Engineered Wood Journal: Engineered Wood Systems

Editor's Note: Founded in 1991 as a related corporation of APA, Engineered Wood Systems (EWS) has grown from just three U.S. glulam manufacturing members to 40 engineered wood product facilities in five countries. In the following interview, EWS Executive Vice President Tom Williamson talks about the organization's mission, functions and goals.

EWJ: When and how did EWS come about?

WILLIAMSON: EWS was formed as a related nonprofit corporation of APA in 1991 after the Association was approached by two or three glulam manufacturers interested in APA quality auditing and other support services. That led to a feasibility study and then an organizational plan that was approved by the APA Board of Trustees. The organization's name originally was American Wood Systems.

EWJ: What are the mission and chief functions of EWS?

WILLIAMSON: The mission is essentially the same as for APA as a whole: to open and maintain markets for member engineered wood products through product promotion, quality assurance, and technical support.

EWJ: What kinds of products does EWS represent and how many manufacturers currently belong to EWS?

WILLIAMSON: EWS began with just three glued laminated timber members. Today, the membership consists of 40 facilities in five countries--the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, and Chile. And the product mix has grown to include glulam, wood I-joists, laminated veneer lumber (LVL), finger-jointed lumber, and other specialty glued wood products. Under our bylaws, membership is open to any manufacturer of "glued engineered wood products and systems."

EWJ: What is the organizational relationship of APA and EWS?

WILLIAMSON: EWS has its own bylaws and board of directors. However, the ultimate governance authority rests with the APA Board of Trustees. The APA chairman and vice chairman are also the chairman and vice chairman of EWS. APA President Dave Rogoway is also president of EWS. EWS has no separate staff, with the exception of my position. Quality, technical and market support and development services are provided by the APA staff and funded by EWS dues income.

EWJ: EWS, like APA, also has industry advisory committees, correct?

WILLIAMSON: Yes. We have two product line management committees, one for glulam and another for I-joists and LVL. The management committees review and authorize overall direction of EWS programs for their respective product lines. There are also comparable product line technical committees which meet concurrently with the APA Technical Committee for panel products. And representatives of EWS serve on the APA Marketing Advisory Committee and its various subcommittees. This approach--cooperation and collaboration among all product lines--supports our goal of advancing market acceptance and use of entire wood systems. We also have two advisory councils, one comprised of wood roof erectors and another consisting of distributors.

EWJ: What are the roles of the advisory councils?

WILLIAMSON: They provide invaluable counsel about real world problems, issues and opportunities. For example, the Roof Erectors Advisory Council recently played a key role in APA-EWS development of a new specification for OSB roof panels used in large flat warehouse roof construction popular on the West Coast.

EWJ: What are current goals and priorities of EWS?

WILLIAMSON: There are several. First, expand the membership base of existing product lines in order to strengthen our advocacy of those products in the marketplace. Second, add new membership product lines in those areas where it will improve our ability to promote entire wood construction systems. A third priority is to develop standards designed to make it easier to specify, purchase and use engineered wood products, and thus increase market share relative to competing products, such as steel. Fourth, we are committed to continuous quality improvement, which is an obvious prerequisite to market acceptance. And finally, our goal is to expand markets for all engineered wood products through promotion of wood systems.

EWJ: You. ve mentioned wood systems several times. Explain why that is central to the EWS mission and market development approach.

WILLIAMSON: Because that's how the marketplace approaches a design or construction problem, and how our competition promotes its products. The owner or designer of a commercial building is more interested in the cost and performance benefits of an entire wood roof system, for example, than in the merits of the various components. And if we are successful at "selling" the system, we. ve likely increased demand for a host of engineered wood products--glulam, I-joists, structural panels, and so forth. Same thing for a residential floor. To the degree that we succeed at promoting an entire system, that floor will include glulam or LVL support beams, wood I-joists, panel subflooring, and APA-EWS trademarked rim boards. And in many cases the I-joists will also use LVL flanges. So the systems approach to promotion basically does three things: it addresses the performance demands of the marketplace, it puts us in a better position to compete head-to-head with other industries, such as steel and concrete, and it provides an opportunity to increase demand for the full range of engineered wood products represented by APA and EWS.

EWJ: What's your view of the future of engineered wood products?

WILLIAMSON: In a word, excellent. Engineered wood products have a number of important things going for them. They make better use of the rapidly changing wood fiber resource supply, which gives us a very strong environmental message. They also compare favorably with nonwood products based on such criteria as embodied energy and emissions during manufacture. They improve upon many of the inherent structural advantages of wood, which is crucial to meeting rising marketplace demand for reliable performance of the products in use. And they are often the most economical solution to a building design, whether residential or commercial. All of these factors put engineered wood products in a good position to expand their share of the market in the future.

EWJ: What about technological innovations? What do you see ahead there?

WILLIAMSON: Lots of opportunities. If you think about where we. ve come from the last few years, it really is testimony to the technological adaptability and innovation of the wood products industry. Producers have had to improve existing methods and invent new ways to make more with less and with alternative wood fiber. What's been accomplished already is remarkable. And I expect more of the same: new ways to disassemble and then reassemble wood fiber in ways that improve recoverability and improve product performance. I also think we. ll see more wood-nonwood composites. Two examples starting to gain market acceptance are fiberglass-reinforced-plastic glulams and cement-fiber products. In fact, a new Center for Advanced Engineered Wood Composites at the University of Maine has a mission to develop a whole new generation of engineered products combining wood and structural plastics. The future for those kinds of products alone is virtually unlimited. I think we can expect exciting technological innovations in all categories of engineered wood products, components and systems.

Also See From Engineered Wood Journal Spring 1999:

Two Front Challenge

Fire Prevention

Workplace Motivation

Stepping into the Same River Twice

Industry Watch Spring 1999

Housing Outlook: Good, But No Repeat