Composite Panel Market To Grow 4.21% In 2016

Capacity for the North American composite panel industry is expected to increase 4.21 percent in 2016, Composite Panel Association Chairman Steve Stoler told a record crowd at the CPA’s spring meeting in Tucson, Arizona. Increased usage of engineered wood panels in cabinetry, furniture, flooring and other products is helping spur the growth.

The upward trend follows a three-year capacity decline, reported Stoler, general sales manager of Boise Cascade. Capacity is defined as the amount of panels produced, based on maximum press utilization.

“I’ve been encouraged by signs of growth an new investment in our industry after a long period of inactivity,” Stoler said, citing recent announcements of plant upgrades and new lines. The addition of three mills in Mexico also is projected to increase North American MDF capacity by 10 percent.

The CPA also projects shipments of particleboard and MDF to grow 3 percent in 2016. Last year’s shipments of U.S. and Canadian panels hit 5.561 BSF, which was up 3 percent from 2014 figures.

More than 300 people from more than 100 companies attended the April 17-20 CPA event.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/composite-panel-market-to-grow-4-percent?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news

Composite Panel Association Names Morrill Its New President

The Composite Panel Association has hired Jackson Morrill as its new president, effective April 13. Morrill replaces Tom Julia, who left the CPA last August.

Morrill has been serving as director for the American Chemistry Council (ACC) since 2010, where he managed the Formaldehyde Panel directing comprehensive state and federal advocacy initiatives, communications, third-party outreach and scientific studies on formaldehyde. He also represented ACC as a member of the Federal Wood Industries Coalition (FWIC), along with CPA and other key industry associations and stakeholders.

“We are pleased to have Jackson on board to lead our association. He brings a solid background of legislative and regulatory advocacy and technical expertise,” said Grady Mulbery, CPA chairman and member of the executive search team. “I was greatly impressed with the caliber of the candidates and I believe we found an extraordinary fit both in terms of experience and personality with Jackson and he will complement the already strong CPA staff.”

“I am honored to join CPA and represent the North American composite panel industry. I look forward to continuing to build upon CPA’s strong industry reputation as a leader in advocacy and to support the membership and its initiatives,” said Morrill.

An adjunct professor at Washington College of Law of American University, Morrill also practiced environmental law at Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. and was an environmental legal consultant at The World Bank prior to his work at ACC.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/panel-supply/Composite-Panel-Association-Names-Morrill-Its-New-President-297691911.html#sthash.NgwcJmPR.MoVAe6zT.dpbs