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Vol.22 No. 3 The Softwood Industry’s only newspaper.....now reaching 45,518 firms (20,000 per issue) May/June 2007 

CLA Convention Attracts Registrants 

By Doug Knowles and Wayne Miller 

Montréal, Que.—The Honorable Robert Keith Rae presented the opening 

keynote speech at the Canadian Lumbermen’s Association’s (CLA) 99th Annual 

Convention, which was held recently at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel 

NELMA’s Convention Attracts Hundreds 

By Terry Miller 

Boston, Mass.—The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, located here, served as 

the site for the 2007 Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association’s (NeLMA) 

74th annual convention. More than 200 members and guests representing the 

Additional photos on pages 14 & 16 

Additional photos on pages 16, 31, 32, 33 & 34 Continued on page 23 Continued on page 23 

Suzanne Gosselin, Caroline Auger and J. P. Halle, Scoopsoft–Bell Solutions D’Affaires, Montréal, 

Que. 

Speakers Address Industry Pros At WWPA 

By Wayne Miller 

Scottsdale, Ariz.—The annual meeting of the Western Wood Products 

Assoc. (WWPA), which was held here recently, was attended by nearly 200 

members and guests who mixed business and pleasure at the three-day event. 

Alden Robbins, Robbins Lumber Inc., Searsmont, Maine; Joe and June Somers, Heartwood 

Lumber Sales Inc., Ozark, Mo.; Dennis Connelly, PrimeTECH, Grafton, Mass.; and Gil Adams, 

Warren Trask Co., Stoughton, Mass. 

LAT Event Includes Gala At Historic Home 

Photos By Derik Villanueva 

S a n A n t o n i o , T e x a s —A well-attended convention hosted by the 

Lumbermen’s Association of Texas (LAT) included an excursion to the Steves’ 

Homestead and Grounds in the historic King William District, located near down- 

Additional photos on pages 34, 35, 37, 39 & 41 Continued on page 23 Additional photos on pages 12 & 14 Continued on page 24 

Eric and Dianne Schooler, Collins Pine Cos., Portland, Ore.; and Kim and Jamie Trenter, 

Lumbermen’s Underwriting Alliance, Portland, Ore. 

Gerry Gluscic, Kevin Williamson and Marshall Owens, Snavely Forest Products, Dallas, Texas 

NAWLA Regionals Attract Hundreds Of Attendees 

Rolling Hills, Ill.—Four separate regional meetings were hosted recently by 

the North American Wholesale Lumber Assoc. (NAWLA), headquartered here. 

Three of the regional meetings convened in the United States while a fourth 

By Doug Knowles and Wayne Miller 

meeting was held in Vancouver, B.C. 

According to Susan Fitzsimmons, second vice chair of NAWLA, “The association 

is continuing to grow and we’ve seen an increase, specifically, in offshore 

Additional photos on pages 8, 10 & 12 Continued on page 24 

Mark Palmer and Stacey Woldt, NAWLA, Rolling Meadows, Ill.; Steve Killgore, McKenzie Forest 

Products Inc., Springfield, Ore.; and John Jayne, Disdero Lumber Co. Inc., Clackamas, Ore. 

Steve Fischer, North Pacific, Napa, Calif.; Nick Kent, NAWLA president and chief excutive officer, 

Rolling Meadows, Ill.; and David Johnson and David Higi, North Pacific

Page 2 

WHO’S WHO IN SOFTWOODS 

The Softwood Forest Products Buyer 

Speakers Announced For EWTA 

Employee Recruitment Seminar 

For more APA news and information, log onto www.apawood.org 

John F. Benjamin III 

John F. 

Benjamin III 

recently moved 

into lumber sales 

for Robbins 

Lumber Inc., 

based in 

Searsmont, 

Maine. A 15-year 

veteran of the 

company, 

Lester Gray Fred Erlich Stephani Jarvis 

Lester Gray, Fred Erlich is Stephani 

the president vice president of Jarvis joined 

and owner of sales and operations 

C o l l i n s 

Gray Lumber 

for Devon Companies in 

Co. in Modesto, Lumber Co., Scottsdale, Ariz., 

Ill., handles the located in in April as 

majority of the Dorchester, Southwest 

firm’s purchasing 

Mass. 

Region Sales 

and over- 

sees the day-today 

operations. 

Devon Lumber 

Co. carries a full 

range of building 

Representative. 

She handles the 

sale of TruWood 

Continued on page 20 Continued on page 21 Continued on page 51 Continued on page 26 

Stacey Wagner, managing director of 

the Center for Workforce Success, the 

training and education affiliate of the 

Manufacturing Institute, National 

Association of Manufacturers, will deliver 

the opening remarks at a half-day 

seminar on employee recruitment and 

retention to be held June 21 in Atlanta 

as part of the Southern Forest Products 

Association’s Machinery & Equipment 

Exposition. 

The seminar, sponsored by the 

Engineered Wood Technology 

Association (EWTA), an APA related 

organization, will cover the three R’s of 

employee recruitment, retention and 

replenishing. 

Other speakers will be Paul Winistorfer, 

professor and head of the Dept. of Wood 

Science and Forest Products at Virginia 

Tech; Jerry Pettibone, former head football 

coach at Oregon State University 

and now director of college and university 

relations at Jeld-Wen Windows and 

Doors; Derrick Harris, managing principal 

at The Human Resource 

Department Ltd., an HR consulting and 

services firm; Henry Brown, human 

resources director for manufacturing at 

Plum Creek; Ray Peters, vice president 

of human resources at Roy O. Martin 

Lumber Co.; Phillip Blount, president of 

Phillip Blount & Associates, an HR consulting 

company; and Tim Hartnett, 

human resource manager at Louisiana- 

Pacific Corp. The seminar will be moderated 

by APA Chairman Jonathan 

Martin, chairman and chief executive 

officer of Roy O. Martin Lumber 

Company, LLC. 

Complete information, including registration 

details, can be found at website 

www.engineeredwood.org. 

APA, Taiwanese Research 

Institute Join Forces 

APA and a Ministry of Interior Research 

Continued on page 24 

British Columbia Business Trends 

Frank A. Johnston Mark Lorber Thomas Meadows 

Frank Allen Mark Lorber T h o m a s 

Johnston serves 

on the board of 

coordinates purchases 

of all lumber 

Meadows holds 

the position of 

directors for 

boards for purchaser and 

North Pacific, Gilcrest/Jewett manager for Ace 

headquartered in Lumber Co. in Hardware and 

Portland, Ore., Waukee, Iowa, B u i l d i n g 

and is the senior as well as plywood 

Center, located 

vice president 

and deck- 

in Blue Ridge, 

and manager of ing. 

Ga. 

the company’s Gilcrest/Jewett’s Ace offers a 

Continued on page 26 Continued on page 22 Continued on page 22 Continued on page 26 

Group Lobbies For Wood 

Based Fuels 

The Southeastern Lumber 

Manufacturers Assoc. Inc. (SLMA) 

recently joined the Cellulosic Biofuels 

Working Group, whose mission it is to 

establish itself as the voice for federal 

policies that promote the rapid commercialization 

of cellulosic fuels. Other 

founding members include Plum Creek, 

Waste Management and several technology 

companies. This group was of 

interest to SLMA due to its focus, which 

is closely aligned with the interests of 

SLMA, noted an association report. 

SLMA has noted that enabling biomass 

legislation may emerge from the 2007 

Farm Bill. The association has stated 

that there are a number of biomass and 

energy-related bills in addition to the 

Farm Bill intact and the group speculates 

that more legislation will emerge. 

SLMA has gone on record endorsing 

Chambliss Bill, S. 386, which includes a 

set-aside to help commercialize cellulosic 

ethanol quicker than under current 

law. 

Larry Petree 

Larry Petree 

recently joined 

Lazy S Lumber, 

located in 

Beavercreek, 

Ore., as the 

resource manager. 

Lazy S Lumber 

specializes in 

Tight Knot 

The 

Washington 

Scene 

Judge Tosses Environmental Case 

According to a report released by the 

American Forest Resources Center, a 

U.S. District Judge Garr King dismissed 

a case levied by the Northwest 

Environmental Defense Center claiming 

the State of Oregon, as well as numerous 

private timber companies, were 

required to obtain Clean Water Act 

(CWA) permits in order to use forest 

roads. 

Plaintiffs alleged roads, ditches and 

culverts were sources for discharge of 

storm water, which is commonly regarded 

as a pollutant. King found that forest 

roads are not such point sources 

because the alleged discharges fall 

under the silvicultural regulations for the 

CWA. 

Finding Funds For Timber 

Industry Communities 

Rural schools and roads in Alaska 

recently came under threat of losing millions 

of dollars in government funds in a 

confrontation between the White House 

and congressional Democrats over withdrawing 

U.S. troops from Iraq. 

Alaska senators have sought extensive 

For more Information regarding BC Wood Specialities Group, visit 

www.bcwood.com 

Recent articles on trends in the British 

Columbia wood products industry have 

generally dealt with lumber shipments 

and what was going on in the primary 

sector in regard to production and sales. 

As a new contributor, BC Wood 

Specialties Group will vary the focus of 

this column and try to bring you the latest 

on what’s happening in the primary 

sector and how these trends are affecting 

B.C.’s secondary manufacturing 

industry. 

Many issues have plagued the forest 

products industry for the past couple of 

years including the Softwood 

lumber dispute, the ravaging 

mountain pine beetle epidemic, 

the shortage of raw materials, the 

consolidation of mills (particularly 

in the interior of B.C.), the political 

concerns over the environment 

and the shortage of labor, to 

name a few. 

Most of these issues or concerns are 

cyclical but cannot be ignored or 

brushed aside by simply stating the 

obvious. They are real and at the time, 

affect the communities, job security and 

livelihood of many B.C. residents. 

The primary wood products industry is 

a huge contributor to B.C.’s GDP – and 

as such, will always be an important and 

valuable sector worth sustaining. The 

B.C. government is proud of the fact that 

it holds one of the best records in the 

world for ecological and sustainable 

management of its forest and timberlands, 

ensuring many eras of productive 

industry and employment for this sector. 

In fact, B.C. logs less than 1 percent of 

its forests annually from an area twice 

as big as all of the New England states 

and New York state combined. 

As evident in many other jurisdictions, 

B.C. can no longer readily expand forest 

sector production and employment by 

drawing on additional timber reserves, 

so it is seeking to expand secondary 

(value-added) manufacturing in forest 

products. 

Fundamentals in the forest sector are 

increasingly challenging commodity 

grade products. With access to timber 

often decreasing, the cost of access 

increasing, technology shifting demand 

to competing factors of production, substitute 

products driving down demand 

and reducing margins and the public’s 

demand for sustainability create investment 

uncertainty. These conditions, 

among others, have fostered a strong 

interest in creating conditions that 

encourage secondary manufacturing. 

This interest is typical to most jurisdictions, 

including those with an indigenous 

timber base, but also to those limited to 

imported timber. 

The Secondary Wood Products 

Industry in B.C. 

In many jurisdictions worldwide there is 

a commitment to increasing direct 

employment from the timber that is 

being harvested. Secondary manufacturing 

provides such additional economic 

activity from a given harvest volume. 

BC Wood Specialties Group is a notfor-profit 

trade association offering marketing 

assistance and program development 

for the value-added wood products 

industry in B.C. Along with Federal & 

Provincial government partners, their 

goal is to assist the industry in developing 

export market opportunities outside 

of Canada and has offices and staff in 

Europe, Japan, China, Korea and the 

U.S. Headquartered in Langley, B.C., 

the organization represents the following 

secondary manufacturing sectors: 

Cabinets, Furniture, Engineered Wood 

Products, Millwork, Remanufactured 

Products, Pre-built Structures and the 

Log Home & Timber Frame industry. 

Already an almost $3 billion a year 

industry employing over 14,000 workers 

in B.C., the province’s goal is to grow 

sales in these sectors to $4 billion by 

2010. 

From indications in a study underway 

of the secondary wood products industry 

in B.C., the number one concern for secondary 

manufacturers is finding a continuous 

source of quality fibre. “Since 

the industry survey has literally taken 

place over the past couple of months, it 

is likely that the current situation of wood 

shortage has had an impact on the survey 

responses” said Brian Hawrysh, 

CEO, BC Wood. That said, 58% of the 

firms taking part in the study are planning 

to expand their business and 

increase their capacity between 2007 – 

2009. 

Mergers and acquisitions over the past 

few years, particularly in the reman and 

engineered wood products sectors, indicate 

that there are now fewer companies 

in the province, but suggest little 

change in employment numbers. 

The study also verified that B.C.’s secondary 

manufacturers sell about 45% of 

Continued on page 25 Continued on page 25

May/June 2007 Page 3 

Table of Contents 

FEATURES: 

CLA Convention Attracts Registrants . . .1 

NELMA’s Convention Attracts Hundreds 1 

Speakers Address WWPA Members . . . . . . . .1 

LAT Event Includes Gala At Historic Home . .1 

NAWLA Regionals Attracts Hundreds . .1 

Building Affordable Dreams In K.C. . . . .4 

All-Coast Forest Products Inc. . . . . . . .13 

Pacific Western Wood Works . . . . . . . .18 

BCWLA Members Elect Officers . . . . .19 

Seaboard Hosts NELMA Reception . . .20 

Richardson Lumber & Manufacturing Co. . .21 

NACI Hockey Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 

DEPARTMENTS: 

Who’s Who in Softwoods. . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Washington Scene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Speakers Announced For EWTA. . . . . . . 2 

British Columbia Business Trends. . . . 2 

Retail Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 & 6 

West Coast Business Trends. . . . . . . . 9 

Midwest Business Trends . . . . . . . . . . 9 

South/Southeast Business Trends . . . . . 29 

Ontario/Quebec Business Trends . . . . . 29 

Western Business Trends. . . . . . . . . . 30 

Northeast Business Trends. . . . . . . . . 30 

Stock Exchange . . . . . . . . . . 43, 44 & 45 

Trade Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

Softwood Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 

Classified Opportunities . . . . . . . 53 & 54 

Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 

 

 

 

 

 

A Bi-Monthly newspaper serving 

North America’s Softwood Forest Products Buyers 

Published by 

Softwood Trade Publications, Inc. 

1235 Sycamore View P. O. Box 34908 

Memphis, Tenn. 38134 

Tel. (901) 372-8280 FAX (901) 373-6180 

Web Site: http://www.softwoodbuyer.com 

E-Mail: mktgsubs@millerpublishing.com 

E-Mail: editor@millerpublishing.com 

E-Mail: stokes@millerpublishing.com 

Wayne Miller - President/Executive Editor 

Gary Miller - Vice President/Managing Editor 

Paul Miller Jr. - Vice President/Assistant Managing Editor 

Terry Miller - Vice President/Associate Editor 

Doug Knowles - Vice President/Editor 

Canada & Northeastern U.S. 

Tel: (705) 750-1940 Fax: (705) 750-0677 

E-Mail: dgkwood@yahoo.com 

Carolyn Higginbotham - Marketing Director 

Paul Miller Sr. - Secretary/Treasurer 

Rachael Stokes - Advertising Manager 

Sue Putnam - Editorial Director 

David Owens - Associate Editor 

John M. Gray Jr. - Production/Art Director 

Walter Lee - Production/Asst. Art Director 

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 81 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 • The Classified Exchange • 

Dimension & Wood Components Buyer’s Guide 

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The publisher reserves the right to accept or 

reject editorial content and Advertisements at 

the staff’s discretion.

Page 4 

Building Affordable Dreams in Kansas City 


By Clare Adrian 

Cash Bargain’s Wally Binney, flanked by co-owner sister, Betsy Calcara and 

daughter, Erin. 

