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The Big Story and Your Story - Mar 20, 2014
If you want to compete on something other than just price, you need a compelling story. The key is to know what you want to be known for.; Research Center Offers Unit Load Design Course: The Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design at Virginia Tech Short Course is scheduled for May 13-15, 2014 in Blacksburg, Va.; MHI Releases Annual Supply Chain Report: The survey found that supply chain executives want to invest in powerful new technologies and business innovations to improve their supply chains, but are hampered by a shortage of qualified talent and never-ending pressure to cut costs. more...
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Looking for Opportunities in Networks, Customer Trends, Marketing & Industry Collaboration - Mar 13, 2014
The new buzzword that pallet recyclers especially need to be aware is that of omni-channel distribution.; Western Pallet Association Calls for Board Members: Seats are available for both members and associate members.; Associations Partner to Promote Southern Pine Exports: he first priority of the SPC is to improve export markets for Southern Pine lumber.; West Fraser Acquires Arkansas Sawmill: The company has bought the sawmill and lumber manufacturing operations of Travis Lumber Company.; News Briefs: A new emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation has been detected in Colorado. Five Indiana counties have had EAB infestations confirmed. Rough & Ready Lumber in Cave Junction, Ore. is planning to reopen nearly a year after it closed. more...
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State of the Industry – Part I Opportunities Abound But Who Has the Guts to Act? - Mar 7, 2014
Coming home from the recent National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) Annual Leadership Conference (ALC), I was struck by the overall upbeat tone of the attendees.; Report Forecasts Global Pallet Sales Growth of 5% through 2017, China to Lead the Way: Although the report indicates a surge in demand for plastic pallets, overall the total market will remain dominated by wooden pallets and packaging.; Industry Pioneer Passes Away: It is with sadness that we report Emory Lucy, former owner of Brunswick Box Company, a well know pallet manufacturer passed away on February 14, 2014.; Tom Waechter Passes: Tom passed away from cancer on March 2; News Briefs: Forces are putting a squeeze on timber availability in the United Kingdom. Workshops will discuss lumber grading, sawing patterns, drying, selling and marketing wood products. CHEP UK has signed a three year deal with the first customer of its new CHEP Stretch solution. A three-month inspection of sawmills across British Columbia (B.C). by WorkSafeBC found that 42% had unacceptable levels of dust accumulations. more...
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What Does the Future Hold for Hardwood Supplies? - Feb 28, 2014
The pallet industry is well aware of how competitive the railroad industry is for buying the center of hardwood logs.; New Truck Fuel Efficiency Standards Coming: The Obama administration is beginning work on regulations that will tighten carbon emissions from trucks.; Lacey Act Amendments Considered: There is broad support from the forest products industry for clarifying that the Lacey Act amendments do not apply to products imported or manufactured prior to May 2008.; EPA Issues Wood-Burning Stove Emission Standards: The proposed rules do not apply to existing wood-burning stoves in homes.; News Briefs: The Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) has published a new 2014 Edition of the booklet “Pressure-Treated Southern Pine”. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached a settlement with a manufacturer of plastic lumber products that requires the company to stop making what the FTC considers unsubstantiated claims about the recycled content and recyclability of its plastic lumber. more...
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FDA Issues Draft Sanitation Rules for Transport Equipment - Feb 26, 2014
Although the specific impact on wooden and alternative material pallets are not completely apparent at this time, a number of key concerns are covered.; CHEP Continues Strong Operating Profits, Sees Slower Growth for Second Half 2014: Its pallet segment, led by the CHEP rental division, continues to post strong operating profit margins of 17.9%.; EPA Report Clarifies Risks of Major Fire Retardants, Including DecaBDE: The report clarified what many had already suspected about Deca as a potentially hazardous substance. more...
