Glen Oak Uses New SB43 Paint-Primer to Add More Value to its Finger-Jointed Poplar Shutter Components

Somerset, Kentucky • October 18, 2004:Glen Oak Lumber & Milling announces the release of enhanced poplar shutter components primed with a unique new primer: SB43. Glen Oak's proprietary primer features a high-opacity stain blocker which hides the colorful minerals inherent in poplar hardwood. It also contains anti-fungal additives which provide added protection and peace of mind for shutter installations in humid environments.

SB43 is the result of more than a year of research and development, including field testing. In addition to its stain-blocking and mold-resistant advantages, the environmentally-friendly water-borne primer has proven compatible with any top coat, including hot lacquer.
Developing a primer with all these features requires significant commitment and capital, which are necessary and worthwhile investments according to Glen Oak CEO Tom Talbot. "Poplar is one of the best woods to paint," explains Talbot, "but, no one wants to see the minerals and colors which are present in poplar bleed through the paint, or have to use more paint, time and money to cover them. We set out to make this bleed-through issue a non-issue for shutter fabricators. With SB43 we can provide our customers with a product that's as close to 100 percent hide as possible, and provide an optimum platform on which they can put their paint-resulting in material and labor savings."

"Priming and sanding is 50 percent of the finishing cost for a shutter fabricator," estimates Ed Salomon, owner of California Shutters in Hialeah, Florida, explaining why he spent years trying to get quality pre-primed components for his shutters-testing numerous products from coast to coast. "Glen Oak has been working for a long time on perfecting its primer," says Salomon. "I kept telling Tom Talbot that the water-borne primer would never work with a lacquer-based finish coat but after testing it, I'm eating my words. I think he has something great … and I am placing a very large order."

Glen Oak's unique SB43 primer is applied as part of a two-coat process via the company's newest prime line which was custom-built for shutter components. The long, continuous line which sands, primes, sands, primes and sands individual shutter parts on all sides, is housed in a new 50,000 square-foot paint-priming facility on Glen Oak's Kentucky manufacturing campus.

"Because of the technology they have, the product they produce is exactly what we're after," observes Salomon after touring Glen Oak's manufacturing plants in Kentucky and Wisconsin. "As far as Glen Oak is concerned, they don't stop when they find something good. Even though they have already developed a very good product they keep working and they better it."

Glen Oak is currently focusing on advancing its sanding technology, designed to further enhance both its raw and primed products, reveals Talbot. "Because sanding and priming drives so many hours and dollars for the shutter fabricator, we feel it is our duty as a components manufacturer to address and improve these issues for them in any way we can."

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