Kansas City, Kan.—The American 

dream comes in all shapes and sizes 

with reveries of home ownership held 

high on the list of aspirations. For immigrants 

that settle in the Kansas City 

area, the dream is more frequently an 

affordable reality than if they had to purchase 

all new materials to build a starter 

home. For over 75 years, Cash Bargain 

Builders Surplus has been supplying 

discounted building materials to immigrants, 

landlords, the retrofitters and 

rehabbers, section eight housing 

Manager Beverly Boldez, has worked at the company for 21 years, and 

Barry Findley has been in the door department for 30 years. 

renters, anyone at the lower end of the 

economic spectrum wanting to save 

what they can while getting the supplies 

they need. 

With some variability, depending on 

what is available, the inner city-based 

company is consistently well-stocked 

with anything and everything to rehab, 

repair or remodel a home or property, 

according to Wally Binney, who co-owns 

the business with his sister, Betsy 

Calcara. An assortment of surplus offgrade 

lumber, damaged doors, used 

Binney purchases 270,000 board feet per year of No. 2 or better, 

untreated dimensional wood. 

windows, off-grade sidings and plywood, mis-tinted paint, oriented strandboard, 7/16 

waferboard, Yellow Pine, plywoods and siding are forklifted into a 60,000 square foot 

warehouse for customers to peruse. “We’re at the mercy of what’s out there,” said 

Binney, who is on the phone continuously with brokers. “We get it in and advertise.” 

An affiliation with Do-It-Best Hardware fills in the gaps with a consistent full line of hardware, 

plumbing and electrical. 

Dimensional lumber is the most cost effective framing material anyway, so there’s no 

need to compromise the compressive strength of the skeletal structure. Binney purchases 

270,000 board feet per year of No. 2 & Better, untreated dimensional wood, usually 

Canadian SPF from reputable distributors, such as Bluelinx out of their Denver office 

and Cedar Creek in Tulsa. 

“Somebody’s got to be here,” said Binney, who, along with his sister, Betsy, has expanded 

the business to four locations in a circumference around the greater Kansas City 

The back warehouse stores economy grade studs, 

available in 1x4-8 ft., No. 3. 

DURGIN 

CROWELL 

TRIED AND TRUE. 

Manufacturers of Quality Eastern White Pine 

area, all in depressed neighborhoods, 

one in northeast Kansas City, 

Independence, Raytown and Kansas 

City, Kansas, built up over the past 15 

years. The company motto is “good stuff 

cheap,” in 75 years of meeting needs of 

the underserved economic level communities. 

The customer demographic is 

largely Hispanics, African-Americans 

and Vietnamese. When Binney’s grandfather 

Walter Harriman started the business, 

it was mostly Polish and Italian. 

Harriman needed a bit of turf to stack 

the lumber he and brother Whitney were 

accumulating by tearing down buildings 

in Kansas City. It was 1932, during the 

depths of the Depression when he bid on 

the original plot that occupies a city block 

facing Truman Road in the northeast 

section of the city. “The seller wanted 

$2,000, but grandfather offered the most, 

a grand total of $600. He had saved the 


A treated dimension lumber store is situated outside 

in the lumberyard compound. 

• 30 Million BD FT of Production 

• 630,000 BD FT of Dry Kiln Capacity 

• Inline Moisture Detectors 

• Waco 30 XL Moulder 

• Modernized Cut Up Shop 

DURGIN & CROWELL LUMBER CO. 

231 Fisher Corner Rd. 

New London, NH 03257 

P: 603-763-2860 

F: 603-763-4498 

www.durginandcrowell.com


The Home Depot Names 

President for China Retail 

Operations 

A t l a n t a , G a . a n d S h a n g h a i , 

C h i n a —The Home Depot ® the 

world’s largest home improvement 

retailer, recently announced the 

appointment of Yves Chen as president 

of The Home Depot’s retail operations 

in China. He will report directly 

to Annette Verschuren, president, The 

Home Depot 

Asia and 

Canada. 

Yves Chen 

brings 19 

years of 

global retail 

and management 

experience 

to his new 

role. Most 

recently, he 

served as the executive president of 

the Beijing Hualian Group, a leading 

Chinese retailer. Prior to that, he held 

a variety of executive positions in 

China and France with Carrefour ® and 

Promodes ® , two leading French retailers. 

Yves holds a bachelor’s degree 

from the Beijing Chemical 

Engineering Institute, as well as a 

master’s degree from Ecole Nationale 

Superieure des Industries Chimiques 

and a Ph.D. from Institut National 

Polytechnique de Lorraine, both universities 

in Nancy, France. 

The Home Depot announced its 

acquisition of Home Way on Dec. 13, 

2006. The transaction received the 

necessary Chinese government regulatory 

approvals and closed on Dec. 

15. As a result of the acquisition, the 

company now employs approximately 

3,000 associates across 12 stores in 

six cities in China, including Tianjin, 

Beijing, Xi’an, Qingdao, Shenyang 

and Zhengzhou. 

The Home Depot ® is the world’s 

largest home improvement specialty 

retailer, with 2,159 retail stores in all 

50 states, the District of Columbia, 

Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, 10 

Canadian provinces, Mexico and 

China. Through its HD Supply businesses, 

The Home Depot is also one 

of the largest diversified wholesale 

distributors in the United States, with 

nearly 1,000 locations in the United 

States and Canada offering products 

and services for building, improving 

and maintaining homes, businesses 

and municipal infrastructures. In fiscal 

2005, The Home Depot had sales of 

$81.5 billion and earnings of $5.8 billion. 

• 

Orchard Supply Goes Green 

San Jose, Calif.—Orchard Supply 

Hardware (OSH), the 85-store home 

improvement and gardening chain 

with locations throughout California, is 

expanding its efforts to help the environment. 

Following last month’s launch of an 

“Earth Friendly” logo, designed to 

draw attention to green products in its 

stores, the San Jose-based chain is 

making several changes to its distribution 

center. 

Changes include the re-lamping of 

the Tracy, Calif.-based distribution 

center with energy efficient lights; the 

ordering of eight new “green” tractors 

to replace aging an inefficient equipment 

in the fleet; and the recycling of 

an extensive amount of packaging 

material and plastic from the distribution 

center, vendors and store returns. 

“Our efforts toward environmentallyfriendly 

products and initiatives, both 

in our stores as well as at an operational 

level, reflect our desire to be a 

good corporate citizen while at the 

RETAIL REVIEW 

same time meeting the needs of our 

customers,” said OSH vice president 

of supply chain Mike Racer. “We have 

seen some real progress in this area 

as a company and will continue to 

look for ways to incorporate earthfriendly 

initiatives in both our product 

offerings and operations.” 

OSH has been involved in other 

efforts to help the environment, including 

partnering with a number of 

California counties to offer environmental 

education and customer programs, 

fluorescent bulb and rechargeable 

battery recycling, product 

rebates and pollution-reduction education. 

OSH is also a statewide partner 

of Our Water, Our World, which is 

a consortium of water quality protection 

agencies. 

In addition to appearing in customer 

communications, the Earth Friendly 

logo is being used on shelf signage in 

departments, such as garden, nursery, 

electrical, plumbing, hardware, 

outdoor power, appliances and 

housewares. 

• 

Lowe’s Opens New Stores 

Buckeye, Ariz.—Employees of the 

new, have been busy recently stocking 

more than 40,000 items to successfully 

open the new store by the 

end of April. 

The new superstore has 116,000 

square feet of retail sales space, with 

an adjacent garden center, stocking 

40,000 different items to help customers 

build, improve and beautify 

their homes. A store of this size represents 

an average investment for the 

company of $18.5 million and creates 

up to 175 new jobs. 

Lowe’s also recently opened new 

locations similar in size to the 

Buckeye property in Wilmington, 

Delware, Palm Coast, Fla., Milton, 

Fla., Brampton, Ont., Gilbert, Ariz., 

Apopka, Fla. and Flemington, N.J. 

Additionally, Lowe’s Cos. expects 

new store openings this winter in 

Show Low, Ariz., and early next year 

in N. Visalia, Calif. The company 

hopes to anchor a 275,000-squarefoot 

commercial center planned for a 

former landfill in Anaheim, Calif. 

Lowe’s new distribution center in 

Lebanon, Ore., is due to begin receiving 

products in May. Shipping to the 

new distribution center is due to begin 

in June. 

• 

Ace Records Banner Year 

Oak B rook, Ill.—Ace Hardware 

Corp. recently announced banner 

sales after netting $105.5 million in 

2006, up 5.1 percent from 2005. 

According to Ace’s records, domestic 

revenue was up 6.2 percent and the 

chain opened 188 new stores in the 

United States, or the equivalent of one 

every 48 hours. The opening of a new 

80,000-square-foot retail support center 

and distribution warehouse in 

Moxee, Wash., fueled sales in the 

Pacific Northwest region of the country. 

Also, international revenue rose 13.3 

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Page 6 

Continued from page 5 

and merchandising concepts and will 

be more appealing to women — who 

make up 40 percent of True Value 

shoppers. 

Included in the format are updated 

and expanded merchandise sections 

including new displays for nuts and 

bolts, power tools, decorative hardware 

and home decoration. True 

Value had some of the proposed 

departments, including nuts and bolts 

and decorative hardware, on display 

at last week’s spring market in 

Chicago. 

Although the exact dimensions of the 

store have not been determined, the 

co-op said it will be larger than the 

average 8,600-square-foot True Value 

store. 

“This store is being built by our merchants, 

two-foot by two-foot, looking 

at each line of merchandise and first 

determining whether the line should 

be in a basic hardware and paint 

store, then determining the size of the 

assortment needed to be relevant to 

our customers,” True Value chief 

executive officer Lyle Heidemann told 

members during the co-op’s spring 

market. 

The prototype—which will be availpercent. 

Ace Hardware opened its first 

overseas warehouse in 2006, which is 

located in Shanghai, China. This facility 

will serve as the buying office of 

Ace Global Distribution, which was 

previously located in Hong Kong. 

• 

True Value Opens 

Model Store 

Cary, Ill.—True Value is building a 

full-scale model store inside its paint 

warehouse in Cary, Ill., and hopes to 

test the format this summer. The 

model will be unveiled to members at 

the co-op’s fall market in Atlanta in 

October. 

According to True Value, the new prototype 

will feature innovative design 

RETAIL REVIEW 

able in three templates, depending on 

the size of the market—is the basis for 

the co-op’s “Retail Growth” initiative, 

which offers loans, credit and other 

incentives to help co-op members add 

square footage to their operations. 

Heidemann said the company hopes 

to open or expand one store per week 

by mid-2007 and two stores per week 

by mid-2008, and that 1.5 million 

square feet of retail selling space will 

be added over the next three years. 

“Although we’re not finished determining 

the exact size of the store, the 

sales, gross margin, inventory 

requirements or the exact product 

lines that will be recommended, I can 

tell you that we’re well on our way, and 

the members who have had a chance 

to walk through the store feel we’re 

going in the right direction,” 

Heidemann said. 

• 

Pro-Build Purchases 

Merit Millwork 

B r o k e n A r r o w , O k l a . —Home 

Lumber & Supply, the subsidiary of 

Pro-Build Holdings, has acquired 

Houston-based Merit Millwork. At 

press time for this issue of The 

Softwood Forest Products Buyer, 

terms of the agreement had not been 

disclosed. 

Merit Millwork operates two facilities 


that provide builders in the Houston 

area access to stock inventories and 

custom manufacturing capabilities. 

“We believe the addition of Merit will 

help Hope provide our customers with 

the most comprehensive ‘whole product’ 

millwork solution in Houston,” said 

Jim Cavanaugh, president of Pro- 

Build South. 

When the acquisition has been completed, 

Merit will be known as Hope 

Lumber & Supply. The owner and 

chief executive officer of Merit 

Millwork, Jim Darling, will remain with 

the company and will join Hope’s 

management team in Houston. 

Hope Lumber operates more than 40 

locations serving more than 6,000 

professional contractors throughout 

the central and southwestern United 

States. Pro-Build Holdings is the 

nation’s largest pro dealer, with more 

than 500 lumber and building product 

distribution, manufacturing and 

assembly centers throughout the 

country. Pro-Build trades under several 

regional brands, including: United 

Building Centers, Spenard Builders 

Supply, Lumbermens, Hope Lumber 

and Supply, Home Lumber, Dixieline 

Lumber, F. E. Wheaton & Co., Strober 

Building Supply, U.S. Components 

and Contractor Yard. 

• 

Stock Announces Closures 

of 22 Stores 

Raleigh, N.C.—Citing a downturn 

in American home construction, Stock 

Building Supply has announced the 

closure of 22 stores this year. 

Stock’s announcement stated it will 

close stores where the market no 

longer sufficiently justifies investment. 

The closings will eliminate 200 jobs. 

Stock spokeswoman Denise Waters 

said efforts to relocate many employees 

to other stores are being made. 

The company did not provide a complete 

timeline for the closures. 

Waters added that the stores that will 

close can be serviced by larger Stock 

stores in the same market, “ensuring 

we can continue to provide the same 

high levels of service to customers in 

these areas. The company will continue 

to review costs in response to 

changing market conditions.” 

Some store locations slated to close 

include: Mundelein, Ill.; Fort Wayne, 

Indianapolis and Richmond, Ind.; 

Cadillac, Hillman, Kalkaska, N. 

Oakland, Plainwell and Reed City, 

Mich.; Lindstrom and Rush City, 

Minn.; Springfield, Ohio; Norfolk, Va.; 

Janesville and Princeton, Wis. 

Stock is a top U.S. supplier of lumber 

and building materials to contractors. 

The Raleigh, N.C.-based company 

now operates 314 locations in 33 

states, with reported sales of $4.1 billion 

for fiscal 2005. Stock is a subsidiary 

of Wolseley plc of Theale, 

England, which had same-year sales 

of more than $20 billion. 

In 1999, Carolina Holdings, which a 

year later changed its name to Stock 

Building Supply, bought six Wolohan 

Lumber locations in northern Illinois 

and southern and central Wisconsin, 

including the Wolohan store in 

Janesville. 

• 

V i s i t 

Us on the 

W E B @ 

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FOREST GROVE LUMBER. Outstanding forest products. People with heart. 

Accuruff, the Accuruff logo, Tru-Dry, the Tru-Dry logo and the FGL logo are registered trademarks of Forest Grove Lumber Company, Inc. © Copyright 2007. 

www.fglco.com

Page 8 

NAWLA NAPA PHOTOS - Continued from page 1 


Chuck Nortness, North Pacific, Napa, Calif.; Jim Enright, Rosboro 

Lumber Co., Stockton, Calif.; and Mike Griffin and Brian Keefer, North 

Pacific 

Jim Decker, North Pacific, Napa, Calif.; Nick Kent, NAWLA, Rolling 

Meadows, Ill.; Ethel and Tom Rice, Conner Industries Inc., Ft. Worth, Texas; 

and Wayne Miller, The Softwood Forest Products Buyer, Memphis, Tenn. 

Steve Fischer, Genelle Frontin, Becky Scarratt and Mike Arnold, North 

Pacific, Napa, Calif. 

Craig Adair, APA–The Engineered Wood Assoc., Tacoma, Wash.; Gregg 

Wilkinson, North Pacific, Portland, Ore.; and Thom Wright and Bob Carlson, 

All-Coast Forest Products Inc., Cloverdale, Calif. 

Bob Carlson and Kent Bond, All-Coast Forest Products Inc., Cloverdale, 

Calif.; Denny McEntire and Paul Brateris, Harwood Products Inc., Branscomb, 

Calif.; and Mike Finck, All-Coast Forest Products Inc. 

