Plaudits for CPA Spring Meeting

Surface & Panel -

The Composite Panel Association’s recent spring meeting received high marks from the roughly 300 attendees representing nearly 110 companies who traveled to Orange County, California, following two years of virtual sessions.

The event, held May 1-3 at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point, featured:

  • Regulatory, policy and climate change updates
  • Presentations by Brian Beaulieu, CEO and chief economist for ITR Economics, and John McDonald, CEO of cabinet manufacturer Semihandmade
  • Committee and board meetings
  • Table-top exhibits
  • Golf
  • And—most welcome of all—vast opportunities for in-person networking.

Among the more significant reveals, CPA shared that it has been involved in a study to assess the life cycle and carbon footprint of composite wood panels. Results show 50% of carbon is sequestered in the product for 50 years. In addition, CPA members have been recycling materials for over 60 years.

CPA also presented several awards at the meeting. Will Warberg, formerly with Weyerhaeuser/Plum Creek in Montana, received the annual Brock R. Landry Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the composite panel industry.

Other honorees included:

  • West Fraser WestPine MDF in Quesnel, British Columbia–Long-Term Safety and Annual Safety awards
  • Florida Plywoods in Greenville, Florida–Safety Improvement Award
  • Roseburg in El Dorado, Arkansas–Safety Achievement Award
  • Arauco in Malvern, Arkansas– Safety Achievement Award

CPA’s fall meeting is set for Sept. 11-13 at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal, Quebec. Visit www.compositepanel.org for more information.