The Softwood Forest Products Buyer - November/December 2022

TRADE TALK
TRADE TALK
Kevin Hancock
Hancock Lumber Acquires
Madison Lumber Mill
Casco, ME—Two of New England’s top
performing Eastern White Pine manufacturing
facilities are stronger together as Hancock Lumber
Co., headquartered here, recently acquired
Madison Lumber Mill, according to a company
press release. Hancock Lumber’s Eastern White
Pine operations expanded to four mills with its
first sawmill acquisition in over 20 years.
While Hancock Lumber purchased Madison
Lumber Mill, the Madison, NH-based location
will continue to operate under the Madison Lumber Mill name. A synergistic
opportunity for both companies, the plan is to keep Madison Lumber’s
employees, manufacturing systems, customer relations, and products
produced unchanged, according to the press release.
“The addition of Madison Lumber is filled with synergy for both
companies. The current owners, Kim Moore and Jim Smith, have built an
exceptional company. When you find caring owners that are looking for an
exit strategy that can preserve and perpetuate their love for their business,
employees, industry, and customers – well, it’s a win-win,” said Hancock
Lumber CEO Kevin Hancock. “Hancock and Madison combine to offer a
dynamic set of capabilities within the Eastern White Pine industry for log
suppliers, customers, and employees.”
Located an hour west of Hancock Lumber’s headquarters in Casco, ME,
Madison Lumber Mill is estimated to be the sixth largest manufacturer of
Eastern White Pine.
Meanwhile, Hancock recently announced that the company has been
named a Best Place to Work in Maine for the ninth consecutive year,
reinforcing they’re delivering on their mission to enhance the lives of the
people who work at the organization. “This is such exciting news—number
nine is just as rewarding, if not more so, than number one,” Hancock
commented.
Visit www.HancockLumber.com to learn more.
Tom Insko
Collins Names Insko President
And CEO
Wilsonville, OR—Collins, based here, announced
recently that Tom Insko will become the
President and CEO of the company to succeed
President and CEO, Eric Schooler. An experienced
business leader, Insko was set to assume
responsibilities on October 1, 2022. He served
as the President of Eastern Oregon University, a
position he has held since 2015.
Insko has 27 years of successful leadership
experience and brings to Collins an extensive
background in the wood products industry. He was with Boise Cascade
for 20 years holding positions as plant manager, production manager,
senior financing manager, region manager, and area manager. At the time
of his departure from Boise, Insko was responsible for nine manufacturing
facilities with more than 1,100 employees. His manufacturing experience
spans plywood, composite panels, lumber, and laminated beams. He has
also worked extensively in forest policy and management, log and fiber
procurement, sales, and finance. Insko is currently a commissioner on the
Oregon Business Development Commission and previously served two
terms on the Oregon Board of Forestry.
“Tom lives by ethics and values that are well aligned with those of our
company and family,” stated Cherida Collins Smith, Board Chair. “He has
a vast amount of experience dealing with the complexities in our business
as well as demonstrated success in meeting challenges inherent in our
industry and in these times, that we were looking for to succeed the leadership
Eric Schooler has undertaken in the last 21 years. We are confident
Tom is an excellent choice to lead our company forward.”
Insko holds bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Business Economics
from Eastern Oregon University and an MBA from the College of William
& Mary.
To learn more, go to www.collinsco.com.
Jim Brindle
San Group Hires Jim Brindle As
White Wood Sales Manager
Langley, BC—The San Group, with its head
office here, recently welcomed Jim Brindle to
its team as the White Wood Sales Manager. His
broad skillset and sales experience will complement
San Group’s global marketing strategy, the
company stated.
Brindle is a highly respected industry veteran
who brings a wealth of experience and an entrepreneurial
mindset that will complement San
Group’s sales division, according to San Group.
Brindle has honed his experience over the past
28 years working in a variety of forestry and sales-related roles, starting
his career in sawmilling, working his way up from a green chain operator,
lumber grader and head sawyer to a mill manager. Brindle’s extensive
sawmilling experience has supported his transition into lumber sales; for
the past 15 years, Brindle has specialized in an array of lumber, reman and
value-added product sales of all coastal hardwood and Softwoods including
Hemlock, Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar.
Brindle’s widespread lumber knowledge and unprecedented sales record
have helped him ascend to the top of the industry, said John Langstroth,
San Group’s Senior Vice President. “The global footprint of consumers
continues to grow and companies leaning into a more robust and diversified
sales strategy are the ones driving growth,” he added. “Jim’s extensive
expertise from sawmilling to lumber sale complements our mill-direct
marketing model. Coupled with his high acumen and customer-centered
sales approach, he will help our White Wood division cement itself as a
leader in the market. We are excited to welcome Jim to the San family.”
San Group Inc. is a vertically integrated forest products company, operating
in the coastal region of British Columbia.
To learn more, visit www.sangroupinc.com.
Stella-Jones Signs Agreement To Purchase
Wood Pole Manufacturing Business Of Texas
Electric Cooperatives, Inc.
Saint-Laurent, QC—Stella-Jones Inc., with its head office here, (“Stella-Jones”
or the “Company”) recently announced that it has entered into a
definitive agreement to purchase substantially all of the assets employed in
the wood utility pole manufacturing business of Texas Electric Cooperatives,
Inc. (“TEC”) for a total purchase price of $28M plus inventories of
approximately $4M.
TEC produces Southern Yellow Pine utility poles using Creosote and
CCA preservatives at its wood treating facility in Jasper, TX. Wood pole
sales for the year ended December 31, 2021, totaled $28 million. “This
acquisition, which adds a 43rd manufacturing facility to our network, will
enhance Stella-Jones’ offerings and expand our capacity to supply the
growing needs of North America’s utility pole industry, while optimizing
the overall efficiency of our continental network,” said Eric Vachon,
president and CEO of Stella-Jones. “We look forward to welcoming the
Jasper facility employees to our team of over 2,400 employees across
North America.”
Continued on page 62
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