Industry News – May 2025
AHC Hardwood Group Expands Sales Team
AHC Hardwood Group, located in Atlanta, GA, announced the expansion of their sales team with the addition of three experienced professionals: Jason Pancheau, Chris White and Sue VanEss.
Pancheau brings a rich background in high-end furniture craftsmanship.
With more than eight years in the hardwood industry, he comes to AHC Hardwood Group most recently from Northwest Hardwoods. His sales territory includes states in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. Along with other value-added products, as territory account manager, Pancheau will help to expand Lunawood Thermowood® products into the territories of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Northern California. A native of Billings, MT, he attributes his strong work ethic and appreciation for nature to his upbringing. In his leisure time, Pancheau enjoys woodworking and outdoor activities.
White began his journey in the lumber sector with 84 Lumber, later transitioning to the hardwood industry. With more than 25 years in the lumber and hardwood industry, he comes to AHC Hardwood Group most recently from Choice Hardwoods. In addition to selling value-added products produced at the AHC Clarksville, TN, facility, White will serve as the territory account manager for the areas of western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, northern Alabama and Arkansas during the AHC expansion of Lunawood sales. White has lived in various locations, including Tennessee, North Carolina and Texas. He now calls Birmingham, AL, his home base.
VanEss began her career with Stiles Machinery in Grand Rapids, MI, gaining insights into woodworking and machinery’s role in production. She further expanded her expertise with Weyerhaeuser/Northwest Hardwoods, delving into sawmill operations and hardwood lumber production. VanEss brings more than 18 years of experience to AHC Hardwood Group and will serve as the territory account manager for Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Residing in Grand Rapids, she enjoys home renovation projects and spending quality time with her family, including her two children and six grandchildren.
The expansion of the AHC Hardwood Group sales team is part of a nationwide expansion as Atlanta Hardwood Corporation gears up for the introduction of Lunawood ThermoWood® hardwood products. Lunawood production is scheduled to begin with locally sourced hardwoods mid-summer 2025 in a new facility in Cleveland, GA.
For more information, visit hardwoodweb.com.
Cleereman Industries Makes Installation At York Legacy Lumber
Cleereman Industries Inc. along with Cleereman Controls, located in Newald, WI, recently made new upgrades and installations at York Legacy Lumber in Burkesville, KY.
York Legacy replaced their older debarker and circle mill and upgraded their log line. This project started out with a Nicholson R-2 ring debarker with Cleereman Controls.
After the Nicholson Debarker the logs travel through a Cleereman/MDI whole log metal detector and log haul that kicks onto a Cleereman heavy duty log deck. The Cleereman 42-inch bar log turner kicks logs onto a Cleereman linear positioning 42-inch tilt carriage with Cleereman Controls 3-D scanning system mounted in a new Cleereman sawyer’s booth. The carriage is pulled by a Cleereman 150HP hydrostatic carriage drive with dual cable tensioner. The carriage runs through a Mellott 640 double cut bandmill.
Cleereman Controls did all of the control work for this entire upgrade. Cleereman Industries engineers did all the design and blueprints for this upgrade. All the equipment for this project was purchased through Cleereman Industries.
“Our unique working relationship with Nicholson Manufacturing and Mellott Manufacturing allows us to supply their equipment in our mill projects. This allows Cleereman Industries to be a one stop shop so that the customer does not have to shop around and deal with multiple vendors,” said Paul Cleereman, vice president of Cleereman Industries. “We provide all the engineering and blueprints for all machinery. Thank you to York Legacy trusting Cleereman with your equipment needs.”
Cleereman Industries has been supplying sawmill equipment for over 70 years. For more information, visit cleereman.com.
SII Dry Kilns Expands Presence With New Western States Representative
SII Dry Kilns, located in Lexington, NC, a leading manufacturer in the kiln industry, announced the appointment of a new representative to cover the Western United States. This strategic decision is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance its service offerings and better serve its growing customer base across the country.
Heicor Enterprises, an experienced and well-established company based in Monmouth, OR, with a proven track record in the sales of lumber manufacturing equipment, will represent SII in the Western region.
“We are excited to expand our reach to the Western United States, and bringing on Heicor as our official representative in this region is an important step toward achieving that goal,” said Dan Mathews, chairman of SII. “This partnership will allow us to better serve the needs of our customers in the West and continue our growth across the nation. We are confident that Heicor will be an asset to our team and to our customers.”
Heicor Enterprises brings a wealth of experience in primary and secondary lumber manufacturing, having worked in the Western states since 2016. Their deep industry knowledge and strong network make them an ideal choice to drive SII’s mission of providing exceptional products to clients from coast to coast, stated an SII spokesperson.
