Location Models for the Forest Products Industry and Other Applications

Two models were developed to locate facilities for the timber harvesting industry. Addressed is a case of the facility location-allocation problem. The optimum number and location of landings, facilities to which timber is transshipped, are determined so as to minimize a cost function. This function is composed of the following components: (1) cost of transporting material from its original location to a landing, (2) cost of establishing a landing (facility cost), and (3) cost of transporting material from the landings to some designated point termed the origin. Computer output is designed to facilitate production planning and includes plotter-drawn graphics. Although both models have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Forest Service for the forest products industry, the models have broader application and hence, other industrial applications are addressed.