A message from HMA's President

By Troy Brown

Happy Summer! Yes, it’s summer in Wisconsin and the ‘heat switch’ is finally in the ‘ON’ position. In short order, our weather has turned warm and humid. But no complaints from me. Before we know it - ready or not - Mother Nature will be flipping that temperature switch to ‘non-Summer’ mode. So bring on the warm and humid.

Since our National Conference and Expo in March, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with many of you, and I thank you for the good news. Since the ‘downturn’ created by the tariffs and the onset of COVID, business is much improved, and your optimism is infectious! But now, the question for all of us is - How do we keep the momentum going?

For certain, the time for us to better market and promote our hardwood products is upon us. And from where I sit, the recent launch of the Real American Hardwood™ campaign couldn’t be timelier. So……… Calling all HMA members!

• By including the Real American Hardwood logo on your lumber, manufactured goods, trucks, websites, marketing materials, and business cards, you can help spread the word and raise awareness of Naturally Authentic™ American Hardwood products!
• Going forward, the best-case scenario is to see the Real American Hardwood logo “popping up across the country promoting the Naturally Authentic beauty and benefits of Real American Hardwood products!” (For more on this important topic, be sure to read article, “Real American Hardwood™ Logo available Now,” in this issue of The Link.)

On another note, the Hardwood Manufacturers Certificate Program is again being offered by our partner in education, Northcentral Technical College (NTC). The August 30-November 19 program is open to all hardwood industry stakeholders. And I encourage you to take a look at the program details. This may be the perfect educational opportunity for your aspiring employee(s). The application deadline is fast approaching, so don’t delay.

And I’d like you to also know that NTC is working out the details for a new, 4-week Bandsaw Filing Certificate Program. Tentatively set for late October/early November, participation in this hands-on program will be capped at 6 students, but the plan is to offer the course several times per school year. Stay tuned. Once the program has been finalized, the specifics will be announced on the NTC website, and of course, by the HMA.

Stay cool ….