Once again, it pays to be at the trade shows and meet the market and its players personally.  A Pacific Northwest wholesale company participant recently attended the KH Housing Fair in Seoul in February, traveling under the SEC ACP program. Using Korean language publications and industry samples, he was able to persuade the importer that US high grade western softwoods were the right choice for his needs.  After the show he continued his contact with the Korean importer and the recently secured an order for high grade US Douglas fir lumber to Korea.  The initial order is for 5 containers worth $235,000. 

All SEC members are provided all the trade leads from all major trade shows to pass on to their own company members but being on the stand, promoting US softwoods does give one a leg up to meet and understand the needs of the market.  For more information on upcoming trade shows and how you can participate go to the SEC website calendar.     

By Eddie Pearce
During the second week of April AmSo exhibited in Dubai Wood Show.

The numerous visitors to the booth were predominantly from U A E and the surrounding countries such as Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. However many visitors also came from Jordan, Libya, and as far a field as India and Pakistan.

Investment in commercial construcion together with resort facilities is designed to attract commercial activity and increase tourism to the region, and Dubai is leading this activity. Although building and construction had slowed down during 2009,  activity level in this area had increased as of the beginning of the year resulting in a renewed interest in demand for timber and timber products. This reflected in the number of enquiries that were received at the booth the whole range of these products. Enquiries were received for glulam beams, doors, scaffold boards, and general construction grade lumber.

The level of attendance by visitors to the show this year was lower than compared with previous years. but this was not reflected by the number of visitors to the American Softwoods booth at the Show where the number of visitors was very good and constant which resulted in 93 good contact.   Importantly, these visitors provided very useful information about the timber and woodworking industries in Dubai. It reconfirms that the building and construction industries have limited  or no knowledge of American softwoods.

The main areas which would provide real opportunity for American softwoods would be in the secondary construction areas and applications such as interiors and external structures, as used in landscaping, i.e. pergolas, gazebos, decking and beach and marina projects, which in themselves are very large. This was supported by the number and quality of enquiries received.

AMSO, in conjunction with strategic partner IMEXFOR (the largest national association of wood products importers in Mexico) and reflecting heightened concern and interest in that country following recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, the American Softwoods Mexico Office (AMSO) announced the convening of a seismic seminar promoting wood construction on the morning of April 15.   The seminar was held in the country's second largest city, Guadalajara, Jalisco, where 60% of the furniture manufacturers and some of the biggest lumber distributors are located.

The Guadalajara seminar targeted not only the Mexican distribution trade, but also builders, architects and engineers nationwide.  Opening remarks were provided by the president of IMEXFOR and AMSO, followed by introductions of attendees and presentations by senior APA engineer Edward Keith, APA representative Robert Verhorst and Richard Kleinner, Director, Treated Markets SFPA.

Followed by the seminar and reception took place a reception where AMSO members as well as IMEXFOR members had the chance to meet. On Friday a trade servicing meetings of U.S. panel and lumber companies with IMEXFOR members to different lumber distributors in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Topics covered in the trade servicing meetings included the value and importance of U.S. panels and lumber in both wood construction and concrete forming systems, but also availability of U.S. supply given the disruptions experienced by the wood products trade in Mexico as a result of the recent earthquake in Chile. During this tradeservicing 5 companies were visited; Maderas   Bugambilias, Madereria Abastos, MACOPISA, Forros y Tacones Ramírez and DERIVADOS Y TRIPLAY DE OCCIDENTE

The seminar gave the opportunity to the Mexican companies to know the advantages of having wood constructions regarding earthquakes, also US members had the opportunity to meet some of the Mexican companies that buy lumber and boards and know their facilities, a fact that help US members to know better the products they handle and have a clear idea of Guadalajara´s market.

The seminar and trade servicing in Guadalajara help both sides of the market to have a better understanding of the type of construction that is used in US and their needs and products they handle. The trade servicing helped to continue monitoring the changing market tendencies. It can also help to define the areas to concentrate promotional efforts. 

The wood window industry was a customer of US softwoods in Spain first with Douglas fir and more recently for Southern Pine beginning more than 100 years ago and continuing until today. Unfortunately the demand has fallen in the last years.  By participating at this show, AMSO intends to reinforce the message of the US softwoods products suitability for window carpentry and disseminate a positive message to the local industry about the use our softwoods for exterior usage. Despite a depressed market environment, the show has been well attended with a high traffic of visitors, which resulted in the depletion of the literature available at the American Softwoods booth.

a number of wood window manufacturers participated as exhibitors. Most of the production is based on laminated components, a solution that is gaining acceptance among manufacturers and customers alike. This is natural development of the window market, once the manufacturers gained increasing confidence of the superior performance of laminated profiles versus solid wood elements in terms of geometry stability, reduced waste and excellent performance of the glues in the laminations.

In opposition to previous show editions the use of tropical hardwoods is less popular due to increasing difficulties to find the right product and probably the more difficult working properties of these species, together with some growing environmental concerns.  One leading manufacturer mentioned his interest in using hemlock, which is not currently in the Spanish market as opposed to the situation in Italy where  is relatively common among the window makers. 

• US softwood seminar/reception - Carrefour du Bois June 2-4 Nantes
• DesignBuild Australiasia June 23-25 Melbourne (sold out)

• Tecno Mueble 2010 August 19-22 Guadalajara

• FMC China 2010 September 7-9 2010, Shanghai
• American Softwoods Seminars September 13-17 Taipei, Nanjing, Beijing
  

• Expo CIHAC October 12-16, Mexico City
• USCB China trade mission (tbd)

• Japan Home & Building Show,  November 17-19 Tokyo
• Cancelled - Big 5 Construction Show, November 22-25 Dubai