Southeastern Dry Kiln Club

Fall 2019 Southeastern Dry Kiln Club Meeting Announced 

To be held jointly with OVLDA

FALL 2019 MEETING

WHEN:           Wednesday, November 6 – Thursday, November 7, 2019
WHERE:         Technical Session: Cardin Forest Products
2534 Battlecreek Rd. South Pittsburg, TN 37380
Hotel & Registration:  Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites,
                        300 Battlecreek Road, Kimball, TN  37380
Tour #1 – Cardin Forest Products, South Pittsburg, TN  37380
Tour #2 – Brown-Forman Cooperage, Stevenson, AL  35772

Wednesday – November 6, 2019

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM – Registration (Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites – Kimball, TN)
12:45 PM –  1:00 PM – Drive to Technical Session at Cardin Forest Products

                                          2534 Battlecreek Rd. South Pittsburg, TN 37380

Technical Session at Cardin Forest Products
1:00 PM – Dr. Gene Wengert, Drying Thick Oak
2:15 PM – Dr. Rado Gazo, Industrial applications of CT scanning hardwood trees, logs and automated grading of lumber.
3:15 PM – Break
3:30 PM – Bobby Ammerman, Machining Defects as they relate to lumber drying.
4:30 PM – Stress Relief
5:30 PM – Dinner & Business Meeting of the OVLDA in the meeting room at Cardin. (Cardin
has graciously offered to host an Alligator BBQ and supply beverages for our meeting.)
7:30 PM – Back at Hotel (Stress Relief in Hospitality Suite)

Thursday – November 7, 2019

Tours – Please bring your PPE (hardhat, safety glasses, earplugs) if available.

8:00 AM – Leave Hotel and Drive to Cardin Forest Products
2534 Battlecreek Rd. South Pittsburg, TN 37380
8:10 AM – 9:40 AM – Tour Cardin Forest Products
9:40 AM – 10:00 AM – Drive to Brown-Forman
46315 US-72 Stevenson, AL 35772
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM – Tour Brown-Forman
11:30 AM – Lunch at Sugars Ribs (in Chattanooga, TN) (on your own)

REGISTRATION: Registration for this joint SEDKC-OVLDA meeting will be with the OVLDA.  Registration Fee is $60 per person with Registration Deadline of November 1, 2019 (Late registration add $20 per person). Make checks payable to Ohio Valley Lumber Drying Association.  Click here for Registration Form and Meeting Details.
Snacks during the break and dinner during the business meeting Wednesday night will be provided. Breakfast is provided by the hotel as part of your reservation.
HOTEL: A small block of rooms has been reserved on a first come basis at Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites. The room block will be released on October 23rd. Reservations can be made by calling the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites (reduced rate of $85.00+tax per night for the block) at (423)-837-1500. Please use the group code Lumber Drying.

Spring 2019 Meeting of the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club Announced

SPRING 2019 MEETING
WHEN:           Thursday, June 13 – Friday, June 14, 2019
WHERE:         Technical Session at McDowell Tech Community College,
                        634 College Drive, Marion, NC 28752
Room 105/106 Universal Advanced Manufacturing Bldg.
Tour #1 – NW Hardwoods, Marion, NC
Tour #2 – WNC Dry Kilns, Marion, NC
Tour #3 – McDowell County Millworks, Marion, NC
Thursday – June 13, 2019
1:00 PM Technical Session – Universal Advanced Mfg Bldg, McDowell Tech CC
 
DR. GENE WENGERT  will be presenting:
Review of best techniques for…..
  •         Drying white and red oak
  •         Drying hard maple and other white woods
  •         Getting more uniform final MC
  •         Shortening kiln residence time
Dr. Wengert is former Professor and Extension Specialist at Virginia Tech and University of Wisconsin, as well as a researcher at the US Forest Products Lab. Gene teaches practical wood processing classes and seminars throughout the year for the wood products industry, including sawing, edging, grading, drying, machining and gluing. Gene is the author of eight practical books and has published over 400 articles relating to the wood products industry.

