Forest Service Holds Workshop for Wood Products Industry
PRINCETON, WVa—The USDA Forest Service will join Dovetail Partners, Inc., to host a 2-day workshop April 11 and 12 titled “Helping the Wood Products Industry Profit From the Next 10 Years.” The workshop will be held at the Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC) in Princeton, WVa.
According to WERC Director Steve Milauskas, “This workshop will provide hardwood industries with information on how to constructively respond to foreign competition and related economic impacts on hardwood industries located in the Eastern United States.”
The workshop is designed to provide information to decisionmakers in forest product companies to stimulate creative thinking and discussion about their business processes. The goal is for participating companies to then apply the tools they gain and create change within their organizations.
“This is a can't-miss workshop for those who seek to succeed in the intensely competitive environment of today. This is a rare opportunity to interact with industry leaders who know what it takes to compete, adapt, and succeed in today's marketplace,” said Dovetail Partner, Inc., Chairman Dr. Jeff Howe.
Dovetail Partners, Inc., is a nonprofit Minnesota-based corporation that promotes sustainable forestry and responsible trade and consumption of forest products. Dovetail Partners has brought together industry leaders of successful wood products companies for this 2-day program. Companies thrive because they can identify and make changes in how they do business to take advantage of economic opportunities in a global marketplace. Workshop leaders will present real-life and current examples of how to think strategically and competitively reposition a business as well as maximize value while minimizing waste in the manufacturing process. New leadership models, mass customization, and other approaches will also be discussed. Workshop speakers include John Brandt, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Manufacturing Performance Institute; Dr. Jim Bowyer, University of Minnesota professor; Carol Lewis, Executive Vice President of the Forest Products Society; Neil Lynch, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Planning for MasterBrand Cabinets; Robert Owens, founder and President of Owens Forest Products; Orn Gudmundsson, CEO of Northland Corporation; and USDA Forest Service Economist Bill Luppold.
For more information and to register for the workshop, contact Dovetail Partners at (651) 762-4007 or send an e-mail to info@dovetailinc.org. Online registration is also available at http://www.dovetailinc.org/wercworkshop.html. Registration for the workshop is $249. Lodging accommodations can be made at the Pipestem Resort State Park by calling 1-800-CALL-WVA.
The USDA Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center’s mission is to work with the forest products industry toward sustainable forest products production for the eastern hardwood forest region. It provides state-of-the-art training, technology transfer, networking opportunities, applied research, and information. For more information, visit www.na.fs.fed.us/ea/werc/werc.shtm.
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