Industry News – August 2026

Industry News – August 2026

Tyler Smith’s Promotion At Cole Hardwood Inc.

Tyler Smith was recently promoted to the role of president at Logansport, IN-based, Cole Hardwood Inc. He is responsible for the overall direction and performance of the company, including strategic planning, customer relationships and day-to-day operations.

As a hardwood concentration yard specializing in kiln-dried hardwood, Cole Hardwood purchases lumber from regional sawmills, kiln-dries and processes the material before selling their products to domestic and international customers. Sales regions include the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and other international markets.

Cole Hardwood produces 10 million board feet of lumber annually and handles the following species: Ash, Red and White Oak, Walnut, Hard and Soft Maple, Hickory, Cherry, Poplar and other Appalachian and Midwestern hardwoods. Lumber is available in rough and surfaced across multiple grades, including thicker stock dimensions.

Unique services include the company’s ability to supply a broad mix of hardwood species and thicker stock dimensions.

Smith joined Cole Hardwoods in October 2024 and has been in his current position since early 2026. Prior to joining Cole Hardwoods, he worked for Pike Lumber Company in a sales role. There, he gained experience in customer relations and market development.

He has spent 12 years in the lumber industry. His first position was in production training before transitioning to hardwood lumber sales.

Smith graduated from North Miami Community Schools in Denver, IN, and received a degree in business from Indiana University.

He has been married to Amanda for 15 years and they have four daughters.

Cole Hardwood Inc. is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association and the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association.

Call 574-753-3151 or visit colehardwood.com for more.

Forest Industry Veteran At Gutchess Lumber Co. Inc.

Chris Griffin “Griff” recently became the kiln-dried sales manager for Cortland, NY-based, Gutchess Lumber Co. Inc., where his responsibilities include leading and developing a team of lumber sales representatives, driving revenue growth, margin performance and market expansion as well as identifying new market opportunities. He also sets and manages individual and team sales goals, coaches representatives to improve daily selling behaviors and holds the team accountable to monthly scorecard metrics. He monitors pricing discipline, variance and ensures the team is actively growing existing accounts, reactivating dormant customers, and converting new business. Additional responsibilities include conducting monthly performance reviews, facilitating team sales meetings and serving as the primary point of escalation for customer and pricing decisions. He reports results to senior leadership and translates company objectives into actionable priorities for the sales team.

Gutchess Lumber handles 100 million board feet annually and sells worldwide. They carry Ash, Basswood, Yellow Birch, Cherry, Hickory, Hard and Soft Maple, Poplar, Walnut and Red and White Oak. Thicknesses and grades offered include 4/4 through 16/4 and all National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) grades rough and surfaced.

FSC, railroad ties and pallets are value-added processes offered by Gutchess Lumber.

Griffin started at Gutchess Lumber in 1990 as a logger, green lumber purchaser and green and kiln-dried lumber salesman. He also worked all sawmill positions. He spent the last 10 years, before his promotion to kiln-dried sales manager, in domestic kiln-dried lumber sales.

Griffin has 40 years of experience in the forest products industry, and his first job was working as a logger.

He enjoys, hunting, fishing, golfing and spending time with family. With Julie, his wife of 36 years, he has one son and one daughter. He has one grandson and three granddaughters.

Gutchess Lumber Co. Inc. is a member of the NHLA, American Hardwood Export Council, Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association, Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc., Penn York Lumbermen’s Club, National Wood Flooring Association and Wood Products Manufacturers Association.

For more details, call 607-543-0463, email ctgriffin@gutchess.com or visit gutchess.com.

McDonough Manufacturing And Automation & Electronics USA Announce OptiX MAXX Resaw System

McDonough Manufacturing Company based in Eau Claire, WI, and Arden, NC-based, Automation & Electronics (A&E) recently announced a strategic partnership to introduce the OptiX MAXX Resaw System, a fully integrated, grade optimized solution designed to improve recovery, consistency and efficiency in modern sawmill operations.

The OptiX MAXX system combines McDonough’s AutoMAXX automated resaw with A&E’s OptiX vision optimization and grading technology, bringing scanning, decision-making and mechanical execution into one coordinated system. By connecting optimization directly to equipment performance, the system supports more consistent results while reducing reliance on manual input.

“By working together, we are able to offer a more complete solution at the resaw,” said Matt Tietz, owner of McDonough Manufacturing. “Integrating A&E’s optimization technology allows us to connect decision-making directly to system performance.”

A&E’s OptiX technology scans and evaluates material prior to cutting, determining the most effective sawing strategy based on geometry, visual defects and value. These decisions are then executed automatically by the AutoMAXX system, which receives inputs such as cant rotation, fence positioning, cutting speeds and outfeed routing.

“Optimization is most effective when it is fully integrated into the process,” said Joe Korac, president of A&E. “With OptiX MAXX, we are combining vision-based grading with proven equipment to deliver consistent results at the resaw.”

