American Hardwood pavilion to showcase wide range, consistent quality and long term availability of U.S. hardwoods.
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, has announced its participation in the 16th International Furniture Components, Accessories, Forestry Products and Wood Technologies Fair (INTERMOB 2013). As in previous years, AHEC, together with the Hardwood States Export Group (HSEG), will host an American Hardwood Pavilion comprising individual booths for U.S. hardwood exporting companies in addition to a lumber grading demonstration and technical information area. The event, which will be held from October 5 – 9, 2013 at the Tüyap Fair, Convention and Congress Center in Istanbul, will see the participation of nine U.S. hardwood lumber and veneer exporters.
AHEC’s participation at INTERMOB is aimed at promoting American hardwoods in the face of increasing demand for timber in Turkey and the wider Middle East region. The AHEC pavilion will comprise nine companies along with the Hardwood States Export Group (HSEG) – a coalition of major eastern U.S. hardwood exporting states. In addition, AHEC staff and consultants will also be on hand throughout the show to answer technical questions on American hardwood species, applications, lumber grading and environmental credentials. Companies participating at the show include Wheeland Lumber Company; Northland Corporation; Hanafee Brothers Sawmill; Northwest Hardwoods; Kretz Lumber; Atlantic Veneer Corporation; Crown Hardwood Company; Verde Wood International; and Snowbelt Hardwoods.
“We look forward to our participation at ‘INTERMOB 2013’, which is a must attend event for the timber trade and woodworking sector in Turkey. The timing could not have been any better given that demand for wood and wood based products is reaching new heights in Turkey, which emerged as the second most significant destination in the Middle East with the value of U.S. hardwood lumber exports reaching USD 9.62 million last year and marking an increase of 68 percent over 2011,” said Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania. He also said; “Growing interest in American hardwoods can widely be attributed to a better understanding of the physical properties of the different species and recognition of the concepts of improved performance in application, increased yield and reduced wastage in manufacturing and long term availability. Through our participation in ‘INTERMOB’ we hope to sustain this interest and create opportunities for increased trade between the woodworking industry in Turkey and the American hardwood industry for now and for many years to come.”