The permanent injunction agreed to by the US Structural Plywood Integrity Coalition and PFS-TECO and signed by a US federal district judge in Florida on May 23, 2022, did not prohibit, limit, or restrict the sale and/or use of plywood panels produced and stamped with the PFS-TECO PS-1 certification until after May 31, 2022.
News in structural panels
Tolko Company Releases Update on Fire Damage Repair Process for High Prairie, Alberta, OSB Facility
Investigations continue into the fire that damaged the Tolko OSB facility in High Prairie, Alberta, on Friday, May 20. Currently, there is no production taking place at the site. The facility is still shipping out existing finished product as trucks and empty railcars become available. On May 30, operations teams started clean-up in restricted areas.
Federal Judge Issues Permanent Injunction Against Plywood Imported From Brazil With PFS-TECO Grade Stamp
On Tuesday, a lawsuit to stop the importation and sale of substandard structural plywood from Brazil ended with Federal Judge Roy Altman issuing a permanent injunction barring a long-time certifier from operations in Brazil. The injunction requires the revocation of all PS 1 certificates issued by PFS-TECO to over a dozen Brazilian mills producing structural plywood for the U.S.
Tolko Company Provides Brief Update on High Prairie, Alberta OSB Fire That Occurred on May 20, 2022
Tolko Company has provided a brief update on the fire at its OSB mill facility in High Prairie, Alberta. The fire was initially reported at approximately 5:00 AM MDT on Friday, May 20, 2022. The mill was evacuated, and local emergency crews were called to aid the facilities fire suppression system. The fire was declared out about 90-minutes later.
Louisiana Pacific Completes Major Conversion Project at its Houlton, Maine Facility
Louisiana Pacific has recently completed a major conversion project at its Houlton, Maine facility. According to Nathan Whitney, the Houlton plant manager, back in early 2021, Louisiana Pacific started converting the Houlton plant from manufacturing OSB to their flagship SmartSide siding products.
Plan to Restart a Northern Ontario OSB Mill Comes With $180 Million Investment
The Cossette family, a well-known Québec-based forestry family, which has operated Montreal-headquartered Forex since 1957, announced on Monday (4-11-22) that it was investing $180 million (CAD) to restart a shuttered OSB plant in Northern Ontario and hire approximately 140 people to staff it.
Domestic Producers Could Benefit From a Proposed 50% Tariff on Imported Birch Plywood From Russia
Legislation passed last week by the U.S. House of Representatives would end “normal trade relations” with Russia and have a long-lasting trade impact if the proposed 50% tariffs on imports of birch plywood were to be put into effect. If signed into law, the Decorative Hardwoods Association said that this would create challenges for importers and potential opportunities for domestic manufacturers.
Wisconsin Veneer and Plywood, Inc. to Pay $75K for Alleged Violations of Wisconsin’s Air Pollution Laws
According to an announcement from Wisconsin State Attorney General Josh Kaul office, Wisconsin Veneer and Plywood Inc. (Wisconsin Veneer) is being required to pay a $75,000 monetary penalty for alleged violations of Wisconsin state air pollution control laws that occurred at their Shawano County manufacturing facility.
LP Building Solutions to Sell its Equity Interest in I-Joist Joint Venture to Resolute Forest Products
LP Building Solutions announced today (2-14-22) that it has entered into an agreement with Resolute Forest Products Inc. to sell its 50% equity interest in two joint ventures that produce I-joists. The sale, which is subject to customary adjustments, is valued at $50 million. The joint ventures are comprised of Resolute-LP Engineered Wood Larouche Inc. and Resolute-LP Engineered Wood St-Prime Limited Partnership.
Georgia-Pacific Announces $20 Million Investment in Alcolu, South Carolina OSB Mill
Georgia-Pacific has announced that it will be investing $20 million in its Alcolu, South Carolina OSB mill. The project’s focus will be to add on a third strander onto the facility. A strander is on the green-end of the facility, or where the logs enter the process. Once the logs are debarked, they go into the strander, which processes the wooden flakes used in the OSB process.