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
Product Samples Sought for Greenbuild Exhibit
CPA is seeking samples for its booth at the upcoming Greenbuild Expo in Washington D.C. on September 27-29. CPA’s booth, #1303, will promote industry products and sustainability messaging, including the Eco-Certified Composite (ECC) certification. Members are encouraged to send one or two composite panel product samples (without literature) that are labeled on only one side
Fall Meeting Exhibit Space and Sponsorships Still Available
CPA members can showcase products and services through a tabletop exhibit session and/or sponsor the upcoming CPA Fall Meeting, October 22 to 24 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, VA. Benefits include spotlights on the CPA website, social media, and attendee packets. The Fall Meeting schedule includes ITC Lab tours, networking functions and a dynamic
Afry Names Velarde as Principal Consultant
Afry Management Consulting, New York, NY, announced that Guillermo Velarde joined the organization as a Principal Consultant leading the North American Wood Products and Surfaces team. With over 15 years in the industry, he will advise clients on corporate and product strategy and market analysis. Velarde was previously Director of Downstream Business Development at Arclin.
Ahlstrom Announces New Executive Team Members
Ahlstrom, Kaukauna, WI, named Niklas Beyes as Chief Financial Officer and Wolfgang Laures as Chief Operating Officer. Beyes joins the organization after years of experience in finance at other corporations, including Brose Group. Laures brings extensive knowledge of the global supply chain from working at several companies, most recently at Glatfelter. He succeeds Markus Esterkamp,
U.S. Residential Housing Permits Weaken in All Regions
U.S. year-to-date single-family permits dropped 18.4% over 2022 to 527,158. All four regions posted declines, with the West having the largest at 25.1%. The Northeast reported the lowest decrease at 12.1%, while the South fell 16.5% and the Midwest shrunk 18.0%. The multifamily sector also posted reductions across all regions, with the Northeast seeing the
Canadian Wood Product Sales Improve in July
Seasonally adjusted Canadian wood product sales in July were $3.0 billion (CAD), up 1.9% from June but 22.0% lower last year’s comparable month. Sales of furniture and related products totaled $1.3 billion, dropping 3.0% from June but increasing 1.6% over July 2022. Canadian manufacturing sales for all industries were $71.9 billion, mostly unchanged from July