IHLA Welcomes Attendees to In-Person Convention/Expo

Photos by Terry Miller and Paul Miller Jr.

Indianapolis, IN–The 2021 Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association (IHLA), along with Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co., recently presented a ‘Lumber Olympics’-themed Convention and Exposition, which was held here at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. The annual event this year attracted 667 people who attended or exhibited, including IHLA members and their guests, who enjoyed three days of networking, informational presentations and updates on current association events.

Keynote speaker Dana Neer, Olympic-hopeful runner, pastor, motivator, author and coach, opened the IHLA’s convention sessions followed by a presentation by the Real American Hardwood Promotion Coalition panel. Another presenter that day was: Criswell Davis of Mighty Oaks Consulting, who spoke about promoting American Hardwoods. 

U.S. Hardwood Market Trends were also discussed in a presentation by Hardwood Market Report’s (HMR) David Caldwell. Among his topics, he noted that the U.S. Hardwood industry ended 2020 about 1 billion board feet less than 2019 with the largest drop being in industrials. For grade lumber markets, he said domestic usage fell more than exports. He continued that Hardwood production seasonally fell in the first quarter of 2020, with the average of those three months at 7.5BBF. But, COVID-19 lockdowns stalled business the next few months, and production fell 38.7 percent in the May through July period compared to Q1. 

In fact, the May reading was the lowest reading since HMR began tracking sawmill output in 1960. While demand recovered fairly quickly, sawmill output has not.

Caldwell noted the issues slowing the recovery of Hardwood production. He defined these as fewer timber sales, fewer logging contractors, less sawmill capacity, cash availability, Hardwood mills cutting softwoods and labor issues.

The IHLA conducted associational business the next day during a breakfast meeting, followed by the exhibitors’ hall being opened. Attendees had access to the exhibitors’ booths at set times throughout each day of the convention. 

The final day of the convention wrapped up with an afternoon presentation by Michael Snow, executive director of the American Hardwood Export Council, who spoke about the post-election global outlook. 

An evening reception closed the 2021 event.

In conjunction with the IHLA Convention, the Fellowship of Christian Lumbermen and the American Walnut Manufacturers Association also met.

The IHLA, headquartered in Fishers, IN, is a non-profit trade organization comprised of sawmills, wholesale brokers, equipment vendors, secondary manufacturers, loggers, landowners and others who recognize the benefits of working together on issues and projects for the good of the Hardwood industry. According to their website, today IHLA has members in 27 states and three Canadian provinces. 

Learn more at www.ihla.org.