National Hardwood Magazine - October 2014

Jim Reader, manager at

Jim Reader, manager at Downes & Reader Hardwood Co. Inc., stands beside the new VisionTally recently installed at the lumber company. Reader credits the equipment for improving efficiencies at both Downes & Reader facilities located in Blakeslee, PA, and Stoughton, MA. Downes & Reader Teams Up With VisionTally TM For Greater Efficiencies By Terry Miller Stoughton, MA–Downes & Reader Hardwood Co. Inc., headquartered here, has cultivated and maintained a sterling reputation in the lumber industry not only due to its quality products, but also due to its commitment to efficient internal processes. That commitment was recently underscored with the installment of VisionTally, touted by its parent company (Industrial Vision Systems Inc.) in Bryn Mawr, PA, as “the most accurate, labor-free, and efficient end-tally system available, scanning and measuring bundles automatically from both ends at once.” Jim Reader, manager at Downes & Reader, tends to agree with that statement. “I’m 100 percent pleased” with the results thus far from VisionTally, Reader said. Downes & Reader installed VisionTally at both its Blakeslee, PA, and Stoughton, MA, facilities less than three months ago. The results have been impressive. Within 2-1/2 months of VisionTally usage, the Blakeslee yard had processed over 1,000 bundles. Stoughton, which installed VisionTally after 32 OCTOBER 2014 ■ NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE

Paul Letourneau labels a bundle of 5/4 Soft Maple for Downes & Reader. ‘‘ Blakeslee, did 500 lumber bundles within the first month. Reader explained, “I’d looked at several different machines. In the scheme of things they’re all in similar price levels, but this is the only machine that you can’t manipulate the tally. There’s no human intervention in that tally at all, unless it hits two boards as one and then you can just put a space in it to make two pieces; it doesn’t change the board footage tally.” Reader calculates he’ll recoup his quarter-milliondollar investment in the new tally machine within seven months. “We did this to improve efficiencies and that way, we know exactly what we have in the warehouse. That’s basically what it’s being used for. What we do is we scale all incoming lumber on this machine so we can verify what we have, and we can decide then what orders come out of what bundles at that point. We also will know who’s shipping a decent load that has wide in it, or something we can make flooring out of or whatever, when it comes in, or who has a good scale.” VisionTally installation was completed within two weeks. In each of the two facilities, the machine is situated in a corner (VisionTally) is going to have a ripple affect across everything that touches the lumber. It will positively affect our sales staff. Now they will have better ability to check and see what we accurately have in inventory. - Jim Reader, Manager, Downes & Reader Hardwood Co. Inc. ‘‘ of the building, located near the receiving department to easily facilitate stacking near the machine. Then the lumber is processed across the VisionTally machine, and Reader said if it is acceptable, it goes right into Downes & Reader inventory at that point. As little as two days of training were required of employees chosen to operate VisionTally at Downes & Reader. “We run one shift per yard,” said Reader. “At each yard we have one Please turn to page 56 OCTOBER 2014 ■ NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 33