NAWLA PORTLAND PHOTOS - Continued from page 1 

Ron Breedlove, All-Coast Forest Products Inc.; Mike Griffin, North Pacific, 

Napa, Calif.; and Darryl Turner, Stockton Wholesale Lumber Co. Inc., 

Stockton, Calif. 

Jon Anderson, Random Lengths, Eugene, Ore.; Michael Kirkelie and David 

Smith, Rosboro Lumber Co., Springfield, Ore.; and Wayne Miller, The 

Softwood Forest Products Buyer, Memphis, Tenn. 

Brian Smith and Gregg Wilkinson, North Pacific, Portland, Ore.; Troy 

Gilbert, Poly Chem Corp., Spokane, Wash.; and Bob Knott, System 

Transport Inc., Spokane, Wash. 

Monique Bauer, North Pacific, Portland, Ore.; Jim Talley, Blasen & 

Blasen Lumber Corp., Portland, Ore.; Dan Hoagland, Stimson Lumber 

Co., Portland, Ore.; and Jay Ross, North Pacific 

Joe Honochick, Karl Hallstrom, Brian Jones and Mark Grube, Zip-O-Log 

Mills Inc., Eugene, Ore. 

Kevin Dodds and Grant Phillips, Buckeye Pacific LLC, Portland, Ore.; Vince 

Mast, Hampton Lumber Sales, Portland, Ore.; James Weber, Cascade 

Structural Laminators, Eugene, Ore.; and Chris Cassard, North Pacific, 

Portland, Ore. 

Ned Olson, Western International Forest Products LLC, Portland, Ore.; 

Gordon King, retired, Hampton Lumber Sales, Portland, Ore.; and Glenn 

Lowe, Blasen & Blasen Lumber Corp., Portland, Ore. 

Rick Kelly and Bob Mai, Potlatch Corp., Lewiston, Idaho; Loren Krebs, 

Disdero Lumber Co. Inc., Clackamus, Ore.; and Lee Freeman, The Temperate 

Forest Foundation, Beaverton, Ore. 

Gunnar Brinck, Disdero Lumber Co. Inc., Clackamus, Ore.; Joe Nealon, Pacific 

Western Lumber Inc., Lakewood, Wash.; Rocky Mullen, Mullen Lumber Inc., 

Molalla, Ore.; and Dan Ettelstein, Disdero Lumber Co. Inc. 

Joe Honochick and Karl Hallstrom, Zip-O-Log Mills Inc., Eugene, Ore.; 

and Mike Phillips, Hampton Lumber Sales, Portland, Ore. 

Additional photos on page 10


West Coast 

Business Trends 


Executive Editor 

In mid-April, markets 

for commodity 

products were 

described as slow 

or soft by most 

suppliers due to 

over production of 

domestic supplies, 

continued supplies 

of imported material arriving from offshore, 

late winter weather in many parts 

of North America, and a slower economy 

than the same time last year. Specialty 

or niche products fared better; generally 

speaking. 

In West Bank, B.C., Andy Carr with 

Gorman Brothers, a board manufacturer, 

said, “Demand for our number two 

boards is very high and we are sold out 

the next six to eight weeks. One issue 

that’s fairly new for us is blue stain that 

is showing up more and more from beetle 

killed trees. It is getting harder to 

keep our log supply free of the blue stain 

as more of these killed trees are being 

harvested. In April we made a change 

in our prices after eight months of no 

change. Some pressure came off logs 

so we dropped the price of eight inch 

and increased the price of the 12-inch 

widths. We have an adequate log deck 

for this time of year and the quality of our 

logs is pretty good. However, by July we 

expect that we will see more blue stain 

coming in. We can’t avoid blue stain 

entirely, but we can pay higher prices 

and get more logs without the stain. 

Demand is huge for our boards. We get 

several calls a day from distributors we 

are not currently selling and we have to 

turn them away. Our focus remains supplying 

our distribution partners that we 

have ongoing relationships with. Almost 

all of them would like more of our product 

than we have to supply.” 

Robert Sandive of Haida Forest 

Products, Burnaby, B.C., said, “Our 

products are all of Cedar and we have a 

consistent order file, however we are 

short of a number of items due to lack of 

Cedar supply. Somehow we have managed 

to make up sales dollars from what 

we are able to make and what we do 

have to sell. Our overall shipments are 

actually higher in volume than this time 

last year, probably because we have 

been in business a long time and have 

well-established relationships with our 

suppliers. There is no doubt we could 

sell more products and volumes if we 

could get more supply. 

“Also there is a concern about high 

prices from end users. Prices seem to 

continue upward due to lack of adequate 

supplies. Will those ultimate buyers be 

willing to continue paying higher prices? 

The Cedar supply seems to be always 

shrinking. However, our bevel items and 

wavy item sales are up about 10 percent 

from last year. We are staying busy. 

Clears are really tight and we have had 

to raise our prices on clear items considerably. 

Clear export prices are up by 

a third since a year ago. For instance, a 

year ago 2x6 No. 2 Clear was at $2,150. 

Now it is $3,000, almost a 40 percent 

increase. Mills are having a difficult time 

as logs continue to go up in price. Mills 

have the most capital invested in our 

supply.” 

Sat Brar with Silver Creek, Matsqui, 

B.C., said, “Our Cedar shingle and 

shake mill has been shut down for the 

last three weeks due to lack of logs. We 

talked with our log guy and last week he 

said it will be two or three weeks before 

Cedar logs start to come out of the 

woods. Very few Cedar mills are running 

now. We ran consistently until three 

weeks ago. It is hard to know what 

demand is right now. We are getting 

inquiries but we cannot quote. I have 

been in Cedar sales for 10 years and I 

have never seen this situation before. 

Right now we face the highest prices we 

have ever seen for Cedar logs.” 

Doug Clitheroe, sales manager for 

Interfor, Maple Ridge, B.C., said, 

“Demand for Cedar was very good 

through 2006. We saw the best ship- 

ments in 2006 since 1999 in fact. This 

year we have a lot of harvest issues and 

much of the resulting problems are due 

to a tough and long winter causing a 

slower start up for Cedar mills. We have 

also seen a bad winter in the northeast 

which has considerably slowed demand. 

So, in my opinion, balance between supply 

and demand is not far off. There is 

not much inventory in the field or at mill 

levels right now. In our own Cedar mills, 

we are starting to get some logs in and 

our production is gearing up. We expect 

more and better production in May and 

June. Commodity products are ugly. 

Because of this, many wholesale or 

wholesale distribution companies are 

trying to shift gears and get into Cedar to 

improve sales and margins. Those companies 

that have not been in the Cedar 

market until now are finding it very difficult 

to make any inroads in their efforts 

to find material. Established suppliers 

are focusing on long term customers.” 

Dennis Wight, sales manager for 

Pacific Western Wood Works Ltd., 

Delta, B.C., said, “Demand for specialty 

Cedar products is there. However, the 

quality of logs has changed and the percentage 

of clear yield is less. We are 

seeing Cedar from our supplying mills 

free up a bit more—better than two or 

three months ago. However, I could 

make more money if I had more wood 

and better quality Cedar on hand. We 


Zip-O-Log Mills specializes in carefully 

crafted, high-quality timbers available in an 

impressive range of stock and custom sizes. 

We begin our quest for quality in the forest 

where Douglas fir trees are carefully 

selected and harvested. Then, each log is 

expertly milled by our skilled operators 

using specialized equipment. 

The resulting timbers are thoroughly 

inspected for exceptional appearance 

and quality. 

Midwest 


By Paul Miller Jr. 

Assistant 

Managing Editor 

Price gains for 

Ponderosa Pine 

and SPF stabilized 

in recent weeks as 

traders throughout 

the Midwest reported 

an increase in 

interest as buyers 

emerged from what the sources referred 

to as “the winter blues” when the market 

was considerably slower. 

The Upper Midwest appears to be the 

exception to a market that has shown 

gradual improvement. Distributors in the 

Upper region have reported a scarcity of 

jobs and orders in recent weeks. 

Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF) mill sources 

report they struggled in the early weeks 

of spring due to sluggish demand as 

wintry weather persisted well into April. 

This resulted in softened prices of some 

species throughout this area of the 

Midwest. However Nos. 1 and 2, 2x4 

SPF products have remained firm, and 

even gained slightly in price as of press 

time of this issue of The Softwood 

Forest Products Buyer. 

From forest to finish 

EUGENE, OREGON 

541-343-5854 

Mill sources reported receiving “modest 

to fair” offers on such products as SPF 

Nos. 1 and 2, while No. 3 2x4 SPF 

prices gained substantial ground by mid- 

April. Overall, though, sources categorize 

the market as lackluster and spotty, 

and all echoed hopes that the summer 

months will bring an uptick—however 

slight—in activity. 

Housing Horizon Projected 

Brighter In 2007 

When the National Assoc. of Home 

Builders (NAHB) recently released a 

report outlining exactly which regions of 

the country have suffered most during 

the “correction” phase of the housing 

industry, the Midwest topped the list. 

The good news is that the NAHB forecasts 

that the worst is nearly behind us; 

however, better days are about one year 

in the future. 

In fact, the NAHB reports that “the 

Midwest, which is the hardest hit region 

of the country due to some key markets 

that have been languishing because of 

weak local economies, aren’t likely to 

see brighter horizons until next year as 

job and income growth gradually 

improve.” 

The report notes that the correction that 

started last year has affected different 

markets to different degrees, “but even 

markets with signs of over-heating during 

the boom have slowed consider- 

Plus, Zip-O-Log is adept at handling 

your special requirements for kiln drying, 

surfacing, and more. 

We provide the right lumber specifications 

for your building needs, whether in full 

units or custom piece counts. And all 

orders are packaged, shipped and delivered 

on time with the utmost care. 

Contact Zip-O-Log today to find out why, 

when it comes to high-quality Douglas fir 

timbers, we’re simply outstanding. 

WWW.ZIPOLOG.COM 

Continued on page 28

Page 10 

NAWLA PORTLAND PHOTOS - Continued from page 8 


NAWLA ALABAMA PHOTOS - Continued from page 1 

Jerry Gustafson, retired, Tumac Lumber Co. Inc., Portland, Ore.; Gregg Riley, 

Bloch Lumber Co., Chicago, Ill.; and Ron Enyeart, Enyeart Trading Group 

LLC, Tigard, Ore. 

Steve Wearne and Pat Murphy, Pacific Western Lumber Inc., Lake Oswego, 

Ore.; Vince Mast, Hampton Lumber Sales, Portland, Ore.; Jacques Vaillancourt, 

ForesTel LLC, Portland, Ore.; and Mark Donovan, Forest City Trading Group 

LLC, Portland, Ore. 

Pat Ogletree, Steel City Lumber Co., Birmingham, Ala.; and Tom Rice and 

Chris Pierce, Conner Industries Inc., Ft. Worth, Texas. 

Bob Bell, Bolen-Brunson-Bell Lumber Co. Inc., Memphis, Tenn.; Nick Kent, 

NAWLA, Rolling Meadows, Ill.; and Wayne Miller, The Softwood Forest 

Products Buyer, Memphis, Tenn. 

Curt Stuckey, Kristy Bonds and Damen Glasgow, Wholesale Wood Products, 

Birmingham, Ala. 

Bob Anderson, Gulf Lumber Co., Mobile, Ala.; and Major Allred, American 

Lumber Distributors & Brokers Inc., Birmingham, Ala. 

Tyler McShan and Dina Fuller, McShan Lumber Co. Inc., McShan, Ala.; James 

Fickle, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tenn.; and Grover Allgood, McShan 

Lumber Co. Inc. 

James Fickle, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tenn.; Bob Anderson, Gulf 

Lumber Co., Mobile, Ala.; Jim McGinnis, The McGinnis Lumber Co. Inc., 

Meridian, Miss.; and Walter Russell, American Lumber Distributors & Brokers 

Inc., Birmingham, Ala. 

Rhett Jourdan, Birmingham International Forest Products LLC, Birmingham, 

Ala.; and Billy Reed and Dwight Patterson, Stringfellow Lumber Co. LLC, 

Birmingham, Ala. 

Joe Patton, Westervelt Lumber, Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Don Fisher, Stringfellow 

Lumber Co. LLC, Birmingham, Ala.; Lawrence Newton, U.S. Lumber Group 

Inc., Duluth, Ga.; and Larry Korey, U.S. Lumber Group Inc., Bessemer, Ala. 

Charlie Quarles, McShan Lumber Co. Inc., McShan, Ala.; Jimmy Hardy, 

Packaging Corp. of America, Tuscaloosa, Ala.; and Pat Thomasson, 

Thomasson Lumber Co., Philadelphia, Miss. 

Bob Gervan and Martha Verazain, Teal-Jones Group, Surrey, B.C.; and Dalton 

Lewis, AFA Forest Products Inc., Steveston, B.C. 

NAWLA VANCOUVER PHOTOS - Continued from page 1 

Ted Smith, Gilbert Smith Forest Products Ltd., Barriere, B.C.; Brian Elcock, 

Welco Lumber Corp., Vancouver, B.C.; Ray Pauwels, Skana Forest Products 

Ltd., Richmond, B.C.; and Vince Bulic, Yaletown Lumber Co., Vancouver, B.C. 

Bill Reedy, Gormon Bros., West Bank, B.C.; Stacey Woldt, NAWLA, Rolling 

Meadows, Ill.; Scott Stockton, Selkirk Specialty Wood Ltd., Revelstoke, B.C.; 

and Don Haid, Weyerhaeuser Hardwoods & Industrial Products, Federal Way, 

Wash. 

Les Timar and Chris Young, Woodtone Building Products, Chilliwack, B.C.; 

John Bennett, Norman G. Jensen Inc., Phoenix, Ariz.; and Diane Hackman, 

Norman G. Jensen Inc., Blaine, Wash. 



North American Wholesale Lumber Association 

Helping build a foundation of superb customer\supplier 

relationships for the good of our entire industry! 

North American 

Wholesale Distribution 

The essential & valuable link in the 

Forest Products Industry Channel 

OSB 

Boards 

Decking 

Fibre Cement 

Panel Products 

Engineered Wood 

Paints & Coatings 

Dimension Lumber 

Screws & Fasteners 

DISTRIBUTION 

MANUFACTURE 

MDF 

Reloads 

Millwork 

Hardwood 

Transportation 

Paints & Stains 

Building Materials 

Computer Software 

Composite Products 

Watch our website, www.nawla.org for updates on upcoming events, 

including the 2007 NAWLA Traders Market ® , to be held 

November 15-17 at the Hilton Anatole, Dallas, Texas. 

The NAWLA Traders Market ® 

327 Exhibiting Companies 

Almost 2000 Attendees 

Are You Planning to Attend? 

WHERE SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION MEET 

Visit www.nawla.org 

or call 847-870-7470

Page 12 


NAWLA VANCOUVER PHOTOS - Continued from page 10 

Mark Kenny, Double Tree Forest Products Ltd., Burnaby, B.C.; and Sandy and 

Dirk Kunze and Thor Bjarnason, Wynndel Box & Lumber Co. Ltd., Wynndel, 

B.C. 

Ted Willis, Pat Power Forest Products Corp., Port Coquitlam, B.C.; Randy 

Brown, RB Lumber Co., Phoenix, Ariz.; Gary Knight, RB Lumber Co., Oregon 

City, Ore.; Susan Fitzsimmons, Snavely Forest Products, Pittsburgh, Pa.; and 

Rick Allen, Central Cedar Ltd., Surrey, B.C. 

