Newsletter

SFPA Welcomes New Member

SFPA welcomes Progress Industries, Inc. of Trussville, Alabama, as a new Associate member. Established more than 40 years ago, the company is recognized as a world leader in the design of chip mills and wood utilization equipment. Progress Industries continues its long tradition of maintaining a technological edge, staffed with talented engineers and highly trained tradesmen.

Johnny Tarassoli is vice president of the company and will represent Progress Industries with SFPA. Contact him at 205/655-8875 or send an e-mail to jtara@progressindustries.com.  To learn more about Progress Industries, visit www.progressindustries.com.

No Import Tariffs on U.S. Lumber

With much relief, U.S. lumber is not among the products facing increased import tariffs in the wake of escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and many of our trading partners. China, Mexico, Canada and the European Union are collectively raising tariffs on billions of dollars of products they import from the U.S. in response to Washington’s efforts to curb imports. Fortunately, wood products are largely spared, with the exception of a 10% tariff on plywood exports to Canada.

“Each country’s list of targeted products is largely similar”, says Jerry Hingle, the Southern Pine Council’s international program consultant. “Tariffs on steel and aluminum are heavily targeted, but so is a long list of agriculture products strategically chosen to harm certain congressional districts in the U.S. Thankfully, our industry dodged this one”, he adds.

SFPA Welcomes New Member

SFPA welcomes McDonough Manufacturing Company of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as a new Associate member. Founded in 1888, McDonough has focused on delivering the efficiency and speed required by today’s sawmills. The company’s product lines include band mills, carriages, resaws and edgers.

Matt Tietz is the company’s owner and will represent McDonough Manufacturing with SFPA. Contact him at 715/834-7755 or send an e-mail to mtietz@mcdonough-mfg.com. To learn more about McDonough Manufacturing, visit www.mcdonough-mfg.com.

EXPO 2019 Exhibit Sales Timeline Set

Beginning May 15, SFPA will be mailing the Exhibitor Prospectus for Expo 2019 to all companies who participated in the previous Expo. SFPA Members will have until July 15th to select their location and return a completed Exhibit Space Application. Later this year SFPA will mail the Exhibitor Prospectus to potential exhibiting companies who have participated in previous Expos or have expressed an interest in becoming an exhibitor at Expo 2019.

Click here for more information about how the booth selection and assignment process works. Click here for exhibit space rates and more details about the show, to be held June 26-28, 2019 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.

“I’m sharing this timeline with all members and past exhibitors to illustrate the window of opportunity to select an exhibit space – it’s a brief twelve weeks,” notes exposition director Eric Gee. “After September 15,

Sawmill Safety Awards Announced

Six SFPA member sawmills are recipients of the Sawmill Safety Award, recognizing outstanding safety records during 2017.

SFPA lumber manufacturer members are considered for the award based on information submitted regarding occupational injuries and illnesses. Safety performance is judged by how each mill’s safety record stacks up against facilities with comparable lumber output throughout the year. Division I includes sawmills that produce 50 million board feet or less annually; Division II sawmills produce 51 to 150 million board feet; and Division III mills produce more than 150 million board feet. The six sawmills being honored this year:

Division I

• Weyerhaeuser Company – Zwolle, La

Division II

• Canfor Southern Pine – Urbana, AR; Graham, NC
• Weyerhaeuser Company – Millport, AL; Holden, LA

Division III

• Weyerhaeuser Company – Bruce,

Successful Spring Meeting

Some 200 registered attendees convened in Atlanta last week for the 2018 SFPA/SLMA Spring Meeting & Expo.  The meeting kicked off with a welcome reception and dinner at the College Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday night. The agenda featured meetings of both boards of directors, as well as industry updates covering tax reform plus issues related to the environment and sustainability. A trade expo featured displays from more than three dozen companies offering products and services to the wood industry.

The SFPA Board of Directors received staff reports on the progress of Expo 2019, the Raised Floor Living campaign and SFPA publications, an update on the recent International inbound China mission, reviewed 2017 financial statements, approved an amendment to the Savings Incentive Plan, and discussed future meetings. The SFPA Board of Directors also welcomed new member, Conifex El Dorado, Inc.

Remodeled Website: RaisedFloorLiving.com is Live!

SFPA is pleased to announce the launch of the remodeled website, RaisedFloorLiving.com. This updated site creates an information hub for both homebuilders and homebuyers featuring all the advantages and specifications to build a raised floor home. The new portal for building professionals, RaisedFloorLivingPro.com strikes a perfect balance between clear and logical navigation and extensive details to satisfy the needs of its users. Raised Floor Living’s expertise in the industry is demonstrated through dynamic charts, tables, diagrams and attractive imagery that will serve lumber dealers as helpful resources. Searchability is also incorporated into the site for easy access to information. Style and function merge into a website that provides a comprehensive, educational portal for Raised Floor Living’s growing acceptance, especially in flood-prone areas.

This remodeled site will support the new edition of “Raised Wood Floor Foundations – Design & Construction Guide” which is available as a PDF download from the publications page of SouthernPine.com.

SFPA Welcomes Westwood Heat Treated Lumber Corporation

SFPA welcomes Westwood Heat Treated Lumber Corporation of Macon, Georgia as a new Associate member. Westwood Heat Treated Lumber Corporation is a technology and patent holder for the thermo-modification of wood – a Green alternative for pressure-treated lumber. In 2007, Westwood installed four thermo-modification chambers at US hardwood sawmills. Westwood is now introducing softwood thermo-modification to the United States with plans to place softwood thermo-modification kilns at softwood sawmills – producing thermo-treated SYP decking.

Igor Danchenko, Ph.D., is the company’s president. Contact Igor at 478/228-5555 or send an e-mail to wood@westwoodcorporation.com. To learn more about Westwood Heat Treated Lumber Corporation, visit www.thermotreatedwood.com and www.thermotreatedpine.com

Spring Meeting Update

The SFPA/SLMA Spring Meeting is set for March 14-16 at the Omni Hotel at the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Click here for the updated meeting agenda, registration form and a list of available sponsorship opportunities.

The updated agenda includes guest speaker, Ted McKinney, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Under Secretary McKinney leads the development and implementation of the Department’s trade policy, oversees and facilitates foreign market access, and promotes opportunities for U.S. agriculture through various trade programs and high-level government negotiations.

Remember, the hotel cutoff date is February 24 to receive SFPA’s special group rate. A block of rooms is reserved for attendees, at a special nightly rate of $219 plus taxes. To make your reservations, call 800/843-6664 and mention Southern Forest Products Association to obtain the discounted rate. Please remember to also complete and return the meeting registration form.

2017: Record Year for SP Exports

Exports of Southern Pine lumber continue to surge and reached a record level of $312 million in 2017. Within this volume, exports of pressure-treated lumber also reach an all-time sales record of $175 million, a 28% increase from the previous year.

Exports have jumped sharply in regions targeted by the Southern Pine Council’s (SPC) international market development efforts. Record sales were achieved in China and emerging markets recently targeted by SPC in Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America. “Rising demand for Southern Pine lumber is undeniably linked to the industry’s efforts to introduce this species to buyers worldwide,” noted Jerry Hingle, SPC’s international consultant.

SFPA partners with the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (SLMA) to unite the common export objectives of Southern Pine lumber producers under the SPC promotional banner. The associations leverage USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)-administered programs to promote exports of Southern Pine lumber.