There’s More To HMA Than Meetings And Tours
Domestic hardwood sawmills and yards may know the Hardwood Manufacturers Association (HMA) for our National Conference and Expo—with insightful learning sessions and a showcase of the industry’s leading suppliers—as well as our Regional Meetings, which offer excellent opportunities to tour other facilities and gain insights to improve their own operations. But that’s just half of HMA’s mission. The other half focuses on increasing demand for solid American hardwoods by creating awareness through promotion and education to consumers and design professionals. How do we extol the qualities and benefits of these naturally renewable and sustainable products? Keeping reading!
First things first, and that’s the American Hardwood Information Center at HardwoodInfo.com.
Sponsored and maintained by the HMA, it’s the authoritative resource for both consumers and design professionals who are seeking the truth about the American hardwood products they bring into their homes or specify for projects. The website is filled with inspiring articles, beautiful photos, informative resources, and the facts about hardwoods.
American hardwoods have a story to tell, and HMA never gets tired of telling it. And we do so with quarterly editorial features that get blasted out to print newspapers and online news outlets in all 50 states. Working with our media network, we’ve become an influencer by inspiring millions of homeowners to bring American hardwood flooring, furniture, cabinetry, millwork, and décor into their homes. These articles can be found at HardwoodInfo.com and HMA members are free to share them with their own customers and on social media.
While consumers and their budgets make the final call when it comes to selecting the products for their homes, architects and interior designers play a significant role in recommending them. And by talking with these design professionals over the years, HMA has learned that they do not really know much about hardwoods, but they’re eager to learn. To provide these resources, HMA maintains active memberships with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the International Design Continuing Education Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. HMA also offers two on-demand Continuing Education Units (CEUs): American Hardwoods in Carbon Neutral Architecture & Design and Thermally Modified Hardwood and its Role in Architecture & Design. A third CEU, titled American Hardwoods Enhance Sustainability, Health, Productivity, & Comfort, is currently being published.
And that’s not all. HMA also offers another free resource for architects and designers: the American Hardwoods Collection. Featuring 20 samples of the most commonly used domestic species, a four-color stain simulator, and an informative species guide filled with information about the sustainability of American hardwoods; their use in green design, and in-depth profiles of each species. These kits are available on request to all industry stakeholders, students, designers, and architects—for free—and have been shipped all over the world!
HMA also is a proud supporter of the Real American Hardwood Coalition (RAHC) and is active in its initiatives to promote real wood to consumers and design professionals.
Through national advertising campaigns, engaging social media content, design tradeshows, and professional education efforts, the RAHC is playing a critical role in helping sway the needle in favor of American hardwoods.
If you’d like to learn more about HMA and it’s promotion and education initiatives, I’m just a call, text, or email away. Talk soon!
