Wood Technologies International, a comprehensive supplier of lumber processing equipment, technology, and essential tooling, has announced that its president, Dale Brown, has been appointed CEO of the company.
Outgoing CEO Craig Tompkins will serve as a Strategic Advisor to the Board of Directors of Wood Technologies to help continue to guide the company.
Brown has had a 37-year tenure with Wood Technologies and predecessor company, USNR, starting his career there in 1986 as an accounting data entry clerk. Brown was named President of Wood Technologies upon the USNR/Wood Fiber Group merger in 2021.
Tompkins helped spearhead the merger of Wood Technologies’ predecessor companies: mill automation, equipment supplier and technology system integrator USNR, and sawmill parts supplier/manufacturer Wood Fiber Group, in November 2021. This combination of highly complementary product offerings and customer bases enabled Wood Technologies to become a leading supplier in the industry, says the company, with 1,500 employees and 30 operating sites.
Tompkins also helped lead and integrate Wood Technologies’ July 2022 acquisitions of Timber Automation, a provider of custom engineered equipment, aftermarket parts, controls and optimization systems; and The Knife Source, a manufacturer of machine knives used in waste wood chipper machines and brush chipper equipment.
Tigercat introduces purpose-built 630H silviculture carrierLogging equipment company Tigercat has contributed significantly to increased efficiencies in timber harvesting operations, and it is also now focusing on gaining efficiencies in the silviculture side of the forest industry.
Many forestry companies struggle to prepare post-harvest sites for replanting using modified ag tractors. These machines are not up to the task, often suffering from insufficient power, cooling capacity and structural durability, says Tigercat.
Tigercat recently released the 630H silviculture carrier to address these deficiencies. Based on Tigercat’s skidder platform, the machine is equipped with hydraulic connectors and several drawbar receiver variations to adapt to a variety of plow or mounding implement connection points. In addition, the carrier can be equipped with an optional winch and bolt-on fairlead system. The whole package is factory equipped and ready to work, says the company.
Initial studies conducted by Mexican forestry company Proteak indicate that the 630H carrier is quicker, more productive, and more fuel efficient than the ag tractors that they are replacing. Operators are safe and comfortable in a climate controlled cab equipped with an air ride suspension seat and ergonomic armrest mounted controls, says the company.
J.D. Irving expands its MiCROTEC connection with CT scanner purchaseJ.D. Irving Limited, a producer of maple, birch, and poplar wood products headquartered in Saint John, New Brunswick, has purchased a MiCROTEC CT log scanner for installation in its veneer sawmill in St. Leonard, New Brunswick.
MiCROTEC’s CT scanner is a worldwide, unique, computed tomography (CT) scanner in the wood products industry, says the company, allowing J.D. Irving to scan and digitally reconstruct the internal features of their logs in 3D. Delivering the optimal cutting solution in real time, this technology is consistent with J.D. Irving’s mission to ensure the use of 100 per cent of every tree. The CT scanner provides a complete reconstruction of the internal features of the logs, allowing the logs to be graded and sorted by quality and optimization. The CT Log solution developed by MiCROTEC’s engineers provides quality grading and virtual grading information in addition to the full 3D log description.
Integrated with MiCROTEC’s Maxicut Pro, Winlog, and MiCROTEC Connect, the CT Log communicates with the Logeye Stereo, providing the head rig operator with the exact degree of log rotation to provide maximum value. Working with the CT Log, MiCROTEC’s Maxicut software optimizes cutting patterns based on value.
This newest investment is part of J.D. Irving’s continued partnership with MiCROTEC. Beginning in 2014 with a Lucidyne scanner installation at its Dixfield, Maine, location, J.D. Irving has since installed Lucidyne scanners at their Doaktown and Kedgwick, New Brunswick locations, with another Wanescan installation at their Dixfield, Maine facility in 2023. Their recent investment of the CT Log is accompanied by a commitment for five MiCROTEC Logeye Stereos, which execute 360-dgree scans during rolling, adding to the information gained before the log is sawn.
LP Building Solutions has acquired the assets owned by Wawa OSB Inc, a subsidiary of Forex Inc, located near Wawa, Ontario.
