Timber Products Inspection, Inc. - Delivering Confidence for 50 Years
In 2019, Timber Products Inspection, Inc. (TP) celebrates 50 years serving the forest products industry. Over the years, TP has grown to service clientele in 16 countries, and oversee quality audits involving over 20 different wood products including lumber, pressure treated wood, glulam, OSB, panels, pallets, MDF, CLT, building logs, utility poles, trusses and wood pellets. TP holds inspection and laboratory accreditations from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the International Accreditation Service (IAS) and the American Lumber Standards Company (ALSC), among others.
TP was founded by Howard Powell in 1969. His vision for creating an inspection company based on professional client service quickly grew into a national company. In 1994 Mr. Powell sold the company to three of his employees, one of which eventually sold his shares to the current two owners – Jim Respess and Ronnie Williams.
Under the direction of the new ownership group, TP quickly expanded beyond its core business of lumber grading, into many other facets of the forest products industry.
In 1990, TP was approached by the National Wood Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) looking for a third-party inspection agency to monitor the Specialized Pallets Engineered for Quality (SPEQ) program. This opened the door for TP to explore the opportunity for pallet inspections. This service continued to develop in 2001, as the European Union began to required export wood packaging to be heat treated to eliminate invasive insects. In 2000, TP purchased Florida Lumber Inspection Service, bolstering its presence in the pressure treated wood market. In 2004, TP Engineering was created, offering traditional structural and civil engineering services as well as acting in a support function for TP and their clients.
As the forest products industry continued to evolve, wood pellet fuel became recognized as a viable renewable fuel source. This prompted TP to once again expand to meet the testing needs of the biomass industry. In 2011 TP entered into a joint venture with Control Union, USA to form Biomass Energy Lab (BEL). BEL was formed to meet the needs of the wood pellet export market by providing testing and certification services.
Later in 2011, TP agreed to acquire the approximately 300 wood packaging accounts of the National Hardwood Lumber Association.
Expanding their global reach, TP acquired Canadian Softwood Inspection Agency Inc. (CSI) in Langley, British Columbia Canada in 2016. This allowed TP to branch their professional inspection services into Canada.
In 2017, Timber Products Technical Services (TPTS) was formed with the sole purpose of offering greater value-added training services for TP clientele.
TP continued to grow and in early 2019 acquired Stafford Consulting and Inspection Services, LLC. This acquisition of approximately 300 clients directly added growth to our HT, WPM and truss divisions.
Today, TP employs over 120 full time employs including field staff, lab staff and administrative staff. Each employee is excited about TP’s future in the wood products’ industry. As a responsible partner, TP looks forward to delivering to clients, employees, and the industries we serve the confidence to drive value through the effective use of our diverse professional team. Looking back over the 50-year history of the company, Ronnie Williams noted that “none of this would have been possible without our cherished industry partnerships, dedicated inspectors, administrative staff, and program managers”.
Bioenergy Europe has brought forward the "GoodChips" program, which is being offered as the first international certification scheme for wood chips as it pertains to their use a solid biofuel.
The ENplus quality certification scheme serves an important role for U.S. wood pellet producers, but there is at least one key issue that has limited its adoption within the U.S.
Timber Products Inspection, Inc. (TP) is pleased to announce that effective January 31, 2019, they have entered into an agreement to acquire Stafford Inspection & Consulting Services, LLC. (Stafford) which is currently headquartered in Orlando, Florida.
Both TP and Stafford have been providing professional inspection and certification services for over 50 years and are well recognized in the Industry. This acquisition aligns with TP’s objective to strengthen their position in the lumber, export wood packaging, truss and log home markets which are their core businesses.
Jeremy Williams, Controller of TP commented “The management team at Stafford has always been committed to providing dependable services and has built their reputation as a solid company based on integrity. These values are in direct alignment with the values that TP has delivered to their clients. Our hope is that this acquisition will provide growth opportunities for both Stafford and TP employees”.
Stafford will operate as a subsidiary of WRD, TP’s parent company, and be headquartered out of Conyers, Georgia.
BBQ pellets for grilling are becoming more and more popular. Chris Wiberg weighs in on this industry, and whether it's time for development of standards for manufacturing and using BBQ pellets.
Despite their increase in popularity, there are currently no published standards or any other known guidance for manufacturing and using BBQ pellets.
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International shipping of palletized cargo generally requires compliance with plant health guidelines designed to limit the spread of pests around the globe. And if you follow these guidelines (ISPM-15), you can ensure that any wood pallets, crates or dunnage that you manfacture or use are compliant.
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