Spring 2018 Southeastern Dry Kiln Club Meeting

The Spring Southeastern Dry Kiln Club Meeting was held from May 24 – May 25, 2018 in Conover, NC.

The technical sessions was very informative and well received by the attendees. Claus Staalner from Brookhuis-America  gave an introduction to in-line moisture meters and explained the differences between linear and transverse measurements. Next was Thomas Monroe from Monroe Sales, who gave an in-depth lecture on steam traps. Attendees were excited to learn about how condensate can be captured and released from high performance steam supplies. The technical sessions concluded with a presentation on log exports by Clay Altizer, NC Forest Serivce. He provided very interesting insights to the economic impacts of log exports to Asia and Europe.

Plant tours took the attendees to three different locations. The first stop was at Select Hardwoods in Millers Creek. Not only were attendees able to learn about wood drying, they also had opportunities to see some of the insights from the technical session applied in a running operation. The following tour at Minton Sales took attendees on a journey through some of the former facilities of Bernhardt Design in Lenoir. Minton Sales is currently utilizing the impressive array of dry kilns and is working to increase capacities and expand operations. Tours concluded with a visit to Boldesign in Hudson. In addition to a tour of their facilities, the group was invited for lunch – North Carolina BBQ at its finest.

The club meeting was an excellent opportunity to network, learn and socialize with peers. We are looking forward to the next meeting. Thanks to all attendees, presenters and companies!