News
CPA 2026 Fall Meeting Highlights
The 2026 Fall Meeting wrapped up last week in Savannah, GA, with amazing weather and a great location that brought members together for networking, committee meetings, and timely presentations. General Session presentations are now available on the CPA website, including Scott Lincicome of the Cato Institute on North American trade policy and Edie Sonne Hall
Registration Open for PCWP Compliance Workshop
CPA members are eligible to attend the upcoming workshop, From Rule to Practice: PCWP MACT Compliance Workshop, hosted by the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI) and the American Wood Council (AWC) on December 9-10. The workshop will provide facility personnel with guidance on creating practical compliance plans for implementing the requirements
Forestry Analytics for Carbon Tracking (FACT) Platform Beta Launch
On October 5, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities announced the Beta launch of the FACT platform, a science-based tool using standardized methods that help forest landowners and wood products manufacturers calculate carbon impacts across value chains. The Beta tool is publicly accessible, allowing users to test and provide
U.S. Consumer Confidence Declines Significantly in September
U.S. consumer confidence measured 81.9 in September, decreasing 6.7 points from the adjusted August reading, according to The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index. The index gauging current business and labor market conditions fell 7.9 points in September to 109.3. The short-term outlook index for income, business, and labor markets slid 5.9 points to 63.6. See
August U.S. Construction Spending Improves from Prior Month
U.S. construction spending in August reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2.20 trillion, increasing 0.9% from July but 1.7% below year-over-year. Total public and private residential spending grew 1.1% month-over-month to $894.60 billion, but down 4.8% from August 2025. Non-residential spending totaled $1.31 trillion, 0.7% higher than in July and up 0.5% from the
U.S. Wood Product Shipments Down in August
Seasonally adjusted shipments for all U.S. manufacturing industries held steady in August at $658.6 billion. Wood products slipped 0.1% to $13.9 billion in August, while furniture and related product shipments dipped 0.2% from July to $7.7 billion. New manufacturing orders inched up 0.1% from July to $663.5 billion. Orders for furniture and related products shrunk
September U.S. Builder Confidence Weakens
U.S. builder confidence for new single-family homes in September decreased five points from August to 45, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). The HMI component gauging current sales conditions dropped six points to 51 and the measurement of sales expectations in the next six months also fell six
U.S. Housing Starts Decrease in August
U.S. housing starts in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.3 million, falling 11.3% from July and 14.8% lower than the comparable month last year. Single-family starts dropped 4.3% to 941,000 over July. U.S. building permits were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.5 million, growing 6.9% from July but declining
Houzz Q3 Renovation Barometer Results
The Q3 2023 Houzz Renovation Barometer report for both the construction and architectural and design sectors signaled mixed results. The Barometer tracks residential renovation market expectations and recent business activity in the construction and architectural design services industries. Within the construction sector, the Expected Business Activity Indicator for the third quarter rose three points from
Construction Investment Declines in Canada
Canadian building construction investment in July decreased 2.6% from June to $17.5 billion (CAD). Residential construction spending dropped 4.1% to $11.5 billion in July. Seasonally adjusted single-family construction spending was 5.5% lower than June at $5.8 billion. Multi-unit levels fell 2.8% to $5.7 billion in July. Non-residential totals rose 0.5% to $5.9 billion. See Statistics Canada
August Canadian Housing Starts Dips
The monthly standalone seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of Canadian housing starts in August was 252,787 units, 1.0% lower than July. The SAAR of urban starts declined 0.9% from the previous month to 233,075. Multiple urban starts dropped 1.4% to 191,250 while single-family levels increased 1.7% from July to 41,825. The trend in housing starts
CPA Webinar on Apprenticeship and Internship Programs Next Week
CPA is hosting a webinar for members on September 21 from 3 to 4 pm EST, focusing on successful apprenticeship and internship programs with the goal of sharing best practices. The webinar features speakers from Interprint, Swiss Krono and Tafisa. Registration is required to attend. See Webinar Registration. More Info: Gary Heroux