VTechWorks Repository :: Browsing by Author "Bush, Robert J."

Browsing by Author "Bush, Robert J."

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An analysis of the capital budgeting sophistication of primary forest products firms in the Eastern United States
Bush, Robert J. (Virginia Tech, 1986-07-05)
The investment decision-making techniques, financing methods and equipment needs of 1,818 sawmills and pallet manufacturers in the Eastern United States were studied. Information was gathered using a mail survey and 581 usable responses were received. It was found that discounted cash flow techniques have not been extensively adopted by the firms under study as primary methods of investment analysis. Undiscounted payback period was the most extensively used quantitative method. The majority of firms compared the expected return on an investment to a minimum rate of return but this minimum was often determined non-quantitatively. Firms most often accounted for the risk of an investment by subjective means.
Assessing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Use in Marketing Applications: A Case of Study in the Wood Products Industry
Brenes Bastos, Melissa (Virginia Tech, 2014-07-29)
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is a worldwide growing technology, however it is not yet completely accepted. Of all of the business processes in an organization, marketing is perhaps one of the natural fitting-processes to apply GIS. Even though there is recent research regarding applications of GIS in the wood products industry, those applications are mostly related to biomass mapping and logistics issues. Little research has been conducted on the utilization of GIS as part of the marketing strategic plan in this industry. Thus, the main goal of this project is to understand GIS uses on marketing application in the wood products industry, specifically in the marketing mix strategic plan. The approach of this project consisted of the collection and analysis of data from secondary wood products industries in the state of Virginia. In addition, a case of study on current users of GIS applications was conducted. Once the data from the survey and the case study were collected, validated, and analyzed; applications and guidelines for the use of GIS in marketing activities were developed. The first application was the creation of a relational database to organize the information and to create an industry directory for secondary wood products industries. Secondly, clustering techniques were used to test if wood products companies cluster around certain geographical regions. Confirmation of the clustering led to the construction of an online map. Finally, guidelines were developed to describe how to use GIS in the marketing process of wood products firms. By increasing the knowledge and developing guidelines on GIS uses on marketing mix applications this study will help the wood products industry, other practitioners and the academic community, by providing insight of the industry, possible uses to simplify the strategic process and gain understanding of the environment among other.
Character-marked Furniture: Perceptions, Critical Issues, and Barriers to Acceptance Among Manufacturers and Retailers
Bumgardner, Matthew Scott Jr. (Virginia Tech, 1998-08-05)
An important issue in the furniture industry is more widespread use of character-marks. The purpose of this research was to gain an in-depth understanding of the critical issues associated with acceptance of character-marked hardwood furniture. This information was beneficial for developing strategies to increase character-mark use by large furniture manufacturers. Although much has been said about the benefits of including more character in hardwood furniture, few large manufacturers have implemented such changes in their products. Personal interviews were conducted with product development personnel to develop case studies for large furniture manufacturers. The case studies centered on the companies' experiences with character-marked furniture. A follow-up mail survey was conducted to validate the case studies. It was found that decisions concerning character-mark use occur throughout the product development process, and involve the design, marketing, and production functions within the company. Companies that were able to fit character-marks within acceptable product concepts, considering such factors as style, finish, and hardware, appeared to have the most success with character-marked furniture in the marketplace. Conjoint analysis was employed to provide quantitative measures of retailers' perceptions of character-marked furniture products. This information was useful for determining the potential for push-type promotion. The dependent measure stimuli were full product profiles (actual wood samples and pictures), presented to respondents during on-site interviews. Retailers preferred furniture with no knots when evaluations were based on buying consideration and relative price. However, there was a linear relationship between preference and knot size, suggesting that opportunities for use of small knots may exist. It was found that character-marks were quite important to the product evaluations, suggesting that character-marks are a salient product feature. In addition to generating preference measures for tangible furniture product attributes, an investigation of the intangible product attributes associated with character-marks was conducted. Rustic, casual, and antique looks were most associated with character-marked furniture. Promotion of character-marked furniture based on environmental and natural material themes did not appear to hold much potential in the minds of manufacturers and retailers. It appears that promotion of character-marked furniture aimed at retailers will have to be based on what character-marks add to the look of wood household furniture.
