Press RoomWelcome to the NLBMDA Press room, where you can find position statements and press releases from our organization on important topics for the lumber and building material industry. The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) represents its members in the national public policy arena, with emphasis on efforts to 1) promote the industry and educate legislators and public policy personnel; and 2) assist legislative, regulatory, standard-setting and other government or private bodies in the development of laws, regulations and policies affecting lumber and building material dealers, its customers and suppliers. Founded in 1917, the association has over 6,000 members operating single or multiple lumber yards and component plants serving homebuilders, subcontractors, general contractors, and consumers in the new construction, repair and remodeling of residential and light commercial. NLBMDA, WCLBMA and Ganahl Lumber Host Congresswoman Michelle SteelPosted by Administration, Thursday, August 25 On August 17, 2022, Congresswoman Michelle Steel (R-California) joined the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) and the West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association (WCLBMA) for a tour of Ganahl Lumber at their lumber yard and hardware store and in Costa Mesa, CA. Congresswoman Steel met with President and CEO Peter Ganahl along with other company leaders and WCLBMA Board members to discuss issues affecting the lumber and building material industry, including the national supply chain and the importance of the affordable housing market in California. NLBMDA and WCLBMA coordinated the event. Click here to read more.
NLBMDA Responds to Ambassador Tai's Senate Testimony on Softwood Lumber NegotiationsPosted by Administration, Thursday, June 23 Yesterday, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai testified at a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies regarding the Biden Administration’s trade priorities for fiscal year 2023. During the hearing, Ambassador Tai stated that the Biden Administration was “open and interested” in negotiating a new softwood lumber agreement with Canada to replace the previous agreement which expired in 2015. Ambassador Tai indicated the Canadian government will have to address U.S. concerns relating to the subsidization of Canadian lumber producers before any agreement can be reached. Click here to read more.
NLBMDA Hosts Productive Meeting with Canadian Trade DelegationPosted By Administration, Wednesday, June 15
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) released the following statement after meeting with Ambassador Raymond Chrétien and a government delegation from Québec in Washington, D.C. to discuss softwood lumber negotiations. Ambassador Chrétien served as the Canadian ambassador to the United States from 1994 to 2000 during the Clinton Administration and is now Québec’s chief negotiator on softwood lumber.
“NLBMDA hosted a productive meeting this week with Ambassador Chrétien to discuss the status of softwood lumber negotiations between the U.S. and Canada,” said NLBMDA President & CEO Jonathan Paine. “As supply chain disruptions and affordable housing challenges continue to persist, NLBMDA reiterated its support for a long-term softwood lumber agreement that brings stability to the pricing and availability of softwood lumber. NLBMDA remains committed to working with government officials and stakeholders on both sides of the border to reach a fair agreement that will help resolve the ongoing supply chain challenges impacting LBM dealers and residential construction. NLBMDA would like to thank Ambassador Chrétien and the entire Québec delegation for their visit and we look forward to continued dialogue in the future.”
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Layman's Lumber Guide Joins NLBMDAPosted By Administration, Tuesday, June 7
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) announced that Layman’s Lumber Guide is the newest member of the association’s Manufacturers and Services Council (MSC). The council is composed of the leading building material manufacturers and service providers serving the LBM industry.
NLBMDA’s MSC members are established industry leaders who supply products and services to lumber and building material dealers across the nation. The dedicated members of the council share a commitment to promoting and enhancing the success of independent dealers.
Matt Layman has worked in lumber commodities for nearly four decades, drawing on a wealth of real-world experience. Layman’s Lumber Guide (“LLG”) is the industry's most prominent and reliable lumber market analyses and forecasts, covering Southern Yellow Pine lumber, Canadian SPF lumber, Western US lumber and OSB. LLG has been projecting when lumber and OSB prices will reverse or accelerate trends with 86% accuracy (+/- one week) since 1992.