Mike Dunnigan, Scotiabank, Vancouver, B.C.; Val Nielsen, Pelican Bay Forest 

Products Inc., Bend, Ore.; and Mark Pickering, Selkirk Specialty Wood Ltd., 

Revelstoke, B.C. 

Keith Eslinger, Redtree Cedar Products Ltd., Nanoose, B.C.; Ray Pauwels, 

Skana Forest Products Ltd., Richmond, B.C.; and Bob Dewald, Reid & Wright 

Inc., Broomfield, Colo. 

Randy Brown, RB Lumber Co., Phoenix, Ariz.; Al Fitzpatrick, Fraser Pulp 

Chips Ltd., Surrey, B.C.; and Ron Helmer and Bryan Lundstrom, Davron 

Forest Products Ltd., Langley, B.C. 

Gary Authur, Haida Forest Products Ltd., Burnaby, B.C.; Peter Giroday, 

Pacific Lumber Remanufacturing Inc., Surrey, B.C.; Dennis Wight, Pacific 

Western Wood Works Ltd., Delta, B.C.; and Will Barber, International Forest 

Products Corp.–Canada, Vancouver, B.C. 

Larry Petree, Lazy S Lumber Inc., Beaver Creek, Ore.; Chris Retherford, 

Columbia Cedar Inc., Kettle Falls, Wash.; Ian Wight, Pacific Western Wood 

Works Ltd., Delta, B.C.; and Dave Duncan, Lazy S Lumber Inc. 

Jeff Derby, WFP Lumber Sales Ltd., Vancouver, B.C.; Todd Fox, Lazy S Lumber 

Inc., Beaver Creek, Ore.; and Tom Mitchell, Independent Dispatch Inc., 

Portland, Ore. 

Greg Smith, Gilbert Smith Forest Products Ltd., Barriere, B.C.; Randi Walker, 

BC Wood, Langley, B.C.; Robert Gruhlke, Welco Lumber Co. USA, Shelton, 

Wash.; and Ian Wight, Pacific Western Wood Works Ltd., Delta, B.C. 

Ryan Furtado and Carlos Furtado, Sawarne Lumber Co. Ltd., Richmond, B.C.; 

Doug Clitheroe, International Forest Products Ltd., Maple Ridge, B.C.; and Jeff 

Derby, WFP Lumber Sales Ltd., Vancouver, B.C. 

Jim Gillis, Haida Forest Products Ltd., Burnaby, B.C.; Janet Wheeler, INTER- 

FOR, Maple Ridge, B.C.; and Kip Fotheringham, Welco Lumber Co., Vancouver, 

B.C. 

Wayne Miller, Softwood Forest Products Buyer, Memphis, Tenn.; Randi 

Walker, BC Wood, Langley, B.C.; Delane Ross and Julie Jones, Welco Lumber 

Co., Vancouver, B.C.; and Andy Rielley, Rielley Industrial Lumber Inc., West 

Vancouver, B.C. 

Glen Kump, Bakerview Forest Products Inc., Abbottsford, B.C.; Gordon Catt, 

Woodwise Lumber Ltd., North Vancouver, B.C.; and Rob Cook, Power Wood 

Corp., Surrey, B.C. 

Stewart Clark, Twin Rivers Cedar Products, Maple Ridge, B.C.; John Reed and 

Marc Irby, Enyeart Trading Group LLC, Tigard, Ore.; and Chad Findlay, West 

Bay Forest Products & Manufacturing Ltd., Langley, B.C. 

Jacquie Hess, ISIS Wood Products Solutions, Langley, B.C.; Brad Clarke, 

North American Reload, Cloverdale, B.C.; and Terry Neal, ISIS Wood Products 

Solutions. 

LAT PHOTOS - Continued from page 1 

Hanif Karmally, Teal-Jones Group, Surrey, B.C.; Pete McCracken, Patrick 

Lumber Co., Portland, Ore.; Martha Verazain, Teal-Jones Group; and Jim 

Rodway, Patrick Lumber Co. 

Armon Grumbles, John Butcher, Malory Hillhouse and Mack Seeton, 

Boise, Dallas, Texas 

Bob Maurer and Ryan Stembridge, Swanson Group Sales, Grants Pass, 

Ore. 



ALL-COAST Is All Quality, All the Time 

By Wayne Miiller 

Frank Bryant, Mike Finck, Jim Lewman, Trina Musgrave, Chad Gomon, 

Steve Locatelli, Tom Armstrong and Jim Frodsham are some members of 

the All-Coast sales team. 

Steve Bernardi, Linda Rowe and Nick Kent, President of NAWLA, take a 

mill tour and look at some Douglas Fir timbers ready for corbel cutting. 

Jorge Vargas, of All-Coast Forest Products Inc. in Cloverdale, Calif., 

moves solid-sawn timber products. 

Chae Yim runs the Stetson Ross 4A4 timber sizer and grading timbers 

after processing. 

Cloverdale, Calif.—The true test of 

quality is not what can be produced in 

special circumstances for special customers. 

Quality shows in consistency, 

when every customer is special. It is a 

100 percent commitment, 100 percent of 

the time. At All-Coast Forest Products 

Inc., a lumber wholesale distributor that 

is headquartered here, those words are 

not only said, but lived day in and day 

out. 

“You have to always strive to understand 

what you can do for customers to 

help them improve their business,” said 

Kent Bond, president of All-Coast. “We 

strive to do that and to find those 

answers, so we can shape our business 

to help our customers. The key is to 

understand what will help our customers 

make their businesses more successful.” 

The company handles a multitude of 

products, including: Softwood lumber, 

timbers, siding, trim and fascia products, 

decking and railing products, treated 

products, interior paneling, trim and finish 

products, hardwood lumber, solid 

sawn framing and engineered framing 

products, specialty and industrial products 

and unlimited standard and custom 

milling patterns. Main species offered by 

the company include Douglas Fir, Inland 

Pine, and Western SPF, Redwood, 

Western Red Cedar and Alaskan Yellow 

Cedar. 


Mark Bernardi is processing timbers through an Albany/COE bandmill. 

Patricia Santos, Maria Rodriguez, Salvador Rubio and Maria Chanure are 

producing Redwood finish products through a Mattison 229 moulder. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alejandro Delgado is grading finished Douglas Fir 

pattern lumber off of a Stetson Ross 610-A1 

matcher. 

Patricia Santos and Maria Rodriguez pull finished 

Western Red Cedar siding blanks off of the 

Mattison 229 moulder.

Page 14 


LAT PHOTOS - Continued from page 12 

Trent Tucker, Kory Klein, Jalie Spain, Telisa Marsh and Cody Douglas, 

Cedar Creek Lumber, Carrollton, Texas 

Joe Henley and Jim Powell, Potlatch Corp., Warren, Ark. 

Linwood Truitt and Chuck Harris, Custom Lumber Manufacturing Co., 

Dothan, Ala. 

Eddie Smalling, Richardson Lumber & Manufacturing Co., Dallas, Texas; Jalie 

Spain, Cedar Creek, Carrollton, Texas; Bobby Crowley and David Bratcher, 

Richardson Lumber & Manufacturing Co. 

Robin Gardner and Jill Shropshire, Boozer Laminated Beam Co., 

Anniston, Ala. 

Larry Toney, Foxworth-Gailbraith Lumber, Dallas, Texas; Melinda Howell 

and Wayne Miller, Martco Partnership, Alexandria, La. 

Geoff Ditto, Jim Roskopf, David Alvis, Martha Grissom, Susan Childers 

and David Ray, Temple-Inland, Austin, Texas 

Mike Potthoff, DMSI, Omaha, Neb.; and Peter Casals, LAT, Austin, Texas 

N ELMA PHOTOS - Continued from page 1 

Nancy Bloch, Progressive Solutions, Corte Madera, Calif.; Chris Jones 

and Charles Biffle, Framing Square Lumber Co., Midland, Texas 

Bob Pope, USNR, Montpelier, Vt.; Skip Hammond, Hammond Lumber 

Co., Belgrade, Maine; and George Weaver, Robbins Lumber Inc., 

Searsmont, Maine 

Jonathan French, Old Town Lumber Co. Inc., Kenduskeag, Maine; Dan 

Harrison, Cersosimo Lumber Co. Inc., Brattleboro, Vt.; and Lorin Rydstrom, 

Seaboard International Forest Products LLC, Nashua, N.H. 

Matt Duprey, Hancock Lumber Co., Casco, Maine; and Susan Skorich 

and Mark Palmer, North American Wholesale Lumber Assoc., Rolling 

Meadows, Ill. 

Tom Jenkins, Old Town Lumber Co. Inc., Kenduskeag, Maine; and Kim 

Haven and Barry Hodgkin, Simply Computing International, 

Scarborough, Maine. 

Ann and Jim Robbins, Robbins Lumber Inc., Searsmont, Maine; Matt Demers 

and Hannah Verboom, Demers Lumber, Dieppe, N.B.; and Peter Crowell, 

Durgin & Crowell Lumber Co. Inc., New London, N.H. 

Tina and John Mininger, Sherwood Forest Products Ltd., Quakertown, 

Pa.; and Steve Holmes, Valley Machine Works Ltd., Nackawic, N.B. 

Additional photos on pages 16

March/April 2007 Page 15

Page 16 


N ELMA PHOTOS - Continued from page 14 

Charlie Cary, Biomass Combustion Systems Inc., Worcester, Mass.; 

Trina Francesconi, Sandy Neck Traders, South Dennis, Mass.; and Joe 

Tardiff, Cersosimo Lumber Co. Inc., Brattleboro, Vt. 

B Manning, Durgin & Crowell Lumber Co. Inc., New London, N.H.; Emilie 

Boulay, MULTISAC, Division Workman Packaging Inc., Montreal, Que.; Doug 

Britton, Britton Lumber Co. Inc., Fairlee, Vt.; and Julie Longanecker, Wagner 

Electronic Products Inc., Rogue River, Ore. 

Chuck Gaede, Durgin & Crowell Lumber Co. Inc., New London, N.H.; 

Erin Cook, Mill Direct Sales Inc., Manhattan, N.Y.; and Alisa Conroy and 

John Rooks, Dwell Creative, Portland, Maine 

Ed Downes, Downes & Reader Hardwood Co. Inc., Stoughton, Mass.; 

Kevin Hynes, Hancock Lumber Co., Casco, Maine; and Evelyn and Hal 

Smith, HESCO Inc., Plymouth, Mass. 

Tom and Rebekah Bingham, Bingham Lumber Inc., Brookline, N.H.; Chuck 

Gaede, Durgin & Crowell Lumber Co. Inc., New London, N.H.; Joakim 

Wahlstrom, Seaboard International Forest Products LLC, Nashua, N.H.; and 

Peter Crowell, Durgin & Crowell Lumber Co. Inc. 

Doug Britton, Britton Lumber Co. Inc., Fairlee, Vt.; Larry and Nancy 

Huot, DiPrizio Pine Sales Inc., Middleton, N.H.; and Vern McIntire, Cote 

& Reney Lumber Co. Inc., Grantham, N.H. 

Christian Doyle, Marcie Perry and Alan Johnson, DiPrizio Pine Sales 

Inc., Middleton, N.H. 

Thomas O’Keefe and Ron Lamell, Lamell Lumber Corp., Essex Junction, 

Vt.; and Jamie Place, Eastern Forest Products, Lyndeborough, N.H. 

Jeff Easterling, Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assoc. (NELMA), 

Cumberland, Maine; Tom Jenkins and Jonathan French, Old Town Lumber Co. 

Inc., Kenduskeag, Maine; and Prisco DiPrizio, P. DiPrizio Lumber, Rochester, 

N.H. 

Brett Anderson, J.D. Irving Ltd., Saint John, N.B.; Dan Holt, Eastern 

Forest Products, Lyndeborough, N.H.; Joakim Wahlstrom, Seaboard 

International Forest Products LLC, Nashua, N.H.; and Doug Chiasson, J. 

D. Irving Ltd. 

Rich and Julie Quitadamo, L.R. McCoy & Co. Inc., Worchester, Mass.; 

Jimmy Robbins, Robbins Lumber Inc., Searsmont, Maine; and Jessica 

and Scott Brown, DiPrizio Pine Sales Inc., Middleton, N.H. 

Leon Lavaude and Walter and Carol Young, Newman Lumber Co. Inc., 

Wells River, Vt.; and Rob Walsh, American International Forest 

Products, Beaverton, Ore. 

Bill Artigliere, Mid-State Lumber Corp., Branchburg, N.J.; Alden Robbins, 

Robbins Lumber Inc., Searsmont, Maine; Bob Edwards, Epperson Specialty 

Woods, Statesville, N.C.; and Terry Miller, The Softwood Forest Products 

Buyer, Memphis, Tenn. 

Dale Bradicich, USNR, Madison, N.C.; Charlie Lumbert, Moose River 

Lumber Co. Inc., Moose River, Maine; and Randy Caron, Caron 

Consulting, Garfield Plantation, Maine 

Ralph Hamel, Hamel Forest Products Inc., Vesper, Wis.; Russell Coulter, 

Hancock Lumber Co., Pittsfield, Maine; Roger Pukall, Pukall Lumber Co., 

Arbor Vitae, Wis.; and Bob Burns, H.G. Wood Industries Inc., Bath, N.H. 

CLA PHOTOS - Continued from page 1 

Win Smith Jr. and Allison Smith, Limington Lumber Co. Inc., East 

Baldwin, Maine; and Anne Moore and Kim Moore, Madison Lumber Mill 

Inc., Madison, N.H. 

Dennis and Caitlin Connelly, PrimeTECH, Grafton, Mass.; and George 

Weaver, Robbins Lumber Inc., Searsmont, Maine 

Peter Duerden, U•C Coatings Corp., Buffalo, N.Y.; and Paul Cramp, 

Stanley Knight Limited, Meaford, Ont. 


May/June 2007 Page 17

Page 18 


Product Diversity Propels PACIFIC WESTERN WOOD WORKS LTD. 


Kate Acton handles all shipping, receiving and general office work at 

PWWW. 

Dennis Wight stands by packaged product at PWWW, which employs up 

to 25 people during peak summer months. 

Ian Wight, president of Pacific Western Wood Works Ltd. (PWWW) pauses 

with son Dennis, sales/operations manager for the company. 

Delta, B.C.—All three acres of Pacific Western Wood 

Works Ltd.’s (PWWW) location here is paved asphalt, one 

of many product control practices this small Western Red 

Cedar product manufacturer utilizes to maximize quality for 

its North American customers. 

PWWW sells a variety of milled WRC lumber products, 

including CLR decking, CLR siding, lattice, spa and sauna 

patterns, handrails, spindles, newels, 2 x 2, special order 

timbers, fence rails, nailer strips, fence boards, poles, 

PWWW uses custom designed lath saws for manufacturing lath that is 

made into lattice. 

At PWWW, this 8-head Jointed Weinig moulder is supported by a 

Weinig grinder. 

Siding That’s 

Stood the 

Test of Time. 

Pictured is a sample of PWWW’s 54x6 CLR VG 

Decking. 

Mary’s River 

Western Red Cedar 

The warm tone, natural grain and texture of Western 

Red Cedar make the ultimate statement of quality for 

siding on fine homes all across America. Its durability, 

ease of installation, and environmental friendliness 

make it ideal for siding, decks, railings, and fascia. 

No one does Red Cedar better than Mary’s River 

Lumber. Give us a call–800-523-2052. 

If Paul Revere’s house, sided 

with cedar, has withstood 

Boston’s elements for over 

300 years, think of how great 

Mary’s River Western Red 

Cedar will perform on today’s 

fine homes. Mary’s River’s 

precision milling, quality 

control and outstanding sales 

support ensures success with 

any cedar project. 

