By Megan Smith

Staff Writer

For 49 years the School of Forestry has been teaching people how to grade lumber, logs and trees. The annual Hardwood Lumber Workshop was held March 16 through 19 in the auditorium of Lomax Hall and the Tech saw mill.

Mark Gibson, workshop coordinator and an associate director of the School of Forestry, said, “This is for people in the hardwood industry to learn something about hardwood lumber, logs and tree grading.”

Grading is used in the lumber industry to determine prices. Logs are given a grade between one, being the highest, and four, the lowest. Logs receive lower grades for knots, holes and splits.

Gibson said he thinks this is the longest running workshop of its kind. This year 28 participants came out to the four-day workshop. “We usually get somewhere between 20 and 40 people each year, but it depends on the hardwood industry cycle.”

Gibson said the workshop went very well this year which is good for Tech and the School of Forestry.

“This gives us a presence across the South,” Gibson said. Gibson said people from all over the South and even as far north as Pennsylvania have attuned the workshops over the years.

Also, for the School of Forestry this workshop can help with recruitment and the saw mill because the funds raised by the workshop go to maintaining the saw mill.

“This workshop can be a recruitment tool because people can ask questions and learn about degree programs,” Gibson said.

Gibson said this workshop is an industry training and information tool. “Companies know us and they know this is a quality workshop,” Gibson said.

The purpose of this workshop, Gibson said, was to give some quick training in wood grading. “It gives them the background information and the principles of grading wood,” Gibson said.

Gibson said they try to get students to participate, but most are taking classes and cannot spend the four whole days the workshop lasts. Gibson said this was beneficial to students because they get to see how the saw mill works. “They get to see the conversion from log to lumber, and the maintenance and safety procedures in the saw mill,” Gibson said.

Gibson said it was really hard work, but enjoyable at the same time. “This also gives the students an idea of what they don’t want to do and can help steer them in other directions,” Gibson said. “Others decide they enjoy the mill environment and switch to forestry products, such as furniture.”

One student, Clint Iles, a sophomore forestry major, who worked at the workshop, said it was great. “It was very interesting and helpful,” Iles said.

Iles said working at the workshop was worth his time. “I learned quite a bit from working and being able to watch.”