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Successful business entrepreneur Paul Logan needed another mountain to climb. He chose the firewood business.

By Tim Cox
Date Posted: 1/1/2016

AMHERST, Virginia — Paul Logan is not your average firewood business entrepreneur. He is from Northern Virginia and for about the past 25 years or so has lived in Arlington. The region is  an economic engine for Virginia, bristling with contractors for the Department of Defense and other government agencies, and home to burgeoning suburbs and thousands of federal employees working on both sides of the Potomac River.

                Paul, 52, has been involved in the technology industry since graduating from Shepherd University in West Virginia and a “serial successful entrepreneur.” His last company, Contact Solutions, was an “unqualified success.”

                “A career became an option after that,” he said. “What I needed was a new mountain to climb.”

                His mountain? The firewood business, and he and his associates turned to one of the industry leaders in firewood processing equipment — Multitek — to be the workhouse for the start-up company.

                Paul’s lifelong friend, Andy Pearcy, approached him about two years ago. Andy, working in project management in the construction industry, and though successful at his chosen profession, wanted more out of his professional life. Paul suggested he consider some options for starting a business, do some research and come up with a business plan. Paul would help him polish and refine it and introduce him to some other people who, like himself, could help him fund it to get it up and running and give Andy the opportunity to “scratch his entrepreneurial itch.”

                Those efforts led them to the packaged firewood business. “I fell in love with the business model,” said Paul. He saw a lot of parallels between the packaged firewood industry and mulch and potting soil industries. That industry gestated about 30 years ago, he said, as small players entered the arena for packaged mulch; they sold their product to consolidators and re-sellers who in turn would sell branded products in a certain geographic region to the home improvement chain stores.

                He was intrigued by federal regulations governing the sale of firewood to prevent the spread of the emerald ash borer; those regulations require the firewood to be heat-treated to kill the insect and any eggs. There are many small producers of firewood, Paul observed, and they cannot afford the infrastructure necessary to heat-treat their product. And in order to afford that infrastructure, a business needs large-scale operations and volume.

                After thoroughly researching the industry and crunching numbers, “We pulled the trigger,” said Paul, and he decided to be the sole financial backer. Paul turned to Brian McIntee, a friend and former business partner, and tapped him to be the chief financial officer, and they jointly purchased property in Amherst, Virginia, about 50 miles southwest of Charlottesville. They bought a facility that had been used in the past to reclaim lumber from old barns and other buildings and remanufacture the material into flooring — 35 acres, a 40,000-square-foot warehouse, two pole barns, a three-sided barn, and an office. Andy relocated to Amherst and now oversees the company’s operations there.

                The company — named Cremium, which is the Latin word for firewood — invested at first in a firewood processing machine that, in retrospect, turned out to be a bad decision.  The machine was more suitable for producing bulk firewood, Paul pointed out, not the type and quality needed for the packaged firewood market. “We just quickly knew that we made a mistake.”

                The principals quickly began researching other manufacturers, attending trade shows and interviewing other firewood producers, and turned to Multitek. “It became clear that the market leader was Multitek,” said Paul, and the company purchased a Multitek 2040. It can process logs up to 24 inches in diameter and 40 feet long. “The 2040 was perfect,” said Paul.

                An important factor in selecting the Multitek was the box-like 16-way wedge, which produces uniform, square- or rectangular-shaped pieces of split wood about 3×3 or 3×4. The square edges make it much better for bundling firewood in packages.

                The Cremium principals chose a model with circular slasher saw for bucking. “That for us was a must-have,” said Paul, because it provides more reliability and requires much less maintenance than a bar saw. The Multitek uses a patented overhead grapple system to hold a log securely and feed it forward to the bucking station.

                Paul and his associates also were persuaded of Multitek’s reputation for reliability and service. In addition, they were able to rely on the expertise that the Multitek staff had in the firewood industry. Marcus Steigerwald, sales manager for Multitek, “has been a true partner in helping us evolve our business,” said Paul.

                They were fortunate in having the electrical power infrastructure at their property that they could buy a processor powered by electricity, which costs only one-fifth to one-quarter of the cost of diesel fuel, noted Paul. In addition, the maintenance will be much less.

                The Multitek 2040 produces four to six cords of processed firewood per hour in the company’s operations. (Multitek’s advertised production for the machine is 4.5 to 7 cords per hour.)

                The company also purchased a conveyor and tumbler system from Multitek to remove bark. The tumbling action knocks off the bark, which falls into a basket under the equipment, and the clean processed firewood exits onto an outfeed conveyor and is dropped into a metal basket. Removing the bark not only provides the type of quality the company wants in its finished firewood — and makes packaging easier — but it also saves on fuel for the Nyle Systems heat-treating system.

