Katerra announced the grand opening of North America’s highest volume cross-laminated timber (CLT) factory. Located in Spokane Valley, Washington, the 270,000-square-foot-facility will significantly increase supplies of CLT, a fully renewable structural building material that sequesters carbon for a building’s life and can be used in place of steel and concrete in buildings up to 18 stories.

Katerra’s state-of-the-art CLT facility reflects the company’s technology-first approach, incorporating advanced geometric and biometric scanning of lamstock, an on-site kiln for precise moisture control and artificial intelligence to further improve safety and reduce waste. Katerra’s factory also features the largest CLT press currently in operation globally, offering customers unmatched design flexibility.

“CLT perfectly embodies Katerra’s guiding principles for product development – it is technologically advanced, sustainable, and offers meaningful cost and time reductions,” said Michael Marks, CEO and co-founder of Katerra. “We have invested in creating the largest capacity CLT factory in North America because we believe deeply in the potential of CLT and want to see this great material advance to the mainstream.”

The new CLT factory occupies 29 acres with easy access to rail lines and interstate highways. At full operation, the factory will employ 105 people with an annual manufacturing capacity to provide thousands of apartments, student housing units, and more than 11 million square feet of floors and roofs.

Katerra is a technology company optimizing every aspect of building design, materials supply, and construction.

Tolko announced that it is implementing a flexible operating footprint at its Soda Creek and Armstrong stud lumber mills. This change will reduce the company’s operating stud capacity by 20%.

Vice President, Solid Wood, Troy Connolly says the decision is a result of high log costs in B.C. and weak market conditions.

“The continued and increasing pressures on log delivery costs in B.C. have eroded our competitiveness. This, in addition to continued weak markets, means we must take immediate and responsible action to ensure our long-term stability in B.C. We are moving to a flexible operating footprint starting next week. We will continue to monitor our cost competitiveness regularly to determine if further downtime is required. Our top priority is sustaining the business and the many jobs and economic spin-offs it provides to our communities.”

Tolko is a leading manufacturer of a wide range of forest products for customers around the world, including lumber, plywood, veneer, oriented strand board, co-products, biomass power, and a growing number of specialty wood products.

The grand opening of the new training and service centre of OOO Ponsse, Ponsse’s subsidiary in Russia, was celebrated earlier this month in Gorelovo, St. Petersburg. With its area of 1,500 square metres, the new training centre is one of the company’s largest investments in Russia, totalling approximately EUR 3 million.

The new training centre is the flagship of OOO Ponsse’s training network, featuring the best training equipment and skills in the industry. Jaakko Laurila, Managing Director of OOO Ponsse, says that the company is a pioneer in the development of training services.

“We want to offer the best training services in this industry. This new training centre is exceptional in terms of its quality and training content. High-quality training services give us a significant competitive edge and enable us to increase our market share”, Laurila says.

The new training and service centre in St. Petersburg features all PONSSE simulator models for operator training and a test track for practical training. Mechanics are trained in service facilities that have room for three forest machines at the same time.

Growing market requires training services
In just over ten years, large parts of Russia have shifted from tree-length harvesting to the more efficient and eco-friendlier cut-to-length (CTL) method. Currently, Russia is the world’s largest forest machine market. This can be seen not only through increased forest machine sales, but also as a growing need for training and maintenance services. Russia does not offer any official training for forest machine operators and mechanics, which strengthens the importance of Ponsse’s training range even further. Studies have shown that high professional skills of operators play an important part in terms of productivity.

Ponsse’s subsidiary in Russia was established in 2005 and, nearly ever since, the company has worked with educational institutions in the field of forestry. Currently, Ponsse’s training network comprises, in addition to the new unit opened in St. Petersburg, a training and service centre in Pitkyaranta and 17 training units that work in cooperation with vocational and higher level educational institutions in different parts of Russia and Belarus.

The highly advanced training range covers not only operator and mechanic training, but also training programmes for the management of the harvesting process, productive harvesting and thinning. The training range has been designed for Ponsse’s operators, mechanics and customers, the PONSSE network’s retailers and personnel, as well as teachers of educational institutions in the field of forestry. The duration of training periods spans from a few days to one month. Training manager Nikolai Chernutskii is in charge of OOO Ponsse’s training services.

OOO Ponsse has 120 employees in Russia, as well as an extensive retailer network which enables nationwide operations. Approximately 2,000 PONSSE forest machines operate in Russia. The company has service centers in St. Petersburg, Pitkyaranta, Segezha, Tihkvin and Tomsk.

