Only 42% of the wood products industry workers in Oregon in the 1989-1991 period were still employed in the industry in 1998, while 30% were employed in another Oregon industry, and 28% had disappeared from state employment records, according to a new report, Employment Transitions in Oregon’s Wood Products Sector During the 1990s. The authors are Ted Helvoigt with ECONorthwest, Eugene, Ore.; Darius Adams, Dept. of Forest Resources, Corvallis, Ore.; and Art Ayre, Oregon Employment Dept., Salem, Ore.

If the hardwood forest products industry could have only one spokesman, that man would have to be Dan Kretz, President of Kretz Lumber Co., Inc., based here. Kretz, 54, is passionate, driven and articulate in promoting his industry and his company. A third generation lumberman, he is the epitome of harnessed energy. Since joining the family business in 1972, the early-rising, purpose-driven Kretz has guided the dramatic growth and development of Kretz Lumber Co.

According to Mill Manager Scott Janni, there may be faster and more productive stud mills around, but then again, Plum Creek Timber Co.’s Evergreen Div. sawmill here has never fully ascribed to the simplistic “buy logs, make studs” operating philosophy that many stud mills follow. Instead of spitting out as many low-cost studs as quickly as possible, the mill fills a defined role adjacent a high-grade plywood plant and in conjunction with an on-site fingerjoint plant.

This year marks the 31st anniversary of the Wood Technology Clinic & Show, which will be held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland on March 19-21. The 2003 show, with the theme “Providing the Tools that Shape the Future,” will feature a diverse lineup of seminars and a variety of new technologies on display.

I have often been asked: “What makes one metal detector better than the next? Is metal detection a black art or science?” Black art it is not and to answer this question more completely requires a bit of scientific explanation as well as the dispelling of some common myths surrounding metal detection. This information will allow you to ask the kind of intelligent questions that need to be asked of any prospective supplier and will greatly assist you in purchasing the “right product” for your specific application.

Since we last left you, a lot has happened, and nothing has happened in the Canadian softwood lumber imports saga. Nothing has happened in the sense that Canadian forest products companies are still paying, on average, an 18.79% stumpage subsidy duty and an 8.4% dumping penalty on its softwood lumber coming into the U.S. Canadian companies have been coughing it up since the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and the International Trade Commission ruled in favor of the U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports early last summer.

Armstrong Mfg. Co. introduces the second generation CNC Top Grinder for resharpening carbide tipped saws. Armstrong Top Grinder is a precision grinding machine that grinds the tops of saws from 6-28" diameters. Features include an Intel Celeron PC control for speed and reliability, a full color touch screen for easy operation, and 3-axis brushless servo system for long life and precision control.