Mary’s River Lumber Co. 

4515 NE Elliott Circle 

Corvallis, OR 97330 

Toll Free 800-523-2052 

Fax 541-752-5143 

www.marysriverlumber.com 

This moulder outfeeder is one of several pieces of 

equipment utilized by PWWW. 

balusters, pre-finished garden arbors, 

planters, post caps and ball tops. 

PWWW also has four different pergola 

packages, arbors, folding picnic tables, 

garden/utility stakes, custom Colonial 

railing components, deck posts and 

even Western Red Cedar planks for 

grilling. 

PWWW’s lines of clear or STK-grade 

lattice are available in four thicknesses, 

four spacing patterns and a wide range 

of panel dimensions from standard to 

custom. They also supply lattice framed 

or unframed. 

PWWW’s lattice is stapled and glued at 

every single intersection, adding substantially 

to the quality and stability of 

the product. PWWW is one of only two 

companies in North America that produces 

lattice by these standards. 

“With these measures, quality is sus- 


Western Red Cedar Lattice is a popular product at 

PWWW.


BCWLA Members Elect Officers 

Photos by Lyle Stafford 

Neil Billows, vice president of Millenium Lumber, Langley, B.C.; Steve 

Parkinson, vice president of South Beach Trading Inc, Coquitlam, B.C.; 

and Chris W. Sainas, Dakeryn Industries, North Vancouver, B.C., recently 

attended the British Columbia Wholesale Lumber Association’s 

(BCWLA) Annual General Meeting in North Vancouver. 

Ernie Harder, Nicholson & Cates Limited Forest Products, Vancouver, 

B.C.; and William Bayne, president of Canyon Lumber, Kelowna, B.C. 

Jack Hetherington, president of the BCWLA, calls the annual meeting 

to order. 

N o r t h V a n c o u v e r , B . C . —Members of the British 

Columbia Wholesale Lumber Assoc. (BCWLA) recently 

elected new executives during their Annual General 

Meeting here at the Holiday Inn & Suites. 

Jack Hetherington, of Evergreen Empire Mills Inc. of 

Burnaby, B.C., was elected to a second 

term as president and three new vice 

presidents were chosen. They include 

Neil Billows, representing Millenium 

Lumber Dist. Co. Inc. in Langley, B.C.; 

Andis Yu and Maureen Zavislak of Artemis International F.P. Ltd., 

Vancouver, B.C. 

Harry Erskine, president of Still Creek Forest Products Ltd., Coquitlam, 

B.C.; and Oscar Faoro, of the Canadian Wood Council 

Delany Dunn, general manager of the Vancouver 

Canadians Baseball Club, speaks at the recent 

BCWLA Annual General Meeting. 

Steve Parkinson, of South Beach 

Trading Inc. in Coquitlam, B.C.; and 

Chris Sainas of Dakeryn Industries in 

North Vancouver. Additionally, Kip 

Fotheringham was elected to the secretary/treasurer 

position. He represents 

Welco Lumber Corp., located in 

Vancouver. 

Guests speakers for the meeting included 

Oscar Faoro of the Canadian Wood 

Council, who addressed wood uses for 

the upcoming 2010 Canadian Winter 

Olympics, and Delany Dunn, general 

manager of the Vancouver Canadians 

Professional Baseball Club, which is an 

affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. The 

Canadians are owned by Jake Kerr of 

Lignum Forest Products of Vancouver. 

Members made a special presentation 

to Carla Hubbert, of Olympic Industries, 

North Vancouver, who served the association 

for 20 years as secretary/treasurer 

and recently retired. 

At the BCWLA Annual General Meeting, 

members set the calendar of events for 

the remainder of 2007. Upcoming 

events include the 27th Annual 

Lumberman of the Year Roast, June 14, 

Vancouver Club, Vancouver, B.C.; the 

1st Annual Family Night Barbecue with 

the Vancouver Canadians Baseball 

Club, July 31, Nat Bailey Stadium; the 

21st Annual Golf Tournament at 

Northview Golf and Country Club, Sept. 

27, Surrey, B.C.; and the 5th Annual 

Legend Series Smoker at the Holiday 

Inn & Suites, Dec. 6, North Vancouver, 

B.C. 

The mission of the BCWLA is to represent 

the interests of lumber wholesalers 

in British Columbia and to promote high 

standards of business conduct and 

integrity in the lumber wholesaling 

industry. 

For more information, visit their website 

www.bcwla.ca. 

• 

Been There, Sawn That 

Need pine? Then you need these guys. 

Their quest for good lumber goes into Idaho’s vast timberlands. 

The finest White Pine and Ponderosa Pine is their quarry. 

Let ‘em crank up the saws for you. 

tel: (208) 773-4511 

fax: (208) 773-1107 

www.idahoveneer.com

Page 20 


SEABOARD Hosts NELMA Reception 

Tom Richardson, Crobb Box Co., Ellsworth, Maine; Chris Fitzgerald, 

Seaboard International Forest Products LLC, Nashua, N.H.; Brian 

Belanger, Lavalley Lumber Co., Sanford, Maine; and Elwood Lowell, 

R.E. Lowell Lumber Inc., Buckfield, Maine 

Bill Artigliere, Mid-State Lumber Corp., Branchburg, N.J.; Dan Harrison, 

Cersosimo Lumber Co. Inc., Brattleboro, Vt.; Liz Manning, Durgin & 

Crowell Lumber Co., New London, N.H.; and Sean Covell, Seaboard 

International Forest Products LLC. Nashua, N.H. 

Tom Jenkins, Old Town Lumber Co. Inc., Kenduskeag, Maine; Kate Smith, 

Seaboard International Forest Products LLC, Nashua, N.H.; Doug Chiasson, 

J.D. Irving Ltd., Saint John, N.B.; and Chuck Gaede, Durgin & Crowell Lumber 

Co., New London, N.H. 

Jeff Hardy, Cersosimo Lumber Co. Inc., Brattleboro, Vt.; Scott and 

Jessica Brown, DiPrizio Pine Sales Inc., Middleton, N.H.; and John 

Krueger, Seaboard International Forest Products LLC, Nashua, N.H. 

Tom and Rebekah Bingham, Bingham Lumber Inc., Brookline, N.H.; 

John Heroux, Seaboard International Forest Products LLC, Nashua, 

N.H.; and Joe Tardiff, Cersosimo Lumber Co. Inc., Brattleboro, Vt. 

Joakim Wahlstrom, Seaboard International Forest Products LLC, 

Nashua, N.H.; Kevin Hancock, Hancock Lumber Co., Casco, Maine; B 

Manning, Durgin & Crowell Lumber Co. Inc., New London, N.H.; Don 

Hammond, Hammond Lumber Co., Belgrade, Maine; and Alden 

Robbins, Robbins Lumber Inc., Searsmont, Maine 

Boston, Mass.—Several members 

and guests who attended the 

Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers 

Association’s Annual Convention held 

here recently were also treated to a 

dinner hosted by Seaboard 

International Forest Products LLC, 

headquartered in Nashua, N.H. 

Since 1983, Seaboard International 

Forest Products has grown to be one 

of the 20 largest forest products 

wholesalers in the United States. The 

firm trades lumber, panels and building 

materials. 

Last year, Seaboard International 

had $550 million in sales, shipped 

more than 21,000 truckloads and 

8,600 carloads of product. This 

totaled over 1.3 billion board feet of 

lumber. 

Seaboard International currently 

services 1,500 customers. These 

include retail building material dealers, 

big boxes, industrial and packaging 

accounts, lawn and garden centers, 

and, in some markets where 

appropriate, home builders. 

• 

2007 Konkolville Rd. Orofino, Idaho 

Sales handled by 

(208) 437-0653 

Fax (208) 437-0579 

E-Mail: terryb@triprocedar.com 

Web: www.triprocedar.com 

TM 

WHO’S WHO - Benjamin 


Benjamin began selling lumber to cut 

stock customers in March. 

Benjamin, cut up shop operations 

manager, began working with 

Robbins in the dry kilns and lumberyard, 

before moving into the cut stock 

plant. He received a degree in wood 

technology at the University of 

Massachusetts. He began his career 

at W.D. Cowles as a truck driver, later 

moving to Andover Wood Products. 

Robbins Lumber Inc., sells Eastern 

White Pine to lumberyards in the 

state of Maine as well as wholesale 

distributors across the country. The 

company markets items both small— 

a handle for a barbecue grill, for 

example—and large, tabletops made 

of 5x4 and 8x4 product. 

Benjamin is married to his wife of 20 

years, Stacy. The couple have two 

children. He considers himself a man 

for all seasons, enjoying both warm 

beaches and snow skiing during the 

winter. 

•


Texas Hospitality Shines At RICHARDSON Reception 

David Bratcher, Richardson Lumber & Manufacturing Co., Dallas, 

Texas; Jason Sanders, Cedar Supply, Kyle, Texas; and Michael Wren, 

Tuttle Lumber, San Marcos, Texas 

Bear Breedon, Montalbano Lumber, Houston, Texas, and wife Carrolyn 

Breedon, Kyle Williams, Bison Building Materials, Conroe, Texas; and 

Robin Gardner, Richardson Lumber & Manufacturing Co., Dallas, Texas 

Steve Hickman and Brian Hauerwas, Cedar Creek Lumber, Carrollton, 

Texas; Bobby Crowley, Richardson Lumber & Manufacturing Co., Cody 

Douglas, Trent Tucker and Kory Klein, Cedar Creek Lumber 

San Antonio, Texas—When the 

Lumbermens Association of Texas 

(LAT) convened here in 2006, 

Richardson Lumber & Manufacturing 

Co. hosted a reception on opening 

night that proved so successful the 

firm decided to repeat the hospitable 

gesture this year. 

Friends, family members and guests 

of Richardson Lumber & 

Manufacturing were treated to a Mardi 

Gras-themed reception that did not 

disappoint at the Hilton Hotel across 

the street from the San Antonio 

Convention Center, site of the recent 

LAT Convention. Approximately 40 

fun-seekers accepted the invitation 

from Richardson Lumber to attend. 

According to a company spokesman 

for Richardson Lumber, the reception 

Richardson Lumber & Manufacturing Co. 

has been well-received among convention-goers 

as an effective networking 

tool within the lumber industry. 

• 

Bobby Crowley, Richardson Lumber & 

Manufacturing Co.; and Steve Hickman, Cedar 

Creek Lumber, Carrollton, Texas 

WHO’S WHO - Gray 


Gray Lumber Co. markets 2x4 and 

2x6 SPF products as well as Yellow 

Pine No. 1 in 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12. The 

company also offers No. 1 treated 

lumber in 2x4, 2x12, 4x4, 4x6 and 

6x6, in addition to windows, hardware, 

roofing/shingles and other building 

materials. Gray Lumber carries custom 

building materials, too. 

Lester Gray founded the firm 20 

years ago, and has been involved in 

the lumber industry since he was 15 

years old, when he loaded and 

unloaded trucks as well as served as 

a customer service rep and made 

deliveries. 

Gray graduated from Northwestern 

High School in Palmyra, Ill., and later 

earned an associates degree in business 

from Lincoln Land Community 

College. 

Active in various civic and professional 

organizations, Gray is a board 

member of the Illinois Lumber Dealers 

Assoc. and the Illinois Lumber 

Dealers Foundation Scholarship 

Board. 

In his leisure time, Gray enjoys quail 

hunting, playing golf and fishing. He 

and his wife of 32 years, Jewell, are 

parents of three grown children. 

• 

A New Era of 

Growth 

This year, Hampton Affiliates has launched a new 

strategic growth initiative that will add a new product 

line to our existing capabilities and increase 

our production volume by over 30%. The company 

has expanded into Canada 

with the purchase of Babine 

Forest Products and Decker Lake 

Forest Products, both producing 

a wide range of dimensional and 

specialty items in Spruce-Pine-Fir. 

The mills are located in Burns Lake, British Columbia, 

and have a combined annual capacity of 375 mmbf. 

These new facilities will complement Hampton’s 

five existing production operations in Oregon 

and Washington, including Willamina Lumber 

Company, currently ranked number one in overall 

single-site lumber volume for US manufacturers. 

This expansion makes Hampton the eighth largest 

lumber producer in North America with an annual 

capacity of 2 billion bf. In addition, the company’s 

trading and distribution operations make available to 

our global customers another 1.5 billion bf of lumber 

and panel products, supported by Hampton’s highly 

efficient transportation, reload and just-in-time 

delivery services. It’s now easier than ever for existing 

as well as new customers to get the right selection, 

in the right volume, for the right price, and delivered 

at the right moment. Contact us to hear more about 

our expanding product line. 

www.hamptonaffiliates.com 

Hampton Lumber Sales • Portland OR 

503/297-7691 

DIMENSION 

LUMBER 

• Green/Dry Douglas Fir 

• Green/Dry Hem-Fir 

• Spruce, Pine, Fir (SPF) 

• European Spruce 

PANEL 

PRODUCTS 

• OSB 

• Sanded Plywood 

• Sheathing 

• Underlayments 

• Marine Grades 

• Melamine 

• Particleboard 

• Rough Sawn Sidings 

STUD LUMBER 

• 2x4 5’ to 10’ PET 

• 2x6 6’ to 10’ PET 

• Web Stock 

ENGINEERED 

WOOD 

• Roseburg Framing 

System; Joists, 

headers, beams, 

rimboard 

CLEARS & 

INDUSTRIAL 

LUMBER 

• 1x2 to 4x12 

• Lengths 2’ to 24’ 

• Domestic grades 

and Export grades 

HAMPTON 

LUMBER MILLS 

WILLAMINA LUMBER CO. 

TILLAMOOK LUMBER CO. 

COWLITZ DIVISION - MORTON 

COWLITZ DIVISION - RANDLE 

DARRINGTON LUMBER CO. 

BABINE FOREST PRODUCTS 

DECKER LAKE 

FOREST PRODUCTS LTD 

HAMPTON RELOADS 

PORTLAND, OREGON 

ARLINGTON, WASHINGTON 

MODESTO, CALIFORNIA 

FONTANA, CALIFORNIA

Page 22 


NACI HOCKEY PHOTOS 

The annual North American Cedar Industry (NACI) Hockey Game was recently played in Coquitlam, B.C. Teams 

sported new NACI jerseys in the highly competitive event. The green team consisted of: Stewart Clark, Twin 

Rivers Cedar Products Ltd., Maple Ridge, B.C.; Jason Mann, AJ Forest Products Ltd., New Westminster, B.C.; 

Nathan Tullis, Coast Clear Wood Ltd., Surrey, B.C.; Jason Loewen, Elyk Wood Forest Products and 

Manufacturing, Langley, B.C.; Graham Picard, Terminal Forest Products Ltd., Richmond, B.C.; Mike Chong, 

Probyn Group, New Westminster, B.C.; (back row, left to right) Mike DeMarni, Western Forest Products Inc., 

Duncan, B.C.; Rob Cook, Power Wood Corp., Surrey, B.C.; Jeff Derby, Western Forest Products Inc., Vancouver, 

B.C.; Gordon Catt, Woodwise Lumber Ltd., North Vancouver, B.C.; Randy Greeley, Vancouver Specialty Cedar 

Products Ltd., Surrey, B.C.; Chris Boyd, Probyn Group, New Westminster, B.C.; Craig Upper, Porcupine Wood 

Products Ltd., Salmo, B.C.; and John Reed, Enyeart Cedar Products, Tigard, Ore. 

