National Hardwood Magazine - Christmas 2023

NHLA: Why Knot... HAPPY

NHLA: Why Knot... HAPPY NEW YEAR’S FROM NHLA The National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) is ready to take the Hardwood industry out of the dark ages and into the reformation. It is time for new communication methods, renewed passion, and a little preaching. We have spent 2023 getting ready for the future. It all started on New Year's Day when we welcomed back Desiree Freeman as the NHLA Controller, Rachel Spiers as the Social Media Rep, and Mark Bear as a National Inspector and hired Geoff Webb to serve as the Dean of the NHLA Inspector Training School - so we could start 2023 on the right foot. For Valentine's Day, I went down to Starkville, MS, and spoke to the student chapter of the Forest Products Society to share my love for Hardwoods. On St. Patrick's Day, we told our "Green" story, and we have not stopped since, talking about Forest Change and all we do to keep forests as forests for healthy forests and communities. At the end of Easter, we celebrated the 125th anniversary of the NHLA and the 75th anniversary of the Inspector Training School with a big party at our headquarters in Memphis, TN. We had a Memorial Day for the Old Boys Club after the May board of directors meeting. NHLA ratified all 26 proposals from the Strategic Planning Committee, taking us forward with better purpose and objectives to grow and stabilize the Hardwood industry. We celebrated Father's Day with a 0,000 grant from Uncle Sam and the Forest Service to promote Hardwood to designers and architects. In July, we declared Independence for the Hardwood industry with the Launch of the Real American Hardwood Coalition consumer commercials on the Magnolia Network. We will continue to fight that battle into 2024. We labored daily to create the new NHLA.com website, smartphone apps and engage with others to get more market and technical information in Hardwood Matters Magazine. As proof of our hard work, NHLA staff pulled off a great convention and board meeting for a Halloween treat. Thankfully, pilgrims are coming to enjoy the new life that NHLA offers members as we continue to grow. Now, it's Christmas, and as an early present, we have rolled out a new communication platform for NHLA members to connect and keep up to speed on everything in the Hardwood industry. Please turn to page 70 A fourth-generation family business. That has a nice ring to it. Greentree Forest Products is a locally owned family business producing approximately 22 million board feet of quality Appalachian hardwood lumber per year. Since 1952 and four generations of know-how, our steadfast commitment to excellence continues to run in the family. Learn more at greentreeforest.com BY DALLIN BROOKS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HARDWOOD LUMBER ASSOCIATION, MEMPHIS, TN, 901-399-7560 WWW.NHLA.COM 22 CHRISTMAS 2023 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE RealAmericanHardwood.com/industry RealAmericanHardwood.com/industry