China's Forest Product Imports and the Impacts on Tropical Forests
Sun, Xiufang (Virginia Tech, 2025-01-23)
China's forest product imports have surged over the past two decades, fueled by robust economic growth and an inadequate domestic timber supply. In 2017, China implemented a complete logging ban in its natural forests, further widening the domestic timber supply gap. Many observers highlight the large and expanding trade volume as a significant driver of deforestation and forest degradation, especially in tropical regions. This research investigates the relationship between China's imports of wood-based forest products and tropical forest loss (deforestation), as well as the impacts of China's complete logging ban in natural forests in shaping this relationship. I found that the logging ban has contributed China's timber imports from both provincial-level and supplying countries' analyses. However, economic development, wood products exports, and forest endowment have also played important roles. I found a positive relationship between China's imports of wood-based forest products and the forest loss across all tropical countries, except in Latin America. Additionally, land conversion to agricultural production and pasture for livestock, and rural population are important drivers of the tropical forest loss. The analysis results provide insight into the complex policy, environmental, and economic factors influencing China's imports and tropical forest loss. This research offers valuable guidance for the Chinese government in crafting balanced policies that protect domestic forests while addressing tropical deforestation.
Competitive determinants of technology diffusion in the wood household furniture industry
West, Cynthia D. (Virginia Tech, 1990)
Adoption of manufacturing technologies have been cited as an important competitive strategy for successful firms. This study assessed the wood household furniture industry for its current level of technology adoption, examined the impact of competitive variables on technology adoption and strategy formation, as well as, characteristics of innovators or early adopters within the industry. The results provide both insight into the technological direction of this industry and factors influencing the adoption of innovations by industrial organizations. The U.S. wood household furniture industry was surveyed concerning their recent equipment purchases, future purchase plans, and adoption of a list of 21 innovative technologies. Respondents listed recent equipment purchases within the finish machining area of the mill, particularly with automatic controls, as providing them with the most important benefits of increased efficiency and product quality. Respondents indicated that the functional areas of finish machining and the rough mill will receive the majority of new equipment over the next five years with automatic controls increasing in importance over time. A competitive-policy contingent model of technology adoption was developed and empirically tested. Innovativeness of firms was accessed by the number of technologies adopted from a set developed by industry experts. Empirical results suggest that organizational policy is dependent on the competitive conditions under which it was formed and that policy has an important effect on the innovativeness of an organization. Communication variables (signal frequency, cosmopliteness, and professionalization) were found to exhibit greater direct and indirect effects on innovation than industry structural variables with the exception of firm size. Characteristics of early adopters were contrasted with those of later adopters of technologies within the furniture industry based upon their adoption of thirteen processing technologies. Early adopters were found to differ significantly from later adopters on firm size, technological expertise, technological progressiveness, opinion leadership, information sources, and cosmopolitanism of the decision making group. The influence of technology push versus marketing pull strategies on firms was examined in an empirical study. Results of cluster analysis indicate that firms do align themselves along these strategic dimensions and can be contrasted on key characteristics; such as, demographics, company performance and environmental uncertainty.
