28 WESTERN PALLET
•Historic lumber and core pricing.
•Shortages for major pallet poolers send ag sector scurrying for pallets.
•Severe labor shortages and skyrocketing labor rates.
•Distribution centers hold more pallet stock, release less onto open market.
•Sharp rise for pallet demand, sustained into 2022 (particularly for used pallets)
•Major consolidation trend in the recycled industry hits into high gear.
•Recyclers turn to combos and recycled lumber for material supply.
•More COVID strains and disruptions… Government Regulation Uncertainty!
•Severe nail, supply and transportation shortages.
•Historic inflation.
Success Story: Looking Back at a Quarter Century of Association Growth
Jeff Calavan, then of Northwest Hardwood, remembers how bad things were when he was tapped to be membership chair back in the 1990s. “It was an old boys club and we didn’t really have a lot of members,” he recalled at the recent WPA Annual Meeting. He was joined by other past membership chairs - Ty Winsor and Tyrone Konecny, along with Nic Wilson, the current membership chair.
“It was really more of a golf oriented event,” he said. “ But then we brought in content and we brought in enthusiasm. It really gave people a reason to come. Most importantly, we made them feel welcome.”
After a decade, Calavan passed the baton to Tye Winsor, Metolius Forest Products. “At first, I thought I don’t know what more I can really do,” he said, but then he quickly found his footing. “I got involved, made people feel welcome, and I talked to as many people as i could.” That culture of inclusivity and friendship established during those years has become steeped in WPA’s DNA.
Tyrone Konecny, now of Utah Lumber Company, followed Winsor as membership chair. He was first encouraged to join WPA by Tom Worthen and Trace Sutter while on a fishing trip one autumn. He attended his first Annual Meeting the following January and was immediately hooked. He has not missed a meeting since. “At that time the meeting was only half the size it is now,” he recalled. He loved being around like-minded industry professionals.
“I viewed the membership chair and being part of the board as great honors,” he said. “Seeing the growth and meeting people firsthand honestly still gives me the chills. Even with the growth, the meeting is still the right size and you can get around and talk to everyone. And there is great value in the networking and really being able to connect with a lot of folks.”