Wood And Panel US

FPAC Market Expansion And Skills Training

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) welcomes the additional support for innovation and market development unveiled in today’s budget and also applauds the government’s focus on skills training.

The “Jobs, Growth and Prosperity” budget from the Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty, includes an additional $92 million over two years to support innovation and expanding markets. “We applaud the government for its continuing support for the forest products sector even at a time when tough measures are needed to reduce the deficit.” says the President and CEO of FPAC, David Lindsay. “This is a strategic future-oriented decision that demonstrates ongoing commitment to the transformation of the industry.”

FPAC has unveiled Vision2020, an ambitious plan to propel the sector forward in the areas of products, environmental performance and people. The support for innovation, research and market development will help the industry reach its goal of producing another $20 billion in economic activity in new markets and innovative new products by the end of the decade.

The Canada Job Grant proposal aimed at increasing the pool of skilled labour in Canada will also help the forest sector with another Vision2020 goal ― the desire to recruit an additional 60,000 people by 2020 including women, Aboriginals and new Canadians.

“The forest products industry is on the move and needs to recruit tens of thousands of new workers to reach our potential in the 21st century and spur growth.” says Lindsay. “We are pleased that the government is recognizing the growing competition for labour.”

Lindsay notes that other budget items will help the transformation of the forest products industry and the quest to produce new jobs and shore up rural communities. This includes tax support for clean energy generation and the extension of the Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance.

Westeck Innovation Is The service Centre Of IMA/Schelling

IMA/Schelling now have their New Accredited Service Center in B.C. - Westeck Innovation

Schelling and IMA announced Westeck Innovation as an IMA/Schelling Accredited Service Center for the British Columbia area. Westeck Innovation is owned and operated by Kevin Goldman. Kevin has over 23 years of experience in the woodworking machinery industry and has been servicing IMA and Schelling equipment in B.C. for almost a decade.

Murat Dogan, the President of IMA/Schelling Canada, says, "We trust that our local accredited service center will provide peace of mind for our B.C. customers by providing local technician presence, in combination with full support and resources of the service departments of IMA/Schelling North America, including a well-stocked parts department, hotline support, and after-hours support."

Federal Budget Problem Affects Consumer Confidence

US consumer confidence in the economy dropped sharply in December, after consumers became more positive in autumn of 2012. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index fell to 72.9 in December, which is still above the level in December 2011.

The majority of consumers expected a lower personal income and a slowdown in economic growth in 2013.

The government reached an agreement to avoid the ‘fiscal cliff’ only at the last moment on December 31. Without an agreement, taxes would have automatically increased and government spending declined in 2013. As a result consumers worried about higher taxes and a possible economic recession. Spending was little affected, however, because of discount prices and record low interest rates.

Data source: Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers

US interest rates remain unchanged with the target range for the federal funds rate between 0 and 0.25. The Federal Reserve has started its third round of quantitative easing last September. The Fed is buying Treasury and mortgage-backed securities to reduce long-term interest rates and stimulate the US economy.

Source: ITTO’s Tropical Timber Market Report

Resolute To Construct Sawmill In Northwestern Ontario

Resolute Forest Products has announced the construction of a new sawmill in the area of Atikokan, Ontario. This investment reflects Resolute's ongoing commitment to the solid wood business and will provide significant economic opportunities for First Nations in the region.

The Atikokan project will involve the construction of a single line random length (16 ft) sawmill with an annual capacity of 150 million board feet. Approximately 90 people will be directly employed by the operation, and additional indirect positions will be created for hauling finished lumber and residual chips. Final site selection in the Atikokan area will be completed in the next few weeks, and construction is anticipated to begin in the spring, with completion targeted for early 2014. The capital cost of the project is estimated at C$50 million.

"We believe in our solid wood business and we're taking action to grow and improve it. The new random length sawmill will complement our existing lumber product mix in Ontario and will allow Resolute to improve its product offering to customers in central Canada and key markets in the United States," stated Richard Garneau, President and Chief Executive Officer.
When the Atikokan project is complete and the Company's upgraded Ignace facility re-opens, Resolute will have three modern sawmills in Northwestern Ontario, with a combined production capacity approaching approximately 600 million board feet. In addition to producing lumber, the sawmills will also contribute to the long-term competitiveness of the Company's pulp and paper operations in Thunder Bay through the supply of residual chips, as well as support efforts to reposition the currently indefinitely idled pulp mill in Fort Frances.

The announcement was welcomed by Ontario Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle. "This is extremely good news for the economy in Northwestern Ontario, and specifically the Atikokan area. I am particularly pleased to see Resolute's proactive effort to involve First Nations in a manner that creates opportunities and shared benefit. Our Ministry has worked hard with First Nations and municipalities to increase opportunities for direct involvement in the rebounding forestry sector, and it is a real indicator of the progress we have made," said Minister Gravelle. "We welcome the additional investment by Resolute in Ontario. Over the past 18 months, the Company has announced over C$175 million of investments in the province, and I am certainly encouraged that a new sawmill in Atikokan could potentially make a positive contribution as Resolute continues to look at viable options for its Fort Frances pulp mill."

Bill Mauro, MPP of Thunder Bay-Atikokan, also joined other public officials in welcoming this announcement: "As the MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan, I want to thank Resolute for this positive announcement. This capital investment will create a good number of construction jobs and significant long-term employment in the Atikokan area. This investment is also another important signal that the forestry sector continues to improve, and that Resolute will be a major employer in our region for years to come."

Surfaces: Watch out for the latest in the industry

The United States is all set for the US event serving the floor covering industry, SURFACES 2013, to be held from January 28-31, 2013 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. SURFACES once again promises to bring together buyers and sellers from all over the world to see the latest floor covering products, tools, services and technologies. SURFACES will also offer an unrivaled educational program and networking opportunities focused on increasing business opportunities and driving sales. The official sponsor of SURFACES is the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), the floor covering industry's largest advocacy organization representing floor covering retailers, contractors and allied service providers throughout North America. Surfaces is co-located with StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas.

SURFACES is already more than 87% sold out with several new companies reserving space as well as numerous companies expanding their space in preparation for a solid year of sales success. Amie Gilmore, show manager, SURFACES, said, �This has been one of the most exciting space draw assignments that we�ve had in many years. We are currently well ahead of where were at this time last year in terms of square footage reserved with 23,000 NSF over 2012 and with the number of companies confirmed in the show with 47 more than 2012.�

SURFACES and the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) have partnered to create a dedicated hardwood flooring pavilion to be introduced at the 2013 show. SURFACES and Las Vegas Market are excited to announce they are forming an extended strategic partnership to co-locate their events for 2013 and 2014 in order to provide their attendees an enhanced product sourcing, educational and networking experience. �We are very excited about the strategic partnership and the benefits that it brings to our attendees� commented Dana Teague, Group Director, SURFACES. Dana further said, �Our dates coincided in 2011 and it proved to be an enormous success for both events. Due to scheduling conflicts in 2012 our dates were one week apart and we were met with disappointment from our attendees; therefore both parties agreed that it was in the best interest of our events to hold our dates concurrently and give our customers a convenient, one-stop shopping opportunity, saving them both time and money.�

NAHB Welcomes National Green Building Standard

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the International Code Council (ICC) applaud the recent approval of the 2012 ICC 700 National Green Building Standard™.

