NELMA Archives - Page 6 of 15

See What’s Behind Door No. 2

Posted on July 28, 2015 by

NELMA is pleased to offer Door No. 2 in our Virtual Home Tour series, now available for viewing on the Association’s Eastern White Pine exclusive website. This new doorway is appropriately titled “Modern Home” to fit its high-end, open style floorplan that comfortably meets today’s family needs. Using this interactive technology portal provides the viewer with a 360 degree view of each room that is included on the tour. Information icons located throughout the home provide specific Eastern White Pine product size & grade details, and type of finish that was used to create the final look.

Multiple messages are contained within this unique visual marketing tool. First, to show viewers that the use of Eastern White Pine for interior application in new home construction can be a contemporary, pleasing concept (It’s use is way beyond your grandparent’s cabin by the lake or that 1960’s family game-room in the basement!). Secondly, to showcase the unlimited versatility of Eastern White Pine as shown in the details of each room. And thirdly, to provide specific information on how to specify and finish a wall, floor, or ceiling to mimic the same “look” and feel of a room with just a click on the “i” buttons strategically located in highlighted areas. A real design idea generator!

The warm, positive feel of wood is unmatched when directly compared with non-wood, alternative finishing materials for a home. This long-known fact has officially been proven in recent research; Here are the report details.

Look for Door No. 3 to be added soon!

DiPrizio Pine Hosts 12th Annual Eastern White Pine Graders Competition

Posted on July 21, 2015 by

Following its introduction at the recently held competition for Dimension graders, NELMA’s new tournament bracket format was extended to the 2015 Eastern White Pine Graders Competition, held Saturday, June 27 at DiPrizio Pine in Middleton, New Hampshire. A total of 55 individuals representing 9 NELMA member mills were on hand to compete for the best grader title and a share of the top eight cash awards that totaled $1,350. Also in play was the Bronze Hammer Trophy, presented to the top mill team in this 12th Annual event.

Successfully emerging through 4 rounds of grading, Bill Badger of Hancock Lumber’s Pittsfield, Maine mill took top honors in the individual competition, edging Diprizio Pine’s Matt Chesley 7-6 in the final round for the title. This was Mr. Badger’s second individual title in the history of the competition, his last won in 2012. The remaining top eight finishers: 3rd Place – Cornel Berry of Pleasant River Pine’s Hancock, Maine Mill; 4th Place – Wilbur Reynolds of Hancock Lumber’s Pittsfield, Maine Mill; 5th Place – Paul Angelone of Madison Lumber Mill, located in West Ossipee, New Hampshire; 6th Place – Cory Price of Hancock Lumber’s Pittsfield, Maine Mill; 7th Place – Nathan Edwards of Hancock Lumber’s Ryefield, Maine Mill; and 8th Place – Garret Blair of Hancock Lumber’s Pittsfield, Maine Mill.

The new format gave the opportunity for individuals that lost out in the first round to enter the Consolation Round for a second chance to grade lumber. Chris Goode of Hancock Lumber’s Pittsfield, Maine mill took the Consolation Championship in a close 4-3 head-to-head match over Norman Littlefield of Madison Lumber Mill.

The final event of the day saw each of the 9 mill teams compete for the Bronze Hammer Trophy. Using either a group grading strategy or selecting mill representatives, each team graded 10 final boards with no time limit to determine the winner. With 4 of the 9 teams correctly grading 8 of the 10 boards, the total time of grading broke the four-way tie. Hancock Lumber’s Ryefield, Maine team took the trophy based on their time of 2 minutes and 8 seconds, with DiPrizio Pine only 6 seconds behind to place second. This was the Ryefield mill’s second team championship since the competition began in 2004.

“Change can be a good thing and our new tournament format for this year’s competitions seemed to bring additional life to the event while increasing each participant’s opportunity to show their grading skills,” stated Jeff Easterling, President of NELMA.

The final Championship and Consolation brackets are posted here.

NELMA would like to thank Marcella Perry of DiPrizio Pine and her personnel for their gracious hospitality, the wonderful lunch, and use of the mill’s facilities for this year’s Eastern White Pine competition, their 3rd time to host the event in the past 12 years.

Hancock Lumber – Pittsfield, Maine mill Individual Winners: Bill Badger (1st Place), Wilbur Reynolds (4th Place), Garret Blair (8th Place), Cory Price (6th Place), and Chris Goode (Consolation Bracket Champion)

Photos from the event:

Matt Chesley of DiPrizio Pine (2nd Place)

Cornel Berry of Pleasant River Lumber – Hancock, Maine (3rd Place)

Paul Angelone of Madison Lumber Mill (5th Place)

Nathan Edwards of Hancock Lumber Company – Ryefield Mill (7th Place)

2015 Team Champion with Bronze Hammer Trophy – Hancock Lumber Company – Ryefield, Maine

Limington Lumber Team Grading

Madison Lumber Mill Team Grading

Glen Hibbard of Mill River Lumber in the Team Grading Competition

Team Grading by the Pleasant River Pine – Sanford, Maine graders (Paul Carpenter and Alex Jewett)

Team Grading by Hancock Lumber Company – Pittsfield, Maine graders

The winning grader team in action from Hancock Lumber’s Ryefield mill

NELMA’s Director of Inspection Services, Matt Pomeroy, and Lumber Program Coordinator, Don Pendergast preparing 10 Competition boards for the Finals

The Adventures of Skip & Wane – No. 2

Posted on June 26, 2015 by

This second issue of NELMA’s industry-related comic strip introduces us to Skip and Wane’s co-worker at the mill, Ms. Dolly Varden, and Spike Knot, the mill’s mischievous bulldog mascot. Once again, Skip’s the butt of the joke and learns a valuable lesson!

