Heat-Treating Auditor Seeks Information

            Conway & Robison, which provides heat-treating auditing and consulting services to pallet manufacturers, is soliciting information from companies that use wood fuel in pallet heat-treating systems or heating systems for buildings.

            Conway & Robison was awarded a grant recently from the U.S. Forest Service to create a guide to building pallet heat-treating chambers that use wood waste for fuel. When it is completed, the guide will be available for free from the Forest Service.

            The creation of the guide will take about a year, and the company will need to collect on-site data from cooperating pallet companies and conduct interviews.

            Several companies, members of the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association, already are involved in the project as in-kind contributors, offering technical assistance. They include BC Wood Products, Porter’s Wood Products, and several suppliers, Bio-Mass Combustion Systems, Kiln-Direct and SII Dry Kilns.

            Reducing dependence on fossil fuels has gained more importance as oil prices recently increased. Completion of the guide will help provide pallet companies with a new outlet for wood waste, according to Conway & Robison.

            Pallet companies that supply pallets for export shipments have invested in pallet heat-treating systems or purchase heat-treated material to comply with ISPM-15 export regulations. Most have bought turnkey heat-treating systems, but some companies have developed their own, and a few are using wood for fuel.

            For more information or to participate in this project, contact Conway & Robison at (540) 898-4193, e-mail jconway@cr-inspect.com or visit www.cr-inspect.com.

RPCC Now Reusable Packaging Association

            The Reusable Pallet & Container Coalition, which was founded in 1999, has changed its name to the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA).

            The name change reflects the association’s focus on promoting reusable packaging to store, handle and move products through the supply chain.

            “The name change is indicative of our focus on the value and expansion of reusable packaging systems rather than specific products like pallets and containers,” said Fred Heptinstall, association president and president of IFCO RPC Management Services.

            The name change and competitive focus were the result of an in-depth strategic planning effort conducted by the association with the aid of a consultant.

            The association also has a new Web site at www.choosereusables.org. For more information, visit the Web site or call the RPA at (202) 625-4899.

Trillwood CWPCA President for 2008-09

            Simon Trillwood of Topax Exporting Packaging Systems in Concord, Ontario was elected president of the Canadian Wood Pallet & Container Association (CWPCA-ACMPC) at the organization’s annual meeting recently.

            Members elected Ben Malek of Pallets Unlimited in Innisfail, Alberta as vice president and Dan MacLean of Shur-Way Containers in Cambridge, Ont. as treasurer.

            The other members of the board of directors for 2008-09 are: Wayne Anderson (past president), St. Boniface Pallet, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Blair McEwen, Bowmanville Wood Products, Bowmanville, Ont.; Brian Butler, Butler & Baird Lumber Co., Aurora, Ont.; Wayne Reinhart, Challenger Pallet, Ridgetown, Ont.; Roland Dufour, Groupe Savoie, St. Quentin, New Brunswick; Jason Wheeler, Herwood Inc., Windsor, Quebec; and Douglas Hunter, Pacific Pallet, Aldergrove, British Columbia.

Brown President Of Ongweoweh

            Ongweoweh Corp. has promoted Randy Brown to president. He succeeds Frank Bonamie, who remains CEO.

            Randy joined the company in 1994 and previously served as vice president of operations.

            The company also announced several other personnel changes. Ben Richards was promoted from vice president of sales to senior vice president of business development, and Tsiorasa Barreiro was promoted to vice president of sales.

            Ongweoweh, based in Lansing, New York, is a leading company for pallet management services and pallet recycling with annual sales exceeding $100 million.

Brumbelow Named Viking Sales Rep

            Viking Engineering & Development has named Charles Brumbelow to the sales staff.

            Charles has been employed with Viking for 16 years and has many years of experience in the service department. He also has managed a pallet shop and is very familiar with the needs of pallet manufacturers

            Charles enthusiastically agreed to join the sales staff and is looking forward to the opportunities and challenges of the future.

Midwest Show Back At Cape Girardeau, Mo.

            The Midwest Forest Industry Show will return to Cape Girardeau, Missouri for the biennial trade show June 26-27, 2009. The trade show is sponsored by the Midwest Forest Products Association.

            “Upon evaluating feedback from exhibitors and attendees, we decided to return to Cape Girardeau to be closer to the timber and timber people,” said Brian Brookshire, executive director of the association.

            In recent years the event has been held in St. Charles, Missouri, a suburb just west of St. Louis. Cape Girardeau is about 125 miles southeast in the southeast corner of the state.