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Blue Ribbon Coalition Calls for Industrial Grade Markets to Be Excluded from Proposed Hardwood Checkoff - Feb 21, 2014
After some opposition from major companies and trade associations, the BRC has relented and will focus the program on high grade markets and a few specialty niche sectors.; Brambles Reports 11% Operating Profit Growth: its pallet segment, led by the CHEP rental division, continues to post strong operating profit margins of 17.9%.; You Can Blame It on the Weather (But You’d Be Wrong): The perfect storm isn’t the weather. It is the market conditions created by a lack of forest products infrastructure that will present big challenges for the entire forest products industry.; Final Pallet Association Church Service on March 2: Unfortunately because next year the NWPCA is expected to change its meeting calendar from a Saturday night through Tuesday morning schedule to an end of the week schedule.; News Briefs: The Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) has appointed Tami Kessler to serve as its new executive director. more...
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Officials Declare EAB Quarantine for Entire State of Iowa - Feb 14, 2014
Authorities in Iowa have enacted a statewide quarantine prohibiting the movement of hardwood firewood, ash logs, wood chips and ash tree nursery stock outside of the state.; Health Care Employer Mandate Delayed Again: Medium-sized companies will have an extra year to offer coverage to their workers and larger companies will have the requirement phased in over the next two years.; EPA Report Clarifies Risks of Major Fire Retardants, Including DecaBDE: This fire retardant became controversial in the pallet industry after Intelligent Global Pooling Systems (iGPS) used it to meet fire rating requirements for plastic pallets.; News Brief: International Forest Products Limited (Interfor) has reached an agreement to acquire Tolleson Ilim Lumber Company. more...
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Federal Government Releases Food Sanitation Rules for Transport Equipment - Feb 6, 2014
These proposed rules do include provisions that cover “transportation equipment” including pallets, containers and bins.; Congress Passes Farm Bill: It includes several key provisions that have strong backing from the forest products industry.; OSHA Requires Posting Injury/Illness Summary: Companies that employ 10 or fewer employees are normally exempt from this.; News Briefs: The European Pallet Association (EPAL) recently produced the 30-millionth Euro pallet with the EPAL logo on four corner blocks. Opposition to the proposed Hardwood Checkoff program is growing. An Indiana pallet company lost a building and semi truck in a fire. Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased 3.2% in the fourth quarter of 2013. more...
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Housing Market Turns a Corner–Will the Trend Continue? - Jan 30, 2014
2014 should provide some indication if this can continue as the Federal Reserve pulls back some on its stimulus into the overall U.S. economy.; Pallet USA Acquires Goeman’s Wood Products: The transaction was completed earlier this month. Details of the sale were not released.; WPA Presentations Now Available Online: You can download for free the PowerPoint slides from the presentations at http://www.westernpallet.org/2014AM.html.; Softwood Checkoff Board Seeks Nominations: Interested parties may self-nominate or nominate others to become candidates in the regional elections.; How Key Ambitions in the State of the Union Address Could Impact the Industry: The biggest point of potential compromise over the next year between the White House and Congress is likely to be immigration reform.; New Briefs: USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service recently reported exports of southern pine to be approximately 41.3 million board feet for November 2013. According to local news reports, a large pallet fire broke out at International Pallet Inc. in north Birmingham, Ala. last week. more...
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Composite Pallet Co. Raises $225 Million to Launch Major Pool in North America and Europe - Jan 29, 2014
RM2 International plans to launch a major composite pallet pool of 20 million pallets or more in both North America and Europe.; High Winds Drive Fire at Industrial Wood Products: A pallet recycler in Ozark, Mo., recently suffered significant damage. The office and main production building were a total loss.; NWPCA Annual Meeting Offers Prime Networking Opportunity: Industry leaders will gather in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. on March 1-3 at the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association Leadership Conference (ALC).; Pallet USA Acquires Goeman’s Wood Products: Longtime player in the Southeast Wisconsin pallet market, Goeman’s Wood Products Inc. has sold a majority of its assets earlier this month. Details of the sale were not released. more...
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