Click anywhere on the full image to enlarge. To view all issues, go to this page.

Issue No. 2

It’s Stratton Lumber in a Team 3-Peat! Top Grader from Pleasant River Lumber

Posted on June 22, 2015 by

The 13th Annual Dimension Graders Competition was held Saturday, June 13, hosted by Stratton Lumber Company in Stratton, Maine. NELMA introduced its new tournament-style format for the 2015 individual competition that also incorporated the top 4 individual seeds determined by past performance over the past 12 years. A “Consolation Round” was added to the program which provided each participant the opportunity to grade sample boards twice, versus the one-and-done previous format. This year’s competition included 18 graders representing 3 of NELMA’s dimension mills, all vying for the top 8 individual cash awards totaling $500.

Taking first place after successfully winning 4 rounds of competition was Tim Gravelle of Pleasant River Lumber. Three of the four semi-finalists were from Fontaine, with Gilbert Provencal taking 2nd place, Dominique Plourde (2014 Individual Winner) in 3rd Place, and Maurice Goyette finishing in 4th position. Rounding out the Top 8: (5) Reuben Campbell of Stratton Lumber, (6) Jamie Hobbs of Stratton Lumber, (7) Tom Wellington of Pleasant River Lumber, and (8) Greg Silver of Stratton Lumber. The Consolation Bracket Winner was Donnie Beedy of Stratton Lumber who made his way through 3 additional rounds of lumber grading for the win.

A change-up in determining the overall Mill Team Champion was also implemented with each mill participating in the competition required to grade 10 additional SPF boards as a team with no time limit. Given the choice of grading as a full team or choosing representatives, a variety of strategies was utilized by each mill. Taking top team honors was Stratton Lumber, the mill’s 3rd year in a row to own the Bronze Hammer Trophy.

To view the complete Championship and Consolation Bracket, click here.

Congratulations to all the participants in the 2015 Competition for a job well done. The comradery of meeting together as a profession in a relaxed, fun atmosphere while continuing to hone one’s grading skills makes this event a win-win for all participants. NELMA would like to extend a very special thank you to Stratton Lumber for their wonderful hospitality as this year’s host mill.

Scroll below to view photos from the competition:

1st Place Individual, Tim Gravelle and Tom Wellington, 7th Place, both with Pleasant River Lumber, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine

From Stratton Lumber: Jamie Hobbs (6th Place), Reuben Campbell (5th Place), and Greg Silver (8th Place)

From Fontaine Lumber: 2nd Place-Gilbert Provencal, 3rd Place-Dominique Plourde, and 4th Place-Maurice Goyette

Stratton Lumber – 1st Place Mill Team with Bronze Hammer Trophy

Looking for NELMA Grader No. 2039!

Posted on May 20, 2015 by

In 1970, the Association’s process of certifying lumber graders at a member sawmill mill was officially developed into a more formalized process. In the decades previously, NELMA’s inspectors would work with individuals at a mill to ensure they knew the grades and were competent to apply their learned knowledge to the lumber, but no official testing designated them as a certified NELMA grader.

The 2-tier system used today incorporates a written test in addition to a practical test where a minimum of 200 pieces of lumber must be accurately graded either at an “in-line” grading station in the mill or from a stationary lumber pile. Successful completion of the process by an individual results in the coveted “NELMA Certificate of Grading Proficiency” card (subject to re-certification). A total of five different certifications may be obtained by a grader: Studs, National Grading Rule for Light Framing and Structural Joists & Planks, Board Grades for Eastern White Pine, Board Grades for Western Woods, and Timbers.

It’s important to note that individuals certified by NELMA applies only to the specific mill where they are employed. An individual must be re-certified if they move to another mill operation. This differentiation is significant when compared to hardwood lumber certification where once certified it can be transferable.

According to the Association’s records, NELMA’s Inspection staff has certified a total of 2,038 individuals to grade lumber at one of its member mills over the past 45 years. Of this total, men accounted for 1,907 (93%), while 131 women (7%) have been certified since 1970.

Of this grand total, 303 certified graders are on today’s active list at mills that receive NELMA’s lumber inspection services; 275 men and 28 women.

“Lumber grading is a profession that demands a unique set of skills within an individual, requiring the retention of large volumes of decision-making information, quick application of mathematical formulas, and fast, yet accurate decision making abilities,” according to Matt Pomeroy, NELMA’s Director of Inspection Services. “Certification is not an easy process and is a critical component to the overall success of a mill in today’s marketplace.”