In 2007, NAHB and the ICC partnered to establish a nationally-recognizable standard definition of green building. The resulting ICC 700 National Green Building Standard is the first and only residential green building rating system to undergo the full consensus process and receive approval from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This is the first time the standard has undergone Consensus Committee review and update since it was published in 2009.

“The introduction of the 2012 National Green Building Standard is a huge deal for our industry,” said NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. “Not only does the updated version raise the bar on energy efficiency requirements, but it also completely revolutionizes how renovations and remodeling projects are treated under the standard. The 2012 updates make the standard easier to understand and implement, and we expect that this will certainly help to build upon the momentum we are already seeing in green building across the residential building industry.”

The NAHB Research Center, which serves as the secretariat of the standard as it progresses through ANSI, has certified the compliance of thousands of dwelling units and developed lots to the ICC 700.

“ANSI’s approval of the 2012 ICC 700 National Green Building Standard reinforces the quality and transparency of the process used to develop this important standard for constructing green residential buildings across America,” said International Code Council Board President Ronald Piester and CEO Dominic Sims in a joint statement.

The new version of the standard includes several important changes including:

• Energy Code Update: While the original ICC 700 used the 2006 version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as a basis, the new version will use the 2009 IECC. The requirements of the 2009 IECC are estimated to result in energy efficient performance that is about 15 percent higher than the previous 2006 code.

• Restructured Scoring for Remodeling: The new version completely revamped the scoring for renovations and remodeling projects. The revised standard includes two entirely new chapters devoted to existing building projects. The first provides criteria for entire buildings and includes requirements for improved energy and water efficiency that increases as higher levels of compliance are sought. The second provides a green protocol for the most common renovation and addition projects that focus on functional areas of a home such as a kitchen, bathroom, basement, or addition under 400 square feet.

• Incentives for Development and Lot Design: The 2012 ICC 700 includes the addition of a new scoring opportunity for those choosing the build lots in green communities. In the new version, six points can be earned in the Lot Design, Preparation and Development chapter for choosing lots in developments that have been certified to ICC 700 or an equivalent program. In the previous version of the standard no such incentives were provided.

Teak Appeals to Consumers

A new store in Texas has opened specialising in teak wood furniture and attracting endorsements from Forestry Research Associates (FRA), who explained that the teak used would otherwise go to waste.

Exotic Teak has recently opened its doors to discerning homeowners who want to bring a piece of beautiful furniture made from teak into their lives. The pieces designed and sold at the store are one-of-a- kind and use the stump and the roots of the teak tree, which would otherwise go to waste.

The teak wood furnishings are an eco-friendly concept as they use up the part of the teak tree that has no other use, allowing people to enjoy beautiful and unique pieces of furniture that have been made from sustainable Java teak timber.

Teak is grown sustainably in plantations all over the world, but some of the most suitable conditions are in tropical or subtropical climates, such as Brazil. Firms like Greenwood Management are taking teak growing to a sustainable new level with the plantations they manage in Brazil. Teak grows quickly and can be managed on a cyclical basis, which means there are always new trees growing to replace those chopped down and sold for lumber.

FRA claims that investing in such plantations can be a great way to diversify your investment portfolio, while doing something that can help reduce the pressure on the Amazon rain forests to produce timber and charcoal.

New CPA Officers Appointed In 2013

The new CPA Officers for 2013 are Bryan Wilson of Temple serving as Chairman; Kelly Shotbolt of Flakeboard, Vice Chairman; and Grady Mulbery of Roseburg is the Secretary/Treasurer. James Hogg of Uniboard Canada completed his term as Chairman in 2012 and now serves as Immediate Past Chairman. The officers were elected by the Board of Directors at the 2012 Fall Meeting last September.

Wilsonart Names Timothy J. O'Brien As President & CEO

Wilsonart International Holdings LLC announced the appointment of Timothy J. O’Brien as President and Chief Executive Officer effective January 14, 2013. Mr. O’Brien, a former senior executive at SABIC Innovative Plastics, will also serve as a member of Wilsonart’s Board of Directors. At SABIC, Mr. O’Brien was responsible for the engineering resins business in the Americas and Europe. SABIC Innovative Plastics was founded in 2007 with the acquisition of GE Plastics by Saudi Basic Industries Corporation. He also served as General Manager of GE’s High Performance and Crystalline Polymers businesses, Senior Vice President for commercial finance computer leasing with GE Capital, and numerous management roles with GE Lighting where he began his GE career in 1985. Mr. O’Brien holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northeastern University and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace College.

In October 2012, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Illinois Tool Works Inc. completed a transaction through which Wilsonart become a new, independent company. A fund managed by CD&R invested $395 million in the new freestanding business to acquire a majority ownership stake. ITW retains an ongoing ownership stake.

“Tim is a proven global business leader with the perfect skill set and experience to successfully lead Wilsonart to the next level of profitable growth,” said John Krenicki, Wilsonart’s Chairman and a CD&R Operating Partner. “I had the opportunity to work closely with Tim during my tenure at GE and have firsthand experience with his ability to focus on customer needs in innovative ways, as well as energize and build strong teams. We are excited to have him join the company.”

Oakwood Veneer Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Oakwood Veneer Company of Troy, Michigan, is celebrating their 25th anniversary in business. Oakwood is expanding their inventory and product selection, offering quicker turnaround times for special orders, and hiring new employees.

Starting from a tiny back warehouse section of a metro Detroit kitchen refacing company, Oakwood Veneer began small and local, increasing steadily while slowly accumulating stock of some of the world’s hardest to find wood veneer. CEO Peter Rodgers explains, “By 1992, we had 50 species, but most of those were the most popular woods such as oak, maple, and cherry.” Five years later, Oakwood had nearly doubled their stock to 72 species, and by the year 2000, it had doubled again. By 2010, Oakwood was selling 300 species of veneer, and today it’s over 320, including a high percentage of exotic and rare woods.

When asked about today’s business environment, Rodgers said, “In order for a customer to buy product from us – or any company – you have to do more for the customer than your competition. We try to do a lot more.” Since Oakwood Veneer is the manufacturer as well as the supplier, they are able to provide their customers with an unprecedented combination of veneer species, sizes and backers, with a 24-hour turnaround. Because of this, architectural woodworkers, furniture makers, or any other veneer users have the choice of more than 2,500 wood veneer configurations at any given time, shipped in one business day or less.

In addition, Rodgers states that this gives his company a better handle on quality control. “If there are quality issues, we listen and respond because we are small and nimble. Fabricators and the end users can talk directly to us,” said Rodgers, who is a fanatic about being accessible to his customers – to the point of banning voicemail from his company. It is this attention to direct communication and detail, as well as an ever-expanding product and service offering that has kept his company prosperous, even through all the difficult economic times. That is why Oakwood Veneer is successfully celebrating 25 years in business as it plans ahead for the 25 years beyond.

Source: PR Web

Honeycomb Are Most Used Lightweight Panels

Honeycomb sandwich panels are the most used lightweight panels. Robert Boerrigte, President of Axxor says, “While honeycomb core is brilliant in its simplicity and low in its cost, it is a difficult product to make. Production equipment is expensive; the tolerances are very tight and dealing with a “natural”materials means that a very well controlled environment is needed. While this can be accomplished, only with higher economies of scale does this pay off. In addition, it requires specific knowledge and therefore is a distraction from the core business of most companies.

