Cleveland, OH–The National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) welcomed members and guests to its 125th Annual Convention and Exhibit Showcase, held recently here at the Huntington Convention Center.
NHLA put on the 3-day event, which annually provides attendees a host of educational sessions, industry trade booths to visit, networking options and a keynote speaker guaranteed to inspire all who attend. This year’s keynote speaker was Chester Elton, a nationally known bestselling leadership author. His books include: All In, The Carrot Principle and The Best Team Wins.
Education session topics were varied and include: broadening your knowledge of the Hardwood tie and timber market, advancements in Hardwood CLT, enhancing access to export markets and supply chain issues.
The 2022 NHLA Annual Convention also boasted a strong line-up of speakers and presenters, including Hardwood researchers, award-winning professors, experts on supply chain management, timber engineers, Hardwood promoters, and an international economist guru, according to the NHLA. These speakers’ topics ranged from labor issues to new markets for Hardwood and the future of supply chain management.
Included among the speakers were the following:
•Dr. Nate Irby, executive director of the Railway Tie Association
•Dr. Henry Quesada, assistant director of Extension and Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Leader at Purdue University, who led a panel on CLT
•Dr. Tom Goldsby, Dee and Jimmy Haslam Chair of Logistics Professor of Supply Chain Management, Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, who spoke about the supply chain in the future
•Michael Snow, executive director, American Hardwood Export Council.
Additionally, at this year’s NHLA event, CANVAS United gave a keynote presentation that launched the Real American Hardwoods social media strategy to support the new consumer focused website.