Two Southern Forest Products Association members joined the American Softwoods (AMSO) LATAM team for a highly productive opportunity to promote Southern Pine lumber at Expo Camacol 2024 from August 21-24 in Medellin, Colombia.
The event hosted 500 companies from 20 countries and attracted more than 54,000 visitors from 63 nations. Booth representatives connected with architects, importers, builders, and lumber and panel distributors.
Unlike previous Expo Camacol tradeshows, only two other companies showcased lumber and wood housing construction at the event. However, the SFPA and AMSO LATAM team received a significant number of visitors, primarily from various regions of Colombia and abroad. Most inquiries were about Southern Pine and OSB, with additional interest in HDO and MDO panels.
Visitors seeking Southern Pine were interested in applications such as decking, wood housing construction, pallets, and packaging. Some were concerned about sourcing from renewable forests, while others sought durable materials resistant to humidity, insects, and decay — essential for supporting heavy loads in construction.
Attendees interested in OSB were looking for versatile panels for wood housing, packaging, pallets, and indoor applications.
For HDO and MDO panels, attendees were looking for options with more than 30 uses or pours and a crystal-clear finish. Many had experience with Chinese panels but were dissatisfied with the quality and wanted new distributors who could guarantee better results for their projects.
We were also visited by participants from the construction workshop, who expressed great satisfaction with their experience. They appreciated the hands-on opportunity to work with lumber and engineered wood, noting the strength of the materials and the proper use of connectors. Some even indicated they were considering using lumber in their own construction projects.
It’s clear Colombia is becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of using lumber and engineered wood products in construction, particularly regarding the reduction of carbon footprints. Southern Pine and treated lumber exports to Colombia were up 23% through August 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 with 4.3 Mbf.
It became evident throughout the trade show that attendees still have limited knowledge of certain U.S. wood products, including OSB, Southern Pine grading, HDO/MDO panels, and glulam beam applications.
Expo Camacol 2024, like its past shows, was busy and productive, with a range of attendees and inquiries. There was strong interest in hosting a seminar at next year’s event to further educate attendees on U.S. wood products and their proper usage. Many attendees suggested including topics such as product applications, case studies, sustainability, and carbon footprint, which are gaining worldwide attention.
SFPA members: Don’t forget to check out the contacts secured during the show and their corresponding contact information on our members-only site!