            The Midwest Forest Industry Show, with a history of 40 years, is one of
the leading trade shows of the pallet and sawmill industry. The trade show
features exhibitions of logging equipment, sawmill and pallet machinery, lumber remanufacturing equipment, chippers, and much more.

            For more information about the show, call (573) 634-3252, e-mail show@moforest.org or visit www.moforest.org.

Railway Tie Assn. Sets Conference Oct. 29-31

            The Railway Tie Association will hold its annual technical conference and symposium Oct. 29-Oct. 31 in Savannah, Ga.

            The conference program includes a number of speakers from the hardwood industry who will discuss such topics as export opportunities, flooring, marketing and others.

            The program also will feature a panel discussion by the Railroad Energy Alternatives Commission for Tomorrow, reports from railroad supply management experts, and information about creosote regulatory compliance.

            The conference also includes a number of optional recreational activities as well as activities for spouses.

            The conference fee is $395 for association members. For more information or to register, call (770) 460-5553, e-mail ties@rta.org, or visit www.rta.org.

Va. Tech Plans Wood Week, Career Fair

            Virginia Tech will sponsor Wood Week activities on its campus in Blacksburg, Va. the week of Sept. 15.

            One of the highlights of the week will be the career fair Sept. 18. It will be held on the central campus area known as the drill field. About 27,000 students cross the area daily as they walk between classes and dormitories, and the career fair is held under a tent.

            It is the largest university-sponsored career fair in North America for the forest products industry, according to Virginia Tech.

            Last year, the first year the event was held in the middle of campus, it featured representatives of nearly 50 businesses in the industry.

            Businesses that want to have a presence at the career fair must register in advance.

            Wood Week also includes a public lecture, student scholarship reception and the Wood Magic Show.

            For more information about Wood Week or the career fair or to register for the career fair, call the Virginia Tech department of wood science and forest products, (540) 231-8853.

YoderWay Provides Low-Cost Buildings

            YoderWay Buildings designs and builds fabric structures, especially for use in agricultural and industrial applications and others.

            The buildings are constructed of the highest grade materials possible, including trusses of Allied Gatorshield steel tubing and 12.5 oz. fabric. These components, along with quality workmanship and engineering, insure a building that is both attractive in price and quality.

            Buildings are available in standard widths ranging from 30 feet to 100 feet and can be constructed in lengths of 12-foot increments. All components are made in the U.S. The buildings are easy to maintain and offer low-cost construction.

            Applications include storage facilities for machinery or bulk materials, sawmills, pallet mills and lumber remanufacturing, and more.

            For more information or to locate a dealer, call YoderWay Buildings at (570) 765-1390, e-mail dave@yoderway.com or visit the Web site at www.yoderway.com/index.php.

Wood-Mizer Opens Montana Location

            Wood-Mizer Products has opened a new authorized sales center in Basin, Montana. It is the company’s ninth sales center in the U.S. and 20th in the U.S. and Canada.

            The recent grand opening included sawmill demonstrations and an educational program.

            Rocky Mountain Wood-Mizer is managed by Sean and Debbie Sheehan. The family runs a successful sawmill business, producing building materials on a Wood-Mizer LT27 band mill.

            Wood-Mizer authorized sales centers provide potential customers with an opportunity to see sawmill demonstrations, receive training and easy access to blades and parts.

            The Sheehans may be contacted at (406) 225-4362 or e-mail at rockymountainwoodmizer@yahoo.com.

            To contact Wood-Mizer, call (800) 553-0182 or visit www.woodmizercom.

G. Wine Sales Becomes Pallet Machinery Group

            G. Wine Sales, which sells machinery to the pallet and sawmill industries, has changed its name to Pallet Machinery Group.

            Greg Wine, owner of the company, said there were several reasons for the name change. His business already was operating a Web site at www.palletmachinery.com, he noted.

            In addition, the company represents several manufacturers of machinery and equipment: Storti, which makes nailing machines and scragg mill equipment; West Plains Resaw Systems, which makes equipment for sawmills and pallet manufacturing; and AIT, which has manufactured stackers and notchers with the G. Wine Sales name plate. Greg’s company also has sold businesses and sells used machinery.

            His business has grown, Greg also noted. Pallet Machinery Group has offices in Virginia and Florida.

            Greg did business as G. Wine Sales since 1995 and has worked in the pallet industry for 25 years.

            For more information, call Pallet Machinery Group at (540) 644-9220.