4:00 Troubleshooting Q & A Roundtable 

 – Bring your drying problem examples
4:30 Southeastern Dry Kiln Club Business Meeting 
5:30 Social Hour
6:00 Dinner is sponsored by the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club
Friday – June 14, 2019

Please bring your PPE (hardhat, safety glasses, earplugs) if available.

  • Tour #1 – NW Hardwoods, Marion, NC
  • Tour #2 – WNC Dry Kilns, Marion, NC
  • Tour #3 – McDowell County Millworks, Marion, NC
Meeting will adjourn from Tour #3
REGISTRATION:  Click here for Online Registration.   Cutoff date to register is June 6th.  The registration fee is $40 per person.  This includes the dinner.  There is no registration fee for spouses (or significant other) of members, or retired and lifetime members (please contact Phil Mitchell and let him know  your spouse is attending).  Contact Phil Mitchell (phil_mitchell@ncsu.edu) or 919-515-5581 with questions.
HOTEL: The meeting hotel will be the HAMPTON INN, 3560 US-221, Marion, North Carolina.  The hotel’s phone number is (828) 652-5100.  You must make your own hotel reservations if you plan to attend.  Ask for the DRY KILN CLUB rate of $103.00 per room per night plus tax. Please make your hotel reservations now so you are not left without a room.

SOUTHEASTERN DRY KILN CLUB MEMBERSHIP

If you signed up as an SEDKC member before June 2017 you received via email the 2017 SEDKC membership directory.  Your name and company details will carry over to the 2018 SEDKC Membership Directory unless you update it or let me know that I need to delete it.  Remember, there is no cost to be an SEDKC member.  Those who have not joined can sign up now for the 2018 SEDKC Membership Directory.  Simply fill out the form and tell us about your lumber drying equipment and capacity.  If you do not dry lumber but have an interest in lumber drying, you can still be a member…but you must fill out the form !
To reach the membership form click here or go to  http://goo.gl/forms/Gx1HmqXrDz

 

 

PREVIOUS EVENTS

FALL 2018 SOUTHEASTERN DRY KILN CLUB MEETING ANNOUNCED

Planning for the 2018 Fall Meeting is complete. The technical session will be hosted and a tour will be given by Jordan Lumber Company.   Jordan Lumber is a modern pine sawmill that has continuous kilns that measure moisture content during drying.  We will also tour the Mohawk fiberboard plant located nearby.  The complete agenda is listed below.
FALL 2018 MEETING
WHEN:           Thursday, Nov. 8 – Friday, Nov. 9, 2018
WHERE:         Technical Session at Jordan Lumber Human Resource Building,
                        located at 1939 NC-109, Mt. Gilead, NC 27306
                        Tour #1 – Jordan Lumber, Mt. Gilead, NC
                        Tour #2 – Mohawk Industries, Mt. Gilead, NC
Thursday – November 8, 2018
1:00 PM Technical Session (Jordan Lumber Human Resources Building)
  • KDS Windsor System for Measuring Moisture Content in Continuous Dry Kilns, by Rob Girardi, Kiln Drying Systems and Components, Hendersonville, NC.
  • Moisture Measurement and Data Analysis, by Ron Smith, Wagner Meters, Rogue River, OR.
  • USNR Moisture Measurement System During Drying, by Mike Sanders, USNR-Irvington Moore, Jacksonville, FL.

