National Hardwood Magazine - January 2021

WCMA INSIGHTS
NHLA NEWS
WCMA LOOKING FORWARD TO 2021!
TIME FOR A CHANGE
Well 2020 did not turn out quite as we had
hoped! Our plans for a European Plant Tour
Event, Regional One-Day Event, and of
course our signature Fall Conference and
Plant Tour Event all changed. The European
Plant Tour Event and Regional One-Day
Event have been postponed, but we were
successful in hosting a virtual Fall Conference
and Plant Tour event in November.
Changing to a virtual event for the Fall Conference had
its challenges, but by the time we went live I was proud of
our offering to members. The plant tour hosts were excellent,
and we had three dynamic speakers on topical issues.
Tours included Unalam in Unadilla, NY, Baillie Lumber’s
Smyrna, NY plant, and Inova in Altamont, NY. Each tour
gave a behind the scenes look at the hosts manufacturing
facility, an interview with the tour hosts, and participants had
a chance to have their questions answered live.
Our speakers included Jeff Finney, with Ultimate Cabinet
Components, who spoke on Practical Lean. Jeff shared with
attendees the pillars of lean, how to get started and keep it
going, and gave great examples of Lean Manufacturing in
his plant. We also had an update from the Real American
Hardwood Promotion Coalition on their efforts to promote
American Hardwood to consumers over substitute materials.
Our final speaker was Taylor St. Germain, with ITR Eco-
nomics, who gave an economic update,
including, economic forecasts, economic
indicators of utmost importance to watch,
and time-sensitive events of public concern.
The event was recorded for those that
were unable to participate live. If you are
interested in viewing the Virtual Fall Conference,
please contact the WCMA office.
I am now looking forward to 2021, and cannot wait until
we can all get together in person again. The WCMA Board
of Directors is meeting this month to work on our strategic
plan for the upcoming two years, and we will have exciting
things to announce after those sessions. Our board cares
about the members and wants to continue to offer excellent
programs and services to help our members be successful.
WCMA Membership – If you are NOT a member, you
are missing out!
If you are a manufacturer of wood components or dimension
stock, membership in the Wood Component Manufacturers
Association is now more important than ever. The
association remains committed to becoming a progressive,
nationally recognized association whose focus is on meeting
the needs of its members. One of the main reasons that
members join and stay with the WCMA is because of the
access that it provides to a wide range of industry experts.
In 1948, NHLA “borrowed” a one room garage
area from Nicky Brothers Lumber Company
to house the first class of the NHLA Inspector
Training School. At that time, no one
could know that history was being made. The
first class graduated 46 NHLA students, most
of whom were veterans returning from World
War II in pursuit of a career that would support their families.
The next year, the first permanent classroom was built
on donated land. At that time, classes were five months in
length and often included 40 plus students.
My how times have changed.
As the years progressed, the industry changed, School
attendance became smaller, learning strategies evolved
dramatically, and it became more costly to send students
to the School for a prolonged length of time. Chief Dana
Spessert, ITS Instructor Roman Matyushchenko and the
NHLA Inspector Training School Committee have been
working on creating a new approach to make the School
more accessible, effective, and affordable. Included in the
plan is the adaptation of the delivery of the ITS curriculum
to accommodate the learning styles of a new generation of
students.
For example, we have introduced virtual learning in the
classroom thanks to the generosity of the Inspector Training
School Educational Foundation (ITSEF). The electronic
whiteboard donated by ITSEF allows educators from all
over the industry to conduct seminars on topics
of importance streamed directly into the
ITS classroom. We are also thankful to IT-
SEF for playing a key role in obtaining new
lumber for training and board run testing.
We learned from member surveys and
from one-on-one feedback that the cost of
attending the School has become too high for many members.
After a great deal of research and additional conversations
with industry leaders, NHLA held a beta test over
the summer to determine the effectiveness of a modified
curriculum and seven-week time period class. We learned
a great deal from the experience. Most importantly, class
graduates achieved grade point averages on par with our
“traditional” 12-week program.
After careful deliberation, the decision was made to keep
to the shorter format, but to extend the class to eight weeks.
Much of the curriculum was influenced by the member survey
results. Our first eight-week class will begin on January
5, 2021. Students will continue to memorize all of the definitions,
general instructions, and standard grades. And while
the requirement to memorize species exceptions will be relaxed,
students will be required to pass proficiency tests.
School hours have also been increased to allow students to
receive a higher number of classroom hours.
Prior to the new eight-week class, students would spend
approximately a month memorizing the Rules during class
Please turn to page 60
Please turn to page 61
BY AMY K. SNELL, CAE,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
WOOD COMPONENT
MANUFACTURERS ASSOC.,
LINDSTROM, MN
651-332-6332
WWW.WCMA.COM
BY LORNA D. CHRISTIE,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
NATIONAL HARDWOOD
LUMBER ASSOC.,
MEMPHIS, TN
901-377-1818
WWW.NHLA.COM
16 JANUARY 2021 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE JANUARY 2021 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 17