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O s c a r - w i n n i n g lumberman Bill Courtney will be the
opening key-note speaker at the 116th annual IHLA Convention
Feb-ruary 4-6, 2014, presented by Indi-ana Lumbermens Mutual
Insur-ance Company.
Set in inner-city Memphis, the Academy
Award-winning documentary Undefeated chron-icles the Manassas
Tigers’ 2009 football season, on and off the field, as they strive
to win the first playoff game in the school’s 110-year history.
A perennial whipping boy, Manassas had gone so far as to sell
their home games to the highest bidder. Severely underfunded and
underprivileged, they were even hired out as a practice team for
more successful schools. All that changed when Bill Courtney, a
former high school coach and owner of Classic American Hard-woods,
volunteered to lend a hand.
When he arrived, the team consisted of 17 players, some timeworn
equipment and a patch of grass masquerading as a practice field.
Courtney focused as much on teaching the players values to live by
as he did on winning games,
Inside This Issue
Executive Director’s Message Page 2Industry News & Events
Page 3 IHLA Open Page 4 IHLA Open Sponsors Page 5
IHLA News & Events Page 6 IHLA PAC Page 7 Forestry Council
Page 8
Volume 18, Number 2 Summer Issue
Academy Award-Winning Lumberman to Keynote IHLA Convention and
soon the football program began resurrecting itself. In 2009, he
devel-oped the most talented team Manasas had ever fielded – a team
that finally had a chance to end the playoff jinx that had plagued
the school since its inception.
Winner of the 2012 Academy Award for Best Documentary,
Undefeated is about so much more than sports. The lessons Courtney
teach-es about showing up, handling failure as wellas success and
being committed to a goal, are applicable to any organization.
IHLA Executive Director Ray Moistner said, “It’s impossible to
watch this film and not want to come and meet Bill Courtney in
person. It was as good as any sports movie I’ve seen, in-cluding
Hoosiers, Rudy or Breaking Away.”
Mark your calendars now for the 2014 IHLA Convention - February
4-6, 2014 at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown.
Reserve your exhibit space NOW for the
2014 IHLA Convention Visit www.ihla.org to sign up!
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L i e u t e n a n t Governor Ell-spermann led the second meeting
of the group that has been assem-bled to address the issue of the
Indiana Bat. A member of her
staff served as meeting facilitator so that the LG could fully
participate in the discussion.
Those present at the meeting included: ISDA Director Gina
Sheets; Amy Cor-nell, ISDA Director of Regulatory Af-fairs; Mike
Seidl, ISDA/DNR; Scott Pruitt, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Justin
Schneider, Indiana Farm Bureau; Kate Taylor, US Senator Dan Coats'
Of-fice; Ryan Heater, LG's Office; Daniel Schmidt, Governor's
Office, Brett Frank-lin, Rich Solano, Ray Moistner, IHLA.
The meeting lasted two hours, and the process used was effective
in narrowing in on the key issues that this group is able to
affect. Jack Seifert gave a very well-researched report showing a
consensus of expert opinion that timber management was not a
detriment to the bat population; explained the potential impact on
private lands, and talked about the need for a plan for private
lands. Mike Seidl spoke to the economic impact of our industry. Mr.
Pruitt was given plenty of time and opportunities to help clear up
any misin-terpretations or vague areas of the man-agement
guidelines. On several occa-sions he reiterated the point that "if
there is no known record of a bat on some-one's private property,
nothing would be done by the USFWS." Mr. Pruitt also stated that
the guidelines and the maps are internal documents, not public, and
that were only given out upon request.
The Hardwood Industry was allowed to express their concerns and
ask direct ques-tions, and all of them were for Mr. Pruitt. They
pointed out ambiguities in the guide-lines, and asked for
explanation on en-forcement in the 10-mile radii. They also
2
Hard NewsPublished
by the Indiana Hardwood
Lumbermen’s Association
1849 Broad Ripple AvenueIndianapolis, IN 46220 Phone (317)
875-3660Fax (317) 875-3661
www.ihla.org
PresidentMatthew Smith
1st Vice President Mark Williamson
2nd Vice President Rich Solano
Financial Chairman Rick Zorman
Forestry Council President Paul Myers
Immediate Past President Michael Powers
Board of Directors
Josh BrennanLuke Brogger Angie Capper
Chip CookLenny FarleeJack Grace
Scott Heidler Kyle Hilligoss
Liz Jackson Doug Keele Jeff Mercy
Kevin Mershimer Percy Mossbarger
Tom OilarJohn RoweAndy Weas
EditorRay Moistner
Office ManagerDenice Helmbrecht
(317) [email protected]
CommunicationsDirector
Ashley Tandy
asked for clarification on the maps, the pro-cess for reporting
of bats by third parties, and other clarifications for private
landowners.
