As we race toward the end of another year together, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank our members for making 2024 one of the biggest and best yet for SFPA. We truly are stronger together, and I and the SFPA team are grateful every day for having the support and commitment of the amazing Southern Pine lumber community at almost every step in the supply chain to reinforce Southern Pine lumber as the premier building material domestically and abroad.
On behalf of the SFPA team and Board of Directors, I send you warm wishes of blessings and gratitude during this holiday season.
New Member Portal Goes Live December 16
The setup and move-in is done, and we’re nearly ready for you to experience the new SFPA member portal! The SFPA team is very excited to launch this new and improved experience to provide clear, efficient, and organized communication with our members so you can easily and quickly get the resources and data you need to continue to grow and succeed.
The SFPA team put a lot of thought into what would work best for you in building this new member portal, and we know you won’t be disappointed!
We’re asking SFPA members to watch your email inbox Monday, December 16 for the grand announcement, which will include the link to set up your account and log in to the new portal. You will need to use the link in that email to create a new login to access all SFPA members-only resources, as the existing portal will be shut down at noon CT Monday, December 16, and your current login and password will no longer work.
Need help? Email Christian Moises, SFPA communications manager, at cmoises@sfpa.org.
Welcome New Member!
Our Associate Member roster has expanded again, with the addition of the following company:
This newest member brings our Associate Members roster to 164, and there are still a few new members going through onboarding which we’ll introduce you to soon!
There’s never been a better time to be a part of SFPA, so if you know an organization that would benefit from SFPA membership – or if your organization has been on the fence about joining SFPA – we invite you to learn more about the value of an SFPA membership. Get started by clicking here.
Less Than 20 Booths Remain for Forest Products EXPO 2025
We’re down to just 4% of exhibit space remaining, so if you haven’t secured your booth, now is the time! We may open a few additional spaces in the coming weeks, but don’t wait!
Not receiving EXPO-related emails? The SFPA team is communicating primarily through the Map Your Show exhibitor platform, so if you’re not receiving emails about EXPO, including next week’s sponsorship announcement, whitelist these email domains ASAP, we recommend you whitelist the mapyourshow.com domain to ensure you don’t miss any important Forest Products EXPO news.
Have questions about the show? Visit SFPAexpo.com or email expo@sfpa.org.
What’s Going On With the EUDR?
As I hope you have seen, the European Parliament voted to delay launching the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to December 30, 2025, from its original effective date of December 30, 2024.
This was very welcome news, but there’s still work to be done before next year’s implementation deadline, including clarifying guidance and compliance.
SFPA remains committed to ensuring you have all the information to understand this regulation to make plans for compliance and success.
Have You Secured Your EXPO 2025 Sponsorships?
Forest Products EXPO 2025 sponsorship opportunities are going quickly, but there are great options still available at all price points.
Remember, we can do shared sponsorships, too, so if you’re looking at one of our bigger options, you can team up with one of your partner exhibitors, share the cost, and maximize your exposure.
Log into your Map Your Show portal to secure these amazing opportunities to stand out.
Industry Activity Update
It has been a whirlwind few weeks of meeting with our industry partners, including:
- The 2024 USAEDC (United States Agricultural Export Development Council) annual workshop
- The 2024 Treated Wood Council annual meeting
- Southern State Forestry Association Executives annual meeting
There are a ton of great things going on, and I was fortunate to be able to represent SFPA and the Southern Pine lumber industry at each of these events to help continue driving value for our members and the industry.
International Promotion
SFPA is always somewhere representing the industry and promoting the benefits and best use of Southern Pine. We’ve had and will have a busy few weeks with the following events:
- Cairo WoodShow from November 28-30.
- Taipei Building and Construction Show from December 12-15.
Members, don’t forget to check out the trip reports and trade leads from each of these international shows!
We are still waiting for an update on the Farm Bill to see how much funding SFPA will receive for 2025 promotional events and international tradeshow participation. Because of that, SFPA is not taking travel requests yet, so do not book any travel arrangements until SFPA has confirmed with you that you are approved for travel.
We hope to have an update soon, at which time we will start compiling the international event calendar. Members, you’ll be the first to know when registration opens for those events!