Weyerhaeuser Co. announced it will continue forest practices initiated by MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. in British Columbia’s coastal region and will honor cooperative agreements with environmental groups, First Nations and local communities on Vancouver Island. Weyerhaeuser is currently purchasing MacMillan Bloedel, with closing expected this fall.

Modernization has been an ongoing project for 35-year sawmill veteran Ron Andrews, ever since he purchased Deer Park Lumber Inc. in 1982. His first move was to add kiln drying capabilities before focusing on increasing production with the addition of a band resaw. By the early ’90s, the company president and his son Ryan, who is Plant Manager, were ready to plan their next expansion.

Who says an old dog can’t learn new tricks? Langdale Forest Products Co., based here, is an integral part of a 105-year-old firm (The Langdale Co.) and has been producing southern yellow pine since 1946. Yet, with the new millennium fast approaching, the mill just a year ago was without guided saws and band saws and had no way to recover sideboards.

Excitement pervades the air nowadays here at Precision Husky Corp. headquarters, and with good reason. Even though the forest-related side of Precision Husky’s business—its traditional bread and butter—is taking a breather after several years of robust activity, the company’s manufacturing tempo continues at a brisk pace. Credit recent product diversification.

Fingerjoint lumber production is soaring here at Louisiana-Pacific’s western Montana facility that includes a sawmill and fingerjointing plant. After a third fingerjoint line started up this past spring, production of fingerjoint lumber is expected to surpass the volume of solid studs produced at the adjacent sawmill. Louisiana-Pacific installed the facility’s first fingerjointing line in March 1991.

In an age where one expects dot.com entrepreneurs to make their first million before age 30, it’s a little surprising to see Gen-X entre­pre­neurs sitting at the top of a multi-million dollar pallet company, but that’s where Bob Irvin and Brian Bush are. Irvin, 27, and Bush, 25, started A One Pallet Distributing Inc. just five years ago as a pallet warehousing and distributing company—basically a brokerage.