Possible changes or solutions which could be reached were
discussed, with every-one gaining a clear understanding of the time
each would take in getting ac-complished. From there, the group
fo-cused in on the most important issues to address, then
prioritizing them accord-ing to a chronologically practical
order.
The first three necessary steps were determined to be:
1. Creating a clear communication docu-ment for private
landowners regard-ing the Indiana Bat. It was determined that IHLA
would take the lead on this. The task was completed by June 15, and
was worked on by Pruitt, Moistner, Schneider, Seidl, Seifert, and
Franklin. 2. Consideration of whether or not to in-clude Classified
Forest lands in the Habi-tat Conservation Plan. This issue is being
worked on by Pruitt, Seifert, Schneider, Franklin and Schmidt. The
IHLA Board is waiting to see the content of the HCP before taking a
position on the Classified lands. 3. Overcoming the seasonal
harvest restric-tion. It was determined that this item could not
occur until the first two were completed.
A follow-up meeting will be scheduled for the group. The meeting
was a step in the right direction, but the real problem remains the
ESA itself, when used by groups to pre-vent timber harvesting, and
the state has no jurisdiction on the ESA - it's a federal
issue.
Senator Coats' office has done a great deal of research on the
issue, and has spent hours talking to involved parties, look-ing
for information and ideas. He assigned a capable member of his
staff to return to Indiana and attend the meeting. A message
brought to us today from Senator Coats' office was that it was in
our best inter-est to resolve this issue locally, because if the
USFWS in Washington gets involved, in the current administration,
our chanc-es of resolving the issue would be nil.
Lt. Governor Leads Collaborative Effort to Protect Indiana Bat
Without Disrupting A Recovering Hardwood Industry B y R a y M o i s
t n e r , I H L A E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r
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I H L A N e e d s Y O UBy Angie Capper, IHLA Green Team Coord
inator, P ike Lumber Company
Is your industry worth a couple of hours of your time each year?
Do you want to help change the way the world thinks about forest-ry
and careers in the hardwood industry?
If you answered yes to either question, then the IHLA Green Team
needs you. By simply saying “yes,” you can become part of our
grassroots network and help get our resources into YOUR local
schools.
There is no cost to join, and you won’t be bom-barded with
emails or propaganda. All we ask is that you make your local school
district aware of our Arbor Day kits for elementary students, and
our career posters for the high schools. You can deliv-er both in
person, and if willing, even assist with a program in the school on
Arbor Day or Career Day.
It’s a small contribution that makes a big differ-ence in
getting our industry’s message out about the positive environmental
values, and helping to change the image of our sustainable,
renewable re-source. As a single organization, there’s no way we
can communicate with every school district in the state, but with
members and their employees al-ready deployed throughout the state,
we can truly be effective one school and one classroom at a
time.
We have a great story to tell – that we are the real “green”
industry; that we are great stew-ards of our forest resources; and
that trees are abundant, sustainable and renewable, from which so
many of life’s necessities come.
Joining is simple. You can email me at [email protected],
or the IHLA office at [email protected] and put “Green Team” in the
sub-ject line. Let us know which school district you’d like to
represent, and we’ll take it from there.
It will take everyone pulling together to make it work. We
already have over 70 school districts cov-ered, but many more
remain. Help us tell our story, and become an IHLA Green Team
member today.
Industry News & EventsMake a Difference in DC This Fall By
Dana Lee Cole, Executive DirectorHardwood Federation, Washington,
DC
Sign up now for the Hardwood Federation Fall 2013 Fly-In,
October 30-31st in Wash-ington, D.C.!! The Fly-in is the
opportunity for The Hard-wood Federation to put real faces –
constituent faces – to the many challenging issues our industry
grapples with ev-ery day – from environmental regulations and green
build-ing standards to immigration and tax reform and more.
Members of Congress and their staffs love hearing from the
Hardwood Federation – we provide them with reliable, accurate, and
timely information on a host of issues, but when leaders in the
industry puts a job and family on hold to come all the way to
Washing-ton to have their voice be heard, that speaks volumes about
the importance of that issue to that constituent.
You may register for the Fly-In and review the agenda at
www.regonline.com/hardwoodfedera-tionfall2013flyin. We hope to see
you in the fall!
