WWPA annual meeting

T HE annual spring meeting of I the Western Wood Products Association, reflecting poor business conditions, had the lowest attendance in about a decade.

It was notable for grim talk about raw material supply problems and slow market conditions, especially since lraq's August 2 invasion of Kuwait. Yet behind the talk was a seeming consensus that the worst was probably over and that market conditions had either become more favorable or were expected to do so soon. Recovery was expected to be gradual. On the environmental side, problems were expected to still bedevil the industry in coming years.

In its annual forecast, WWPA sees l.l million housing starts for 1991. Single family homes are expected to increase to 75.50/o of the total in I 991 . Western housing starts are expected to be down 7.90/o from last year's pace. This year is expected by the lumber group to be the first period when repair and remodeling lumber use will exceed new home construction. R&R is projected to use 3.20lo more lumber than new residential construction. Lumber out-

Story at a Glance

The sense of a tumaround pre sent at lightly attended rneeting...Robert H. Hunt elected new president. lumber output expected to decline T/o trom '9(1... change in meeting venue being considercd.

put is anticipated to decline 3% from the 1990 totalof 21.334 billion board feet. Lumber exports are projected to decline 30/o and log exports 18.50/0. WWPA feels log shortages will not have a serious impact upon the market for most producers until as late as 1992, depending upon demand.

Robert H. Hunt was named WWPA's new president, succeeding H.A. "Bob" Roberts, who retires October l. Hunt is a 35-year lumber industry trade association veteran. Highly regarded, he has been a top WWPA oflicer since 1986. Besides industry problems, Hunt faces the loss of a key association member; the Weyerhaeuser Co. has given notice that it is resigning its membership in WWPA, and will participate only in the association grading service.

Officers elected were W.T. Richards, Idaho Forest Industries, Coeur d'Alene, Id., chairman for a second one year term; John Shelk, Ochoco Lumber Co., Prineville. Or.. lst vice chairman; Michael Flannery, Pope & Talbot, Inc., Portland, Or., 2nd vice chairman.

Registration figures showed 650 with spouses this year versus about 985 last year. Room reservations at

April 1991 the Westin St. Francis Hotel were off 25%. Informal estimates of overall attendance, including usually sizable contingents of wholesalers "working the lobby," were 40-500/o below usual traffic.

Responding to costs and conditions in San Francisco, Ca., the traditional spring meeting site, the executive committee is expected to report at this fall's meeting about holding the spring gathering in other western cities. The fall meeting will be at the Westin Hotel, Seattle, Wa., SePtember l4-17.

TUMBER PE(lPtE: Ill Barbara & Buck Yaeger, John Camobell. 12l Ralph Cardwell, John Bratland. [3] Dennis Richardson, Bill Sullivan. l4l Jim Murray, Robert Ellingson Jr. [51 Russ Britt, Pete Cadenasso, Bill Broderick. [61 Kav Kahus, Vic Riolo. l7l Al & Barbara Caldweit. lgl Scott Watson, Mike Healy. [9] Jeff Howard. Keith Kersell. ll0l Dennis Byerley, Hank Feenstra, Rick Rosa. llll Chuck Harris, Stan Elberg. ll2l June Snowden, Gary Malfatti. ll3l Terry & Teresa Hancock, John Samuels. Il4l Jim Frodsham, Pam Allsebrook. llSl Loren Krebs, David Halsey. Il6l Mark Lolland, Paul Ward, Ted Mathews. [l7l Bill Barr, Gordy Martin, Tom Knippen, Terri

For more convention Photos please see page 48.

WtSTERtI IUMBEfl[!ttl: lll Dan Wotter, John Ferguson.. Ken Capps. [2] Gordon King, Gene Walters. l3l Jim Costelto, Bob Reyneke. (41 John Schick, Gil Sissons, Jr. lbl Steve Schmitt, Pete Reyneke. [6] John Snead, Jim Moss, Stu Heath lTl Will Riegel, Claudia Jennings, Virginia & Gary tsland. [Bl phil Dodson,

Bill Jones [9] 0ict< Ftuqel, Bob Sheoherd. ll0l Les LeGaux, Loran Smith lill Roh Tioton, Charley Willett, Elmer Lewis. ItZl Dick Siltanen, Harry Lyon, Steve Burdick. ll3l Charles Jourdain, Linda Kemppe, Elsa Pyne, Pauletle Fralick. ll4l Judy Ramsey, Doug

Honholt. ll5l Ted Zaragosa, Larry Kreider, Bob DiMeco, Tom Von Moos. -ll6l Bill Stevens, Rick Cornell. {l7l Pat Mevers. Bob Brass, Len Viale Il8l Jack Lamon. Raloh Lamon, Ted Mathews, Dan Bonnington. llgl Ernie Glanville, Gary Murdoch, Pat Webster, Brian Johnson, Tim Dovle.

BUSItIESS forecasts and management suggestions hiqhlighted North American Wholesale Lumber Association regional meeting, Long Beach, Ca. Speakers were NAWLA's Nick Kenl and Dennis Downer, consultant Bill Baugh. Ill Dennis Downer, Nick Kent. [21 Gary Adamson, Ralph Cardwell, Steve Baugh,

Bill Baugh. l3l Wayne Holm, Hal Smith. l4l Rick Houk, Todd Pollard. 15l John Gaskin, Petter Svenkerud. 16l Jim Moss, Cheryl Bahneman. l7l Neal DeWitt, John Newquist, Andy Ersek. [8] John Allen, Wayne Gardner. [9] Bruce Kelly, Denis Stack, Pete Nevins,

Eric Schwarze. ll0l Don Derbes, Phil Dodson, Ted Gilbert, Bill Sullivan. ll ll Doug Willis, Joe McGuire, Rob Pallerson. ll2l Ted Gilbert, Mark Lofland. ll3l Gordon Beach, Dennis Richardson, Rodger Morris. Meeting was held Feb. 21