Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1414289
6 PalletCentral • September-October 2021 palletcentral.com 2021 SEASON SPONSORS Kiln-Direct.com 910-259-9794 | kiln-direct.com Mid Continent Steel and Wire 800-867-6245 | magnumfasteners.com Pallet Machinery Group 540-644-9220 | palletmachinery.com Pendu Manufacturing 717-354-4348 | pendu.com Profile Technology 800-369-4242 | profiletech.com PRS Group 217-291-0009 | prsgroupinc.com Rotochopper 320-548-3586 | rotochopper.com Smart Products 800-401-0099 | smartproductsinc.com Smith Sawmill Service 800-598-6344 | smithsawmillservice.com Vecoplan 812-923-4992 | vecoplan.com Viking Engineering & Development 800-328-2403 | vikingeng.com I recently returned from the summer conference of the National Association of Manufacturers Council of Manufacturing Associations. It strikes me that the share/partner/grow formula can help you maximize your return on membership and attendance at events. During the event, I had the opportunity to speak on sustainability and participate in several CEO roundtables. After my presentation, I had several associations reach out to learn more about our sustainability initiatives. With the roundtables, I gained so much from the sharing of others, and through that discussion, I found new partners for NWPCA on issues ranging from advocacy to cybersecurity. ese relationships will help NWPCA continue our growth and expand our impact. e same can be said for your relationship with NWPCA. In our PalletCentral magazine and our online blog, our members are openly sharing their labor challenges and solutions, automation experiences, and insights on lumber markets, to name a few. At our meetings, from our ALC to our October Plant Tour, our members' active support and sharing take center stage. Walking through a plant, for example, and talking about real issues and real solutions leads to new relationships, partnerships, and, yes, growth. Several of our members have further enhanced their outreach and are conducting tours for Members of Congress and other community leaders. ese meetings are invaluable to help raise the profile and importance of our industry to key leaders. NWPCA created a useful Congressional Plant Tour Guide available on our website to assist in this form of outreach. We welcome the opportunity to attend the meetings or follow up after with conversations in D.C. to amplify your work further. I want to thank all of our volunteers personally for their service on committees, providing content to our publications, speaking at our convention, attending our Capitol Hill fly-ins, and opening their facilities for a Congressional visit, school group, or plant tour. We also have an incredibly generous and charitable membership that supports their local communities or contributes to our nation's disaster relief efforts, wherever and whenever needed, as I saw firsthand during a recent member visit to Colorado. ere are multiple ways you can engage, from locally to nationally, and whatever, and however often you do this, know that you are driving this industry forward. It is a special honor to work with all of you as we expand the market for wood packaging. Sincerely, Brent J. McClendon, CAE NWPCA President/CEO Board Officers Chairman Mike Hachtman, 48forty Solutions Chairman-Elect Carolyn Beach, Westside Pallet Past Chair Frank Shean, PLA Holdings-Valley Pallet Secretary/Treasurer Nick Wenner, Pallet Service Corp. Director at Large Kathleen Dietrich, Commercial Lumber & Pallet President/CEO Brent J. McClendon, CAE Board of Directors Michelle Blizzard, Pallet Central Enterprises Henry Bowman, C&L Wood Products LeRoi Cochran, 48forty Solutions Dominick Davi, Greenway Products & Services David Grimes, Pallet Resources of NC Hinton Howell, Cottondale Wood Products Bernie Kamps, Kamps, Inc. Bryan Kesting, Madison County Wood Products Steve Mazza, S&B Pallet Joe O'Brien, Industrial Pallet Shane Thompson, WestWind Logistics Beatrice Vasquez, Oxnard Pallet Howe Wallace, PalletOne, Bartow, FL International Director Mike Vrugteveen, Niagara Pallet & Recyclers Associate's Representative Randy Panko, Wood-Mizer International Director Emeritus Jan Fredell, Fredells Travaru AB FROM THE PRESIDENT Share. Partner. Grow.