A domestic furniture report and a timely update on the European Union rules were highlights of the recent 2024 Summer Conference of Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc. (AHMI).
More than 140 attendees participated in the event at The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC, with business sessions, networking and fun sporting events. The consensus was informative sessions at a great venue.
The program kicked off with a domestic wood furniture manufacturing report from Curtis Hamlin, director of supply chain for Century Furniture, The Hickory, NC-based company was founded in 1947 by the Shuford family who maintain ownership today.
Century is renowned for high quality solid wood furniture in all product categories. Hamlin said the global wood furniture market in 2023 was $283B with home office and accessories at 36 percent; living room at 27 percent; dining room at 19 percent and bedroom at 16 percent.
Nearly 35 percent of Century’s annual sales are Hardwood furniture and the company utilizes White Oak, Hard and Soft Maple, Walnut and Poplar. The company also purchases veneers and sheet stock.
Hamlin noted that 85 percent of Century’s products are manufactured in the USA. He said trends for 2024 include darker tones with designs that are organic and simple with rich grain.
The second session was an update on the European Union Deforestation Regulations that will go into effect in 2025. American Hardwood Export Council Executive Director Michael Snow said updates from the EU just days earlier report that the rules are on schedule to begin implementation.
The EUDR requires timber importers to report the geolocation of harvest for every piece of lumber or product brought into Europe. The law is extremely burdensome for primary and secondary manufacturers who do not record this data.
Snow said the U.S. is far ahead of other countries because of private land records for tax purposes. AHEC has developed a system using a hunting software that details tracts of land and can show forestland changes.
The costs to continually update the system and reporting will be in the millions of dollars annually. Snow said the EU is not ready to track or enforce the regulations.
The U.S. government and other countries are seeking delays in implementation of the new law, he said.
The Real American Hardwood Coalition provided an update on its work to promote U.S. Hardwood products to domestic consumers. The campaign began in 2021 with research and launched the realamerican
hardwood.com website in 2022.
RAH began advertising on the Magnolia Network, streaming services and social media in 2023 and is in its second phase in 2024. This phase includes expanded advertising and a website targeting architects and designers at realamericanhardwood.pro.
RAH Coalition Chair Linda Jovanovich of the Hardwood Manufacturers Association said results have been millions of contacts, thousands of messages and awareness of the brand. The next phase is designed to move consumers to purchase.
The campaign is seeking voluntary funding from the Hardwood industry and foundations in 2024.
The Conference included breakout sessions on Poplar CLT, the AHMI 401k Multiple Employer Plan and Lumber Payroll software. Details on these presentations is available from the AHMI office and all are available on the AHMI website at www.appalachianhardwood.org.
The conference concluded with a sawmill and yard tour at Oaks Unlimited in Waynesville, NC. Oaks Unlimited owner and AHMI Board member Joe Pryor showcased the company’s operations.
There were sporting tournaments during the conference. The winners were:
Golf
Low gross: 1 – Sawyer McCarty; 2 – Jeff Gowder;
3 – Peter McCarty;
Low net: 1 – Matt Guiterrez; 2 – Tony Summerow;
Long Drive: – Matt Hill;
Closest to the Pin: Brandon Turman and Matt Guiterrez.
Sporting Clays
1 – Addison Fox; 2 – Tony Honeycutt;
3 – Chuck Carter
Croquet
1-Dan and Beth Mathews; 2-John and Martha Toncich.
The next meeting of the association will be the 2025 Annual Meeting on Feb. 26-March 2 at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Learn more at www.appalachianhardwood.org.
