Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1332064
26 PalletCentral • January-February 2021 palletcentral.com • Increased communications on how the Foundation funds its projects. • Celebrated the rebrand with a inaugural virtual fundraising event: The Pallet Fun Run raising $7,525. • SEO optimization in development; Social media: Twitter @PalletFdn. Two PDS releases in 2020 include the following enhancements: • PDS installer in all seven languages. • Design and analyze CP7 and CP9 style pallets. • Interlocked stacked boxes for Unit Load Design. • Forklifting for stringer pallets with no stringer between fork tines. • Doubled the number of stringers for stringer pallets from a limit of nine to eighteen. • More sophisticated panel deck pallet analysis models are better able to capture performance differences between designs. • Updated properties for air-dried softwood pallets that are assembled green and dried prior to use. Environmental Product Declaration A significant industry advancement this year was the public release of the Environmental Product Declaration and Life Cycle Assessment for Wood Pallets in November. • Joint collaboration with the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Lab and Underwriter's Laboratories; funding by the Pallet Foundation, Forest Products Lab, and Softwood Export Council. • The first-ever of its kind in the distribution packaging space. • Wooden pallets are an impactful piece of the supply chain puzzle to address carbon, sustainability challenges. • Net carbon positive potential. • Communication outreach with over 130 million potential audience of corporate and business leaders in sustainability, CSR, at the national level; 131 direct media pickup. • Communications and marketing tools for customers, talking points, certified documents, member examples: palletcentral.com/epd and palletfoundation.org/projects. Events & Virtual Learning Our 2020 Annual Leadership Conference (ALC) in Naples, Florida was the most attended ALC event in history with 650 people. NWPCA then pivoted quickly to develop and bring more online learning to our members and their employees. There were seven webinars held in an eight-week period from the onset of the pandemic with added webinars on the fall calendar. Our extensive list of partnerships and experts allow us to put on these top-notch events. • OSHA: best practices in workplace during COVID; what to expect in a Biden Administration. • Politics, the impact of the 2020 elections on the wood packaging industry. • Fire code updates. • Lumber market trends: softwood and hardwood. • PDS series of training webinars for beginners to advanced users; library at palletcentral.com/ pdsonline. Expanding our Global Reach NWPCA has developed strategic partnerships in both Canada and Mexico to address our members' changing needs and business growth opportunities in North America, that adds to our partnerships in the UK, Netherlands, and Sweden. • Expanding partnership with the Softwood Export Council created opportunity to explore the Mexican pallet industry and its wood packaging market. • Marketing partnership signed with the Canadian Wood Pallet and Container Association for PDS. • Bilingual Mexican and French-Canadian staff to assist with communications and market exploration. • Ongoing work to better understand the growing needs of members in Mexico. Our 2020 Annual Leadership Conference (ALC) in Naples, Florida was the most attended ALC event in history with 650 people. NWPCA then pivoted quickly to develop and bring more online learning to our members and their employees.