                The company also purchased a 30-foot live deck to feed logs into the Multitek. “That was a very good secondary investment,” said Paul. An employee operating a loader can fill the deck with logs and then stay busy doing other tasks while those logs are being processed.

                (For more information about Multitek and its firewood processors, visit www.multitekinc.com.)

                Cremium buys hardwood logs from 8-16 inches in diameter and 30-40 feet long. About 90 percent of the logs are some type of oak, mainly red oak and white oak. The company also processes some black locust and hickory.

                The log specs are very important in Cremium’s operations, as Paul explained. Logs 18 inches in diameter must be bucked into 40 pieces to produce a cord of packaged firewood. Logs that are only 6 inches in diameter would require nearly 400 bucking cuts to produce an equal amount of split firewood.

                Nyle Systems has a long history as a supplier of lumber kilns, but it is relatively new to the firewood industry. “Nyle had a greater reputation for being service focused,” said Paul, “and they have lived up to that.”

                The Nyle Systems firewood kiln has a gas-powered indirect fire heat exchanger system, which is safer and easier to insure than traditional open flame heat exchangers due to the reduced fire risk. Yet, it provides the same drying efficiency. A unique wet bulb control within the kiln enables a reduction in relative humidity and results in better drying. It features a dual fuel system, a wood-fired boiler that circulates hot water throughout the edges and a propane boiler. Cremium also invested in high-density foam insulation to help retain heat during the winter.

                The Nyle Systems firewood kiln allows the company to save data from all past loads for easy and quick reference, enabling the company to optimize drying and troubleshooting with ease. It also provides remote access to the system, controls and real time data on the load being dried via a mobile device.

                Each metal basket holds about one cord of unstacked firewood. In the Nyle dryer, they are stacked two high, a total of 30 cords at one time.

                Meeting federal regulations for heat-treating firewood was easy, but Cremium goes beyond that to produce dry firewood. The consumers who buy the company’s firewood are not rural residents who use firewood for heating, noted Paul. “They’re building a fire for ambiance,” which is a much different type of consumer. For that type of consumer and market, Cremium uses the Nyle Systems dryer to thoroughly season the wood, heating it above 200 degrees for 72 hours. Eventually, when the company goes to market with its own branded product, it will include a guarantee that its firewood will burn the first time it is lit and that it will be fully consumed by the flames. Customers will be able to fill their fireplace or fire pit, light a match, and sit back and enjoy their glass of wine and their company and not have to bother any more with the fire, said Paul.

                For packaging Cremium has two of the largest bundling lines from Wood Paker, which is made by B&B Manufacturing; Cremium bought the equipment on the after- market. The equipment requires about five workers to operate. Sheet plastic is used for wrapping the bundles, and the company uses a slightly thicker sheeting because it helps maintain uniformity and consistency in the packages through shipping. Depending on the customer, some bundles are fixed with a plastic handle for ready pick-up while others are not. Cremium believes that the shape and uniformity of its bundles not only allows for better stacking and shipping but also makes a much better appearance in the retail store.

                Ancillary equipment includes a knuckleboom loader, front-end loader, and three forklifts.

                The company employs about 10 people in year-round operations. Six of the employees are work-release inmates from a nearby state prison, a partnership that Paul described as a “win-win.” The men

are “great guys, eager to work, looking for an opportunity to prove themselves,” he said.

                The Cremium business plan has a multi-tiered approach. They quickly learned the quickest path to selling the company’s product was through the re-sellers, selling wholesale to established consolidators who supply packaged firewood to chain home improvement and ‘big box’ stores. They packaged the firewood with their customers’ label, and the re-sellers picked it up.

                “The demand has just been incredible,” said Paul. “Selling our product has not been the challenge.” They made just two calls to re-sellers and sold 100 percent of their production.

                The company’s firewood has gone as far north as Massachusetts, south to Georgia, and west to Chicago, but Paul said the “ideal” geographic market is within a 300-350-mile radius.

                Ultimately they plan to have three to five production facilities along the Eastern Seaboard, each one producing about 600-1,000 truckloads of finished product per year. “That’s the end game of the business plan.” In fact, the company already is considering a second location and may acquire a site by the end of the first quarter of 2016. “By year five, we will be in full swing.”

