IFI Magazine Feb March 2019 International Forest Industries Magazine Feb March | Page 27

TIMBER PROCESSING & ENERGY EXPO network with colleagues from all over the industry in a setting where we can see and discuss the latest technology, and listen to some insightful presentations about new and developing topics such as the emerging mass timber sector. It’s well worth our time to attend each time.” Timber Processing magazine also used the event to present its 2019 Person of the Year to Red Emmerson, Chairman Emeritus of Sierra Pacific Industries. The ceremony was held at the Hatton-Brown Publishers Media Presentation Center on the show floor. Emmerson is the 31st annual recipient of the award. A post-show survey of exhibitors indicate that 83% of the exhibitors felt their discussions with customers at the show could lead to an order or indeed already has resulted in a confirmed order. “This year’s TP&EE was very successful for us,” says Jesse Vigil, president and CEO of Metal Detector Inc. (MDI). “We were very HALCO AD:Layout 3 3/8/10 LUMBER PROCESSING pleased to make new contacts and touch base with existing customers. We received excellent feedback. The insight from the show gave us good information on the positive direction the wood industry is heading.” In addition to the action on the expo floor, TP&EE hosted two day-long workshops, one on Mass Timber and the other on Lumber Manufacturing. Russ Vaagen, CEO of Vaagen Timbers Russ Vaagen, CEO of Vaagen Timbers in Colville, Wash., spoke about the in-progress construction of his cross-laminated timber plant scheduled to start up in 2019. Vaagen detailed the changes his family’s lumber operation has gone through in the past 30 years— adapting to small logs, less federal timber, and ongoing retooling and 17:22 reinvesting to stay competitive. Looking to the future and higher-value demand in the market is a big reason he started Vaagen Timbers. “I believe this is a time that’s particularly exciting,” Vaagen said. “Designers want new, greener products and builders want to work with new, environmentally friendly products.” In the case of CLT, Vaagen believes, “The environmental community is literally asking us to produce more lumber products.” Vaagen said he’s not sure the industry as a whole realizes the potential impact of CTL on overall lumber demand. “CLT buildings consume so much more lumber than traditional construction,” he added. During the lumber manufacturing workshop, several BID Group representatives spoke on the company’s turnkey capabilities, which have enabled BID to gain most of the new southern yellow pine sawmill turnkey business in the past couple of years. They cited key benefits such as reduced timeline for construction, controlled startup and controlled costs. The next TP&EE will be held September 30-October 2, 2020, again at the Portland Expo Center. (Much of this material originally appeared in Timber Processing and Panel World magazines and appears here with permission.) Page 1 Optimise your production plan... www.halcosoftware.com Optimise your operations OVER 25 Whatever your mill... Maximize profit by resolving trade-offs between recovery, production rate, and value SYSTEMS SOLD HALCO Software Systems Vancouver, Canada • Tel: 1 604 731 9311 International Forest Industries | FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 25