4:00 Troubleshooting Q & A Roundtable – Bring your drying problem examples

4:30 Southeastern Dry Kiln Club Business Meeting 

6:00 Dinner – The Tillery Tradition Country Club, 214 Tradition Dr., Mt. Gilead, NC 27306
Dinner is sponsored by the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club
Friday – November 9, 2018
Plant Tours –  Please bring your PPE (hardhat, safety glasses, earplugs) if you have them available.
  • Tour #1 – Jordan Lumber , Mt. Gilead, NC
  • Tour #2 – Mohawk Industries, Mt. Gilead, NC
Meeting will adjourn from Tour #2
REGISTRATION:  To preregister download the registration form (click here).   Cutoff date to register is November 2nd.  The registration fee is $40 per person.  This includes the dinner.  There is no registration fee for spouses (or significant other) of members, or retired and lifetime members.  Please prepay by sending a check payable to the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club and mail it to Phil Mitchell, NC State University, Campus Box 8003, Raleigh, NC  27695-8003.  You can either FAX the completed form to (919-515-6302) or email the form to Phil Mitchell (phil_mitchell@ncsu.edu) to let us know you are coming so that we can plan the dinner. You can still pay (cash or check) at the door, but it makes our job easier if you pay-in-advance.
HOTEL: The meeting hotel will be the HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES, 500 Leonard Avenue, Albemarle, North Carolina.  The hotel’s phone number is (704) 986-2100.  You must make your own hotel reservations if you plan to attend.  Ask for the DRY KILN CLUB rate of $99.00 per room per night plus tax.  The hotel cutoff date to get this special rate is October 18, 2018.   Please make your hotel reservations now so you are not left without a room.

SPRING 2018 SOUTHEASTERN DRY KILN CLUB MEETING ANNOUNCED

SPRING 2018 MEETING
WHEN:           Thursday, May 24 – Friday, May 25, 2018

WHERE:         Technical Session at La Quinta Inn & Suites-Hickory, located at

1607 Fairgrove Church Road, Conover, NC  28613
Tour #1 – Select Hardwoods, Millers Creek, NC
Tour #2 – Minton Sales, Lenoir, NC
Tour #3 – Boldesign, Hudson, NC
Planning for the 2018 Spring Meeting is nearly complete.
Thursday – May 24, 2018
1:00 PM Technical Session
  • Regional Log and Lumber Exports, by Clay Altizer
    NC Forest Service, Raleigh, NC.
  • Saving Steam Energy by Better Steam Utilization, by Thomas Monroe,
    Monroe Sales Company, Shelby, NC
  • Using and Investing in an In-Line Moisture Meter is Like Having Fire Insurance – Would You Do Without?, by Claus Staalner, Brookhuis-America, Suwanee, GA
4:00 Troubleshooting Q & A Roundtable  – Bring your problem samples
4:30 Southeastern Dry Kiln Club Business Meeting 
5:30 Social – La Quinta Inn & Suites, Conover, NC
6:00 Dinner – Both Social and Dinner sponsored by the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club
Friday – May 25, 2018
Plant Tours
  • Tour #1 – Select Hardwoods, Millers Creek, NC
  • Tour #2 – Minton Sales, Lenoir, NC
  • Tour #3 – Boldesign, Hudson, NC.   Lunch will be served courtesy of Boldesign!

Meeting will adjourn from Tour #3

REGISTRATION:  To preregister download the registration form (click here).   Cutoff date to register is May 18th.  The registration fee is $40 per person.  This includes the meeting space and dinner.   There is no registration fee for spouses (or significant other) of members, or retired and lifetime members.  Please prepay by sending a check payable to the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club and mail it to Phil Mitchell, NC State University, Campus Box 8003, Raleigh, NC  27695-8003.  You can either FAX the completed form to (919-515-6302) or email the form to Phil Mitchell (phil_mitchell@ncsu.edu) to let us know you are coming so that we can plan the dinner. You can still pay (cash or check) at the door, but it makes our job easier if you pay-in-advance.
HOTEL: The meeting hotel will be the LA QUINTA INN & SUITES,1607 Fairgrove Church Road, Conover, North Carolina.  The hotel’s phone number is (828) 465-1100.  You must make your own hotel reservations if you plan to attend.  Ask for the SE DRY KILN CLUB rate of $92.00 per room per night plus tax.  The hotel cutoff date to get this special rate is May 10th.   Please make your hotel reservations now so you are not left without a room.
FALL 2017 JOINT MEETING OF THE SOUTHEASTERN DRY KILN CLUB AND THE OHIO VALLEY LUMBER DRYING ASSOCIATION
Thursday, November 2 – Friday, November 3, 2017
Technical Session at Courtyard by Marriott Knoxville Airport, Alcoa, TN
Following plant tours are scheduled:
Havco Wood Products, Vonore, TN
Genera Energy, Vonore, TN
Benton’s Country Hams, Madisonville, TN
Thursday – November 2, 2017
12: 00 PM – 1:00 PM Registration – Courtyard by Marriott Knoxville Airport,
141 Furrow Way, Alcoa, TN 37701  (865) 977- 8333

