The introduction of a specifically configured Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) has transformed the efficiency of a busy biomass lab. Eliminating the use of spreadsheets for sample tracking has simplified data retrieval while other LIMS functionality has facilitated ISO17025 compliance.
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Timber Products Inspection, Inc. (TP) and the Canadian Softwood Inspection Agency, Inc. (CSI), dba Macdonald Inspection Services (MI), are pleased to announce that effective May 3, 2016, the two companies have merged. This merger joins two companies with high level auditing and testing resources with the intention of providing innovative and professional services to clients in both the U.S. and Canada.
TP and CSI hold similar business philosophies which include a high level of customer service, visible product recognition, leading edge auditing & testing services, and overall commitment to quality. David Reekie, President of CSI, and his staff will continue working with CSI’s subscribers, and the merger will provide additional depth in products and services for growth into the Canadian market.
Jay Moore, President of TP, adds “As consolidation and technology continue to shape the wood products industry, the need for consistent and focused inspection, testing, data collection and data reporting becomes even more important. With this merger, we can offer our subscribers additional depth in resources and innovation to service their needs.” Moore states, “David Reekie has built CSI and Macdonald Inspection Services to be leaders in several facets of wood products inspection including lumber, utility pole & cross-arm, commercially treated products, and wood packaging. These service areas align seamlessly with TP’s core businesses and together offer unified value to both American and Canadian clients with unrestricted access.”
David Reekie says, “I have a great deal of respect for Ronnie Williams, Jay Moore, and the team they have assembled at TP. This merger will provide CSI with the support and resources necessary to expand the exceptional services we already provide to the wood products industry in Canada.” Reekie goes on to say, “Although we have had an amicably competitive relationship with TP over the past 20 plus years, we have always worked side-by-side to provide a consistent, fair, and reasonable approach to the delivery of service to our wood pole and preservative treatment clients. This merger will expand that relationship to include our current and future sawmill, secondary manufacturing, heat treatment, wood packaging, and wholesale clients”. Reekie adds, “Macdonald Inspection Services will be celebrating its 50th anniversary later this year and this merger will ensure that the name and internationally recognized trademark will remain for another 50 years.”
The AWPA Executive Committee (EC) has ratified proposal T05-T2-U1, which dealt with the requirement to use ground contact retentions in above ground applications under certain circumstances. The effective date will be the publication date of the 2016 Book of Standards. According to AWPA, the expected publication date is May or June 2016.
As a reminder, ICC-ES adopted this proposal into AC 326 at its October 2015 meeting in Birmingham, AL. The implementation date for ICC-ES products is July 15, 2016.
TP will continue to keep you updated on any new developments.
In February,TP updated its Treating Supplies Price List. The updated list will be distributed to plants along with their monthly inspection reports. If you would like an additional copy, please contact Robin Buckner at rbuckner@tpinspection.com
trt_supplies_price_sheet_2-2016.pdf
TPTS stands for Timber Products Training Services. TP offers hands-on grade rule training. TP specializes in bringing our services onsite to work with your employees. We use a combination of classroom training and hands-on lumber sampling to maximize the experience. We offer levels for beginner and intermediate graders. We also have a training course tailored for your sales team, so they can know the basics of the grades in addition to the rules of the road regarding transaction disputes.
TPTS could also stand for Timber Products Technological Services. TP is proud to announce our services for full grade optimization support. Have you ever made a price change in your grade optimizer and ended up with a shed full of a product that you didn’t intend to produce? If so, you probably fixed that problem in a hurry, but what about all of the other smaller collateral problems that stem from tweaks to the settings along the way? Our new service will provide a comprehensive (Current State) review of the entire optimization process, focused specifically on making sure our subscribers are maximizing the value of their grade optimization. TP delivers this service on-site and will provide the tools and training necessary to ensure that your staff can sustain the knowledge and technical skill-set needed for the continuous improvement of grade optimization. In addition to this initial service, TP will extend its partnership with subscribers by providing a single mill or multi-mill auditing program focused on your specific, “Key Business Metrics” to further ensure sustainability.