Competitive strategy and structure in the United States wood household furniture industry
Forbes, Craig L. (Virginia Tech, 1995-02-05)
A multivariate measure of Porter's (1980) dimensions of competitive strategy was used to determine the competitive structure of the U.S. wood household furniture industry. Firms were categorized into strategic groups using hierarchical agglomerate cluster analysis based on factor scores. Cluster analysis resulted in a differentiation, an overall low cost, and a focus group (which appeared as a sub-group of the differentiation group). No differences (based on MANDOVA) were found between strategic groups based on performance (ROA or growth), or between firms with a distinct strategic orientation and those that appeared to be "stuck in the middle" (Porter 1980, p.41). Firms were asked to predict changes in their strategies over the following five years (1993 to 1998). The overall low cost group predicted increased emphasis primarily on the differentiation dimension, the differentiation group predicted increased emphasis on the focus dimension and the focus group predicted greater emphasis would be placed on the overall low cost and differentiation dimensions. Three firms chosen based on their close proximity to strategic group centroids were studied through case analyses to detennine how these firms operationalize their intended strategy. The firm classified as a differentiation strategist: emphasized product style and company image, and was very customer-oriented. The overall low cost firm's strategy involved manufacturing generic products exhibiting mass appeal and offering these products at the lowest cost. The focus firm aggressively targeted a particular market segment to achieve competitive advantage. The structure of the industry was investigated based of value of shipments during 1993. Over 60% of reported shipments were targeted toward a medium price point. Nearly 85% of shipments were from the largest 25% of responding firms. The majority of furniture shipped by respondents was bedroom furniture, followed by dining room furniture (19%) and occasional tables (11 %). Over one third of reported shipments were through local and regional full line furniture stores. Other important channels of distribution were national furniture chains (20% of total shipments) and discount chains, department stores and mass merchants (14%). Of the total reported value, 6.0% were exported, 15.6% were consumer ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture and 16.9% were new products.
Development of A Ready-To-Assemble Construction System
Platt, Robert Terry (Virginia Tech, 1998-07-05)
To accommodate an expanding global population, a renewable raw material resource base, in conjunction with new building technologies, must be applied to the residential housing sector. Desirable characteristics of housing systems are economy, safety, environmental sustainability, durability, design flexibility and a long service life. The system should be acceptable to the end-user, consist of renewable, indigenous resources, and require a minimum investment in labor and equipment for both production and erection. The objective of this research was to develop a ready-to-assemble (RTA) framing system. Integral to the framing system is a nail plate connector, developed in this project, that laminates wood or wood composite elements into larger building components. The laminated components can be bolted together to form various structural configurations. Decisions on the development of the RTA system were structured according to an Innovation Development Decision Model (IDDP) that was constructed from previous adoption and diffusion research. The IDDP model elucidates and illustrates the innovation process from conceptual idea to product adoption. The critical issues for product acceptance include system performance in terms of safety, cost, and building code approval. The objective of the experimental portion of the research was to test the performance of the RTA connection system in specific modes and to develop a theoretical method to predict the strength of the connection. A series of experiments to quantify the shear strength and stiffness of six joint configurations assembled with the RTA connector were designed and conducted. The joints were fabricated from solid sawn lumber and three different wood-base composites. The experimental results indicated that the strength of the RTA connector in perpendicular-to-grain and parallel-to-grain orientations can be predicted from a theoretical dowel yield model. The material properties used in the yield model were adjusted for duration of load and safety. Empirical test values were within ±6.3 % of the predicted values from the theoretical model. Joint stiffness was evaluated, modeled and quantified in the linear and non-linear ranges. A structural analysis program was used to design and model a simple RTA building for realistic gravity and wind loads. The structural model was used to predict joint forces that the RTA connector must resist in-service. The computer model predictions were compared to the empirical joint test data. The results indicate that the RTA system can be designed to meet safety and serviceability criteria. A comparison between the estimated costs of a RTA building and the costs of traditional on site construction of a building of equal dimensions indicated that the RTA system is economically competitive.