Technical Session

  • 1:00 PM – Dr. Gene Wengert – Quality Drying Options and Techniques Prior to Kiln                   Drying: Detailed Description, Pros and Cons (emphasis on oak).
  • 2:15 PM – Dr. Adam Taylor – UT Research and Phytosanitation
  • 3:15 PM – Break
  • 3:45 PM – Mr. Tommy Stiles – Kiln Maintenance
  • 4:45 PM – Stress Relief
  • 6:00 PM – Dinner & Business Meeting in meeting room.
  • 7:30 PM – Refreshments in Hospitality Suite

Friday, November 3, 2017

Plant Tours
8:00 AM – Breakfast to go. Provided with registration.
8:30 AM – Leave Hotel for Havco, 150 Oak Hill Ln, Vonore, TN 37885
9:15 AM – 10:30 AM – Tour Havco

10:45 AM – 11:45 AM – Tour Genera Energy, 167 Tellico Port Road, Vonore, TN 37885
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM – Tour Benton’s Hams, 2603 Hwy. 411 North, Madisonville, TN
12:45 PM – Meeting adjourns
REGISTRATION:  To preregister download the registration form (click here).   Registration Deadline is October 27, 2017.  The registration fee is $80 per person  (Late registration is $100 per person).  Registration for this SEDKC meeting is being handled by the Ohio Valley Lumber Drying Association: Please make checks payable to: Ohio Valley Lumber Drying Association.
HOTEL:  A small block of rooms has been reserved on a first come basis at the Courtyard by Marriott Knoxville Airport. The room block will be released on October 25th. Reservations can be made by calling the Courtyard Marriott (reduced rate of $89) at 865-977-8333.   Please use the group code OVLDA.

SPRING 2017 SOUTHEASTERN DRY KILN CLUB MEETING ANNOUNCED
REGISTER NOW !
June 8 – Friday, June 9, 2017
Emporia, VA Area
Planning for the 2017 Spring Meeting is nearly complete.  Details follow:

Thursday – June 8, 2017
1:00 PM Technical Session- Holiday Inn Express, 1350 W Atlantic St, Emporia, VA 23847

  • Wood-Destroying Beetles – a Boring Subject, by Mike Waldvogel, NC State University, Raleigh, NC.
  • Thermally Treated Wood: Properties and Process, by Dan Mathews, SII Dry Kilns, Lexington, NC
  • Hygroscopic Issues of Installed Hardwood Flooring, by David Paal, Premier Flooring, Gainesville, GA

4:00 Troubleshooting Q & A Roundtable
4:30 Southeastern Dry Kiln Club Business Meeting
6:00 Dinner at the Carolina BBQ & Chicken, 1395 Skippers Rd, Emporia, VA
Dinner sponsored by the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club

Friday – June 9, 2017
Plant Tours
Tour #1 – Virginia Carolina Forest Products, Lawrenceville, VA
Tour #2 – Ontario Hardwoods, Keysville, VA
Meeting will adjourn from Ontario Hardwoods.