Paper honeycomb core is a material that is with sustainable and environmentally friendly and can provide performance, appearance, bend stiffness, quality, fuel efficiency and safety benefits to sandwich panels which can be used in the production of book shelves, doors, automobile trunk floor, etc.

Robert sums up the production process of paper honeycomb:
“Paper honeycomb core is made of a combination of Paper and white glue. The material is an endless length of hexagonal cells ( at a standard chosen width). This cell structure has been calculated to be the most efficient use of space, something that nature knew a few million years before humans did.

It is produced offsite, then is compressed (the cells are closed) before it is transported to where it will be processed into panels, or other end products. This means that freight cost is based on the weight of the paper, not volume, a large cost savings and an efficient way to move the product. Once on the production site, the core is expanded (cells are opened), after which it is integrated into to the product. Savings versus transporting it with cells already expanded are 90 percent.”

Rad more on lightweight panels in the Nov-Dec issue of Wood & Panel USA.

Honeycomb Are Most Used Lightweight Panels

FPS Annual Excellance Awards Accepting Nominations

Forest Products Society will hold 2013 awards at its 67th International Convention on June 9-11, 2013 in Austin, Texas. Nominations are invited for the same.

The Forest Products Society presents four awards at the International Convention each year. These awards highlight student and professional innovation, research, and other significant contributions to the forest products industry and recognize exceptional service to the Society.

FRED W. GOTTSCHALK MEMORIAL AWARD
The prestigious Fred W. Gottschalk Memorial Award, named for the first President of the Society, recognizes exceptional service to the Forest Products Society by an individual member.
Submit nominations by March 1, 2013

WOOD ENGINEERING LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Sponsored by American Wood Council, the Wood Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual for their cumulative contributions to the discipline of wood engineering. Significant and measurable impact must be demonstrated and tangible evidence of accomplishment in the marketplace is key. The award focus alternates each year between Lifetime Achievement, Young Engineer, and Engineering Innovation.
Submit nominations by April 2, 2013

WOOD AWARD
The Wood Award recognizes outstanding graduate student research conducted in the field of wood and wood products. Wood Award papers describe original research on a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, harvesting and forest operations, product development and manufacture, fundamental properties, end-use applications, and distribution and marketing.
Submit title of nominated paper by February 13, 2013. Final paper due by March 1, 2013.

L. J. MARKWARDT AWARD
The L. J. Markwardt Award recognizes the author(s) of a technical paper published in the Forest Products Journal or Wood and Fiber Science during the two years prior to the award year that has the most outstanding merit in the field of wood as an engineering material. This award encourages research and promotes knowledge of wood in the engineering field to enhance the efficient utilization of wood.

Forest Prodcuts Society Calls for Papers

The Forest Products Society announces a Call for Papers for the North American Wood Window and Door Symposium to be held on April 18-19, 2013 in Roseville, Minnesota, USA.

In this era of green technology, consumers are looking for products with outstanding performance and minimal environmental impacts. From a materials standpoint, wood is perfectly suited to fill such a need. When harvested using sustainable forestry practices, wood is renewable and environmentally-friendly. In addition, with proper design and maintenance wood can outlast comparable materials.

The Symposium will include a day and one-half of oral and poster presentations from scientists, engineers and architects, as well as exhibits from window and door manufacturers and related companies. The Symposium Organizing Committee invites presentations, posters, and exhibits from interested individuals and organizations.

Registration Opens For 2013 NLBMDA Spring Meeting & Legislative Conference

NLBMDA's Spring Meeting and Legislative Conference will take place from March 18-20, 2013 at the Crystal City Marriott in Arlington, VA.

The LuDPAC fundraising luncheon speaker on Monday, March 18 will be William Kristol, political analyst and FOX News contributor. This is a special ticketed event.

Following the LuDPAC event, a number of other important meetings and gatherings will be taking place. In addition to association committee and board meetings, Capitol Hill appointments will be set up by local Federated Associations between NLBMDA members and legislators and key federal agency officials to discuss NLBMDA's policy priorities in Washington. The conference will culminate with a reception for members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill. Once again, the conference will take place jointly with the Window & Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA), providing a wealth of business networking opportunities.

Canfor Invests in Elko Sawmill

Canfor Corporation announced that the Company will proceed with capital investments totalling an estimated $40 million in its Elko sawmill, located in the Kootenay region of British Columbia (B.C.). This investment is part of a multi-year capital investment program aimed at enhancing productivity and cost performance across the company.

The Elko investment will include upgrades to the sawmill, increased kiln drying capacity as well as the construction of a greenfield planer mill complex. The Elko capital project will commence in Q1 2013, with anticipated completion in Q3 2013.

“These investments are aligned with our strategic investments in our Kootenay assets, and are necessary to ensure our Elko facility can operate competitively in all market conditions,” said Don Kayne, President and CEO of Canfor Corporation.

Canfor is the largest forest company in British Columbia, directly employing more than 3,500 people in the province in highly skilled, well paid and stable jobs. Over the last three years, the company has invested $372 million in our facilities in British Columbia. These major capital investments have included the restart our Radium and Vavenby facilities and other significant spending aimed at keeping our mills competitive to ensure economic operation and continued stable employment. The reopening of our Vavenby and Radium mills resulted in the creation of 305 direct jobs, combined with significant downstream benefits to local economies.

Resolute Sells Mersey Assets

Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced that the province of Nova Scotia, represented by the minister of the Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism, has completed the purchase of all the shares of Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited for nominal consideration.

Bowater Mersey is the former joint venture between Resolute (51%) and The Washington Post Company (49%), formed to hold the Mersey newsprint mill, located in Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, and other associated assets, including private timberlands, the Oakhill sawmill and Brooklyn Power Corporation. Resolute operated the Mersey newsprint mill until it was indefinitely idled in June of 2012.

Before closing the transaction, Resolute purchased from Bowater Mersey the assets associated with the Oakhill sawmill and, in connection with the closing, certain components of the paper mill, which can no longer be used to make paper. At closing, Resolute received a cash payment of approximately $18 million, representing a reimbursement of working capital advances by Resolute to Bowater Mersey to fund its operations, net of transaction-related items.

Oregon Forestry Appoints Chair

Tom Imeson has been appointed as the chairman of the Oregon Dept. of Forestry and Michael Rose as a member of the state Board of Forestry. They will fill vacancies left by current chair John Blackwell and board member Steve Wilson, whose terms expire at the end of December.

Imeson, of Portland, is currently public affairs director at the Port of Portland. Rose, of Elkton, has represented forest industry workers for 36 years, through the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers/Woodworkers District Lodge in Gladstone, and the International Woodworkers of America Local Lodge in Reedsport.

The board consists of seven citizens serving four-year terms. Functions include appointing the state forester, providing broad oversight of the department, setting management direction for state-owned forests, adopting rules governing timber harvest and other practices on private forestland, and promoting sustainable management of Oregon’s 30 million-acre forestland base.

Softwood Pulp Prices Plumetting

Wood Resource Quarterly reports weaker pulp markets are forcing pulp manufacturers worldwide to reduce costs, resulting in the lowest softwood wood fiber prices seen since 2010.

The declining prices for softwood pulp during much of 2012 have forced many pulp mills
to try to cut wood fiber costs to remain profitable. According to the Wood Resource Quarterly, as a consequence, the wood fiber price index (SFPI) has continuously declined the past year and, during the 3Q/12 was at its lowest level since 2010.

