National Hardwood Magazine - October 2018

ISK Biocides Inc.,

ISK Biocides Inc., headquartered in Memphis, TN, is the only supplier that has end coating, chemicals and all lumber protection products under one roof. Key personnel includes: (from left) Lance Johnson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing; Tanisha Holliday, Operations Manager; Gail Watson, Manager of Regulatory; and Anthony Accampo, Manager of Technology. ISK Biocides: Your One-Stop Shop in Wood Preservation By Terry Miller Memphis, TN–For more than 75 years ISK Biocides Inc., headquartered here, has been providing lumber manufacturers with a superior line of wood preservation products. “In fact,” said Lance Johnson, ISK’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, “we are the only supplier that has end coating, chemicals and all lumber protection products under one roof. For example, we have Sealtite 60 for waxing logs and lumber to prevent the end-checking commonly found in the Oaks and other Hardwoods. We also have CosPaint® and Premium Paint, cosmetic end paints for kiln-dried lumber for enhanced packaging for the export market. We have fungicides and brighteners for dipping lumber to prevent stain and mold and maintain brightness, and insecticide for the ambrosia beetle and other insects. At ISK Biocides, we literally have it all in one stop.” ISK Biocides takes great pride in each product it makes, which results from extensive research and development. This spring, the company announced its newest product that will assist both Hardwood and softwood lumber suppliers. Named 22 Express, this product is an effective water-emulsifiable formulation containing propiconazole and tebuconazole, which are fungicides that aid in the control of sapstain and mold, according to Johnson. This product may be applied by spraying or dipping fresh cut lumber for sapstain control and is a one-component system compatible with other ISK products such as NeX-Brite®, X-Lance® and Tuff-Brite®. 22 Express joins a host of other products on which ISK Biocides has staked its reputation. The company’s top seller remains NeXgen® fungicide, which is highly effective when used on Hardwoods as well as softwoods, including radiata pine in South America and New Zealand, where lumber is shipped dead-green to Asia. Customers have also had excellent results exporting green Hardwood lumber treated with NeXgen. 38 OCTOBER 2018 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE

This is a close-up view of lumber on sticks after being treated with ISK’s NeXgen® fungicide, the company’s top seller. The top pack of lumber has been dipped in ISK’s NeXgen product and the bottom two have been treated with a competitor’s product. Applying NeXgen results in bright lumber, as pictured here in the top pack. Johnson stated, “NeXgen is the most widely used chemical on Hardwoods in the U.S. Period.” He added, “NeXgen is the best chemical in regards to how long it will hold lumber from stain and mold. It provides the brightest lumber, and over the past 15-20 years, that has become critical for the export market where it is all about appearance. When you can go into a warehouse and pick out your lumber by brightness, that’s huge. That’s what we at ISK provide.” NeXgen is applied by dipping the lumber in a tank. Johnson noted that, “We supply our customers with a test kit so they can monitor the strength of the product in the tank. We also supply pumping systems to match the customer’s needs and provide the safest and most efficient use of our products.” Should questions or concerns arise while using ISK’s products, the company provides full follow-up service. “We really do provide more service than any of our competitors,” Johnson explained. “It doesn’t matter if the customer is a small sawmill or a large one. We have interns or our sales reps who visit our customers every few weeks to provide after-market service to ensure the chemical is working right for them and they are having no issues. This makes it easier for our customers to market and maintain their lumber.” While ISK Biocides markets products effective for both Hardwoods and softwoods, Premier® is a product that specifically benefits Hardwoods. “Premier is the friendliest product on the market to handle as far as not being an irritant to the skin,” Johnson said. “The handler should still wear rubber gloves, but in the event it gets on you, it will not burn the skin or result in a rash. This makes it a very nice product to spray, such as on log ends and anywhere the bark is missing to prevent log stain. With Premier, customers have reported adding 30 days to log storage time at a chemical cost of around ###COLUMNCONTENT###.05 per log. Premier is also good on whitewoods that must be dipped. Please turn to page 66 An ISK Biocides customer waxes Oak with Sealtite 60, which prevents end checks. We are the only supplier that has end coating, chemicals and all lumber protection products under one roof. – Lance Johnson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, ISK Biocides Inc. OCTOBER 2018 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 39