Newswires
Midwest Hardwood Company Welcomes Matt Grube
Matt Grube
Matt Grube recently joined Midwest Hardwood Company in a sales and business development capacity. He is located and will be based at his home in Greenville, WI. He will regularly spend time working at Midwest Hardwood’s mills and at offices in Minnesota.
“Matt brings valuable industry experience in product development, sales and territory leadership. His initial focus will be getting onboarded into the business and aligning with our sales efforts as we continue strengthening how we operate and serve customers,” stated a Midwest Hardwood Company representative. According to their company website, Midwest Hardwood is an exporter of North American forest products.
Grube is from Neenah, WI, and after high school, he served six years active duty in the Air Force with three tours between Afghanistan and Iraq. He met his wife Cara while stationed at McChord AFB in Tacoma, WA. They have been married for 20 years and have two children, Taylor and Benjamin. Grube has a passion for leading and shares that in his community as an assistant high school football coach. He also enjoys hunting, watching his kids play sports, road trips and traveling with his family.
Across all locations, Midwest Hardwood Company employs roughly 550 people. The company is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association and the Hardwood Manufacturers Association.
For more information, please call 763-425-8700 or visit midwesthardwood.com.
Sam Damiani: The Newest Member Of Overseas Hardwoods Company
Sam Damiani
Sam Damiani recently joined Overseas Hardwoods Company (OHC) and his responsibilities include strategic planning for sales and marketing, managing the millwork and outdoor living sales team, identifying and developing new product lines, collaborating with various departments to optimize and enhance sales, operations and profitability. Damiani is also working with Abodo in New Zealand to add to their product list.
OHC is an importer and manufacturer of high-performance lumber products for the marine, millwork, outdoor living and transportation industries.
Including their headquarters in Mobile, AL, OHC has five locations. They have manufacturing facilities in Stockton, AL, Lufkin, TX, and warehouses in Milwaukee, WI, San Leandro, Rancho Cucamonga and Stockton, CA, and Vancouver, WA.
They import roughly over 40 species of lumber from Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and Europe and stock a handful of domestics. OHC custom manufactures lumber in their stateside facilities with the following capabilities: CNC, custom moulding, straightline ripping, resawing, pre-drilling, finger jointing, gluing, precision-end trimming, surfacing and sanding.
OHC manufactures decking, porch flooring, custom railing, siding, trim, moulding, trailer flooring, laminated door cores and door stiles. They are also a distributor of DuxxBak Dekk® , Kebony® and Dasso XTR Fused Bamboo®.
Damiani’s first job in the industry was at Mason’s Mill & Lumber in 2004. He started as a warehouse helper and then a delivery helper. His first opportunity in sales came later that year when a counter sales position became available.
While studying Business Management and Marketing at Eastern University in Wayne, PA, Damiani met Ashley. They have been married for 22 years and have five children and one grandchild.
Visit ohc.net to learn more.
Comact Completes Acquisition of Oleson Saw Technology
Mirabel, QC-headquartered, Comact recently announced the completion of its acquisition of Oleson Saw Technology, a leader in wide bandsaw blade manufacturing.
Based in York, PA, Oleson Saw Technology has built a reputation for supporting sawmills across North America with wide bandsaw blades and filing room equipment. Oleson will continue operating from its existing York facility, ensuring continuity for customers and employees. As part of the transaction, Comact reaffirms its commitment to supporting Oleson’s continued distribution of Swiss-made ISELI filing room equipment for bandsaws and circular saws.
“Oleson Saw Technology has been built on a strong commitment to its employees, its customers and delivering high-quality bandsaw blades to the industry,” said Mary Chairs, president of York Saw & Knife Company Inc. and Oleson Saw Technology.
“This acquisition represents an important step in strengthening our cutting and saw technology portfolio,” said Adam Infanti, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Comact. “Oleson’s expertise in wide bandsaw blades and its strong market reputation complement our existing capabilities and strengthen our position in cutting solutions.”
As part of this transition, Oleson Saw Technology will introduce an updated visual identity aligned with Comact’s branding, along with a new website at olesonsaw.com.
For over 100 years, Comact has been a leading OEM in high-caliber wood processing equipment, digital technologies, cutting solutions, project services and aftermarket support. “Driven by innovation and excellence, we are dedicated to helping our customers address their most pressing operational and business challenges in today’s industry,” shared a Comact company representative.
“Whether for brownfield or greenfield projects, Comact’s expertise provides wood processing facilities with the confidence that their investments will yield superior performance, throughput and ROI. This ensures they remain competitive and achieve sustained growth in an ever-evolving market. Trust Comact to deliver exceptional performance every time,” added the representative.
For more information, visit comact.com.