In the 3Q/12, prices had fallen to between $750-800/ton in Europe and were about 50 dollars higher in the US. This relatively long-lasting price decline seems to have come to an end this fall, as there are now pulp producers negotiating higher prices again. List prices for December are in the range of $820-870/ton depending on if the deliveries are to Europe or North America.

The lower pulp prices have resulted in downward price pressure on wood fiber prices in many high wood cost regions around the world as pulp companies have seen product prices approach production costs. When profit margins for pulp mills are being squeezed, one of the first step taken to improve profitability is often to try to reduce the wood costs, since those costs typically account for 60-70 percent of the production costs when manufacturing pulp.

Prices for pulplogs and wood chips fell in the local currencies in most of the key regions worldwide in the 3Q/12, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. However, because the US dollar weakened against most currencies, wood prices in US dollar terms did not decline as much in the third quarter.

The Softwood Wood Fiber Price Index (SFPI), which is based on US dollars, was down another 0.5 percent from the 2Q/12 to US$100.05 per oven-dry metric ton (odmt). This was the fifth consecutive quarterly decline, and the index has now fallen 8.7 percent since early 2010. The biggest price declines were seen in the Northwestern US, Germany, Spain and Russia. Hardwood fiber prices started to increase in some regions around the world in the 3Q/12, which resulted in the first increase of the Hardwood Wood Fiber Price Index (HFPI) in over a year, as reported in the WRQ. Hardwood fiber prices increased the most in Russia, Eastern Canada and Brazil.

Source: Wood Resources International LLC

California to Pay 1% Tax on Wood Products

California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1492 into law creating a new 1% tax on lumber and engineered wood products. 2012 Cal. Stat. ch. 289. This legislation adds section 4629 to the Public Resources Code, which in turn creates the Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund. The statute directs the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to adopt a regulation implementing the tax no later than October 1, 2012. The tax itself will be effective on January 1, 2013.

While a full analysis of the impacted products must wait for the Board to draft its regulation, the statute gives some guidance as to what will be considered an engineered wood product. The statute specifically lists "plywood," "laminated beams," and "particleboard" as items that qualify as engineered wood product. Also, the statute defines "lumber products" as "product[s] in which wood or wood fiber is a principal component part"; however, items such as furniture, paper, and hardwood flooring are specifically excluded from the definition.

TTR is the industry leader in providing accurate, current, supported and easy to find sales and use tax answers.

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Source: Transaction Tax Resources

Conifex Announces Bought Deal Financing

Conifex Timber Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement with Salman Partners Inc. pursuant to which Salman Partners Inc. and a syndicate of underwriters, including Raymond James Ltd., RBC Capital Markets Inc. and CIBC World Markets Inc. (collectively, the "Underwriters"), have agreed to purchase, on a "bought deal" private placement basis, 1,000,000 units of the Company (the "Units"), with an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 428,800 Units, exercisable in whole or in part for a period up to 48 hours prior to closing of the offering to cover over-allotments and for market stabilization purposes, if necessary (the "Private Placement").

Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant") at a subscription price of $7.00 per Unit. Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire a Common Share at an exercise price of $9.00 at any time within 24 months from the closing date. The Private Placement will result in gross proceeds of approximately $7 million assuming that the over-allotment option is not exercised, and approximately $10 million if the over-allotment option is fully exercised.

Closing of the Private Placement is expected to occur on or about December 20, 2012 and is subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory and stock exchange approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company intends to use net proceeds from the Private Placement for working capital purposes.
The Company has agreed to pay the Underwriters, in aggregate, a cash fee equal to 5.0% of the gross proceeds of the Private Placement.

The Private Placement is being made in all provinces of Canada pursuant to applicable exemptions and in the United States in accordance with certain exemptions under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and such other jurisdictions as may be agreed between the Company and the Underwriters.

The securities offered pursuant to the private placement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to or for the account of a U.S. person unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

SFI CEO Addresses PEFC General Assembly

SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow was in Vienna, Austria in November to address delegates at the annual General Assembly of the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). PEFC invited Kathy to speak at its Stakeholder Dialogue on: Strengthening the Link: Sustainable Biomass & Forest Certification. Kathy's presentation focused on the benefits of SFI's fiber sourcing.

The General Assembly is an opportunity for all PEFC National Governing Body representatives to meet, collaborate and vote on PEFC issues. Kathy chairs PEFC US.

Homag Open House on Nov. 30

Homag Canada is all set to host an open house on November 30, 2012 from 10 AM to 4 PM at their Calgary showroom. The Christmas Open House will stage demo of HOLZMA saw, BRANDT edgebander, BUETFERING sander & WEEKE CNC.

Uniboard Brings Excel MDF as Standard Grade

Uniboard announced the return of its Excel MDF grade brand name to reflect the latest improvement made to the Classic grade.

Over the past six months, Uniboard’s production of Classic grade MDF has been enhanced with a higher softwood percentage (passing from 75 percent to 85 percent) and now matches the performance and quality of previously designated Excel grade. Therefore, Uniboard has decided to rebrand the Classic grade as the Excel grade.

Uniboard MDF product line will now offer the following grades: Excel+,Excel and NaturaTM which will continue to be available in a wide selection of dimensions and thicknesses.

Weima To Hold Dealer Event In 2013

WEIMA America will host a dealer sales meeting and golf tournament on June 6th-7th, 2013 in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

This meeting would be to share information about WEIMA. discussion would be held on each machine and application type. Live demonstrations of shredders and briquette presses will also take place.

65 Percent Of Resolute Owned Forestland FSC Certified

Resolute Forest Products has certified an additional 3.5 million hectares (8.6 million acres) of Company-managed forestlands in Quebec to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. These new certifications raise the total area of Resolute tenures that are FSC-certified in North America to 15.8 million hectares (39 million acres), an area larger than Greece and twice the size of Ireland.

The newly-certified areas include 2.2 million hectares (5.4 million acres) in the Baie-Comeau region of Côte-Nord and 1.3 million hectares (3.2 million acres) in the Senneterre region of Abitibi, the latter representing a joint certification with Tembec. The combined area is equivalent in size to Belgium.

Resolute has committed to increasing FSC certification of its forest tenures from 18% in 2010 to 80% in 2015. As of today, the Company has certified approximately 65% of its forests to FSC standards. 100% of the forests managed by Resolute are already certified to at least one of three internationally-recognized responsible forest management standards - FSC, Canadian Standards Association (CSA Z809) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI).

"Obtaining FSC certification for an area this size is a major milestone," said Richard Garneau, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The dedication of our forestry teams has been instrumental in Resolute becoming the largest manager of FSC-certified forests in the world. Such an achievement demonstrates our ongoing commitment to responsibly managing the natural resources in our care."

FSC is an international certification and labelling system dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests. Co-founded in Canada by the World Wildlife Fund in 1993, FSC works to endorse environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable forest management. FSC is an important example of partnership between environmental organizations and businesses.

Management Council Visit Area Expoforest 2014

Representatives of Catterpilar, John Deere-Forest, Komatsu Forest and Ponsse, forming the management council of Expoforest discussed the main actions for the event.

