Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/973524
palletcentral.com PalletCentral • March-April 2018 11 declining, then less pallets are needed. The pallet industry already directly employs 55,000 people throughout the country and that is not including all the millions of people who work in manufacturing. If manufacturing is down, if the economy is in bad shape, the pallet industry is down. If the pallet industry expands, then that means the economic conditions are good." In Congress, Nolan has advocated for the wood pallet industry, directly and indirectly, in his quests to promote better forest management, fair trade deals and tariffs to support the Great Lakes region's steel and mining industries which help support this country's vital industries critical to security and the economy. "Congressman Nolan is a strong supporter of agriculture and forestry," said NWPCA's Patrick Atagi, vice president, advocacy and external affairs. "He has advocated for researching and creating new opportunities to advance the use of timber and forest products. He sits on key committees and as a Democrat provides bipartisan balance to those Members of Congress who support our industry." It's not just the pallet industry that will miss Nolan – his advocacy and abilities have been recognized nationally. He was recently named one of the top 10 most effective Members of Congress in a study by the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University. And in Congress most recently his amendments have been included in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, the Farm Bill and the National Defense Authorization Act. And dating back to his 1975- 1981 stint in Congress, Nolan was named a "Most Respected" Member of Congress in former syndicated columnist Jack Anderson's "Congress Watch." "Congressman Nolan has the honor of being an inaugural recipient of the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association's 'Champion of the Wood Pallet and Wood Packaging' industry plaque," Atagi added. "Nolan brings the unique perspective of being a pallet manufacturer. We are fortunate to have a champion of our industry, who knows our industry inside and out, representing us in Washington, D.C. at such a high level…he will be missed deeply by our industry." PC Patrick Atagi, NWPCA, introduces Congressman Rick Nolan (D-MN) and Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR) during an NWPCA reception on Capitol Hill. "The wood pallet industr y, more than any other industr y, is 100% recyclable." – Congressman Rick Nolan EXPO RICHMOND 2018 Friday, May 18 and Saturday May 19 For more information go to www.exporichmond.com exporichmond2018@gmail.com NWPCA Member Reception | Friday, May 18 – 5:30 PM Omni Richmond Hotel Register at www.palletcentral.com