The OptiX MAXX system is designed for both new installations and existing operations. It can be integrated into current McDonough resaw systems, allowing mills to upgrade performance without replacing their entire line. With the addition of automated turning, a new infeed system and OptiX optimization, mills can modernize incrementally while improving recovery and reducing variability.

McDonough Manufacturing, founded in 1888, and Automation & Electronics (A&E) bring together decades of experience in mechanical systems and optimization technology to deliver a practical, integrated solution for today’s sawmills.

Visit mcdonough-mfg.com or automationelec.com.

ISK Biocides Inc. Registers Newest Product – Cerberus™

ISK Biocides Inc. in Memphis, TN, recently received EPA registration of its newest anti-sapstain chemical, Cerberus™. Cerberus contains three proven active ingredients which provide performance similar to ISK Biocides’ flagship product, NeXgen, but at reduced cost. Named after the three headed dog of Greek mythology that guarded the gates of the underworld, Cerberus will guard sawmills and lumberyards from sapstain and mold.

“NeXgen has been on the market for over 30 years and has been the market leader for most of that time. We believe Cerberus has the potential to lead through the next couple decades,” said Lance Johnson, VP of sales and marketing at ISK Biocides.

Cerberus has been in testing for the last couple years, including over six months on air-dry yards monitoring brightness of the lumber. “Cerberus stands up to NeXgen well,” stated Johnson.

“ISK Biocides is dedicated to and focused on the wood industry and strives to provide the best products, backed up by unmatched service. Boasting a sales force with well over 100 years combined experience in the sawmill industry, ISK Biocides has the technical expertise to support its customers,” added Johnson.

For more information, contact an ISK Biocides District Sales Supervisor, call customer service at 800-238-2523 or visit iskbiocides.com.

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company Appoints Courtney Flanagan As VP Of Claims

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company (PLM), the largest mutual insurer dedicated to wood-related businesses, recently announced that Courtney Flanagan has joined the organization as vice president of claims.

A seasoned veteran of the insurance industry, Flanagan will oversee the company’s claims operations and strategy. She will focus on advancing claims performance, supporting team development and ensuring PLM continues to provide responsive, expert claims service to customers across the country.

Flanagan succeeds John Kennealy, who has led PLM’s claims functions for over seven years and will retire in August 2026 after a distinguished 43-year career in the insurance industry. During his tenure, he played key roles in advancing PLM’s claims operations and reinforcing the company’s commitment to exceptional service for policyholders and business partners nationwide.

Prior to joining PLM, Flanagan served as vice president of claims at Encova Insurance Company, where she led litigation operations across more than 20 jurisdictions and oversaw commercial casualty claims strategy. Her background includes senior leadership positions spanning litigation, medical claims and casualty operations, as well as experience practicing as a litigator. She earned her Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School and completed her undergraduate studies at Indiana University.

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company (PLM) is a nationally recognized property and casualty insurance carrier serving the lumber, woodworking and building material industries. Backed by 130 years of experience, the Philadelphia, PA based, company protects more than 5,000 businesses nationwide with property, general liability, inland marine, business automobile, commercial excess liability and equipment breakdown coverages.

For more information about PLM, visit plmins.com.

NWFA Completes 87th Home With Gary Sinise Foundation

The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) provided flooring for its 87th home in support of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment). The R.I.S.E. program builds mortgage-free, custom, specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans and first responders. The home dedication for U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Jason Pacheco took place recently in Fallbrook, CA. Flooring for the project was donated by NWFA member DuChateau.

Staff Sergeant Pacheco joined the Marines after graduation with his eyes set on the infantry. He had a gift for shooting and competed to earn a spot at Advanced Urban Sniper School. He graduated at the top of his class and was deployed to Afghanistan in May 2010 as a Corporal and a Scout Sniper Team Leader. Just three months after arriving in Afghanistan, he was pinned down in a four-hour firefight with Taliban soldiers. After the battle, he headed out to conduct a battle damage assessment and was blindsided by an IED. The blast resulted in a traumatic brain injury, leg amputation below the knee, femur fracture, pinky amputation, and blown eardrums.

“After three months of physical therapy, Sergeant Pacheco learned to walk,” said Stephanie Owen, NWFA president and CEO. “After six months, he learned to run. And just a few months after that, he became one of the first three Marine Corps amputees to return to a combat zone on full duty.”

In addition to the 88 homes already completed, NWFA currently is working with its members to source wood flooring for 11 additional R.I.S.E. homes in various stages of planning and construction. Currently, 163 NWFA member companies have donated product, logistics, and installation services in locations throughout the United States, with a total value of more than $7 million. A list of all NWFA R.I.S.E. participating companies can be found at nwfa.org/giving-back.aspx.

