palletcentral

8 Pallet C e nt ral • July -Aug u st 2 0 25 I 'm writing this month's letter from the Canadian Wood Pallet and Container Association Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada. At the time of this writing, we have multiple staff members attending the Ligna tradeshow in Hannover, Germany, where they are presenting our Pallet Design System™ (PDS). In early June, we will finalize interviews for the Senior Director, Mexico and Latin America position with the help of our elected Capítulo officers. We are also wrapping up our Washington Fly-In (and first-ever Mexico Fly-In), which takes place from June 9–12 in Washington, DC. It's not hard to connect the dots about the relevance of our association and the importance of a strong team when so many essential and high-profile events are happening simultaneously. Our strategic plan guides us as we bring the industry closer together and build a stronger future. For us to be successful, we need maximum member engagement. We kicked off a heightened outreach program at our Annual Leadership Conference in March. ose of you who were there saw an entire morning devoted to the outstanding work of our committees and the opportunities present for everyone to play a role. To learn more about our committees, visit palletcentral.com/Involved_Advocacy. All members are most welcome and invited to join any of our committees, and we appreciate your support. Beyond our committees, we are delivering an increasing slate of membership-focused meetings. In early September, our Conference in Querétaro, Mexico, will welcome over 350 attendees. In October, we host our Fall Plant Tours in Houston, Texas, where over 350 NWPCA members are expected to join us for networking and tours of some highly automated companies, thanks to our generous tour hosts Hinton Lumber Products, Neopal, and Relogistics. A delegation from Brazil is making the journey, as well as our close friends and colleagues from Canada and Europe. A full list of our events is available at PalletCentral.com/events. We look forward to your joining us throughout the year. ank you for your active support and membership. We grow together. We're stronger together. Sincerely, Brent J. McClendon NWPCA President & CEO Looking Back We all have our origin stories—those early, formative moments we look back on with a smile. Here's one of mine. (Hat tip to Google Maps Street View for the image.) is is the one-room schoolhouse I attended outside of Pierre, South Dakota. It sat about a mile and a half from my home, and starting in second grade, I would walk to and from school. Some of my classmates rode horses. Our school dances? ey were held in someone's barn, with kids from all the local one-room schoolhouses gathering for that wonderfully awkward rite of passage. Most of our days were spent outside— fishing, exploring, just being kids. And when winter came, the blizzards were truly epic. We all have those stories that shaped who we are. What's yours? Our Future. Your Vision. A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

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