                Cremium’s facilities are located within 60 miles of three pulp mills in the region, including one that is only 19 miles away. When the Cremium staff talked with local loggers about supplying the firewood company, they learned the loggers were heavily committed to the pulp mills and that they would have to pay a premium for logs. The team tackled that dilemma by seeking out the lead log buyer at the closest pulp mill. They quickly got an education about how the dry months of summer favorably impact log supplies and the wet months of winter have the opposite effect.

                The log buyer at the Amherst pulp mill had a problem himself. When loggers are productive in the dry summer months, he inevitably runs out of space in his log yard and has to turn away wood. The loggers, in turn, begin supplying other mills in the region, and his supply chain is damaged; they don’t return until those mills have so much wood that they turn them away.

                The two companies worked out an arrangement that is mutually beneficial. When the mill log yard is full, they re-direct drivers to Cremium with the specifications for firewood logs. “We get beautiful, straight sticks,” said Paul, which are more efficient to process. In the event they get a log that does not meet the specs, Cremium sets it aside, the pulp mill buys it back at the same price. And the kicker is, Cremium only pays pulp wood prices.

                Paul acknowledges that Cremium is not your typical firewood business. The business represents a $1 million capital investment to get up and running plus a $1 million line of credit for buying raw material and ongoing operations.

                “We’re over-investing in it now, and it’s not paying off yet, but this is a marathon, not a sprint. We’re in this business because it’s at an inflection point. It needs large scale players.”

                The firewood industry is a “very rapidly growing space,” said Paul, “and it’s just going to continue to skyrocket. People in Florida buy firewood,” he observed. “It’s ambiance,” not fuel. “That’s an important distinction.”

                The first year the company will have revenues of about $750,000, according to Paul. In year two revenues should reach about $1.7 million, and by year three, $2.5 million.

                “We’re approaching profitability,” said Paul. “We’re at or ahead of our original business plan, and we will be profitable in the 2016 season.”

                “We’re fortunate to have a great team,” said Paul, referring to himself, Andy and Brian and their processing and packaging teams. Nevertheless, “We had an awful lot to learn about the complexity of what seems to be a very simple industry.”

                In 2016 they plan to develop their own branded product with differentiated packaging and to establish direct relationships with other retailers. Selling directly to retailers, although it adds more complexity and will involve trucking, should provide better profit margins. The company plans to continue doing significant business with re-sellers, however. The company also will be developing a fire starter product that it will bring to market in 2016 and it plans to develop a premium product from hickory wood for outdoor barbecues and restaurants.

                “No one has traveled a longer distance on the learning curve than us,” said Paul. He praised the work ethic of the company’s employees as well as the re-sellers and consumers who have bought into the company value proposition-which is “an uncompromising commitment to make the highest quality in the industry bar none!”

Timberline Magazine January 2016

http://www.timberlinemag.com/articledatabase/view.asp?articleID=4567

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Gas-fired kiln anchors new venture focused on custom industrial lumber.

By Diane M. Calabrese
Date Posted: 7/1/2016

KNOXVILLE, Arkansas – Diverse and vertically integrated, Arkansas Wood Solutions, Inc. produces pallets and parts, lumber, and round chips. It also provides special services, such as meeting virtually any type of need for a wooden shipping device.

Southerland Custom Lumber, Inc., a new entity, was launched in 2015 to provide value added products. “It’s a dedicated custom-lumber producer for the industrial wood-use industry,” explained Wesley Southerland, owner at both companies.

                The equipment foundational to Southerland Custom Lumber (SCL) is a 29×33-ft. gas-fired kiln from Nyle Systems in Brewer, Maine. The diverse Nyle Systems product line includes gas-fired kilns in sizes made to customer’s need; kilns that can be loaded with a forklift or configured with tracks. SCL loads with a forklift.

                “We ordered the kiln in March 2015,” said Wesley. It was installed by September 2015. The natural gas source for the Nyle kiln is the grid.

                The choice of kiln for SCL was made with both performance and logistics in mind. Research led Wesley to a short-list of good options.

                “We looked at used kilns that were still standing and new kilns,” said Wesley. “The field narrowed down by estimated delivery time.”

                The kiln from Nyle Systems is used to dry large pine timbers that will be used for railroad bridges and structural supports. The timbers range from 4×6 to 10×16 in 12-ft. to 24-ft. lengths. Depending on the requirements set by end user, the timbers are dried to between 20 and 30 percent moisture content.

                “We did a lot of research on what Nyle said [the kiln] would do,” said Wesley. “And we purchased a system from Delmhorst [Instrument Co.] to control.”

                In essence, Delmhorst control provided independent verification. “It showed us that the kiln is doing exactly what Nyle said it would,” said Wesley.

