Subsidiaries of Georgia-Pacific are purchasing Parsons & Whittemore’s Alabama River and Alabama Pine pulp mills in Perdue Hill, Ala. This acquisition includes the assets of the pulp mills, Alabama River Woodlands, the tall oil plant, biodiesel plant, chip mills at Elba and Jacksons Gap, Ala., and a pulpwood yard at Demopolis, Ala.

Normally this annual contribution features the top 200 U.S. sawmills, by annual production. However, given the tough economic conditions in 2009, which forced many to run well below capacity, we suspected that many firms, understandably, would be less enthusiastic about sharing 2009 production numbers. And why kick a man when he’s down?

Coastal Lumber Co., a major hardwood lumber producer, endured skyrocketing health plan costs between 1997 and 2005, just like most other employers. But unlike most companies, Coastal undertook its own “health care reform” in 2005 by creating a strong health promotion culture and aggressively managing its employees’ health.

The Langdale Company began life in 1894 as a turpentine producer in the Okefenokee Swamp. Harley Langdale envisioned the need to complete the cycle with timber management, and a sawmill was developed to augment the turpentine business. Other wood fiber related companies have matured from that first decision to diversify, and today OSB, MDF, utility and fence post and pilings represent a part of the manufacturing division of the family umbrella.

My family, along with some friends, spent the Fourth of July at Seagrove Beach, Fla. on the Gulf Coast, only 180 miles from our driveway in Montgomery, Ala. It was perfect. The weather, the golf, the fireworks, the gumbo, the swimming, and of course the beach, all perfect. No signs of oil. Not even the tiniest of tar balls to be found. In fact the only evidence of the BP oil spill crisis out in the “deepwater horizon” was the BP “oil patrol” on the beach.

A&M Mfg.’s electric planer infeed system is designed to improve consistency and to deliver continuous feed without air gaps or jam ups. Three pineapples and powered hold downs provide additional traction over and above typical infeeds for maximum acceleration to the planer. The live shear significantly reduces the initial gap that must be closed before the board enters. Chromed aggressive spiral rolls are placed under the pineapples, helping the boards move to the guide quickly.