News
Arauco Announces Leadership Promotions
Arauco North America, Atlanta, GA, named Russ Jordan as the organization’s new President of Arauco North America. Jordan began with Arauco 19 years ago and served most recently as Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Logistics. Matt Swinnie was appointed as Vice President of Operations. Swinnie was previously Vice President of Human Resources, Environmental, Health
USDA Grant Opportunity Supports Use of Wood
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Services made nearly $50 million in grant funding available. Private, non-profit and government sectors are encouraged to submit proposals supporting innovative uses of wood, including using it as a lowcarbon building material and as a renewable energy source. Grant proposal deadlines are in early December. See USDA
Europe Formally Embraces Cascading Wood Principle
On October 9, the European Parliament adopted the revised text of the Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII) to formally recognize the cascading use of wood principle. The principle prioritizes the use of woody biomass according to its highest economic and environmental added value, with wood-based products at the top of the hierarchy of uses. By adopting
August U.S. Kitchen and Bath Cabinet Sales Rise Month-over-Month
U.S. kitchen and bath cabinet sales in August were $237.3 million, 7.4% lower than the comparable month in 2022 but up 12.5% from July, according to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association’s (KCMA) monthly “Trend of Business” member survey. Year-to-date sales rose 1.7% from the first eight months of 2022 to $1.9 billion. The number of
October U.S. Builder Confidence Weakens
U.S. builder confidence for new single-family homes in October decreased four points from September to 40, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). The HMI component which tracks current sales dropped four points to 46 and the measurement of sales expectations in the next six months fell five points
Decreased Remodeling Spending Predicted Through Q3 2024
The Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) for the third quarter predicts that remodeling and repair spending will decline 7.7% by the end of Q3 2024, according to the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. This compares to 5.4% growth in the third quarter of 2023 over the
U.S. Furniture Orders Increase in August
U.S. residential furniture factory orders in August were $2.6 billion, up 29.0% from the comparable month in 2022 and 12.7% higher than in July. Year-to-date orders were on par with the first eight months of 2022 at $17.9 billion. Furniture shipments dropped 17.0% from last August to $2.4 billion but increased 19.7% from July. August
September RV Shipments Down
The RV Industry Association’s monthly survey of U.S. manufacturers reported September shipments totaled 24,700 units, declining 12.0% from August and 12.9% from September 2022. Year-to-date shipments totaled 238,121, dropping 42.8% compared to 2022. See RV Industry Association
Canadian Retail Sales Decline in August
Canadian seasonally adjusted retail furniture store sales in August decreased 1.6% from July to $1.18 billion (CAD) and were 6.7% lower than the same month in 2022. Sales for building material dealers were unchanged from July at $3.89 billion but fell 7.8% from August 2022. Total Canadian retail sales dipped 0.1% from July to $66.1 billion
CPA Fall Meeting Begins Sunday
The 2023 CPA Fall Meeting at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, VA, begins this weekend with nearly 200 attendees, guests and spouses representing more than 75 companies. The Fall Meeting schedule includes tours of the ITC Lab, networking functions and a dynamic slate of speakers covering insightful topics over the two-day meeting program. Meeting details,
Thank you to CPA’s Fall Meeting Sponsors
CPA thanks the following Fall Meeting sponsors for their support. Please take a moment to view the meeting sponsors and exhibitors on the CPA website. Meeting information, including meeting materials and the attendee list, is also available online. Platinum Sponsors Langboard Gold Sponsors Arauco North America Arclin Bakelite Synthetics Hexion Roseburg Silver Sponsor Weyerhaeuser See
CPA LinkedIn Contest to win $150 Gift Card Concludes October 22
CPA recently launched an initiative through the Digital Subcommittee to promote member involvement and volunteerism that fosters industry networking through LinkedIn. Members are encouraged to proudly display a custom “CPA badge” logo on their LinkedIn profile and add any volunteer positions on CPA boards, committees, subcommittees and task groups to enhance their professional experience. The