                With a background in accounting and a career path that includes controller positions in fortune 500 corporations and financial officer roles with smaller concerns, Wesley’s professional interest in corroboration is deep and antedates his immersion in the wood products industry. Moreover, his background also means that he carefully evaluates cost and benefit of any choice.

                For instance, consider the natural gas heat source for the Nyle Systems kiln. “Natural gas would be very high to dry lumber,” says Wesley of the cost. And AWSI does dry lumber and has heat-treatment systems for insects, so he is very familiar with a range of drying chambers.

                Yet natural gas works for industrial timbers. “We’re able to be efficient with large timbers,” said Wesley. “In the long run, it’s probably less expensive than a wood burner that would require blowers, additional permitting…There were a lot of benefits to the Nyle natural gas system.”

As SCL expands, the company will likely be adding more drying capacity. “We plan to add kilns,” said Wesley. “We will definitely look at Nyle. We are just in startup [now] – an extension of our current business.”

                For future kiln installations, SCL may consider using its own employees. Self-installation looks straightforward thanks to “details from Nyle,” Wesley said. “Nyle sent a detailed book-[right down to] where fasteners need to be.” Nyle Systems is also working to provide its own factory installation crews at competitive rates, for customers that might want that option, explained Jeremy Howard of Nyle.

                Wesley has a particularly keen knowledge of the vagaries of the economy and how to cope with them. His first position after earning a degree in accounting at Arkansas Tech University was as an accountant for Tyson Foods. His next position was at Cargill. At the two companies he was heavily engaged in cost accounting.

                When Wesley moved to a position in the waste industry, his focus became more operations accounting. The experience has been important to AWSI. “It’s all helped me to be able to drive [the company] – be versatile, meet the customers’ needs.”

                It was Nulyne, Inc., a pallet company now part of AWSI, which first hooked Wesley on wood products. He and his family saw an opportunity to move back to their home state of Arkansas (from Oklahoma) if Wesley took the CFO position with Nulyne. That was in 2006. He soon became president of Nulyne, which by then had become a subsidiary of CFG Industries.

                Prior to work at Nulyne, Wesley had no experience in wood products, except informally. “I grew up in rural Arkansas,” he said. “Probably the biggest industry in our area is logging and saw mills – next to poultry.”

                Nulyne was established in 1978 and it represents the longest root of AWSI. During the interval that CFG owned Nulyne there was a broadening of focus, including a new mill completed in 2008. There were also 27,000 tons of wood on the yard when the recession hit, explained Wesley. When the owners starting looking for an exit strategy, many options were weighed. Ultimately, AWSI was sold to Wesley and it became family-owned in 2013.

                It was a challenge, but a good one, said Wesley. “We have to improve every day. We have to do that to stay competitive.”

                AWSI is headquartered in Knoxville, AR, a town with approximately 211 residents. Knoxville, which is part of Johnson County, is located in the northwest portion of the state.

                AWSI has three mills, which handle mixed hardwood and softwood species. “We basically do everything except cedar,” said Wesley. “We have a large circle mill, a Meadows, a Big Jake scragg mill, and we cut cants into pallet components on a Brewco bandsaw line. We have three pallet machines — Rayco.”

                As for procurement, it’s also versatile. “We have contract logging crews,” said Wesley. We buy gatewood. We partner with mills.”

                There are often four to six changeovers per day on a mill. “It depends on the items. We have the ability to change our setup quickly. Our production mix is so varied.”

                Incoming raw material gives some indication of how busy the 45 employees at AWSI are. “We have the capacity to process 3500 to 4000 tons of timber per week,” said Wesley. “We basically use 100 percent of the wood that comes off trucks.”

                For example, AWSI produces round-wood chips, “a higher-quality chip,” explained Wesley. All wood is debarked with a Nicholson A5 debarker. A 72-inch L&M cutoff saw is used for merchandising stems that go to round chips. Grinders from Precision yield the chips. “It gives us the ability to take a stem that cannot be milled [and make a valuable product].”

                AWSI does some 80 percent of its own freight hauling. “Our customers on the pallet side are large concerns with just-in-time needs,” said Wesley. “Delivery times are a huge factor.” Promised times must be met. Almost all pallets are custom.

                “Our reputation, since Nulyne started is we take care of the customer,” said Wesley. “We take care in selecting the customers. When you take on a big customer, you have to take in more on the procurement side, that increases cost, [changes the] product mix.”

                It’s always necessary to evaluate whether a new customer can be served, explained Wesley.

                “We want to be able to deliver. We want to create value for everyone. Our history and our commitment to our customers is something we don’t take lightly.”

