Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/893182
Leaving summer and entering the fall clearly shows us change is at hand. The colors of the leaves are changing. I just finished "The Association CEO Masters Seminar," a course for a small group of association CEO's. What jumped out to me most was how much of the course was focusing on change, and specifically, that there never was a status quo. From a reading in the course, "We didn't lose Main Street. It may never have existed as we now imagine it. And even if it did, it did so in a time that has unavoidably passed. You can change or you can be changed, but you cannot remain the same... And for those who would lead? Change is the medium of what they do." The world is changing. Supply chains are changing. Customers, their priorities, and their business models are changing. The same with suppliers and the products we use in our businesses every day. We've seen some large changes in our own industry composition with consolidation and divestment strategies on a large scale. The workforce is changing. Technology is changing. Each one of these 'changes' influences the business choices you make. There is an old adage in association management. Association's must match or exceed the pace of change in the industry they serve to remain relevant. NWPCA's board of directors and our staff embrace this axiom. • We are expanding the products and services we offer globally. A project is underway to incorporate four new languages into PDS, and 25% of all PDS licensees are now international. PDS technical integration into CAPE machinery will further expand NWPCA's membership footprint globally. • Our event offerings have grown to include a recent regional meeting, and plans are underway to co-host Interpal 2018 in Minneapolis with the Canadian Wood Pallet & Container Association. We expect more than 1,500 total people to attend NWPCA events in 2018, up from nearly 800 in 2012. • New websites for NWPCA, The Pallet Foundation, Nature's Packaging, and the Pallet Design System™, coupled with an ever-growing social media presence, have created a surge in traffic, delivering solid business leads to NWPCA members, while raising NWPCA's profile and expanding the voice of this industry globally. How each of us address change is a business decision. But address it we must. There is no status quo. Sincerely, P U B L I S H E D B Y T H E N A T I O N A L W O O D E N P A L L E T & C O N T A I N E R A S S O C I A T I O N BOARD OFFICERS Chairman Shane Thompson, WestWind Logistics, LLC Chairman-Elect Larry Howell, Cottondale Wood Products Past Chair Steve Mazza, Bettaway Pallet Systems Secretary/Treasurer Jordan Piland, Atlas Pallets/ A Div. of Williamsburg Millwork Corp. President/CEO Brent J. McClendon, CAE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Carolyn Beach-Skinner, Westside Pallet, Inc. Peter Berry, Berry Industrial Group, Inc. Clint Binley, Pallets Incorporated Hamlet Fort, Edwards Wood Products David Grimes, Pallet Resources of NC, Inc. Mike Hachtman, reLogistics Services, LLC Bernie Kamps, Kamps, Inc. Jeff Lewis, Atlanta Pallets & Services Frank Shean, Valley Pallet, Inc. Robert Trexler, Pasadena Skid & Pallet, Inc. Howe Wallace, PalletOne, Inc. Jimmy Wilson, Bay Wood Products, Inc. International Director John Dye, Scott Pallets Associate's Representative Jeff Williams, PRS Group, Inc. International Director Emeritus Jan Fredell, Fredells Travaru AB NWPCA 6 PalletCentral • September-October 2017 palletcentral.com 2017 SEASON SPONSORS Kiln-Direct.com tel: 910-259-9794 | kiln-direct.com Mid Continent Nail Corporation tel: 800-867-6245 | magnumfasteners.com Pallet Machinery Group tel: 540-644-9220 | palletmachinery.com Pendu Manufacturing, Inc. tel: 717-354-4348 | pendu.com Profile Technology, Inc. tel: 800-369-4242 | profiletech.com Smart Products tel: 800-401-0099 | smartproductsinc.com Viking Engineering & Development tel: 800-328-2403 | vikingeng.com PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Status Change; Status Quo Never Existed Brent J. McClendon, CAE NWPCA President/CEO