Weyerhaeuser's Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan, OSB mill to produce JAS-certified OSB panels for export to Japan; facility received JAS certification from APA in February

Audrey Dixon

FEDERAL WAY, Washington , March 19, 2012 (press release) – Weyerhaeuser will soon produce JAS-certified OSB material for export to Japan. OSB (oriented strand board) panels are used in both residential and commercial construction in Japan, as wall and roof sheathing and as structural flooring panels. The Weyerhaeuser OSB mill in Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan, Canada will produce the material under a JAS certification received from the APA in February. The mill will use a proprietary formulation specifically engineered to meet JAS strength and stiffness criteria, as well as the stringent F4 requirements for formaldehyde emission levels. Production to this standard will begin in April with the first material arriving in Japan in May. "We are very excited to be entering the Japan market," said Chad Kelly, Hudson Bay Mill Manager. "This is a great fit for us in terms of our wood supply and our production strengths. We have a 9' wide press so we can produce 3' wide material very efficiently."

The Hudson Bay mill will produce JAS-certified panels in standard sizes-such as 910mm x1820mm (approx. 3'x6') and 910mm x2730mm (3'x9')-to align with Japanese building practices, as well as custom sizes. Thicknesses from 9.0mm to 28mm will meet the appropriate JAS classifications-1, 2, 3, and 4. OSB is more resource-efficient and less prone to delamination than plywood, making it the preferred panel for millions of North American users. Like material produced for North American use, the JAS material will meet Exposure 1 classification, making it durable enough to withstand delays in construction. In fact, the quality of Weyerhaeuser OSB flooring panels allows that product to have a 50-year limited warranty against defects and delamination, in addition to a 200-day no-sand guarantee in North America.

To produce OSB panels, Weyerhaeuser uses nearly 100% of the log in a highly efficient manufacturing process. Logs (primarily aspen species) are sustainably harvested from forests owned by the government of Canada. CSA and SFI certifications have been in place for material produced by this mill for years, so export customers in Japan can be assured of the best environmental practices. Strands of a precise length, width and thickness are cut from the log, blended with a proprietary adhesive, aligned and formed into a mat and pressed into panels using high heat and pressure in a continuous feed process.

With over 50 years experience in the Japanese housing market, Weyerhaeuser has representatives for engineered wood products, lumber, and pulp in the Weyerhaeuser Tokyo office.

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About Weyerhaeuser

Weyerhaeuser, one of the world's largest forest products companies, began operations in 1900. Our wood products business offers leading structural frame materials, software and technical support for residential, multi-family, and light commercial under the Weyerhaeuser and Trus Joist® brand names, and is one of the largest building products distributors in the U.S. We manage our timberlands on a sustainable basis in compliance with internationally recognized forestry standards, and all of the structural wood products we make are SFI® certified. At the end of 2010, the entire company employed approximately 14,000 employees in 10 countries and generated $6.6 billion in sales. www.woodbywy.com

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