Dolbeau Oxygène (DO2) Appoints Patrick Sasseville As New CEO
Patrick Sasseville
After more than 20 years as CEO of DO2, Stéphane Tremblay has announced his decision to step down and pass the leadership to the next generation. Patrick Sasseville has been appointed CEO, effective immediately. DO2 is headquartered in Dolbeau-Mistassini, QC.
Tremblay will remain actively involved in the company as Chief Financial Officer, continuing to contribute to key projects while supporting a smooth leadership transition.
Having joined DO2 as an intern in 2007 and progressed through multiple strategic roles, Sasseville now takes the helm to further the company’s international presence while strengthening its local impact.
“DO2’s diversification is what makes us unique. It enables us to meet challenges across multiple industries worldwide and to continuously innovate,” said Sasseville.
“This leadership change does not alter DO2’s core values, culture or ambitions — it represents a new chapter in the company’s evolution while maintaining its commitment to clients, partners and stakeholders,” shared a DO2 representative.
DO2, according to a company statement, is a leader in automated wrapping, material handling and robotic solutions, known for its innovation and expertise across multiple industries worldwide.
Visit do2.ca/en for more.
Carbotech Strengthens Its Presence In South America Through Partnership
Eric Michaud
Carbotech, based in Plessisville, QC, recently announced the signing of a strategic agreement with manufacturer’s agent Innovación Nórdica to represent its solutions across key South American markets, including Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Uruguay. This partnership brings Carbotech closer to its customers by providing responsive sales support and tailored after-sales service.
A Strategic Move to Better Serve Local Markets
By partnering with Innovación Nórdica, Carbotech reinforces its presence with existing clients while unlocking new growth opportunities in a rapidly expanding market. “This collaboration is supported by a trusted local partner with a strong regional footprint and deep market knowledge. Through this partnership, we are also leveraging our recognized expertise to help sawmills and planing mills across Latin America optimize their operations and enhance their competitiveness on the global stage,” said Eric Michaud, vice president, sales and marketing at Carbotech.
Advanced Equipment to Drive Operational Performance
Innovación Nórdica will represent Carbotech’s full portfolio of wood industry solutions, including processing equipment for sawmills and planing mills, automation systems and AI-powered cutting optimization technologies.
“Welcoming a Canadian industry leader like Carbotech enhances our value proposition and broadens our portfolio of solutions for the South American market,” added Vasco Ortuzar, general manager of Innovación Nórdica.
In practical terms, Carbotech’s equipment enables companies to get the most out of every log by improving cutting precision and maximizing material utilization.
For nearly 40 years, Carbotech has been specializing in optimizing operations for sawmills and planing mills. The company designs and manufactures log and lumber handling equipment, sawing solutions, as well as optimization and automation systems.
Innovación Nórdica specializes in introducing advanced technologies to the wood processing industry across Latin America. Acting as both a commercial and technical partner, the company connects international manufacturers with key industry players and supports project development from design through implementation.
For more information about Carbotech, call 941-313-1296, email eric.michaud@carbotech.ca or visit carbotech.ca.
Beckwith Lumber’s Extensive New Cleereman Equipment Line
Paul Cleereman
Beckwith Lumber in Slaty Fork, WV, had a mill fire in early 2025 and lost nearly everything in the sawmill. Owner Danny Woods called Newald, WI-based, Cleereman Industries Inc. shortly after to assess the damage. In addition to their North American clients, Cleereman Industries has a customer base in Canada, as confirmed by a company representative.
Cleereman Industrial Sales Engineer Rob Kittle met Woods and his Mill Manager Zach Currence on site.
It was determined that the Cleereman Carriage could be rebuilt along with the modular track-frame. The rest of the equipment would need replacing.
Rob Kittle
Ray Tharpe of RTM Industrial Maintenance, a long-time contact of Cleereman, handled installation of the new equipment.
Ray Tharpe
Cleereman Industries, along with Cleereman Controls technicians, did the wiring and start-up of the optimized carriage and Edger lines.
Below is a list of the equipment that Cleereman Industries and Cleereman Controls supplied for this project:
1. Rebuilt LP-42 Carriage and changed carriage to 17-degree slant
2. New Heavy Duty Log Deck with nose skids and Cleereman 42” bar log turner built into head end
3. New Back Drop Rollcase for double cut
4. Used McDonough 6-ft Bandmill (supplied by customer)
5. New Cleereman Sawyer cab with Cleereman Optimization and Cleereman Dispatch and Auto Saw Guide (Everything was premounted in cab to save time and labor on installation)
6. New Drop Belt with Cant Pins
7. New Head Rig Rollcase with sweep chains to New Edger transfer
8. Cleereman 854 combination optimized Edger with 8” Gang Saw
9. Cleereman 100-HP Hydrostatic carriage drive with cable tensioner
10. Rebuilt their track-frame and re-machined rail
For more details, visit cleereman.com.