PONSSE PLC
Jaakko Laurila
Managing Director, OOO Ponsse

FURTHER INFORMATION:
Jaakko Laurila, Managing Director, OOO Ponsse, tel. +7 921 946 18 23
Harri Perätalo, Service Director, OOO Ponsse, tel. +7 921 983 03 34
Main Photo: Jaakko Laurila, Managing Director of OOO Ponsse,

PHOTOS:
http://ponsse.materialbank.net/NiboWEB/p/scpc/15101055/686370/en

Ponsse’s products and services that improve productivity and profitability in logging had a strong presence at the The Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Logging Congress September 5-7 Escanaba, MI. The new PONSSE Cobra harvester was introduced at the fair as well as new PONSSE Active Crane system for loader controlling.

PONSSE COBRA – an efficient harvester for varying conditions
The PONSSE Cobra is an adaptable eight-wheel all-round machine with an extensive range of equipment making possible a variety of cutting and work methods. The Cobra’s strengths include a powerful six-cylinder engine, a high-performance hydraulics system powered by a sizeable 210 cm3 working pump, and a robust and thoroughly tested structure. Thanks to the high quality of its basic solutions, the Cobra is a reliable and fuel-economic package whose accurate and easy-to-use crane, great balance and powerful six-cylinder engine make it an excellent solution for varying conditions.

Seamless loader control with PONSSE Active Crane
The PONSSE Active Crane offers a new way of controlling the loader and boosting work. It is an innovation that the driver uses to control the grapple movement instead of individual functions, allowing the driver to concentrate efficiently on loader work. The Active Crane is easy to control using two control levers, one of which controls the grapple height from the ground and the other the direction of movement. What is essential is that the driver does not need to control all the functions simultaneously. When the desired grapple location is specified for the machine, the system performs the lifting, folding and extending operations automatically.

The new products are part of the Boost/Save approach aimed at enabling customers to improve the productivity and cost efficiency of harvesting through the right products, information systems, training and service. Apart from forest machines.

For further information:
Diana Olkowski, Marketing coordinator, Ponsse North America
tel. +1 715 490 0988 or diana.olkowski@ponsse.com

Ponsse Plc develops and manufactures sustainable and innovative harvesting solutions for environmentally friendly cut-to-length logging. The strong family company is one of the world’s leading forest machine manufacturers, and its customer-oriented operations are still guided by the wishes and needs of forest machine entrepreneurs.

The managing director of Ponsse AS, Ponsse’s subsidiary in Norway, is to change. Sigurd Skotte, who has held the position since 2011, will transfer to parent company Ponsse Plc starting from 1 October 2019, where he will work in the development of global sales.

Carl-Henrik Hammar, managing director of Ponsse’s subsidiary in Sweden, will be appointed managing director of Ponsse AS. Hammar will also continue as the managing director of Ponsse AB.

“Both of these appointments support our investments in the continuous development of our international network. Sigurd Skotte has a strong vision for the customer-driven development of sales and maintenance services, and Carl-Henrik Hammar’s role in leading our two Nordic subsidiaries helps these companies to work closer together. Both companies will continue as independent entities, while their functions will be developed side-by-side, and they will be engaged in closer cooperation”, says Jarmo Vidgrén, sales and marketing director at Ponsse Plc.

Carl-Henrik Hammar started his career at Ponsse in 2015. He will continue to work in Surahammar, Sweden, and report to Jarmo Vidgrén, Ponsse Plc’s sales and marketing director.

The head office of Ponsse AS, established in 1998, is located in Kongsvinger, Norway. Ponsse AB’s head office is located in Surahammar, and the company is responsible for Swedish markets and Ponsse’s operations in Denmark. The company was established in 1994.

Ponsse Plc
Further Information
Jarmo Vidgrén, sales and marketing director, Ponsse Plc, tel. +358 40 519 1486

Ponsse Plc specialises in the sale, production, maintenance and technology of cut-to-length method forest machines, and is driven by a genuine interest in its customers and their business operations. Ponsse develops and manufactures sustainable and innovative harvesting solutions based on customer needs.

The company was established by forest machine entrepreneur Einari Vidgrén in 1970, and has been a leader in timber harvesting solutions based on the cut-to-length method ever since. Ponsse is headquartered in Vieremä, Finland. The company’s shares are quoted on the Nordic list of the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange.

Photo: Carl-Henrik Hammar 

From September 2 2019 until January 13 2020 it is going to travel from the south of Sweden to the most northern parts and is going to make at least one stop per sales district.

Contact your local contact for more information when the Bison is coming to your neighbourhood. And keep yourself updated with more information by following us on social media (Facebook and Instagram). Welcome!

