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June 26, 2009

Special Magazine Section Showcases Southern Pine

SFPA and the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association teamed up to create 12 pages devoted to Southern Pine in the current issue of Building Products Digest. The magazine is read by almost 20,000 lumber and building products distributors and retailers.

The section includes stories, photos and advertisements from several SFPA and SLMA members. The first story talks about the strength and resiliency of the lumber industry and the steps both associations have taken to help position members for a rebounding economy (available online). A second article explains how raised floor foundations can open the door for additional lumber sales. A third introduces the new Real Outdoor Living campaign and Web site recently launched by SLMA’s Southern Pine Awareness Network (available online). A fourth story promotes treated lumber with a sidebar explaining how “in a green world, wood wins.” Interior applications for Southern Pine are the focus of a fifth article, and the final piece lets readers know about the great resources the Southern Pine Council offers to help dealers and their customers learn more about Southern Pine.   

“The editorial content included in this special section allows us to explain in greater detail the benefits of SPC’s promotions to a key target audience,” said Richard Wallace, SFPA’s vice president of communications. “Calling attention to the services and expertise the SFPA staff has to offer also helps dealers expand their Southern Pine sales, especially for treated decking and specialty patterns.”

Attendees Rate Midyear Meeting

In an effort to continuously improve its meetings, SFPA invited attendees to rate the association’s recent Midyear Meeting through an online survey. Almost 58% responded. Here are a few highlights from what they said.

·         The breakfast roundtable discussions tried for the first time this year were a hit. In response to a question about whether attendees liked the roundtables and would like to see them incorporated into future meetings, 74.1% highly agreed, 22.2% agreed and 3.7% somewhat agreed. No one disapproved of the roundtables. One attendee commented, “This was the perfect format. It creates an environment where members are more likely to participate in discussions.”

·         Regarding information delivered at the meeting, 92.6% said the information about the Real Outdoor Living campaign was just right; 88.5% percent were satisfied with the amount of information they heard about the Raised Floor Living campaign; and 85.2% said they received enough information about possible changes in international marketing efforts.

·         71.4% found information about green building certification programs delivered by Ward Hubbell, president of the Green Building Initiative, useful while 28.6% rated it as somewhat useful.

·         Attendees ranked networking with peers as the most important reason they attend meetings, followed by committee updates and presentations from knowledgeable speakers.

Members can find presentations from the Midyear Meeting in the members-only sections at www.sfpa.org.

SFPA on the Road

SFPA staff members frequently take to the roads and airways to tell Southern Pine’s story to builders, designers, building inspectors and other key segments of the building industry. There’s one upcoming event in the near future.

·         Russell Richardson, director of industrial markets, will promote raised floor foundations at the Southeast Building Conference July 30 through August 1 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

Office Closed Friday

The SFPA office will be closed on Friday in observance of the Fourth of July holiday. There will also be no newsletter Friday. The SFPA staff wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday!

PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION  

mechanical means, without written authorization from SFPA is prohibited.