OREGON CITY, Ore. - May 12, 2022 - (Newswire.com)

The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) recently published its 2021 Annual Report, which details the organization's work to achieve year-over-year growth in demand and impact for the softwood lumber industry. The SLB Annual Report is also available online at www.softwoodlumberboard.org/annualreport. 

"I am pleased to report that the SLB and its program partners — the American Wood Council (AWC), Think Wood, and WoodWorks — have generated more than 1.8 billion board feet (bbf) of incremental demand for softwood lumber," said Cees de Jager, SLB President and CEO. "This success would not be possible without the contributions of our talented SLB team, who have raised the professionalism and sophistication of our organization and its initiatives. We are very fortunate to benefit from their diverse perspectives, passion, and commitment to our goal of transforming the built environment into a carbon sink by switching from carbon intensive products to wood."

Since 2012, the SLB and its partners have cumulatively generated more than 9.8 bbf in demand; this equates to an estimated $4.9 billion of incremental revenue and an average return of $39.82 for every $1 invested. And since 2014, the SLB's efforts have created a net carbon benefit of more than 25 million metric tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions.

In 2021, the SLB continued to target investments across its key program areas of codes, communications, conversions, education, and innovations and research. Key accomplishments include: 

• The AWC facilitated three major wins for wood in the 2024 IBC, including a provision to allow for fully exposed mass timber ceilings in buildings up to 12 stories tall. This change will accelerate the use of mass timber building systems in the 7-12 story segment, which represents an incremental opportunity of 1 bbf per year.  
• Think Wood grew its lead generation and nurturing efforts, increasing its marketing engagements by more than 129%, adding more than 27,000 new contacts, and increasing its sales qualified leads by more than 600% year-over-year.
• WoodWorks influenced 1,700 projects to build with wood, 79% of which were light-frame projects. Collectively, these projects represent 789 million board feet of incremental softwood lumber consumption. 
• The SLB operationalized new partnerships to expand installer and construction-management training and increase university-level wood education so that capacity is in place to design and build with wood.
• The SLB strengthened its relationship with the USDA by entering into a new Memorandum of Understanding focused on collaborative initiatives to grow the demand for softwood lumber products.
• In partnership with the USDA, the SLB contributed match funding to five Wood Innovations Grants — leveraging our investment by nearly 3-to-1 — to support research and implementation of mass timber solutions that will pave the way for more similar projects.
• The SLB celebrated its 10^th anniversary — a decade of delivering on its mandate to protect and grow markets for softwood lumber above and beyond what the SLB founders envisioned.  

The SLB remains committed to building on the solid foundation laid during its first decade in order to continue to grow and expand opportunities for wood in light-frame and hybrid construction, defend market share, and ensure that lumber-based buildings systems are recognized as an effective solution to decarbonize construction now and in the future.

Download the full SLB 2021 Annual Report at www.softwoodlumberboard.org/annualreport. 

About the Softwood Lumber Board:

The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) is an industry-funded initiative established to promote the benefits and uses of softwood lumber products in outdoor, residential, and non-residential construction and to increase demand for appearance and softwood lumber products. Through strategic investments in pro-wood communications, standards development, design and engineering assistance, research, demonstrations, and partnerships, the organization seeks to make softwood lumber the preferred material choice from both an economic and environmental standpoint.

For more information about the Softwood Lumber Board, visit www.softwoodlumberboard.org.

Media Contact:
Ryan Flom
Softwood Lumber Board
971-339-4934
[email protected]

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Original Source: Advancing a Natural Climate Solution: The Softwood Lumber Board 2021 Annual Report is Now Available