Development of An Effective Marketing Communications Network for the Successful Transfer of Technology An Empirical Study Based on the Diffusion of Portable Timber Bridge Technology
Shiau, Ren-Jye (Virginia Tech, 1999-06-18)
The ability to use scientific or engineering advances (new technologies) to meet market needs has become a primary business success factor. New technology is also a major factor influencing growth and productivity within a firm. However, the forces that lead to technological innovation are not always from inside the firm. Often a company receives technology (technology push) from outside sources. However, the transfer process is not always smooth. Public sector research represents an important source of technology. In the major Western industrialized countries, government and university research organizations account for over 40 percent of the national research and development (R&D) expenditures. However, many technology transfer efforts between public (federal government) and private sectors have been disappointing. Like all businesses, government organizations buy, sell, provide, and deliver ideas, services, and goods. Government organizations today face limited funding and personnel, but they must grapple with growing needs for their services. Public organizations often find it necessary to seek help from other organizations and individuals to achieve their objectives. In the case of diffusion of government-sponsored innovations, it is challenging to find parties who can facilitate them, and once the parties are identified, elicit the necessary assistance from them. Numerous research efforts have been conducted on technology transfer efforts between government-sponsored innovation and private sectors. However, when researchers attempt to gain an understanding of the efforts, they primarily look for end results and tend to neglect the information flow and communication process which lead to positive results. The Wood in Transportation Program (WIT), USDA Forest Service, has exerted considerable effort in transferring timber bridge technology to private industry. However, much of this effort has focused upon permanent bridge structures for highway or pedestrian use. Little research has been conducted on how to facilitate technology transfer via an information flow system to the target users. Another potentially large market may exist for portable timber bridges for use in forestry and logging operations. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the information flow through the entire logging system and identify intermediaries who can help the WIT Program, USDA Forest Service facilitate technology transfer. This study utilized a unique backward trace method to gain an understanding of how innovations are diffused. The research consisted of the following steps to attain the final goal of developing strategies to successfully diffuse portable timber bridge technology from public research sectors to private sectors. First, the research evaluated how the final users (loggers) receive information, why they prefer certain channel(s) over others, and how they make decisions to use or not use technology from developers (WIT). Second, intermediaries in the technology transfer process were identified by loggers and they were evaluated on how they receive information from technology developers; how they evaluate the information; how they currently promote and diffuse ideas or innovations. Finally, technology developers were evaluated on how they currently promote and diffuse ideas or innovations. Upon analysis of the network of information flow, a strategic marketing plan for successful transfer of portable timber bridge technology was developed.
Empirically derived dimensions of quality for softwood lumber
Hansen, Eric (Virginia Tech, 1994-04-15)
Quality perceptions of three major softwood lumber consumers: wood treaters, truss manufacturers, and home centers were investigated to determine their definition of softwood lumber quality. Data was gathered through a mail survey of buyers in each of the three groups. In total, 867 responses were received. Respondents rated the importance of product and service characteristics to quality. These characteristics were based on dimensions of product quality developed by Garvin (1984) and dimensions of service quality developed by Parasuraman et aI. (1988). A total of 80 product and service quality characteristics were assembled to represent, or measure, twelve dimensions of total product quality. Analysis indicated that the twelve dimension model, derived from previous work, was not applicable to softwood dimension lumber. Thus, exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the underlying dimensions of quality and a five dimension model resulted. The dimensions, ranked in order of importance, were: Lumber Characteristics, Supplier/Salesperson Characteristics, Lumber Performance, Supplier Services, and Supplier Facilities. These findings share few similarities with past research. In fact, they suggest that the concept of quality as a higher order abstract (i.e., dimensions of quality are similar regardless of product) may be flawed. Respondent groups differed in the importance they placed on three of the five dimensions. No difference in importance levels were found for Supplier/Salesperson Characteristics and Lumber Characteristics. However, truss manufacturers perceived Lumber Performance to be more important than treaters or home centers and Supplier Services was perceived to be more important by home centers than the other two groups. Finally, Supplier Facilities was perceived to be most important by treaters. Data gathered in a follow-up questionnaire indicated that the model developed in this study was understood by buyers of softwood lumber and that they buy from suppliers who perform well on dimensions of quality. Buyers also indicated that they pay more for better quality lumber and better service. This evidence indicates that suppliers of softwood dimension lumber can differentiate themselves based on quality and in tum command a higher price. Given these findings, strategies for utilizing quality, and the model developed in this study, to gain competitive advantage are discussed.
