National Hardwood Magazine - May 2023

Vol.49 No.4 Serving Forest Products Buyers Worldwide FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023
The waters are choppy for lumber shipping companies, but they continue
doing their due-diligence and seeing positive results. One shipper stated:
“Our lumber shipments are lagging now, but we remain hopeful they will
continue to increase as we move into the first quarter of 2023.”
Another shipper mentioned difficulties, adding: “Our team was able to
adapt within the confines of shipping, to not only make it work but to do so
We, at AGL view 2022 as an erratic, yet successful year. The last two and a half
years have posed very difficult challenges from a logistics perspective. Our team
was able to adapt within the confines of shipping, to not only make it work but to
do so successfully. The amount of effort input on a daily basis to accomplish what
we were able to in 2022 was remarkable.
In addition, 2022 was a success, as it opened our eyes in regards to areas of the
supply chain that we previously had taken for granted, specifically the ports and
Michael Snow
By Michael Snow,
Executive Director
American Hardwood
Export Council
Sterling, VA
703-435-2900
www.ahec.org
Webinars and Zoom calls have let us meet virtually with
anyone in the world from the comfort of our home office,
but as any sales rep will tell you, there’s just no substitute
for meeting with potential customers in person. After a
much more normal year of travel in 2022, The American
Hardwood Export Council is looking forward to a busy
schedule of events and opportunities for your company to
meet directly with interested global buyers in 2023.
successfully. The amount of effort input on a daily basis to accomplish what
we were able to in 2022 was remarkable.” He also said that in 2023, “I believe
the U.S. economy will head for a mini- (soft) recession before slowly
making its way back.”
If optimism is one part of success and hard work is another, then these
shippers have put themselves in a position to do well in 2023.
their receiving dates.
Towards the end of 2022, we saw vessel schedules and receiving dates start to
normalize, which was the exact opposite of what we saw at the beginning of 2022.
I anticipate this will continue to be a challenge on certain lanes, specifically for
inland rail shippers.
Another challenge I expect to continue to deal with in 2023 is trucking capacity.
There are only so many trucks, and so many moves drivers can do in a day. If more
drivers aren’t added in the marketplace, I expect this to be a continued hot button
issue.
In 2022, we shipped over 34,000 loads, added 28 team members, moved into a
new office space in our Jacksonville location and opened up a 52,000 square foot
warehouse in Blakeslee, PA.
I do not see any rate increases coming from steamship lines as of January 1st.
We may see certain routings be increased, but as a market, we were at all-time
highs for the last year. As the market normalizes, so will freight rates. In addition,
Continued on page 14
In addition to what we expect to be a full slate of design,
marketing, educational and networking events, AHEC has
also planned pavilions at eight of the largest wood trade
and furniture trade shows in the world in 2023, as well
as an AHEC Convention in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
These pavilions will make premier representation available
to American companies at the busiest events of the year for
just $500 per booth.
In 2023 we plan to host a U.S. Hardwood Pavilion at these events:
DelhiWood, New Delhi, India (Mar. 2-5)
Dubai Woodshow, Dubai, UAE (Mar. 7-9)
Interzum Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China (Mar. 28-31)
(Possibly open to Chinese staff only)
Interzum Cologne, Cologne, Germany (May 9-12)
AHEC Convention, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (June)
TechnoMueble, Guadalajara, Mexico (Aug. 16-19)
FMC Shanghai, Shanghai, China (Sept. 9-11) (US Participation TBD)
VietnamWood 2022, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Sept. 20-23)
INTERMOB, Istanbul, Turkey (Sept. 30-Oct 3)
Each year AHEC attends over 40 trade
shows globally to promote American
Hardwoods, research market potential
and drive local purchasing behavior. In
our experience these shows we have selected
provide the best opportunity this
year for an American company to connect
with local buyers and build strong
relationships. Of course, our participation
in all of these events is subject to
travel restrictions and health guidelines,
and event dates are subject to change.
Continued on page 16
FIRST PLACE IN WOOD PROTECTION
Photos By Terry Miller
Chris Armanini and Pino Pucci, Tolko Marketing & Sales Ltd., Vernon, BC; and Ken
Hori, BC Wood Specialties Group, Vancouver, BC
Kevin Cheung, Western Wood Products Association, Portland, OR; Jay Poppe, Western
Red Cedar Lumber Association, Vancouver, BC; Jeff Easterling, NELMA, Cumberland,
ME; Butch Bernhardt, Western Wood Preservers Institute, Vancouver, WA;
and Eric Gee, Southern Forest Products Association, Metairie, LA
Las Vegas, NV–Nearly 70,000 home building professionals from around the
globe filled the exhibit halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center recently as
the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) hosted the NAHB International
Builders’ Show® (IBS), the largest annual light construction show in the
world.
Continued on page 24
The Southern Forest Products Association team includes: Rachel Elton, accountant;
Linda Patch, administrative assistant and program coordinator; Eric Gee, executive
director; Alaina Hanson, director of administration; and Christian Moises, communications
manager.
Continued on page 24
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Lumber Shippers View Their Work Realistically
And Optimistically
Stephen Zambo,
Ally Global Logistics
Weymouth, MA
Import/Export Wood Purchasing News
P.O. Box 34908
Memphis, TN 38184-0908
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By Matthew Fite
2023 AHEC Events And Pavilions Are Opportunities To Connect With
Customers And Find New Buyers
The
Forest Products
www.softwoodbuyer.com
Vol. 38 No. 2 The Softwood Industry’s Only Newspaper...Now Reaching 36,034 firms (20,000 per issue) March/April 2023
2023 Builders’ Show Draws Largest
Attendance In More Than 10 Years
A Preview of Forest Products
EXPO 2023
Do you want to be at the center of the forest products community? Are
you ready to see how adaptive technology is influencing manufacturing
decisions? Is your company part of the new manufacturing age at this
critical moment for the industry?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, don’t second-guess
attending the 37th Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Exposition.
It’s the place to network with leading equipment manufacturing companies
and industry professionals as they develop and share technologies,
which adapt to new markets, adjust quickly to increased demand, and
bolster operations for the future.
EXPO 2023, set for August 23-25, 2023, in Nashville will provide you
with solutions for nearly every stage of manufacturing. From raw material
handling to crane operations; metal detection and scanning technologies;
log optimization, drying, grading, sorting, packaging, and distribution,
there’s an exhibiting company representative on site to explore
these solutions with you face to face.
Make no mistake, this new era of work has arrived. An era of connected
systems, responsive manufacturing, and innovative technologies – it
will all be under a single roof at EXPO 2023.
The Softwood Forest Products Buyer
P.O. Box 34908
Memphis, TN 38184-0908
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6 MAY 2023 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE www.RealAmericanHardwood.org