The manufacturing facility, originally envisioned as an OSB mill by Forex, will be converted to an LP SmartSide Trim & Siding mill.
Once converted, the mill will add approximately 400 million square feet of capacity to LP’s portfolio. It will be the company’s largest single-line siding mill and will increase its total siding capacity to 2.7 billion square feet annually.
Built in the mid-1990s as an OSB mill, LP says that the site is an ideal location for SmartSide production due to its access to an ample and sustainable aspen wood basket and efficient logistics options. The mill’s conversion will bring more than 150 jobs to the region, says the company.
LP is evaluating project schedules to determine when construction at the facility will begin.
Trelleborg Wheel Systems has been acquired by the Yokohama Rubber Co. The new company will operate under the name “Yokohama TWS”.
The Yokohama Rubber Co, based in Hiratsuka, Japan, is a global leader in the tire industry and other rubber applications, such as conveyor belts, hoses and couplings, and fenders, employing over 28,000 people around the globe and operating in more than 120 countries.
The company says that this acquisition allows it to consolidate its leading position among tire producers in the world, becoming a global leader in the off-highway tires segment with the addition of Trelleborg, Mitas, Maximo, Cultor brands and Interfit service network to its portfolio.
DEVELON, formerly Doosan Infracore Construction equipment, has evolved its compact equipment offering with a stronger machine: the DX89R-7 mini excavator.
It replaces the DX85R-3 and packs many of its predecessor’s features with enhancements such as greater lifting capacity and more horsepower. The machine is equipped with a DEVELON engine and diagnostics tool, and the mini excavator also boasts a reduced tail swing feature, permitting more power in cramped, congested worksites.
Like smaller -7 Series mini excavators, the DX89R-7 comes with an innovative platform to improve structural durability and machine robustness. Powered by a Tier 4-compliant D24 diesel engine offering more horsepower, the DX89R-7 provides increased productivity from its predecessor. Auxiliary hydraulic flow remains readily available for operators to use hydraulic powered attachments with the mini excavator.
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New Trimble log inventory system helps digitize small/medium size companiesTechnology company Trimble has launched LIMS PRO, a new cloud-hosted version of its widely-used Log Inventory and Management System (LIMS) to manage sawmill raw material procurement.
As a cloud-based log settlement solution, LIMS PRO is designed to improve operational visibility for mills, enabling small and medium sized forest companies to realize productivity and growth gains that only large companies have historically been able to afford by digitizing lumber supply chain workflows, it says.
Taking the power of LIMS and creating a more accessible Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) version, this robust business management software streamlines contracts, receiving, inventory and settlement processes into a single platform, providing forestry companies with a complete picture of their operations. In addition, the software assists with mobile ticketing in the woods before the logs make their way to sawmills, eliminating the need for manual recordkeeping.
Wajax Corporation says that its wholly-owned subsidiary Tundra Process Solutions Ltd., has acquired Polyphase Engineered Controls (1977) Ltd.
Specializing in producing custom electrical and instrumentation equipment, Polyphase employs 44 people, including a team of skilled wiring and panel assemblers, and operates facilities in Calgary and Edmonton.
“Since 1977, Polyphase has earned a reputation for delivering high quality electrical controls for the oil and gas, utilities, mining, forestry and agricultural sectors,” says Ashley Allers, Chief Executive Officer of Tundra,
He adds that this addition expands Wajax’s electrical solutions portfolio to include PLC control panels, protection panels, DCS panels and marshalling cabinets, to name a few. In-house capabilities related to electrical design, production, testing, staging and project management also expand the breadth of Wajax’s electrical and instrumentation solutions offerings. The added expertise, combined with the increased capacity from the Polyphase facilities, enhance the company’s ability to undertake large scale time-critical integration projects, it says.
Founded in 1999 and acquired by Wajax in 2021, Tundra plays a key role in Wajax’s Industrial Parts and Engineered Repair Services growth strategy.
To help grow British Columbia’s value-added wood sector, the B.C. government will support the establishment of a new mass timber production facility that is expected to create more than 70 jobs in Williams Lake, in the B.C. Interior.
