58 | TIMBER INDUSTRY Northpine Northpine steams ahead from page 57 Northpine’s new wood steamer in action: “When you get bigger and chunkier bits of wood it’s much more efficient and effective to steam the product.” · Livestock · Logs · Water · Readymix Concrete · General Cartage 09 406 0087 | mangonuihaulage.co.nz INNOVATIVE & SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS TIVE & SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS ENGINEERING BDX offer awider range of services than other engineering company inNorthland CIVIL CONTRACTING BDX has the knowledge, project management and labour to deliver any civil or engineering contract MAINTENANCE BDX has the expertise and experience to support large and small industrial maintenance contracts MECHANICS BDX has the expertise and experience to support large and small industrial maintenance contracts. 32 Logyard Road P 09 430 2126 E info@bdx.nz W bdx.nz polyprint.co.nz | sales@polyprint.co.nz Auckland 09 415 8590 Tauranga 07 541 1316 New Zealand owned & operated manufacturers of: The Flexible Packaging People Many leading New Zealand companies rely on us as a key facilitator to delivering their products to market. We've earned that trust over many years having orientated our products and customer service to focus squarely on their needs and our responsibility to the environment. Printed Film & Plastic Bags, Produce / Wicketed Bags, Liners, Flow Wrap, Form Fill & Seal, Industrial Packaging. “In between issues with Covid we’re running at full capacity desperately trying to push as much wood through as we can. “Everybody in the building supply chain has to order early otherwise they will be disappointed.” By sawmill standards Northpine is very small by throughput and doesn’t utilise a lot of the high-tech optimisation equipment the bigger mills would use. But that is also Northpine’s strength, Bruce adds. “Because we’re not putting high volume runs through, we’re able to provide our customers with highly specialised bespoke products that cost a little bit more but meet their specific needs. “We’re increasingly becoming a boutique mill, cutting products that larger mills cannot, due to their cost structures.” Northpine’s recent purchase and installation of its steamer was a direct response to its strategy of focusing on manufacturing specialist large-dimension pine. “Conventional kiln drying is really only effective on normal 50mm framing products,” says Bruce. “When you get bigger and chunkier bits of wood it’s much more efficient and effective to steam the product. “Until now we’ve relied on sending the timber off-site to third parties to do that process and bring it back. “That increases our environmental footprint, and the cartage bill and cost structure has been quite high. We’ve taken the bull by the horns and put in new technology so that we’re now self-sufficient. “Dry shavings and wood dust are used to run the boiler to generate the steam. Some of it goes to the kiln and, what was excess heat now goes to the steamer. So it’s an efficient use of resources and allows us to be more responsive for our customers.” Keith Reay retired a few years ago, while Richard Wilson retired at the end of 2020 while remaining a shareholder, leaving Bruce to ‘hold the fort’ as General Manager. “We also brought on three minority shareholders when Keith retired. We always need to be considering succession.” Northpine GM Bruce Larsen, left, with Waipu ITM owner Nick Brothers
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