AUGUST 2021
Cover: Westervelt Gangs Up On Greenfield SYP Sawmill
THOMASVILLE, Alabama – Timing is everything. Good timing can be planned for, and good timing can be unplanned. Westervelt’s construction and startup of its greenfield southern yellow pine sawmill in southwest Alabama experienced a lot of the planned for, and enough of the unplanned as it navigated through COVID 19 maze and emerged victorious.
Inside This Issue
The Issues: Sometimes Companies Just Get Lucky
In this industry you are bound to cross paths with somebody again, but with one or both of you now working for a different company. Given that I’ve been doing this trade magazine gig for 38 years, I’m never the one who is now with a different company. It’s always the other person, and most recently it was (and is) Brian Luoma, president and CEO of The Westervelt Company. He is, in an industry full of good people, very much one of them.
Article by Rich Donnell, Editor-in-Chief, Timber Processing
NEWSfeed
- Roseburg Going Greenfield In NC
- Robbins Purchases Limington Lumber
- Autolog Bought By Carbotech
- Arboreal Plans CLT Facility
- Forest Service Announces Moore As Chief
- Hunt, Tolko Plan Second Sawmill
2021 Lumbermen’s Buying Guide
The guide includes over 350 forest products industry equipment manufacturers, suppliers and service businesses and their products. The extensive product list, presented first, is followed by manufacturers.
MACHINERYrow
- Mauricio Munoz Looks Downstream
- BE&E Announces Major Developments
- Canfor Plans Edger, Gang Upgrades
- Transor Filter Teams With Vollmer
- Barko Welcomes New President
- Con-Vey Expands Virtual Capabilities
- Relieve Labor Shortage With Equipment Upgrades (Article submitted by Pallet Machinery)
ATlarge
- PotlatchDeltic Names Cribb VP Wood Products
- Roseburg Names Asano Senior VP, Sales/Marketing
- Roseburg Sells Piece Of Oregon Timberland
- Pandemic Assistance Program Benefits Loggers, Haulers
- Bagasse-Based Pellet Facility Is Possible
PRODUCT SCANNER 10
- Gang Rip Saw
- RFID Tags
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Falling In Place
Article by Rich Donnell, Editor-in-Chief, Timber Processing
THOMASVILLE, Alabama – Timing is everything. Good timing can be planned for, and good timing can be unplanned. Westervelt’s construction and startup of its greenfield southern yellow pine sawmill in southwest Alabama experienced a lot of the planned for, and enough of the unplanned as it navigated through COVID 19 maze and emerged victorious.
In March 2017, Brian Luoma became President and CEO of Westervelt. He was well known in the structural wood panels industry, having spent 29 years with OSB kingpin Louisiana-Pacific Corp., most recently in executive vice president and general manager positions based at headquarters in Nashville.
Luoma’s seat in his office at Westervelt was hardly warm when the idea for Westervelt to build a greenfield sawmill began gaining serious consideration.
“It was time to reset the company,” Luoma recalls. “Bring in a different perspective. What is our next investment for growth? For Westervelt it was Lumber Time!”
Customers were saying y’all make great lumber, you don’t make enough of it,” comments Thomasville Plant Manager Steve Metz. “This mill is really in support of our customers.”
Left to right, Brian Luoma, President and CEO; Bryan Martin, Engineering Project Manager; Brenton Dorough, Production Superintendent; Keland Dees, Quality Control Supervisor; Scott Goodin, Maintenance Superintendent; Rod Sims, Safety Coordinator; Steve Metz, Plant Manager; Joe Patton, VP and General Manager of Wood Products.
Infeed to trimmer optimizer.
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