Photos by Wayne Miller 

The white team consisted of: Bruce Tays, Olympic Industries Inc., North Vancouver, B.C.; Andy Rielly, Rielly 

Industrial Lumber Inc., West Vancouver, B.C.; Dave Gillis, Goldwood Industries Ltd., Richmond, B.C.; Chad 

Findley, West Bay Forest Products & Manufacturing Ltd., Langley, B.C.; Kenny Go, GT Systems, Langley, B.C.; 

Marc Irby, Enyeart Cedar Products LLC, Tigard, Ore.; (back row, left to right) Dan Wasmuth and Dave Wasmuth, 

Westminster Industries Ltd., Surrey, B.C.; Dan Meachen, Twin Rivers Cedar Products Ltd., Maple Ridge, B.C.; 

Shane Harsch, Terminal Forest Products Ltd., Vancouver, B.C.; Chris Tays, Olympic Industries Inc., Surrey, 

B.C.; Corey Hiebert, West Bay Forest Products & Manufacturing Ltd.; and Ray Porcellato, Sylvanex Lumber 

Products Inc., Vancouver, B.C. 

Collins 

it's the right choice 

LEED Gold Hillsdale Library, 

Portland, Oregon 

Thomas Hacker Architects 

Lock-Deck TM , 

Ponderosa Pine & White Fir 

Collins Lakeview Forest in Oregon 

Collins Softwood 

White Fir 

Industrial & 

Framing Lumber 


Industrial & 

Common Grades 

Dimension 

Sugar Pine 

Industrial & 

Common Grades 

Contact: 

Al Gedroez 

Dimension Lumber 

800.329.1219 Ext 603 

agedroez@collinsco.com 

Mike Luza 

Industrial Lumber 

800.329.1219 Ext 602 

mluza@collinsco.com 

Lee Jimerson 

800.329.1219 Ext 666 

ljimerson@collinsco.com 

www.CollinsWood.com 

WHO’S WHO - Lorber 


product line is diversified and includes 

lumber, oriented strandboard, I-joists, 

LVL, windows, doors, mouldings, stairparts, 

cabinets, decking, siding, insulation, 

housewrap and window wrap. The 

Waukee facility serves the greater Des 

Moines metro area. 

A native of Iowa City, Lorber entered 

the lumber industry as a yard employee/truck 

driver for Spahn & Rose 

Lumber Co. in New London, Iowa. He 

joined Gilcrest/Jewett Lumber Co. in 

1996. 

Lorber is a graduate of New London 

High School and earned a bachelor of 

business administration degree from the 

University of Iowa in Iowa City. 

He is actively involved with various civic 

organizations, including the City of 

Waukee’s Utility Committee and the 4- 

City Storm Water Runoff Advisory 

Committee. He has been a volunteer 

fireman for 26 years. 

In his spare time, Lorber enjoys sharing 

such outdoor activities as hunting and 

fishing with his family, which includes his 

wife, Chris, and their two children. Both 

children are active in sports and school 

activities and Lorber strives to be 

involved with their various endeavors as 

well. All family members are avid 

NASCAR racing fans as well. 

• 

WHO’S WHO - Meadows 


wide variety of lumber and building products, 

plus professional advice and customer 

service in regard to all phases of 

construction. 

Meadows has been a purchaser at the 

company for nearly eight years and has 

held the dual positions of 

purchaser/manager for five years. His 

job with Ace as a customer service representative 

launched his career in the 

forest products industry. 

A native of Hot Springs, Va., he is a 

high school graduate and a Marine veteran. 

Meadows is an avid outdoorsman who 

particularly enjoys hunting, fishing and 

target shooting. 

He also enjoys spending time with his 

wife, Donna. 

•


CLA - 


here. 

Rae joined a host of notable speakers 

and approximately 500 registrants for 

the three-day event, which was filled 

with luncheons, informative board meetings 

and a CLA contact session that provided 

guests ample time to network with 

industry peers, wholesalers and manufacturers. 

An exhibitor’s hall was filled 

throughout the convention with displays 

provided by 48 various companies. 

Lammert Jagt, CLA chairman, presented 

opening remarks and emphasized 

that the work performed by the association 

continues to serve the lumber industry 

in a positive manner. Jagt noted that, 

“the CLA works diligently with its 

Softwood members to ensure that the 

CLA mark that is stamped on the members’ 

wood is well respected and well 

supported wherever it is sold. Our members 

depend heavily on us to ensure 

that their product, which is tightly monitored 

in the eyes of our chief inspector, 

Richard Hudon, meets the quality control 

standard.” 

Jagt introduced guest speaker Rae, 

who addresed the topic of “The Future 

After The Softwood Surrender.” Rae 

served as Ontario’s 21st Premier, and 

was elected eight times to federal and 

provincial parliaments before retiring 

from politics in 1996. 

William G. Currie, executive chairman 

of the board for Universal Forest 

Products in Grand Rapids, Mich., also 

served the convention in a keynote 

speaker capacity during the industry 

luncheon. He addressed “Keys To 

Maintaining Leadership And Success In 

A New Global Economy.” 

Also, Peter Giroux, president of Peter 

Giroux Enterprises Inc., spoke at the 

convention’s opening breakfast. His 

topic of discussion was “Survival Is Not 

Good Enough.” Additionally, Paul F. 

Jannke, vice president of Resource 

Information Systems Inc., headquartered 

in Bedford, Mass., was a lead panelist 

during the weekend’s business session. 

Live musical entertainment was provided 

at the convention by local group, Max 

and Maxine. 

Jean-Francois Houde serves the CLA 

as president and executive director. The 

association is headquartered in Ottawa, 

Onatrio. 

• 

NELMA - 


lumber industry, including manufacturers, 

wholesalers, industrial equipment 

and services, attended the event. 

A welcome reception opened the threeday 

event. That reception was sponsored 

by Acadia Insurance, DiPrizio 

Pine Sales, GMC Hardwoods, Hancock 

Lumber, HESCO, Hyster New England, 

Macdonald Page & Co., Parksite 

Plunkett-Webster and Ward Lumber Co. 

On the first day of the event, attendees 

took part in several committee meetings 

that studied various aspects of the lumber 

industry. For example, a marketing 

and communications program report 

was presented, and later a Pine species 

subcommittee discussed grade rule 

interpretations and revisions of NELMA’s 

“Standard Pattern Chart”. A Dimension 

species subcommittee also met to discuss 

such topics as the test project for 

Eastern Spruce-Balsam Fir and oriented 

strand lumber. 

On Friday, guest speaker Eric Kingsley, 

who serves as vice president of 

Innovative Natural Resources Solutions, 

presented an address entitled “The 

Latest in Wood Based Bio-Fuel & Bio- 

Product Technology and Its Potential 

Impact on the Forest Products Industry.” 

The Risk Management Committee also 

presented industry issues, opportunities 

and safety awards for NELMA. Among 

the topics addressed prior to the presentation 

of awards were: OSHA regulations 

on forklift operator training; profit 

from electrical demand response; and 

critical updates on stormwater and oil 

spill regulations. 

On Saturday, the Softwood Lumber 

Agreement of 2006 was discussed by 

guest speaker Zoltan van Heyningen, 

executive director of the Coalition for 

Fair Lumber Imports. Other topics discussed 

during the day included conflict 

of interest, a treasurer’s report and staff 

reports regarding grading services and 

administration. 

NELMA Chairman Luke Brochu, of 

Pleasant River Lumber, welcomed 

attendees at the Chairman’s Reception, 

and Paul D’Angelo provided entertainment 

during the industry luncheon. 

D’Angelo is a comedian/writer/actor who 

has been lauded for his stand-up comedy 

routines by critics for such publications 

as The Los Angeles Times. 

Attendees were reminded that the 2008 

NELMA Convention has been set for 

April 10-13 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in 

New York City, N.Y. 

WWPA - 


• 

Attendees enjoyed activities, such as a 

site tour hosted by Schuck Component 

Systems, and also received current 

information from industry leaders about 

the status of the wood products industry. 

A Welcoming Reception sponsored by 

Twice the choice 

for Softwood Suppliers 

bisTrack 

bisTrack is modern software for lumber & building 

materials dealers, distributors and contract yards. 

Voted LBM Journal’s Editor’s 

Choice for “Hot Product” 

Integrate your sales, purchasing, inventory, logistics 

transactions in the latest Microsoft® environment, 

with MS Dynamics GP (Great Plains) for accounting. 

Simplify cost, margin and commission management. 

Enable your business to grow with enhanced customer 

service and productivity tools. 

• Rent Track - rentals management. 

• Truss Track - activity-based costing. 

• Scan Track - document management. 

“bisTrack tells you that you need to do 

something. That will help us keep the 

customer informed and deliver in a 

timely manner.” 

Brian King, President 

Construction Supply Company 

“bisTrack is a platform we can build on 

to be a better partner in our contractors’ 

endeavors. And the productivity gains will 

allow us to grow without adding FTEs.” 

Joost Douwes, VP/GM 

Chinook Lumber 

Make the right choice. Call Russ Maximuik toll-free 

at 1-877-746-4774 for an online demo. 

www.progressive-solutions.com 

the Lumbermen’s Underwriting Alliance 

kicked off the convention after many 

attendees participated in a WWPA golf 

tournament. Topics discussed during 

convention committee meetings included 

exports, product support, quality 

standards/technical issues and economic 

services. 

An industry luncheon set the tone for 

the official business of the meeting with 

Duane Vaagen, the top elected officer of 

the WWPA, serving as guest speaker. 

Vaagen addressed the need to be adaptive 

in order to survive and prosper during 

these challenging times in the lumber 

industry. He lauded the success of 

86 domestic mills whose output totals 

more than 100 million board feet annually, 

or 71 percent of the West’s production. 

Vaagen credited advancements in technology 

for the gains made by those 

mills, including the use of log scanners 

and optimizers, as well as high-speed 

planers and computerized grading 

machines. He added that demand for 

lumber has “expanded by an amazing 

14 billion board feet over the past 10 

years.” 

Vaagen concluded by pledging the 

association’s continued support in 

preparing mills of the future for success 

via modern quality techniques, as well 

as making available to members timely, 

accurate and detailed business information. 

Mike Phillips of Hampton Affiliates 

served as moderator for the Speaker 

Forum at the annual meeting, in which 

Mitch Wagner, director of commodity 

purchasing for 84 Lumber, spoke about 

how to be a successful vendor. Wagner 

noted specifically that, “Successful vendors 

build partnerships with 84 Lumber. 

We buy from at least 27 to 28 suppliers.” 

Darin Hildreth, vice president of supply 

chain for Pro-Build Holdings Inc., also 

spoke during the Speaker Forum. Pro- 

Build’s growth as a company, said 

Hildreth, is due to the fact that “we 

embrace the local market and national 

leadership. Success is all about people 

and relationships. Additionally, all of our 

growth has been fueled by acquisition. 

We believe there is great opportunity 

ahead and we must adapt to continue to 

grow and prosper.” 

Kevin Binam, director of WWPA’s 

Economic Services Division, presented 

an address during the meeting’s 

Forecast Conference that underscored 

concerns shared by the overall wood 

products industry. Binam said that, 

“hopefully, by this fall, people will say I 

was too pessimistic in this report.” 

Binam noted several factors that point 

to a possible continual decline in the 

nation’s overall economic situation. 

Those factors include: further declines in 

home values and increases in property 

foreclosures; overall debt overtaking 

earnings in this country; ongoing contraction 

in construction; and further 

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“The greatest power of Lumber Track is 

that it forces you to do it right. We’re 

operating with fewer staff and their jobs 

are more interesting.” 

Tom Evans, President 

Coastal Treated Products 

“We used to do inventory every quarter, 

because we couldn’t keep track of what 

we had on hand for each of our products. 

Now, we only do it every six months, and 

we’re soon planning to get it down to once 

a year - a big savings in time and labor.” 

Joe Patton, Co-Business Leader 

Westervelt Lumber (Gulf States)

Page 24 


WWPA - 


weakening of the U.S. dollar. 

Binam added that, “It’s not a bright picture 

right now in the mortgage lending 

business, and in the lumber industry, we 

are about as low as we’re going to go in 

regard to lumber prices.” 

Also addressing attendees at the 

WWPA meeting was Craig Larsen of the 

Softwood Export Council. Larsen discussed 

the market status in various 

countries and how they impact the U.S. 

situation. For example, Larsen said that 

the market in Mexico is currently very 

strong, and dubbed it “our largest market 

by volume.” 

The European market continues to 

grow, said Larsen, especially in regard 

to high quality specialty products while 

the market in China has declined slightly 

this year. However, Ponderosa Pine 

and Spruce sales have proven to be the 

exception in China as their sales have 

increased. 

Larsen added that Japan and Dubai are 

presenting strong purchases, and he 

labeled India as an “emerging market” 

that holds promise. 

The Western Wood Products 

Association is a trade association representing 

Softwood lumber manufacturers 

in the 12 Western states, from the 

Canadian border south to Mexico and 

from the West Coast to the Black Hills of 

South Dakota. The Association also provides 

services in Alaska. 

WWPA offices are located in Portland, 

Ore. For more information, visit the 

association’s website at wwpa.org. 

• 

LAT - 


town San Antonio. 

The Steves’ Homestead holds significant 

importance to the LAT since Ed 

Steves Sr. of Ed Steves & Sons in San 

Antonio was one of five men who met 

and formed the Texas-based association. 

At the Steves’ Homestead, LAT 

members and guests were feted to a 

dinner garden party, and outgoing 

leader Kyle Williams, of Bison Building 

Materials in Conroe, was saluted. 

Incoming association president Bart 

Graves, of Fort Worth, was introduced at 

this gala. 

Other activities during the three-day, 

Mardi Gras-themed LAT convention 

were primarily held at the Henry B. 

Gonazales Convention Center in San 

Antonio. Members and guests were 

treated to a humorous performance by 

native Texan Morris Eickenhorst, who is 

recognized throughout the state at various 

functions as a storyteller, poet and 

columnist. 

NAWLA - 


membership representing Asia and 

Europe, for example. At our various 

meetings, it’s a great opportunity for our 

members to be involved and share valuable 

information.” 

The Meritage Resort at Napa served as 

the host site for the recent Napa, Calif., 

NAWLA Regional meeting and was 

sponsored in part by ForesTel LLC, 

located in Portland, Ore. Steve Fischer, 

of North Pacific Group Inc., of Napa, 

presided as meeting chairman. 

More than 30 association members 

and their guests enjoyed an informal 

networking hour, followed by cocktails 

and dinner prior to the official opening 

address at the meeting, which was delivered 

by NAWLA Chairman Tom Rice 

and NAWLA President and Chief 

Executive Officer Nick Kent. 

Keynote speaker at the Napa meeting 

was Craig Adair, director of market 

research from APA-The Engineered 

Wood Assoc. His topic for the evening 

was “Market Outlook For Structural 

Panels and Engineered Wood 

Products.” 

NAWLA’s Vancouver, B.C., regional 

meeting attracted nearly 300 registrants 

at the Westin Bayshore Hotel. 

Norman G. Jensen Inc., headquartered 

in Minneapolis, Minn., sponsored the 

opening Lumberman’s Luncheon as well 

as the meeting’s welcoming segment, 

which featured several guest speakers. 

Among the speakers was Don Haid, 

manager of raw materials analysis for 

Weyerhaeuser Hardwoods & Industrial 

Products, headquartered in Federal 

Way, Wash. Haid covered several topics 

related to the economy and emphasized 

that regional dynamics impact overall 

economic soundness throughout the 

nation. Additionally, he cited pressure 

from higher wages as fuel for increased 

inflation reducing the likelihood of relief 

from the Fed on interest rates. Haid 

added that he foresees continual price 

depreciation for homes in the U.S. 

through 2008, and stated he believes 

the housing market has not yet bottomed 

out in regard to the correction 

cycle that has been ongoing since mid- 

2006, but will hit bottom by late 2007. 

