APA – The Engineered Wood Association

APA offices will be closed November 28 and November 29 in observance of Thanksgiving. We pause today to give thanks for our members, employees and all those who continue to support us. Thank you. We wish all our U.S. employees, friends and members a Happy Thanksgiving!

On December 10, APA Engineered Wood Specialist stephanie thomas-rees will be speaking at the WoodWorks regional online and in-person event in Nashville, TN, alongside WoodWorks Regional Director Jessica Scarlett. Their presentation, “Frame it Right,” will review construction types, design considerations associated with mid-rise projects, and common framing methods to help ensure your projects are structurally sound and code compliant. AIA/CES, PDH, and ICC credits available. Learn more and register > https://lnkd.in/g5rz8M9i #APAWoodSpecialist #WoodWorks

Monthly Housing Update from the APA Market Research Team: The Pending Home Sales Index is a measure of contracts signed for the sale of an existing home and not closed. Over the last few months, the index has been running at a historic low, reflecting the low inventory of homes for sale and the affordability challenge faced by potential home buyers. A key driver of the low number of homes for sale is that roughly 80% of the existing homeowners with a mortgage hold a mortgage with a rate of 4% or less and are not willing to lose that, even though they would like to upgrade to a larger home. This lack of inventory also contributes to the upward pressure on existing home prices, where the median sales price on a national basis in October was up 4% compared to October 2023. #HousingReport #APAwood

Earlier this month, APA's President Mark Tibbetts along with APA staff, board members, and member representatives participated in two Japanese trade missions. These missions brought together industry leaders from the U.S. and Canada to promote the exports of North American engineered wood products. The U.S. mission was organized by the Softwood Export Council and supported by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). The Canadian/Alberta mission was spearheaded by the BC Council of Forest Industries, with support from the Alberta government and the Alberta Forest Products Association. Activities included a presentation on nonresidential market opportunities by APA's International Services Director Charlie Barnes, a forum on sustainable forest practices, trade shows, and site visits showcasing North American wood products in various Japanese regions.   Thank you to all who helped organize, support, host and make these events successful.

Did you know 11 U.S. states have increased forest land by over 25% in the last century? U.S. forest land is roughly as abundant today as 100 years ago. Learn what APA members are doing to protect our treasured forest resources > apawood.ly/SZKl50U8nr3 #FridayFact #Sustainability

Have a question about concrete form panels? Find answers to some commonly asked questions about APA trademarked plywood and OSB panels, technical specifications, applications and more on our FAQ page > apawood.ly/2FUi50U8npK #ConcreteFormPanels #FAQ

Wrap up 2024 with APA’s Wood University! Whether you’re new to the industry, training new employees or aiming to earn a few more CEUs before the end of the year, Wood University is an excellent resource. Two FREE courses offer up to nine CEUs approved by AIA and AIBD. Get started > apawood.ly/UAZW50U8no6 #EngineeredWood #ContinuingEducation

Calling all designers, engineers and builders! Our new webinar is just three weeks away. Join us December 11 at 10 a.m. PST to learn how to build strong, sustainable and energy-efficient structures that meet or exceed code requirements using engineered wood products (EWPs). This session will cover key programs and standards that quantify resiliency, provide detailed construction drawings, and discuss installation best practices and which to avoid. Participants will also learn how to showcase the value of EWPs to their clients and more. AIA and ICC credits available. Register now > apawood.ly/yIkL50U8nne #ResilientConstruction #CodeCompliance

We are pleased to announce Eric Gu, PhD, PE as our new vice president of the Technical Service Division (TSD), succeeding BJ Yeh, whom will be retiring in February. Eric holds a master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and received his Ph.D. in civil engineering from Clemson University. He is a licensed professional engineer and LEED Green Associate. Previously the PNW regional director at WoodWorks, Eric was instrumental in leading educational initiatives and providing technical support for architects, engineers, developers, builders and product manufacturers, with a focus on light-frame and mass timber construction. Eric brings an extensive background in engineered wood product manufacturing, certification and technical consulting, along with a passion for designing and building with engineered wood. In his new role, he will oversee lab operations at our 42,000-square-foot research center, workplace safety, standards development and product certification within TSD. Read more > https://lnkd.in/gQBCnP4F Please join us in welcoming Eric! #APATechTeam #EngineeredWood

Did you know as of September 2024, there were over 2,253 multi-family, commercial or institutional mass timber projects in progress or built in North America? Learn more > apawood.ly/OmWg50U3zzi Want to check out some of these mass timber projects? Explore recent and current projects here > apawood.ly/W1tY50U3zzh Looking for guidance on converting a large-scale project to mass timber? Our friends at WoodWorks have specialists located across the country to offer specialized commercial project support. Learn more > apawood.ly/KzYZ50U3zzm #FridayFact #MassTimber