                The family members at AWSI include Wesley’s three children. His son is the sawyer on the Meadows. His older daughter is the saw filer. And his younger daughter works in the office.

                Retention at AWSI is very good. “We’re very much a family here,” said Wesley. “Eighty percent of our employees have been here an average of 10 years or longer.”

                Fitting all the pieces of AWSI together is something that Wesley clearly enjoys. And the kiln from Nyle Systems serving the new ACL entity is part of that. “It’s another piece in our evolution,” he said.

                “We haven’t used it to capacity yet,” said Wesley of the Nyle Systems kiln. “It’s awfully nice to take a system like [the Nyle] and use it as represented.”

                Nyle has been designing kilns for almost 40 years. Its patented technology pioneered the introduction of dehumidification systems in kilns to reduce energy use and operating costs. Nyle Systems builds systems for drying of every from options for firewood to sterilizing and pre-dryers.

                AWSI is a member of the NWPCA. Wesley expects to be involved in more professional groups as time goes on.

                Wesley likes everything about his profession, even the challenges. “I like the family environment that we have,” he said. “We partner with smaller mills. And when you pick up the phone and talk, [it’s a good experience].” There are wonderful “hard-working people” who “don’t give up” in the industry, despite the “difficult environment” and the hard work required.

                When Wesley’s son was young he got involved with Pee Wee football and Wesley continues to volunteer in youth sports. “I’m chairman and treasurer for Arkansas River Valley Football Association.”

                Free time for recreation includes canoeing and other outdoor activities with family.

Timberline Magazine July 2016

http://www.timberlinemag.com/articledatabase/view.asp?articleID=4684

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Kennebec Lumber Company Adds Six Dehumidification Dry Kilns from Nyle Systems

Dehumidification dry kilns cut drying time for red oak.

By Diane M. Calabrese
Date Posted: 7/1/2017

SOLON, Maine — There’s a lot to be said for proximity. But the convenience of nearness will only get a vendor a first look. Performance is what counts.

So it was that when Kennebec Lumber Company decided to add conventional kilns some three years ago, it looked just 64 miles to the east to Nyle Systems in Brewer, Maine. Three new conventional kilns from Nyle went into service 2 ½ years ago.

Based on the performance of the Nyle conventional kilns, Kennebec looked again to Nyle Systems this year. Only this time it was to purchase six dehumidification dry kilns.

“We were drying red oak offsite,” explained Mark Gilbert, vice president operations at Kennebec Lumber. The dehumidification (DH) kilns from Nyle allow the drying to be done onsite, a real time saver.

But it’s not the only time saver. With DH kilns, Kennebec is able to dry red oak in 28 to 32 days, an overall savings of two to four days per charge. When Mark spoke with us in mid-June, the six new DH kilns from Nyle had been in service for five weeks. And all had “flipped one cycle,” he said.

Mark has high expectations for the DH kilns from Nyle. “We’ve had very good results with the first three kilns,” he said, referring to the conventional models. Consequently, he expected the same from the DH models. And the results have matched his expectations.

“The color out of these kilns is extremely good,” said Mark. “The quality is very good.” Color is important at Kennebec because the red oak goes into the company’s own flooring product and to other manufacturers.

“We have two sawmills,” explained Mark. “We manufacture hardwood lumber – 60 percent hard maple, 40 percent red oak.”

The DH dry kilns from Nyle were purchased specifically to handle red oak. In total, there are 14 kilns onsite at Kennebec Lumber, nine of them from Nyle.

“All the kilns have a purpose,” said Mark. Each of the nine kilns from Nyle has a 60,000 bf capacity. And all use propane as a fuel source for the initializing burners.

Of course, once the Nyle DH kilns get to the established temperature, the heat from the dehumidification process enters the mix. A patented design feature of the Nyle Systems DH kiln allows for oak to be dried in the same temperature range used in conventional kilns.

The Nyle DH kiln design is one Mark appreciates. “[The kiln is] a very big energy saver,” he said.

Energy savings accumulate in several ways. For one, the high-pressure spray system in the DH kiln uses a cold-water source. And, again, because once the kiln is started, there is no boiler needed to heat the DH kiln, that’s more savings. (Technically, preheating is accomplished with gas that uses an indirect-fired heater.) Finally, constructed of stainless steel and aluminum, the kilns meet very high insulation standards.

Solid construction of the DH kilns from Nyle means the energy savings they produce is entirely compatible with the quality of the wood emerging from the kiln. “They are very consistent kilns,” explained Mark.

