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
OSHA Withdraws COVID Vaccination Emergency Standard
Effective January 26, OSHA has withdrawn its emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring COVID-19 vaccination or testing for employees. The ETS would have mandated that employers with more than 100 employees require staff to be vaccinated or tested weekly. The rule was stayed by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month, which precipitated the withdrawal by
NAM Provides Resources for 2022 Manufacturing Trends
The National Association of Manufacturer’s Council of Manufacturing Associations (CMA), of which CPA is a member, recently published a document on the top trends in manufacturing for 2022. The publication outlines trends, including workforce and supply chain challenges among others, and provides resources to assist manufacturers in navigating and addressing these issues. The CMA includes
U.S. Home Sales Up in December
U.S. sales of new single-family homes in December 2021 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 811,000, up 11.9% from November but down 14% from the comparable month last year. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new homes for sale at the end of December 2021 was 403,000, representing a six-month supply at the current
Consumer Confidence Down in January
U.S. consumer confidence in January registered at 113.8, down 1.4 points from a revised December 2021 score, according to The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index. The index measuring current business and labor market conditions, rose 3.4 points from November to 148.2. The short-term outlook for income, business and the labor market decreased 4.6 points in
U.S. Remodeling Spending Strength May Recede Late 2022
The fourth quarter 2021 Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) expects the strong growth in the remodeling and repair industry to continue through Q3 2022 before easing by year-end, according to the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. The LIRA predicts an 11.3% rise in the first quarter
Kitchen and Bath Sales Strong in December 2021
U.S. kitchen and bath cabinet sales in December 2021 were 15.2% higher than the comparable month in 2020 and rose 1.1% from November, according to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association’s (KCMA) monthly Trend of Business member survey. Semi-custom sales increased 8.9% from December 2020 and inched up by 0.4% from November. Custom cabinetry sales grew