WESTERN WOODS Wood Associations Join Forces

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Southeast (Georgia and the Carolinas), and the NorthCentral U.S. (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois) - which were chosen based on criteria such as level of construction activity, potential for local support, and volume growth opportunity. Each market either has or will soon have its own contracted field team, which will follow the same program framework. A national team provides strategy and oversight, manages elements of the program that are common to all regions (such as the website), and implements activities that are national in scope.

"Given the housing situation, it makes strategic sense to enhance other markets that are likely to consume and source additional North American wood products," said Hardman. "Because of its size, proximity and familiarity with wood, non-residential is an obvious choice."

Experience also shows that, where similar programs have been in place for long periods of time, the results have been definitively positive. In Canada, for example, a program led by the Canadian Wood Council has significantly increased the number of commercial buildings using wood while, in the U.S., the industry has achieved good results with a program to encourage architects to frame elementary schools in wood as opposed to the usual steel and concrete. Initiatives in Finland (and elsewhere) have reported equally positive outcomes.

Success of the WoodWorks program will be measured both directly by project and against volume and opinion benchmarks. The anticipated increase in total consumption is at least 20Vo for lumber and l}Vo for panel products within five years and 7O7o and 257o (respectively) within nine years. According to research done by the U.S. Forest Products Lab, FP Innovations-Forintek Division. and others, these increases represent less than 15Vo of the total incremental gains possible, which indicates that the opportunity to continue to gain share for decades is substantial.

"Achieving significant growth is absolutely possible," said Hardman. "But the effort has to be substantive and sustained over many years, and it has to leverage the industry assets already in place within the various associations and R&D organizations. We're at the stage now where we've created a program that utilizes each of our strengths and takes advantage of our offerings. WoodWorks is a definite step toward better times ahead."

For more information on the WoodWorks program, email info@woodworks.ors or visit www.woodworks.org.

- The WPC is an established, nonstaffed organization through which North American wood associations coooerate on marketing ventures of common' interest. All associations are invited to participate, with the most active beinp the American Fo rest and Pape r Association/Ame rican Wood Council, APA-The Engineered Wood Association, Southern Forest P roducts Association/Southern Pine Council, Western Wood Products Association, and Canadian Wood Council.

Opportunities to Show Off

Wood Solutions Fairs, which feature wood-related exhibits as well as a day-long program of concurrent seminars, are an important part of the educational program. WoodWorks is currently seeking exhibitors for the following fairs:

Jan. 31 - Long Beach, Ca.

March 27 - Charlotte, N.C.

Sept. 30 - San Francisco, Ca.

Oct. 16 - Atlanta, Ga.

Nov.5 - Minneapolis, Mn.

For information, please email Ioana Lazea at ilazea@ cw c. c a.