Updates From The APA Newsroom
APA – The Engineered Wood Association Elects New Vice Chair And Welcomes Two New Members To Its Board Of Trustees
John Murphy Jr.
John Murphy Jr., executive vice president of Murphy Company, has been elected vice chair of the APA Board of Trustees. He succeeds Chris Degnan, who has retired from the board after more than five years of dedicated service. Degnan became a trustee in 2019 and served as vice chair for the last two years. He also chaired the Engineered Wood Technology Association Advisory Committee for the last five years.
“We sincerely thank Chris for his years of support to APA and EWTA,” said APA President Mark Tibbetts. “He brought strong leadership, insight, and commitment to improving the industry as a whole. His contributions have made a real difference, and we wish him all the best.”
John Murphy Jr. began his career at the family’s veneer mill in White City, OR. In 2010, he assisted with the startup of the company’s plywood mill in Rogue River, OR, learning the business firsthand. Since joining the company’s headquarters in 2013 as part of the executive team, he has been involved in all aspects of the family business, including timber sourcing, engineered wood production and sales. Murphy holds a degree in wood science and engineering from Oregon State University.
New Board Members Join APA Leadership
Jon Rashleigh
Jon Rashleigh, vice president of panels at Weyerhaeuser, oversees the company’s oriented strand board (OSB), medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, and Montana lumber operations. With a career spanning more than 30 years, Rashleigh began with Plum Creek in 1991 and continued with Weyerhaeuser after the merger. He has held a range of leadership roles in timberlands and wood products across the U.S., with responsibilities in marketing, procurement, and business development. He brings great industry knowledge and experience to the board, having also been an active supporter of APA and EWTA throughout his career.
Rob Johnson
Rob Johnson, senior vice president of manufacturing operations at Boise Cascade, leads operations for more than 18 wood product facilities across the country. Since joining the company in 2014 as a business optimization engineer, he has held numerous leadership roles, including Eastern region manager and senior vice president of engineered wood sales and marketing. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran with over 20 years of prior industry experience, Johnson holds a finance degree from the University of Oregon and is actively involved in veteran-focused nonprofit and community initiatives.
APA Members Honored for Excellence in Workplace Safety
Manufacturers Recognized for Their Commitment to Reducing On-The-Job Injuries
Engineered wood manufacturers from across North America were named winners of APA – The Engineered Wood Association’s 2024 Safety and Health Awards — the premier safety award program for North America’s engineered wood products industry. The program promotes and recognizes operational excellence with the goal of reducing injury and illness rates.
The Safest Company Award went to three members: Domtar won in the category of three or fewer mills, West Fraser won for companies with four to 10 mills, and LP earned the title for companies with 11 or more member mills.
There were two winners in the prestigious Innovation in Safety Award category. Domtar’s Larouche, Quebec, mill won the Equipment-Based Innovation in Safety Award for their submission, “Distancing Handle,” while LP’s Jasper, TX, mill won the Jack Wagner Process-Based Innovation in Safety Award for their submission, “Safety Champions – Future Leader Development – Safety Projects.”
Seventy-six APA member manufacturing facilities participated in the 2024 program.
“We’re proud of our members commitment to workplace safety,” said APA President Mark Tibbetts. “As an industry, it’s important we continue advancing best practices to keep our workplaces safe and protect our teams.”
Now in its 17th year, the program continues to improve overall safety performance and encourages sharing of best practices to improve the industry’s safety culture and programs.
Cole Bryant, corporate safety and environmental manager at RoyOMartin, and APA Safety and Health Committee chair, said incident rates don’t tell the entire story. Employees’ mental health matters, too.
“I am proud of our industry’s initiatives that focus on the mental well-being of our work families,” Bryant said.
“Life can feel overwhelming at times for us and for our families. That’s why it matters so much that we are making resources available to support our team members and their families both at work and at home.”
The full list of winners and more information on the APA Safety and Health Awards Program can be found on the association’s website at www.apawood.org.
About APA – The Engineered Wood Association
Founded in 1933 and based in Tacoma, WA, APA represents about 175 plywood, oriented strand board, glulam timber, wood I-joist, rim board, cross-laminated timber and structural composite lumber mills throughout North America. Its primary functions are quality auditing and testing, applied research and market support and development.