Kennebec Lumber Company is a third-generation, family-owned business. Denis Carrier, president and owner, heads the company, which puts great emphasis on sustainability. For example, Kennebec is committed to the voluntary LEED standard on construction waste management, which aims to divert construction waste (including saw mill byproducts) from landfills.  (LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, sets standards for companies across industries, largely by analyses of best practices.)

Stewardship of resources has been part of the philosophy of the Carrier family in all its business activities, said Mark. Managing timberland through best practices in forestry and adding value to waste by chipping – even designing and building chipping equipment – are part of the family’s business legacy.

The Kennebec mill in Solon, Maine began its evolution in 2000 with a conventional debarker, double-cut saw, and so on. Today, the mill is fitted with state-of-the-art technology that includes scanning (three-dimensional) on headrig, edger and trimmer, optimized ripping, and scanning to grade color.

Solon, Maine, a town of approximately 1200, is the headquarters for Kennebec Lumber. It is part of Somerset County in the west-central part of the Pine Tree State.

One hundred employees work at the Kennebec facility in Solon. The second Kennebec mill is in Tamworth, N.H. Sixteen employees work there. “The second mill was built for supporting the growth of our flooring [component],” said Mark. “There’s no scanning. There is a regrade line. We regrade all lumber. We can dress lumber if required.”

Kennebec sells its hardwood flooring under the brand Maine Traditions. In addition to the Solon and Tamworth facilities, the company has several log yards in Maine and also one in Massachusetts.

Quality control receives the highest priority at Kennebec. Frequent checks and audits of equipment and processes ensure that there is no departure from optimal dimensions. Kennebec offers tours of its Solon mill to visitors who call ahead to schedule.

“Most of our lumber is sold direct to other manufacturers,” said Mark. Lumber and flooring are sold worldwide.

Raw material for the mills comes mostly from Maine. “We do go as far as Vermont and New York for logs,” said Mark. “We practice all different concepts of procuring. We have good relationships with large landowners.”

More than 90 percent of the logs are felled by certified loggers on land that meets criteria for stewardship on certified land. Kennebec Lumber is a member of the Forest Stewardship Council. It is also a member of the American Hardwood Export Council.

Kennebec produces about 40 million board feet of lumber and flooring annually. Both NHLA dimensions and custom orders are sawed. Among the custom services offered are S2S, SLR1E (straight line rip one edge), and ripped to width.

Installation and operation of the kilns from Nyle Systems has been smooth, said Mark. “Jeremy Howard and Nathan Cyr – they’re really good to work with,” he explained. (At Nyle Systems, Jeremy Howard is the vice president sales and Nathan Cyr is the production and operations manager.)

“I’ve got a lot of respect for then Nyle team,” said Mark. That’s a high compliment from someone who has a vast amount of expertise in manufacturing. Mark has a long history in wood manufacturing.

Mark has been with Kennebec for eight years. Immediately prior to that he worked for four years at another facility belonging to the Carrier family.

The DH kilns from Nyle have some special, state-of-the-art features. And Jeremy explained them for us.

“The custom kiln controls can be accessed through a mobile device or laptop,” said Jeremy. “[That means the kiln] can be controlled from anywhere in the world.” In designing the layout of the controls, Nyle sought to incorporate such ease-of-use that a customer can either run in fully automatic or set up a custom drying schedule.

Understanding the customer is important. “We have been onsite at Kennebec Lumber Company several times to discuss their needs…,” said Jeremy. The Nyle installation crew works with a customer to get the best layout.

Jeremy emphasized that Nyle wants to know what customers are thinking. “We always like to get advice from our clients and how we can improve or what we are doing right,” he said.

With a background in engineering, Jeremy is particularly interested in using customer feedback as a way to inform modifications and innovation. Nyle Systems has a big footprint in serving industries with a need for quality drying and dehumidification. In addition to offering solutions for lumber drying, it offers solutions for drying food and other products, heat-pump water heating systems, and dehumidification and climate control of commercial and industrial facilities.

To date, Nyle has sold more than 6,000 kilns worldwide. “We have a kiln on every continent except Antarctica,” said Jeremy.

Quality products are produced by dedicated professionals. To ensure that it has a group of employees committed to outstanding results, Kennebec Lumber does several things. “We believe in coaching and mentoring,” said Mark.

Employees are valued at Kennebec, said Mark. Indeed, many of those working for the company have been there since its inception. In a recent expansion, Kennebec added a training room, a defined place for keeping employees current with techniques and procedures.

Mark said he enjoys everything about his work. “I like working with people,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot on the job.”

The interaction with the representatives of Nyle Systems has been another positive experience in his day, said Mark. “They really value the customer,” he explained.

