond | 540-231-8752 

bbond@vt.edu 

4-Day Lumber Grading Short Course 

Millersburg, OH | June 13–16 

Instructor: Barry Kibbey 

Contact: Chris Churchill | 901-399-7555 

c.churchill@nhla.com 

Basic Hardwood Lumber Drying 

Short Course 

Blacksburg, VA | November 8–9 

Instructor: Dr. Brian Bond 



Inspector Training School – 167th 

Class 

Memphis, TN | January 4 – April 6, 2012 

NHLA Headquarters 

Instructor: Rich Hascher 



Protecting the Lumber and Forest Products 

Industries since 1897 

Inspector Training School – 165 th 

Class 

Antigo, WI | June 13–August 19 





Sandy Lake, PA | July 18–21 

Instructor: Barry Kibbey 




Memphis, TN | August 31–September 2 





ILM is happy to offer: 

• Broad coverages 

• Competitive Pricing 

• Outstanding Customer Service 

• Availability through the agent of your choice 

Call today for savings today! 

Inspector Training School – 166 th 

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Memphis, TN | September 7–December 9 





Indiana Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company 

call (800) 732-0777 visit www.ilmgroup.com 

INSURANCE 


JOB BOARD 

Log Yard Manager 

Post Hardwoods is seeking an experienced candidate to manage all 

aspects of the hardwood log yard in Hamilton, Michigan. Grading, 

scaling, customer contact, staff management and sometimes 

subcontractors are among the duties. Must be experienced. Salary 

commensurate with experience. Post is accepting resumes by email, 

fax or mail. 

Post Hardwoods, Inc. 

3544 38th Street | Hamilton, MI 49419 

269-751-2221 | 269-751-8181 (fax) 

posthardwoods@hughes.net 

Log Scaler 

Hull Forest Products is seeking a log scaler. The log scaler holds primary 

responsibility for the care, accurate measurement and data input of all 

species of logs handled in the Pomfret yard. The scaler will work under 

the direction of the log yard manager and aid the yard manager as 

needed. This may include operation of forklifts, log loaders and other 

equipment necessary to perform yard duties. Past experience in the 

sawmill industry is preferred. 

Interested candidates should contact Ben Hull. 

Hull Forest Products 

101 Hampton Road | Pomfret Center, CT 06259 

800-353-3331 | 860-974-2963 (fax) 

benhull@hullforest.com | www.hullforest.com 

Lumber Grader 

Hull Forest Products is seeking a lumber grader whose primary 

responsibility will be to ensure lumber quality and consistency meets 

the specification of the Production Manager and sales departments. 

An NHLA Inspector Training School graduate is preferred. Mill 

employees enjoy varied daily duties in several positions throughout 

our mill. Salary will be based on experience, qualifications and 

job responsibilities. Qualified candidates should contact Ben Hull. 

Hull Forest Products 

101 Hampton Road | Pomfret Center, CT 06259 

800-353-3331 | 860-974-2963 (fax) 

benhull@hullforest.com | www.hullforest.com 

Lumber Inspector 

Cannonville Lumber is currently seeking an experienced hardwood 

lumber grader for mid size lumber mill. Good work environment. 

NHLA rules and regulations to apply. A minimum of 3 years work 

history preferred. 4 day - 40 hour per week work schedule. 

Competitive compensation 

based on experience and qualifications. 

Contact Operations Manager, Dwayne. 

Cannonsville Lumber 

Deposit, NY 

607-467-3380 | cannonlumber@echoes.net 

Saw Filer 

Deer Park Lumber, Inc. is seeking a saw filer. This position is responsible 

for maintaining the saws from five bandmills running one shift, five days 

a week. This position will also direct the filing room personnel, order 

bandsaws and filing supplies, maintain guides, bandwheels, chipper knives, 

and work with mill personnel on quality control, etc. A minimum of five 

years experience in all aspects of saw filing is required. Benefits include 

health, dental, vision, short term disability, life insurance and 401K. 

The salary is negotiable. 

Deer Park Lumber, Inc. 

1301 SR 6 East | Tunkhannock, PA 18657 

570-836-1133 | 570-836-6938 (fax) 

sherry@deerparklumberinc.com | www.deerparklumberinc.com 

Hardwood Lumber Inspector 

Cairo Dry Kilns located in Cairo, Illinois is seeking a lumber inspector for 

the inspection of green and kiln dried lumber. Interested applicants should 

contact Tim Pleimann by email, mail or phone. 

Cairo Dry Kilns 

14372 State Hwy 37 | Cairo, IL 62914 

618-737-1039 

tim@farrowlumber.com 


Industrial Timber and Lumber is seeking an experienced NHLA Lumber 

Inspector. Candidate must have experience in grading all hardwoods and 

kiln dried lumber. The company offers excellent benefits including 401K, 

medical, vacation and competitive pay. 