Haid was followed at the podium by 

Rod DeBoice, Provincial Bark Beetle 

coordinator, Ministry of Forests and 

Range, Province of British Columbia. 

Michael Ainsworth, executive vice president 

of Ainsworth Lumber Co., located in 

Vancouver, B.C., also spoke to the 

group. NAWLA President Kent and Vice 

Chair Fitzsimmons kicked off the meeting 

with opening remarks for this occasion. 

Attendees were later treated to cocktails 

and social hour courtesy of Euler 

Hermes Group, whose offices are located 

worldwide. 

Scotia Bank sponsored the after-dinner 

musical entertainment, which was performed 

by Kenny Shaw. 

NAWLA also hosted a regional meeting 

in Portland, Ore., that was co-sponsored 

by ForesTel LLC and Hampton Lumber 

Sales, which is the sales division of 

Hampton Affiliates, headquartered in 

Portland. 

John Jayne, of Disdero Lumber Co., of 

Clackamas, Ore., served as chairman of 

the Portland meeting and provided 

opening remarks to the members, who 

totaled approximately 60. 

Following cocktails and dinner, NAWLA 

President and CEO Kent were joined at 

the podium by NAWLA’s 1st Vice 

Chairman Gregg Riley in welcoming the 

attendees. An educational program 

panel then commenced, which was led 

by Michael Covey, chairman of Potlatch 

Corp., headquartered in Spokane, 

Wash. Ross Mickey, the western regional 

manager of the American Forest 

Resource Council and Jon Anderson, 

the publisher of Random Lengths assisted 

in leading discussion of this panel. 

In Bessemer, Ala., NAWLA’s regional 

meeting was well attended at the Bright 

Star Restaurant. Meeting chairmen for 

this gathering were Mark Junkins, of 

McShan Lumber Co. in McShan, Ala., 

and Pat Ogletree of Steel City Lumber 

Co. in Birmingham, Ala. 

NAWLA’s Rise and Kent opened this 

meeting and later turned the microphone 

over to Dr. James E. Fickle, professor 

of History at the University of 

Memphis and visiting professor of 

Forest and Environmental History at 

Yale University, which is also this 

nation’s oldest forestry school. Fickle’s 

topic was “Timber: A Pictorial History of 

Southern Lumbering.” 

• 

APA - 


Institute of the Republic of China 

(Taiwan) have signed a memorandum of 

understanding for establishment of a 

collaborative relationship for the 

exchange of information related to wood 

product research, building codes, material 

and test standards and wood-frame 

construction techniques. 

The agreement, signed recently in 

Taiwan by Dr. Ming-Chin Ho, director 

general of the Ministry’s Architecture & 

Building Research Institute (ABRI), and 

APA Vice President Tom Williamson, 

includes provisions for the exchange of 

research results and technical information, 

the organization of seminars and 

conferences, promotion of joint research 

projects and other mutually beneficial 

activities. 

ABRI, the official authority on building 



APA - 


research in Taiwan, promotes research 

of construction engineering technology, 

fire safety, disaster mitigation, and green 

building methods. 

APA Applauds ITC Review 

of Chinese Imports 

APA President Dennis Hardman 

applauded a request for an International 

Trade Commission (ITC) review of 

Chinese hardwood plywood imports, 

saying he believed it would demonstrate 

that those products often are improperly 

and in many cases even fraudulently 

labeled. 

The ITC review was requested recently 

by Senate Finance Committee 

Chairman Max Baucus of Montana. The 

Office of the United States Trade 

Representative (USTR) also has filed a 

World Trade Organization (WTO) hardwood 

plywood subsidies case against 

China. APA has provided import statistics 

and other relevant information to the 

office of Oregon’s U.S. Senator Ron 

Wyden, who has helped champion the 

campaign against illegally subsidized 

plywood imports. 

Hardman said that although the 

requested ITC review targets only 

Chinese hardwood plywood and would 

cover a variety of concerns, such as 

dumping, illegal subsidies, tariff misclassification, 

and illegal logging, he hopes it 

would help draw greater attention to the 

significant problem of Chinese industry 

counterfeit trademarks, absence of 

trademarks, inaccurate grade claims 

and substandard product performance. 

• 

British Columbia 



their product domestically (within B.C. 

and the rest of Canada) and almost the 

same amount into the U.S. About 5% of 

production goes into each Japan and 

Europe. 

Weather & Water Affecting 

the Industry 

What affects the primaries has significant 

affect on the secondary manufacturers. 

Adding to what everyone knows 

about the log and subsequent wood 

shortages, a two-month towing strike 

has caused more problems up and 

down the mighty Fraser River, affecting 

large and small operators alike. We 

were unable to reach anyone at the 

major towing companies (I suspect all 

management are out on the water moving 

booms), but Ken Voight, Operations 

Manager at S & R Sawmills in Port Kells 

commented that “we had a bad winter 

for logging, what with the weather and a 

few other factors, and now the few logs 

that are out there are hard to get at due 

to the towing strike”. S & R has five 

custom cutting mills and estimate that 

they are getting half of their logs – and 

that is thanks to management working 

the tugs for the four major services in 

the area, along with a few independents. 

If the strike doesn’t end soon though, 

there will be another major delay. By mid 

May, it is predicted by another mill upriver 

that the water will be running too fast 

and high to move anything. This is a 

pretty normal seasonal event, but is certainly 

going to compound the problem of 

the current shortage of logs. 

Gary Ley, a spokesman for Western 

Forest Products said that they were not 

unduly affected by the strike – that it was 

more of an inconvenience, than anything 

else. They were able to shift the 

schedule around and use additional 

suppliers to off-set any potential shortages 

of moving logs into the yards. 

However, in a recent article in the 

Vancouver Sun by correspondent 

Gordon Hamilton, Western’s president 

Reynold Hert did indicate that both logging 

and lumber production were off significantly 

because of the severe weather. 

Over the winter, roads on the company’s 

coastal timberlands were washed 

out, slopes became too saturated with 

water to be logged, and towboats were 

sent scurrying into sheltered coves for 

days at a time, unable to deliver what 

logs they had to company sawmills. 

The extreme weather really hit home in 

Port Alberni, where, at one point, 

Western’s Somass sawmill was forced 

to shut down when a creek burst its 

banks and flowed right through the mill. 

Other mills closed when they could not 

get enough logs. 

The storms during November and 

December alone knocked Western’s log 

production down 500,000 cubic metres 

— 25 per cent — to 1.6 million cubic 

metres during the fourth quarter. 

Western’s Chief Financial Officer, Paul 

Ireland said the log shortage resulted in 

a 17 percent drop in lumber production 

during the fourth quarter. Instead of 326 

million board feet of lumber, the company 

produced 271 million, a decline of 55 

million board feet. 

“Unit costs were higher than would otherwise 

be the case as a result,” Ireland 

said. “Both our timberlands and our 

manufacturing operations were negatively 

impacted by the unusual weather 

we encountered on the West Coast of 

British Columbia.” 

Western did not release financial figures 

on the weather impact but were 

able to recoup some of the costs from 

the storms by realizing higher sales 

prices for its lumber products. Average 

prices increased from $739 to $782 per 

thousand board feet from the third quarter 

to the fourth quarter. 

Hert said the weather events can be 

coast-wide or localized, pointing out that 

the Island’s west coast around Port 

Alberni was hit particularly hard. Even 

on days when the weather is calm at the 

company’s Duncan head office, tugs 

towing loads of logs only a few kilometres 

away in nearby Stuart Channel 

have been forced to seek shelter from 

strong winds. 

WASHINGTON - 


• 

ways to make up funding shortfalls for 

rural schools and communities wracked 

by declining timber sales and shrinking 

property tax bases. 

During the Senate’s recent 51-47 vote 

for an emergency war spending package 

that sets a 2008 withdrawal date 

from Iraq, the money for rural districts, 

nearly $5 billion across 39 states, was 

added, which binds the two funding 

packages. 

President Bush has threatened to veto 

the bill and has labeled the legislation as 

the Democrats’ “arbitrary” troop withdrawal 

timeline, as well as for other 

spending provisions he derided as 

“pork.” 

However, with the help of Oregon 

Democrat Ron Wyden, a provision was 

backed that added $4.7 billion into a 

program that helps timber-dependent 

counties make up the losses from 

declining lumber sales on federal lands, 

primarily located in the Pacific 

Northwest. 

Also included in the Senate bill are $20 

billion in domestic initiatives for flood 

relief along the Gulf Coast, compensation 

for crop losses, drought assistance 

and low-income heating subsidies. 

The Senate bill would provide states 

like Alaska upwards of $10 million a year 

over the next five years under a rural 

schools plan and its companion program, 

called Payment in Lieu of Taxes. 

One of the areas most affected is in 

Alaska’s heavily timbered Southeast 

Panhandle. 

Craig called the law establishing the 

rural programs “a lifeline for our timberdependent 

communities. Letting the law 

die is not an option.” 

Bush’s Budget Reductions 

Impact Forest Service 

Budget reductions proposed by the 

Bush Administration to eliminate the federal 

deficit by 2012 include a significant 


Page 26 

WASHINGTON - 


reduction in the National Forest Service 

(NFS) budget. In fact, the budget slashes 

would level the proposed Forest 

Service budget to $4.127 billion, which 

is down from $4.211 billion. 

As of press time of The Softwood 

Forest Products Buyer, hearings had 

been held by the House Interior 

Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman 

Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) to review the 

administrations FY08 budget request, 

not only for the Forest Service, but the 

Bureau of Land Management as well. 

Witnesses at the hearing included 

Undersecretary of Agriculture Mark Rey, 

Forest Service Chief Gail Kimbell, 

Deputy Chief of Research Ann Bartuska 

and Deputy Chief of State and Private 

Forestry Jim Hubbard. A repeated focus 

of the hearings was the topic of funding 

for wildlife suppression, which now 

requires 48 percent of the Forest 

Service budget, while in 1991, it was 

only 13 percent. In 2000, only 21 percent 

was required. 

Numerous subcommittee members 

reportedly voiced frustration that significant 

increases to the fire suppression 

budget have adversely impacted funding 

for other programs. The subcommittee 

has been considering funding 

wildlife suppression with emergency 

“off-budget” funds rather than restricted 

budget accounts. 

Many committee members showed 

support for the proposed increase in timber 

management budget. Several members 

also discussed the need to control 

the spread of noxious weeds and provide 

funding for biomass research and 

cellulosic energy. 

Within NFS, the budget proposes 

$318.6 million for Forest Products funding, 

which is up from $277.6 million. 

Other NFS accounts, with the exception 

of law enforcement, experienced 

declines. 

The fiscal year 2008 (FY08) budget 

proposes to fund the Northwest Forest 

Plan. These levels would reportedly help 

deliver on the pledges of two former 

presidents and generate additional 

receipts and revenue for local governments 

following the expiration of the 

Secure Rural Schools and County Self 

Determination Act. 

The Forest Service has announced 

expanded efforts to increase efficiency 

and restructure operations to establish 

increased resources to the ground. 

According to the NFS, Bush’s FY08 

budget request proposes funding levels 

that would drastically reduce the number 

of full-time employees in the Forest 

Service. 

In fact, prior to his retirement, NFS 

Chief Dale Bosworth attempted to 

reduce employee levels by 25 percent at 

regional offices as well as in 

Washington, beginning in FY08 and to 

be completed by FY09. 

The agency announced it was seeking 

to modernize operations through the 

Business Process Reengineering (BPR) 

effort. The plan devised by the Forest 

Service is designed to reduce overhead 

and focus more resources to the field to 

address continuous forest health and 

other management needs. Spending 

could be reduced an additional $100 million 

by implementing BPR, according to 

the Forest Service’s estimation. 

Forest Related Legislation 

Worth Tracking 

As of press time, the following legislation 

that is relevant to the forest industry 

has been scheduled to come under consideration 

in Washington through 2008. 

These bills include: 

• Senate Bill 6088: this bill purportedly 

compromises elements of the Dept. of 

Natural Resource’s trust mandate, 

according to sources within the forest 

industry. Some movement has occurred 

on the bill in the form of substitute legislation 

that has reportedly corrected 

some of the problems that were originally 

found objectionable by industry 

onlookers. 

• Substitute Senate Bill 6141: Industry 

analysts call this bill “next generation” 

forest health legislation. They claim it 

will establish a tiered system for recognition 

of forest health problems, and 

Meet Our Team of Reliable 

Professionals with a 

Can Do Attitude 


would require action on eastern 

Washington forestlands. Many industry 

sources call for passage of this legislation, 

and at press time, it appeared 

headed in that direction. 

• House Bill 2247: this bill has called for 

allowance for log truckers to form associations 

or unions to negotiate haul 

rates. Industry analysts are calling for 

reconsideration of this bill and are saying 

this bill proposes constitutional problems. 

A similar bill named Substitute 

Senate Bill 6069 would establish advisory 

haul rates to be used as a guide for 

setting real haul rates. At press time, this 

bill was moving through the Senate. 

• Substitute House Bill 1045: this bill 

puts a ceiling on the Dept. of Natural 

Resource’s management fee at 30 percent 

until 2017 and also requires a biennial 

report to the legislature. The House 

has passed Bill 1045 and at press time 

was on its way to the Senate. Industry 

sources say passage is not guaranteed 

due to the fact that some senators question 

DNR’s old growth management policies 

and are using this bill as a forum for 

that issue. 

• 

WHO’S WHO - Jarvis 


Siding and Trim in all of Arizona and 

Southern California. 

Collins Companies sells TruWood 

Siding & Trim, FSC-certified Hardwood 

and Softwood lumber products and 

Collins Pine Particleboard from Collinsowned 

certified forests. 

Jarvis began her career at 

Weyerhaeuser in 1993 as outside sales 

representative for lumber and building 

materials. She received her bachelor’s 

degree in journalism and communication 

from Seattle University in 1988. 

Jarvis has one daughter, Kennedy, 10, 

and enjoys hiking, swimming and biking. 

She is also involved in her daughter’s 

athletics and Girl Scouts activities. 

• 

WHO’S WHO - Johnston 


David Mansfield, Sawmill 

Supervisor 

Value-Added Providing: • Remanufacturing Services 

• Prestaining Available • Custom Milling • Timber Planing • Mixed Loads 

Paul Moulton, Planer 

Supervisor, 34 years with 

the company 

Danny Nickerson, Forester, 

Log Buyer and Scaler 

Scott Brown, Sales 

Jerry Zwicker, Senior 

Grader 

E-mail: sbrown@lavalleys.com 

Fax: 1-603-473-8531 

1-888-330-8467 1-603-473-2314 

ROUTE 153, 5 KING’S HIGHWAY 

MIDDLETON, NH 03887 

Jamie Moulton, Moulder 

Mill Supervisor 

Earl Perrino, Shipping and 

Receiving 

MARKETING THROUGH WHOLESALE & WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS 

Manufacturers of Eastern White Pine 

Southern Division, which is located in 

Waynesboro, Miss.. 

North Pacific’s Southern Division carries 

a variety of products, including 

Southern Yellow Pine lumber, oriented 

strand board, plywood, hardwood, 

Spruce-Pine-Fir lumber, roofing products, 

flooring and doors. Special services 

offered at the firm include re-man 

products in both lumber and panel 

goods, VIM programs and warehousing/reloads. 

Johnston began his lumber industry 

career with North Pacific 36 years ago, 

and has served in his present position 

for 17 years. His first position with the 

company was that of trader and group 

leader. 

