Facing the Uncomfortable Truth: A Call for Collective Action in the Hardwood Industry

I have written a number of letters regarding change. Some of my letters have been about the challenges of adapting to change, and others have been meant to encourage our industry, as we are very savvy when it comes to accepting change and adapting to a new normal.

Taking a step back and looking at our industry, I am concerned we are ignoring a significant change that most of us don’t want to address. We are all very good at adapting to different manufacturing needs, straight-line ripping, width sorting, tweaking grades, shipping methods, etc. I like to focus on those things as I can see immediate results in the change I am working on. However, I feel like we are all ignoring a change in our industry that is not new and, unfortunately, is not going away.

Our industry has done a less-than-stellar job supporting our associations and representatives, who are defending our industry from environmental misinformation. As a result, our industry is in significant decline and has been for a number of years.

The insanity of repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting a different result comes to mind. The belief that our current method of conveying our environmental story will impact the end-use consumer is irresponsible. We need to help each other to grow and stabilize the hardwood industry! This is exactly what the NHLA’s mission is, adopted last spring as part of the five-year strategic plan. Individually, we will not succeed in changing the current false narrative about hardwood lumber either in the consumer’s eyes or in our representatives in political office! More voices need to be heard, and new ways of communication need to be adopted.

Lumber markets are, at best, challenging right now, so I respect the tight economic constraints many of you are dealing with. I ask you, however, to look forward and think about the long-term viability of our industry without significant changes in the current strategy regarding messaging and political representation, clarifying the environmental truth of hardwood lumber. Who will carry our message? What is our message? How will it be efficiently communicated?

Donating directly to the Hardwood Federation and/or the Real American Hardwood® Coalition (RAHC) is ideal. NHLA contributes significantly to these efforts, with 10% of your membership dues going to support the Hardwood Federation and 5% to the RAHC. Additionally, NHLA has spent tens of thousands of dollars this year to deliver a campaign supported by high-quality videos and marketing materials and fully funding the website www.RealAmericanHardwood.Pro. This campaign targets architects, designers, and specifiers to influence more incorporation of Real American Hardwood® into their projects. The videos additionally combat misinformation on hardwoods and hardwood products that, unfortunately, many believe. NHLA has been actively combating this false information spread for far too long.

If the economics don’t align, continue to support your representative association like the NHLA. Ensure your association is contributing to the efforts described; if not, question why. Encourage your business competitors and suppliers to join you in supporting our industry. This is not about individual advantage, but about the collective strength of our industry.

Adapting to specific markets with new and innovative manufacturing techniques unique to your operation is fantastic! Adapting to the need to defend our industry together is paramount so we can continue to tailor our products to specific demands!

The good news is we have a story that cannot be replicated! We are an industry poised for growth if we can combine our voices! Our message for the world is that here we are, answering all the environmental questions with truth and integrity. We manufacture environmentally sensitive products! The consumer wants to make a better choice, and they want to be educated! Together, we can change the message heard by our consumers and successfully grow and stabilize the hardwood industry; individually, we will not succeed. Please join me and others in working to make our truths louder than the propaganda of substitute products.

I hope this letter has stirred a bit of emotion in you. Maybe it made you feel uncomfortable; it was meant to. The time for change is now.

Thank you,
Jon Syre
NHLA Chairman | Cascade Hardwood