DOWNES & READER HARDWOOD
DOWNES & READER HARDWOOD CO., INC. Wholesale Distributors of Hardwood, Softwood Lumber, Mahogany and Plywood ® IRON S ICK Direct Exporters Ash, Basswood, Beech, Birch, Cherry, Cypress, Hickory, Hard Maple, Soft Maple, Poplar, Walnut, Red Oak, White Oak, Aromatic Cedar, Sugar Pine, SYP Providing the following services: 4,000,000 BF Kiln Dried Inventory, Planing Mill, Straight Line Ripping, Gang Ripping, Mixed Container Shipments, and Rail Siding DOWNES & READER HARDWOOD CO., INC. Headquarters: P.O. Box 456 - Evans Drive Stoughton, MA USA 02072 Phone: 781-341-4092 Fax: 781-344-7110 Inside U.S.A.: 800-788-5568 North Carolina Office: William von der Goltz Steve Arnett Tel: 336-323-7502 Fax: 336-323-2848 The most durable and cost effective kiln stick on the market Distribution Yard P.O. Box 634 Commercial Blvd. Blakeslee, PA USA 18610 Phone: 570-646-6724 Fax: 570-646-6628 Web Site: www.downesandreader.com TRADE TALK Camas, Wash.—Western Hardwood Association (WHA) recently announced Kurt Landweher as the newest member of the Association’s Board of Directors. Landweher joined Hardwood Industries in 2004 and was appointed to the board to replace Scott Lilley. He was also selected to take over as the lumber buyer for Hardwood Industries when Lilley moved to Wisconsin. According to the Association Landweher is excited about the new challenge and about being a part of the WHA. Landweher grew up in Portland, Ore. and attended Linfield College where he was the first in his family to graduate. Immediately after college and prior to joining Hardwood Industries, he worked for Intel Corporation in their real estate division. He and his wife Jessi have two daughters. In his spare time he enjoys archery. Western Hardwood Association was founded in 1955 to assist Western U.S. Hardwoods to a position of prominence in the manufacturing of fine furniture, cabinets and pallets. Membership consists of sawmills, manufacturers, remanufacturers, pallet producers, wholesalers, landowners, timber owners and service organizations (freight companies, truckers, consultants, etc.). For more information visit www.westernhardwood.org. • Elkhart, Ind.—Patrick Industries, located here, recently acquired the assets of Praxis Group, a million RV countertop and furniture products manufacturer and distributor. Praxis CEO Todd Cleveland said, “The Praxis team has deep customer relationships and a highly innovative approach to the manufacturing and distribution of products within the RV industry.” Patrick Industries is a national manufacturer of component products and distributor of building products for the recreational vehicle, manufactured housing, kitchen cabinet, household furniture, fixtures and commercial furnishings, marine and other industrial markets. The firm reported .4 million in first quarter revenues. • Washington, D.C.—The Hardwood Federation (HF), based here, recently joined other industry groups in meeting with officials at the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to discuss the agency’s LEED-only approach to environmental ratings systems. GSA claims many factors go into their procurement and construction decisions, not just LEED ratings. GSA further said wood is rarely appropriate for their projects, but HF pointed out that GSA policy would set the tone for thousands of other government projects where wood could be appropriate. GSA officials stated they did not believe LEED discriminates against wood and that architects did not chase after points. According to HF this is a notion that it is working to discredit. HF mentioned an informal flash poll conducted within a community of architects and project managers, which showed more than 80 percent of respondents thought there was no question LEED, discouraged wood use. HF states it is looking for more opportunities to share these insights with legislators and policymakers. HF also announced its Annual Fly-in will be held on October 4-5, 2011. Participants will have networking time with industry leaders from around the country, and hear from key policymakers in the Obama Administration and Congress. HF members will participate in meetings with key members of Congress from their states and members who sit on key committees. The Fly-In will be held at the Phoenix Hotel. For more information contact Cary Moon at cary.moon@hardwoodfederation.com or (202) 463-5186. • High Point, N.C.—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc. (AHMI), based here, is working with the Appalachian Hardwood Center at West 50 Hardwoods Have Versatility
