Sawmod: A Tool For Optimizing Potential Profit From Beetle-Killed Southern Pine Sawtimber

Currently the operators of small- to medium-sized sawmills have minimal information upon which to base processing decisions and profit estimations. This problem is further complicated when unusual variables, such as processing beetle-killed timber, are superimposed upon normal operating parameters.SAWMOD (SAWmill decision MODel) is a computer algorithm designed to provide accurate information for decision-making. By using actual lumber grade yields, estimated residue volumes, current market prices, and readily obtainable production variables, economically optimal processing schemes may be derived from SAWMOD. Potential economic returns from conversion into lumber and/or chips for each log diameter within six log quality classes are considered. Estimates of total profit and break-even log cost FOB mill for each log quality class are provided by SAWMOD. These estimates are based on a given log diameter distribution and total log volume.Structured to be individualized for a given sawmill and periodically updated, SAWMOD is a powerful decision tool that will help to continue progress toward a highest-value utilization of our saw-timber resource

The Relationship Between Purchase Decisions and Quality Assessment of Office Furniture

The use of multiple attributes to measure attitudes and predisposition to certain behavior in marketing was developed in the 1970s in studies aimed at identifying determinant attributes. Rising concerns over quality in the 1980s saw similar use of attributes to define quality. Some authors of these latter studies infer that quality and determinant attributes are one and the same; however, no studies were found that directly examined this relationship. This study was undertaken to examine the determinant attribute/quality attribute relationship in office furniture. More than 260 purchasing executives nationwide participated in rating 26 product and dealer/manufacturer attributes on the basis of their influence on purchase decisions and on the basis of their use in assessing quality. Respondents rated attributes on importance and on the degree of difference in a particular attribute among the products and services available to them.The three most important attributes respondents used to rate quality were: (1) absence of defects, (2) delivery on schedule, and (3) structural integrity. The three most important attributes influencing purchase decisions were: (1) absence of defects, (2) structural integrity, and (3) reliability.Results indicate a very high correlation between purchase decisions and quality assessment in the relative rankings of the 26 attributes. However, the results suggest that purchasing executives place more importance on attributes in the purchase decision but may perceive bigger differences in the attributes when assessing quality

United States Consumers' Views on Ready-to-Assemble Furniture

Older consumers hold an increasing portion of the disposable income in the U.S., and marketers must increasingly recognize the buying power of this group. Ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture has already captured a strong share of the furniture market in Europe and is experiencing strong growth in the United States. The goal of this study is to compare the attitudes and buying behaviors of older U.S. consumers to younger consumers concerning RTA furniture. Data were collected from nearly 1,500 households in the United States, and older consumers as a group were found to be more negatively disposed toward RTA furniture. They were more inclined to view price as a surrogate for quality and were much less inclined to assemble their own furniture to save money. The older consumers were not a homogeneous group; however, to appeal to them, good quality and convenience are important

Labor Productivity in Sawmills of the Eastern and Southeastern United States

A survey of sawmills in the eastern and southeastern regions of the United States was conducted. Responding mills produced an average of 12,661 MBf in calendar year 1984 and 76 percent reported annual sales of less than $10 million. The majority of sawmills utilized circular saw headrigs and the most common type of computer controlled/assisted equipment was a log carriage. Softwood sawmills were found to have significantly higher labor productivity than hardwood sawmills. Regression analysis indicated that labor productivity economies of scale exist within the softwood segment of the industry. Labor productivity increased with mill size but at a decreasing rate. No strong evidence of labor productivity economies of scale in the hardwood industry segment was found

Product Awareness and Physical Risk Perceptions of Consumers of Treated Lumber

This research examines risk, an important determinant of consumer decision-making, as a function of product awareness and physical risk perceptions. Specifically, this study addresses the risk from treated lumber products that professional and do-it-yourself retail customers perceive. In September 1985 a settlement agreement between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the wood-preserving industry regarding the use and sale of wood-treating chemicals was signed. One aspect of this agreement involved the education of consumers as to the proper use, handling and disposal of the preservative-treated lumber products. Consumer Information Sheets, the backbone of the Consumer Awareness Program, were employed to disseminate these basic safety precautions. This study measures the effectiveness of the Consumer Awareness Program by evaluating consumer awareness of the Consumer Information Sheets and evaluates the knowledge, awareness, and physical risk perceptions that retail customers have regarding treated lumber products

Toughness of Sap-Stained Southern Pine Salvaged After Beetle Attack

Approximately 1,200 small clear specimens were machined from visually graded dimension lumber and tested for toughness. Dimension lumber was obtained from green healthy southern pine and beetle-killed southern pine at various times after foliage fade. The specimens machined from beetle-killed material were free of defects with the exception of sap stain, which is not currently considered in grading rules. Toughness generally decreased with increasing time between foliage fade and the harvesting of the beetle-killed sawtimber. Most of the loss in toughness occurred during the first year after foliage fade. For certain structural applications where toughness or shock resistance of wooden members may be of some importance, caution should be exercised in the utilization of beetle-killed southern pine

Determinant Attribute Analysis: A Tool for new Wood Product Development

Determinant attribute analysis was employed to identify the physical product characteristics most crucial in the purchase decision process for office furniture substrate materials. Fastener withdrawal strength, surface smoothness, flatness, stiffness (MOE), and edgebanding capability had the most effect on selection decisions. These results were then viewed in terms of the development of a new substrate product and the opportunities that could arise from achieving a superior competitive advantage based on those characteristics. The importance of recognizing customer needs in the new product development process is central to the analysis, and the potential of determinant attribute analysis as a powerful tool for this process is demonstrated

Mechanical Properties of Small Clear Specimens and Visually Graded Lumber from Living and Spruce Budworm-Killed Balsam Fir

Small clear specimens from living balsam fir and from spruce budworm-killed balsam fir dead 3 months, 12 months, and 22 months were tested in bending and compression perpendicular to the grain. Results indicated that modulus of rupture (MOR) of specimens from budworm-killed trees dead 3 months or more was significantly lower than MOR of specimens from living trees. Modulus of elasticity (MOE) appeared to be less sensitive to changes in budworm-killed material than MOR. Stress at the proportional limit for compression perpendicular to the grain was significantly lower for specimens from trees dead 22 months than for specimens from living trees. Both MOE and MOR in bending were determined for visually graded nominal 2- by 4-inch lumber from living and spruce budworm-killed balsam fir dead 12 months and 22 months. Average MOE values for living balsam fir were 1.274 x 106 psi, 1.217 x 106 psi, and 1.175 x 106 psi for Construction, Standard and Utility grades, respectively. Average MOR values for the same grades of living material were 4,699 psi, 4,684 psi, and 4,352 psi, respectively. Average MOE and MOR for Utility grade lumber from both spruce budworm-killed categories were not significantly different from the average MOE and MOR for living balsam fir. Statistical analyses of the MOE and MOR data for Construction and Standard grades of budworm-killed lumber were not performed due to the small sample sizes

Report: Interventions for Rural and Remote Youth Mental Health

Rural and remote communities in both Australia and Canada have a higher burden of mental illness relative to their urban counterparts. Suicide rates, particularly, are higher across all age groups among men in rural communities as compared to metropolitan areas. Mental health issues are especially present in younger populations within these communities. Additionally, rural and remote communities tend to have higher propo