The Red Jacket Resort in North Conway, New Hampshire played host to this year’s Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association’s (NELMA) annual Fall Golf Outing and Board of Directors meeting, held September 18 & 19. Perfect New England fall weather greeted 126 Association members and guests for the day and a half event.
Beginning with the golf outing, 77 golfers teed up at the picturesque North Conway Country Club to enjoy the day with their industry peers. Awards for their day’s efforts were presented at the Chairman’s Dinner that night, which included:
- First Place Team-Gross: Jason Brochu, Chris Brochu, Greg Garrison, and Rich Smith (all from Pleasant River Lumber)
- First Place Team-Net: Allan Ryder (Timber Resource Group), Pierre Garriepy (Fontaine Inc.), and Paul Jannke (Forest Economic Advisors)
- Second Place Team-Net: Bob Bronkie (The Unstable Farm), Dante Diorio (Diorio Forest Products), Bill Ossenfort (Pleasant River Lumber), and Rob Wieczorek (Wieczorek Insurance)
- Third Place Team-Net: Tom Jenkins (Green Light Forest Products), Phil Ruck (Stillwater Consulting), and Doug Chiasson (J.D. Irving).
- A “Putt-Off” was required at the Award Presentation to determine the winner of the Putting Contest between Doug Chiasson (J.D. Irving) and B. Manning (Durgin & Crowell), who both sank their putts at the putting contest earlier that day. Standing in for B. Manning at the Awards Ceremony, Brett Anderson (J.D. Irving) took first place in the “Putt-Off”.
Click here to view photos from the Golf Tournament
The Board of Directors meeting was held the following morning and began with a trio of guest speakers. The first presentation by Zoltan van Heyningen, Executive Director of the U.S. Lumber Coalition, provided meeting attendees with an insight into the ongoing process of working towards an agreement with Canada for softwood lumber imports to the U.S. as the current agreement is set to expire in 2015. Alden Robbins of Robbins Lumber Co. and the Northeast’s representative on the Softwood Lumber Board presented an update on marketing and technical activities underway on behalf of the U.S. industry. The final guest presentation was provided by Paul Jannke of Forest Economic Advisors (FEA) regarding the U.S. economic outlook and key factors to watch in 2015 and beyond. Following the guest speakers, the NELMA Board of Directors reconvened to discuss Association business that included an Administrative update and Inspection Program results by NELMA Staff, the results and recommendations from the NELMA Advisory Committee, the Treasurer’s Report on the financial status of the Association, a review of the proposed 2015 NELMA budget and subsequent approval, a Strategic Planning Group activity progress report, and the potential Cost of Manufacturing Survey of Association members.
NELMA would like to thank and acknowledge the generosity of the Golf Tournament sponsors: Eagle Level Sponsors – Hancock Lumber Co. and J.D. Irving; Par Level Sponsor – H.E. Smith Co.; Golf Equipment & Cart Sponsors – Seaboard International, Durgin & Crowell, Eastern Insurance Group, Sandy Neck Traders, and USNR; Hole Sponsors – Diorio Forest Products, DiPrizio Pine, Eastern Forest Products, Green Light Forest Products, Lowell Lumber Co., Madison Lumber Mill, Pleasant River Lumber, Pennsylvania & Indiana Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co., and Timber Trading Group; and the Putting Contest Sponsor – P. DiPrizio Lumber Co.
The next meeting of NELMA will be the Annual Convention, set for April 23 & 24 at the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts.