REGISTRATION: To preregister download the registration form (click here). Cutoff date to register is May 31st. The registration fee is $30 per person. This includes the meeting space and dinner. There is no registration fee for spouses (or significant other) of members, or retired and lifetime members. Please prepay by sending a check payable to the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club to Phil Mitchell, NC State University, Campus Box 8003, Raleigh, NC 27695-8003. You can either FAX the completed form to (919-515-6302) or let Phil Mitchell (at 919-515-5581 or phil_mitchell@ncsu.edu) know you are coming so that we can plan the dinner. You can still pay (cash or check) at the door, but it makes our job easier if you pay-in-advance.

HOTEL: The meeting hotel where we will have dinner is the HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS, 1350 W. Atlantic St., Emporia, VA 23847. The hotel’s phone number is (434) 336-9999. You must make your own hotel reservations if you plan to attend. Ask for the SE DRY KILN CLUB rate of $103.00 per room per night plus tax. The hotel cutoff date to get this special rate is May 20th. Please make your hotel reservations now so you are not left without a room.

FALL 2016 SOUTHEASTERN DRY KILN CLUB MEETING ANNOUNCED:  REGISTER NOW !
Oct. 27 – 28, 2016
Waynesville, NC Area

Plans for the Fall 2016 SEDKC Meeting are complete.  Meeting details follow.
 .
Thursday – October 27, 2016
1:00 PM Technical Session – Haywood Community College – West Campus, 23 Hendrix Street, Waynesville, NC (Room 113)
  • Fans and Fan Systems:  do you have enough air?  by Alan Robbins, USNR Drying System Product Manager
  • Sapstain and Sapstain Prevention, by Mike Freeman, Consulting Independent Wood Scientist in Wood Preservation
  • Using Differential Shrinkage to Estimate Cupping, and other Software, by Phil Mitchell, NC State University
4:00 Troubleshooting Q & A Roundtable
4:30 Southeastern Dry Kiln Club Business Meeting
5:30 Dinner at the Rendezvous Restaurant located in Maggie Valley Inn
Sponsored by the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club
 .
Friday – October 28, 2016
Plant Tours
Tour #1 – Oaks Unlimited, Waynesville, NC
Tour #2 – Canton Sawmill, Canton, NC
Meeting will adjourn from Canton Sawmill
 .
REGISTRATION:  To preregister download the registration form (click here)  You can either FAX the completed form to (919-513-3496) or let Phil Mitchell ( at 919-515-5581 or phil_mitchell@ncsu.edu) know you are coming so that we can plan the dinner.  Cutoff date to register is October 19th.  The registration fee is $40 per person.  This includes the meeting space and dinner (alcoholic beverages are not covered).   There is no registration fee for spouses (or significant other) of members, or retired and lifetime members.  Please prepay by sending a check payable to the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club to Phil Mitchell, NC State University, Campus Box 8003, Raleigh, NC  27695-8003.  You can still pay (cash or check) at the door, but it makes our job easier if you pay-in-advance.
 .
HOTEL: The meeting hotel where we will have dinner is the MAGGIE VALLEY INN, 70 Soco Road, Maggie Valley, North Carolina 28751.   The hotel’s phone number is (866) 926-0201. You must make your own hotel reservations if you plan to attend.  Ask for the SE DRY KILN CLUB rate of $83.75 per room per night plus tax.  The hotel cutoff date to get this special rate is October 20th.   Please make your hotel reservations now so you are not left without a room.
 .

