Import/Export Wood Purchasing News - June- July 2022

NEWSWIRES
Pescaglia began working at MO PAC part-time in the
summer when he was 16, setting sticks between layers
of air-drying lumber. In his mid-20s, he began working
full-time for the firm, stacking lumber on the chain
at the mill, operating a variety of machines, assisting
with the operation of their eight dry kilns and working
as yard foreman. In February of this year, he became a
salesman.
Pescaglia graduated from Hickman High School in
Tony Pescaglia Columbia, Missouri and Cum Laude from the University
of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri with a bachelor’s
degree in business. In his free time, Pescaglia and his wife enjoy taking their
two children to the kids’ activities. He also likes coaching wrestling for the
youth program in his area and woodworking with his best friend, his grandfather
and his father Bucky Pescaglia, president of MO PAC Lumber.
Tony Pescaglia is taking the place of Grafton Cook III, MO PAC sales manager,
who is retiring this month, after 32 years in the forest products industry,
20-1/2 of those at MO PAC. Bucky Pescaglia stated, “Grafton has a tremendous
knowledge of the hardwood industry. His family has been involved in the hardwood
lumber business for over 100 years. He always represented our company
with class and a high level of professionalism. The entire Pescaglia family
wants to express our warmest wishes to Grafton and his wife, Anne, in their
retirement. We look forward to hearing all about their adventures as they travel
across the country enjoying the great outdoors.”
To learn more, go to www.mopaclumber.com.
Fruitland, Idaho and St. Louis, Missouri—
Woodgrain Inc.(“Woodgrain”), headquartered in Fruitland,
Idaho, and Huttig Building Products, Inc. (“Huttig,”
or the “Company”), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri
recently announced a definitive agreement has been
reached whereby Woodgrain will purchase Huttig, a leading
distributor of millwork, building materials, and wood
products. This acquisition will significantly increase
Woodgrain’s distribution network, its product offering
Kelly Dame
and its value-added services, according to a company
press release.
“Huttig has a long history as a value-added distributor, focused on service
and innovation. This acquisition will increase our footprint by expanding our
network, and by adding Huttig’s expertise and resources to our own, we are
positioned to bring even more value to our respective customers and supply
partners,” said Kelly Dame, president and chief executive officer of Woodgrain.
Jon Vrabely, Huttig’s president and chief executive officer, said, “We are confident
that the Company’s comprehensive strategic alternatives review process
that was publicly announced in October 2021 has resulted in a tremendous outcome
for our stockholders, associates, and customers. We are especially pleased
that we achieved a great outcome for all of our stakeholders with Woodgrain as
we have enjoyed a strong partnership with them for several decades.”
Woodgrain will acquire Huttig in an all-cash transaction valued at $10.70 per
share, or approximately $350 million including the assumption of debt.
Huttig, currently in its 138th year of business, is one of the largest domestic
distributors of millwork, building materials and wood products used principally
in new residential construction and in-home improvement, remodeling and
repair work.
Woodgrain is one of the leading millwork operations with locations throughout
the United States and Chile. With 68 years of quality craftsmanship and
service, Woodgrain is a leading producer of mouldings, doors, and windows. To
learn more, visit www.woodgrain.com.
Vancouver, British Columbia—Western Forest
Products Inc. (“Western” or the “Company”) announced
recently that its president and CEO Don Demens has
announced his intention to retire by March 31, 2023.
The Board of Directors has commenced a search for
a new president and CEO. Demens will continue in his
role as president and CEO until his replacement has been
found. He will also remain a member of the Company’s
Board of Directors until such time as the transition to his
Don Demens successor occurs.
“I am proud of what we have accomplished at Western,”
said Demens. “I am confident in the strength of Western’s management
team and am fully committed to ensuring a smooth transition to a new president
and CEO who will continue to move Western forward as a leading wood products
company.”
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Don for his significant contributions
to the Company over the past 13 years, including nine as CEO,” said Michael
Waites, chair of the Board.
Also, Western Forest Products has announced that Fiona Macfarlane has
been appointed as an independent director to Western’s Board of Directors.
With the appointment of Macfarlane, five new members will have joined
Western’s Board in the past three years, which is consistent with Western’s
ongoing Board renewal and succession process.
“I am pleased to welcome Ms. Macfarlane to the Board,” said Waites.
“Her extensive skillset and expertise will further complement our current
Board members.”
To learn more, go to www.westernforest.com.
Surrey, British Columbia—Recently, Louisiana Economic Development
issued a media release announcing Teal-Jones is investing $110.5 million
to build a lumber mill in that U.S. state. The project is in the final planning
stages.
State and local officials made it an easy investment decision. They were
welcoming, understood Teal-Jones’ needs, and offered a lot of information.
The state offers a stable investment climate with consistent rules and taxes,
so Teal-Jones can invest with confidence, said the company’s release. The
company is grateful for that and looks forward to doing its part in return –
creating good jobs and contributing to state coffers, according to a company
spokesperson.
Once complete Teal-Jones’ new mill will directly employ about 125 people
in good, new jobs. The company will produce about 300 million board
feet of lumber at the mill annually, crafting a range of specialty and dimensional
lumber cut from Southern Yellow Pine.
This will be Teal-Jones’ fifth mill in the USA – the fourth added recently
when the company purchased an existing operation in Mississippi.
British Columbia is Teal-Jones’ home, and the company’s commitment
to the province remains strong, according to a company spokesperson. “We
employ more than 1,000 people in the province, the majority of those in
milling and value-added manufacturing. We continue to invest our income
earned in the province locally, heavily investing in our primary Surrey site
since 2019,” the spokesperson stated. “However, the province’s current
approach to forestry is making it a less attractive place to invest, prompting
us to look to the U.S. for opportunities."
For more information, go to www.tealjones.com.
Buffalo, New York—U-C Coatings, LLC, based
here, a leading manufacturer of premium wood protection
products, recently announced the hiring of John
Stenson as Midwest Territory Sales Representative.
Stenson has 15 years of experience in the timber and
lumber industry with a focus on hardwood logs, veneer
production, and hard and softwood lumber grading
and inspection. Stenson’s experience also includes
the monitoring of pressure treatment, heat treatment,
John Stenson and pallet manufacturing facilities for the purpose of
conformance. After taking a break from the timber and
lumber industry to work as a ballistics manager for a ballistic helmet manufacturer,
he has returned to his roots.
Stenson is based in Ohio. His main focus will be on broadening U-C
Coatings’ presence in the Midwest Territory with the latest wood protection
products, as well as the tried-and-true products that have made U-C Coatings,
LLC a trusted partner in the lumber industry.
U-C Coatings is a leading manufacturer and supplier of premium wood
protection products. For more than 50 years U-C’s products have been used in
a variety of industries, including hardwood and softwood logging and lumber
production, wood products manufacturing, woodworking and wood decking
markets.
Their products are used worldwide to protect, conserve and enhance forest
resources. U-C’s goal is to help its customers achieve more with less waste
and provide the highest level of protection for their products.
To learn more, go to www.uccoatings.com.
SMART-TRIM technology from SmartMill increases
production efficiency for a customer.
Levis, Quebec—Jean Berube,
president of SmartMill,
with its head office here,
has announced the signing
of a new contract with
Mono Serra Group to supply
equipment for its Bio Serra
Hardwood Mill, located in
Saint-Monique, Quebec.
The contract includes the
sale and installation of the
Page 26 Import/Export Wood Purchasing News n June/July 2022