The companies which comprise the Management Council of Expoforest 2014, Brazilian Forest Fair, gathered to meet the Project Expoforest 2014 and visit the area where will be held the fair forest dynamics with a focus on supply chain Eucalyptus. The area provided by International Paper has about 130 hectares and is eight miles from where it was held the 2011 edition of the fair. The Expoforest will be held at a location in the interior of Sao Paulo in the city of Mogi Guaçu (SP), a region that has major forestry companies and is considered one of principaispolos production from planted forests, factors that favor the logistics of the event .

Comprised of representatives of companies Catterpilar, John DeereForest, Komatsu Forest and Ponsse, the Management Council has the responsibility to make allowances for organizing the event, to approve the actions and contribute to the construction project at the fair.

Focused on business and technology for the production of Eucalyptus species forest plantations in Brazil, Expoforestocorrerá between 21 and 23 May 2014 where he intends to present to the public the major global news for the sector. It is expected to increase between 30 to 40% the number of exhibitors, which in 2011 was 128, as well as the visitors, the previous edition surpassed 8,700 people, with emphasis on the participation of a specialized audience and interested in doing business and see what's new.

The Expoforesté member of FDF (Forestry Demo Fairs), an international network of trade dynamics that ensures high levels of quality and safety for visitors and exhibitors. Participate in the FDF, the ELMIA (Sweden), KWF Tagung (Germany), Eko them (Poland) and Euroforest (France). This integration increases the visibility of Expoforest internationally and consolidated as one of the great world fairs in the forestry sector. The Expoforest also is an official event of ABRAF (Brazilian Association of Planted Forest Producers).

WoodWorks Invites Application For Wood Design Awards

WoodWorks has begun inviting applications for its Wood Design Awards, application for which ends on November 30th 2012.

Each year, WoodWorks hosts an award program to recognize excellence in wood design and showcase innovative buildings that demonstrate wood’s strength, beauty, versatility and cost-effectiveness.

One can enter in one or more of the following categories:

Institutional Wood Design

Commercial Wood Design

Multi-story Wood Design

Interior Beauty of Wood

Green Building

Traditional Use of Wood

Engineering

Schools

Wood Costs For Pulp Mills And Sawmills Is Lowest In Brazil

Wood Resource Quarterly has reported that Pulp mills and sawmills in Brazil became more competitive in 2012, because the costs for the wood raw-material, which accounts for about 70 percent of the production costs, have declined by over 20 percent since 2011.

Pine sawlog prices in Brazil, in US dollar terms, fell 22 percent in just one year, and prices in the 2Q/12 have been at a level below where they were just before the financial crisis that hit in 2008.

In the local currency on the other hand, prices have actually increased steadily and in the 2Q/12 were at their highest levels in over four years. Domestic demand for wood products has been a key driver for the higher log costs. In 2010 and 2011, the local lumber market was strong because of major investments in the housing construction sector in Brazil. This market slowed in 2012, and instead, lumber and plywood exports have slowly picked up steam as those sectors have benefited from the weakening Brazilian Real and the Brazilian forest industry became more competitive in the international market.

With the Real expected to continue to stay weak against the US dollar, market participants are hoping for increased exports of lumber, plywood and value-added products in the coming months. If this scenario actually comes to fruition, demand for sawlogs may go up and log prices will likely move up in both Real and dollar terms.

Although Brazilian pulplog prices have not changed much in the local currency, they have fallen dramatically in US dollar terms as the Real weakened this past year. Eucalyptus pulplog prices in the 2Q/12 were down 28 percent from the same quarter in 2011, while pine pulplog prices declined 26 percent from a year ago, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ).

The recent dramatic price reductions of pulpwood have had the result that the wood costs for Brazilian pulpmill now are among the lowest of all regions tracked by the WRQ, as compared to a year ago when wood fiber costs in Brazil were above the Global Wood Fiber Price Indices (SFPI and HFPI). Since wood fiber costs accounted for about 70 percent of the production costs for pulp mills in Brazil in the 2Q/12, the substantial reduction in pulpwood prices has made the country’s pulp mills more competitive in 2012 relative to other pulp producers around the world.

New President At Vollmer

Ralf Kraemer has left Vollmer America and has been replaced by Peter Allen. Peter has been the Managing Director for Vollmer UK for about six years and prior to that worked in various positions for Vollmer. He has a lot of experience with the companies in England and also an extensive background fabricating saw blades and diamond cutting tools.

New Members Introduced In Sustainable Development Technology Canada

John Bradlow and Jason Lee are the latest additions to the Board of Directors of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). Both Mr. Bradlow and Mr. Lee will hold office for one-year terms on a part-time basis.

Mr. John Bradlow is a Senior Partner at Penfund, one of Canada's leading private equity firms. He holds an MBA from Harvard University and is a Chartered Accountant in Ontario. Mr. Bradlow was also the Director and Chair of the Public Policy Committee of the Canadian Venture Capital Association.

Mr. Jason Lee is the Chief Operating Officer of Ooka Island Inc., an educational company located in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Mr. Lee holds an Executive MBA, a certification in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Prince Edward Island.

Sustainable Development Technology Canada is an arm’s-length foundation created by the Government of Canada in 2001 to support projects that develop and demonstrate new technologies to promote sustainable development. SDTC’s work is an important part of the Government’s commitment to create high-quality jobs for Canadians and promote innovation in Canada’s economy.

NWFA Promoting The Illegal Logging Ban With Congress

Because deforestation adversely affects our environment, the National Wood Flooring Association worked diligently with several key organizations to promote the illegal logging ban with Congress. The ban was passed during the summer of 2008 as an amendment to the U.S. Lacey Act, which was originally mandated more than 100 years ago to prohibit the illegal trafficking of wildlife. This new amendment has expanded the Lacey Act to include wood and wood products. Specifically, the ban prohibits the import, sale or trade in the U.S. of wood and other forest products that are harvested through illegal means.

This legislation is significant for a number of reasons. First, and most importantly, it protects our world’s forests from irrecoverable loss of trees and wildlife habitat. Second, it protects lumber buyers who verify the origin of lumber when importing wood into the United States from other countries. Third, it eliminates the influx into the U.S. of low-cost, low-quality wood flooring produced from illegally harvested forests.

The penalties for noncompliance with this new legislation are severe. Penalties can include the forfeiture of the illegally harvested material, fines of up to $500,000, and jail time of up to five years. From a consumer’s perspective, however, the ban helps you have confidence that the wood you are buying is not depleting our world’s forests.

Canfor Restarts Operations At Radium Hot Springs

Canfor Corporation officially reopened its operations at Radium Hot Springs, B.C. on October 29, following a $38.5-million capital investment to upgrade the sawmill and build a new planer mill. When the mill is running at full capacity in 2013, it is expected to produce 240 million board feet annually and directly employ 144 people.

“This investment shows how optimistic Canfor is about the future of our industry and this region,” Canfor President and CEO Don Kayne said at the official reopening event October 31. “The mill has been totally reconfigured so it can produce high-quality lumber products for customers around the globe, and do so efficiently and competitively.”

“This is clear evidence of the success of innovative and progressive measures British Columbia has taken to strengthen our forest industry,” Forests Minister Steve Thomson said. “Our government, in partnership with the Canadian government and the BC forest industry, has developed new markets and increased demand for our forest products – leading to jobs and economic benefits for families in communities like Radium Hot Springs.”

Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “projects”, “intends”, “plans”, “will”, “believes”, “seeks”, “estimates”, “should”, “may”, “could”, and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and actual events or results may differ materially. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and Canfor and the Purchaser assume no obligation to update such information to reflect later events or developments, except as required by law.

