National Hardwood Magazine - September 2021

HMA UPDATE
IT’S ALL ABOUT NETWORKING AND COLLABORATION
We do.
If COVID-19 has taught us anything,
it has certainly taught us how to be
flexible. Willing or not, we adapted
to the circumstances and conditions
surrounding us. Now, as we inch closer
and closer to a version of ‘life the way it
used to be,’ it is my personal hope that I
am able to maintain my recently ‘honed’
personality trait. Because according to
those near and dear to me, flexibility has not been one
of my strong suits. Until now, that is!
Yet, in some cases and with certain activities, the ‘old
way’ of doing things is not necessarily all bad. And so, if
pandemic cautions continue to get farther and farther in
our rear-view mirror, HMA is planning a return to ‘life the
way it used to be’ regarding an in-person, face-to-face,
bring along your hard hat, fall Regional Meeting! Yes,
our members have been clamoring for the return of their
favorite networking event, and I agree. Long overdue is
an HMA Regional Meeting conducted the way it used to
be!
Now, if you are new to the Hardwood industry and/
or unfamiliar with the HMA, here’s a snapshot of what
these 36-hour, members only, networking confabs entail.
•By touring sawmills, concentration yards and
secondary manufacturing facilities, HMA members
get to see the latest technology at work and witness
working solutions to common challenges and
problems.
•Plus, during bus rides to the tour sites and throughout
evening receptions and dinners, participants exchange
information with their seasoned counterparts; then
participate in discussions on industry issues, forest
resource topics, or Hardwood market
updates.
•Typically conducted in the spring and
fall of each year, these educational
and peer-to-peer networking events
are designed to deliver maximum
value in minimal time. And for my 20+
years with the Association, an absolute
‘favorite’ activity with our membership!
So stand by. If all continues as planned, Meeting
date/location details will soon be announced. Should
pandemic concerns again rear their ugly heads, HMA
will switch into flexibility-mode, and devise a Plan B
approach.
One additional item before closing …
Many of you are familiar with The American
Hardwoods Collection - a sample kit of 20 of the
most abundant Hardwood species, produced by the
HMA’s American Hardwood Information Center, www.
HardwoodInfo.com, and distributed to students,
architects, designers, and industry stakeholders and
associates. Well, I’m pleased to
report that there is still diverse
interest in this excellent tool.
A recent phone inquiry from
a forester in the North Carolina
Department of Agriculture &
Consumer Services Forest
Service resulted in a dozen
sample kits being shipped to the Forest Service in
Raleigh. And this is what the forester told us.
Please turn to page 72
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BY LINDA JOVANOVICH,
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT,
HARDWOOD MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION,
PITTSBURGH, PA
412-244-0440
WWW.HMAMEMBERS.ORG
16 SEPTEMBER 2021 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE
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