Stop #1 week 36-37
SKÅNE, BLEKINGE, SYDÖSTRA SMÅLAND
Andreas From, Tel. 070 399 03 28

Stop #2 week 38-39
VÄSTRA SMÅLAND, SÖDRA VÄSTERGÖTLAND, HALLAND
Thomas Andersson, Tel. 070 399 15 30

Stop #3 week 40-41
ÖSTERGÖTLAND, NORRA SMÅLAND, GOTLAND
Robert Johansson, Tel. 070 399 44 11

Stop #4 week 42-43
VÄSTMANLAND, SÖDERMANLAND, NÄRKE
Jerker Welén, Tel. 070 399 52 80

Stop #5 week 44-45
VÄRMLAND, DALSLAND, BOHUSLÄN, NORRA VÄSTERGÖTLAND
Jesper Magnusson, Tel. 070 399 07 37

Stop #6 week 46-47
DALARNA, UPPLAND, GÄSTRIKLAND, SÖDRA HÄLSINGLAND
Lars Dahlin, Tel. 070 399 41 53

Stop #7 week 48-49
MEDELPAD, HÄRJEDALEN, NORRA HÄLSINGLAND, JÄMTLAND
Jon Holmström, Tel. 070 595 90 17

Stop #8 week 50-51
VÄSTERBOTTEN, ÅNGERMANLAND
Jonas Sundin, Tel. 070 399 80 93

Stop #9 week 2-3
NORRBOTTEN
Jan Förare, Tel. 070 669 33 93

Weyerhaeuser Company announced an agreement to sell its 555,000 acres of Michigan timberlands to Lyme Great Lakes Holding LLC, an affiliate of The Lyme Timber Company LP, for $300 million in cash. The company expects to recognize a gain on the sale and anticipates no tax liability in conjunction with the transaction.

“This transaction in our Northern region encompasses a diverse mix of hardwood and softwood acres and is part of our ongoing effort to strategically optimize our timberlands portfolio,” said Devin W. Stockfish, president and CEO of Weyerhaeuser. “Lyme will also welcome our exceptional team of highly skilled employees.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the 4Q 2019.

Weyerhaeuser Company is one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands.

Photo: Devin W. Stockfish, president and CEO of Weyerhaeuser

Bjørn Einar Ugedal has been appointed new Managing Director at Norske Skog Skogn AS from October 15, 2019. He has extensive experience from a number of positions in the process- and power-intensive industry.

Until recently, he was the CEO of Ferroglobe Mangan Norway in Mo i Rana, which produces manganese alloys. He has held a number of leading positions in multinational corporations in the process industry.

When Ugedal takes over as Managing Director, he will replace Amund Saxrud, who has been Managing Director since 2011. Amund Saxrud will from October, 15 take over as new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Norske Skog Group, responsible for monitoring operational activities at the Group’s 7 mills.

About Norske Skog
Norske Skog is a leading producer of publication paper with strong market positions in Europe, where it occupies a top-tier publication paper position, and Australasia, where Norske Skog is a leading producer of publication paper in a concentrated market.

Norske Skog operates a total of seven profitable paper mills strategically located close to attractive markets and with total paper production capacity of 2.6 million tons, comprising 1.7 million tons of newsprint and 0.9 million tons of magazine paper (supercalandered and coated mechanical). The Norske Skog Group has approximately 2,400 employees, and had in 2018 annual revenue and EBITDA of approximately NOK 12.6 billion and NOK 1.0 billion, respectively.

Norske Skog Skogn has 390 employees and had in 2018 annual revenue of NOK 2.2 billion. The mill has an annual production capacity of 510 000 tonnes of newsprint.

Bjørn Einar Ugedal as new Managing Director

British Columbia government has announced $69 million to fund a new series of measures aimed at supporting provincial forest workers impacted by mill closures and shift reductions in several B.C. Interior communities. The Interior forest industry has been reducing production in an effort to adjust to the end of the mountain pine beetle harvest and the devastating 2017 and 2018 fire seasons.

“The previous government knew that the end of mountain pine beetle harvest would disrupt the lives of forest workers, contractors and communities, but they did little to prepare for this inevitable transition,” said Premier John Horgan. “While the forest sector must reduce surplus milling capacity to remain competitive, it cannot do so at the expense of the workers, contractors and communities who built the industry. Our government will ensure that forest workers impacted by mill closures are supported.”

Premier Horgan and Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, met with the chief executive officers of the major Interior forest companies to set out measures to support forest workers in the months and years ahead. Those measures include:

$40 million to establish a new cost-shared, early-retirement bridging program for older forest workers;

$15 million to establish a new short-term forest employment program, focused on fire prevention and community resiliency projects;

$12 million for workers to access skills training, and for employer and community grants for training;

$2 million to establish a new job placement co-ordination office that will track the transition and employment of impacted forest workers on an individual basis; and

Community support grants aimed at providing short-term assistance to communities more profoundly impacted by the closure of a major forest employer.

