Council Targets Commercial

Although the centerpiece of the council's efforts is the commercial construction market, Gulf Coast reconstruction and green building also are on the group's priority list. Like the commercial market initiative, Gulf Coast reconstruction is a long-term project. And assuring fair treatment of wood products by green building rating programs is an ongoing imperative.

The housing market, of course, will continue to be the single most important customer for the wood products manufacturing industry and distribution chain. But with long-term vision and persistent effort, there is substantial opportunity to soften the impact of those times when housing. in a word, is honid.

- Jim Enright, president of Standard Structures, Windsor, Ca., is co-chairman of the board of directors of the Wood Products Council and a member of the board of trustees of APA-The Engineered Wood Association.

Wood Products Gouncil Mandate

from the council's member associations.

The rationale for commercial construction market promotion is compelling. First, there is substantial market share still to be gained. Commercial construction currently uses approximately 1.5 billion bd. ft. of lumber, including engineered wood. That's only about 20Vo of the codedefined market, leaving 5.9 billion bd. ft. of potential gain. On the panel side, the market consumes about 2.3 billion sq. ft. ofplywood and OSB, or about36Vo ofthe code-governed market opportunity. That leaves about 4.1 billion ft. of additional potential demand.

Second, the wood products industry has a strong foothold in the market, particularly in the West, and experience supports the idea that where broad-based and longterm market development programs are pursued, the results can be very good.

And third, the high and rising cost of steel and concrete supports both the timing of the initiative and the long-term prospects for success.

A detailed strategic plan developed last year calls for a focused market-by-market approach, with high levels of promotion and support in markets calculated to represent the best prospects for meaningful results. Once momentum is built and success achieved in those markets, resources will be shifted to others.

Based on various weighting schemes, the initial target markets have been identified as California, the three-state region of Georgia and the Carolinas, and the market encompassing Minnesota, Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

The best estimates are that with a $6.5 million per year investment over 10 years there is reasonable expectation that annual demand for lumber and engineered wood can be increased by almost 3 billion bd. ft., and that annual demand for plywood and OSB can be increased by almost 2 billion sq. ft. That's significant.

The benefits of the WPC plan, if successful, will extend far beyond the commercial construction market. It also promises to demonstrate the combined power of the wood products industry, both in the U.S. and Canada, to increase demand in a variety of markets when its talents and resources are pooled.

To help protect and grow the market for wood products in North America by serving as a vehicle through which the wood industry associations can develop and coordinate programs in the areas of market access, research, education, promotion, and technical support.

Officers

Co-chairmen

Jim Enright (Standard Structures)

Rick Franko (West Fraser)

President

Dennis Hardman (APA)

Vice PresidenUSecretary

Etienne Lalonde (Canadian Wood Council)

Board of Directors

APA - The Engineered Wood Association

Jim Enright (Standard Structures)

Mary Jo Nyblad (Boise)

Dennis Hardman (staffl

American Forest and Paper Association/ American Wood Council

Rick Franko (West Fraser)

Jeff Wagner (LP)

Bob Glowinski (staf0

Canadian Wood Council

Bill Love (Tembec)

Jean-Guy Gravelle (Bowater)

Etienne Lalonde (staf0

Southern Forest Products Association

Ross Gardner (Weyerhaeuser)

Fritz Mason (Georgia-Pacific)

Steve Bean (staf0

Western Wood Products Association

Mike Phillips (Hampton Affiliates)

Steve Schmitt (Stimson Lumber)

Butch Bernhardt (staffl

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