National Hardwood Magazine - July 2011

Keith D.
Peterson &
Company,
Inc.
Insurance
for the forest products industry
708 Milam Street, Suite 300
101 E. Grace Street
Shreveport, LA 71101-5499 Richmond, VA 23219-1741
(318) 221-0547
(804) 643-7800
708 Milam Street, Suite 300
101 E. Grace Street
FAX (318) 424-7516
FAX (804) 643-5800
Shreveport, LA 71101-5499 Richmond, VA 23219-1741
(318) 221-0547
(804) 643-7800
FAX (318) 424-7516 www.keithdpeterson.com FAX (804) 643-5800
TRADE TALK - Continued
San Marco Island, Fla.—According to preliminary results of a recent
industry study, 90 percent of companies are planning to hire. More than
half expect to make capital investments, the report stated. However,
many will pay cash or lease, avoiding banks and speeding the expansion
plans.
On a positive note, programs in both private wood industry association
conclaves and a series of public sessions were held during a recent Wood
Industry Conference. This annual gathering of woodworking equipment
and supplies manufacturers is sponsored by four associations:
Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers, Woodworking Machinery
Industry, the North American Building Material Distribution and the Wood
Machinery Manufacturers of America. Among these groups some are also
operating sponsors of the AWFS Fair and IWF woodworking shows.
•
Clifton Forge, Va.—Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, based
here, allows students to mill wood with an LT300 industrial sawmill by
Wood-Mizer Industrial. The machine is central to the Forestry
Management Technology program, accredited through the Society of
American Foresters.
“Because of Wood-Mizers thin kerf technology, it has helped me to be
able to look at a log and maximize output while minimizing waste,” one
student commented.
The forestry students use the LT300 during their second year as part of
a 15-week sawmilling course. This machine is from Wood-Mizer’s AWMV
Industrial line and is primarily used in commercial operations, which
gives students a head start when they enter the labor force.
According to sources, students graduate from the program ready to go
to work in the industry. Recent graduate Grayson Duke said, “Using the
sawmill has helped me in estimating the board feet of trees while cruising
timber. It has also enabled me to get a better feel for how the trees are
going to be utilized once they arrive at the mill.”
For more information visit www.woodmizer.com.
•
Reston, Va.—The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Assoc. (KCMA)
issued a statement in support of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS);
critical review of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) risk
assessment of formaldehyde.
The review of the IRIS risk assessment on formaldehyde, claimed the
EPA assessment does not prove that formaldehyde causes leukemia or
other serious health problems, including asthma. The NAS report also
alleged that EPA “overstated” its conclusions that formaldehyde damages
the nervous system and questioned the EPA link to reproductive effects.
“This long-awaited independent review by leading scientists confirms
that EPA’s 1,000-page assessment does not prove that formaldehyde causes
leukemia or other serious health problems,” KCMA’s Executive Vice
President, Dick Titus said. “For years, materials essential to the construction
of affordable, durable and fashionable storage cabinetry sought by
consumers have been unfairly described as unsafe based on the same science
as was rejected by the NAS review. The report’s finding supports
what the KCMA has been saying for years; that the low levels of
formaldehyde typically found in cabinets to which most people are
exposed are not high enough to cause harm. Further, the kitchen is the
best ventilated room in the home, which reduces any risk even further.”
•
Washington, D.C.—The Hardwood Federation (HF) recently learned
the U.S. military was building a new gymnasium floor for a North
Carolina base and they were leaning towards a bamboo floor to help them
meet their renewability goals.
According to HF, once given the facts on renewablity and reliability of
Hardwoods, the DOD still opted for imported bamboo over American
Maple—in spite of the $30,000 higher price tag for the bamboo.
Congressman Larry Kissell (D-NC) sent a letter to the Deputy
Undersecretary of Defense for Installations and Environment demanding
an explanation. “We’re hopeful we can change the DOD decision before it
is too late, and the attention Congressman Kissell is shining on this issue
is helpful.”
•
48 Hardwoods Have Workability