Chris Bouchard is a sales representative for BPWood, located in Penticton, BC. BPWood is a domestic remanufacturer and global importer with a North American sales focus.
BPWood describes themselves as “The Nimble Innovators” that use their understanding of the global wood market to build unique solutions for their partners. BPWood carries Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Thermally Modified Wood as well as multiple imported wood species/products.
Bouchard has been with BPWood for seven years. He has been in the forest products industry practically his whole life as he grew up with a lumber office in the basement. He graduated from Pen High School in Penticton, BC and then went on to travel the world for the next 12 years. He also went to the Canadian Ski Guide Institute and is a level 3 ski guide.
Bouchard and his wife Erika have been married for a year, and they have a black lab mix named Brewski. He also has three nieces and two nephews.
Bouchard is a professional helicopter ski guide in the winter months and spends the rest of his time mountain biking, dirt biking, kite surfing, rock climbing and hunting.
BPWood is a member of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association, Western Red Cedar Lumber Association and British Columbia Wholesale Lumber Association.
For more information call 250-493-9339, email chris@bpwood.com or visit www.bpwood.com.
Claus Staalner is the president of American Wood Technology, LLC (AWT) located in Jefferson, GA. AWT operates in North America and sells wood treating equipment, which entails pressure treating plant for water-based preservatives like CCA or MCA used for decking, pilings, posts and poles.
They also offer oil-based systems used for poles, rail ties, bridge timbers and more, as well as thermo modification plants for both Softwood and hardwood.
Staalner began his career in the forest products industry in 1983 when he started offering dust collection equipment from Denmark in North Carolina where the main concentration of the furniture industry was at the time.
He then went on to introduce the automatic finish sanding equipment, “Fladder”, to the U.S. between 1985-1995. He started a new organization where he offered automatic rough mill equipment for secondary wood businesses. He introduced the first automatic scanner for lumber – WoodEye – to the North American market in 1997. Staalner then went on to found AWT in 2010.
Staalner graduated from high school in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as college where he earned a degree in mathematics and physics. He also went to the Copenhagen Business School where he earned a degree in sales and marketing.
Staalner enjoys sailing, hunting, woodworking, pickleball and playing music. He has been married to his wife Kathy for 34 years. He has two sons and one grandson.
AWT is a member of Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association, National Hardwood Lumber Association, Western Wood Products Association, Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association, Hardwood Manufacturers Association, American Wood Protection Association, Moulding and Millwork Producers Association and Southern Pressure Treaters Association.
For more information, call 404-520-0239, email cstaalner@awtech-llc.com, or visit www.AmericanWoodTechnology.com.
Henry German is co-owner of DMSi Software, a company headquartered in Omaha, NE with sales regions in the U.S. and Canada. German drives DMSi’s solutions for their Log & Lumber division. His vision is to make DMSi the preeminent software provider at every step of the lumber supply chain and is currently leading the company’s growth strategy by integrating acquisitions into a cohesive offering.
DMSi prides itself on software tailored to the forest products industry, including Agility ERP, eLIMBS, TallyExpress, Simply Computing, and Neural Grader. Agility ERP is inventory and order-management software designed specifically for lumber dealers and distributors. The eLIMBS system includes software and handheld solutions for the entire wood products supply chain, from timber and harvesting to production and manufacturing.
Simply Computing provides handheld inventory software to hardwood businesses. TallyExpress is a visual tally app that uses artificial intelligence to calculate end tallies from a standard Android phone. Neural Grader leverages special cameras and artificial intelligence to identify defects and assign grades automatically to boards.
DMSi provides unparalleled service to all customers. Every new customer has a dedicated implementation team walking them through the entire conversion process. The company’s Omaha-based support team (available 24/7 with no hidden fees or service tiers) is made up of industry experts who understand the unique needs and processes of lumber businesses.
German has been with DMSi for 12 years, serving in almost every role from support and implementation to project management and now executive leadership. He was instrumental in bringing TallyExpress to the American market.
In his free time, German enjoys golf, cigars, investing in local startups, and his family. He and his wife of 12 years, Annie, have a son and daughter together.
DMSi is a member of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association, National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association and the National Hardwood Lumber Association.
To learn more, visit www.dmsi.com.
Larry Schmedding is the sales manager at Empire Lumber Co., located in Kamiah, ID.
Empire Lumber produces approximately 65 million board feet of lumber annually in the following species: Inland Red Cedar, Douglas Fir and Larch, White Fir, Idaho White Pine, and Engelmann Spruce and Lodgepole Pine.
Empire Lumber is a member of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association and the Inland Lumber Producers Association.
Schmedding has worked at Empire Lumber for 28 years and has held his current position for the past 23 years. His career in the forest products industry began 48 years ago with his first job on the clean-up crew at a remanufacturing company.
Schmedding obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Eastern Washington University.
In his spare time he enjoys fishing, golf, cooking and family time. He and his wife Shelly have been married 37 years. They are parents to a son, two daughters, one grandson, and two granddaughters.
To contact Schmedding directly, call 509-534-0266, or email larrys@empirelumber.com.
Learn more at www.empirelumber.com.
