National Hardwood Magazine - May 2022

TRADE TALK
AN UPDATE COVERING
THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT
HARDWOOD SUPPLIERS/VENDORS
EXPERIENCE QUALITY DEPENDABILITY
975 Conrad Hill Mine Rd. ~ Lexington, NC 27292
Phone 336-746-5419 ~ Fax 336-746-6177
www.kepleyfrank.us
Facilities:
3 Sawmills Processing 50 Million' • 750,000' Dry Kiln
Capacity • 600,000' Fan Shed Capacity
2 382 Newman Planer Mills • 50 Bay Bin Sorter
Products Available:
4/4-8/4 Appalachian Lumber • 6/4-8/4 Ship Dry Capacity
Crossties (100,000 BF per week) • Timbers up to 18'
1,000,000+ Average KD Inventory • 12,000,000+
Average AD Inventory
Species:
White Oak • Red Oak • Poplar • Ash • Hickory
Elm • Beech • Gum • Hackberry • Pecan
Jimmy Kepley, owner, and Bart
Jenkins, lumber sales
The firm manufactures 4/4 through 8/4 thicknesses.
Sales:
Bart Jenkins
bjenkins@kepleyfrank.us
Jimmy Kepley
jkepley@kepleyfrank.us
MEMPHIS, TN—The Board
of Managers of the National
Hardwood Lumber Association
(NHLA), headquartered here,
recently announced the appointment
of Dallin Brooks as the organization’s
executive director.
Since June of last year, the
search committee has been on
a quest to find the right executive
director to help NHLA reach
Dallin Brooks
its full potential. “With the help
of the recruiting firm Vetted Solutions, we have found
an individual with a great deal of energy, ability and an
intense desire to be part of helping to create a vibrant
industry,” said Jeff Wirkkala, president of NHLA.
For the last 10 years, Brooks has been the executive
director of the Western Wood Preservers Institute, working
to promote and protect the preserved wood market
for lumber, utility poles, and railway ties.
WWPI has steadily grown under his leadership and
transitioned from a defensive reactionary industry to a
positive offensive story, focusing on content creation
and dissemination. Together with his staff, he developed
smartphone apps for Treated Wood Guide, Wood Pole
Guide, and Tie Grading Guide in collaboration with other
industry associations. Brooks maintained the preserved
lumber “Checkmark” inspection program and worked
with universities to research and improve quality control
metrics and standards, reducing variability, and improving
treating production. He also successfully lobbied
legislation for the continued use and disposal of treated
wood waste in California.
Brooks graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree
in Wood Products Processing as well as a Master of Science
degree in Forest and Society from the University
of British Columbia. He has dual citizenship in Canada
and the United States. Brooks has innovative experience
in the Hardwood industry; while working for Jartek
Oy, he strived to bring thermal modification from Finland
to North America for wide plank flooring, cabinets, gun
stocks, and other niche Hardwood markets.
Brooks grew up in the forests on his family hunting
and fishing resort in BC, Canada. Brooks has seven kids
and is relocating his family to the Memphis, TN area. His
official start date will be June 13, 2022.
To learn more, go to www.nhla.com.
NEWALD, WI–Cleereman Industries/Cleereman
Controls,
headquartered here, recently
performed a number of equipment
installations, according to
Vice President Paul Cleereman.
At Shamco Lumber Inc. sawmill
in Iron River, MI, Cleereman
Industries’ engineering department
handled everything from
Paul Cleereman
the foundation/steel embedment
prints and electrical prints to all the engineered drawings
needed for the entire project. The primary breakdown of
this mill is a double cut band mill. Cleereman supplied
a new Mellott Model 642-6-foot slanted band mill for
this project along with an optimized Cleereman LP-42
linear carriage and Cleereman 654-2G optimized edger
line that feeds a Cleereman trimmer. The mill is supplied
with logs coming from the new Cleereman 848 debarker.
Cleereman supplied a Precision chipper and waste
system for Shamco. Cleereman Controls did all of the
optimization on carriage and edger lines in this mill along
with debarker and trimmer controls.
Also, Beiler’s Sawmill in Quarryville, PA recently installed
a Cleereman LP-42-inch linear carriage with
Cleereman Controls. Beiler’s Sawmill also has a Cleereman
edger on order for spring delivery 2022.
Rich in logging and sawmill history, Cleereman Industries
has developed and manufactured sawmill machinery
for over 60 years using three guiding principles:
•Manufacture high quality products built for high production,
increased yield and years of trouble-free operations.
•Use simple yet highly functional designs to minimize
the number of moving parts while maximizing the performance
and functionality.
•Provide unequaled service and support to its customers.
To learn more, go to www.cleereman.com.
MEMPHIS, TN—Nathan Hascher of ETT Fine Woods
in Donalds, SC, a longtime resident of Memphis, TN,
and his father, Rich Hascher, retired, longtime director of
the National Hardwood Lumber Association’s Inspector
Training School, based here, both were recently honored
Please turn the page
72 MAY 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE MAY 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 73