National Hardwood Magazine - Christmas 2022

RAILWAY TIE ASSOCIATION Continued
RTA membership also includes networking opportunities
in combination with technical/leisure environments.
“We have a member only field trip and a lot of business
gets done at that because it is an actual field trip to different
areas highlighting wood tie production. We go to
an area and visit a sawmill, a treating plant, and/or rail
yard, etc., and then, have a little fun mixed in. We went
to a winery last year and it was all a great networking
experience.”
PREMIUM NORTHERN
HARDWOOD LUMBER
Ryan Peterson – Sales Manager
(715) 533-6193
rpeterson@northernhardwoods.com
Matt Grube
(920) 740-9140
mgrube@northernhardwoods.com
Atlantic Mine, MI
Newberry, MI
www.northernhardwoods.com
No association can operate without great people at
the helm. Irby said RTA has key personnel that help it
run at top tier. “One is our Chief Operating Officer and
Deputy Director Debbie Corallo. Debbie has been with
us for over 26 years. She handles most of the administrative
tasks from accounts receivable to accounts payable,
and she does some coordination with fundraising
and then, Barbara Stacey is our Director of Communications.
She is responsible for all our print and digital
communications, including social
media. Since we are a small shop,
we all kind of blend and do a little
bit of each, and Barbara directs
not only the communication side,
but she also does some backup
functionality on the administration
side. Then, me, Nate Irby, I have
been with RTA since last November.
I manage the team, but I also
do administrative and executive
level tasks in my respective role.
These include anything from legislative
and government affairs
to membership engagement and
quite frankly, just keeping the
wheels running the association.
We have close to 3,000 members
and everyone on our team wears
a lot of hats. We work very well as
a team together.”
Discussing the value an RTA
membership brings, Irby concluded,
“It's not my association, it’s not
their association, it’s OUR association
and for those prospective
members that are out there hopefully,
reading this piece who don’t
have a direct connection that is
already engaged with the RTA,
I would encourage you to attend
one of our events. There, you
can get a testament from one of
our current members that may be
within your same line of business.
Again, the most impactful and efficient
way to learn about us would
be attending one of our events
and getting the exposure with our
current members, because it’s not
just about the technical side and it’s not just about some
of the things you see on the platform. It’s really about
the networking and the potential to understand more of
the scope of our world. Even if you’ve been doing this
a long time and are great at what you do, there is still
something to be learned and great folks out there in our
community to engage.”
For more information about Railway Tie Association
membership visit www.RTA.org or email ties@RTA.
org. n
2023 HARDWOOD
PURCHASING PLANS
Continued from page 20
CLAYTON MILLER
AURORA TIMBERLAND
BRADFORD, ON
When 2023 starts I think you are
going to see a lot of caution in the
marketplace. Buying lumber is going
to become even more strategic.
I am optimistic that the pace in which
prices fell in the final five months of
2022 will allow the markets a bit of
a reset. There has been no stability
over the past several years. Markets
thrive in stability. The supply and demand
balance are going to have to
come into much better alignment.
The industry went from no lumber
anywhere to way too much. Lumber
will be much more readily available
in 2023. We plan on sticking with our
core vendors and mills throughout
the year. There is a value that you
cannot put in a per thousand-boardfoot
price by sticking with those who
stuck by you when lumber was scarce.
Poplar (4/4-8/4), Basswood (4/4), White Oak (4/4-
8/4), and Maple (4/4, 8/4) sold well for us in 2022. We
gained quite a bit of 4/4 FAS Poplar business throughout
the year. I was surprised that we didn’t move more 4/4
random width Red Oak in 2022. Sales of the 5/4 and
8/4 Red Oak, however, more than made up for it. We
saw a lot of good traction in our domestic sales vertical
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