New Headers and Beams Publication
I am very proud to announce SFPA has released a new technical publication, Allowable Load Tables for Machine-Graded Lumber, providing six newly developed load tables for the two most commonly produced grades of machine-graded Southern Pine lumber: 2,400F – 2.0E and M-23.
These new tables offer engineers, designers, and builders greater flexibility and confidence in specifying high-performance Southern Pine lumber. As machine-graded lumber continues to gain popularity, the industry must have access to reliable, up-to-date design resources.
This is the first new technical publication SFPA has published in more than 10 years, and we were proud to work with SFPA member companies, the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB), and the MSR Lumber Producers Council to create these new tables to support the increasing demand for Southern Pine lumber in structural applications.
Congrats to the 2024 Sawmill Safety Award Recipients
The numbers have been crunched, and I am so proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 John Edgar Rhodes Sawmill Safety Excellence Awards:
Division One: (SFPA member mills that produce 50 million board feet or less annually)
- Almond Brothers Lumber Co. – Coushatta, LA
- Weyerhaeuser Co. – Zwolle, LA
Division Two: (SFPA member facilities that produce 51 to 150 million board feet annually)
- West Fraser – Blackshear, GA
- Lampe & Malphrus Lumber Co. – Smithville, NC
Division Three: (SFPA member mills that produce more than 150 million board feet annually)
- West Fraser – Angelina, TX
- West Fraser – McDavid, FL
- Weyerhaeuser Co. – Idabel, OK
These seven award recipients represent a record of 1,883,749 total hours worked among 757 employees – achieving safety excellence with zero reported incidents. This is the fourth year in a row where at least seven member mills reported zero incidents.
In an industry where worker safety is paramount, achieving a record with no reportable incidents is truly remarkable. We’re incredibly proud of these operations and their unwavering dedication to maintaining the highest standards of safety.
This accomplishment reflects a strong safety culture at the sawmill — one where every team member takes personal responsibility for creating a safe work environment and looking out for one another.
Click here to learn more about this year’s recipients.
Promotional Activities
We continue to heavily promote Southern Pine lumber at activities and events around the globe. Check out where we’ve been recently and where we’re headed:
- ConstruEXPO – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Interzum – Cologne, Germany
- Expo Construccion y Diseno – Bogota, Colombia
I also had the privilege to present Southern Pine on the Global Stage: Expanding Markets, Overcoming Tariff Challenges, and Strengthening Partnerships at the Forest Resource Association’s Annual Meeting in conjunction with the FRA 2025 Southeastern Region Spring Meeting in Destin from May 5-7.
It’s always exciting to meet with industry professionals, our members, and design-build professionals throughout the world to continue promoting the premier building material!
All Things Forest Products EXPO
Forest Products EXPO 2025 will be one of the best yet with:
- 220+ exhibitors from
- 34 states and 9 countries
- showcasing products from 168 different categories
- across nearly 60,000 square feet
We also have nearly 50 first-time EXPO exhibitors this year, so come out to meet some new faces and learn about their new offerings.
Exhibitor Services Kit, Registration
Forest Products EXPO is once again working with GES to provide exhibitor services such as move-in and move-out services, furniture rentals, design specs, etc. We are finalizing those details and plan to have the exhibitor services kit available to all exhibitors in the next week or two. We will email you a link, and it will also be located in the “Important Notices” section of your exhibitor dashboard in Map Your Show.
We are also finalizing our registration portal, which includes making it easier to register multiple attendees and exhibitors at once. We plan to open that in the next two weeks. Trust me, you’ll receive several emails announcing this, so you won’t miss the big day.
Final Call for Exhibit Space
We’ve already exceeded the number of exhibiting companies and exhibit space from 2023. The success of EXPO 2023, where exhibitors saw their sales soar, made them eager to return in 2025.
We’re down to just eight (8) open spots, so if you haven’t secured your booth, now is the time!
Safety, Women’s Leadership Summits
While there will not be a conference program at EXPO 2025, we are very excited to celebrate safety and women with two new summits! I hope you’ll join us at each.
Sawmill Safety Awards & Summit (breakfast included) Thursday, August 7, 2025 | 7-8:50 a.m.
Start Day 2 with networking, live Nashville music, and a plated breakfast as we recognize seven SFPA lumber manufacturing members with John Edgar Rhodes Sawmill Safety Excellence Awards. Then stick around for a 45-minute Safety Summit where each mill will discuss its safety culture, how they achieved zero incidents in 2024, and advice for mills looking to improve their safety records. You’ll be out in time to cross the street when the exhibit hall doors open!
Women’s Leadership Summit (lunch included) Thursday, August 7, 2025 | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Take a short break from the exhibit floor on Day 2 during the inaugural Women’s Leadership Summit. This event, open to men and women, will start with 30 minutes of networking and lunch, followed by a 90-minute conversation with four leading women in the industry, who will share their strategies, tactics, and success in three key areas: sales and marketing, communications and public relations, and education and advancing women in the industry.
Limited Sponsorship Opportunities Remain
Many sponsorships have already sold out, so don’t miss these new opportunities in 2025.
Lobby Flags: $6,999 – Only 1 available
Look up! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s your company’s logo! Stand out above the crowd with five (5) eye-popping flags that will greet attendees when they enter and exit the exhibit hall and lobby. Each vinyl flag is 24″ wide and 84″ high, and your design will be printed on both sides.
Column Wraps: $1,999 a piece – Only 5 available (or buy them all!)
Let your company stand out when attendees enter the Music City Center with column wraps! These five (5) 360-degree pillars are located right inside the lobby entrance, and all attendees must pass by them on their way into registration and every day as they come in and out of the exhibit hall. Each column is 139.25″ around and 144″ tall.
Showcase Walls
We have broken up the large showcase walls into smaller segments that may be more affordable for you:
- Large Showcase Wall (10 available): $1,999 per segment for a 111.2″ wide by 120″ high segment.
- Small Showcase Wall (4 available): $1,799 per segment for a 141″ wide by 92″ high segment.
Exclusive
- Women’s Leadership Summit
- Sawmill Safety Awards and Safety Summit
- Axe Throwing
High Visibility
- Dormer and Full-page Program Ad: Only 2 packages remain!
- Specialty Coffee Cart
- Standard Coffee
- Bloody Mary Bars
Log in to your Exhibitor Dashboard on Map Your Show to secure your sponsorship today. Need help? Email Christian Moises APR at cmoises@sfpa.org.