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NLBMDA Presents Chairman's Award to Mireya ZapataPosted By Administration, Monday, April 18, 2022 The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) presented the Chairman's Award to Mireya Zapata, Executive Vice President of the Lumbermen's Association of Texas (LAT), during its annual ProDealer Industry Summit. “The people in our industry are inspiring and they motivate me in my daily work. I believe, small businesses, family-owned businesses are one of our country’s treasures. It is an honor to have a small role in supporting them and I am grateful to Jim and the team at NLBMDA for this recognition,” said Zapata. “I also want to thank the LAT membership for believing in the power and need of a unified industry voice advocating for the entire lumber and building materials supply chain in Washington DC.” Click here to read more. Arxada Joins NLBMDA's Manufacturers and Services CouncilPosted By Administration, Thursday, April 14, 2022 The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) announced that Arxada is the newest member of the association’s Manufacturers and Services Council (MSC). The council is composed of the leading building material manufacturers and service providers serving the LBM industry. NLBMDA’s MSC members are established industry leaders who supply products and services to lumber and building material dealers across the nation. The dedicated members of the council share a commitment to promoting and enhancing the success of independent dealers. For more than 80 years, Arxada’s wood protection business has led the market in the delivery of trusted and innovative technologies. We are a long-time respected supplier in the field of wood protection, making wood resistant to mold and moisture, insects, fungi, smoke development and flame spread while enhancing its natural beauty. You may recognize us by our leading product brands – Wolmanized®, Dricon®, Chemonite®, FrameGuard®, AntiBlu®, and Permatek®. Click here to read more.
NLBMDA Honors Federal Advocacy Sponsors at ProDealer Industry SummitPosted By Administration, Friday, April 8, 2022 Last week at the 2022 ProDealer Industry Summit, NLBMDA proudly recognized its Federal Advocacy Sponsors for their commitment to the industry and for going above and beyond to support the association during a critical time in the LBM Industry. The support of these organizations further illustrates that NLBMDA is the recognized national voice of the entire lumber and building material industry in the federal legislative and regulatory arenas and always will be. “I believe it to my core that no other entity can accomplish what we do, day in, and day out at such an elite level on behalf of the LBM community,” said Jonathan Paine, NLBMDA President and CEO. “We have the recognition and powerful relationships with Federal Agencies, the White House Administration, lawmakers, media, industry stakeholders and most importantly our members. The incredible work that we have collectively accomplished over the last several months is in part to the invaluable support from our Federal Advocacy Sponsors who have gone well above and beyond to show their commitment to NLBMDA, its members and the entire LBM Industry. Thank you all for your dedication. We are truly blessed to have such incredible members.” Click here to read more. NLBMDA Applauds Decision Lifting Steel and Aluminum Tariffs on the United KingdomPosted By Administration, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 Today, the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) is applauding the decision to ease tariffs in place on steel and aluminum imported from the United Kingdom (U.K.). NLBMDA released the following statement: “NLBMDA is pleased to see the Biden Administration taking steps to alleviate the current tariffs on British steel and aluminum,” said NLBMDA President & CEO Jonathan Paine. “As the voice of the LBM industry in the U.S., we have had several productive conversations with the Biden Administration regarding volatility in building material prices. This action will help to address that volatility and contribute to relieving challenges that currently exist in the residential construction supply chain. NLBMDA is looking forward to additional dialogue with the Biden Administration on further actions that will provide relief to the construction supply chain and housing in the U.S.” Click here to read more. Buildxact Joins NLBMDA's Manufacturers and Services CouncilPosted By Administration, Monday, March 21, 2022 The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) announced today that BuildXact is the newest member of the association’s Manufacturers and Services Council (MSC). The council is composed of the leading building material manufacturers and service providers serving the LBM industry. NLBMDA’s MSC members are established industry leaders who supply products and services to lumber and building material dealers across the nation. The dedicated members of the council share a commitment to promoting and enhancing the success of independent dealers. To that end, Buildxact has added features to its estimating and project management software that address long-term challenges the industry has faced concerning the time and accuracy required for builders to properly submit lumber orders. Buildxact is now incorporating ERP capabilities, like those found in Epicor’s Bistrack, to digitize this process for greater efficiency and accuracy. Click here to read more. Espy Lumber Earns National Recognition as Independent ProDealer of the YearPosted By Administration, Friday, February 25, 2022 NLBMDA is pleased to announce Hilton Head, South Carolina-based Espy Lumber has been named the 2022 “Independent ProDealer of the Year.” Each year, the editors of HBSDealer and the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association select a independent lumberyard (with less than 5 locations) that exemplifies quality service and high-performance within the lumber and building material industry. Espy