The National Wood Flooring Association is a not-for-profit trade organization, with more than 3,000 member companies world-wide, dedicated to educating consumers, architects, designers, specifiers, and builders in the uses and benefits of wood flooring. The NWFA is located in St. Charles, MO, and can be contacted at 800-422-4556 (U.S. and Canada), 636-519-9663 (local and international), or at nwfa.org.

BoA Anticipates Fed To Hike 75bp This Year

At press time, and after new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh met for two days with the Federal Reserve, half the central bank’s policymakers forecast interest rate hikes this year.

The first is anticipated next month, according to a report by Bank of America (BoA), which stated, “We now expect three 25bp Fed hikes this year, in September, October and December. This would take the policy rate to 4.25 – 4.5 percent.”

BoA’s statement continued that the Fed’s “inflation problem has gotten unambiguously worse. Core PCE could reach 3.5 percent in May, nearly 70 bp higher than it was a year ago. The pickup has been partly due to tariffs and other one-offs. The Fed was willing to look through the tariffs but is losing patience after the latest round of supply shocks. Also, housing-driven disinflation has now mostly run its course, while other core services remain very sticky.”

The report further noted that new Chair Warsh “leaned more hawkish” than anticipated and after the recent meeting, repeatedly emphasized the importance of restoring price stability and suggested, noted BoA, that “policy isn’t particularly restrictive. He was also much more circumspect about AI-driven disinflation than in his prior remarks.”

BoA offered three circumstances that may stop the hikes, including a sharp slowdown in payrolls this summer, which could push up the u-rate, a few soft core PCE prints that could drag down the y/y rate, and a major equity sell-off that could preclude hikes by slowing demand significantly.

Lastly, BoA noted it thinks the Fed will “want to see the summer labor data before hiking.”

It’s “also plausible the Fed starts hiking after the midterms (December) or goes once per quarter. Finally, the Fed might have to hike by more than 75 bp.”

The latter scenario, however, is not BoA’s base case as “demand drivers of inflation look contained, unlike 2022.”

MasterBrand And American Woodmark Successfully Complete Merger Transaction

MasterBrand, Inc. (NYSE: MBC) (“MasterBrand”) and American Woodmark Corporation (NASDAQ: AMWD) (“American Woodmark”), recently announced the successful completion of their previously announced all-stock merger transaction. The combined company establishes a comprehensive portfolio of cabinetry brands and products in North America, with expanded geographic reach, financial strength and enhanced capabilities to better serve customers and consumers.

MasterBrand products are offered in the following species: Cherry, Maple, Oak, Alder, Hickory, Birch, Walnut and Pecan. American Woodmark purchases Birch, Cherry, Oak, Maple, Poplar and Beech, according to published reports.

The merged companies will have an expanded operational footprint. The combined company is expected to unlock approximately $90 million of annual run-rate cost synergies by the end of year three and be accretive to adjusted diluted earnings per share in year two. These assumptions only reflect the operating environment as of the date of this press release, including the impact of those tariffs currently in effect, and do not reflect any future tariff increases or potential impacts on company costs or market demand.

The combined company is well-positioned to capture trade-down demand in the current environment while benefiting from a premium recovery as the market normalizes, providing greater resilience across market cycles.

Three former American Woodmark directors, Andrew Cogan, Philip Fracassa, and Daniel Hendrix joined MasterBrand’s Board of Directors as independent directors upon completion of the transaction. David Petratis will remain as Chairman of the Board of Directors of MasterBrand.

American Woodmark is now a wholly owned subsidiary of MasterBrand, and the combined company will continue to operate under the MasterBrand name. MasterBrand is headquartered in Beachwood, OH, and will maintain a presence in Winchester, VA.

MasterBrand, Inc. (NYSE: MBC) is the largest manufacturer of residential cabinets in North America and offers a comprehensive portfolio of leading residential cabinetry products for the kitchen, bathroom and other parts of the home. Delivered through their distribution network, MasterBrand products are available in a wide variety of designs, finishes and styles and span these categories of the cabinets market: stock, semi-custom and premium cabinetry.

Additional information can be found at masterbrand.com.

Solid U.S. Hardwoods Key Component In Recent Acquisition 

Mantra Inspired Furniture, a design-forward manufacturer of crafted commercial furniture located in Norfolk, VA, recently acquired Created Hardwood, a Columbus, OH-based, manufacturer specializing in custom solid American hardwood furniture. Mantra, through Created Hardwoods, offers products in Black Walnut, Ash, Cherry, Maple, Red and White Oak and more according to their company website.

The acquisition, according to the company, strengthens Mantra’s manufacturing capabilities, expands its customization and production capacity, and positions the company to better serve designers, dealers and commercial clients seeking durable, sustainably made furniture solutions.

Learn more by visiting mantrainspiredfurniture.com.