Level the Playing Field

As you may know, NHLA is leading a new hardwood industry initiative to increase government procurement. Let me share some of my experience working on this. But first, some background.

I grew up in the Canadian wilderness, so I can never be President of the United States and have no political ambitions or party ties. People often ask me, “Which is better, the Canadian system or the U.S. system?” The answer is: it depends. Each country has its strengths and weaknesses. Canada isn’t 100% socialist, and the United States isn’t 100% capitalist. While I identify as a conservative, I also recognize that markets don’t always operate on a level playing field, and there are times when government has a role to play.

I remember studying Michael Porter, the Harvard Business School professor known for his work on competitive advantage. In short, his theory is that each country should focus on producing what it does best so that everyone benefits from natural competitive advantages that increase performance, reduce costs, and maximize value. I didn’t realize how idealistic that concept could be until I started my own business. Every businessperson knows that “all things being equal” rarely applies in the real world.

This applies to the hardwood industry because global competition is not always conducted on equal terms. To use a football analogy, it’s like one team gets to move the goalposts while everyone else has to play by the original rules. When governments use subsidies or other policies to support domestic industries, it can make it difficult for companies operating in market-driven economies to compete on price alone. As a result, the hardwood industry has often found itself trying to compete under very different conditions.

That is why government policy matters. We can only control how we play the game; we also need the referees to enforce the rules fairly. That is where Crossroads Strategies comes into play. One of our goals is to encourage the U.S. government to increase procurement of U.S.-grown, harvested, sawn, milled, and manufactured solid hardwood products instead of imported substitute products where appropriate.

The U.S. government purchases billions of dollars’ worth of products each year, ranging from flooring, furniture, cabinets, and millwork to infrastructure applications such as railroad ties, pallets, crates, trailer decking, mass timber buildings, and matting. Expanding the use of American hardwood in those purchases represents an opportunity to strengthen domestic markets and support the entire hardwood supply chain. Tariffs may also influence the competitive landscape, but procurement represents another important tool for supporting American manufacturing.

I had the opportunity to attend the Hardwood Federation Fly-In in May and return to Washington, D.C. in June for the Crossroads Strategies initiative.

Pennsylvania Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, gave an excellent speech during the Hardwood Federation Fly-In. His relationship with the Federation is important as the industry works to secure bridge funding and other forms of support. A month later, I returned to Washington, D.C. with Crossroads Strategies to discuss another critical piece of the puzzle: policies that create sustained demand for American hardwood products through government procurement and other long-term initiatives.

To return to the football analogy, if you never talk to the referee, they may never realize they’ve missed a call. Sometimes you make your case on the field. Other times, the team captain respectfully explains what they’re seeing. Advocacy works the same way. Policymakers can’t address challenges they don’t fully understand.

Everything being equal, the better team should win. Our hardwood forests are sustainably managed. Our products have a strong environmental story. Our industry supports rural communities and provides good-paying jobs. But everything isn’t always equal. That’s why we need to continue telling our story and working to ensure policies recognize the value American hardwood brings.

I’m ready for football season, and I’m ready to keep telling the hardwood story in Washington. That’s one common ground we can all stand on: working toward a more level playing field.

Dallin Brooks

NHLA Executive Director