Gilman Building Products Opens Giant Wood Waste to Millwork Plant
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ST. MARY, GA -  Gilman Building Products is set to debut a new, fully automated fingerjoint lumber factory that uses tree remnants and other recovered waste fiber and converts it into value added products.

Following eight years of research, testing and installation, Gilman Building Products says it is now ready to go live at its one-of-a-kind mill, house in a 300,000 square foot plant. The operation relies on saw dust and other wood manufacturing waste, as well as Southern yellow Pine remnants such as immature trees and brush, too small to be milled conventionally. A propritary kiln system was developed to bring the moisture content of the material to commercial standards.

The system is able to realize significantly greater yield from southern yellow pine logs - preotions taht would otherwise go to waste or be used as fuel - via a new patent pending process developed by Victor Garrett, President of GBP LLC, and  John Koerner of JHKoerner Ltd. Inc.

These men set out to find a solution to minimizing yield loss from milling southern yellow pine logs to lumber, which typically ranges from 25 to 40%. Their new patent pending process can reduce this yield loss by 50% or more, while producing superior engineered wood products.

Changing Environment 

Participating Gilman
Project Suppliers

• CAB Electrical
• Dimter
• Franklin Adhesives
• Grecon
• Joulin
• Luxscan
• Michael Weinig Ag
• Michael Weinig Inc.
• Nederman
• Purbond
• Vecoplan
• Verdetek
• WH Gross Construction

Forest harvesting over the past few years has increased faster than the growth of fiber in Southeastern USA. Increased production in various industries - paper, fuel pellets, lumber, pallets and crates - has changed supply dynamics.

Pine beetle infestation in Canada has increased the demand on the Southern softwood lumber belt, and international studies indicate long term demand growth further tightening supplies. Need for higher quality, older growth tall trees, has increased from the utility pole and plywood industries. Greater usage of faster growing smaller diameter trees requires new solutions for improving yields.

A new ultra modern facility is now in the bustling agricultural town of Blackshear, located in the southeastern Georgia. This plant, Gilman Specialty Products LLC, is the most automated secondary wood processing factory in North America.

Gilman Building Products LLC focuses on primary wood processing, operating six yellow pine sawmills producing construction lumber. The new mill complements the core business while opening doors to many diverse secondary wood industries.

This new source of fingerjointed lumber is positioned to increase domestic manufacturing of secondary products. Partners assisting and supplying the startup of the new Gilman Specialty Products facility include:

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