Please contact HR Manager, Larry Rokas. 

ITL Corp. 

203 College Drive | Marion, NC 28752 

216-831-3140 

careers@itlcorp.com | www.itlcorp.com 


TLC/Telco located in El Dorado, AR is seeking a lumber inspector for 

the inspection of Green, AD and KD lumber. Interested candidates 

should contact Doug Miller. 

TLC/Telco 

950 Del-Tin Hwy | El Dorado, AR 71730 

870-862-6100 | 870-862-6101 (fax) 

doug@cmcforestry.com 


An experienced lumber inspector for KD and some green lumber is 

needed at Shomaker Lumber Company. Qualified candidate must be 

able to upgrade. Competitive pay is dependent upon experience. 

Shomaker Lumber Company Inc. 

P.O. Box 698 | 24895 Hwy. 22 | McKenzie, TN 38201 

731-352-5777 | 731-352-9301 (fax) 

shomakerlumber@bellsouth.net 

Current job openings are posted by members at www.nhla.com free 

of charge. All positions are posted for 90 days. Questions regarding job 

postings should be directed to Chris Churchill at 901-399-7555 or email 

at c.churchill@nhla.com. 


GREEN WAVE 

NORTHWEST ENERGY PLANS $300M OREGON BIOMASS INVESTMENT 

An energy developer is proposing a pair of $150 million biomass 

plants it believes will generate a combined $1 billion in economic 

impact for Oregon. Northwest Energy Systems Co., LLC hopes the 

two 40-megawatt plants, to be located near Klamath Falls in southern 

Oregon and Warm Springs in central Oregon, will be operating by the 

end of 2013. Each plant would provide enough electricity to power 

35,000 homes. 

Once running the plants would mark the culmination of a year-long 

effort by Northwest Energy Systems’ parent company, Jones Holding 

Co., (which dates back to the 1930s when it owned several sawmill 

operations across Washington) to develop a biomass facility in forestrich 

Oregon. 

JWTR LLC, a Klamath Falls company controlled by Jeld-Wen, 

Inc., which has more than 600,000 acres of timberlands in southern 

Oregon and northern California has agreed to supply fuel in the form 

of thinning and other waste from managing their forest lands to the 

Klamath Falls project over the next 20 years. 

The fuel supply for the Warm Springs project is slightly less certain 

with 40 percent of the fuel needed coming from the lands of the 

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation and third-party 

suppliers around the Portland metro area in the form of urban 

demolition waste such as pallets and clean wood from 

construction sites. 

Northwest is in negotiations with both PacifiCorp and Portland 

General Electric Co. on long-term agreements to buy the power 

generated from the plants. 


GLOBAL TALK 

THE EUROPEAN UNION AND INDONESIA AGREE TO END TRADE OF ILLEGAL TIMBER 

Indonesia and the European Union, one of its big log importers, have tentatively agreed on a pact aimed at stopping the flow of illegal 

timber. The so-called Voluntary Partnership Agreement is expected to be signed by both sides in October, said Agus Sarsito, head of 

international cooperation at forestry ministry. Indonesia’s president and EU lawmakers will have to approve it. 

The pact with Indonesia, the world’s thirdlargest 

tropical forest nation, is the most 

ambitious of the EU’s bilateral pacts in 

protecting tropical forests. The EU is a key 

market for forest products from Indonesia, 

with an average value of timber and paper 

exports of $1.2 billion a year. 

According to Sarsito, the EU absorbs about 

33 percent of Indonesia’s timber exports, 

while most of the rest go to the United 

States and Japan. According to the European 

Forest Institute, illegally harvested timber 

represented about 50 percent of timber 

exported from Indonesia and 20 percent of 

timber products imported into the EU. 

EU-LIBERIA SIGN VOLUNTARY PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT 

Liberia signed a deal with the European Union on May 9, 2011 promising to crack down on illegal logging 

on its territory, home to more than half of West Africa’s rainforests, a group linked to the accord said. 

Ghana, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed similar deals last year ahead of an EU 

ban on imports of illegally harvested timber that takes effect in 2012. 


WHAT’S IN A LOGO 

INTEGRITY 

RESPECT 

AUTHORITY 

EXPERTISE 

QUALITY ASSURANCE 

For more than 110 years, the National Hardwood Lumber 

Association has been serving its members and the 

industry by creating and maintaining a uniform system 

of grading rules for the measurement and inspection of 

hardwood lumber. The NHLA rules created in 1898, 

are now the standard employed worldwide. 

Our standard means integrity – look for the NHLA logo. 

TRADE WITH A MEMBER. 

For membership information please contact Tom Walthousen 

at 901.377.9846 or email membership@nhla.com

hm - June11 - cover.indd - National Hardwood Lumber Association

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