On Friday, October 30, 2015, Canfor Corporation of Vancouver, BC, officially closed on the purchase of Anthony Forest Products Company of El Dorado, Arkansas, including it’s interest in Anthony Eacom. After the close of the purchase, Canfor executives from Vancouver, Mobile, Alabama and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina flew into South Arkansas for a “Meet and Greet” and welcomed all employees to the Canfor family. On Monday, November 2, 2015, the Canfor executives and Anthony Forest executives and family met for dinner at the South Arkansas Arts Center in El Dorado. Canfor President and CEO Don Kayne led the charge at dinner along with Aubra Anthony and Fred Stimpson, President of Canfor Southern Pine of Mobile, Alabama. Don’s purpose for the visit was to send a clear message to welcome Anthony Forest to the Canfor family of companies. The dinner setting was a perfect stage for Don and Aubra to speak on the benefits of the partnership with Canfor. On Tuesday, November 3, the Canfor team visited the Anthony Forest corporate office for breakfast with the staff. Don and Aubra expressly conveyed the main message of “business as usual” to the staff. It was a great delivery, and all of the employees had the opportunity to ask the Canfor team questions regarding the transition.
Left to right: Mitch Shackleford, VP Western US South Operations; Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor Corporation; Aubra Anthony, President and CEO, Anthony Forest Products; David Calabrigo, Sr. VP Corporate Development, Legal & Corporate Secretary; Russ Anthony, EVP; and Fred Stimpson, President, Canfor Southern Pine
Left to right: Jim Conner, Regional HR Manager; Linda Watkins, Canfor Change Management Lead; Debbie Sand, VP Human Resources; Ashley Ellerbeck, Team Acquisition Specialist; and Rob Jarvis, Director, HR Mergers & Acquisitions
Canfor Acquires Anthony Forest Products Company continued
The “Welcome Canfor” sign at South Arkansas Arts Center for the Canfor visit.
Left to right: Russ Kimbell, Derek Ratchford, Warren Newsome of Anthony Forest and Mitch Vezina of Anthony Eacom, Inc.
Don Kayne welcomes the Anthony Forest employees to the Canfor family.
Jim Conner talks to employees about Human Resource benefits and his experience with Canfor acquisitions in the south.
The next stop on the Tuesday agenda was a visit to the El Dorado laminating plant and then the Urbana sawmill. Both plants temporarily shut down in order for all of the employees to assemble for introductions and participation in question and answer sessions regarding the acquisition. The consistent message from Canfor was, “We are not taking you over. We are acquiring your operations, and we need every one of you here.” Don had a chance at each operation to shake the hands of employees, visit individually and to thank them for making Anthony Forest a company Canfor is proud to acquire. On Wednesday, November 11, 2015, the Canfor Human Resources and Integration Team also met with employees in El Dorado, as well as made visits to the chip mills, sawmill and laminating plants. Their purpose was to reinforce the “business as usual” message which Don Kayne had conveyed the previous week, as well as to reassure the employees of their job status and retained benefits. The employees had an opportunity to hear from other Canfor Southern Pine employees about their positive experiences during their transition process after being purchased by Canfor.
On October 7, the El Dorado laminating plant and the Urbana sawmill participated in the Arkansas Amputation Prevention Stand-Down. This stand-down was established by the Arkansas Department of Labor and the OSHA Little Rock Area Office to raise awareness of amputation hazards in general industry and construction. According to the National Safety Council Membership News Alert from September 18, Arkansas is the first state to host an amputation prevention stand-down. The stand-down lasted approximately one hour. Clark Thomas and Ocie Robinson from the Arkansas Department of Labor were present to help support Randy Evans, Environmental Health and Safety Manager at the Urbana sawmill, and Steven Wall, Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator at the El Dorado laminating plant, during the Amputation Prevention Stand-Down. During this hour they inspected machinery where the potential of amputations exist, reviewed all work procedures that are conducted around that machinery, and reviewed the lockout/tagout procedures.
Photo above shows Clark Thomas from the Arkansas Department of Labor giving a presentation at the El Dorado laminating plant. Photo to the right shows some of our employees watching a similar presentation at the Urbana sawmill.
At the end of August 2015, the Board of Directors approved a $1.79 million capital expenditure to increase the efficiency of the Urbana sawmill logistics operations. The project that was approved was to install two new 135-ton capacity Cardinal EPR Ground Hugger truck scales, along with paving a large area that addresses the efficiency and safety required for the anticipated increase in truck traffic. This project consisted of installing two new scales, which were replacing an existing single scale, one scale house and two and a half acres of pavement for staging. All incoming log and lumber trucks will go through the inbound scale. When they leave, they will go through the outbound scale. With the installation of the two scales, the Urbana sawmill can now receive an improved average of 25-30 lumber trucks per day and 75-100 log trucks per day. Steve Barham, Vice President of Forestry Management and Procurement and the project manager said, “It will enable Urbana to better facilitate the anticipated increase of truck traffic, and from a safety standpoint, all trucks will remain on our property instead of blocking traffic on our local county roads.” The project met budget, and the scales became operational on January 5, 2016.
