Articles
The articles below have been selected from previous issues of Canadian Wood Products Magazine. Of course, the only way to get each and every article, plus industry-leading news, views and technology, is to Subscribe.
This Quebec-based company saw a mill conversion in New York state as a way to expand capacity in the U.S.PUBLISHED: September / October 2011
How this lumber mill’s strategy curbs overhead by managing peak power
demands and saving big bucks on the energy bill.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2011
White Spruce Sapwood – a Tricky Beast to Dry!
Our technical experts offer some advice on how to handle
this common drying issue.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2011
How a Newfoundland stud mill is taking an innovative approach to
getting through the downturn.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2011
Scanning and Optimization for the Planer Mill
In our last issue, we explored scanning and optimization for the sawmill.
Now we are taking a look at how the technology works in the planer mill.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2011
Roseburg EWP Plant Improves Flexibility
Additional capabilities equal better customer service and more capacity
for improved markets in the future.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2011
Scanning and optimization technology is constantly changing as
companies develop new software and hardware.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2011
Working to Reduce Costs While Increasing Revenue
A discussion with the president of Sinclar Group Forest Products sheds
some light on the company's past and its plans for the future.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2011
Airflow and Energy -- Opportunities for Your Kiln
Our experts say more powerful airflow systems can make a difference in uniformity and MC.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2011
Plunging into the Nordic Business and the Icy Baltic
An industry safari to Sweden and Finland offered participants an
opportunity for an inside look at several Nordic sawmills.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2011
Moving Ahead
Innovative people that can adapt to changing markets have been behind
the success of this stud mill in Fort St. James, B.C.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2011
Post Dryer Resin Addition Offers Cost Savings and Environmental Benefits
A panel plant in Atlantic Canada is changing the way resin is added to the MDF panel production process.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2011
Strategic Sawmilling
Utilizing what other mills can't use is good business for this two-line EACOM Timber mill in northern Ontario.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2011
Strength Through Connections
The Engineered Wood Technology Association continues to serve as a valuable networking vehicle for engineered wood industry suppliers.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2011
A Capital Idea
As earnings improve and China beckons, B.C. mills loosen the purse strings, announcing almost $500 million in capital spending in the coming year alone.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2011
OSB Industry Continues to Answer the Bell
OSB producers retrench after housing bubble deflates, ushering in the worst recession in OSB industry history.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2010
Road to Success
For a small south eastern B.C. cedar mill, flexibility, consistency and improved safety have played a key role in its ongoing success.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2010
Going With Wood
Set in a northern Ontario forest, this conference centre makes good use of local materials, including solid and engineered wood products.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2010
Third Generation
B.C.'s ATCO Wood Products moves forward with new and innovative ways to keep the company growing.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2010
Growing Up
Pacific Building Systems has gone from a one-stop builder's supply store to a worldwide marketer of homes and more.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2010
Biomass Goes Big
Finding innovative solutions to fibre supply issues helps Quebec power producer.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2010
Making It Happen
An efficient planer mill and a committed group of staff and contractors have helped EACOM Timber's Elk Lake Sawmill make it through the downturn.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2010
Reinvesting for Success
WKO in southern Washington State has consistently upgraded its mill on an annual basis, and this year is no exception.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2010
Feeding China's Appetite for Wood
A special feature on how demand for wood products from China is impacting Canadian producers and others in CanadaŐs forest industry.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2010
Value-Added Winner
This New Brunswick producer learned early on that value-added was the way of the future for them.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2010
Surviving in the Big Pond
It's not easy, but the small fish can survive in the big pond. Just ask M&K Sawmills in Quesnel, B.C. They have been doing it for years.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2010
Something Different
Converting wood fibre into drugstore products, clothing and even tire components has turned a closed down New Brunswick mill into a viable operation.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2010
Maintaining Consistency
The marketplace may be challenging, but that hasn't stopped this Northeast U.S. lumber manufacturer from investing in the future, including the installation of new Canadian technology.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2010
Looking Up
Key decision makers were in Portland, Ore. for the 2010 WoodTech show and the overall mood was optimistic.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2010
Balancing Act
This family-owned Eganville, Ont. sawmill strikes a balance between muscle power and technology.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2010
Up and Running Again