Evaluating Consumer Response to Environmental Labels on Packaging Using Eye-Tracking
Smith, Stephanie A. (Virginia Tech, 2015-07-21)
Labeling is one way consumers evaluate products for purchase. Environmental labeling is used to provide environmental information to the consumer. If a person is familiar with a particular labeling process they may be more inclined to consume such product. This study used the Tobii© T60 eye-tracking system to determine differences in gaze durations and time to first fixation between the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label and an unsubstantiated label. Labels were placed on two different products (toilet paper and paper plates) and four locations (top-right corner, bottom-right corner, top-left corner, and bottom-left corner). Additionally, after the participants viewed the images they were asked to complete the six-question GREEN Consumer Values scale and then asked to sort eighteen different images based on label type and price. Participants did not differentiate between the two labels. Labels placed in the bottom-right corner received the least amount of attention (as measured by fixation duration) when compared to labels placed in the other three corners. Eye-tracking data was then split at the median and two groups were created: low label fixators versus high label fixators. High label fixators scored overall higher on the GREEN Consumer Values scale than low label fixators. Participants sorted the 18 products based on price, putting the lowest-labeled product first 84% of the time. Future studies could include looking at other environmental labels and broader populations.
Export marketing decision-making by wood household furniture manufacturers in Malaysia and the United States
Idrus, Roszehan Mohd (Virginia Tech, 1994-07-15)
This dissertation presents export decision-making information meant to complement the array of information available to wood furniture manufacturers, relevant government agencies, and marketers. It utilizes data obtained from a literature search as well as from a national survey of 947 wood household-furniture manufacturers in the U.S. and 310 manufacturers in Malaysia. Personal interviews were also carried out to support as well as to add depth to the quantitative data. This report includes a detailed look at the global export market opportunities for wood household furniture. For U.S. manufacturers, potential markets are its NAFTA partners - Saudi Arabia, the European Union, and the Pacific Rim countries. However, U.S. companies need to focus more on exporting and not be totally dependent on the domestic markets. As for Malaysian manufacturers, the U.S. will remain as the largest market for their products. However, this may change with the competition that Malaysia faces with other Asian nations such as China, Indonesia, and Thailand. Furthermore, Malaysia, a tropical wood producing country, may lose its market share if U.S. consumers start to demand environmentally friendly wood furniture products.
Factors influencing pallet material substitution by the U.S. grocery distribution industry
Engle, Catherine Anna (Virginia Tech, 1994-05-05)
Persons involved in pallet decisions at U.S. grocery distribution centers were surveyed to investigate the degree of material substitution, assess factors influencing pallet material substitution, and quantify consumer perceptions of wood pallets compared to substitutes. A total of 444 questionnaires were mailed nationwide. Underlying reasons for material substitution were investigated through in-depth interviews with 20 respondents. Cost per use was considered by grocery distributors to be the Persons involved in pallet decisions at U.S. grocery distribution centers were surveyed to investigate the degree of material substitution, assess factors influencing pallet material substitution, and quantify consumer perceptions of wood pallets compared to substitutes. A total of 444 questionnaires were mailed nationwide. Underlying reasons for material substitution were investigated through in-depth interviews with 20 respondents. Cost per use was considered by grocery distributors to be the most important factor when choosing a pallet to be sent downstream to their customers. Common advantages of solid wood pallets reported by respondents included: availability, low initial cost, durability/stability (the ability of the pallet to be racked and hold the necessary weight with little deflection), industry standard, ability to exchange, ease of repair. Common disadvantages of solid wood pallets reported by respondents included: easily damaged, short life, high repair and replacement costs, heavy, inconsistent construction, and damages product. Advantages of plastic pallets reported by respondents included: light weight, durability, longer life, true four-way entry, and ability to nest. Plastic pallets were perceived to be superior to wood pallets in terms of overall performance, durability, and recyclability. Although 100 percent of the responding companies use solid wood pallets to ship goods to customers, approximately 20 percent of the companies also use plastic pallets (the dominant substitute pallet material) for this purpose. The common plastic pallet used by respondents was of the twin sheet thermoform type. The primary reason for switching to plastic pallets was perceived overall cost savings resulting from long pallet life.
