Industry News

NHLA and AHEC represented U.S. hardwoods at Tecnomueble in Guadalajara, Mexico, supporting exporters, showcasing sustainable and thermally modified products, and strengthening trade relationships in a key international market despite tariff challenges.

NHLA National Inspector Benji Richards helps mills increase yield, improve efficiency, and recover lost value in today’s challenging global hardwood market. From flooring to furniture and cabinet plants, his expertise uncovers hidden profits and supports sawmill success even when pricing and demand fluctuate.

Explore the benefits of NHLA membership, from networking, educational webinars, and short courses to brand exposure, industry resources, and access to the Buyer’s Guide and hardwood experts.

Explore how industry innovators like Hardwood Industries and Classic American Hardwoods use proprietary grading and customer-focused solutions to reduce waste, meet precise lumber specifications, and improve efficiency in the hardwood industry.

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.