EXPO 2009

June 11-13, 2009

in New Orleans

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May 15, 2009

2009 Annual Meeting Heading to Historic N.O. Hotel

A recently renovated New Orleans landmark will be the site of SFPA’s 2009 Annual Meeting Oct. 10-13. Thanks to a $145 million renovation, the hotel, most recently known as the Fairmont Hotel, is returning to its “glory days” and former name – The Roosevelt. The hotel was founded in 1893 as the Grunewald, but hit its stride after becoming The Roosevelt in the 1920s. During its 40-year run, The Roosevelt reportedly drew everyone from Louisiana’s infamous governor, Huey P. Long, to Elvis Presley. The legendary hotel also hosted quite a few SFPA meetings during the association’s early years. The hotel later operated as the Fairmont from 1965 until 2005, when Hurricane Katrina effectively closed its doors. “We’re sure our members will enjoy having an opportunity to visit this unique property,” said SFPA President Digges Morgan. More information about the meeting and how to register will be announced later. The Roosevelt is part of the Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria Collection.

Update on Green Building Programs Set for Midyear Meeting

Ward Hubbell, president of the Green Building Initiative, will update attendees at SFPA’s Midyear Meeting on options currently available when it comes to choosing a green building rating program. The green building arena continues to grow in importance for building product manufacturers. In fact, a recent Industry Week article reported the U.S. market for green building materials generated sales of almost $57 billion in 2008 with the market expected to exceed $80 billion in 2013. SFPA’s Midyear Meeting will be held June 9-10 at the Westin in New Orleans. Click here for a complete agenda and information on how to register. For additional assistance, contact Dianne Breaux at 504/443-4464, ext. 225, or by e-mail at dbreaux@sfpa.org.

Green Building Conference Draws Second Largest Crowd

The National Association of Home Builders reports its National Green Building Conference last week in Dallas drew the second largest attendance in its 11-year history. More than 1,200 builders, remodelers, designers and other industry professionals attended the conference. NAHB interprets the high attendance as a sign that the industry is preparing to get back to work as the economy starts to rebound. “The surprisingly strong attendance figures are a very encouraging sign that builders see the bottom of the downturn, and a clear indication that our industry will be greener than ever as it comes back to thrive,” said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson in an NAHB news release. The 12th annual National Green Building Conference will be held May 16-18, 2010, in Raleigh, N.C.

2009 Timber Bridge Design Winners Announced

A team of student engineers from Oklahoma State University won the award for best overall design in the 2009 National Timber Bridge Design Competition.  The team’s design consisted of three vertically-laminated Douglas fir arch trusses supporting a Southern Pine box beam deck. The entry also placed second in best deck, second in most innovative and third in best support structure. Coordinated by Southwest Mississippi Resource Conservation and Development Inc., the annual competition is open to student chapters of the American Society of Civil Engineers and Forest Products Society. The competition’s objectives are to promote interest in the use of wood as a competitive bridge construction material, to generate innovative and cost-effective timber bridge design techniques and to develop an appreciation of the engineering capabilities of wood among future transportation and forest products engineers. Fifteen teams from universities across the United States and Canada competed in this year’s event. Click here for a news release with details about all the winning teams and their projects. To find in-depth technical information and photos of the projects, go to www.msrcd.org/b-result09.htm and then click on each team’s name.

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