By Zach Miller
Eugene, OR–Approximately 50 members and guests of the Western Hardwood Association (WHA) met here recently at the Hilton Garden Inn. Attendees enjoyed networking events, in-person facility tours of Northwest Hardwoods and Murphy Lumber, as well as informative guest speakers.
Among the scheduled speakers were: Dana Lee Cole, Hardwood Federation; Michael Snow, American Hardwood Export Council; Stephen Zambo, Ally Global Logistics; Dana Spessert, National Hardwood Lumber Association; Jim Price, Emerson Hardwood; Kent Wheiler with Cintrafor, among others.
These were among the many topics addressed:
Cole addressed recent legislative bills that will impact the Hardwood industry, one of which is container ships in the export market. Cole outlined bills working their way through the legislature.
Emerson spoke about labor and about how, more or less, the next generation of employees has different job expectations, thus bringing different challenges to the labor front.
Wheiler, who specializes in international markets, also addressed domestic markets at the WHA meeting. In regard to international activity, Wheiler said appearance grade lumber took the biggest hit as the industry watched 20 years of market development with China basically disappear during the trade wars. Then in 2020 with the onset of COVID, production dropped 25 percent. He said, however, demand is strong yet supplies are constrained. He stressed that a need and a market exist for both appearance and utility grades.
NHLA’s Dana Spessert spoke about the grading rules and proposals for changes to those rules.
The WHA is headquartered in Camas, WA
Learn more at www.westernhardwood.com.
