Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1523117
8 Pallet C e nt ral • July -Aug u st 2 0 24 C ongratulations! You are halfway through another year. Yes, time does go by quickly. I often use this column to discuss strategic initiatives, how we are positioning the association to maximize our impact on your company, and how we are building a stronger future for this industry globally. I'm now enjoying these strategic conversations with many of you on LinkedIn. Please join in on these discussions and connect with me if you have not already done so: https://www. linkedin.com/in/brentjmcclendoncae. For this issue, I am focusing on the here and now, highlighting some recent successes. After all, celebrating is what we do in July and August. And we have a lot to celebrate. Community: It's not much of a barbeque if no one comes over. !ankfully, that is not an issue for us with record crowds at our Annual Leadership Conference, Mexico Capitulo Meeting, Fly-In, Fall Plant tours, and Pallet Design System™ courses. !is is partly due to our record membership levels, as more and more of you are coming together to build business opportunities, learn from each other, and join together in a way that helps us better advocate for this industry. Cookout: When you have a party, you better have some good stu to serve. We are fortunate to have had a series of "wins" that give the industry something to feast on. Our recent engagement with the European Union (EU) Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation assures the seamless international ow of wood pallets and crates into the EU, minimizing the impact of this regulation on your customers. !e US Farm Bill included NWPCA provisions for the rst time that support the wood pallet sector. !e Softwood Export Council recently announced a grant to NWPCA to advance our Lifecycle Assessment work. !at, combined with support from the Pallet Foundation, will help us deliver a custom carbon calculator tool for your business to use by year-end. Collaboration: Someone gets to bring the snacks, someone else the beverages, and before you know it, the grill is red up, and everyone is involved and having a great time. Unifying an industry around a shared vision with roles for everyone is the aspect of the association world I like the most. We recently signed an agreement with Brazil to expand our work with them, building on similar agreements with the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Sta is back from a rst-ever trip to Colombia seeking partnership opportunities there. Upcoming meetings in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Europe build o an extremely busy travel schedule for sta that's been in the Northeast, Midwest, West, and throughout the South over just the last few months, hearing directly from you on what you most want. Our Board of Directors and Pallet Foundation met in Washington, DC, in June to strategically assess our position. !ey also discussed how we can grow membership engagement and global support for R&D that lifts all boats and takes our industry to the next level. It is through working together and growing together that we will achieve all of this. Sincerely, Brent McClendon, CAE NWPCA President & CEO Summer Celebraons A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT