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April 1, 2010 Longtime Marketing Collaboration Ends SFPA announced today that the Southern Pine Council will continue without the support of a longtime partner, the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association. SLMA joined SFPA in its global promotion of Southern Pine through the Southern Pine Marketing Council (now the SPC) in 1988.
“We value the accomplishments that we and SLMA have been able to achieve over the years on the industry’s behalf through the Council and sincerely regret that our joint efforts will not continue,” said SFPA President Digges Morgan.
SPC provides a platform for marketing and disseminating technical information on the specification, use and application of Southern Pine products. SFPA will continue to advance SPC’s marketing objectives through programs focused on raised floor systems, pressure-treated Southern Pine, specialty products and international markets. “We will miss the participation of SLMA and their members and wish them continued success as we both move forward with our respective efforts,” Digges said.
For more information, contact Digges at 504/443-4464, ext. 215, or dmorgan@sfpa.org. |
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On the International Front
Southern Pine Council and American Softwoods international consultants Xu Fang and Melody Ren coordinated the U.S. contingency’s participation in the trade show and field visits.
Meanwhile, Charles Trevor, who was recently retained to represent SFPA in European markets, attended the European Institute for Wood Preservation (WEI) spring meeting in Brussels, Belgium. “This was a wide-ranging meeting which discussed subjects as diverse as existing and proposed European Union (EU) regulations for treated timber (copper-based and creosote), plant health, marketing the industry’s products and reports from countries represented at the meeting,” Charles said in his report about the meeting. Charles also notes reports from all of the participating countries except Sweden included a “downbeat” assessment of market conditions.
SFPA’s Active, Affiliate and Associate members can find Charles’ complete report in the members-only section at www.sfpa.org. Click the link labeled “International Reports” in the left-hand navigation bar. |
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Southern Pine on Display at Flooring Show Southern Pine was well-represented at the National Wood Flooring Association Convention and Expo in Washington, D.C., last week thanks to the efforts of Russell Richardson, SFPA’s director of industrial markets. Working from an exhibit at the show, Russell distributed copies of the Southern Pine Flooring and Southern Pine Patterns guides to the wholesalers and distributors in attendance. “Many found the brochures very helpful in learning about the different Southern Pine products available, and quite a few requested that I send them additional copies,” he said.
Russell reports SFPA’s new environmental sheet – Wood Facts – also drew a good amount of interest. “The flooring market has been a good place to test environmental messages,” he said. “It has been a market leader with certified forest products, compared to other types of wood products.”
For more information about the show, contact Russell at 504/443-4464, ext. 239, or by e-mail at rrichardson@sfpa.org. |
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Commerce Department Schedules Haiti Discussion The U.S. Department of Commerce is coordinating a “Haiti Reconstruction Business Dialogue,” a panel discussion with private sector representatives and government officials on investment and financing opportunities related to rebuilding Haiti. Planned speakers include U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Haitian Minister of Tourism Patrick Delatour. The event will be held 1:30-5 p.m. on April 20 in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s main auditorium in Washington, D.C. For more information or to RSVP, contact katherine.bernardo@trade.gov or call 202/482-3547. RSVPs are due by April 12. |
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Welcoming a New Member
SFPA
welcomes Klausner Trading USA, based in Myrtle Beach, S.C.,
as a new Associate member. Klausner Trading USA began operations in 2007. It
is part of the Klausner Group, one of the largest wood industry companies in
Europe. Thomas Mende will represent Klausner with SFPA. He can be reached at
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SFPA Office Closed Friday SFPA’s office will be closed April 2 in observance of Good Friday. We will reopen on Monday. Meanwhile, we hope everyone has a safe and peaceful holiday. |
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Copyright © 2010. Reproduction in whole or in part, by electronic or mechanical means, without written authorization from SFPA is prohibited. |
In
conjunction with an American Softwoods trade mission, representatives of
several U.S. forest products firms and Richard Kleiner, SFPA’s director of
treated markets, recently attended the Domotex Asia/China Floor 2010 show in
Shanghai, China. The group included Rob Brown and his son Kelly of Western
Lumber Co. in Medford, Ore.; Marcello Giacaglia, Rex Lumber in Graceville,
Fla.; Harold Scott of East Coast Lumber Co. in Climax, N.C.; and Jay Zhang
of KM China Properties in Dublin, Ohio. Richard reports Domotex was
well-attended by people from all over the world. “Field visits to a small
sawmill operation and a treater were also very informative,” he said.
“Pressure-treated lumber is very popular for large public outdoor projects,
and a growing market here. Interior flooring and other decorative patterns
should have potential.” 
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