Sawmillers Show Up At EXPO
After six shows in Atlanta, Ga. dating back to 2011, the Southern Forest Products Assn., host of the biennial Forest Products Machinery & Equipment EXPO, decided to move the 37th edition to Nashville, Tenn. Held August 23-25, this was an exciting change for exhibitors and attendees alike—the Music City Center was in the heart of the city, allowing everyone the chance to not only walk from the variety of hotels and top-notch restaurants to the show floor but also enjoy all that Nashville has to offer by way of its world-famous music scene.
“The move to Nashville exceeded all expectations,” comments Eric Gee, SFPA’s Executive Director. “It was great to see so many members of the forest products industry in attendance to be a part of this historic moment. I’m extremely proud of the exhibiting companies that helped transform the exhibit hall into a first-rate networking space.”
EXPO 2023’s final floorplan topped out at 217 exhibiting companies—a record number of exhibitors since 2007—spread over 58,337 square feet of machinery, innovation, and solutions to meet with more than 1,200 attendees.
The three-day show covered everything from raw material handling to crane operations; metal detection and scanning technologies; log optimization, drying, grading, sorting, packaging, and distribution with 217 exhibiting companies over 58,337 sq. ft. SFPA estimates over 1,200 passed through the doors.
Show Events
On the opening day, sponsors USNR, Real Performance Machinery, Optimil, The Timken Co., Nyle Dry Kilns, and MiCROTEC hosted a welcome reception on the show floor that proved popular.
Day two was jam-packed with events. First, SFPA announced the 2022 John Edgar Rhodes Sawmill Safety Excellence Awards during the Sawmill & Safety Awards Breakfast. For the second year in a row seven mills received 2022 Sawmill Safety Awards with zero incidents among them. Attendees had the option of adding on the Productivity & Efficiency conference presented by Timber Processing magazine during the bulk of the day. The day ended with an open popcorn and beer reception in the Valutec booth to celebrate the 2023 Timber Processing magazine Persons of the Year, Chris and Jason Brochu from Dover-Foxcroft, Maine.
The 38th Forest Products Machinery & Equipment EXPO’s host city and dates are to be announced soon, with registration to open in March 2025.
Latest News
Valutec TC Kilns See North American Success
As a leading developer and world leader in continuous dry kilns Valutec has delivered more than 2,000 continuous kilns to sawmills around the world. In 2020, the company commissioned North America’s first TC continuous kiln at Pleasant River’s Moose River Lumber in Jackman, Me. Now, another eight kilns are up and running, or being installed in North America…
SmartLam Plans Glulam Facility
SmartLam North America, reportedly the largest manufacturer in North America of cross-laminated timber (CLT), announced it will build a $50 million glulam manufacturing facility in Dothan, Ala. The new SmartLam facility, to be built adjacent SmartLam’s existing CLT facility in a 144,000 sq. ft. structure, will manufacture…
Peak Announce SYP Pellet Mill
Vancouver, Canada-based Peak Renewables plans to build a 180,000 metric tons per year wood pellet mill in Dothan, Ala. The $30 million project will utilize residuals from Rex Lumber sawmills in the area. Construction on the facility is expected to be completed by mid-2023. Peak is building the plant adjacent the SmartLam cross-laminated timber plant and upcoming glulam facility in Dothan…
U.S. Housing Starts Dip In September, Both Single-Family & Multi-Family Soften
U.S. housing starts dropped 8.1% in September from August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.439 million, including a drop in single-family starts of 4.7% to 892,000 and a decline in multi-family starts of 13.1% to 530,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development monthly new residential construction report…
Find Us On Social
Newsletter
The monthly Timber Processing Industry Newsletter reaches over 4,000 mill owners and supervisors.
Subscribe/Renew
Timber Processing is delivered 10 times per year to subscribers who represent sawmill ownership, management and supervisory personnel and corporate executives. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.
Advertise
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative.