Connecting. Exploring. Discovering. That was the agenda for the recent 37th Forest Products Machinery & Equipment EXPO, held at the Music City Center in Nashville, TN, and feedback shows exhibitors and attendees alike were able to successfully check off all three items on that agenda.
After five shows in Atlanta dating back to 2011, the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA), which hosts the biennial event, moved the show with all exhibitors and attendees applauding the new host city and venue.
EXPO 2023 exhibit space actually sold out three different times before SFPA had to close booth sales because all available space was claimed. The final floorplan topped out at 217 exhibiting companies – a record number of exhibitors since 2007 – spread over 58,337 square feet of machinery, innovation, and solutions to meet with more than 1,200 attendees.
“The move to Nashville exceeded all expectations,” said Eric Gee, SFPA’s executive director. “It was great to see so many members of the forest products industry in attendance to be a part of this historic moment. I’m extremely proud of the exhibiting companies that helped transform the exhibit hall into a first-rate networking space.”
Since 1950, Forest Products EXPO has provided a place for both hardwood and Softwood sawmillers to gather, celebrate new technology, network, and learn about the industry’s latest machinery and equipment.
The three-day tradeshow provided attendees with solutions for nearly every stage of manufacturing. From raw material handling to crane operations; metal detection and scanning technologies; log optimization, drying, grading, sorting, packaging, and distribution.
Onsite Activities
SFPA announced the 2022 John Edgar Rhodes Sawmill Safety Excellence Awards during the Sawmill & Safety Awards Breakfast at the EXPO. This is the second year in a row there are seven mills receiving 2022 Sawmill Safety Awards with zero incidents among them.
New this year included a welcome reception and The Lumber Yard, which expanded EXPO’s networking center with an outdoor-live feel that included wood picnic tables and activities. Attendees also had the option to attend Productivity & Efficiency: A Conference by Timber Processing co-located at the Forest Products EXPO.
“With nearly one-third of U.S. Forested Land, Southern States produce more than $100 billion in forest products,” said Alaina Hanson CPA, SFPA’s director of administration. “Nashville was the perfect choice because it’s within easy driving distance for both Southern Pine sawmills and hardwood sawmills. The surrounding areas, including the Eastern U.S. hardwood community, represent 42 percent of all lumber manufactured in the United States.”
Stay tuned to SFPAexpo.com for future host city and dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Booth sales for the 38th Forest Products Machinery & Equipment EXPO are scheduled to open in June 2024, while registration is scheduled to open in March 2025.
Scott Vande Linde, West Fraser, Germantown, TN; Vince Almond, Almond Brothers Lumber Co., Coushatta, LA; Eric Gee, SFPA, Executive Director, Metairie, LA; Mark Richardson, The Westervelt Company Inc., Tuscaloosa, AL; Will Lampe, Lampe & Malphrus Lumber Co., Smithfield, NC; Rich Mills, Hood Industries Inc., Hattiesburg, MS; and Craig Forbes,Weyerhaeuser, Hot Springs, AR
Mark Richardson, The Westervelt Company Inc., Tuscaloosa, AL; Warwick Green, Nicholson Manufacturing Ltd., Sidney, BC; Ricky Stanley, T.R. Miller Mill Co. Inc., Brewton, AL; and Cade Warner, The Westervelt Company Inc.Vince Almond, Almond Brothers Lumber Co., Coushatta, LA; David Conner and Jay Moore, Timber Products Inspection Inc., Peachtree City, GA; Buddy Rutland, Southern Parallel Forest Products, Albertville, AL; and Tad Cleve, Timber Products Inspection Inc.Chris Hough and Paul Krotts, Lewis Controls Inc., Cornelius, OR Ted Smith, TS Manufacturing Co., Lindsay, ON; John and Jan Rees, RAM Forest Products Inc., Shinglehouse, PA; Niki St. Denis, TS Manufacturing Co. Lindsey, ON; Joe Korac, Automation & Electronics USA, Arden, NC; and Peter McCarty, TS Manufacturing Co., Levant, MEAlex Staalner, Brookhuis America Inc., Jefferson, GA; and Claus Staalner, American Wood Technology LLC, Jefferson, GAShawn Fleming, Anthony Timberlands Inc., Camden, AR; Chad Smith, USNR, Hot Springs, AR; David Whitson, Anthony Timberlands Inc., Hot Springs, AR; Sonia Perrine, USNR, Charleston, SC; and Ken McKelvie, USNR, Salmon Arm, BC Scott Hamilton, Hood Industries Inc., Hattiesburg, MS; John Galloway, Hood Industries Inc., Purvis, MS; Bryant Beadles, Canfor Southern Pine, Thomasville, GA; and Rich Mills, Hood Industries Inc., Hattiesburg, MSNicolas Espinoza, James Morton, Justina Mathews