An update covering the latest news about Hardwood Suppliers. Virginia University to offer a sawmill assistance program to AHMI members. Consisting of on-site mill studies to help mills better understand their lumber grade yields and overrun/underrun, using the mill’s log grading system, the program includes a comprehensive, log by log analysis of each mill, including spreadsheets to analyze log pricing. Approximately 100 logs of a single species selected by the mill are included in each study. The log is characterized/graded and then processed through the mill, keeping track of each board and cant. Occurring over two days, the process begins with collecting the individual log data and the second day, processing the logs through the mill. According to AHMI, studies have been completed at more than a dozen sites in the Appalachian region and the data will be used to help sawmills determine if existing log grades and values are effective. For more information about the mill studies and scheduling, contact Tom Inman at 336.885.8315. AHMI also announced a fundraising effort for a former member. Don Smith Sr., former owner of Hardwood Associates of Morganton, N.C., suffered a life-altering stroke in 2009. Due to the death of his son, Don Jr. and the economic downturn, he declared bankruptcy in 2010 and has lost his business, home and other personal property. Smith’s church has started a benevolence fund to help them purchase a home and provide health care. Donations are being accepted by: Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Benevolence, c/o Paul Chapman, W.M. Cramer Lumber, P.O. Box 2888, Hickory, N.C. 28603. • Green Bay, Wis.—The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) recently announced Jim Walters as Chairman of the Board. President of Macco’s Floor Covering in Green Bay, Walters will take over from Nick Freadreacea, Chief Financial Officer of The Flooring Gallery, Louisville, Ky. According to WFCA Walters has worked in flooring his entire career. He began part-time while attending school, and he worked in the warehouse at Macco’s Warehouse pushing a broom. After graduating from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, he went to work full-time at Macco’s and held various positions over the next 21 years. “The WFCA is committed to providing its industry partners and members leadership resources that will raise the level of professionalism, increase industry profitability and enhance consumer satisfaction,” Walters said. “I see my role as helping to steer the course and aiding to achieve our big picture goals ensuring we continue to be a viable component of the industry and focus on moving it forward.” • Sacramento, Calif.—According to sources, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is delaying the enforcement of two sell-through dates that affect distributors, importers, fabricators and retailers of finished goods made with Phase 1 Hardwood plywood—veneer core (HWPW-VC) and distributors of Phase 1 particleboard (PB) and medium density fiberboard (MDF) panels. In recognition of the economic recession and problems of companies to sell their inventories, CARB is allowing the extension. The extensions will not change the anticipated emission reduction benefits, because CARB expected that these panels and finished goods would have already been sold if the economy and turnover of inventories had not slowed. Formaldehyde emission standards affecting newly manufactured composite wood products will not be delayed. • EXPERIENCE QUALITY DEPENDABLE 975 Conrad Hill Mine Rd.~Lexington, NC 27292 Phone 336-746-5419~Fax 336-746-6177 Web: www.kepleyfrank.com To better serve our customers we have a 50 bay sorter and optimizing trimmer. Below is a picture of our sorter that helps us provide customized sorting and packaging. This is a view of our 50 bay sorter. Information about our sawmill, planer mill and lumber inventory is below: 1.) Our three sawmills cut 15 million board feet a year of fine Appalachian Hardwood lumber in 4/4 through 8/4 thicknesses in mostly Red Oak, White Oak and Poplar as well as Ash and Maple. Our crosstie mill manufactures about 100,000 board feet per week of crosstie and tie sides in species such as Hickory, Sycamore, Beech, Gum and Elm. In addition to the lumber we cut from our sawmill we also process another 12 to 15 million board feet of lumber per year through our Hardwood concentration yard business. We purchase and process all domestic species in all grades. 2.) Our modern planer mill runs two shifts to ensure on time shipments of our lumber to customers. We deliver kiln dried or air dried lumber and offer export preparation and on site container loading. 3.) We offer 600,000 board feet of fan shed inventory at all times, to provide efficient service to our customers. Kepley-Frank maintains an air dried inventory of 5,000,000 plus board feet of all species, to ensure back up inventory for our customers. *Through Jimmy Kepley acquiring Lexington Home Brandsʼ plant #2 in Lexington, N.C., and naming the operation Linwood Furniture, Inc., his company offers kiln dried lumber from Linwoodʼs eight dry kilns with a total dry kiln capacity of 600,000 board feet per charge. The furniture plant is also offering the service of contract furniture manufacturing and the manufacturing of wood components for other furniture manufacturers and other woodworking companies. Please turn the page AUGUST/2011 51
