Midwest Trade Show a ?Great Opportunity? to Meet Suppliers

The Midwest Forest Industry Show will feature the final level of com-petition in a national logging contest when the trade show is held Sept. 23-24 in St. Charles, Missouri.

The Midwest Forest Industry Show, a biennial trade show sponsored by the Missouri Forest Products Association, is one of the nation’s largest showcases of sawmill, logging, pallet and related manufacturing equipment, supplies and services.

Suppliers will exhibit machinery and equipment for logging, sawmills, lumber remanufacturing, pallet assembly and pallet recycling, and more, as well as other supplies and services for the forest products industry. The 2005 show will offer over 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, displays and active demonstrations. By early August, more than 70 suppliers had registered to exhibit at the event.

This year’s show will feature the finals for the professional and collegiate divisions of the Game of Logging. Contestants will be judged by Game of Logging instructors on several events, including speed cuts, bore cut, springpole, notch cut and tree felling. In the professional division, the top three finishers will receive cash prizes of $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 while the collegiate winners will receive $1,000, $500 and $250. The contest is sponsored by the Game of Logging and chain saw manufacturer Husqvarna.

"Since 1968 the Midwest Forest Industry Show has been a great opportunity for people in the forest products industry to meet with suppliers and see the latest in machinery, equipment, technology, and services," said Brian Brookshire, executive director of the Missouri Forest Products Association. "Thousands of potential buyers attend the show. This year we are hosting the National Game of Logging competition in association with our show, which is another great reason to attend the Midwest Forest Industry Show."

The Midwest Forest Industry Show consistently draws a large, quality audience of key decision makers of the forest products industry. The Mid-West region alone boasts nearly 10,000 wood products businesses that employ more than 393,000 workers.

This year’s trade show will have an expanded educational program. Training in forklift safety will be provided by Darin Crisman of Haas & Wilkerson. The training program will include an overview of OSHA standards with step-by-step explanations, and a hands-on demonstration with skills review.

Bruce Scholnick, president of the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association, will provide insights on the global phytosanitary issue in a seminar on Friday.

Dr. Ed Brindley, president of Industrial Reporting Inc., and Jeff McBee, a market analyst for Pallet Profile Weekly and Recycle Record, two newsletters for the pallet industry, will discuss low-grade lumber and pallet markets in a special seminar Friday afternoon. Industrial Reporting publishes Pallet Profile Weekly, the Recycle Record, and Pallet Enterprise and TimberLine magazines.

The St. Charles Family Arena is just minutes from the St. Louis Lambert International Airport, making the venue easily accessible to exhibitors and attendees from throughout the U.S. and key foreign markets.

St. Charles is one of the oldest river settlements in America. St. It offers many attractions, including the site of the first Missouri state capitol. Its residences, restaurants and shops have the quality of a Midwestern Williamsburg. Saint Charles is known for its historic architecture, specialty stores and antiques, lovely parks, and various sports and recreation complexes. In addition, it is just 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis, the Arch, Riverfront and historic Laclede’s Landing.

For information about the show, including visitor registration and exhibitor services, contact the Missouri Forest Products Association at (573) 634-3252 or visit the Web site at www.moforest.org.

For the first time in the history of the trade show, exhibitor space sales are being handled by Industrial Reporting. For information about exhibitor space sales, call Industrial Reporting at (800) 805-0263 and ask for Scott Brindley or Gary Stergar.

21 Saw Shop Band Division #155

Exhibitors for Midwest Forest Industry Show