2009 Annual Meeting

October 10-13

The Roosevelt

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October 2, 2009

SFPA Among Advisors on Forest Products Trade Policy

SFPA President Digges Morgan recently represented SFPA and the views of the Southern Pine lumber industry at a meeting of the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Forest Products. ITACs are part of an advisory committee system established by Congress in 1974 to ensure that U.S. trade policy and trade negotiating objectives reflect the interests of the nation’s public and private sectors. Jointly administered by the Department of Commerce and United States Trade Representative, ITACs provide a public-private forum to ensure industry has a voice in formulating the nation’s trade policy. “Our participation allows us to keep a watch and have input on trade issues affecting our industry,” Digges said.

The meeting was held Sept. 15 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. The committee heard updates on a memorandum of understanding between the United States and China on illegal logging, potential Environmental Protection Agency rulemaking regarding formaldehyde levels in wood products, pending trade and climate change legislation and more. For more information about ITACs, visit www.trade.gov/itac. Click here to see a list of forest products ITAC members.

More Companies Sign on to Exhibit at Annual Meeting

The list of sponsors and exhibitors at SFPA’s 2009 Annual Meeting Oct. 10-13 at The Roosevelt in New Orleans now includes 10 companies and organizations. They are:

·         Taylor Machine Works (Gold Sponsor and exhibitor)

·         Sustainable Forestry Initiative (Bronze Sponsor and exhibitor)

·         Optimil (Wine Sponsor and exhibitor)

·         Autolog (exhibitor)

·         AWMV by Wood-Mizer (exhibitor)

·         ITW Signode (exhibitor)

·        Lucidyne Technologies (exhibitor)

·         Metriguard (exhibitor)

·         Porter Engineering (exhibitor)

·         Samuel Strapping Systems (exhibitor)

“We appreciate the support for our association and industry shown by this year’s sponsors and exhibitors,” said SFPA President Digges Morgan. Breaks are scheduled throughout the meeting to give attendees ample time to visit exhibitors.

Meeting Attendees Can Meet ‘The Kingfish’

A claim to fame for SFPA’s 2009 Annual Meeting host hotel – The Roosevelt – is its status as a favorite destination for the late Huey P. Long. Meeting attendees who know about Louisiana’s legendary governor may want to take in “The Kingfish: The Life and Times of Huey P. Long.” The one-man production starring actor John “Spud” McConnell is currently being staged at The Roosevelt. A New Orleans reviewer wrote, “McConnell brings Long to life capturing his persuasive charisma, his folksy appeal and his political acumen. His larger-than-life stage presence is fitting for the role of the man who forever stamped Louisiana politics with its vibrant reputation.”

Performances are scheduled at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets sell out fast. For more information visit www.kingfishonstage.com. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online or by calling 866/946-4839.

Wood a Main Topic at Green Building Conference

The LSU AgCenter hosted its first Green Building Conference earlier this week in Baton Rouge, La., with approximately 50 people – primarily building and design professionals – attending. The conference started with a presentation called “Why Wood?” by Russell Richardson, SFPA’s director of industrial markets. Russell explained that wood is the only major building material that is renewable, reusable and sustainable. He noted that wood outperforms other building products, requires less energy to manufacture, is a better insulator and stores carbon.

Russell also outlined the various types of forest certification systems and green-building rating programs available nationally and globally. “Forest certification was a topic that generated discussion among attendees trying to decipher the differences between FSC and SFI,” he said.  “I tried to help them understand the supply of certified wood products is limited right now with only 8% of the world’s forests certified and 15% certified in the United States.  Until certified products are more abundant, it may be best both environmentally and economically to specify readily available products rather than having certified products shipped long distances.” 

The conference was the first of a series to come in the near future. For more information and to see the presentations from the conference, visit www.lsuagcenter.com/sustainable. Russell can be contacted at 504/443-4464, ext. 239, or rrichardson@sfpa.org.   

Check Out Latest on Real Outdoor Living Campaign

Making sure customers of The Home Depot and Lowe’s understand the advantages of using wood for outdoor applications is just one of the objectives targeted by the Real Outdoor Living campaign this year. For the latest on that effort and other campaign activities, click here to see the August/September issue of News and Successes from Real Outdoor Living. The Real Outdoor Living campaign is coordinated by the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association’s Southern Pine Awareness Network (SPAN) in cooperation with the Southern Pine Council.

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