Factors influencing the production of Indonesian sawnwood and plywood
Siregar, Hezlisyah (Virginia Tech, 1996)
The forest products industry of Indonesia grew rapidly after the establishment of the log export ban policy in May 1980. As a result, within about five years, Indonesia was transformed from the biggest exporter of tropical logs into a major exporter of processed wood products. To better understand this transition, this study presents multiple regression models of Indonesian sawnwood and plywood production and consumption based on time series data from 1970 to 1994. This study had three main objectives: 1) to create models that can be used for projecting future production of Indonesian sawnwood and plywood, 2) to identify the relationship and establish the degree of association between production and factors that influence their trends, and 3) to analyze Indonesian forestry policies of log export ban and sawnwood export tax as they affect production of sawnwood and plywood. Domestic sawnwood consumption was modeled as a function of population, log export policy (no log export ban vs. log export ban), and sawnwood tax policy (tax vs. no tax). Domestic plywood consumption was modeled as a function of population, consumer price index (CPI), and log export policy (ban vs. no ban). Export plywood consumption was modeled as function of exchange rate, log export policy, and sawnwood tax policy. The consumption and production of sawnwood and plywood were analyzed by multiple regression techniques. All parameters in the sawnwood and plywood equation were found to be significant. However, price did not influence the consumption or production of sawnwood and plywood significantly. All parameters in this study were found to be elastic. It is found that, during the period under investigation (using 1970 as the base year), the production and consumption of Indonesian sawnwood and plywood increased considerably. The projection of sawnwood and plywood productions for 5 years (1995-1999) also shows an increasing trend.
Hardwood Use in China's Wood Furniture Industry: A Small Sample Assessment
Sun, Xiufang (Virginia Tech, 1998-09-18)
In this study, over two hundred furniture manufacturers throughout China were surveyed regarding their raw wood material use in 1996 and their estimated use in 1999. Personal interviews were conducted after a mail survey to get interviewees' perceptions of the Chinese furniture market and raw wood material use. Forty-one overall responses were obtained which included 26 from personal interviews. The results from this study indicate general trends in the industry, and provide some important insights into China's furniture industry. In 1996, total wood materials used by responding firms were approximately 140,000 cubic meters. On average, hardwood dimension accounted for 25% of the total volume of the wood materials used by wood furniture makers. This was followed by particleboard (24%), hardwood lumber (22%), and medium density fiberboard (MDF) (17%). Domestic species grown in temperate regions were found to be the dominant types used in all responding firms. Chinese oak, ash, and birch were the major species used in 1996. U. S. red oak was the most popular temperate hardwood species imported. Interviewees reported that they prefer temperate over tropical hardwood species because they are predominantly light color. Sampled furniture manufacturers purchased hardwood lumber/dimension either from domestic sawmills or from wholesalers. On average, imported wood materials accounted for less than 7% of the total by volume. Most companies thought that price and quality of materials were most important factors affecting their importing decision. Delivery terms and species availability were important to a lesser degree. Approximately one-half the responding firms reported that their wood material demand would increase 5 to 10% annually through 1999. The other half estimated that their wood material needs would remain at or near the 1996 level. In the near future, high quality hardwood lumber, dimension, and wood veneer will need to be imported to supply upper-end solid furniture manufacturing. However, panel products, such as MDF and particleboard will retain their dominant positions in furniture making to meet the needs of consumers with low to middle incomes.