It's been a rough ride for this New Brunswick sawmill, but they were just not ready to throw in the towel, and today 175 people are back at work.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2010
Irish Plant Stays Ahead
An OSB producer in the south of Ireland is constantly responding to its customers' needs. It hasn't been easy in today's challenging market, but it has helped to protect the mill's market share and when
the economy improves, it should position them well in an increasingly competitive business.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2010
SPF Drying Manual
At FPInnovations, one of our main business functions is the presentation and dissemination of technical information for the forest products industry. It is our goal to help strengthen the Canadian forest sector's global competitiveness through research, knowledge transfer and implementation. It is with regard to the knowledge transfer portion of this goal that this drying article is directed.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2010
Family Ties
This small Ontario family-owned sawmill that has been in the business for five generations is doing what it takes to survive.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2009
Day One
Starting from scratch is what this northern Ontario sawmiller did when he wanted to update his mill.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2009
Window of Opportunity
A log home manufacturer that takes care of the little things finds it is a strategy that pays off in the long run.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2009
OSB Winner
Selling 2 ft. x 2 ft. engineered wood subfloor panels is keeping this Ontario manufacturer busy.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2009
A Screaming Success
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is making huge strides in its campaign to educate the industry and the public on forestry certification.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2009
The Little Things
A log home manufacturer that takes care of the little things finds it is a strategy that pays off in the long run.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2009
Bucking the Trend
There's some good news out there, especially for the employees of a Fort St. James, B.C. sawmill who are starting up the saws for the first time after being down for 18 months.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2009
Sitting Pretty
With a recycled content of over 90% this Alberta decking materials manufacturer is getting attention in more ways than one.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2009
Conference, Show and Workshop Wrap-up
There has been no shortage of conferences, trade shows and technical workshops in the Pacific Northwest as audiences learn about panels, biomass and economics.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2009
Quality, Not Quantity
Despite today's tough economic climate, Sundance Forest Industries has found a recipe to stay viable and keep everyone employed.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2009
Making the Grade
Even though its dealing with an increase in Mountain Pine Beetle affected timber, this mill is finding ways to increase its export production.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2009
Outside the Box
Sending pallet stock all over the world and knowing the shipping business have proven to be key ingredients in the success of this reman plant.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2009
The Log's the Limit
Newfoundland's Sexton Lumber is literally between the Rock and a hard place, as plans to invest despite tough markets depend in large part on access to sawlogs.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2009
Wood Matters
Trends in raw material use in the Canadian Pulp and Paper Industry from 1965 to 2010 show the growing need to consider log size and not just stand volume in forest management these days.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2009
View From the Top
Staff involvement and a fresh sales investment is allowing this reborn reman operation in B.C. and Alberta to survive the tough times and position itself for recovery.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2009
A Matter of Truss
Automation options may be limited in the truss manufacturing business, but laser-assisted assembly and optimized sawing are a big start.
PUBLISHED: November/December 2008
Vaagen's Fibre Factory
Making lumber from small logs has long been just a piece of the puzzle at Vaagen Bros., where high quality chips, sawdust, shavings, hog fuel, power, and forest management get equal billing. The first part in our two-part series on this innovative company.
PUBLISHED: November/December 2008
Market Forecast - Engineered Wood
It's hard to hit a moving target, which is the problem with any US forecasts right now. Still, a look at EWP markets next year and beyond.
PUBLISHED: November/December 2008
Lauzon Mixes it Up
The flooring experts at Quebec's Lauzon International Inc. have opened a new hardwood sawmill that combines the best of softwood and hardwood milling technology.
PUBLISHED: September/October 2008
Profitable Diversions
Cherry Forest Products has invested in market diversification and customer-driven solutions to avoid the fate of so many conventional hardwood mills in this market.
PUBLISHED: September/October 2008
Double Vision
What you can't see can hurt you if you're a BC mill dealing with beetle cracks or an eastern mill with balsam fir and rotten boards. Mills are reacting with combined geometric and vision scanning.
PUBLISHED: September/October 2008
Mixed Reviews
The 20th annual PwC Global Forest Conference shared good news, and some real bad news.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2008
Just Add Flour
A new opportunity for BC's forest industry emerges in the form of a wood-plastic extrusion process out of Delta.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2008
Recovery on the Table
Controlled curve sawing at the gang is netting extra recovery and production at Quebec's Blanchet.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2008
Fast Track Cedar Mill
Don Backs wanted a new planer and reman mill, and he wanted it fast, so he and his crew tore out the old and started up the new within 18 days.
