The Board of Directors for the new Wood Industry Association (WIA) met recently in Austin, Texas, to discuss and plan for the upcoming merger, which will become effective January 1, 2024.
One topic on the agenda was deciding on a new logo for the Wood Industry Association, which is the new name of the association that combined the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA) and the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA). The merger was approved after an Oct. 23 vote of the two group's membership.
The board also identified a tagline that can be used on the new website and other marketing materials to help succinctly convey the purpose of the new association: “Connecting the wood machinery and supplies industry for success in North America.”
The Stringfellow Management Group, the association management company for the WIA, is working on building a new website for the WIA to be unveiled early in the new year. In the meantime, the existing WMMA and WMIA websites will be updated to include only critical information in preparation for the transition.
The 2024 Woodworking Industry Conference will be held April 9-11 at The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida. With direction from the Board, site selection is underway for WIC 2025 and WIC 2026 locations.
The Board of Directors discussed each of the current WMMA and WMIA programs and made decisions on which programs to continue as part of the new Wood Industry Association as well as preliminary plans for the first operating budget. Those decisions were not immediately released.
The Board also discussed each of the current WMMA and WMIA committees and consolidated and defined the scope and structure for each committee moving forward. They are currently working on appointing Chairs and Vice Chairs for each committee.
Under the Agreement and Plan of Merger, WIA dues have been set at $600 annually. Membership dues invoices will be distributed the first week of January 2024 to the primary contact for all current WMMA and WMIA member companies.
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