and David Quane, Paw Taw John Services Inc., Rathdrum, IDJustin and Shayna Storm, J.H. Huscroft Ltd., Creston, BC; and Terry Miller, The Softwood Forest Products Buyer, Memphis, TNChris Womack, John Miller and Tanner Sinclair, Air Systems Mfg. of Lenoir Inc., Lenoir, NC; and Jeremy Faircloth and Eric Baugh, Faircloth Forest Products Inc., Swainsboro, GA Jason Acton and Richard Galley, Allied Timber Products, Queensland, Australia; and Robert Cooper, Cooper Machine Company Inc., Wadley, GATim Biewer, Biewer Lumber LLC, St. Clair, MI; Simon Potvin, BID Group Technologies Ltd., Mirabel, QC; Loren Walker, BID Group, St. George, SC; Ryan Jacobs, Biewer Lumber LLC, Tuscaloosa, AL; Dustin Wood, Biewer Lumber LLC, Louisville, MS; Anne-Marie Levesque, Sylvain Dionne, Larry Poudrier, BID Group Technologies Ltd., Mirabel, QC; Aaron Breitmeyer, Biewer Lumber LLC, McBain, MI; and Blake Biewer, Biewer Lumber LLC, Winona, MSJason Goodman and Noelia Cross, U-C Coatings LLC, Buffalo, NY Justin Wilkes, Vecoplan LLC, Archdale, NC; Jeremy Mortl and Craig Albright, Messersmith Manufacturing Inc., Bark River, MI; and Bob Hurst, Eagle Machinery & Supply Inc., Sugarcreek, OHNick Adams and Peder Anderson, Northern Crossarm Co. Inc., Chippewa Falls, WI; Jeremy Howard and Adam Duplisea, Nyle Dry Kilns, Brewer, ME; Jeremy Pitts, Nyle Dry Kilns, Lenoir, NC; and Ben Crowell, Durgin and Crowell Lumber Co. Inc., Springfield, NHRobert Pannell, PotlatchDeltic Corporation, Moore, SC; Jarrod Cardin, Jeremy Ball and Gene Hamaker, Cardin Forest Products LLC, South Pittsburg, TNPeter Crowell, Durgin and Crowell Lumber Co. Inc., Springfield, NH; and Kim Drew and Jeff Easterling, NELMA, Cumberland Center, MEGrayson Taylor, Barry Black, Darby Nowell, Glenn Rhodes, Taylor Machine Works Inc., Louisville, MS; Dan Sills, Hugg & Hall Equipment Co., Little Rock, AR; and Alex Taylor, Taylor Machine Works Inc.Brad Brewer, BKD Enterprise LLC, Wiggins, MS; Dominik Belzer and Jos aan de Stegge, Brunner-Hildebrand Lumber Dry Kiln Co., Nashville, TN; Bernie Pahlke, BEP Engineering Services Ltd., Surrey, BC; and Brandon Parnell, BKD Enterprise LLCPierre Lafond and Luc Houde, Carbotech International Inc./Autolog, Plessisville, QC; Eric Michaud, Carbotech International Inc./Autolog, Sarasota, FL; and John Morgan, Morgan Lumber Co. Inc., Red Oak, VAAndrew Belcher, Continental Underwriters Inc., Richmond, VA; Corey Bounds, Continental Underwriters Inc., Newton, MS; Ricky Rutter, Continental Underwriters Inc., Richmond, VA; and Kelly Park, Continental Underwriters Inc., Benton, KYScott Farrow, Jeff Abbott, Jim Shepherd, Bryson Bennett and Brett Bennett, Bennett Lumber Products Inc., Princeton, IDTerry Miller, The Softwood Forest Products Buyer, Memphis, TN; and Daniel Fosnot, PLMI, Philadelphia, PAMatt Tietz, McDonough Manufacturing Company, Eau Claire, WI; Kevin Lamb, Nathan Edwards and Richard Sprague, Hancock Lumber Company, Pittsfield, ME Ben Mathews, SII Dry Kilns, Lexington, NC; Mikael Edde, DryTech AB, Stockholm, Sweden; Dan Mathews, SII Dry Kilns; Alessio Lucarelli, WDE Maspell S.r.l., Narni, Italy; and Brian Turlington, SII Dry KilnsKirk Soule and Mark Erickson, Blue Book Services Inc., Carol Stream, ILDaniel Gravely, Real Performance Machinery LLC, Independence, VA; Ricky Stanley, T.R. Miller Mill Co. Inc., Brewton, ALJohn Jennings, Nicholson Manufacturing Ltd., Sidney, BC; Jeff Davis, Nicholson Manufacturing Ltd., Meridien, MS; Warwick Green, Nicholson Manufacturing Ltd., Sidney, BC; and Rodney Williams, Nicholson Manufacturing Ltd., North Myrtle Beach, SCKirk Forbes, Sonia Marchesini and Ryan Coates, Brunette Machinery Co. Inc., Surrey, BC Doug Eubanks, Piche Inc., Hot Springs, AR; Sebastien Couture, William Laroche, Jean-Benoit Piche, Marc Theriault and Travis Shepherd, Piche Inc., Daveluyville, QC Norvin Laudon, Amy Coyner, Tommy Bain, Kenzie Hand, Casey Kissell and Marcus Trisdale, MiCROTEC, Corvallis, ORKeith Price, Corley Mfg. Co., Lexington, TN; Chris Hough, Paul Krotts, Lewis Controls Inc., Cornelius, OR; Doyle Kitchings, Chuck Boaz and Jim Burris, Corley Mfg. Co., Chattanooga, TN Thomas Wamming, Valutec Wood Dryers Inc., Sweden; Robert Weithofer, Valutec Wood Dryers Inc., East Longmeadow, MA; and Eric Johansson, Valutec Wood Dryers Inc., SwedenLee Stiles, A.W. Stiles Contractors Inc., McMinnville, TN; Kayla Hatley, Tanner Stirewalt, Sherri Johnson, Lynn Stirewalt and Johnny Johnson, Piedmont Hardwood Lumber Co., Mt. Pleasant, NC; and Scott Hutton, A.W. Stiles Contractors Inc.All with SFPA, from left: Eric Gee, executive director; Alaina Hanson CPA, director of administration; Rachel Elton, accountant; and Christian Moises APR, communications manager.
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