From Vision To Reality

GRENADA, Miss

Wayne Roberts looks at the sawmill industry as his extended family. As founder and CEO of WACO Construction Co., Inc., his family grows each time WACO takes on a new client. Industry trade shows and conventions are his family reunions. "Sure, we have our booths and we do business, but we've all known each other for so long, it's like seeing family again," Roberts, 54, says.

Working with and for this extended family has allowed Roberts to grow WACO from a predominantly construction company to what it is today - a heavy-industrial engineering and construction firm specializing in projects for the forest products industry.

WACO is a heavy-hitter when it comes to sawmill construction with clients across the country. With a philosophy seated in professionalism, experience, dedication and safety, the company's client list includes big industry players and a large cast of independent sawmills.

FOUNDATION

Roberts founded WACO in 1979. He now serves as CEO and administers the company accident prevention program and business development activities.

Karl Grubb. P.E., P.L.S., 40, joined the company in 1994, thus marking the beginning of the engineering era at WACO. Grubb manages the engineering, drafting and design departments and all field operations. He advanced to the position of President in 1997. Grubb was selected as one of " Mississippi's Top 40 Under 40 for 2004" by Mississippi Business Journal in recognition of individuals who excel in their careers and community involvement.

Joel Bridges, P.E., P.L.S., 34, joined the company in 1998 and now serves as Vice-President and project engineer; he's also Roberts' son-in-law. Bridges oversees survey and layout personnel, designs equipment and supervises the fabrication shop which designs and builds log, lumber and residuals handling machinery. Pro-Fab is also a separate business and provides custom welding and fabrication services to industry.

Corporate secretary and treasurer Suzanne Thomas, M.P.A, joined the firm in 1993. She also operates as office manager and handles insurance, accounting and business licensing.

Roberts' wife, Patricia, handles professional licensure and registrations as WACO expands into other states and ensures that engineers complete required continuing education for licenses and registrations. Her other obligations and duties to the company and its mission are many (see sidebar).

DETAILS

"We try to identify prospective clients who need and appreciate the value of the specialized services we provide," Roberts says. Services provided by WACO include engineering, project management, fabrication, construction, installation, assisting with site selection, site development, permitting and regulatory issues. For 2004, all of WACO's efforts were geared toward sawmills.

"We don't qualify the job or the location, we qualify the client," Roberts says. "Once we take on a client, we will do virtually anything that a client wants." Smiling, he adds, "As long as it isn't illegal, immoral, unethical - or fattening."

Managing the projects from conception to startup is something WACO prides itself on. New job sites are set up with CAD workstations and satellite link stations. With this technology on site, engineers and project managers are in constant contact with the home office, moving files via the internet.

"The purpose is when problems arise, as they will, we can solve the problems right there," Roberts says. "We're the only firm I know of that will do that."

Roberts admits that WACO is very selective about its clientele. "We don't take on every job that comes along," he says. "While it's not a good feeling to turn down work, we realize that not every job is a good fit for the services we provide - we want to perform on the jobs where we can work professionally and create a satisfying project for the client."

Implementing the client's concepts and making the client's vision become a reality sets high standards for WACO, yet its collective expertise allows it to handle this with ease. "It's attention to detail." Roberts says. "We feel we're the missing link between sawmill equipment vendors and the end user."

Interfacing various makes of equipment is where WACO feels it shines strongly. According to Roberts, the interface between different machines is where most problems will occur. Solving these problems as the equipment is installed and before startup is the ultimate goal.

PROJECTS

Recent projects for WACO have included the complete construction of the sawmill and planer mill for Rex Lumber LLC, in Graceville, Fla. (see Timber Processing, Oct. 2003). In this project, WACO handled layout, structural and support steel, merchandising systems, optimized bucking saws, debarkers, double-length infeed, twin band headrig, curve-sawing gang, horizontal resaw, edgers, trimmers, planer and sorters.

Another Southern project was Joe N. Miles & Sons, Inc., in Silver Creek, Miss. WACO managed the engineering, fabrication and installation of the small log line, a DDM6 small log machine, debarker, log conveyors, chip conveyor, bark handling system, foundations, optimized log trimmer and foundations and structural work on dry kilns. "I've worked with a number of contractors over the years and I've found WACO to be one of the best," says Miles Vice-President David Miles. "I will always consider them as a contractor of the highest quality and ethics."