Resolute Forest Products Publishes Sustainability Report for 2011

Resolute Forest Products released its Sustainability Report for 2011 Performance, detailing Company efforts to balance environmental, social and economic considerations. The report also publicly introduces Resolute's first company-wide sustainability strategy which has three primary areas of focus are reinforce resolute's environmental credentials, taking appropriate steps to responsibly manage its environmental footprint; position the company as a competitive employer, attracting and retaining employees based on opportunities to quickly learn and grow within a dynamic organization; and build solid community relations in Resolute's operating locations, recognizing that economically viable and civically involved companies support long-term regional prosperity.

"Over the past year, we have worked hard to deliver on the sustainability commitments we have made, and meaningful progress was achieved," said Richard Garneau, President and Chief Executive Officer. "As we move forward and implement our new sustainability strategy, we recognize the value of engaging our employees and stakeholders in raising the bar on our sustainability performance."

Resolute's sustainability report for 2011 performance was prepared using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3.1 guidelines, one of the world's most broadly accepted standards for transparent sustainability reporting. GRI's voluntary reporting guidelines are endorsed by the United Nations Global Compact and used by over 1000 organizations worldwide. Resolute is reporting at the "B" level as defined by GRI guidelines. This is the Company's second GRI-compliant report.

New-Home Sales Rise 5.7 Percent in September

Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 5.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 389,000 units in September, according to newly released figures from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the fastest sales pace recorded since April of 2010.

"Combined with consistent, positive reports on housing starts, permits, prices and builder confidence in recent months, today's data provides further confirmation that a gradual but steady housing recovery is underway across much of the nation," said Barry Rutenberg, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. "Consumers who have been on the sidelines during the past few years are deciding now is the time to go forward with a new-home purchase, assuming they can qualify for a good mortgage under today's exceedingly stringent guidelines."

"New-home sales this year have consistently and significantly out-paced their year-ago levels as favorable interest rates, rising prices and improving consumer confidence have driven demand higher," noted NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. "Meanwhile, despite a small increase in the inventory of new homes on the market in September, the number of completed new homes for sale is now at an all-time low and the month's supply is at its tightest since October 2005. This is an indication that builders continue to have a tough time obtaining construction credit, even as demand for new homes increases."

Three out of four regions registered substantial gains in new-home sales this September, including the Northeast's 16.7 percent increase, the South's 16.8 percent increase and the West's 3.9 percent increase. The Midwest was the exception to the rule, with a 37.3 percent decline.

Meanwhile, the inventory of new homes for sale inched slightly upward to a still-low 145,000 units in September, which is a 4.5-month supply at the current sales pace.

Forest Products Society to Hold Two Day Conference

Forest Products – Into the Future is the two-day conference and annual meeting of the Forest Products Society Eastern Canadian Section, being held October 31 to November 1, 2012 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

One can learn about the latest structural wood product technologies; from bioproduct derivatives; and how work at the molecular level will affect the future use of cellulosic fibre. Topics include:
•    CNC and Robotics, Automation for the Wood Manufacturing Industry
•    Biorefining of Kraft Lignin
•    Biological Demethylation of Kraft Lignin
•    Naturally Versatile: Use of Engineered Wood Product - Trends for Glulam, CLT, SIP
•    Designing with Wood
•    Biorefinery and Lignin Opportunities
•    Nordic CLT
•    Opportunities and Barriers to First Nation Participation in the Forestry Businesses
The first day will wrap up with a student poster contest and networking reception.

Day two is a tour of three facilities: two Resolute plants - a state of the art sawmill and a lignin biorefinery; and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Transportation and box-lunch will be provided. Only 20 seats are available for this tour, so register now.

Export to China Declines

Wood Resource Quaterly reports that total imports, by value, during the first eight months in China was 4.3 billion dollars, or 19 percent less than in 2011, with the biggest declines in logs imported from Russia and the US, and in lumber from North America.

By volume, log imports were down 17 percent and lumber imports down five percent. The importation of softwood lumber in August was down for the third consecutive quarter to 1.1 million m3, which was a decline of 21 percent from May and 23 percent lower than in August 2011. Canada and Russia are the two dominant suppliers of softwood lumber to China, together accounting for 84 percent of the total imports, with the US, Chile and New Zealand making up most of the remaining import volume.

During the first eight months of this year, Russia, Chile and New Zealand have increased their shipments to China, while volumes from North America have declined. Exports from the US are down as much as 41 percent as compared to the same period in 2011. In August, the average import value for all softwood lumber imported to China was down nine dollars to $203/m3 from a year ago, according to Customs data. The cost for Russian lumber fell as much as $19/m33 while Canadian average costs were down only five dollars to $200/m3 over the past year. Costs for Canadian lumber have steadily increased from earlier this year and here at a 12 month-high in August.

Chinese softwood log imports have fallen dramatically this year. From January through August, imports from Russia were down 21 percent, and from the US, 31 percent as compared to the same period in 2011. The two other major log-supplying countries, New Zealand and Canada, have shipped practically the same volume this year as last year. With the reduced demand for logs by the lumber industry in China, log prices have fallen through most of 2012. According to the latest issue of the WRQ, average import softwood log values in the 3Q/12 were down 13 percent from a year ago, and domestic Chinese-fir log prices have fallen about six percent in 12 months.

NAHB Announced Remodelers of the Year 2012

On October 11, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) announced Remodelers of the Year 2012 during Remodeling Show in Baltimore at the NAHB Remodelers gala. The NAHB Remodelers named Robert Criner, GMR, CAPS, CGP, of Criner Remodeling in Yorktown, Va., the 2012 Remodeler of the Year in recognition of his professional remodeling achievements. N. Claiborne Porter, AIA, CGR, CGP, of Anchorage, Alaska and Douglas Sutton, CGR, CAPS, of Springfield, Ill., were both inducted into the Remodeling Hall of Fame for their contributions to the remodeling industry.

“Robert Criner brings the highest level of professionalism to all of his endeavors, including his contributions to every level of the NAHB federation,” said NAHB Remodelers Chairman George “Geep” Moore Jr., GMB, CAPS, GMR, a remodeler from Elm Grove, La. “I’m pleased to present this award to a remodeler who has achieved success in business, contributed to his community, served on my advisory council and is an excellent representative for the remodeling industry.”

Criner has been in business with Criner Remodeling for 35 years and joined NAHB Remodelers in 1983. He is an association leader at the local, state and national level and authored numerous articles in national trade journals to share his industry expertise.

Porter is the longest continuously serving home builder member in the state of Alaska, an NAHB Senior Life Director and was named Alaska’s Builder of the Year four times. Porter is politically active in support of housing issues and teaches construction industry classes to the next generation of housing professionals at the University of Alaska.

An NAHB member since 1976, Sutton served as NAHB Remodelers chairman twice, is an NAHB Life Director and has represented remodelers on various NAHB committees. Sutton also champions fundraising efforts for the scholarship fund that helps local remodeler leaders get involved at the national level with NAHB Remodelers.

US Surpass Canada As The Largest Wood Pallet Exporter

The expansion of wood pellet capacity in the US South in the past few years has enabled the US to export more pellets than Canada, making the US the largest exporter in the world. With continued investments throughout southern US, export volumes are forecast to increase from an estimated 1.5 million tons in 2012 to 5.7 million tons in 2015, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review.

