THE American Hardwood Export Council (Ahec) will host the largest ever American Hardwood Pavilion at the Dubai International Wood & Wood Machinery Show this year, with 17 US hardwood exporting companies participating.
The leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry will also announce the first results of its groundbreaking life cycle assessment (LCA) study during the three-day show to be held from April 5 to 7, 2011 at the Dubai Airport Expo in Dubai, UAE.
The American Hardwood Pavilion, which will demonstrate hardwood lumber grading and distribute technical publications on American hardwood species, will occupy 216 sq m of floor space in the Central Hall. AHEC will also hold practical demonstrations on the grading rules for North American hardwoods.
The show will provide a common platform to manufacturers, suppliers, contractors and traders and also facilitate direct interaction of industry and decision-makers in the wood industry.
AHEC director for Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania Roderick Wiles said: “The Middle East is a high-potential market and we are very keen to tap into the opportunities this region has to offer.
“The American hardwood resource boasts an exceptional record of sustainability, while US hardwood species offer wide versatility in usage. Their strong credentials make American hardwoods attractive for manufacturers, architects and designers alike and we are expecting to generate a lot of interest through our participation in the Dubai WoodShow.”
The environmental credentials of American hardwoods will be further underlined when AHEC reveals the first results of its LCA study, which was commissioned to measure and evaluate environmental burdens associated with a product or activity by systematically describing and assessing the energy and materials used and released to the environment over the life cycle.
The study involved data collection from a variety of sectors, supply chain elements and geographical regions.
“While our participation in the Dubai WoodShow over the years has always facilitated us to showcase the advantages of American hardwoods, this year we are looking forward to take this a step further by providing details and results of our pioneering LCA study.
“This study is highly significant for the industry and vital for its future competitive edge in export markets, especially since green specification and green building is increasingly informed by a science-based approach,” concluded Wiles.
Among the companies that will participate under the American pavilion are Allegheny Wood Products, American Hardwood Industries, American Lumber, Baillie Lumber, Bridgewell Resources, Frank Miller Lumber Company, Hill Wood Products, Kretz Lumber, Mayfield Lumber Company, Nina, Northland Corporation, Oaks Unlimited, Pike Lumber, SR Wood, Weyerhaeuser Hardwoods and Wheeland Lumber.
