News
Global Lumber Solutions Infringes PFS TECO Trademarks
COTTAGE GROVE, WI, USA (November 8, 2023)
PFS TECO has been informed of infringement upon our trademarks by Global Lumber Solutions Limited of Wanhai, Hong Kong in material published on the website glsolutions.com.hk and wish to disavow any connection with this company or its products. PFS TECO does not test or certify the GLSL Pine LVL product referenced in the published materials and GLSL has never been a client of our 100% employee-owned company. PFS TECO hereby demands that Global Lumber Solutions Limited cease its unauthorized and deceitful use of our marks, desist from any similar use in the future, and withdraw any and all published materials containing these false claims regarding product certification.
PFS TECO’s Bob Gorleski Appears in Modular Advantage Magazine
COTTAGE GROVE, WI, USA (JUNE 29, 2023)
Robert “Bob” Gorleski has been with PFS TECO for almost 25 years. He’s been in the building business for over 30 years, moving up to Vice President of the Manufactured Structures Division at PFS TECO. The inspection division, which he oversees, along with plan review, handles inspections for over 200 clients nationwide. He has been involved with the expansion of the company since 1999, and has seen the company grow. PFS TECO has not only expanded but has evolved: to becoming an employee-owned company. In fact, the company offers ESOP (employee stock ownership plans) available to 100 employees.
Court-Issued Permanent Injunction related to Brazilian Plywood
Cottage Grove, WI, USA (May 31, 2022)
In September 2019, a group of US plywood manufacturers filed a complaint in the Southern District of Florida concerning PFS TECO’s work as an accredited third-party agency in Southern Brazil. The complaint alleged that the PFS TECO certification mark should be considered false advertising because their group believes it is not possible for plywood made from pine grown in Southern Brazil to meet the requirements of US DOC Product Standard 1 (PS 1).
PFS TECO Recognized as Product Evaluation Entity in Florida
Cottage Grove, WI, USA (August 10, 2021)
Following approval by the Florida Building Commission (FBC), PFS TECO is now recognized as a Product Evaluation Entity in Florida. This action is the result of a multi-year effort to change the regulations related to Evaluation Entities. Previously, Evaluation Entities could only be recognized through an act of the Florida legislature. But with the 2021 legislative session that adjourned on April 30, a new law included a provision to give the Florida Building Commission a means to approve Evaluation Entities, just as it already does for other types of organizations (like Quality Assurance, Testing, Certification, and Validation). The law took effect on July 1 and PFS TECO submitted its application the next day.
PFS TECO Donates NDS Sets to Gonzaga University Students
Cottage Grove, WI, USA (February 26, 2021)
PFS TECO donated sets of the National Design Specification (NDS ®) for Wood Construction and the NDS Supplement to engineering students taking Dr. Paul Nowak’s masonry and timber design class this semester at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA.
The NDS is developed and maintained by the American Wood Council’s Wood Design Standards Committee and is approved by ANSI as an American National Standard. It is referenced in the International Building Code® and International Residential Code® and is used to design wood components and structures worldwide. “Making the NDS available to the next generation of civil and structural engineers is one way that we support not just our business but the entire wood products industry for generations to come,” said Scott Drake, President/CEO of PFS TECO.
Status Update on Plywood Coalition Lawsuit
Cottage Grove, WI, USA (November 13, 2020)
In September 2019, the U.S. Structural Plywood Coalition, a newly formed group of ten U.S. plywood manufacturers filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida against PFS TECO, Timber Products Inspection, Inc (“TPI”), and International Accreditation Services, Inc. (“IAS”). Since the inception of the lawsuit, PFS TECO has denied and continues to deny the allegations of improper certification practices asserted against it by the Coalition. Additionally, PFS TECO has vigorously defended its certifications, policies, procedures, and reputation in the industry.
PFS TECO Leadership Transition Announcement
Cottage Grove, WI, USA (November 13, 2020)
The PFS TECO Board of Directors has announced that Jim Husom, President and CEO, would be retiring at the end of 2020. Scott Drake, COO, will be promoted to the President and CEO position on January 1st, 2021.
PFS TECO Response to Plywood Coalition Complaint
Cottage Grove, WI (June 10, 2020)
In September 2019, the U.S. Structural Plywood Coalition, a newly formed group of ten U.S. plywood manufacturers filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida against PFS TECO, Timber Products Inspection, Inc (“TPI”), and International Accreditation Services, Inc. (“IAS”). Since the inception of the lawsuit, PFS TECO has denied and continues to deny the allegations of improper certification practices asserted against it by the Coalition. PFS TECO vigorously defends its certifications, policies, procedures, and reputation in the industry.
