USNR’ S BIOVISION CLAIMS VICTORY oN A NEW FRONTIER
Evergreen Forest
Getting the grade out
USNR’ S BIOVISION CLAIMS VICTORY oN A NEW FRONTIER
Shop and Moulding products are the latest achievements by USNR’ s BioVision sawmill grade scanning system. For Evergreen Forest value recovery and throughput are up significantly, and new markets are on the horizon.
Producers of Shop and Moulding products have new tools to choose from with the onset of BioVision sawmill grading targeted to these specialized products. Focus was recently brought to this market through cooperation between USNR and Tamarack Mill LLC, Evergreen Forest sawmill of New Meadows, Idaho. Now this expanded capability will benefit other such producers.
Evergreen Forest was established 50 years ago when Maurice Hitchcock bought the mill at New Meadows and rebuilt it. Then 15 years ago it was acquired by Bob Krogh and family. Rodney Krogh and brother Mark are president and general manager, respectively. The family also owns Clearwater Forest Industries, located at Kooskia, Idaho, about two hours away. The Clearwater operation is managed by a third brother, Jeff Krogh. The Evergreen site comprises a sawmill, dry kilns and cogeneration plant. Running two shifts it produces 2x4 through 2x12, 1x4 through 1x12, and Shop and Moulding products; annual capacity is 50-60 mmbf. It processes predominantly Ponderosa pine, with a small percentage of fir and spruce.
Selecting a system
Rodney Krogh relates how he came to the decision to source out a sawmill grading system.“ I was on a sales trip to several cut-up plants and saw the technology they were using to rip for grade in the Shop products. About a year ago I called USNR and we started to investigate the opportunity, looking to see if they could grade pine; we were looking to rip to produce Moulding, # 1, # 2 and # 3 Shop.” He explained that the mill’ s existing edging operation was a manual system, looking at each flitch with the human eye to try to pull the grade out. He recognized that the human element was limiting production and value recovery.“ If we were going to continue to be a major factor in the pine market we needed to find a way to maximize recovery and value out of our pine logs.”
The Evergreen operation has USNR’ s MillExpert scanning on its two double-cut headrigs, the overhead end-dogging system, on the combination
“ About a year ago I called USNR and we started to investigate the opportunity, looking to see if they could grade pine; we were looking to rip to produce Moulding, # 1, # 2 and # 3 Shop.”
8 Millwide INSIDER | ISSUE 3- 2013