One of WACO's repeat customers is Shuqualak Lumber Co. in Shuqualak, Miss. "It was a pleasure to work with them," Sawmill Manager Charlie Thomas III says. During the time WACO was on site for Shuqualak's sawmill project, the planer mill burned. WACO simply switched its focus to the planer. "Thanks to Karl Grubb's guidance and dedication, we were back at full production within three months,' Thomas says.

At this printing, WACO is nearing completion of a new sawmill for Midwest Hardwood Corp.'s Meister Log and Lumber in Reedsburg Wis. This project is a complete rebuild after fire destroyed the mill in 2003. WACO is handling engineering and design and installation of all components. "I give a strong recommendation to any lumberman approaching a project requiring the breadth and depth of capabilities which WACO has," says Midwest Hardwood Corp. President Mike Flynn. "We decided upon WACO Construction and have been very satisfied with our decision."

Harold Wayne Hankins, President of Hankins, Inc. in Ripley Miss. and Timber Processing's 2005 Man of the Year, had this to say about WACO: "It is the honesty, knowledge, respect and integrity that WACO Construction brings to the mill site that makes it a privilege to be in the forest products industry family and have the opportunity to work with a company such as WACO."

In order to ensure its commitment to satisfying clients, WACO takes on no more than three major on-site jobs at any one time. "More than that would not allow the level of attention, commitment and dedication that our company strives to provide," Roberts says.

PERSPECTIVE

Working in the sawmill industry as long as he has, Roberts has witnessed a vast span of changes. "The improvements over the past 20 years have been numerous, dramatic and even legendary," Roberts says.

Technology is the key word, and anyone even remotely affiliated with the industry would agree. "I feel that most of those outside the industry remain unaware that modern lumber producing facilities are among the most technologically advanced industries in any given town," Roberts observes.

In the countless technological advancements including curve-sawing, co-generation, laser scanning/imaging and thin-kerf sawing, Roberts chooses the personal computer as the item which has done the most to aid in creating and refining today's sawmill. "If not for personal computers, most of the technological advancements we take for granted today would simply not exist," he adds.

PEOPLE, SAFETY

WACO employs from 75 to 250, depending on what projects are ongoing. In addition to the normal staffing levels, a dedicated group of "travelers" have worked on multiple projects for WACO. Additional hands are contracted from local labor pools near jobs sites.

The field staff includes people who have been with the company for several years. Some of these WACO faithful include: earthwork superintendent Willie T. Lumas (13 years); Leon Fluker, concrete crew (12 years); mechanical superintendent Randy Carlile (10 years); project manager Bobby Hickman (8 years); welder/millwright foreman William Hemingway (8 years); equipment manager Curtis Sapp (8 years); welder/millwright Steve Dungan (5 years).

Safety is paramount at WACO. This commitment is marked as each year starts with two days of intensive meetings and safety classes, where employees are refreshed on first aid, CPR and other safety issues.

New projects begin with site specific safety meetings. Projects and associated tasks are evaluated for potential safety hazards. As projects continue, weekly safety meetings are mandatory.

WACO's Safety Awareness and Incentive Program has been highly successful, resulting in a period of more than seven years in which WACO had no lost time accidents. From July 15, 1997 through September 2004, more than 864,933 safe man hours were worked. Following a minor lost time injury in October 2004, WACO crews have worked nearly 40,000 hours with no recordable cases.

This safety record earned WACO a Gold Level safety award from the Mississippi Associated Builders and Contractors in 2001 and a Platinum Level safety award from the National Associated Builders and Contractors in the same year.

PATENT PENDING

WACO has developed an effective and efficient process for disposing of dry kiln condensate. Dry kiln condensate, common to all southern pine lumber kiln operations, is the watery, pollutant residual of the lumber drying process and is not permitted to be released untreated into streams and waterways.

Harold Wayne Hankins of Hankins, Inc., Mike Miles and David Miles of Miles Lumber Co.; and WACO engineers Karl Grubb and Joel Bridges have developed and proven a process, utilizing the latent heat of the drying operation, whereby all of the dry kiln condensate generated may be completely evaporated.

Latent heat is utilized and energy consumption is minimal. Additionally, the condensate which might otherwise require expensive pre-treatment, or worse might be accidentally discharged into streams and waterways, is completely removed and becomes a non-issue.

Each installation is custom engineered to suit the clients site and needs. U.S. and international patents are pending. There are presently five installations in operation.