The Pacific Lumber Co. (PALCO) named George O’Brien, former senior vice president with International Paper, as President and CEO effective immediately. O’Brien was responsible for the overall forest products group while at IP until his retirement in mid-2005. Robert Manne, who has been CEO since 2001, will continue for one year as a consultant to Scotia, Calif.-based PALCO.

Once the employee stock option purchase (ESOP) was completed in March 2004 at Buse Timber & Sales Inc. here, the management team began injecting a positive attitude into the ranks. This new mindset, plus new operational efficiencies and banner markets in 2004 and 2005 have allowed Buse Timber to pay off significant debt, put money back into the mill, and pay quarterly bonuses.

Beckwith Lumber Co. has an established reputation for producing quality hardwood lumber and being responsible land stewards. With a history dating back to 1961, Beckwith isn’t renowned for being among the first to obtain cutting edge technology—until now. In cooperation with Rich Landers and LandEast, Ralph Beckwith Jr. helped design a bottom arbor, reverse rotation climb-cut thin-kerf combination gang and three-saw edger (combo gang-edger).

John Miles, manager of his family company’s southern pine sawmill here, is among the third generation of the Miles family in a company on the verge of it­­s seventh decade in business. The company includes the Bogalusa mill and its sister operation in Silver Creek, Miss. Most of Bogalusa’s equipment has been in place since the mill was built in 1972, but there have been gradual upgrades.

The addition of new continuous scan technology to Baxley Equipment’s highly accurate optimized lumber scanning systems is an improvement that makes a good thing even better. “In optimized lumber scanning, an accurate, true representation of the wood is the primary goal,” says Baxley Vice President Chris Raybon. “Our systems were already the most accurate in the industry, but with the addition of LMI’s new B900 laser heads we think they are unbeatable.”

Baxley Equipment Co., Hot Springs, Ark., has hired industry veteran Drew Brown as a parts sales specialist. Brown will be working with Chris Leturno to assist customers with parts and service for both Baxley and Hi-Tech products.

Hank Scott, CEO of Collum’s Lumber Products, LLC, Allendale, SC, was elected Chairman of the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. (SLMA) during the annual conference July 19-22 at Amelia Island, Fla. Scott served on SLMA’s executive committee for the past three years. He replaces Mark Anthony of Anthony Forest Products. Scott’s goal for the coming year is to ensure the association’s preparedness for the 21st century.