SUNY ESF
New England Kiln Drying Association
2026 Spring Meeting
May 12 - 13 | DoubleTree Hotel, Concord, New Hampshire
New England Kiln Drying Association (NEKDA) Officers and Board of Directors have put together an excellent meeting program with important and informative topics and opportunities for kiln operators and managers.
Accommodation
The accommodations for the meeting are at the Concord, NH DoubleTree Hotel (formerly a Holiday Inn, where we have met several times) is conveniently located at 172 North Main Street, phone 603-857-7800.
Mark your calendars and let them know when you call that you are with the NEKDA for our special $149 rate!
Registration
Please mail your pre-registration form and check directly to Bill Smith, [email protected]. There is $20 per person surcharge for late registration.
Tuesday | May 12
Tour participants must preregister and should bring their own hard hats, safety glasses and wear appropriate footwear.
231 Fisher Corner Rd., Springfield, NH
Durgin and Crowell saws and kiln dries high quality NELMA grade white pine boards. The tour will include their sawmill, dry kilns, planer mill facilities, grader, and boiler system. Durgin and Crowell Today.
To get to the mill take exit 12A off of I-89, ~ 38 miles north on Concord and 25 miles east of West Lebanon. Take a left turn onto Georges Mills Rd, and drive ~ ½ mile, then turn right onto Fisher Corner Road and go up hill to lumber yard. Box lunches distributed after Durgin and Crowell tour.
14 Buxton Industrial Dr., Henniker, NH.
HHP, Inc. is a multi-faceted forest-products company that includes a state-of-the-art hardwood sawmill, dry kilns, paper-quality chip producer and manufacturer of pallets and skids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppnSs62VWZw
Take exit 5 off of I-89, and drive ~ 4 miles west on Routes 202 & 9. At Old Concord Road turn left (south) and head ~1 mile; 14 Buxton Industrial Drive and the mill is on the right.
At the DoubleTree Hotel, Concord, NH
Registration
Welcome and Introductions, Tom Graber, NEKDA President
The NEKDA Kiln Operator’s Clinic – Basic and Advanced Drying
by Bill Smith, and others. Informal and practical instruction and discussion on such things as the basics of kiln operation, maintenance, stacking, DH, conventional, and high-temperature drying, stain and discoloration, scheduling, changing species, wood-moisture fundamentals, kiln loading and baffling, moisture meters, restarting kilns, drying degrade, etc. Bring your individual problems, questions, and solutions! Please note any particular interests for discussion at the clinic on your registration form.
Stress Relief
Banquet, Industrial Awards
Wednesday | May 13
At the DoubleTree Hotel
7:00 am - 7:45 am - Board of Directors Meeting
7:45 am - 8:00 am - Registration and Coffee
8:00 am - 8:05 am - Welcome and Introductions | Tom Graber, NEKDA President
Technical Session Topics
- 8:05 am - Wood Fired Boilers 101
Cliff Hurst and Clyde Hudson, Hurst Boiler, Coolidge, GA - 9:15 am - Air Flow Principles - Baffling and Sticker Placement
Ian Griffin, NYLE Dry Kilns, Brewer, ME
Morning Coffee Break
- 10:15 am - Water Quality - Implementing Best Practices of Boiler Operation
Mike Weiland, Clarity Water Technologies - 11:15 am - Lumber Processing, Kiln Drying, and Culture in China and Viet Nam
Jason Ayer, Cersosimo Hardwick Kilns, Hardwick, MA - 11:45 – The Role of AI in Kiln Drying Expert panel discussion
12:30 - Luncheon Buffet
We are looking for several people interested in helping to lead the NEKDA by joining and serving on our Board of Directors. Please contact Bill Smith or Bob Pope if you can assist in this rewarding activity
In these challenging economic times it is important to remember that -
Wood is the premier material for manufacturing, building and construction. It is renewable and produced from a sustainable natural resource. It is strong, lightweight, economical, long-lasting and attractive, and is made into countless products desired by society. It is also best used when it has been properly and effectively kiln dried. Because sustained profitability and competitive advantage in the marketplace is most assured by quality kiln drying, we encourage you to participate in NEKDA meetings. The NEKDA Officers and Board of Directors look forward to seeing you in Concord!