So, who will be certified grader No. 2039?

NELMA Does Boston for its 82nd Annual Convention

Posted on April 28, 2015 by

The Marriott Long Wharf Hotel hosted the 82nd Annual Convention of the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NELMA), April 23 & 24 in Boston. This year’s event was attended by 189 representatives of the forest products industry, the largest gathering of its kind in the northeast. The “State of the Association” presentation and Annual General Membership Meeting opened the Convention on Thursday, where NELMA President Jeff Easterling gave a status report on the Association’s accredited inspection programs, personnel changes in the field and headquarters office, marketing program and research project highlights, and the infamous “World of NELMA” map. Election of NELMA Officers and Board of Directors resulted in the following leadership: Chairman – Jethro Poulin of Milan Lumber (Milan, New Hampshire); 1st Vice Chairman – Scott Brown of DiPrizio Pine Sales (Middleton, New Hampshire); 2nd Vice Chairman – Alden Robbins of Robbins Lumber (Searsmont, Maine). New Board of Director members include: Susan Coulombe of Irving Forest Products (Dixfield, Maine), Chris Brochu of Pleasant River Lumber (Dover-Foxcroft, Maine), Matt Duprey of Hancock Lumber (Casco, Maine), representing Associate members on the Board, Chuck Gaede of Woodbrowser (New London, New Hampshire), and representing NSLB, Pete Aube of Potlatch Corp. (Bemidji, Minnesota). Two members were voted to the Advisory Committee, Win Smith, Jr. of Limington Lumber (Baldwin, Maine) representing Past Chairmen, and B. Manning of Durgin & Crowell (New London, New Hampshire) as Member-at-Large.

Following the opening session, Day 1 of the Convention continued with the popular Marketing Committee meeting where the forest products industry’s very first comic strip, The Adventures of Skip and Wane, was introduced to the crowd. A trio of presentations were given which included highlights of the 2014 marketing program by Jeff Easterling; upcoming projects such as NELMA’s new trade show exhibit and the next “door” for the online Virtual Home Tour, all presented by John Rooks of The SOAP Group agency; ending with a recap of PR activities by Kim Drew of Drew Public Relations that included “Wood Geeks”, trade press editorial opportunities, and launch of a media-targeted monthly email of NELMA projects and activities of interest. A presentation on the “Truth About Trees” program by Crystal Oldham of the Hardwood Forest Foundation and spokesperson Tommy MacDonald from the popular PBS Show, Rough Cut, ended the meeting. The Pine Subcommittee concluded the first day’s business sessions, where updates were reported on two NELMA-sponsored research projects at the University of Maine that involve Eastern White Pine tree diseases and pests. A diverse group of exhibitors were on hand for the “Products & Displays” program, held prior to and during the evening’s Welcome Reception. Thirteen companies took advantage of the 2-1/2 hour time slot to meet with current customers and attract new business during this prime networking opportunity.

Day 2 kicked off with the Dimension Subcommitee meeting where Norway Spruce sampling and testing was the primary topic of the meeting, followed by a video update on the issue of the Spruce Budworm outbreak on Maine’s doorstep and readiness plans to combat the cyclical pest should it become a major threat to the forest as it has in the past. Next, the 4th annual Sustainable Versatility Design Award (SVDA) program began with remarks from guest presenter, Andy Engel – Senior Editor of Fine Homebuilding magazine regarding trends in home building, followed by the presentation of the Rich Quitadamo Sustainable Versatility Design Award to this year’s 1st place winner, Jack Searcy of Texas A&M. Via Skype on the big screen, Mr. Searcy accepted the award and was joined by his professor, Dr. Ali, for an informative Q&A session with the program audience. Business took a break for the Industry Luncheon, featuring Bob Marley as guest entertainer and emcee for the first “Skip & Wane” caption contest, won by Alden Robbins of Robbins Lumber. Outgoing NELMA Chairman, Terry Walters, was honored for his service to the Association over the past 2 years, receiving the infamous NELMA Chair on stage as a token of appreciation from staff and the membership.

Afternoon meetings began with the Grading Committee followed immediately by a presentation on the topic of “The Economy is Mending So Why is the Housing Sector Still Sputtering?” by Brendan Lowney of Forest Economic Advisors (FEA). The Board of Directors meeting ended Day 2’s business sessions, which included guest presentations by Zoltan van Heyningen of the U.S. Lumber Coalition regarding industry options after the November expiration of the Softwood Lumber Agreement, and by Alden Robbins, the northeast representative to the Softwood Lumber Board, updating the check-off program’s activities and plans. The evening’s Chairman’s Reception provided attendees with one final face-to-face networking opportunity to end the 82nd Convention of NELMA.

Most of the meeting presentations have been posted to the “Members Area” of nelma.org website for viewing and printing.

The next meeting of the Association is set for September 24 & 25 at the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine as members and guests gather for the 2015 Fall Board Meeting and Golf Outing.