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As a new year begins, things are looking up for the southern pine lumber industry. Between steep tariffs and a slumping housing market, 2019 presented many challenges for southern pine. However, business is cyclical, and the southern pine industry holds steadfast in its commitment to continue the overall growth that has been enjoyed over the past decade. For over 100 years, the Southern Forest Products Association has worked tirelessly to honor its founding motto of “Service.”
SFPA is a regional trade association that serves a global economy representing southern pine lumber manufacturers, treaters and allied businesses. With an ever-growing digital presence and robust international efforts, SFPA continues to advance the industry for both domestic and international markets.
The New SFPA.org
For years, SFPA.org has been the online home of the Southern Forest Products Association. It serves an important role to both SFPA members and non-members, providing resources, an online portal for members, general association information, and membership details. Fully optimized for both desktop and mobile viewing, the new SFPA.org brings a myriad of southern pine resources to your fingertips no matter where you are. The sleek new layout is easy-to-navigate, bringing the most important information and features to the forefront.
Do you have a product that you need in your inventory? SFPA’s online Product Locator is the best tool for finding just the right product to fit the bill. With a selection of over 400 products, the SFPA Product Locator connects dealers and manufacturers to the right sales contact. Grades, packing preferences, sizes and lengths, the Product Locator has it all! Traditionally accessible through SouthernPine.com, the Product Locator is also available on SFPA.org. Simply click “Find Southern Pine” from the main menu, and you are well on your way to finding the products you need.
Membership information is also readily available on the new SFPA.org menu. SFPA membership is made up of more than just southern pine manufacturers. Distributors, other business owners, and individuals who are interested in the objectives of the association can also enjoy the membership benefits of SFPA through an associate membership. This inclusive membership model allows anybody who is interested in southern pine to easily become involved with SFPA. All the membership information you need, including packets, applications, and lists of existing members, can be found on SFPA.org.
SFPA.org isn’t the only website managed by SFPA. Together, the SFPA family of websites makes up the most comprehensive resource for all things southern pine on the internet. From construction tips and span tables to publications and product locators, the SFPA family of websites has it all.
They include:
SouthernPine.com Span tables, design values, product locator, treated lumber, specialty products applications, DIY plans, publications, media center.
SouthernPineDecks.com Building a deck, building a porch, construction details, finishing and maintenance.
RaisedFloorLiving.com Raised wood floor foundations, resources for both homeowners and building professionals.
SFPAexpo.com The Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo is the premiere venue for equipment manufacturers to display their products and services to the wood processing industry. The next Expo will be held in the Summer of 2021 (dates TBA) in Atlanta, Ga.
SouthernPineGlobal.com Product locator, exporter directory, importer purchase inquiry, publications.
See something you like? The best way to keep any number of our websites handy is to add them to your internet browser’s bookmarks. Conveniently, SFPA.org also serves as a central hub from which you can easily navigate to any one of SFPA’s websites. Simply click the Menu button and all the SFPA’s family of websites are listed in an eye-catching orange hue. One click on any site name will show a brief description of that site’s resources. A second click on “Learn More” will take you straight to the site of your choosing.
Superior Spans with Southern Pine
High quality southern pine lumber has a proven reputation for long spans. Code officials, builders, dealers, and other industry professionals continue to utilize our Span Tables page on SouthernPine.com as a resource. Here, 46 span tables covering virtually every loading condition can be found. Simplified span tables for southern pine lumber and glued laminated headers, beams and girders are also available, including size selection and allowable load tables.
For over two decades, SFPA has distributed thousands of its popular span cards to code officials, builders, and lumber dealers. For use at the jobsite, SFPA offers its handy pocket span cards. One card contains 12 span tables for common visual and mechanical grades under different loading conditions. Another card has three tables for treated southern pine lumber used for floor joists. Span cards can be ordered from the Publications page at SouthernPine.com.
International Efforts
The southern pine lumber industry is a global one, and international markets are hungry for more southern pine. Thanks to SFPA’s international promotional efforts, manufacturers are seeing unique opportunities for exports. Through activities backed by funding from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, SFPA staff, and members participate in international trade shows, trade missions, and educational seminars. Completing over 20 trips in 2019, SFPA representatives have a record of success introducing southern pine products to new and growing markets around the globe. Surveys of overseas buyers continue to show that SFPA’s educational work is having a direct impact on awareness and sales of the species.
Prospects for southern pine seem particularly promising in the Caribbean and India. A booming tourism industry continues to prompt the development of new construction projects throughout the Caribbean. The region’s popularity with tourists combined with its humid climate has created a need in the market for properly treated southern pine lumber. In India, an aspirational middle class and high projected GDP growth have created a good, potent market for southern pine.
The best way to stay updated with SFPA’s international promotional efforts is through our bi-monthly e-Newsletter. It not only includes summaries of the latest international efforts, but also provides important industry news. Signing up for the Newsletter is easy! Just visit SFPA.org/newsletter.
Social Connections
For years, SFPA has embraced the rapidly changing realm of social media, providing association updates, the latest facts and benefits of building with southern pine, case studies, southern pine success stories, and DIY posts to an ever-growing base of followers on Twitter and YouTube.
As technology and social media have become increasingly important in modern day marketing, SFPA enters the new year with an expanded social media presence. Armed with a new Facebook page and renewed efforts on Instagram, SFPA is poised to further the scope of our social media influence, interact with our audience in new ways, and connect with more people than ever before.
Here’s how you can connect with us on social media:
Twitter: @Southern_Pine
YouTube: /southernpinelumber
Facebook: /SouthernPine1915
Instagram: @Southern_Pine1915
Looking Ahead
As SFPA enters its second century, the association’s founding motto of “Service” remains the driving force behind all its activities. Representing southern pine producers both large and small, SFPA continues to provide the tools dealers and distributors need to sell more lumber. SFPA’s global educational and trade efforts create a preference for durable southern pine materials among designer, specifiers, and building professionals. SFPA member mills produce nearly half of our nation’s southern pine lumber and are ready to deliver the quality products your customers demand.
Coming up this year, look for SFPA displays at the International Builders’ Show, JLC Live, and Deck Expo.
