2009 Annual Meeting

October 10-13

The Roosevelt

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& EXPO 2009

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September 4, 2009

Corporate Garden Features Treated Southern Pine

Editors at WOOD magazine had a multitude of choices when deciding what materials they would use to build two outdoor structures at their corporate headquarters. They could have picked from a wide variety of woods or even used a composite material. But they chose pressure-treated Southern Pine to build an arbor and a privacy screen in the test garden adjacent to Meredith Corporation’s building in Des Moines, Iowa. Construction got under way last week and will be completed soon. The garden is situated between two main avenues in the city’s downtown area, which provides some eye-catching visibility for treated lumber.

The two structures will be featured in the July 2010 issue of WOOD, a leading journal for serious woodworkers and handy do-it-yourselfers. Some eight million readers enjoy the magazine each month. Richard Wallace, SFPA’s vice president of communications, worked with the editors to coordinate selection and delivery of the materials needed. For more information, contact Richard at 504/443-4464, ext. 236, or by e-mail at rwallace@sfpa.org.

Specialty Products E-Class Goes Live

After receiving final approval for accreditation from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Southern Pine Council has launched a new online continuing education class for those looking to learn more about Southern Pine specialty products. The class is designed to educate builders, remodelers, architects and other design/building professionals about the various applications for Southern Pine specialty products, including flooring, siding, paneling, trim and molding. Environmental attributes, proper handling and storage, and porch flooring applications are also discussed. “This is a much needed class for our continuing education program,” said Russell Richardson, SFPA’s director of industrial markets. “Educating end-user audiences about applications for specialty products will surely grow demand.”

Find the new e-class on www.southernpine.com (click the education link and then choose “eClassroom”). For more information, contact Russell at 504/443-4464, ext. 239, or rrichardson@sfpa.org. 

Annual Meeting Sponsors, Exhibitors Signing Up

Two companies and a nonprofit organization have signed up so far as sponsors of SFPA’s 2009 Annual Meeting with two additional firms coming on board as exhibitors. Taylor Machine Works, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Optimil signed up as sponsors. They will also exhibit at the meeting, as will ITW Signode and Samuel Strapping Systems.  “This is a great opportunity to support our association and its programs and at the same time network with some of the forest products industry’s leaders,” said Eric Gee, SFPA’s director of EXPO and forest resources.

It’s not too late to join this year’s sponsors and exhibitors. Click here for a brochure with details, or contact Eric at 504/443-4464, ext. 214, or egee@sfpa.org. The meeting is Oct. 10-13 at The Roosevelt in New Orleans. Hotel rooms should be reserved no later than today to receive SFPA’s meeting rate of $159 plus taxes for a single or double room.

Wood Products Hold Center Stage at LSU AgCenter Conference

SFPA will help set the tone for a 2009 Green Building Conference being held by the LSU AgCenter Sept. 29 in Baton Rouge, La. The conference is designed to raise awareness in the building industry about the many uses for wood products in green building projects. “This will help develop markets for the forest products industry and provide information on locally available materials for architects, contractors, home builders and interior designers,” the AgCenter says in its conference description. Russell Richardson, SFPA’s director of industrial markets, will open the conference with a 30-minute introductory presentation titled “Why Wood?”.  Building professionals and foresters who attend the conference can earn six hours in continuing education credits. Click here for more information.

SFPA Welcomes New Member

SFPA welcomes Mauvila Timber of Loxley, Ala., as a new Associate member. The company – which derives its name from the Indian word for “Mobile” – was founded by Gary Unger, president of KeyPort Warehousing in Loxley, and Lane Merchant, a long-time affiliate of SFPA through his previous work with Central National-Gotesman, a former member of SFPA.

Mauvila Timber operates 50,000 square feet of warehouse space out of KeyPort’s facility and specializes in exporting Southern Pine, primarily for millwork markets in Europe and North Africa. The company stocks rough and clears in various sizes, grades and lengths, heart-pine flooring and some tropical species. Mauvila’s expertise is locating and acquiring SP lumber in various grades for ocean container shipments. Lane will represent the firm in SFPA. He can be reached at 251/964-4607 or by e-mail at merchl@gulftel.com.

Office Closed for Labor Day

SFPA’s office will be closed Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day. We will reopen Tuesday. Meanwhile, we hope everyone enjoys a safe holiday!

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