PUBLISHED: May/June 2008
Mind the Gap
Closing the execution gap at Collins Pine widened margins some $47 per thousand, but not without effort.
PUBLISHED: May/June 2008
Economies of Scale
Nova Scotia hardwood millers Groupe Savoie have a solid foundation and big plans. Now they just need the wood.
PUBLISHED: May/June 2008
Pressing Ahead
Less than two years after a massive fire swept through its Lac-Mégantic particleboard plant, Tafisa Canada is pressing board, and pressing on.
PUBLISHED: March/April 2008
Flooring the Customer
The Woodland Flooring Company in Comox, BC, combines careful drying and beautiful wood to give a new definition to value-added.
PUBLISHED: March/April 2008
Make or Break Production
Expensive BC wood is going to the chipper and production down the drain as mills look for green-end solutions to this brittle, defect-ridden wood. Part two in our series.
PUBLISHED: March/April 2008
Market Forecast - What Bottom?
We polish up our crystal ball, and barring a general recession, this is the year we should find bottom, and begin a slow climb up.
PUBLISHED: January/February 2008
Back End HELP!
Debugging the dry end of BC mountain pine beetle mills means looking at grades differently, and with better technology.
PUBLISHED: January/February 2008
China: Market, Competitor or Both?
This issue's Bottom Line looks at possible markets, and threats, from China's evolving economy.
PUBLISHED: January/February 2008
End Use Optimizers
This white pine sawmill in Quebec's Eastern Townships region has added a new optimized carriage to allow more uniform production across multiple shifts, and to better target its sole customer's needs.
PUBLISHED: November/December 2007
This Hound Will Hunt
Data that is, as the Board Hound tracking system ties information from all your lumber optimizers to make the best bottom dollar decision.
PUBLISHED: November/December 2007
Exporting Green Board
History, craftsmanship, targeted automation, and a shift to green make Canfor's hardboard division one of the most interesting divisions in BC's forest industry.
PUBLISHED: November/December 2007
Outrunning the Beetle
The beetle drives Tolko to faster cut and grade options in this just-revamped stud mill in Kelowna, BC.
PUBLISHED: September/October 2007
Foam on the Roam
New technology developed by Raute and tested by UPM-Kymmene has the potential to reduce plywood glue use and labour costs.
PUBLISHED: September/October 2007
Kiln Drying: Burn it Good
Thermally modified wood opens many marketing opportunities, but production and quality questions remain.
PUBLISHED: September/October 2007
Saltair Smells Success
Western Forest Products faces a challenge at the 49th parallel as its Saltair mill re-tools to deal with smaller logs, bigger costs, and new markets.
PUBLISHED: August 2007
Real Squares
Muskoka Timbermills is a little off the beaten path in Ontario cottage country, and so is its product mix - Big squares, hardwood, softwood, and custom cuts from another century. In short, whatever the customer wants.
PUBLISHED: August 2007
Business Built on Truss
Logger-turned-truss maker Claude Paquet combines his love of wood with a keen entrepreneurial spirit to manage an award-winning value-added business.
PUBLISHED: August 2007
Go to the Puck
Dealing with H&S and environmental regulations in the wood treating industry would be a lot easier if we got ahead of the game.
PUBLISHED: June/July 2007
A Solid FINNISH
Finland's modern sawmilling sector combines a passion for quality wood products with highly automated plants to make an impressive business model.
PUBLISHED: June/July 2007
Future Glowing BRIGHT
The pellet industry is slated to at least double in size over the next few years, and WPAC is ready to grow with it.
PUBLISHED: June/July 2007
Customers First
This two-line Finnish sawmill starts by determining what its many customers need, and then picks the right logs, right gear and right finishing process to make each product.
PUBLISHED: May 2007
Begin Again
Three distinct lines and three products have kept Bégin & Bégin going after 70 years.
PUBLISHED: May 2007
Starved of Hope
Where will you be when the beetle salvage ends?
You'd best start planning now..
PUBLISHED: May 2007
Think Inside the Box
Using a mix of plywood, lumber, steel and more, Ontario's Nefab plant has its customers' needs all wrapped up.
PUBLISHED: March/April 2007
Hydraulics: Safety at what cost?