In his free time, Mark has some definite interests. “I like to hunt and fish,” he said. “And work on my home. I’m kind of a homebody.”

Link to article

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Brand New 90,000BF Softwood Kiln Using a Dehumidification System!

Another Satisfied Nyle Customer!

If you are considering new lumber dry kilns make sure to call Nyle Systems!

800.777.6953

info@nyle.com

The post Brand New 90,000BF Softwood Kiln Using a Dehumidification System appeared first on Nyle Systems.

Brewer, ME — Since 1977, Nyle Systems LLC has been providing and consistently improving dry kilns for the lumber industry. Located here, Nyle strives to provide excellent after market service, which coincides with the performance of their kilns.

Though they are most famous for building and patenting the first dehumidification systems that allowed kilns to operate at comparable temperatures to that of conventional kilns, Nyle offers gas fired and conventional kilns as well, ranging from 1,000 to 300,000 or more board feet of holding capacity. The company can be a solution for small and large-scale Softwood operations as well as hardwood sawmills. Nyle can provide service to mills producing all species and sizes. They have systems in place that are drying timbers up to 12-inch to quoting kilns for lengths up to 90 feet.

When purchasing a Nyle kiln, the process starts by collecting as much information as possible to help serve the client in the most efficient way. “Itʼs all about gathering information from the client on the front end and it all comes down to the calculated water removal and the rate at which it is going to come out,” said Jeremy Howard, sales manager for the companyʼs lumber kiln drying division.

From there, they figure out the kiln sizes that best accommodate the clients needs, then look at their local energy costs. “Almost everything here starts with energy savings in mind,” Howard said. Because Nyle can provide kilns with different methods of drying, the customer can evaluate which type of kiln will be the most effective and cost efficient for their operation.

When deciding which type of kiln to install, Nyleʼs sales team advises based on what species are being dried and what the client already has in place. “The typical kiln we put up is 65-80,000 board feet, and itʼs about a 50/50 split between indirect gas-fired and dehumidification systems,” said Howard. He added that if a customer is fixated on a specific size, they do custom build. They offer both aluminum track and package kilns.

Incorporating a Nyle kiln into a companyʼs operation doesnʼt end at the date of purchase. They pride themselves on their support. “Itʼs great to make a sale, but it is also great to make a relationship. Weʼd prefer to have those relationships because overall that is where your sales come from,” said Howard.

In the past, the companyʼs focus was heavily on the dehumidification kilns, but has developed into a one-stop shop for all kiln-drying needs. Over the last five to six years, they have been focusing on board chambers and complete solution packages. In addition to 24/7 customer support, all of Nyleʼs kilns are mobile compatible and can be monitored from anywhere. This service also extends to past kilns they manufactured and installed, as well as to kilns from other vendors because their kiln controls can be added to existing structures. Howard describes Nyleʼs controls as a high-end system, but simplified for maximum functionality. “We needed to provide a solution that would allow us to build something that was standard but would allow the customer to customize it as needed,so we build features that you would typically see in a very elaborate, expensive system such as mobile access, scheduling and recording data, then simplify it,” he said.

Nyle also recently launched a parts store. Most parts and supplies needed to repair any kiln can be found and purchased easily on their new site. The store is run by Nyleʼs service team, meaning that even if a kiln did not come from Nyle, their staff can be a help going forward.

At its founding, the company had two partners, Sam Nyers and Don Lewis. The merger of their ideas and last names created Nyle. Now, under the ownership of Ton Mathissen, the company is made up of over 40 employees, which includes sales, engineering, production, installation and service. Nyle is completely turnkey, from fabrication of equipment to their own installation crew that can travel anywhere in the country and pop up a kiln in 21 days or less.

The sales team consists of Lewis, co-founder and chief technology officer, Howard, who has been with the company for 12 years, Stan Krahn, who started in building small dry kiln systems and small dehumidification systems then worked his way to sales, and Craig Delano, service manager.

Nyle Systems also manufactures and sells water heating, food dehydration and energy recovery systems, though lumber drying systems still make up the majority of their business.

For more information on Nyle Systems, visit www.nyle.com. To access the kiln store, visit http://www.nyle.com/lumber-drying-systems/kiln-store/

See the original article here.

The post Nyle Systems: Approaching 40 Years of Manufacturing Kilns, Dehumidification, Gas and Steam Systems appeared first on Nyle Systems.

The Bangor region has a few key economic strengths, and it makes sense for people here to focus on how to grow them — urgently. Given that the important collaborative work of developing promising industries has only happened informally and with varying degrees of success so far, it is incumbent upon these businesses to lead the discussion on how best to grow these vital sectors.