SPRING 2016 SOUTHEASTERN DRY KILN CLUB MEETING               (Join SEDKC)
April 21 – 22, 2016
Hickory, NC
La Quinta Inn & Suites-Hickory, 1607 Fairgrove Church Rd, Conover, NC
(828) 465-1100  Ask for the SE DRY KILN CLUB rate of $89 plus tax

Thursday – April 21, 2016
1:00 PM Technical Meeting – La Quinta Inn & Suites, , Conover, NC
DR. GENE WENGERT will be discussing:  DRYING FROM GREEN TO 25% MC – Practical, Non-Air-Drying Methods Sheds, Fan Sheds and Predryers: Design, Benefits, Cautions, Operating Techniques

4:00 Q & A on any drying topic with Dr. Wengert
4:30 Southeastern Dry Kiln Club Business Meeting
5:30 Social – La Quinta Inn & Suites, Conover, NC
6:00 Dinner – Both Social and Dinner sponsored by the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club

Friday – April 22, 2016
Plant Tours
• Tour #1 – Granite Hardwoods, Granite Falls, NC
• Tour #2 – Associated Hardwoods, Granite Falls, NC
Meeting will adjourn from Associated Hardwoods

HOTEL: The meeting hotel will be the LA QUINTA INN & SUITES in Conover, North Carolina.  The hotel’s phone number is (828) 465-1100.  You must make your own hotel reservations if you plan to attend.  Ask for the SE DRY KILN CLUB rate of $89 plus tax per night.  The hotel cutoff date to get this special rate is April 7th.   Please make your hotel reservations now so you are not left without a room.
CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION FORM

FALL 2015 SOUTHEASTERN DRY KILN CLUB MEETING
(This is a Joint Meeting with the Ohio Valley Lumber Drying Association and the Appalachian Dry Kiln Club)
November 11 – 13, 2015
Johnson City, TN

The Fall Meeting of the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club will be held November 11 – 13, 2015 in Johnson City, TN.  It will be a joint meeting of the SEDKC along with the Ohio Valley Lumber Drying Association and the Appalachian Dry Kiln Club and feature a 1-1/2 day Advanced Lumber Drying Short Course which will be taught by Professor Emeritus and Wood Drying expert Dr. Gene Wengert on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday.
The meeting agenda, registration form, and hotel information can be found at the following link:

ANNUAL HARDWOOD DRY KILN OPERATOR’S SHORT COURSE
Sponsored by the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club
May 19 – 22, 2015
NC State University
Raleigh, NC

This short course will provide practical knowledge about how lumber is effectively kiln dried and scientific background on related wood properties and processes.  It will have value for the beginner as well as experienced kiln operators and with supervisors, sales, and marketing personnel.  Instruction, by university faculty and industry experts, will be both in the classroom and through hands-on lab exercises using our 1000 BF steam heated dry kiln.

For more details contact Phil Mitchell at phil_mitchell@ncsu.edu or call 919 515 5581 or download the brochure.

 

 

SOUTHEASTERN DRY KILN CLUB MEETING
October 30 – 31, 2014
Lexington/Thomasville, North Carolina

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, 351 Vineyards Crossing, Lexington, NC (make your own hotel reservation)
Tours: Prime Lumber Company and Joseph Samuel Specialties, Thomasville, NC
Meeting Registration Per Person: $30
Download the Meeting Notice and Registration Brochure or email phil_mitchell@ncsu.edu

Download the Fall 2014 Newsletter.

The Southeastern Dry Kiln Club was founded in 1950 to promote the professionalism and knowledge of dry kiln operators and lumberyard managers in the wood industry. The club accomplishes its mission by hosting two meetings annually, kiln operator short courses, and other related courses. Some of the greatest benefits to members are the informal contacts they make with other operators, giving them resources to tap when they have questions.

Lumber drying is one of the critical steps in making lumber usable for fine furniture. It is a scientific process that relies on the experience and good judgement of the kiln operator. If the lumber is dried too quickly, the lumber will be destroyed. If the lumber is not dried to the correct moisture content, the furniture manufactured from the wood will suffer in service problems such as splitting.

Phil Mitchell of NC State University is currently serving as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Southeastern Dry Kiln Club. He can be contacted at phil_mitchell@ncsu.edu or (919) 515-5581.