BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER

My three kids, along with every kid in this picture, have lived their entire lives on the same street of 20 houses. This year we have six graduating seniors from our street, including my son Nicholas (pictured on the far left.) Woodgate Drive is a street of family, not families. We borrow each other’s tools, park in each other’s driveways, shoot basketball on each other’s goals, and have stitched up multiple injuries (lucky for us, we also have four nurses on the street.)

As we all gathered in May to celebrate the street’s seniors, I thought about our different backgrounds. I’m from Missouri; one neighbor is from Maine, another from Vegas, and others from around the country. Now, we are all a part of this tight-knit community. It is very much like the hardwood industry, where we all work daily. The hardwood community is everywhere. There are hardwood producers, distributors, suppliers, manufacturers, and associations, all with the same goal: to grow the North American hardwood market.

Helen Keller said, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” The hardwood industry is beginning to see results of working together through the collaborative support of the Real American

Hardwood Coalition (RAHC). Still, the industry can’t fall solely on RAHC’s shoulders. Over the next few months, you’ll hear more about the new Strategic Plan at NHLA. You’ll learn how NHLA will become the industry’s hub for collaboration with fellow associations, universities, and government agencies and how NHLA will become the leading portal of hardwood industry information for architects, designers, specifiers, and the like. You will also hear how NHLA will discover new trends, issues, and technological advancements to share with you to benefit your business and the hardwood community.

I cannot wait for you to hear more about our new Strategic Plan. This industry is a family, and NHLA looks forward to being the place that brings family together.

John Hester NHLA Chief Development Officer j.hester@nhla.com | 901-399-7558