The Softwood Forest Products Buyer - July/August 2022

APA — Continued from page 2
Matt Tobin, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at
West Fraser, has 16 years of progressive experience, predominantly
in the company’s Canadian lumber business.
Tobin holds a degree from the University of British Columbia
– Okanagan. He was elected to the seat vacated
by Mark Dubois-Phillips’ departure.
“We are grateful for the service of our volunteer leaders,”
said President Mark Tibbetts. “Their dedication and
support strengthen the engineered wood industry and
APA.”
APA Releases 2022 Structural Panel & Engineered
Wood Yearbook
Matt Tobin joins
APA Board of Trustees
The yearbook includes an analysis of the U.S., Canadian and global economies,
focusing on factors that impact demand for engineered wood products across several
market segments as a basis for forecasting expected production of engineered
wood products. In addition to the analysis and forecast, the yearbook also includes
historical data on engineered wood production. Topics examined in the yearbook
include:
• Residential construction in the U.S. and Canada (new and repair/remodel)
• Nonresidential and industrial markets
• Outlook and production statistics for structural panels (oriented strand board
and plywood), including historical data
• North American imports and exports
• Engineered wood product demand and production (glued-laminated timber,
I-joists and laminated veneer lumber)
Outlook 2022
In mid-March, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Federal Reserve
will raise the target range for the federal funds rate in 25 basis point steps and do
so six more times in 2022. In June, the Fed intends to begin reducing the size of
its balance sheet to tighten credit conditions in hopes of combatting the acceleration
in inflation. Further tightening is likely in 2023, but the question is, will
these steps be enough to bring the inflation rate back to more expected 2% to 3%
levels?
The outlook for single-family, multifamily and nonresidential construction
and industrial end-use markets remains mixed. The entire 2022 market forecast,
including all market segments and production outlook, as well as statistical data,
is included in APA’s 2022 Structural Panel & Engineered Wood Yearbook, Form
MKO-E187. Please contact Cheryl Kuchar at cheryl.kuchar@apawood.org to
purchase the yearbook at $300. n
AWC — Continued from page 2
With that being said, the question we should be asking ourselves is, “how do we
manage this important resource responsibly?” U.S. forest products are helping to
ensure our forests remain forests and that our natural resources are being thoughtfully
managed. The same cannot be
said for other building materials.
A recent report 3 from the United
Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) warns that the world’s
sand, an essential component of
concrete, is running out. The report
issues a dire warning:
“All countries should be aware
that their development is at stake
unless they take better care of a
common but precious resource,
found on many of the world’s
beaches, and in our seas.”
Let that sink in. The development
of all countries is at stake. Why?
Because around 70 percent of the
world’s population lives in buildings
made at least partly out of concrete. 4
Concrete is essentially sand and
gravel. The building sector must
take seriously the risks associated
with extracting these finite materials
at the cost of global environmental
health.
As our population increases and
resources are increasingly constrained,
we must prioritize the
specification of renewable, carbonfriendly,
and sustainable structural
materials. Wood is the leader among
these.
Increased adoption of wood-based
construction products and technologies
will displace embodied greenhouse
gas emissions associated with
other high carbon intensive construction
materials, such as concrete
and steel. Equally as important,
prioritizing the use of renewable
materials over finite materials that
cannot be regenerated is both a wise
use of our resources and the best
option for our planet and future
generations. n
1
Forest Resources of the United States, 2017
– table 36
2
Our Social Impact. Bain & Company
(citing a report from The Nature Conservancy).
3
Sand and Sustainability: 10 Strategic
Recommendations to Avert a Crisis. United
National Environment Programme. April
26, 2022
4
The coming concrete crisis, The Globe &
Mail. August 24, 2018.
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