SLB Programs Generated 487 Million Board Feet of Demand in Q1 2022

The SLB recently published its 2022 Q1 Report, which recaps key SLB progress points in continuing to break down barriers in positioning wood as an economic, biophilic, and sustainable material, based on credible environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data and reporting. The SLB, in partnership with its funded programs—the American Wood Council (AWC), Think Wood, and WoodWorks—are making a concerted effort to provide education around the use of wood products for their climate benefits, increase timber usage, and capitalize on emerging construction trends.

Key highlights of Q1 include:

• The AWC represented the softwood lumber industry’s interests during the International Code Council Group B Code Development Hearings. The AWC put forward 18 wood-friendly code change proposals that were recommended for approval.
• Think Wood delivered growth—in some cases exponential—in each of its seven key performance metrics, including 49% year-over-year growth in marketing qualified leads and 490% year-over-year growth in sales qualified leads.
• WoodWorks directly influenced and converted 119 projects, which resulted in the construction of 23 million square feet of building space and the incremental consumption of 212 million board feet of lumber.
• As part of its partnership with the American Institute of Architecture Students, the SLB sponsored a four-day South Quad Conference with AIAS chapters at Auburn University and the Georgia Institute of Technology to position innovative wood products as a sustainable building solution. Participating students gained firsthand knowledge of mass timber’s performance during a visit to Georgia Tech’s Digital Fabrication Lab.

In addition to program successes, the SLB and USDA Forest Service announced winners of the Mass Timber Competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon, awarding $2 million in funding to six building projects. Projects were selected for their potential to showcase mass timber’s application, commercial viability, replicability, and carbon benefits.

Thank you for your continued support of the SLB and our programs and initiatives. We always welcome industry feedback, which can be sent to info@softwoodlumberboard.org.