2009 Annual Meeting

October 10-13

The Roosevelt

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September 25, 2009

Softwood Lumber Production Down Three Straight Years

Softwood lumber production in both the South and West was down for the third year in a row in 2008, according to data collected by SFPA and the Western Wood Products Association. WWPA recently reported sawmills in 12 Western states saw softwood lumber production in 2008 fall 20.4% from the previous year. WWPA reported production of 12.995 Bbf last year, the lowest annual volume since WWPA started compiling statistics in the 1950s. Southern Pine lumber shipments fell by 13% in 2008 compared to 2007, with SFPA reporting shipments of 14.57 Bbf in 2008, the lowest annual volume since shipments totaled 14.39 Bbf in 1993.  Southern Pine production hit an all-time high in 2005 at 19 Bbf. For more information on Southern Pine shipment statistics, contact Vernon Barabino, SFPA’s director of financial services, at 504/443-4464, ext. 224, or vbarabino@sfpa.org. Annual Southern Pine production totals dating to 1915 are also available to SFPA’s Active and Affiliate members in the members-only section at www.sfpa.org.

Hear Latest on Softwood Check-Off Initiative at SFPA Annual Meeting

An update on efforts to establish a commodity check-off program to fund research and promotional activities for softwood lumber is on the agenda for SPFA’s 2009 Annual Meeting Oct. 10-13 at The Roosevelt in New Orleans. A Blue Ribbon Commission was formed in March to assess industry support for the idea and move the process forward. Steve Lovett, founder and president of Phoenix Strategic Solutions Inc. and former executive vice president with the American Forest & Paper Association, is working with the BCR and will provide a report on progress made so far.

It’s not too late to register for the meeting. Click here for a brochure with meeting details and agenda. Rooms can still be reserved at SFPA’s special meeting rate of $159 plus taxes for a single or double room. Call 1-800-WALDORF or click here to reserve your room online. Refer to group code SFP. For assistance or more information, contact Dianne Breaux at 504/443-4464, ext. 225, or by e-mail at dbreaux@sfpa.org. 

Raised Floor Campaign Launches Two New Components

Two more components of the Southern Pine Council’s 2009 campaign to promote raised floor foundations are now in motion. An Internet advertising campaign that reaches consumers throughout the Southeast launched last week, and a sweepstakes and series of two-minute television segments premiered this week in Jacksonville, Fla. The additional elements join a television advertising campaign that started several weeks ago in Houston and Jacksonville.

The Internet ads take visitors to a new Raised Floor Living site designed specifically for homeowners. "Raised Floor Living is expanding its visibility on the Internet in 2009,” said Marc Ehrhardt of The Ehrhardt Group of New Orleans, the agency that coordinates the Raised Floor Living campaign. “Best of all, we are able to do this cost-effectively, allowing Raised Floor Living to reach more consumers online while spending less overall. By identifying consumers according to their online preferences, we are also able to target them more specifically and increase the chances that they spend time on our site and learn more about the benefits of building a raised floor home."

The television segments started airing Wednesday on WTEV-TV (CBS) and WAWS-TV (FOX). They were created to explain the benefits of raised floor foundations and promote the “Design Your Dream Home” sweepstakes, which is open to Jacksonville-area residents. The promotional series will conclude with a segment featuring the winner on Dec. 9. Viewers can find additional information about raised floors on a page on the two stations’ joint Web site. The segments will also be available there after they air. Click here to view.

SFPA Hosts Chinese Delegation

SFPA’s headquarters and a member’s facility were among the stops made by a group of Chinese business men and women who recently traveled here to learn more about the U.S. forest products industry. Ned DeJarnette, SFPA’s director of international markets, hosted the delegation at SFPA’s office this week. Ned explained what SFPA is and how it works to support its members’ products in international markets. He then accompanied the group to Mansura, La., where they toured the facilities of Elder Wood Preserving Company, an Affiliate member of SFPA.

The group also visited Mississippi, where they toured lumber mills and observed forest management practices. “They wanted to see how we manage the complete process all the way from the forest to the finished product,” Ned said. While in Mississippi, they also attended a seminar sponsored by the State of Mississippi Development Authority. Ned was among those making presentations during the event.

The group’s members were from Guangzhou, China, and the surrounding area, and their business interests ranged from furniture manufacturing to lumber importing. For more information, contact Ned at 504/443-4464, ext. 233, or by e-mail at edejarnette@sfpa.org.

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