Willis Enterprises Faces a Supply Dilemma
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
16-5-2013
Abstract
Willis Enterprises has been buying pulp logs by the ton for more than 20 years, to make chips for paper pulp. They were awarded the 2012 Western Region Outstanding Fiber Supplier by the Forest Resource Association. They have five locations in Washington State for this process. In 2009 they purchased a veneer mill in Aberdeen, Washington. The veneer mill peels logs to make plywood. They were able to cut the pulp logs by specific lengths, 9 and 17 feet, to ship to the veneer mill, and continue to use any waste for chips. It is a profitable way to get the most out of an inexpensive log. In mid-2012 the availability of pulp logs diminished and they had to compete with sawmills and exporters for different types of logs. What this means is the available logs could no longer be measured by the ton but had to be measured by grade quality and Scribner scale. They were not ready for this conversion of measurement. We will be researching the solution to this supply dilemma.
Recommended Citation
Ngo, Anthony; Pham, Cuong; and Olson, Leslie, "Willis Enterprises Faces a Supply Dilemma" (2013). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 9.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2013/cwucenters/9
Additional Mentoring Department
Operations and Supply Chain Management
Willis Enterprises Faces a Supply Dilemma
Willis Enterprises has been buying pulp logs by the ton for more than 20 years, to make chips for paper pulp. They were awarded the 2012 Western Region Outstanding Fiber Supplier by the Forest Resource Association. They have five locations in Washington State for this process. In 2009 they purchased a veneer mill in Aberdeen, Washington. The veneer mill peels logs to make plywood. They were able to cut the pulp logs by specific lengths, 9 and 17 feet, to ship to the veneer mill, and continue to use any waste for chips. It is a profitable way to get the most out of an inexpensive log. In mid-2012 the availability of pulp logs diminished and they had to compete with sawmills and exporters for different types of logs. What this means is the available logs could no longer be measured by the ton but had to be measured by grade quality and Scribner scale. They were not ready for this conversion of measurement. We will be researching the solution to this supply dilemma.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Kun Liao