The B.C. government will contribute as much as $10 million for Massive Canada Building Systems Inc. to build and start operations of a new manufacturing facility, which has a total budget of $75 million, in Williams Lake. This is the first project approved through the province’s new $180-million BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund, which opened for applications in February 2023.
“Massive Canada brings together sustainable mass timber products and prefabrication in this facility. We manufacture buildings to help B.C. communities achieve their affordable housing and climate goals,” says Gaetan Royer, CEO, Massive Canada. “The B.C. government’s 2022 Mass Timber Action Plan was a pivotal document for us. Thanks to the Manufacturing Jobs Fund, we will create jobs for knowledge workers and tradespersons in this innovative industry.”
Through the project, Massive Canada will acquire, renovate and equip an existing 91,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant. The facility will pre-fabricate laneway homes, apartment units, townhouses and commercial projects, using mass timber building products and systems that significantly reduce construction time. The aim is to increase the supply of housing throughout the province.
The facility is expected to be ready for small scale operations later in 2023, with full operations beginning in 2024, says the company.
Serco Loaders, a leading fabricating and machining company, says that Dale Williamson, Director of Sales, will retire after over 18 years of service, adding that he has played a vital role in the company’s success and will be greatly missed.
During Williamson’s tenure, he was instrumental in growing the Serco brand throughout the company’s dealership network.
In conjunction with this retirement, Serco Loaders has appointed Mark Shukla as Director of Sales to continue driving the company’s growth and success.
Shukla is an accomplished professional with an extensive background in material handling in truck mount loaders, stationary mount loaders, and large material handlers, says the company. He brings knowledge of a wide range of applications including logging, making him an ideal successor to continue Serco’s upward trajectory, it says.
Wedding bells ring for Logging and Sawmilling Journal/TimberWest owners in JulyWedding bells rang on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast this summer, as Anthony Robinson and Hannah Rayment, the owners of Logging and Sawmilling Journal and TimberWest, were married, on July 7.
Anthony and Hannah invited 85 friends and family from literally around the world to their Sunshine Coast property for the celebration. And the Sunshine Coast lived up to its name, with it being a beautiful day, for the beachside wedding!
Congratulations to Anthony and Hannah! Cheers, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson!
On the Cover:
Michel and Christine Parent have built MDA Foresterie from a single machine slashing wood at roadside to a five-machine cut-to-length operation which produces 75,000 to 80,000 tonnes of wood annually. Their plans call for cutting back their current operation by selling their cut-to-length processors and forwarder to their sons David and Anthony, and offering them guidance on how to build their own forestry contracting business. cover photo by George Fullerton).
B.C. forest industry facing a brewing crisis
Forest industry consultant David Elstone talks about how B.C.’s forest sector is facing a brewing crisis—strong markets in the last couple of years have delayed some of the effects of challenges in B.C., but that has changed rapidly with recent weakening markets.
Parents passing over logging operation to the next generation
The successful Parent Family logging operation in New Brunswick—supported by solid iron in the bush—is in the process of being handed over to the next generation.
Wide wood basket for global customers
Hardwood sawmill Amex Bois Franc is using its base in a small Quebec town—and a large wood basket—to produce high quality wood products to ship all over the world.
Guest Column
Tired of high scrap lumber rates? Automation is the answer, says Matthew Nemeth, of E+E Elektronik.
Resourceful repurposing
Ontario sawmiller Ken Zoschke takes resourcefulness to a whole other level with his operation in eastern Ontario; the power unit for his mill operation is the cab and chassis of a repurposed International truck with a L10 Cummins engine.
All in the Family
The Forvico/Boisverco logging/woodworking operation is truly a family enterprise, with the children and grandchildren of Marc and Julie Vigneault involved in the business.
Living a sawmilling dream
Daniel Chassé is literally living the dream these days, running a sawmill business that produces high quality wood products from less commercially popular species.
How to choose the right manufacturing partner for your sprocket needs
Drop Sprocket on how to gear up for success, and find the perfect manufacturing partner for your sprocket needs.
The EDGE
Included in this edition of The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, is a story from the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC).
The Last Word
This year’s terrible wildfire season demonstrates the need to develop more resilient forests, says Tony Kryzanowski.
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