Inland Lumber Producers Host 27th Annual Gathering - Miller ...

September/October 2010 Page 15INLAND -Continued from page 1For the second consecutive year,Rick Cavalor of Cavalor LumberCompany finished in first place withbest score in Flight #1 of the golf tournament.In Flight #2, Dick Frazier of UniversalForest Products took first place.In the Callaway Group, Mike Hearmsof Hearms Lumber Co. finished first,followed by Jon Woods with ProBuildin first place in the second CallawayGroup.Also while golfing, a ‘horserace’ washeld with Matt Beymer of HamptonLumber Sales and Clay Cruse ofSapphire Lumber finishing in firstplace. They played as a team representingVaagen Brothers.Additionally, a golf scramble was heldat the Inland Lumber Producers gathering.The first place team consistedof: Ahren Spilker, Idaho Forest Group;Jon Woods, ProBuild; Tony Ghiz, MillDirect Lumber; and Steve Culbertson,American International.SLMA -Continued from page 1•lumber industry in the southeastregion. “No one sawmill operator caneffectively defend itself against such amorass of issues that face our industry,much less take on major initiativesto improve our industry and its markets.However, SLMA has clearlydemonstrated its effectiveness to doso. SLMA gives us a united voice (representing17 states) to not only proactivelydefend ourselves againstunwarranted attacks and regulations,but enables us to take the initiative topositively impact our industry and itsfuture,” noted White.He said his goal as chairman for thecoming year is to reconfirm to the publicand to the lumber markets thatwood isn’t just good; it’s the best. “Ilook forward to working with the SLMAstaff, board and our members to takecharge of the change that our industryis currently facing, and may face in thefuture.”White has been in his present positionwith T. R. Miller Mill Co., inBrewton, Ala., for nine years and hasworked in the forest industry for over35 years.In addition to naming White as chairman,attendees were informed duringfive presentations at the meeting.These presentations included:Biomass Energy: EconomicImplications for the Southeast U.S.;Blue Ribbon Commission for Checkoff;Binational Softwood LumberCouncil-Expanding the Market forSoftwood Lumber Products; RetailOutdoor Living Program Update; andSoftwood Market Outlook and 2009Cost Assessment.Wade Camp of the SLMA gave anaddress on the Softwood market outlook.Among his topic points: the trendin single-family building permits continuesto show a decline. In May ofthis year, the U.S. Census Bureaufound that building permits for singlefamilybuilding permits had declined10 percent to 438,000 units afterimproving slightly in the spring. Wadesaid to watch for continued declinethrough the summer.Less than one million housing startsannually is projected through 2011with the rate of homeownershiplongterm projected at 65 percent, anhistorical low.Wade presented statistics thatrevealed that the number of sawmilland wood preservation employeesthis year has slowly, and slightly,increased over the last two quarters of2009. Recent figures in May showedan increase of .1 percent in April, butyear to date has shown a gradual rise.Current trends in home repair andremodeling reflect a slow improvementas well, according to the SLMApresentation.Also during the SLMA Conference,Henry “Hank” Scott, CEO of Collum’sLumber Products LLC, was presentedthe Harold F. Beal Award. The award,which is SLMA’s highest honor, isgiven to an association member whodemonstrates leadership qualitieswithin the association, the industryand community-at-large.Scott is not only CEO of Collum’sLumber Products, but also chairmanof the board. He is past chairman ofSLMA, having served in 2006. He currentlyserves as a director on theBinational Softwood Lumber Counciland the Blue Ribbon Commission fordevelopment of a Softwood LumberCheck Off program, as well as on theboard of the South Carolina ForestryAssociation.The SLMA represents independentlumber manufacturers throughout theSoutheastern United States.Members of the association producean average of 4.5 billion board feet ofquality Softwood and hardwood lumberannually. SLMA represents over140 member companies with the continuedgoal of helping perpetuate family-ownedlumber businesses.SLMA offices are located in Tyrone,Ga. For more information, visit onlineat www.slma.org.PCBC -Continued from page 1•marketplace and beyond, helped contributeto what show organizersdescribed as a successful PCBC2010. While still battered by a tumultuoushousing market, over 9,500housing industry professionals gatheredfor Pacific Coast BuildersConference (PCBC) 2010 at theMoscone Center located here. Thatfigure was slightly less than the11,000 that assembled the previousyear, but a solid turnout for thesetimes, organizers agreed.“Given the fact that housing constructiondropped nearly 50 percent in2009, we’re extremely pleased withour attendance,” said Linda Baysari,California Building IndustryAssociation’s (CBIA) Senior VicePresident of Conventions andMeetings. “The quality of the trafficwas up, the mood at the show wasmuch more upbeat, and we’ve had alot of positive feedback on the newprograms and features that weredeveloped for 2010.”Baysari added that the show was theculmination of a 16-month effort tobring excitement and innovation to theshow floor while also supplying educationalcontent that provided insightand knowledge into the current state –and the future – of the housing industry.One of the most popular additions tothe show floor this year was the GreenStandards Pavilion, a section of theshow floor designed specifically toeducate attendees on California’s newmandatory residential green buildingstandards going into effect in Januaryof 2011. The Pavilion featured handoutsand checklists describing therequirements for each section of thenew code and also featured educationalsessions led by some of the topenergy efficiency and code experts inthe state.“There were people who came up tothe area that didn’t even know aboutthe new mandatory green standards,and they thanked us for putting thatContinued on page 17