A hierarchical analysis of factors affecting the adoption and marketing of timber bridges
Smith, Robert L. (Virginia Tech, 1994)
Several aspects influencing the adoption of timber bridges were investigated. Initially, perceptions of timber as a bridge material were rated by highway officials in twenty-eight states. Timber was rated lowest in overall performance by each group (State Department of Transportation engineers, private consultants, and local highway officials) throughout the United States. The highest rated bridge material was prestressed concrete, followed by reinforced concrete, steel and timber. The most important factors in the bridge material decision included: Lifespan of material, past performance of material, maintenance requirements of material, resistance to natural deterioration, initial cost, and lifecycle cost. Timber was compared to other bridge materials on eight preselected attributes. Timber rated the lowest on the attributes of low maintenance, ease of design, long life, and high strength. Highway officials in four states (Mississippi, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin) were personally interviewed. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to characterize their decision of a bridge material. The most important bridge criteria were similar in each state, however, their effect on the overall decision differed by state. Prestressed and reinforced concrete were the materials of choice in all states. The results of this study indicate that, based on the six criteria measured, timber will seldom be the material of choice for highway bridges. Timber bridge manufacturers were surveyed to understand current marketing and management techniques in the promotion of timber bridges. Marketing efforts were most prevalent in the Midwest. Timber bridge sales represented, on average, less than 7% of total sales from responding companies. Wood treating and gluelaminating firms represented over 75% of the timber bridge firms. One-half of the responding timber bridge companies felt that timber bridge sales would increase an average of 15% over the next five years. Barriers and incentives to timber bridge adoption were investigated. The greatest incentives include: year around construction, resistance to deicing chemicals, quick construction, and aesthetic qualities. Major barriers appear to be: short lifespan, maintenance requirements, decay, perceptions of strength, and that "timber doesn't perform well under high weight and traffic volumes". The realistic size of the bridge market was estimated not to exceed 600 to 700 designed bridges a year. This would require the use of 10 to 12 million board feet of lumber.
Identifying Opportunities for Engineered Lumber Products in the Modular Housing Industry
Gurney, Sara Jensen (Virginia Tech, 1999-02-09)
Modular housing is an important segment of the factory-built housing industry, in the Mid-Atlantic. In 1998, a study was conducted to assess the structural needs and requirements of this industry. This study addressed three questions. (1) What is the current and future state of the industry? (2) What structural material trends are present between 1992 - 2000? (3) What opportunities exist for product substitution and development of new structural materials? This study found that the modular housing industry in the Mid-Atlantic region is growing. The greatest barrier to market expansion is transportation costs. Expansion is expected in the South and Midwest regions of the US. Most competition comes from site-built and manufactured homebuilders. To stay competitive, respondents plan to increase customization options and home size. The need for cost effective, quality structural materials is a growing concern. Softwood dimensional lumber has been decreasing since 1992 and is expected continue to decrease through 2000. Decreases are due to design changes and quality concerns. The use of engineered lumber has increased in order to compensate for decreases in dimensional lumber necessary to meet the structural needs of the industry. Using factor analysis and perceptual mapping techniques, dimensional lumber was not perceived to be as suited for structural building applications as engineered lumber. However, respondents felt that engineered lumber tended to be more expensive. Perceptual mapping also identified gaps between the ideal needs of building applications and the ability of current materials to meet those needs. Opportunities for new product development exist where gaps occurred.
The Impact of Environmental Certification on U.S. Hardwood Flooring Manufacturers
Alt, Curt (Virginia Tech, 2001-04-06)
A nation-wide survey of hardwood flooring manufacturers was conducted in the spring of 1998. The objectives of the study were to determine the differences in beliefs towards certification between certified and non-certified hardwood flooring manufacturers and to explore the decision to certify and the implications of that decision. Those objectives were chosen because certification is a developing phenomenon of which there are some aspects that remain unknown. The survey consisted of a mail questionnaire that was sent to more than 250 hardwood flooring manufacturers. The questionnaire was used to collect demographic and attitudinal information from the respondents about certification. The second part of the research used the Analytic Hierarchy Process to model the decision process hardwood flooring manufacturers go through when deciding whether or not to certify. Data were collected as part of the mail questionnaire. The final goal of the research, to explore the experiences of certified manufacturers, was met through the use of personal interviews with the manufacturers. The results from the mail survey indicated that certified hardwood flooring manufacturers tended to be smaller than non-certified hardwood flooring manufacturers. The total amount of certified hardwood flooring produced in the U.S. in 1997 was estimated to be 435,579 bdft, roughly 0.1% of the total reported amount of hardwood flooring produced. The research also indicated that certified manufacturers felt that there was a need for certification in the U.S. and that it was the environmentally responsible thing to do, while the non-certified manufacturers felt that that was untrue. The most important factor in the non-certified manufacturers' decision whether to certify is the profit potential of the product, while the certified manufacturers based their decision to certify on the marketing advantages, image benefits, and access to new markets that the certified product provides. Overall, certified and non-certified hardwood flooring manufacturers hold widely differing views on certification, and those differing beliefs contribute to the choices each group makes.