He graduated from Waynesboro 

Central High School in Waynesboro, 

Miss. and earned a bachelor of science 

degree in personnel management from 

the University of Southern Mississippi 

(USM) in Hattiesburg, Miss. 

Johnston is a member of the USM M- 

Club and Alumni club, as well as 

Omicron Delta Kappa Society and the 

Waynesboro Chamber of Commerce. 

His professional affiliations include the 

North American Wholesale Lumber 

Assoc., where he serves on the Trader 

Mart Committee, and the Mississippi 

Lumber Manufacturers Assoc. 

Hunting and golfing are Johnston’s 

favorite pastimes. 

He and his wife, Hope, have two grown 

children. 

• 

WHO’S WHO - Petree 


Western Red Cedar products, and is 

well known for its quality sidings, tongue 

and groove, channel and decking, as 



WHO’S WHO - Petree 


well the firm’s dedication to customer 

service. 

Petree will be responsible for resourcing 

Western Red Cedar not only for Lazy 

S, but also for Columbia Cedar, a sister 

company out of Kettle Falls, Wash., that 

also manufactures Western Red Cedar 

in tight knot tongue and groove, channel, 

decking and board with the same 

dedication to quality and service. 

Petree began his career in the industry 

30 years ago, working in production and 

sales. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys 

hunting, boating, golfing and camping 

with his family. He and his wife of 30 

years, Linda, have two grown children 

and two grandsons. 

• 

CASH BARGAIN - 


money up and was fond of saying he 

earned it back,” said Binney. The pair 

tore down the buildings on the property 

and sold the salvaged materials from it 

and all the buildings they were tearing 

down as used lumber. At the same time 

that the Depression was ending, they 

were earning a living from what had 

become a full-fledged lumber yard. Over 

the years, the area has become the 

depressed inner city. 

The current brother-sister team bought 

the business when their dad, Frank 

Binney retired, in 1993. To follow in their 

father’s footsteps was not either Wally or 

Betsy’s intent. As a bass guitar player in 

the 70s for the band Prisoner, Wally was 

on the road to fame and fortune when 

fate intercepted. A deal with Columbia 

records fell through when the band’s 

drummer, who had played with the 

Beach Boys, fell off a boat and drowned. 

Back in Kansas City, Binney resumed 

working for the family business, which 

he had started doing at the age of 

twelve. His fingers are still callused from 

strumming the bass, now years later, 

with his current band, Five Wrinkly 

Dogs. Betsy taught English at the 

Northwest Missouri State University in 

Maryville before deciding to come back 

to the family business, three years after 

Wally had returned. 

Business fluctuates, depending on the 

fortunes of the neighborhood, said 

Binney. “Hispanics are good customers. 

They pay cash, have lots of family influence, 

and as long as we’re not impacted 

with other factors, like when gas prices 

went up, we do well with the combination 

of product, people and pricing,” he 

acknowledged. “It’s a ‘pick up and go 

store’ with good customer service. Our 

employees know what they’re doing. 

They’re there to wait on people and help 

them out.” 

Some of those employees, numbering 

thirty between the four stores, have 

been with good-natured Binney and 

Calcara for many years. Manager 

Beverly Boldez, has worked at the company 

for 20 years, and Barry Findley in 

the door department, 30 years. 

Despite the security challenges of the 

low income locations, Binney foresees 

opening more surplus sites, progressing 

outward from the city. But the area 

would have to meet the economic level 

criteria. High income sectors would not 

be suitable, he said. 

Growing up during the Depression 

shaped Harriman’s business practices 

and lifestyle, as well as influencing 

Binney. His grandfather retired at age 

89, at which time he was drawing a 

salary of $24,000. He had kept his 

money in the business. Binney inherited 

Harriman’s frugal habits and as a result, 

he and his sister have never had to borrow 

money. 

His modern day kids, however, don’t 

seem to have picked up the basic business 

principle of taking in more than you 

spend, shrugged Binney. Son Cody did 

listen to his dad, however, to pursue a 

more practical side of his chosen direction 

in the music field and is studying 

recording engineering. Daughter Erin, is 

at her dad’s side, learning the family 

business. 

Cash Bargain prices are about as good 

as it gets. Yet Binney still hears ol’timers 

yammering that they can’t see how people 

can afford to build a house these 

days, just as they did when he was 

twelve, working for his dad. “Things 

were $1.00. Roll roofing used to come 

with a bag of nails and a can of tar. I can 

remember father and I agonized when 

sheetrock was $2.99 and we had to 

raise it to $3.01 and what that would do, 

and now its $9.29 a sheet,” reminisced 

Binney. 

Channeling off-grade materials into 

housing construction not only fulfills a 

need for affordability. It’s also good 

stewardship of natural resources. 

• 

West Coast 



are running at 10 to 20 percent off our 

capacity production of Cedar specialty 

products. Fortunately we are diversified. 

If we don’t have the clear wood we need 

for one product, we can produce more 

lattice or more of another product that 

doesn’t require the highest quality to 

make. Right now we see a big demand 

for 2x4 eight-foot rails, but no supply is 

available. There is also a lot of demand 

to help you get material that is scarce or 

sell material that isn’t scarce.” 

Gene Doroshenko, also with 

Bakerview, said, “Cedar is very tight and 

we have been working extremely hard to 

find it. We pick up a couple of thousand 

feet here or there, instead of the usual 

truckload. Because we inventory, we 

can put together a truckload, but instead 

of the usual two items, there might be as 

many as 10 items on the truck.” 

Across the border in Tumwater, Wash., 

Michael Bryan, sales manager for Welco 

said, “We are a Western Red Cedar seller 

and buyer. We produce Cedar at our 

sawmills, but we also buy outside material 

to sell. Our customers are cautious, 

no one is buying huge inventories, only 

for immediate needs. We are seeing an 

uptick in activity and orders are picking 

up. However, I see buying ahead consisting 

mainly of fill-in and I see shorter 

order files ahead for our Cedar products.” 

Gary Knight of R B Lumber, Oregon 

City, Ore., said, “Cedar is a three tiered 

market right now. Domestic Western 

Red Cedar is in tight supply and it is fairly 

high priced. Imported material such as 

the stuff they call Chinese Cedar, is 

plentiful and very reasonable in price. 

Then there is the S1S two edged low 

grade domestic material that is remanufactured 

into fencing. This market is very 

strong. Domestic sawmills are getting a 

lot of pressure from imported species. 


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for 7/4x6 No. 2 clear material, but there 

is no supply.” 

Archie Rafter of Sawarne Lumber, 

Richmond, B.C., said, “Supply and 

demand are imbalanced now. Logs are 

tight and it is a supply driven market. 

Activity is fairly spotty, but we are still 

seeing business being done. There is 

some reluctance from buyers due to 

high prices. We don’t see a ‘wall of 

wood’ suddenly arriving from Cedar 

mills, so there is no reason to expect 

prices to decline. We don’t expect a 

quick resupply of Cedar. We are staying 

busy, even though we are selling from a 

lean woodpile. To be successful in the 

Cedar market right now you have to be 

quick and creative.” 

Dave McCloskey with Bakerview 

Forest Products, Abbotsford, B.C., said, 

“We are finding lots of demand for 

Cedar, but supply is still short. We see 

small volumes, dribs and drabs becoming 

available. Prices are still going up 

and you see big dollars for clear material. 

It is available if you are willing to pay 

the price. The exchange rate keeps 

going up. Right now it is just over 87 

cents to the dollar. Although Western 

Red Cedar is our bread and butter, we 

also sell Douglas Fir, Hemlock and other 

species. Due to beetle kiln there is an 

abundance of Spruce available now and 

prices are coming down. I have only 

been in the industry seven months. For 

a newcomer it is harder because you 

don’t have those long term relationships 

Prairie City, Oregon 

Prairie 

Wood 

Products 

Wallowa, Oregon 

Contact Brenda Lovell 

1-541-575-4516 

brenda.l@centurytel.net 

For premium studs in Douglas 

Fir/Larch, White Fir, 

Lodgepole and Ponderosa Pine

Page 28 

West Coast 



Right now there are no inventories 

except at some sawmills. Western Red 

Cedar logs are very tight and they are 

very high priced. Our company is very 

busy. Our industrial sales on white wood 

are way off. We are selling a fair amount 

of Cedar. It is our good fortune to be in 

many of the right niches. Our information 

indicates buying of wood products is 

off in California by 45 percent. In Texas 

it’s off by 20 percent and the northeast is 

spotty.” 

Karen Quibell, in sales for Douglas 

County Forest Products, Winchester, 

Ore., said, “Right now supply and 

demand seem to be lining up for our 

products (framing, posts, timbers, 

beams, stringers, studs and truss stock). 

A lot of production has been curtailed. 

Our log prices don’t support $250 wood. 

Log prices have been high and there is 

lots of pressure on logs from chips. Our 

log supply is minimal, just enough to 

keep the mill running because prices are 

too high to build inventory. We’re cutting 

Douglas Fir, Hem-Fir, White Fir and 

Lodge Pole Pine. There was a little 

‘burp’ this week partly due to a Canadian 

Rail Strike (still on April 13th). It is troubling 

to see more and more consolidation 

in our western mills.” 

Jim Weber, general manager for 

Cascade Structural Laminators, 

Eugene, Ore., said, “We produce glulam 

beams. Some markets are okay with 

sales brisk and others are dead. Some 

of it is economy related. Housing is off 

about 37 percent now from the last few 

years. Some of it is weather related. Our 

sales are off maybe three percent. Our 

size enables us to tailor our product to 

meet market needs. As the residential 

market declined, we raised our custom 

beam business.” 

Brian Jones, with Zip-O-Log Mills, 

Eugene, Ore., said, “We are a little slower 

in April than we were in March. 

However with the closing last Friday of a 

large timber producing mill, we are confident 

we will see additional sales from 

the customers that mill was serving. 

The market is sluggish overall right now. 

Framing lumber and plywood have been 

slow.” 

Darren Duchi, sales manager for 

Siskiyou Forest Products, a remanufacturer 

in Anderson, Calif., said, “The supply 

on Cedar is getting tougher and 

tougher over the past six months. The 

supply on Redwood is okay and we 

have all we need. On the demand side 

we have a good order file, however 

there is no sense of urgency. I feel a 

slowing is needed and has been a long 

time coming. We anticipated the slowdown 

in the economy 10 to 12 months 

back. Right now there is a lot of wood 

coming into the U.S. from offshore. I 

made a trip to Baltimore last week to 

visit customers and while there I saw 

framing lumber in their yard coming from 

Germany. Here we have oodles of framing 

stock made in this country and our 

customer is buying it from Germany; It 

blew me away! We feel bigger is not 

necessarily better and we feel that our 

smaller size is an advantage, helping us 

be very flexible. Our focus is on high 

quality products from clear material. 

Our customers demand quality and are 

not willing to risk quality or late deliveries 

coming from some place like China.” 

• 

Midwest 



ably.” 

The fact is that some markets were 

already declining during the two-year 

boom period of 2004 and 2005, which 

produced fewer starts than the benchmark 

five-year average. Economists 

now attribute the unsustainable levels of 

excess demand to “historically low interest 

rates coupled with aggressive lending 

practices,” a combination that made 

home ownership more affordable and 

also attracted investors and speculators 

The Wonders 

Of Growing Up 

In Maine. 

For the Eastern White Pine, growing up in Maine 

is an extreme challenge. Short growing seasons, 

rich but shallow, rocky soils, and 

winters that arrive early and stay late 

– but this harsh environment creates 

a spectacular pine. A tight grain and unmatched 

fiber structure give each board an exceptional 

workability – perfect for the most intricate millwork. 

In addition to its natural beauty and pale color, 

Eastern White Pine is the least resinous of all 

pines, with a stability that ensures minimal 

shrinkage and swelling. Tall and straight, Eastern 

White Pine has always been the secret behind 

Hancock Lumber’s success and our customers’ 

continued satisfaction. 

For more information on Eastern White Pine 

from Hancock Lumber, call 207-627-7600. 

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www.hancocklumber.com 

*Hancock Lumber’s use of the indicates that they are a participant in 

the SFI ® program in good standing and that Hancock Lumber’s operations have 

been certified to be in compliance with the SFI Standard (SFIS) and guidelines 

by an independent auditor. For more detailed information on the SFI program 

and the standards and guidelines, please visit, www.aboutsfi.org. 


in many markets. 

According to the NAHB spokesman, 

“the Midwest has fared the worst in this 

cycle, posting the lowest gain during the 

boom, only 116 percent, before falling to 

68 percent of pre-boom production.” 

The strongest growth in this region has 

been reported in Texas, which accounts 

for roughly 75 percent of the Midwest’s 

southern division’s housing starts. In 

fact, Texas has managed the highest 

level of production throughout the ongoing 

housing market correction. 

Specifically, Houston has experienced 

only a modest decline in production in 

the past six months, and shows signs of 

fulfilling the NAHB’s prediction that the 

city would also experience a quick return 

to steady growth in 2007. That growth is 

forecast to escalate as the year progresses. 

Dallas showed telltale signs of overheating 

in regard to new home inventory 

and home values as 2006 turned into 

2007. In fact, the city peaked an annual 

single-family production rate of 57,000 

units, compared to an average of 38,000 

in the preceding five years. NAHB predicts 

that the Dallas market will recover 

at an annual pace of 45,000 by the end 

of 2007 and then rise in 2008. Austin 

and San Antonio also edged close to 

over-heating and reached 145 percent 

of pre-boom demand in 2005 before 

declining sharply. The NAHB predicts 

that Austin’s market will bottom out at 

2004 levels by end of 2007. San 

Antonio, however, has already bottomed 

out at those levels and is reportedly 

poised for significant growth during the 

remainder of this year and into 2008. 

The uppermost regions of the Midwest 

are expected to remain stagnant with 

minimal growth in occurring in 2008. 

However, states in the central portion of 

the region are better poised to stabilize 

in 2007. In fact, the housing markets in 

St. Louis, Mo. and Kansas City, Kan., 

are expected to rebound nicely in 2008, 

according to the NAHB report, based on 

improvements in the economic conditions 

in those cities. 

ALL-COAST - 


• 

All-Coast also mills every pattern in the 

books published by the Western Wood 

Products Assoc., the California 

Redwood Assoc. and the Western Red 

Cedar Lumber Assoc. 

“Virtually any pattern or profile that anybody 

could possibly need can be handled 

by us,” Bond said. “We can custom 

mill a pattern within 48 hours, often 

times sooner and deliver it on the next 

scheduled truck.” 

He continued, “We treat our suppliers 

as partners. We want a supplier partnership, 

not just a vendor or another mill. 

Some may be manufacturing a product 

and they want us to go figure out how to 

market it—that is not what we want. We 

are in it together and it must be mutually 

beneficial to all involved and for long 

term to create value.” 

That same philosophy spills over into 

the customer side of business. There is 

a three-prong approach to the sales 

effort at All-Coast. 

“There are three different categories 

that make up our sales team,” he said. 

“Our outside sales people are responsible 

for their accounts and they visit 

those accounts on a regular basis. 

There are inside sales people who back 

up those outside sales people. They 

have relationships with everybody in 

every territory. Then we have builder 

specialists who contact architects and 

builders and handle promotional work in 

the field. However, we do not sell directly 

to them. We only sell to retailers, 

mass merchandisers, or jobbers and 

some industrial accounts.” 

The concept of a builder specialist is to 

create markets and build brand—basically 

pull product through the supply 

chain, Bond explained. 

“It has a specific focus and that is for 

brands within All-Coast’s control, 

whether it’s an internal brand or external 

brand that we control exclusively,” Bond

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