Editor’s Note: IHLA will also be scheduling meet-ings with the
Indiana members of Congress, to dis-cuss the Indiana Bat and other
issues relevant to our industry. We hope you will plan to join us
and make a strong presence on behalf of our industry.
I n d i a n a S t a t e F a i r If anyone would like to
volunteer at the In-diana State Fair, August 2 - 18, Indiana Tree
Farm will have a display at the Normandy Barn. Please contact Bob
Burke at 765-342-3851 or [email protected] if you are
interested.
Logger Training will be offered Oct. 28- Nov. 1 at
Jackson-Washington
State Forest. More details to come!
www.regonline.com/hardwoodfederationfall2013flyinwww.regonline.com/hardwoodfederationfall2013flyin
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Perhaps the biggest hit of the day was from Tee Box Sponsor,
West Side Tractor Sales Co. They served up fresh margaritas and
grilled steak tacos for a tasty treat on the green.
Every player took home at least one prize and Kevin Mershimer,
LUA, won a chance to sink a putt for $2,500.
If you missed this year’s outing we hope to see you next year
for a great day of networking with IHLA members. Please check out
our Photo Gallery for more pictures.
IHLA Open
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S e c o n d A n n u a l I H L A G o l f O p e n B e a t s P a
r
Held in conjunction with the IHLA Spring Board Meeting, the 2nd
IHLA Open was held June 14th,on a beautiful day at Eagle Creek Golf
Club. With a record number of golfers the day was a great
success.
Winners of the double blind-draw First Place were Lumbermen’s
Underwriting Alliance, Capper CPA & Amos-Hill Associates (Kevin
Mershimer - Golf Committee Chair, Scott Heidler, - Golf Com-mittee,
Angie Capper, Doug Capper, Ryan Wertz, Andy Waskom, Mike Bell, and
Travis Winchester). Other prize winners included Mark Donathan,
Colin Brooks, Jeff Manges, Angie Capper, and Brad Fritz.
First Place Winners - Front Row: Travis Win-chester & Ryan
Wertz; Back Row: Andy Was-kom, Kevin Mershimer, Scott Heidler &
Mike Bell
Jay Engle, Koetter & Smith, Inc. & Mike Se-idl, ISDA as
the ever popular beer cart drivers.
Still smiling, on the left is Kevin Mershimer standing with
putting contest sponsor Jim Higgins of U*C Coat-ings. Seconds
later, Kevin fell short of a chance to win $2,500, with a putt that
fell woefully short of the hole.
Left to right: Bryan Taylor, Kip Bancroft & Fred Barrett,
West Side Tractor Sales Co. know how to win the hearts of our
members.
https://www.ihla.org/Photo_Gallery.html
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IHLA Open Sponsors
5
Thank You Sponsors
Grand PrizeLumbermen’s Underwriting Alliance
Hole-In-One & Putting ContestsU*C Coatings Corporation
Food & Beverage Koetter Woodworking
Longest DriveHolmes & Co., Inc.
Longest PuttBrewco, Inc.
Constructive Sheet Metal Closest to PinsKoetter & Smith
Northland Corp.
Hole Sponsors
Brenneman LumberCargo Services
Cole HardwoodFrank Miller Lumber Co.
Hardwood Market ReportHAVCO Wood Products
Heidler Hardwood Lumber Co.
Thank You Sponsors
Hole Sponsors (cont.’d)Indiana Hardwood Specialists
Indiana Lumbermens Mutual Ins. Co.ISK Biocides, Inc.
MacBeath Hardwood Co.Maley & Wertz
Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mut. Ins. Co. Pingleton Sawmill Rockland
Flooring
Rudd Equipment Co.J.T. Shannon/Superior Hardwoods
Weas EngineeringWerner Sawmill, Inc.Worley Lumber Co.
Tee Box SponsorsBright ROI/Packaging Systems
Knight Insurance GroupWest Side Tractor Sales Co.
Door Prize SponsorsAffinity Mutual Insurance Co.
Indiana Wood ProductsRockland Flooring
Society of WoodHeads Only Weas Engineering
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IHLA News & Events
Do you know an employee or student interested in education or
training that would benefit the hardwood industry? There’s a
scholarship (application) for that!
Apply by September 30th for the IHLA Scholarship. For the last
25 years, IHLA has been awarding scholarships to students at least
18 years of age, who reside in the US or Canada, and who have a
specif-ic interest in the hardwood lumber industry.
