Forest Products News

Offering a railroad tie manufacturing workshop

Are you considering sawing railroad ties but don’t know where to start? Do you wish to gain a better understanding of log selection and manufacturing as it relates to tie grades and markets? The Wisconsin DNR, in partnership with the Wisconsin Wood Marketing Team, will host a one-day workshop on railroad tie manufacturing on September 18, 2018.

This course will cover the basics of tie grades, defect limitations, log selection and overall feasibility of sawing ties. The workshop will conclude with a hands-on grading exercise and discussion.

Head sawyers, lumber inspectors, mill owners, managers, salespeople, loggers, foresters and others interested in railroad tie manufacturing are encouraged to attend this informative seminar to be held at Northcentral Technical College, Wood Technology Center for Excellence in Antigo, Wisconsin.

Registration will be taken online (see the online registration portal here) or by mail (see the mail-in registration form here).  The registration fee of $20 includes lunch.

Contact Collin Buntrock (608-286-9083, Collin.Buntrock@Wisconsin.gov) for more information.

Wisconsin delegation explores China market

A delegation of six forestry businesses from Wisconsin, along with representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection and Scott Lyon from the Department of Natural Resources, participated in a trade mission to China on March 20-April 4, 2018. The purpose was to explore and expand markets for Wisconsin’s forest products. Continue reading “Wisconsin delegation explores China market”

Midwest Biomass Exchange

Looking for outlets for selling mill residues this year? Check out the updated Midwest Biomass Exchange – a free online marketplace designed to help buyers and sellers of woody and agricultural biomass. Users can place ‘For Sale’ and ‘Wanted’ ads for selling biomass that can be used as fuel for heating and power generation, or as feedstock for other manufacturing processes.

The site is hosted by Heating the Midwest, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the use of woody and agricultural biomass for thermal energy and power. Updated from the old Minneapolis Biomass Exchange, the new site focuses more closely on biomass that can be used for fuel, and on serving the Midwestern area in the USA and Canada. For more information, visit the site or contact Dave Neumann at neumannd@michigan.gov.

By Forest Products Specialist Sabina Dhungana, Sabina.dhungana@wisconsin.gov, (608) 220-4531

Survey coming for secondary wood manufacturers

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources – Division of Forestry and University of Wisconsin-Wood Products Extension will be conducting a survey with Wisconsin’s secondary wood products manufacturers. This survey will be used to update the Wisconsin Wood Users Industry Directory.  The directory, last updated in 2009, is not currently available, but we plan to have the updated version online at our forestry products section of the DNR website.

The goals of this survey are to determine the impact of the secondary wood industry on Wisconsin’s economy, update the Wisconsin Wood Using Industry Directory, determine residue availability, and develop an understanding of educational and training needs for the success of your business.

If you are a secondary wood manufacturer, please be on the lookout for a survey to arrive in the mail over the next few weeks. If you do not receive a survey and would like to be part of the directory, please contact Scott Lyon at scott.lyon@wisconsin.gov or (920) 360-3722.

Written by Forest Products Specialist Scott Lyon

Upcoming forest products events

72nd Forest Products Society International Convention
June 11-14, 2018
Madison, WI
Registration information here

National Firewood Workshop
June 20 – 21, 2018
Frankenmuth, MI
Registration information here

The International Woodworking Fair
August 22 – 25, 2018
Georgia World Congress Center
Atlanta, GA
Registration information here

Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo
September 6-8, 2018
Sunnyview Expo Center
Oshkosh, WI
Registration information here

Upcoming forest products events

Maximizing Forestry Resources in the Midwest
Date: February 21-22, 2018
Location: Forest Products Laboratory, 1 Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI
More information

Wisconsin Northern China Wood Mission
Date: March 20-30, 2018
Location: Beijing, Tianjin, Qingdao, Guangzhou
More information

Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association’s 10th Annual Spring Celebration
Date: April 9, 2018
Location: Harris, MI
More information

Great Lakes Dry Kiln Association Spring Meeting
Date: April 12-13, 2018
Location: Grayling, MI
More information

Heating the Midwest 2018 Conference & Expo
Date: May 1-3, 2018
Location: Black Bear Casino Resort, Carlton, MN
More information

Renewable energy flooring makes debut

This article is reprinted with written permission from the author.

One step closer to market: Renewable energy flooring makes debut in Union South
By Will Cushman, UW-Madison, Environmental Resources Center

As tens of thousands of visitors each day walk across a new flooring installation in UW-Madison’s Union South in fall 2017, they might not realize they’re participating in what could very well represent a leap into the future of renewable energy production.

A research team led by Xudong Wang, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of materials science and engineering, in collaboration with the UW-Madison Grainger Institute for Engineering, has installed a high-tech flooring prototype that harvests the energy of footsteps and converts it into electricity.

Continue reading “Renewable energy flooring makes debut”

Wood mission scheduled for China in March

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection will lead a trade mission with Wisconsin forestry businesses to northern China from March 20-30, 2018. The mission will include one-on-one matchmaking meetings with potential buyers and trade partners in Beijing, Tianjin, Qingdao, and will end at Asia’s most comprehensive woodworking and machinery trade show Interzum Guangzhou. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to visit wood product manufacturing locations.

This mission will enable participating Wisconsin forestry businesses to forge relationships with potential Chinese buyers and trading partners, gain market intelligence and first-hand knowledge of the Chinese wood import business practices and environment.

Chinese wood products market is the largest in the world for U.S. wood and wood products. Since 2005, China has become the world’s largest exporter of furniture. In recent years, domestic demand for these wood products have grown and more have stayed in China instead of being exported. According to the American Hardwood Export Council, one in five hardwood lumber boards produced in the U.S. is exported to China. The economic outlook for China remains positive with an expected annual growth in 2018.

Wisconsin forestry product businesses interested in building and expanding trade in China are invited to attend. For more, information please see the trade mission flyer.

By DNR Forest Products Specialist Scott Lyon, Scott.Lyon@Wisconsin.gov, 920-662-5184

Forest products celebrated

Forestry organizations, businesses, and communities celebrated Wisconsin’s diverse forest products sector during National Forest Products Week on October 15-21, 2017. Gov. Scott Walker also proclaimed the week as Forest Products Week in Wisconsin, encouraging citizens to recognize the many products that come from our forests because of the people and businesses that work in and care for forests.  Several forest products businesses and organizations hosted open house events throughout the week.  DNR produced a new handout to showcase the economic value of Wisconsin forests.  If you’d like copies of this printed publication, send an email to DNRFRPublications@wisconsin.gov noting your street address, the number of copies you’d like and the publication code number (FR-698). Continue reading “Forest products celebrated”

Architecture students use Wisconsin’s underutilized wood species as mass timber

Over the summer, Forest Products Specialist Scott Lyon had the opportunity to provide technical assistance in sourcing wood materials and product development for a summer immersion program at the School of Architecture at Taliesin in Spring Green. The immersion program is geared to college-level participants and adults interested in deepening their understanding of the architectural discipline, this experience provides an opportunity to learn about architecture side-by-side with faculty and students at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. Continue reading “Architecture students use Wisconsin’s underutilized wood species as mass timber”