Pellet exports from the two primary pellet-producing regions on the North American continent, the U.S. South and British Columbia, have continued to grow, reaching a new record high of 760,000 tons in the 2Q/12, according to data from the pellet industry and customs statistics complied by the North American Wood Fiber Review. Total Canadian exports to Europe in the 2Q rose 14 percent from the 1Q/12, with reports of BC pellet plants running at full capacity due to European demand.

In the U.S. South, pellet export volumes rose 13 percent in the 2Q/12 from the previous quarter, in spite of some temporary slowdowns at Green Circle Bio Energy in Florida and Georgia Biomass, Georgia due to fires at a US port and at a pellet consumer in the United Kingdom. Shipments from Enviva’s new port facility in Virginia, additional volume from Fram Renewables, and new volumes from Low Country Biomass in South Carolina have all contributed to the growth in exports over the past 15 months, so that the US has now surpassed Canada to become the world’s largest exporter in 2012.

Three companies announced plans for constructing pellet plants in the state of Georgia in the 3Q/12. With six other pellet export plants already under construction and scheduled to begin operating in regions as widespread as Virginia to Texas, it is possible an additional 4.2 million tons of wood pellets will be crossing to Europe in 2015. Exports from both Eastern and Western Canada are also on schedule to grow, though not at the explosive rate being witnessed in the U.S. South.

Source:

Wood Resources International LLC

ALSC To Meet Soon on Proposed Design Values

The Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) has produced a comprehensive collection of data analysis covering SPIB’s proposed design values for visually graded Southern Pine dimension lumber.

All proposed design values for visually graded Southern Pine are here, along with design values for Southern Pine Machine Stress Rated (MSR) and Machine Evaluated Lumber (MEL). Comparisons with other species for both design properties and spans are also here, as are sample alternative Southern Pine grades. A complete set of span tables is included for all visual, MSR and MEL grades, for seven common loading conditions.

“SFPA’s design value package is the most extensive analysis available”, says Cathy Kaake, SFPA’s vice president of technical marketing. “The comparisons show that Southern Pine remains comparable to other softwood lumber species, and that many Southern Pine options are available with both visual and mechanical grades,” she adds.

The proposed design values are based on the testing of more than 7,400 full-size samples in a two-step process to complete the full In-Grade testing matrix. On September 17, 2012, the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB) submitted the proposed design values for all grades and sizes of visually graded Southern Pine dimension lumber to the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC). Proposed design values are subject to adjustment during the ongoing review process and must be approved by the ALSC Board of Review, which is scheduled to meet on October 18, 2012 in Washington, DC

USGBC Opens Fifth Public Comment Period for LEED

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) opened the fifth public comment period for the proposed update to its LEED green building program. The comment period, which will close on December 10.

LEED v4 continues to push the envelope on energy efficiency, allocating nearly 20 percent of all points to optimizing energy performance over the stringent ASHRAE 90.1-2010, which would do more to help curb CO2 emissions than any LEED rating system in its 12 year history.

In addition to bringing green building solutions to more market sectors, including data centers, warehouses and distribution centers, hospitality, mid-rise residential, and existing schools and retail, the next version includes more options for projects outside of the U.S., making LEED the common language for sustainability around the globe.

The rating system has long championed innovation, and the LEED v4 draft further encourages innovative thinking and decision making about building materials and design. In this draft, using fewer, better materials will result in up to 9 LEED points, incentivizing product manufacturers that voluntarily report about their product makeup and those who reduce the negative impacts – from extraction of raw materials through the manufacturing process.

When fully launched in 2013, LEED v4 will offer an improved user experience that will make the certification review and documentation process more intuitive and efficient. The simplified reporting requirements will be thoroughly refined and tested by the LEED v4 beta testing group – the first crop of projects to pursue LEED V4 certification. The beta process enables project teams to engage with a pre-ballot version of LEED v4 with guided support from USGBC.

USGBC’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, taking place November 14-16 in San Francisco, Calif., will give users an additional opportunity to explore LEED v4, including the new technical content and credit language, while learning about the streamlined documentation requirements and submittal forms and the dynamic, mobile education resources being developed.

In an effort to provide the marketplace a view of the full LEED program experience prior to ballot, USGBC announced an expanded timeline for LEED v4 and committed to a fifth public comment period. Fifth public comment will run until December 10. Ballot period is expected to open June 1, 2013.

Uniboard Finalizes Sale Of Facilities To Kaycan

Kaycan Ltd., has announced that it has successfully finalized its acquisition of Uniboard® Canada Inc. Kaycan had previously entered into an all cash for shares deal with Uniboard’s parent company Pfleiderer Canada Inc. on September 5, 2012.

The Uniboard facilities sold to Kaycan include three (3) particleboard lines, one (1) MDF line, five (5) thermofused melamine lines, a (1) resin plant and two (2) laminate flooring lines servicing primarily the Canadian, US Northeast and Mid-West US markets. Montreal-headquartered Kaycan is a private Canadian corporation focused on the North American building industry. With Uniboard, Kaycan extends its decorative reach from the exterior to the interior of houses and opens up new commercial, non-residential and institutional market segments.

The Uniboard Quebec-based facilities have a total annual capacity of 640 MMSF and Uniboard is the largest composite panel manufacturer in Canada and among the top 4 in North America. Uniboard is the only Canadian laminate flooring manufacturer.

Kaycan’s President, Lionel Dubrofsky, stated, “This acquisition brings together two major Quebec-based manufacturing companies with a common vision of providing customers with solutions to enhance both living and working spaces. We continue in developing a unique offering to our client base, combining an enlarged range of products for interior and exterior home as well as commercial decoration.”

James N. Hogg, President of Uniboard, added “the conclusion of this transaction starts a new era for Uniboard as part of a strong North American group bringing a solid financial basis and a clear vision to drive the business of our panel and flooring business forward. Clients throughout our core markets in Canada and the US will benefit from the combined operating experience and renewed focus on growth in Uniboard’s core markets.”

New Home Sales Unchanged

Latest reports from NAHB updates that following a substantial gain in July, the pace of new-home sales held virtually unchanged at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 373,000 units in August, according to new figures from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau.

“New-home sales in August effectively tied the pace they set in the previous month, when they were the strongest we’ve seen in more than two years -- so this is really a continuation of the good news we’ve been getting on the housing front,” said Barry Rutenberg, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla.

“This latest report indicates that new-home sales continue to run at a steady pace that’s well ahead of what we were seeing this time last year, and at this rate, the third quarter of 2012 is going to be well ahead of the second quarter,” noted NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “That said, the razor-thin inventory of new homes for sale is very concerning because it indicates that builders aren’t able to access the credit they need to build new homes as demand for them improves.”

Crowe also observed that the share of new homes sold in the higher price ranges ($400,000 and above) rose significantly in August. “This reflects the fact that people who are able to buy homes right now are those in higher-income ranges who have cash and equity on hand, while first-time buyers are having a tougher time getting qualified for a mortgage,” he said.

Regionally, new-home sales gained in all but one area of the country this August, with the Northeast, Midwest and West posting increases of 20 percent, 1.8 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively. The South was the only region to post a decline, of 4.9 percent.

Meanwhile, the inventory of new homes for sale held at an historic low of just 141,000 units in August, which is a 4.5-month supply at the current sales pace.

