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SalemFrameAdds LumberGrading ChainSalem, Va.— Salem Frame Co., Inc., abusiness unit of Rowe Fine Furniture Inc., recentlysolidified its position as a one-stop, full-service lumberdrying and grading facility by opening the RoanokeValley’s only lumber grading chain here.Lumber from around the country will arrive at Salem Frame for its finalpreparation before being packaged and shipped around the world. Finalpreparation includes kiln drying, grading, trimming, ripping and packaging.Prior to the installation of the grading chain, Salem Frame’s customkiln drying yard was only able to offer lumber customers one particularservice, kiln drying freshly cut lumber.As a separate business unit of Rowe Fine Furniture, Salem Frame operatesas both a mill, supplying wood components to Rowe Fine Furniturefor the making of its upholstered furniture; and as a yard, offering customkiln drying and grading capabilities to lumber customers around the countryand the world. The existing location was established in 1972, and thenew 11,250-square-foot lumber grading chain structure is the first additionto the location in over 25 years.Rowe Fine Furniture invested a total of $500,000 in the construction ofthe facility including the concrete slab, steel exterior structure and componentsof the grading chain. The new structure measures 25 feet high,150 feet long and 75 feet wide. Industrial weight, breeze-dried panels aredrawn and pulled back on a pulley system on both sides of one half of thelength of the building, which allows wind for natural ventilation. Themesh panels are pulled aside when carts of packaged lumber are ready tobe loaded on outgoing trucks.“Rowe’s commitment to support Salem Frame’s ability to offer its lumberclients great service and a quality product is in keeping with Rowe’soverall company goals,” explained Stefanie J. Lucas, president and chiefexecutive officer of Rowe Fine Furniture, which is headquartered inElliston, Va. “Throughout all of our operations, we work to identifyopportunities within our existing capabilities to grow the business, maintainjobs and increase both. Salem Frame’s ability to now offer one-stopPlease turn to page 66BY GARY MILLERJustin True is a lumber grader for Gilco Lumber Inc., whose sales office is in South Charleston,W.Va. He is based at Salem Frame in Salem, Va.40 Hardwoods Have Resiliency