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WoodWorks Aims To Convert 400 Projects To Wood Construction This Year

When a structural engineer at a South Carolina engineering firm had a question about firewalls in light-frame construction, he knew who to call: WoodWorks. WoodWorks is a program funded by the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) with a team of engineers and architects who help building specifiers and contractors build their commercial and multifamily projects using […]

Major Industry Win in Recent Boiler MACT Decision

After more than 30 years, the saga of American Wood Council’s (AWC) fight for proper interpretation of our industry’s boiler emissions has ended with a resounding court win. At issue was the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) determination that boilers built between 2010 and 2020 must comply with stringent regulations imposed in a 2022 rule – […]

What’s Up With Southern Cypress

The Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association (SCMA) members and promotion sponsors recently gathered for the association’s Mid-Year Meeting at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The event was held in conjunction with the International Woodworking Fair. During the two-day event, members and promotion sponsors convened to hear updates on the SCMA’s promotion campaign, previewed […]

Echoes Of The Woods – Contemporary Chinese Design In American Hardwoods

This September, the American Hardwood Export Council launched an ambitious project challenging some of the most innovative designers in China to create something celebrating the relationship between people and wood as a material. Ten designers focused on the resonance of forest inherent in the wood, the very “Echo” of the material, to inform how they […]

Why Knot Answer Some Questions

When leading an association, the highest duty is moving the industry to a place they don’t know they need to go. It’s far easier to continue the current path and accept the status quo than to take on all the costs and challenges of changing the popular but failing opinions of the “old boys club.” […]

Spreading The Word About RAHC

Back in 2019, leaders in the hardwood industry decided it was time to stop talking about the threat of look-alike wood products and to actively do something about it. They tasked the associations they belonged to – local, regional, and national – with collaborating to combine resources and finances to create awareness about the benefits […]

Why Knot Answer Some Questions

When leading an association, the highest duty is moving the industry to a place they don’t know they need to go. It’s far easier to continue the current path and accept the status quo than to take on all the costs and challenges of changing the popular but failing opinions of the “old boys club.” I’m not […]

Vert: The Red Oak Route To A Cooler, Greener City

Last year was the warmest on record, and 2024 is on pace to surpass it as global cities feel the heat. Due to the “urban heat island” effect, cities of a million people or more can be 1.8°–5.4°F warmer on average than the surrounding area according to the EPA, and as much as 22°F warmer […]

Softwood Export Council To Use FAS Funding To Expand Markets, Complete Life Cycle Analyses For U.S. Forest Products

In May, the Softwood Export Council (SEC) received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) that will help the association address trade barriers and increase exports of U.S. softwood lumber and building materials. Following years of work in India to identify opportunities for hybrid and […]

IWPA Sits In Windowless Conference Rooms Around The Globe So You Don’t Have To

In early September, the IWPA government affairs staff and I had the privilege of attending the first ever Wildlife and Environmental Crimes Summit hosted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations branch. The theme of the summit was “Understanding Convergence in Environmental Crime,” namely how environmental crimes are often linked to other […]