Manufacturing wood products in a sustainable way, from verifying raw lumber and materials sources to shifting production methods on the factory floor are being addressed at the "Dollars & Sense of Going Green Conference," which opened this morning in Indianapolis.

This week in wood: Jasper Wood Products blaze investigators say the cause was "accidental" in the March 13 fire. Lumber firm Timber Products contributed to Connor Sports Flooring's modular basketball courts for the Final Four in Houston and Indianapolis. March lumber futures spiked on initial reports of Japan's massive earthquake, then fell. Fresh equity investment came to the wood industry in Canada and the U.S. And Lowe's expanded cabinet making operations.

At interzum, May 25-28 in Cologne, Germany, lightweight furniture construction, with built-in LED lighting and electronics, and components produced with reduced weight, will be among the trends.

The millwork plant at Lowe’s Cos.'s Lexington, NC distribution center will add a 25-employee production line for the assembly and distribution of unfinished cabinetry. Separately, Lowe's invited online merchants to join its site in states where Amazon has withdrawn as part of a sales tax dispute.

C.S. Industries has introduced a new thermal wood treatment process to the North American market that is says is faster and less expensive.

Knape and Vogt Mfg. Co. shifts wood furnishings hardware production from Taiwan to the U.S., investing $1.3 million in its Grand Rapids location.

Polymera, a manufacturer of wood polymer composite materials, servicing the extrusion, injection molding, and compression molding industries, will add 25 jobs and invest $5.5 million.

Wood products manufacturer EcoBlu Products says Manhattan Resources Limited, a publicly traded Singapore Corporation (SP: MRL) provided it a $5 million credit line

The world's largest wood pellet plant for biofuel is expected to open later this month in Waycross, GA.

As the NCAA playoffs commence, Connor Sports Flooring is guaranteed a berth, each year taking to the court to provide the official playing surfaces of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four men's and women's playoffs.