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February 26, 2010

Can’t Get Much Greener Than Wood

Those in the forest products industry know wood is one of the greenest building materials available. The challenge lies in communicating that truth to the rest of the world. A new “Wood Facts” sheet recently created by SFPA should make the task easier. The two-sided sheet illustrates the life cycle of wood building products; explains the role of Life Cycle Assessment in comparing environmental impacts of various materials; shows how wood products help reduce carbon emissions; and looks at the significance of certification programs.

“As the public and building products industry become more knowledgeable about materials that are good for the environment, it is important for us to tell them about the positive environmental attributes of Southern Pine products,” said Russell Richardson, SFPA’s director of industrial markets. The sheet was written by Russell and Eric Gee, director of Expo and forest resources. 

SFPA staff members will distribute the new “Wood Facts” sheet at conferences and seminars and from Southern Pine Council exhibits at trade shows. It’s also available as a PDF on SPC’s Lumber Library CD, SFPA’s Web site and www.southernpine.com.

Member companies and associations interested in printing and distributing “Wood Facts” are welcome to do so. The sheet even contains a blank space where they can add their logo or contact info. For details, contact Richard Wallace, SFPA’s vice president of communications, at 504/443-4464, ext. 236, or rwallace@sfpa.org.

Third Public Comment Period Now Open on LEED

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) opened a third comment period Monday on proposed changes to its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. The changes are important to the forest products industry because they relate to the way credits are awarded for the use of certified wood products. 

Click here to review the proposed changes and comment. In addition, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is offering a one-hour webinar to help interested parties better understand the USGBC benchmarks. You can catch the webinar March 4 at 2 p.m. CST (click here to register) or March 9 at 10 a.m. CST (click here to register).

Russell Richardson, SFPA’s director of industrial markets, is monitoring and analyzing comments from SFI and other wood organizations, and SFPA will submit comments on the revisions. If anyone would like to offer ideas or has questions regarding the third public comment period please contact Russell at 504/443-4464, ext.239, or by e-mail at rrichardson@sfpa.org.  For more information on the SFI webinars, contact Jason Metnick with SFI at 602/374-6539 or by e-mail at jason.metnick@sfiprogram.org. 

The comment period closes at 5 p.m. PDT on March 14. 

Looking for Companies Involved in Haiti

We’ve heard that a couple of SFPA members have contributed or been involved in some way with relief and recovery efforts in Haiti. If your company has donated money, products or time to help Haitians, please share the details with Georgiann Gullett, SFPA’s communications manager. We’ll include your information in a newsletter story we’re planning to write about our members’ contributions. Contact Georgiann at 504/443-4464, ext. 216, or by e-mail at ggullett@sfpa.org.

SFPA Staff Represent SPC at Industry Events

About 1,000 builders, architects and engineers attended a pair of Wood Solutions Fairs held last week in Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C. The merits of raised floor foundations and how they fit into commercial applications were among the topics available to attendees, thanks to Richard Kleiner, SFPA’s director of treated markets. Richard’s presentation, which drew a good audience in both locations, also included an update on pressure-treated wood. The one-day Wood Solutions Fairs are sponsored and coordinated by WoodWorks, an organization devoted to growing the wood’s share of the nonresidential construction market.

Russell Richardson, SFPA’s director of industrial markets, represented the Southern Pine Council with an exhibit at the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association’s Annual Leadership Conference & Exposition earlier this week in Orlando, Fla. Russell reports the event was well-attended. “I had quality conversations about using Southern Pine for pallets and containers,” he said.

For more information about SFPA’s participation in these events, contact Richard at 504/443-4464, ext. 211, or rkleiner@sfpa.org, and Russell at ext. 239 or rrichardson@sfpa.org.

The Latest on Real Outdoor Living

The Real Outdoor Living campaign coordinated by the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association continues to educate consumers about the merits of using real wood. For example, a Real Outdoor Living insert will be featured in Lowe’s Creative Ideas magazine next month. The publication is distributed to 650,000 readers east of the Mississippi River. Click here to read the latest update on the ROL campaign.

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. Here’s a look at some upcoming events.

·         Richard Kleiner, director of treated markets, will promote raised floor construction with a presentation and exhibit at the Building Officials Association of Louisiana’s Annual Conference March 14-16 at the Isle of Capri in Lake Charles, La.

·         Russell Richardson, director of industrial markets, will promote Southern Pine flooring at the National Wood Flooring Association Convention March 22-25 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Russell will promote raised floor construction at the Lumbermen’s Association of Texas and Louisiana Convention April 8-10 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.

·         Cathy Kaake, senior director of engineered & framing markets, will provide an exhibit about the advantages of raised floor foundations at the Louisiana Floodplain Management Association’s Annual Technical & Business Conference April 28-30 at the Holiday Inn Downtown in Shreveport, La.

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