"The AF & PA vs -----"

Note: A few of you did not receive last week's Nip Impressions because your censoring software found it's content (my favorite bounce-back) "dangerous." If you want to see what you missed and what we are talking about here, click on "More" below.

Jim

***

Good afternoon, Jim.

I just read your 12/29 Nip Impressions where you bared your soul. You put things into very good perspective, as usual. I suspect you will never know for sure how many people you affected positively with this article. I find myself in a very good place despite the current state of the economy, but I know others who will be helped by your words.

All the best.

[name withheld]

***

Jim,

Thanks for publishing my very wrong answer to the weight riddle. No fair putting weights on both sides of the balance scale ... lol.

Thanks for your continued insight.

Peace,

Gene Canavan
Prattville, Alabama
USA

***

Jim,
I just finished reading your latest article on AF&PA vs ---- and I think you are right on track. It is hard to imagine that there are people out there that think the best way out of this slump is to pile huge amounts of our grandkid's money on top of the problem and trust the people who got us here in the first place to fix everything they screwed up. When I wrote my Senator (Ms. Clinton) about my thoughts on this very subject, her response was that she intended continue down this same path until they got it right. Her rallying cry was "Save Jobs" which will probably work until the money runs out. I only hope the paper industry quits banging its head against the wall while complaining about a headache. I think the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

I look forward to your next two articles on macroeconomics, are you sure you can do it in less that 2500 words?

The answer to the riddle is to bring the water to a boil without the egg and flip over both timers and when the 4 minute one runs out flip it over again. When the 7 minute timer runs out there will be 1 minute left in the 4 minute timer. Put the egg in the boiling water and when the 4 minute timer runs out (1 minute) flip the 4 minute timer over and run it through two complete cycles. This will give you 9 minutes (1 + 4 + 4 = 9). It will take you 7 minutes to get ready and 9 minutes to cook the egg, assuming the water was already boiling.

Gerry Craig
Carthage, New York
USA

---

I think you are wrong about our grandkid's--I think we are way beyond them, to our great and great, great grandchildren. Since I won't be around, I plan on leaving them a note of apology.

Jim

***

Thanks for another good read concerning graft and the cost to companies. I'll share one with you.

While working for one mill in Alabama, we had a purchasing agent who would receive lots of gifts from suppliers at Christmas time. He would notify them and ship the items back to them that cost over about $10. Those smaller items, he would place on a table for others to take, but he never took even one home with himself.

There are some good honest people working in the industry and it gives them a bad taste when they see their friends take graft.

Tommy Surles
Panama City, Florida
USA

***

Hello Jim,

It has been quite a while since we talked about the industry, probably a couple of years ago at Miami. Your comments in the recent Nip Impressions indicate we should have been talking more in recent months so I could update you on directions and changes in Agenda 2020.

Regarding your remarks about Agenda 2020, let me thank you for the kind words about the current director (I assume you were referring to me).

From your other comments, I believe you do not have a good current understanding of the Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance and its relationship with AF&PA. About three years ago, Agenda 2020 changed from an AF&PA program to a membership alliance whose principal mission elements are to keep a current set of industry priorities for pre-competitive, breakthrough R&D and to facilitate R&D programs with federal funding to address the priorities. Agenda 2020 is entirely supported by dues from member companies, and not in any way by AF&PA member dues. We are housed within AF&PA, which has some benefits for us, but in reality we should be viewed as a quasi-independent organization with mission and goals different from AF&PA. Our member companies do not need to be AF&PA members, and in fact we have several international and non-US companies as members.

Agenda 2020 is focused on transforming the forest products industry by developing transformational technologies. Recognizing that the technology roadmap published in 2006 by Agenda 2020 needs updating because of changes such as greater emphasis now on carbon footprint, sustainability, and economic pressures, we started a process last fall to develop a new technology roadmap that will clearly target the top industry priorities. The first phase of the new roadmap process was a Strategic Issues Workshop held in December, which highlighted societal and business challenges rather than technological solutions. The international group of 45 participants representing industry, government, and universities selected five theme areas as the top priorities needing new transformational R&D programs. The areas are: reducing carbon emissions and energy use, reducing water consumption in manufacturing at least 50%, growing and using wood and woody biomass more effectively, developing dramatically different product features, and improving the recovery and reuse of wood- and fiber-based products. A more complete explanation of these priority areas will be published in [another publication]. The second phase of the process for a new technology roadmap will be a technology-focused session planned for April in Atlanta, at which development pathways will be defined to address the five priority areas from the December workshop.

As you can see from the five priority areas, particularly when you see the details in each area in the...article, the new focus on water reduction and carbon footprint and a clear direction to develop new product features, with pre-competitive R&D as the foundation, indicates that we are not simply "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic," as you suggest, but rather are looking at major changes that will be essential to a globally competitive industry in the next decade.

In parallel with advocating transformational change in the industry, Agenda 2020 is working to transform itself by lowering dues and increasing membership. The U.S. industry needs an organization that promotes the development of transformational technologies, and Agenda 2020 is best positioned to serve that role. Any company interested in learning more about our activities should contact me (202-463-2742, ron_brown@afandpa.org ).

Jim, I apologize for this message being so lengthy but I wanted to tell you about some of the current directions of the Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance and to correct some misunderstandings that seemed apparent from your Nip Impressions remarks. And I definitely agree with your comment: "We have to change our thinking, now, if we haven't already waited too long, in order to transform our industry."

Thank you for reading all of this.

Best regards,

Ron Brown

Executive Director, Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance
Washington, D.C.
USA

***

You are great! I can't wait for the next two issues!

Joe Broz
Camas, Washington
USA

***

Well, you sure stirred up a hornet's nest. But what else is new?

George Mead
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
USA

***

I received the following email from a graduate student in the Netherlands looking for some information. I have responded, but if you have any insights for him, please send them to him directly at: F.Rietdijk@students.uu.nl

Jim

---

Dear mr. Thompson

My name is Frank Rietdijk and I am a student at the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands). These days I am graduating for the master programme 'Sustainable Development', track Energy & Resources. Together with dr. Ernst Worrell I am trying to shed some light on the trade in second-hand industrial equipment from industrialized to developing countries. The first thing we did was approaching personal contacts of mr. Worrell. One of these contacts is Reid Miner. Unfortunately, mr. Miner did not had the knowledge to help us, but he did gave us some hints for contacts we can approach in order to find more information, including your name.

We were wondering whether you could help us by providing any information that you might have on this subject. The first thing we want to survey is the volume of the trade in second-hand equipment. Two other aspects we want to consider is the scale at which industrial plants are closed and the reasons for it (economic; environmental legislation) and the process of plant relocation. Eventually we want to shed light on the consideration that industrial companies make between new 'state-of-the-art' equipment and second-hand equipment, by looking at economic and energetic performances of both these technologies.

Therefore my question to you is whether you have information on (one of) these aspects?

- The volume of trade in second-hand industrial equipment;

- The scale of industrial plants that are closed and reasons for it;

- Particular examples of plants/factories that use imported used technology (economic data on this: investment costs; costs for relocation; costs for maintenance; costs for fuel use and energetic data: plant efficiency).

Any piece of (anecdotal) information that you might have may be a valuable contribution of this interesting puzzle, so please let us know every bit of information that you might have. Obviously, I am also very much interested in additional contacts of people who could possibly help me with collecting data that is relevant for my thesis. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you in advance.

Take care,

Frank Rietdijk
Ernst Worrell
University of Utrecht
The Netherlands

###

Have a comment? Send your email to jthompson@taii.com. Unless you tell us otherwise, we will assume we can use your name if we publish your letter.

A convenient shortcut: