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Don't Mess with Hardwoods | Join the 2025 NHLA Annual Convention in San Antonio to connect with industry leaders, explore innovative solutions, attend Ed Sessions, and strengthen the future of the hardwood industry through networking, education, and collaboration.

Discover how the Hardwood Federation advocates for U.S. hardwood companies, engaging Washington, D.C., on trade, tariffs, and federal policies to support the industry, its employees, and global competitiveness.

Celebrating 15 years of leadership, NHLA Chief Inspector Dana Spessert shares how Quality Control, Yield Analysis, and inclusive bilingual training are shaping the future of hardwood industry careers, strengthening inspector training, increasing mill productivity, and preparing the next generation of lumber professionals.

In uncertain times, NHLA membership gives you tools to adapt, compete, and grow. From universal grading standards and expert business services to strategic marketing, advocacy, and real-time education, NHLA helps you stay visible, agile, and profitable.

Workforce stability is market strength. Kretz Lumber’s Troy Brown shows how ownership, accessibility, and rural visibility attract and retain talent, even amid tariffs, labor shortages, and generational shifts. Transparency and engagement aren’t soft skills—they’re survival strategies for the hardwood industry.

Thermally modified wood offers stability, decay resistance, and rich color, but inconsistent processes limit adoption. Standardized definitions, testing, and certifications are needed. Jartek and NHLA aim to create process-based standards to ensure quality, build trust, and expand the use of sustainable, high-performance thermally modified wood globally.

John Hester, NHLA Chief Development Officer, shares a lesson from a doorman-producer and an Uber-director: always promote your value. Hardwood has a story—renewable, sustainable, beautiful, durable—but if we don’t tell it, others will. Every conversation is a chance to put hardwood in the spotlight.

Should America keep “teaching others to fish”? Bucky Pescaglia, NHLA Chairman, challenges members on the impact of log exports. While exporting logs brings short-term gains, it builds global competitors that threaten domestic mills and jobs.

AHMI has promoted Appalachian hardwoods for nearly a century, from sustainability campaigns to Certified Appalachian Legal & Sustainable (CALS) programs. In 2025, new member benefits like group health insurance and a 401(k) plan strengthen companies and employees alike, keeping the region’s hardwood industry resilient and competitive.

On June 4, 2025, NHLA’s Rules Committee reviewed 17 proposed changes, approving 8 to advance. Proposals include updates to Standard Inspection, Standard Grades, and Cypress grading rules. All approved changes will face an Active member vote this fall, requiring a two-thirds majority, with final updates included in the 2027 NHLA Rules Book.

NHLA Field Inspector Simon Larocque brings decades of experience to Canadian hardwood operations. From training inspectors to improving yield and quality, he builds trust and strengthens cross-border collaboration. Simon’s expertise ensures members navigate uncertainty, enhance skills, and maintain high standards—one company, one conversation at a time.

Dallin Brooks, NHLA Executive Director, reflects on lessons from wood product innovation. Early failures like SIPs, CLT, and TMW slowed progress, while substitutes advanced. NHLA can lead by sharing risk and coordinating market development—so when innovations succeed, the whole hardwood industry benefits.

Thermally Modified Wood (TMW) could reshape the future of North American hardwoods. TMW makes wood more durable, stable, and sustainable — without chemicals — while adding value to underused species like red oak, ash, and poplar. But for the industry to unlock its full potential, we must overcome challenges in awareness, product standards, and supply chain coordination.

Dana Cole, Hardwood Federation Executive Director, recaps a busy 119th Congress: government funding challenges, Farm Bill updates, truck weight reform proposals, and trade negotiations. The Federation continues to advocate for programs supporting hardwoods and the forestry sector, keeping members informed and engaged on critical federal issues.

With imitation wood products blurring the lines for consumers, NHLA is launching a new one-page feature to help members push back against misinformation and advocate for real hardwood. From media rebuttals and shareable talking points to hardwood vs. imitation comparisons, this resource equips you with the tools to defend and promote the truth about hardwood — at the jobsite, in conversations, and online.

Ben Peach founded Heartwood Brands to serve the hardwood industry with branding, web, and video services. With deep on-the-ground experience in sawmills, yards, and distribution, his team speaks the industry’s language. Heartwood helps NHLA members tell their stories, elevate brands, and stand out, combining creative expertise with hands-on hardwood knowledge.

US hardwood exports drop in 2025, but new trade deals, led by China, may bring stability and growth to global markets.

NHLA webinars give hardwood professionals tools to learn, adapt, and advocate for a stronger, more resilient industry.