The top left picture shows Randy Evans reciting The Night Before Christmas while Steven Wall acts out the scenes at the Annual Employee Banquet for the El Dorado Laminating Plant. Many of the employees attended the event with their spouses and enjoyed the Little Frenchie’s catered dinner. It was held December 1, 2015 at the VFW Post.
Anthony Forest Products Annual Employee Banquet for El Dorado Laminating Plant
Anthony Forest Products Employee Appreciation Luncheon for Urbana Sawmill
The Urbana sawmill held their Employee Appreciation Luncheon on December 21, 2015. All of the employees gathered in the breakroom where they enjoyed fish, shrimp and all the trimmings. The event was catered by Wood’s Place of Camden, Arkansas. The employees also participated in drawings for door prizes which were provided by Canfor Corporation.
How long have you worked for Anthony Forest? 4 months Hobbies and Interest: Dodgeball, working on my computer, video games (PS4) and watching WWE Family: Wife and one child What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Washing dishes Who was the most influential person in your life? My father. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Pay off student loans If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be? The first time the Wright brothers flew in an airplane. If given a chance to skip work for a day, how would you spend the entire day? Stay home and eat, sleep and play Call of Duty®: Black Ops 3. What is something you would like to do when you retire? Travel to Japan and China
———-THE ANTHONY SPOTLIGHT———-
Bruce White-IT Support Specialist-El Dorado, Central Office
Favorites: Holiday? Thanksgiving Movie? Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Time of Day? Noon (Lunch) Favorite Book? Green Eggs and Ham Favorite Song? Drake-Hotline Bling
How long have you worked for Anthony Forest? 18 years Hobbies and Interest: Reading, traveling, music, boating, camping, Scuba (although it’s been a long time since I’ve been diving!) Family: Married for 29 years to James “Buddy” Ham, with two sons, Bradley age 25 and Blake age 21 What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Definitely mopping! Who was the most influential person in your life? I would say my dad, but I would feel guilty if I didn’t also list my sweet mother. I have wonderful parents who have set great examples for me to follow and “try to” live by. They are my mentors, and I feel very blessed to still have them in my life. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? If it’s the big jackpot, retire and do a lot of traveling! If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be? I would love to be around to witness a great scientific medical breakthrough in the cure for cancer! Everyone we know is affected by cancer in some way, and it is devastating and heartbreaking! If given a chance to skip work for a day, how would you spend the entire day? Whatever I needed to do that day to be stress-free! Haha! What is something you would like to do when you retire? Travel to places I’ve never been. Going on a vacation to a new destination is always the most enjoyable kind of travel for me.
Favorites: Holiday? New Year’s Eve Movie? Forrest Gump and The Sandlot
Time of Day? Sunset Favorite Book? The Chamber, Wuthering Heights, Extraordinary Circumstances and The Left Behind Series Favorite Song? Bridge Over Troubled Water
Lisa Ham-Executive Manager-El Dorado, Central Office
Gregory Boeckman Terence Hunter Daikeylus Larry Zachary Turner
William Williams Ronald McMihelk Nicholas Kinard
Jerry Baker
Clayton Birchett Aaron Billings
Johnathan Welch Charvis Buggs Murray Jones
Samuel Winfrey Ricco Williams
Welcome to the Family
October 2015 - December 2015
5 years
Jerrick Levingston Mario Romero Noel Alvarado
10 years
Jessie Williamson
15 years
Jacy Taylor Patrick Bennett
Kim Britt
20 years
Chris Webb Margarito Castro
Marsha Bean
Thanks for your
Commitment
October 2015 - December 2015
8 ANTHONY FOREST NEWS
Southern Forest Products Association Elects 2016 Slate of Officers
The Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) Board of Directors elected its 2016 slate of officers during its recent Annual Meeting in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They are Chairman William Almond of Almond Brothers Lumber Company, Coushatta, Louisiana; Vice Chairman Jim Krauseneck of Weyerhaeuser, Federal Way, Washington; Treasurer Kerlin Drake of Anthony Forest Products, El Dorado, Arkansas; and Immediate Past Chairman Scott Vande Linde of West Fraser, Germantown, Tennessee. The board also reelected Tami Kessler as Executive Director. The officers assume their new roles immediately. “I look forward to continuing the legacy of this association, working with the excellent staff at SFPA,” Chairman Almond said. “Our association is a strong voice in the industry, and I hope to build on that strength as we continue activities through the coming year,” he added. To view the original article, read SFPA’s October 13, 2015 Newsletter.
