Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1453353
18 PalletCentral • January-February 2022 palletcentral.com growth in membership. In 2021, staff created a microsite (palletcentral.com/tarimas- de-madera) in Spanish to connect with native Spanish speakers on wood pallet industry topics, PDS software, events, among others. In collaboration with the Softwood Export Council (SEC), we have dedicated staff to produce a monthly newsletter in Spanish that focuses on issues related to the Mexican wood pallet industry. Since January, the monthly Boletín readership has increased 240%, and a social media campaign is in place on LinkedIn. Our close partnership with the Canadian Wood Pallet and Container Association (CWCPA) brings value to our respective memberships. Our exclusive PDS agreement with CWCPA gives us access to support staff in French and marketing expertise while strengthening and further unifying the wood packaging sector in North America. Enhancing How We Communicate is year, our social media work has seen tremendous pick-up as news of consolidations, supply chain disruptions, and supply shortages are making headlines. We filled email inboxes with news bulletins on hot topics. While PalletCentral.com is the main platform for NWPCA members, we maintain multiple websites (noted earlier) to expand our profile and messaging. Our communications, products, and events now commonly include Spanish and French. e fall webinar on the Lacey Act implementation for wood packaging saw the highest attendance on record for our NWPCA webinars. Over 300 people registered, and simultaneous translations in French and Spanish enabled broad participation about this global law on conservation. Advocating For You Our advocacy work remains a primary focus area for NWPCA. is year was a record year for high-level requests on the status of wooden pallets, including direct outreach from the White House and Congressional leaders. In December, NWPCA met with the Biden administration's National Economic Council (NEC) staff to discuss the role and importance of wooden pallets within the supply chain. Brent McClendon, President and CEO; Mike Hachtman, Board Chair; and Jason Ortega, Vice President of Public Affairs, represented the NWPCA. In 2021, NWPCA joined industry partners like the National Association of Manufacturers and the Small Business Legislative Counsel to successfully push back on harmful tax increases. ose increases have stalled on the Hill, and we remain diligent in preventing their revival in future legislation. Our close collaboration and work in a wide range of national and international organizations ensure that the wood packaging industry is at the forefront around discussions on the supply chain and sustainability, and that we can work on solutions together. Staff participation in several working groups, such as IFQRG, IPPC, or ESA, means we can continue to impact improvements for programs, such as ISPM 15, so that wood packaging is a viable option to facilitate international trade. e staff has recently drafted resource documents to help countries better understand which pests are associated with ISPM 15 and guidance documents to help countries improve compliance. Pallets of Diversity PALLETCENTRAL November-December 2021 National Wooden Pallet & Container Association 1421 Prince Street, Suite 340 Alexandria, Va 22314 palletcentral.com NWPCA ALC: Leadership Edge PAGE 12 Alternative Workforce Options PAGE 32 PAGE 20 NWPCA Member Phoenix Wood Products hosted Representative Kat Cammack (FL-3) at their Ocala facility.