While all business leaders have an important role, the region needs to hear more from those doing the work that brings outside money to the region, namely exporting goods or services out of state. Firms with out-of-state customers are key to the foundation of any healthy regional economy: They tend to pay more, have higher rates of patenting and create demand for local industries, such as health care, education and retail, which employ greater numbers of people.

In addition to being export oriented, these business leaders also should belong to groupings of similar firms in which the region has a competitive advantage over other places — meaning they employ a greater proportion of the region’s workforce than the state and nation — and be seeing rising employment. In the Bangor metropolitan area, the business clusters that most closely match those requirements are forestry support services and the production of metal products. Likely there are related firms that should be involved, too.

As economic development experts know, it is extremely difficult for a place to create industries where there were none before. Instead, they are more likely to evolve out of already existing strengths. Having a concentration of similar, export-focused businesses in a particular area can attract workers with distinctive skillsets, who find an advantage to being in a place with multiple options for employment. It can allow suppliers to grow and specialize and facilitate the spread of knowledge.

That’s why figuring out how to accelerate the growth of industries such as forestry support and metal products in the Bangor region should be a priority. The region can’t do it, however, without the input and leadership of the business executives and workers on the ground.

What are their barriers to growth and barriers to competition? What do they see as their opportunities? Perhaps the region’s available workforce is holding them back, or maybe it’s a lack of research capacity. The region has a major asset in all of its institutions of higher education and should be using them to bolster growth and innovation. The Bangor region shouldn’t just aim to be decent at a particular industry. It should aim to become a national leader in it.

Some might argue that cluster development is akin to picking winners and losers. It’s not an all-or-nothing proposal, however. The region also can foster an environment that supports all businesses. It can invest in emerging industries, build a culture of entrepreneurship and continue its ongoing work to address individual business needs.

But the fact remains that it can also help accelerate promising industries in ways that aren’t heavy handed. Trying to facilitate connections and innovation among like-minded business participants can lead to benefits for everyone. Each regional economy has strengths, and trying to enhance those is a good thing.

See the original article here.

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The most efficient way to heat water up to 150°F

With powerful new features and a higher demand than ever for industrial/commercial water heaters, now is a great time to make Nyle Systems your supplier. Nyle offers air source and water source heat pump water heaters in a broad range of capacities.

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Linked Article from Miller Publishing’s Softwood Buyer’s Guide:

http://www.omagdigital.com/publication/?i=466928#{“issue_id”:466928,”page”:4}

The post Nyle Brings Lower Operating Costs to SYP / SPF Kiln Drying appeared first on Nyle Systems.

The post Door Gasket Installation – Lumber Division appeared first on Nyle Systems.

We’ll be attending the upcoming Natural Products Expo West, in Anaheim, CA , March 9th – March 11th! Pleae send us a message if you’d like to talk with a Nyle Rep at the show!!

https://www.expowest.com/ew18/Public/Enter.aspx

The post We Are Attending the Natural Products Expo West March 9th – March 11 – Food Division appeared first on Nyle Systems.

Come see us at the WWPA Annual Meeting/ NAWLA Leadership Summit at booth #20 – April 8 – 10!

http://www.nawla.org/

https://www.wwpa.org/

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Nyle will be attending the NWFA show from April 11 – 14. Come say hello!

https://www.nwfa.org/

The post Nyle Attending NWFA – Lumber Division appeared first on Nyle Systems.

Just back from the Petfood Forum in Kansas City! Excellent show! We met some super folks looking for an energy efficient way to dry their products! We also met an otter, a penguin and a kangaroo!!! 

The post Petfood Forum in Kansas City – Food Division appeared first on Nyle Systems.

One of our FD2.5 Food Dehydrators being prepped for shipment – this one is headed to the Mid Atlantic area for drying fruit!

The post FD 2.5 Prepped for Shipment – Food Division appeared first on Nyle Systems.

A recent Nyle install – 2 Energy Efficient FD24’s in the Midwest – they will be used for drying pet treats! They look awesome!

The post 2 FD 24’s Installed in the Midwest to Dry Pet Treats – Food Division appeared first on Nyle Systems.

Stop by our booth May 11 – 12th at the Northern Loggers Expo in Essex Junction, VT – Booth 322!

https://northernlogger.com/loggers-expo/

The post Northern Loggers Expo 2018 – Lumber Division appeared first on Nyle Systems.

Come see us at Expo Richmond Booth #717 at the Richmond Raceway Complex in Richmond, VA!

http://www.exporichmond.com/

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