As part of the expansion, SII will continue to deliver on its commitment to quality, customer satisfaction and innovation. The appointment of a dedicated Western region representative highlights the company’s focus on personalized support, ensuring clients receive the best possible service no matter where they are located, stated the company spokesperson.
SII is a leading provider of dry kilns and associated products for lumber, firewood and pallets. Based in Lexington, NC, the company has a reputation for delivering high-quality solutions and exceptional customer service. With a commitment to innovation and client satisfaction, SII has become a trusted partner for businesses across the United States.
For more information, visit siidrykilns.com or heicor.com.
IWT-Moldrup Develops Compact Thermal Modification Plant And TMT-Certification System
A new smaller compact unit for thermal modification has been developed by IWT-Moldrup for annual capacities of 500,000 board feet of wood annually and was also shown at the Ligna 2025 meeting in Hannover, Germany, for the first time. The plant can use the unique Moldrup-TMT hygrothermal process which is designed to reach temperatures of up to 235º C or 455º F, for both wet and dry processes. The Moldrup-TMT hygrothermal process has advantages in
● cycle times of 23 hours or less
● less brittleness and redundancy
● 50 percent less energy consumption compared to other processes
● 50 percent or more Co2 reduction
● a wide range of treatment processes for softwood and hardwood, which have been adapted for end-use manufacturers
● optional emission control
IWT-Moldrup is also presenting its unique third-party certification system which is based on results. The certification is for Class 2, as well as 3.1 (typically cladding) and 3.2 (typically decking) applications to provide exact information on the actual properties of thermally modified timber to the end-users.
IWT-Moldrup is a family owned and operated company in the 2nd and 3rd generation and is the world-wide leading supplier of industrial wood protection equipment, processes and systems with offices in Singapore and Denmark and representation in the U.S.
For more information, visit moldrup.com and biobiowood.com.
Continental Underwriters Announced Andrew Belcher As New Underwriting Director
Continental Underwriters, located in Richmond, VA, recently announced that they have named Andrew Belcher as their new underwriting director. In his new position, Belcher will oversee the management of a book of business, producing new business, as well as being involved with various programs throughout the company.
Continental Underwriters is a Managing General Agency and wholesaler providing the forest products industry in North America with a broad range of insurance and risk management solutions designed to safeguard against losses and protect the value of the businesses they insure. Their programs offer a portfolio of insurance coverages for the building materials, lumber, forest products and woodworking industries.
Belcher has been with Continental Underwriters for 12 years and was notably their very first hire. He started as an assistant underwriter, and his dedication to the company has enabled him to be promoted to the position of underwriting director. Before joining Continental Underwriters, Belcher worked for his family business where he developed his strong work ethic and learned the inner workings of how to run a business.
Belcher attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, where he studied Risk Management and Finance.
He is married to his wife Tara and has two daughters.
Continental Underwriters is a member of Lake States Lumber Association, Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association, Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc., National Wooden Pallet & Container Association, Hardwood Manufacturers Association, North Carolina Forestry Association, Western Wood Products Association, Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association, Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association, Great Lakes Timber Association, National Hardwood Lumber Association, Virginia Forestry Association, West Virginia Forestry Association and Wood Products Manufacturers Association.
For more information, call 804-643-7800, email andrew@contund.com or visit contund.com.
New Minimalist Box Wood Hood From Dura Supreme Cabinetry
Kitchen design trends are constantly evolving, with Transitional and Contemporary styles becoming increasingly popular. Dura Supreme, located in Howard Lake, MN, has introduced new options to their wood hood program: the Box Hood and the Contemporary Box Hood. These simplistic modern hoods offer homeowners a minimalist design that can enhance their next kitchen renovation. Both of these new hoods feature a sleek and simple design that is not only visually appealing, but also practical and easy to install.
Dura Supreme purchases more than 1 million board feet of hardwoods annually in Cherry, Maple, Red Oak, Quarter-sawn White Oak, Knotty Alder and Hickory (No. 1 and 2 Common, Select and Better).
The new Box Hoods have been designed with an internal bracket system that makes installation and inspection simple. The liner and blower can be installed to the bracket and inspected, and then the Box Hood can be mounted to the bracket. Installation instructions are included with each Box Hood.
The “Box Hood” canopies feature a simple “square” hood design with no mouldings and a sleek box shape, available in plain, paneled or shiplap, to match the wood and finish of the surrounding Dura Supreme Cabinetry.
The “Contemporary Box Hood” includes a Plain “Box” canopy with a choice of any of Dura Supreme’s contemporary finishes.
For more information, visit durasupreme.com.