Flakeboard and Arauco Finalizes Sell of Shares

Flakeboard Company Limited and Arauco announced that they have finalized the sale agreement for all outstanding Flakeboard shares to Arauco.

Following this purchase agreement Arauco will combine Flakeboard's seven North American operating facilities with that of Arauco's recently acquired Particleboard and MDF plant in Moncure, North Carolina.

The eight North American assets will operate under the Flakeboard name and its existing Senior Management. Effective immediately, the Management Team will be tasked with integrating and managing the combined operations. Kelly Shotbolt will be retained as head of Flakeboard North America.

According to Flakeboard President and CEO, Kelly Shotbolt; "We can now start the process of integrating Arauco's US manufacturing operations into Flakeboard, and integrating Flakeboard into Arauco's Global business. The acquisition of Flakeboard makes Arauco the largest composite panel producer within the Americas, and the third largest composite panel producer in the world. Our employees look forward to the exchange of ideas and the sharing of best practices across the larger business to become an even better supplier to our customers."

CHPVA To hold Ottawa/Gatineau Fall Meetings in Oct

The Canadian Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association will be holding its Ottawa/Gatineau meeting from October 29 to 31, 2012 at the Hilton Lac Leamy Hotel in the OTTAWA region.

There are other exciting programs for this event. It’s an opportunity to network with industry colleagues, get updated information on hot topics like the Lacey Act.

2013 NAHBGreen Awards Invites Application

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is now accepting submissions for its 2013 NAHBGreen Awards. Each year, NAHB recognizes individuals, companies and organizations for excellence in residential green design and construction practices and for green building program and advocacy efforts.

This year, the award winners will be revealed to an even wider audience than in past years, with the awards being announced on January 23 in conjunction with the 2013 International Builders' Show in Las Vegas.

The awards are open to both NAHB members and non-NAHB members. To be eligible for the Green Project of the Year categories, projects must have been started no earlier than January 2010 and substantially completed by December 2012.

Categories include: Project of the Year--Single Family, Project of the Year--Multifamily, Project of the Year--Remodel, Project of the Year—Site Development, and Advocate of the Year.

All homes and developments must be scored to the ICC-700 National Green Building Standard, to ensure fair comparisons for judging purposes.

Chile and Brazil Supply Wood Chips to China

In late 2011, Brazil and Chile sent the first chip vessels to pulp mills in China in over five years. In the past, Japan had been the major destination for Latin American Eucalyptus chips. With Japanese pulp mills paying considerably more than Chinese pulp mills for chips, it is likely that a majority of Eucalyptus chips from Latin America will continue to be shipped to Japan.

In 2007, China imported wood chips from only three countries: Vietnam, Indonesia and Australia, who together shipped 1.1 million tons throughout the year. With the fast expansion of the pulp industry in China, the country is rapidly growing its need for wood fiber. Domestic supplies have proven inadequate, so the list of supplying countries has expanded from three to eight over the past 12 months.

Two of the three chip-exporting countries in Latin America, Chile and Brazil, sent the first vessels with Eucalyptus chips since 2006 in the third quarter last year. The total volume exported from the two countries in 2011 was 100,000 tons, and during the first seven months this year, 76,000 tons have been shipped, a majority from Chile. Wood chips from Latin America still accounted for only three percent of all hardwood chips imported to China in the 2Q/12, and these chips were among the costliest chips landing in the country, as reported in the Wood Resource Quarterly. So, although Chinese pulp mills will be in search of additional wood fiber in the coming years, it is not likely that either Chile or Brazil will be major competitors to countries in closer proximity to China, including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Australia. Chile will most likely continue to ship a majority of its chips to Japan, where its chips are more competitively priced with other supplying countries.

During the first six months of 2012, Chile was the largest supplier of hardwood chips to the Japanese pulpmills, followed closely by Australia. Chile’s market share in this market has gone from 17 percent five years ago to 27 percent in the first half of 2012. With chips from Chile being less costly than Australian chips delivered to Japan, there will continue to be opportunities for Chile to gain market share in the Japanese chip market in the coming year.

Source: Wood Resources International LLC

NSF International and BIFMA Join Forces to Develop PCR

NSF International in collaboration with the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) to develop a Product Category Rule (PCR) for office storage products. This PCR will provide a science-based and internationally recognized method for reporting the environmental impact of office storage products including casegoods, files, cabinets, and other related products throughout their entire life cycle. Product Category Rules define how to conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) for a particular product group and what to include in the resulting report, called an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).

NSF International's Sustainability division provides EPD verification by confirming that the data was collected in accordance with the applicable PCR and meets all ISO requirements. The office storage PCR will be established in accordance with international environmental management guidelines (ISO 14025) through the NSF National Center for Sustainability Standards (NCSS). The NCSS will utilize an open consultative process to develop the PCR with participation from an expert panel of storage product manufacturers, suppliers, regulatory agencies, environmental organizations, and end users. The NCSS has developed PCRs and American National sustainability standards for a wide range of product categories, including chemicals, commercial furnishings (e.g. seating), flooring, building products and materials, and water treatment and distribution systems.

“We are pleased to partner with NSF International on another Product Category Rule for office storage products. In addition to the recently developed commercial seating PCR, the PCR for office storage products will continue the work of both NSF International and BIFMA to create rigorous and science-based PCRs that will help the commercial furniture industry move toward a more sustainable future,” said Thomas Reardon, Executive Director of BIFMA. “The office storage product PCR will enable office furniture manufacturers to conduct LCAs and publish EPDs that can help their buyers identify the products with preferred environmental profiles. This information is crucial in helping businesses and government agencies meet their greener purchasing goals,” said Tom Bruursema, General Manager of NSF International’s Sustainability division.

WDMA & AAMA Release Industry Review And Forecast

The Window & Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) and the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) have jointly released an August 2012 update to the 2011/2012 U.S. Industry Statistical Review and Forecast. This report delivers timely information on window, door and skylight market trends and product relationships. Historic data for 2006 through 2011 and forecast data for 2012 through 2015 are also included in the report. Forecasts are based on projections of construction activity as of August 2012.

Nonresidential construction declined slightly in 2011 and is forecasted to continue to remain slow through 2012, tempering growth in the non-residential architectural interior door categories. However, the updated study predicts a slight improvement in architectural door shipments in 2012 over earlier forecasts. Lagging slightly behind the residential market, non-residential construction is expected to rebound significantly in the subsequent three years through 2015.

According to the updated study's data, multi-family and single family starts are expected to experience a slightly better increase than what was initially thought, up to 19% over 2011 with additional increases in 2013 and 2014. Residential improvement expenditures are expected to see a similar shift.

The updated study continues to show little change in the segmentation for residential interior door material types is expected over the next five years. However, significant volume is expected to return to the entry and interior door market as new construction demand is expected to grow at double-digit rates, outpacing remodeling and replacement activity as the housing market recovers.

Altendorf Launches F-45 Fusion 3200 Sliding Table Saw

In association with Stiles Machinery, Altendorf launched the F-45 Fusion 3200 sliding table saw in the American market. The sliding table saw performs all sawing and cutting applications including miter cuts, custom-cutting, ripping, and crosscutting in solid wood, panels, and plastics. Case goods manufacturers and architectural millwork manufacturers can find cutting solutions with this table saw. An ideal progression from table saw, Altendorf F-45 Fusion 3200 can decrease production times by more than 25 percent.