Hydraulic systems carry their own dangers, but few in mill management or on safety committees know what they are. We tell you
PUBLISHED: March/April 2007
Sawfiling: Gorman seeks an EDGE
For well-known BC sawfiler John Hebert, saw doctoring is a career and hobby all rolled into one.
PUBLISHED: March/April 2007
Speed of Light
A lighter touch at the planer infeed is helping Carrier Lumber reduce breakage when processing brittle beetle kill wood.
PUBLISHED: January/February 2007
Gateway to Recovery
A new Prince George bare-bones sawmill is targeting beetle kill timber,
maximizing the return from this abundant resource.
PUBLISHED: January/February 2007
Engineering a Future
Looking beyond common sawmill-pulp mill models, Superior Laminated Lumber is trying to develop an LVL plant in northwestern Ontario that would marry bio-energy, engineered wood, and particleboard manufacturing to form a new industry model.
PUBLISHED: January/February 2007
Running Lean
Steady upgrades and a passion for taking care of the little things have Canfor’s once money-losing Isle Pierre mill breaking the 270-million-bdft barrier.
PUBLISHED: November/December 2006
Proving Your METAL
High technology is a given at Bowater’s newest sawmill in Thunder Bay, ON, but management says what really sets the mill apart is the layout, its flexible, motivated work force, modern management systems, and clear goals...
PUBLISHED: November/December 2006
The Extinct Society
Once the rage in small-log processing and efficient stud production, Quebec sawmillers now make headlines only when they are closing another mill or three...
PUBLISHED: November/December 2006
Getting it Light
Richmond Plywood has successfully implemented new light-based veneer sorting technology, and while it is too early for hard numbers, accuracy has improved...
PUBLISHED: September/October 2006
No Generation Gap
Gloomy industry forecasts aside, the fifth generation at Robbins Lumber’s legendary white pine mill isn’t slowing the pace of innovation and investment...
PUBLISHED: September/October 2006
Dry Clean Engineered wood
Recent investments in veneer drying and auto-grading have been a boost to both efficiency and employee well being at LP’s LVL plant in Golden, BC...
PUBLISHED: September/October 2006
OSB Going Cheap
Speakers at the WSU Wood Composites Symposium in Seattle question just how much extra panel capacity can be absorbed in a cooling housing market...
PUBLISHED: July/August 2006
Longer is better at LP
Louisiana-Pacific has invested over $30 million in its OSB mill in Saint Michel des Saints, QC to optimize the fibre infeed and maximize fibre recovery...
PUBLISHED: July/August 2006
Work hard, play hard
The young partners running Dogtooth Log & Timber Products aren’t afraid to work weekends if need be...
PUBLISHED: July/August 2006
Precut Solutions
A reborn Terrace reman facility hopes to be part of the local forest industry’s revival, one job at a time...
PUBLISHED: May/June 2006
Prairie DRY
In an industry first, West Fraser’s Alberta Plywood operation in Edmonton, AB, has installed a complete new jet dryer from Westmill Industries...
PUBLISHED: May/June 2006
Familiar Territory
Ledwidge Lumber relies on a pair of Hew Saw lines to recover quality studs from its private log supply – An older MSA races through the smallest of small logs, while a brand new R200 Plus makes the most of larger logs...
PUBLISHED: May/June 2006
On-the-job training
Starting out as an ill-fated bush sawyer, and then running an antique ripsaw saved from the scrap heap...
PUBLISHED: March/April 2006
Opportune Grading
Olympic Panel Products (OPP) runs a plywood and overlay business that relies on process control front to back...
PUBLISHED: March/April 2006
New strand for furniture makers
OSB may offer higher recovery and lower manufacturing costs to beleaguered Canadian furniture manufacturers...
PUBLISHED: March/April 2006
Making plane sense
Planer maintenance and adjustments are often overlooked and poorly documented...
PUBLISHED: March/April 2006
Web Weavers
Norbord’s OSB plant in La Sarre, QC is a true industry lightweight...
PUBLISHED: January/February 2006
Variation is the Theme
Reducing moisture content variation in your shipments of KD lumber needn’t be expensive...
PUBLISHED: January/February 2006
Clean as water
The goal was to reduce the design to its essentials, resulting in a more cost-effective variant...
PUBLISHED: January/February 2006
Big as TEXAS
Only this Houston is in BC, home to Canfor’s monster mill and West Fraser’s growing lumber complex...
PUBLISHED: January/February 2006