Lumber was founded in the midst of the rapidly expanding Hilton Head area in 1958 and now serves its community as an "enthusiastic team of professionals that is the contractor's supplier of choice", as their company vision states. Over the course of over 60 years of business, Espy Lumber has expanded from an only-concrete operation to a full lumber and building material dealer and remains the only full line building supply on Hilton Head Island. Click here to read more. NLBMDA Releases 2022 National Policy AgendaPosted By Administration, Monday, February 7, 2022 The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) released today the 2022 National Policy Agenda, a comprehensive advocacy agenda for 2022, which outlines important policy priorities for the lumber and building material industry that will boost the housing and construction industry and support continued job creation across the U.S. economy. "During these challenging economic times, Congress and the Administration have a unique opportunity to implement pro-growth policies that will pave the way for a strong and sustainable economic recovery," said Jonathan Paine, President & CEO of NLBMDA. "LBM dealers are essential to the residential and commercial housing sector and a thriving economy. This agenda will guide policymakers to support policies that ensure laws and regulations are reasonable and cost effective, and ensure dealers are able to support the nation’s economic growth for 2022 and in years to come." Click here to read more. Hancock Lumber Earns National Recognition as ProDealer of the YearPosted By Administration, Monday, February 7, 2022 NLBMDA is pleased to announce Casco, Maine-based Hancock Lumber has been named the 2022 “ProDealer of the Year.” Each year, the editors of HBSDealer and the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association select a lumberyard that exemplifies quality service and high-performance within the lumber and building material industry. Hancock Lumber has been recognized as a Best Place to Work in Maine for eight straight years. Company CEO Kevin Hancock has had a wide impact on the lumber and building material industry, not only by leading an award-winning company, but also as an esteemed author and former Chairman of the NLBMDA Board of Directors. Click here to read more. NLBMDA Applauds Supreme Court Decision on COVID-19 Vaccine MandatePosted By Administration, Tuesday, March 3, 2020 The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling which temporarily blocks enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on COVID-19 vaccination and testing for private employers will 100 or more employees. “NLBMDA applauds the Supreme Court’s decision to block OSHA’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate and provide temporary relief to employers while the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals determines the legality of the mandate,” said NLBMDA President & CEO Jonathan Paine. “While the health and safety of employees will always be a top priority for our industry, NLBMDA continues to have serious concerns regarding the financial and administrative burden that OSHA’s vaccine mandate would place on lumber and building material dealers. Yesterday’s majority opinion highlighted significant constitutional questions surrounding the legality of the mandate and we look forward to a final resolution by the courts in the coming weeks. NLBMDA Encouraged by U.S. - China Trade DealOn December 13, the Trump Administration announced that a Phase One trade agreement had been reached between the United States and China. As a part of this deal, the U.S. will cancel a proposed 15 percent tariff on additional goods imported from China that were expected to go into effect on December 15th. “NLBMDA is pleased by news of a trade deal with China and are hopeful that this will bring much needed stability to U.S.-China relations”, said NLBMDA President & CEO Jonathan Paine. “However, this agreement does not include tariff relief for imports on Lists 1-3 which contain many products used in residential and commercial construction." To read the complete press release, click here. MaterialsXchange Joins NLBMDA's Manufacturers & Services CouncilPosted By Administration, Tuesday, March 3, 2020 In December, NLBMDA announced MaterialsXchange (“MX”) as the newest member of the association's Manufacturers and Services Council (MSC). The council is composed of the leading building material manufacturers and service providers serving the Lumber and Building Material industry. NLBMDA's MSC members are established industry leaders who supply products and services to lumber and building material dealers across the nation. The dedicated members of the council share a commitment to promoting and enhancing the success of independent lumber dealers. To learn more about MaterialsXchange, read the complete press release here. NLBMDA's Spring Meeting & Legislative Conference Opens RegistrationPosted By Administration, Tuesday, March 3, 2020 NLBMDA is happy to announce that registration is now open for the 2020 Spring Meeting & Legislative Conference to be held in Washington D.C. from March 23 - 25 at our new venue, the Westin Washington City Center Hotel. The early bird registration and hotel deadline is Friday, February, 14 2020. Make sure to register and make your hotel accommodations prior to this date.This is a critical election year and NLBMDA needs your support on Capitol Hill this March. To register please click here. Visit our conference website here for more details.NLBMDA Chair Celebrates Successful ProDealer Industry SummitPosted By Administration, Friday, January 17, 2020 Earlier this month, NLBMDA Chair, Bob Sanford, shared with members a summary of the ProDealer Industry Summit held in Colorado Springs from October 7 – 10. It was an exciting meeting filled with engaging discussion, networking opportunities, fundraising events and large decisions. To read about the highlights of the conference, please click here. Read more news in the Press Room Archives |