On June 5, 2020, Plaintiffs filed a motion for preliminary injunction seeking to have the Court revoke the PS 1 certifications issued by PFS TECO and TPI to Brazilian structural plywood manufacturers. Beyond the allegations made in this litigation, the Coalition has publicly released further comments.
PFS TECO Response to Plywood Coalition Complaint
Cottage Grove, WI (September 10, 2019)
From a press release we have become aware of a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on September 5. Although we have not been served by the plaintiff’s counsel, the suit is apparently filed on behalf of the U.S. Structural Plywood Coalition, a newly formed group of ten U.S. plywood manufacturers.
As described in the press release, the Coalition claims that PFS TECO has certified “Brazilian plywood mills to stamp their plywood as meeting a U.S. structural grade standard called PS 1-09” but that its own testing of plywood determines that the plywood sampled did not meet that standard.
We intend to vigorously defend our reputation and look forward to doing so in due course.
Sebastian Button Joins PFS TECO Hearth Products Group
Portland, OR (February 5, 2018)
PFS TECO is proud to announce the hiring of Sebastian Button as the Laboratory Supervisor for the PFS TECO Hearth Products testing laboratory located in Clackamas, OR. Sebastian will be responsible for overseeing and testing of wood, gas and other appliances for emissions and safety testing to EPA, UL, ULC, CSA and ASTM standards.
PFS TECO Acquires Dirigo Laboratories
COTTAGE GROVE, WI (January 3, 2018)
On December 31, 2017, Jim Husom, President and CEO of PFS Corporation, and John Steinert, President of Dirigo Laboratories, Inc. signed papers for PFS Corporation (d/b/a PFS TECO) to acquire Dirigo Laboratories. The acquisition gives PFS TECO additional laboratory testing capability to better serve its growing hearth products (solid fuel and gas) customer base. In the hearth products industry, PFS TECO (Madison, WI), is already an EPA accredited Third Party Certifier and Dirigo (Portland, OR) is already an EPA accredited Testing Laboratory. Starting on January 2nd, the Portland lab will operate under the PFS TECO name. The acquisition provides full service in the EPA Wood Heater Emissions program.
Manufactured Structures Seminar #92
Cottage Grove, WI (December 15, 2016)
PFS Seminar #92 for Inspectors, Trainees, and Maintenance of In-Plant Inspectors is being held on Thursday and Friday, January 26-27, 2017, at the Atherton Hotel in State College, PA. The seminar provides topics of interest to modular residential and light-commercial building clients, presented by code professionals and regulatory personnel knowledgeable in the modular industry.
PFS TECO Oregon Laboratory Moves to Springfield
Springfield, OR (December 14, 2016)
PFS TECO has relocated its laboratory in Eugene, OR, to a new facility less than 10 miles away in Springfield. The new test laboratory has been built to our exacting requirements and improves on the capabilities that had been at the old facility, including:
- increased formaldehyde emission testing capacity (12 small chambers and 2 large chambers);
- indoor "rain chamber" for panels that have to be wetted before testing;
- addition of a hot press to improve our adhesive testing capability;
- four universal test machines (from 2k to 120k pound capacity) to conduct structural tests on a wide variety of wood products;
- three environmentally controlled rooms to condition test specimens; and
- improved wood shop facilities.
PFS TECO Certifies Oregon Forestlands as a Responsible Source
Cottage Grove, WI (July 15, 2016)
An evaluation and audit of the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) was conducted in 2015 wherein forestlands subject to the Oregon Forest Practices Act (OFPA) were certified by PFS TECO as a Responsible Source. The OFPA sets standards for all commercial activities involving the establishment, management, or harvesting of trees on Oregon's forestlands. PFS TECO personnel audited the ODF offices in Salem, Oregon, and conducted office and site interviews of ODF staff and Stewardship Foresters in different regions of the state to support the certification. Read Full Press Release
PFS Corporation and TECO Merge
Cottage Grove, WI (May 13, 2015)
“Together again, for the first time.” That's the way to describe the May 1st merger of PFS Corporation and Timberco, Inc. (TECO), two third-party certification agencies that have been linked for almost 25 years. PFS and TECO have been headquartered in the Madison, Wisconsin, area since 1992, at times working out of the same building but never being part of the same company. On May 1, 2015, Jim Husom, President and CEO of PFS Corporation, and Steve Winistorfer, President and CEO of TECO, signed papers merging the two companies. In announcing the merger, Husom commented, “This merger combines what have been two well-respected and successful companies into one; and as one, we’ll be able to provide even more effective and efficient service to our existing clients and grow our business more than we could individually.” Added Winistorfer, “One of my goals when I purchased TECO almost two years ago was to make this merger happen. Now that it has, I am even more excited about the future and for what we will be able to do together.”
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