“The Province is committed to supporting the people impacted by this change, but we need the forest industry and the federal government to step up and do their part as well,” Donaldson said. “I’m hopeful that the Interior forest sector recognizes that the new industry that will arise from this transition will need skilled, experienced workers to produce new forest products that can compete in global markets.”

Donaldson called on the forest industry to increase supports for impacted workers, ensure key corporate leaders are working on the industry transition and ensure that it does a better job of communicating effectively with affected workers and communities.

“The forest industry and its workers have built the success of the industry and bolstered B.C.’s economy for decades,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour. “I am pleased that my ministry can help deliver solutions that provide direct and tangible support to workers impacted by current challenges in the forest industry and that will help sustain family-supporting jobs in communities that are home to the industry and its workers.”

“Over the summer, I met with workers, industry and elected officials in many of the Interior communities impacted by permanent and indefinite mill closures. The $69 million our government is providing to support impacted workers and families and enable resilient forest communities is a direct result of my discussions with the people who live and work in these Interior communities,” said Ravi Kahlon, Parliamentary Secretary for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.

“We’re ensuring that impacted forestry workers and their communities have access to retraining and supports they need to assist them with this transition. We’re providing funding for skills training programs and employer and community grants that will give people the new skills they need to prepare for sustainable employment and good family-supporting jobs,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.

“We appreciate the Province recognizing these supportive measures needed for impacted workers as industry adapts to declining timber supply. This funding for workers’ support aligns with our efforts at West Fraser to ensure continuing employment and opportunity for our hard-working employees and their families as industry works together with government on longer-term solutions to our current challenges,” said Ray Ferris, CEO, West Fraser.

“The Public and Private Workers of Canada stands with the provincial government today. In doing so, we recognize the value of what is being offered to the people of rural British Columbia. It was through communication, co-operation and compassion with and for the affected forestry workers and the communities they call home that relief will be forthcoming. We will continue to work to save jobs, but have to be realistic with the situation at hand and help people transition in a changed landscape. This funding announced today is just a start in the effort needed to accomplish this transition,” said Gary Fiege, president, Public and Private Workers of Canada.

“Taking this step to support workers and their families is the right thing for the B.C. government to do. Forestry workers are facing enormous challenges across the Interior right now and we know that with the right supports for these workers and with the right investments by corporations, the forestry sector can rise to meet these challenges and be a vital part of our sustainable future,” Gavin McGarrigle, western regional director, Unifor.

Photo: Honourable Doug Donaldson
Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

Softwood lumber trade was up 5% in the first half of 2019 on a worldwide basis, with China reaching record-high imports in the 2Q, reports Wood Resources International in its Wood Resource Quarterly.

Global Softwood Lumber Trade
Demand for lumber in China, the United Kingdom, Egypt and the Netherlands increased this year despite a slowdown in the global economy. Global softwood lumber trade was up just over five percent year-over-year during the first half of 2019.. Of the major importing countries in the world, only Japan and Germany have experienced major declines in imports so far this year. Germany’s lumber imports have fallen 6.1%, while exports have gone up 9.2%. German net exports have increased from approximately 1.5 million m3 the first six months of 2018 to two million m3 during the same period in 2019.

Lumber markets – North America
Lumber demand in the US has not recovered as fast as many market observers predicted in 2018. Housing starts, which are the major lumber end-use sector, were hovering between 1.2 and 1.3 million starts annualized during the first half of 2019. This was slightly lower than during the same period in 2018. Lumber production in Canada from January to May 2019 was nine percent lower than it was in same period in 2018. Most of the decline came from British Columbia, where production was down 16.5%.

Lumber markets – China
China imported almost eight million m3 of softwood lumber in the 2Q 2019, a new quarterly high. Russian deliveries reached almost five million m3, a 39% increase from the 1Q 2019 and 15% higher than in the 2Q 2018. The Nordic countries have steadily expanded their shipments to China over the past year and were the third largest suppliers behind Russia and Canada in the 2Q 2019.

Import prices have trended downward for the past 18 months and in June hit their lowest levels since early 2016 (read more about lumber prices in the latest issue of the WRQ).

Lumber markets – MENA
Softwood lumber imports to the Middle East and Northern Africa (the MENA region) were up three percent year-over-year in 2018. This increase came after import volumes in 2017 reached their lowest level in ten years. Decreased activity in the housing sector, political instability and financial turmoil reduced the demand for wood products in 2016 and 2017. However, with economic growth rebounding in 2018 and the outlook being for continued expansion in the region over the next few years, consumption of softwood lumber is on the upswing. The increased import demand continued in the 1Q 2019 when the two major markets, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, increased their importation by over 50% from the 1Q 2018