The Influence of Package Size and Flute Type of Corrugated Boxes on Load Bridging in Unit Loads
Park, Jonghun; Horvath, Laszlo; White, Marshall S.; Phanthanousy, Samantha; Araman, Philip; Bush, Robert J. (2017-01)
Shipping pallets often are designed with the assumption that the payload carried is flexible and uniformly distributed on the pallet surface. However, packages on the pallet can act as a series of discrete loads, and the physical interactions among the packages can add stiffness to the pallet/load combination. The term 'load bridging' has been used to describe this phenomenon. The study reported in this paper investigated the relationships of package size, corrugated flute type and pallet stiffness to load bridging and the resulting unit-load deflection. The experimental results indicated that an increase in box size changed the unit-load deflection by as much as 75%. Flute type was found to impact load bridging and the resulting unit-load deflection. Changing the corrugated box flute type from B-flute or BC-flute to E-flute reduces the unit-load deflection by as much as 40%. Also, experimental data indicates that the effect of package size and corrugated board flute type on pallet deflection is the greatest for low stiffness pallets. The results provide information that can be used to design unit loads that use material more efficiently.
The Influence of Promotional Brochures and Pricing Strategies on Consumer Purchase Decisions for Forest Stewardship Council Certified Hardwood Boards in Home Centers
Gomon, Stephanie J. (Virginia Tech, 2004-07-16)
This study is one of the first of its kind to examine actual consumer purchasing decisions for forest products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Consumer purchasing was examined based on the presence or absence of a promotional brochure and a price premium for red oak and yellow poplar surfaced-four-sides (S4S) boards. This research also compared typical demographic factors for purchasers and non-purchasers of FSC certified S4S boards. Finally, the study examined subscales from a previously designed ecoscale to determine whether two of the subscales were effective predictors of the sale of FSC certified boards. Due to significant interactions between the price premium and the promotional brochure, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistics could not be interpreted. However, these strong interactions indicate that these two factors are interdependent. Examining respondents' understanding of the trade term, "certification," showed that most did not understand the term as it is used by the forest products industry. Respondents did not link certification directly with the environment, but rather stated that it was a measure of quality excellence. This illustrates that the forest products industry must use more specific descriptions that consumers will understand when referring to certification. Based on survey results from this study, a large proportion of respondents who paid more for FSC certified boards were unable to recall whether they had cost any more than the alternative product. Respondents of this study were not found to have a high level of confidence in the environmental claims of any group. These included forest products companies, industry associations, and independent organizations. The subscales of a previously designed ecoscale were not found to be strong indicators of a respondents' likelihood to purchase FSC certified S4S boards. This project should be seen as a starting point for additional researchers interested in studying actual purchase decisions of consumers of environmentally conscious products, such as certified hardwood boards.
The influence of stretch wrap containment force on load bridging in unit loads
Park, Jonghun; Horvath, Laszlo; White, Marshall S.; Araman, Philip; Bush, Robert J. (2018-11)
The term load bridging describes a phenomenon in which the physical interaction between various packaging components acts as a series of discrete loads in a given unit load and adds stiffness to the shipping pallet/load combination. Current pallet design practices often ignore the aspect of load bridging and assume that the pallet payload is flexible and uniformly distributed over the pallet surface. This can influence the load-carrying capacity of the pallet. The study reported in this paper investigated the relationship between the stretch wrap containment force and load bridging in unit loads and the resulting unit-load deflection. The experimental results of this study indicate that an increase in the stretch wrap containment force can improve the unit-load deflection by as much as 81%. The influence of the stretch wrap containment force on pallet deflection is greatest for small packages and pallets with low stiffness. These experimental results provide useful information for realizing more efficient and sustainable unit-load designs.

Browsing by Author "Bush, Robert J."

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