Rooted In Growth
For more than 130 years, NAWLA has been part of the foundation of the lumber and building materials distribution channel. Since 1893, the organization has evolved alongside the businesses and people it represents, adapting to new challenges, embracing new ideas and helping prepare the industry for what comes next.
That history provides a strong foundation. In 2026, NAWLA put an even greater focus on growth — expanding who it reaches, how it brings people together and the ways it supports professionals across the industry.
These growth-focused changes were rooted in NAWLA’s mission: fostering education, innovation and trusted relationships to support the business evolution of the lumber and building materials distribution channel.
Expanding the Conversation
The expansion of the industry was more visible than ever at Traders Market 2026.
As the event celebrated its 30th anniversary in Anaheim, California, NAWLA opened Traders Market to members and nonmembers across the broader lumber and building materials distribution channel. More than 1,200 attendees and 200 exhibitors came together, representing an increasingly diverse industry that extends far beyond traditional lumber wholesalers and manufacturers.
Mills, manufacturers, distributors, service providers, mass timber companies, component manufacturers, retailers, truss and wall panel manufacturers, co-ops, buying groups and more were represented.
The result was a broader conversation including companies like:
• Arauco
• BlueLinx Corporation
• Boise Cascade Building Materials Distribution
• Do it Best Corp.
• Forest City Trading Group
• LBM Advantage
• Lumbermens Merchandising Corporation (LMC)
• LP Building Solutions
• Sierra Pacific
• Simpson Strong-Tie
• Specialty Building Products
• Taiga Building Products North America
• Union Pacific Railroad
• Westlake Royal Building Products
• Weyerhaeuser
• Ganahl Lumber Company
• Timberlab
For three days, professionals who may not have always had the opportunity to meet in the same room, were given the chance to find new partners, reconnect with customers, exchange ideas and identify opportunities across the entire supply chain.
After 30 years, Traders Market continues to demonstrate why relationships remain at the center of this industry. In 2026, NAWLA expanded those relationships to include more of the people and businesses shaping its future.
Creating Space for What’s Next
Growth also meant creating something new, and then building on it.
The inaugural T-100, held in March at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, California, established a new kind of executive-level experience for NAWLA. Designed for senior leaders across the lumber and building materials distribution channel, T-100 created a focused environment for meaningful conversation, broader perspective and the relationships that help businesses navigate change.
The format was intentionally different. Rather than a packed schedule of large sessions, T-100 gave leaders room to step away from the day-to-day and engage with peers on the forces shaping their businesses, from economic volatility and supply chain disruption to shifting customer expectations and technology.
One of the event’s standout moments was the Breakfast of Champions panel, which brought perspectives from outside the lumber industry into the conversation. Moderator Matt Phillips was joined by Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management; Eric Hoplin, president and CEO of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors; and Anne Chettle Reinke, president and CEO of the Intermodal Association of North America. Their discussion explored automation, logistics innovation and evolving distribution models, giving attendees a broader perspective on the forces reshaping supply chains and distribution.
The session resonated because it challenged leaders to look beyond the immediate issues facing their own businesses, and just as valuable were the conversations happening between sessions, where executives compared experiences, exchanged ideas and built relationships with peers facing many of the same challenges.
Building on the success of its inaugural event, T-100 returns March 1–3, 2027, at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, in Amelia Island, Florida. Registration is now open for an expanded program of executive-level education and peer connection, including a Business Briefing with Alex Chausovsky and Eugene Chausovsky, strategy-focused programming, an Industry Leaders Panel and the return of the highly rated Breakfast of Champions panel, featuring John Price of Americas Market Intelligence and a returning Eric Hoplin.
Additionally, in 2027, the Executive Management Institute (EMI) returns to Chicago April 26–30, giving senior leaders another opportunity to develop their business acumen and leadership skills in an immersive setting. Together, T-100 and EMI strengthen NAWLA’s commitment to preparing leaders not only for the challenges of today, but for the opportunities ahead.
Investing in Every Career Stage
That same philosophy carried into NAWLA’s education offerings.
In 2026, NAWLA Academy added two new courses and eight new learning bundles, expanding the ways professionals can access education tailored to their roles and areas of focus.
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Courses such as Lumber Math reinforced the fundamentals of the business, helping professionals understand how board feet, freight, mill pricing and company pricing come together to shape the final price to a customer. At the same time, Working Smarter with AI: Practical Tools for Lumber Professionals brought emerging technology into the conversation, showing professionals how to put AI to work in areas such as sales, forecasting, operations and decision-making. Together, the new offerings reflect NAWLA’s commitment to education that is practical, relevant and built around where the industry is headed.
Wood Basics continued that investment with immersive Spring and Fall sessions designed to give professionals a deeper understanding of the industry from forest to finished product. The Spring session brought Wood Basics to Raleigh, North Carolina, for the first time and was a strong addition to the program, with a particularly tight-knit cohort that fostered meaningful connections and hands-on learning. The sold-out Fall Wood Basics session in Corvallis, Oregon, brought participants together for grading exercises and industry tours, including the OSU Research Forest.
These programs represent different points along the career journey, but they share the same purpose: giving professionals the knowledge and perspective they need to grow, and giving the industry a stronger pipeline of informed, capable leaders.
From Foundation to Future
These efforts are not isolated initiatives. They are part of NAWLA’s 2026–2028 Strategic Plan, which centers on three pillars: Engagement, Expansion and Education.
The work underway in 2026 brought all three to life.
Opening Traders Market to a broader segment of the distribution channel expanded NAWLA’s reach and created new opportunities for engagement. Launching T-100 developed a new avenue for executive connection and leadership. Expanding NAWLA Academy and continuing hands-on programs like Wood Basics strengthened the organization’s commitment to education at every career stage.
Together, these efforts reflect NAWLA’s vision to serve as the global link to North America, preparing current and future leaders through education and business connections while driving innovation and fueling sustainable growth.
After more than a century, NAWLA knows that a strong foundation matters, but roots are not meant to keep an organization in one place. They provide the strength to grow.
In 2026, NAWLA built on that foundation, and as the industry looks toward the future, the organization is continuing to grow with it.
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