The applicant must be nominated by an IHLA member in good
standing. Both the applicant and the sponsoring company will remain
anonymous during the selection process. The selection committee is
comprised of five IHLA Directors who select recipients based on the
qualifications and merits of the application.Value of the award is
determined at the discretion of the committee, and typically
averages around $2000. Secondary awards, averaging $500, have also
been given. Academics, need, and community involvement are all
considerations for the award. Download an application here.
Don’t Miss the Fun at the Fun Shoot
Register now for the upcoming 17th Annu-al Ross Gilp Jr. Fun
Shoot on October 5th at Terre Haute Sporting Clays in Terre Haute,
Ind. Proceeds will benefit Riley Hospital for Children. For full
details please see our registration form.
T h e r e ’ s a n A p p f o r T h a t
800.553.0182 WoodmizerIndustrial.com
© Copyright 2013 Wood-Mizer LLC
• High Tech, Deluxe Joystick Controls• 7.5" HMI Touch-Screen
Control Panel• PLC Setworks• Heavy-Duty Bed with Fixed Height•
Built in Off-Feed Conveyor• Massive Log Clamp• Spacious Operator
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Go online or call today for more information.
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INTERFACE
BLA 35411 IHLA - Sponsorship newsletter.indd 1 3/26/13 4:21
PM
Lumber Grading Short CourseIHLA is offering a 4/5/1 Flex Day
Lumber Grad-ing Short Course, September 16th - 20th at Wood-Mizer
Products, Inc. in Indianapolis, Ind. Septem-ber 20th will be a
Walnut Short Course that can be taken in conjunction with the 4-day
course or by itself.
This four, five, or one-day workshop will include a thorough
study and explanation of the NHLA Rules Book, emphasizing the
basics of hardwood lumber inspection. Taught by NHLA Inspector
Barry Kibbey, this course is a great tool to learn about or brush
up on lumber inspection. Click here for a registration form.
https://www.ihla.org/Documents/IHLAScholarshipApplication.pdfhttps://www.ihla.org/Documents/FunShootBrochure2013.pdfhttps://www.ihla.org/Documents/2013_LumberGrading_ShortCourse.pdf
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IHLA PAC
7
2013 IHLA PAC CONTRIBUTORS
PLATINUM ($1,000) Milt Cole
Tom & Ronda DerlethDMI Martin County Farms
Koetter WoodworkingPike Lumber CompanyTri-State Timber, LLC
GOLD ($500) American Stave Company
Maley & Wertz, Inc.
SILVER ($250)East Ohio Lumber
Graf Brothers Flooring, Inc. Pete Halstead
J & J Pallet Corp. Kinser Timber Products, Inc.
Landmark Wood ProductsR. Booe & Son Hardwoods
Marc Shiels Thiesing Veneer Company, Inc.
Werner SawmillWorley Lumber Co.
BRONZE ($100)A.A. Ransom Logging
Baird SawmillBaker Forest Company
Blue River Timber, LLCAngie Capper
Danzer Forestland, Inc.Emmet Vaughn Lumber Company
Jay Engle Willard Freeman
Hollingsworth Lumber Holmes & Co., Inc.
Indiana Veneers
2013 IHLA PAC CONTRIBUTORS
BRONZE (cont.’d)
Jackson Bros. Lumber Midwest Hardwood Corp.
Quality Hardwood Products Rockland Flooring
Mike Seidl Sugar Ridge Timber, Inc.
PATRON ($50)Coldwater Veneer, Inc.
Lenny FarleeMajestic Hardwood Lumber
Charles Michler Nelsons Consultant Forestry
Salem Hardwood Lumber Co. Weas Engineering
West Point Veneer LLC Mark Williamson
OTHER(
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Indiana Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company8888 Keystone
Crossing, Suite 250 • Indianapolis, IN 46240(800) 732-0777 •
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You’re Invited…For a day of fun and fellowship
Saturday, September 28, 2013 1:00 to 7:00 p.m.at the new
Training Center at Morgan Monroe State Forest.
Enjoy a delicious barbecue dinner provided by Tri-State
Timber
Plus: * Tour of the Morgan-Monroe Training Center * Presentation
of Legacy Awards * Guest Speakers on Timely Industry Issues *
Machinery Demonstrations * DNR Updates
LOGGERS, TIMBER BUYERS & AGENTS; FORESTERS, LAND-OWNERS, AND
WOOD MANUFACTURERS ARE ALL WELCOME.
Watch for registration information in the mail, or call the
following for more info:
IHLA Forestry Council: (800) 640-4452 or Paul Myers, Council
President: (812) 239-8558 or (800) 334-7453