2025 Recap

As the year winds down, it offers a rare chance to take stock of everything—the wins, the challenges, and the moments we’d rather forget. Some years stack the deck unevenly—and in this 2025 recap, I had to dig deeper than I expected to find the good.

The year began with a tremendous amount of hope for most of us in the hardwood lumber industry. The country had re-elected Donald Trump as President for the 2nd time in 8 years. Although his support from our industry was not unanimous, the vast majority of our industry chose to elect the right over the left, based on the ideology that would occupy the White House. Although our industry had suffered greatly from the effects of the Trump 45 Trade War, we all hoped that there would not be another repeat of it during his second term. That hope was dashed very early when, on February 1st, President Trump not only announced duties on China but also included Mexico and Canada as targets for unfair trade policies. Things escalated very quickly, and the whole world was soon dragged into the Trump 47 Trade War.

The uncertainty created by the current version of our fluid trade conflict has generated considerable animosity in the marketplace. How this will all play out is unknown, but in 2025, it has most certainly not benefited our industry. Our partners at the Hardwood Federation have been working diligently to communicate with the administration and advocate for both policy changes and financial relief from the trade war’s effects. They also highlighted trade policy during their annual fly-in at the capital in May, when dozens of congressional meetings were arranged with members of Congress who met with the 60-plus members of our industry, including several NHLA staff members.

The NHLA board of directors met for three days in the spring and again in the fall to review and guide policy, furthering the goals established in our strategic plan. Like most of us in our industry, the NHLA has tightened its belt to adjust to the reality of the tough times we are experiencing in the hardwood lumber industry. The staff should be congratulated for stepping up to do more work with fewer resources, as most of their members are doing.

We should also acknowledge that, despite current economic uncertainties, the NHLA has successfully recruited almost 100 new members in 2025. We have also become more focused on retention in recent months and are being more active with communication with our members. Jared Klepko is our new Member Engagement & Corporate Partnership Manager, and Darci Shannon is our Member Services Advisor. Look for more direct communication from them in the coming weeks and months as they work to create a more personal relationship with our members.

In 2025, the NHLA lost a valued member of its Board of Directors, Gus Welter of Granite Valley Forest Products. Gus was a passionate leader of his company and for our association, and he is greatly missed by everyone who knew him. We also lost another industry icon with the passing of “The Wood Doctor” Gene Wengert. His work with the U.S. Forest Service and Virginia Tech provided our industry with many of the modern sawmilling and kiln drying methods used around the world.

In October, the NHLA hosted its annual convention in San Antonio, Texas, which was a great success. The event had an upbeat tone, and a sense of optimism was shared by those in attendance. Our keynote speaker, Economist Taylor St. Germain, delivered a thought-provoking speech that provided insight into past, present, and future economic data, offering some light at the end of the tunnel with his forecasts for 2026. We also elected six new board members at the convention, who were quickly put to work during the fall board meeting held at the end of October.

The convention also marked the midpoint of my term as chairman of the NHLA. During the opening session, my chairman’s speech focused on my own life experience from 2025, when a personal health scare changed my perspective on my life. I reminded everyone that our time on earth is truly just a blip in time and that tomorrow is not promised to anyone.

I took on the contentious topic of log exports and their effects on our industry. It was my hope to educate and unite our industry, not to divide it. I am proud that this topic is now being addressed openly, so we can determine together the best path forward.

At the fall meeting, your Board of Directors reviewed, debated, and approved the 2026 NHLA budget. This budget includes continued funding for the important member priorities of promotion and advocacy. A special task force presented a report with recommendations for the continued funding of the Hardwood Federation, American Hardwood Export Council, and the Real American Hardwood Coalition. We will remain actively engaged with these important organizations and continue to advocate for and promote our members.

There were also two reports given at the board meeting by two separate task forces from the Market Impacts Committee. One was an update from the Wood Truth Task Force, which is working to confront false claims made by hardwood substitutes. The other was the full report presented by the Log Export Task Force.

2025 was a year that had more lows than highs for our members, but we can all take pride in the resilience and determination of our industry and its people.

From my family to yours, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Chairman's Message

Bucky Pescaglia, NHLA Chairman

MO PAC Lumber Company