IWPA CONVENTION -
IWPA CONVENTION - Continued from page 1 tional closed her term and handed off leadership of the association to incoming President Jordan McIlvain of Alan McIlvain Company. Six IWPA voting board members were elected and announced at the board meeting. The board members are Cindy Newman, Newman Lumber Company; Colin Hotalen, Rex Lumber Company; Paul Gosnell, Patriot Timber Products; JoAnn Gillebaard Keller, Holland Southwest International; Kenny MacMaster, Argo Fine Imports; and Michael Schultz, Floor & Décor. Kathryn Stjernstrom, Shorepoint Insurance, Jeroen Hofenk, Rougier Afrique International, and Jonas Israel, McCorry & Co. Ltd. were appointed as new associate directors. “A big thank you to all of our attendees, sponsors, exhibitors and the City of Savannah for making the 2023 World of Wood a tremendous hit,” Amidon said. “We look forward to building on our success at next year’s World of Wood at the beautiful Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego.” The IWPA 68th WOW Convention is set for April 10-12, 2024. Established in 1956, the International Wood Products Association is the leading international trade association for the North American imported wood products industry, representing 170 companies and trade associations engaged in the import of hardwoods and softwoods from sustainably managed forests. Association members consist of three key groups involved in the import process: U.S. importers and consuming industries, offshore manufacturers and the service providers that facilitate trade. Learn more at www.IWPAwood.org. n MWC - Continued from page 1 Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, an NFL player for the New York Jets, was undoubtedly the star of the event. He charmed the participants with his journey from professional football to medical school, and discussed the importance of leadership, perseverance, and adaptability. In addition to the keynote speech and CEO-Panel, the convention featured a variety of other events and activities with networking opportunities and an industry seminar on the economy and markets. According to Sven Gustavsson, the event director, the Montréal Wood Convention 2023 was a success that provided opportunity for the wood industry to come together and share ideas, knowledge, and innovations. “We are delighted that people enjoyed such a diverse range of seminars and discussions at this year’s convention,” said Gustavsson. “The presence of so many important players in the industry is another proof of the relevance and necessity of this annual meeting for the wood industry in North America and worldwide." The forest industry is a major contributor to the Canadian economy with a GDP contribution of nearly billion (2012 chained dollars), representing 8 percent of Canada’s manufacturing sector. With exports of more than billion in 2022, the sector has a strong positive trade balance (close to billion). In terms of softwood lumber, Canada remains the world’s 2e largest producer and the 2e largest exporter. The forest industry provided in 2021 more than 210,000 direct jobs (foresters, scientists, engineers, computer specialists, technicians, and skilled workers) and is still a pillar of economic development for many municipalities from coast to coast. “The Montréal Wood Convention reconfirms its role as the key Canadian hub for producers, wholesalers, and retailers of wood products. We are delighted with the record participation from the United States and Canada, as well as the significant presence from overseas markets,” explained Sylvain Labbé, President and CEO of the Quebec Wood Export Bureau (QWEB) and a member of the organizing committee. The Montréal Wood Convention has continued to grow in popularity since its inception, despite a hiatus due to the global pandemic of COVID-19. Each year, the varied program and the quality of participating companies reflect the latest market trends and the many changes in the industry. The event, which has its roots in the Canadian Lumbermen’s Association Convention, first held in 1908, was revamped and restarted in 2013 by four industry associations in Eastern Canada, the Maritime Lumber Bureau, the Ontario Forest Industry Association, the Québec Forest Industry Council and the Québec Wood Export Bureau. To learn more about this convention, visit www.montrealwoodconvention. com. n CHB - Continued from page 1 to where things are working well with the federal government – and where we need to see improvement in this important partnership. He noted as our cities grow and the demand for low-carbon product solutions rises, more and more countries around the world are looking to use more wood and wood fiber-based products. Canada is home to 9 percent of the world’s forests and 36 percent of the world’s third-party certified forests so we have a natural advantage that positions us well to be a global leader in sustainable production and to