International Wood International Wood 2004 | Page 43

Good Reasons for Using Wood exports, increasing employment opportunities and export earnings. What does that mean to buyers? U.S. consumers are able to purchase the tropical woods they want, and U.S. manufacturers are incorporating more exotic species into their product lines, enhancing their company’s offerings in the marketplace. The United States is one of the largest markets for imported woods. In 2003, the U.S. market was in excess of $25 billion. (U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service and International Trade Commission.) This demand drives technological advances in overseas sawmills and improvements in harvesting techniques that allows for more sustainable management of tropical forests. This direct correlation between the increased use of imported woods and better tropical forest management provides consumers and key users of imported wood an incredible opportunity to make a difference in our world’s forests. IW “An important part of the strategy to conserve tropical forests is to increase the economic benefit for forest nations and communities from using forests rather than converting them to farmland. We therefore need a strong, sustainable tropical timber industry.” Caring for the Earth. A Strategy for Sustainable Living. THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM WORLD WILDLIFE FUND 3032 Ridgelake Dr., Suite 202 Metairie, LA 70002 Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail to: [email protected] Tom Lucas – Seaside World Trading 10100 West Sample Road, Suite 320 Coral Springs, FL 33065 Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail to: [email protected] There are many environmental reasons for choosing wood: • Wood is energy efficient in production. Turning a tree into sawn wood or veneer requires less energy than processing non- timber raw materials. • Wood is recyclable. It can be reused, reworked and recycled in many different forms. When its functional life is over, it can be burned as fuel. (For a very large number of people, wood is their only fuel.) • Trees help soak up some of the air pollu- tion caused by human activity. When trees grow they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, storing it until the tree dies and rots away. Trees that grow for years and then are used for buildings, furniture, and other products ensure that the carbon is absorbed and not released into the atmosphere. • Wood is biodegradable. Unlike other materials, wood gradually breaks down and returns to the earth. • On top of all this, wood is warm, beautiful, strong and easy to handle; a fine material appreciated by professionals and consumers alike. Don MacMaster, founder of AFI, and past president of IHPA has been supplying fine imported plywoods to distributors and laminators since 1979. Our selection of plywood products comes from the finest mills around the world, many of which have had a 20-year working relationship with us. We specialize in importing Luan/Meranti, Hardboard, Virola, Sande, Teco certified Elliottis Pine and also offer American Red Oak and Birch. We handle thicknesses from 2.7mm up to 28mm. Our product line offers speciality lengths of 70", 80", 81", 90", 99", 100", 102" as well as the standard lengths of 7', 8', 9', and 10'. With our Meranti plywood truckload orders, we are able to mix different sizes and lengths. Our mission is to provide the finest plywood from around the world at a competitive price, to offer personalized customer-oriented value-added services from sale to delivery, and to make the process of plywood acquisition a turnkey operation. We will provide easy access to information on orders from placement to delivery. We will maintain the highest integrity standards in the industry. S A L E S C O N TA C T S : Don MacMaster, President Dick Olano Buz Clanton Kenny MacMaster BUZ CLANTON TOM LUCAS DICK OLANO KENNY MACMASTER DON MACMASTER IMPORTED WOOD 43