Tad Cleve is spearheading our TPTS technological initiative. Tad’s resume includes many years working with NewSouth/Canfor in dry end management, regional quality control, and continuous process improvement using tools such as six sigma and lean manufacturing. Want to hear more about this? Get in touch with us!
David H Conner
Timber Products Inspection, Inc.
1641 Sigman Rd, Conyers, GA 30012
(770) 785-4773 Office
(678) 481-4040 Mobile
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reminds U.S. exporters not to alter certified wood packaging material in any way or mix it with other, noncertified materials. Individuals or companies who alter certified wood packaging material and distribute the altered product are not in compliance with APHIS regulations and the “International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No 15, Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade” (ISPM 15).
United States exporters who use noncompliant materials may be subject to international fees, fines, and possible bans by our trading partners. Repair and remanufacture companies producing and distributing noncompliant wood packaging material could be held liable by the exporter and/or prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
APHIS’ wood packaging material regulations took effect in July 2006 and require wood packaging material moving internationally to have an ISPM 15 mark which is legible and easily visible on each piece of packaging; preferably on two opposite sides of the material. To find approved wood packaging material production companies in your area, or to learn how to become an approved company, please contact one of the 19 agencies authorized to perform wood packaging material inspections on behalf of APHIS.
Consult the listing of agencies and their contact information at the Web site of the ACCREDITED AGENCIES FOR SUPERVISORY AND LOT INSPECTION OF WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL, April 2015, http://www.alsc.org/greenbook%20collection/WPM_Facsimile.pdf. (Please note the locations of these agencies are the company headquarters and may not indicate their areas of service.)
APHIS’ wood packaging material regulations are based on the ISPM 15. ISPM 15 provides effective, equitable, and uniform standards (prescribed treatments, certification procedures, and standardized markings) that all nations could use to mitigate the risk from wood packing material. APHIS incorporated the ISPM 15 requirements into its import and export regulations (7 CFR 319.403(b) and 7 CFR 353.7 (d), respectively).
In accordance with these regulations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspects imported wood packaging material. American Lumber Standard Committee, through a Memorandum of Understanding with APHIS, inspects U.S. produced or reconstituted wood packaging material, using accredited thirdparty inspection agencies. These inspections keep noncompliant material out of the United States. APHIS is authorized through the Plant Protection Act to take the same legal action against fraudulent stamps as it would against counterfeit phytosanitary certificates. Violations of ISPM 15 requirements under the Plant Protection Act have resulted in a variety of enforcement actions, including an administrative decision and order, civil penalties of as much as $100,000, and felony convictions.
Timber Products joins social media! Connect with TP using any of the sites below:
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Timber Products has joined the Railway Tie Association (RTA) to assist in the research and development of railway ties. The RTA was organized in 1919 with the mission to provide continual improvements in the life cycles of wood crosstie systems. Timber Products Analytical Laboratory is a member of the Research and Development Committee and will provide support in field and analytical research. For more information regarding the Railway Tie Association, please visit www.rta.org.
If Timber Products can assist in the inspection and evaluation of any wood crosstie systems, please contact Greg Pittman at 770-922-8000.
Timber Products Physical Lab continues to expand its operations. The equipment pictured below is used for testing wood packaging material to industry standards and specifications. We have also join the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) and perform tests to a variety of these standards as well. The information generated from our lab can be extremely beneficial to a company's sales and marketing efforts. If your customer has technical requirements for the wood packaging material they purchase, we have the ability to test your product to generate the required information you need. Whether it's testing to established or proprietary standards, Timber Products has the flexibility to meet your needs and we welcome the opportunity to be of service to you. For more information contact Darin Thompson, Physical Lab Manager at 678-262-7271 or email to dthompson@tpinspection.com.