bring wins for the environment and the economy. Continuous improvement matters in managing our forests in a changing climate and to support biodiversity, he concluded. Dallin Brooks, executive director, National Hardwood Lumber Association, spoke about NHLA activities, focusing on their training school and grading courses, as well as hardwood promotion and The Real American Hardwood program. He also spoke on strengthening the North American Hardwood industry as a whole. The breakfast speaker was Dominique Pelletier, National Manager, Forestry Section, Plant Protection Division, Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The Forestry Section establishes import and domestic movement requirements for forestry products, oversees domestic pest eradication and management programs, oversees exports and imports to and from the U.S. and collaborates on programs of common concerns. His speech touched on the Spotted Lanternfly and other plant health concerns and included some information concerning the consultation process and timelines. The event was deemed another successful Canadian Hardwood Bureau meeting. The CHB thanks all for attending, and special thanks to this year’s sponsors, including HUB International and Stella-Jones Inc. The next CHB meeting is at the NHLA convention in early October. All presentations are available on the CHB website at https://canadianhardwoodbureau.com. n AHEC COLUMN -Continued from page 2 also provides to U.S. Hardwood export statistics which are available by country and species, as well as access to import data from several of our major trading Import Wood Purchasing News - 2023-V3-100th.pdf 1 3/6/2023 9:41:52 AM partners, which will allow your sales staff to not only track U.S. exports, but also keep track on what our competitors are exporting to major markets and what the U.S. is importing. • Online AHEC membership database: Complete contact and product line information for all AHEC members are catalogued in an online database, through which potential buyers can search for suppliers by region, species or product. The database is accessible via AHEC overseas websites that target foreign buyers and specifers. • Seminars –AHEC sponsors more than 30 seminars in 10-15 different countries per year. Offering another significant networking opportunity to all AHEC members, the seminars are designed to give overseas importers, specifiers and end users an increased understanding of the U.S. hardwood resource, as well as technical information on grading, characteristics and applications of the major U.S. hardwood species. Several of the more active AHEC members schedule their overseas sales trips to correspond with one or more of these events. • AHEC Publications: AHEC publishes a wide variety of publications in multiple languages that are available free of charge to AHEC members and have proven invaluable to sales staff. These publications include US Hardwood Species, Illustrated Guide to US Hardwood Lumber Grades, and US Hardwood Products as well as a range of publications that target architects, designers and specifiers. • High-res Photo Database: AHEC maintains high-resolution photo libraries of U.S. hardwoods applications from around the world. Members are free to use these photographs in their own press and promotional materials such as websites and sales brochures. • Trade Shows: Every year, AHEC exhibits at more than 20 regional and national trade shows around the world, from events in the Middle East, India, Brazil and Vietnam to more established shows throughout Europe, Korea, Japan, China, and Mexico. AHEC members are always welcome to use the AHEC stand as a base of operations for attending these shows, and AHEC overseas staff can assist members with registration information and accommodations. • U.S. Hardwood Public Relations Campaign – Reaching more than 28 million people in 24 countries, AHEC's worldwide public relations campaigns target overseas specifiers, consumers, and importers, promoting U.S. hardwoods and hardwood products. In a given year, more than 750 AHEC advertisements, press releases and feature articles highlighting the quality, variety and sustainability of Continued on page 22 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K SUCCEEDING IN BUSINESS IS HARD. BUYING YOUR HARDWOODS SHOULDN’T BE. WE’LL MAKE IT SIMPLE AND EASY! YOUR TRUSTED HARDWOOD ADVISOR AND SUPPLIER! Domestic Trucking Domestic Intermodal International Export International Import & Customs Brokerage Each shipment you place in our hands is important. You can count on the AGL Group to get the job done. 781.544.3970 sales@allygloballogistics.com www.allygloballogistics.com WEYMOUTH, MA JACKSONVILLE, FL Especially for imported hardwoods! WWW. (e): INFO@BAILLIE.COM (p): 716-649-2850 .COM INFO@BAILLIE.COM / 716-649-2850 Page 18 Import/Export Wood Purchasing News n June/July 2023 Import/Export Wood Purchasing News n June/July 2023 Page 19
