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Real Wood Reduces Toxin Risks During Fires

6/17/2025

Visit the American Hardwood Information Center website

Visit the Real American Hardwood Coalition website

As posted by the American Hardwood Information Center - June 2025

In response to the devastating fires in California earlier this year, the hardwood industry is rallying to educate consumers about the benefits of real wood products over plastic look-alikes. The fires, which affected areas from San Diego to Los Angeles, destroyed more than 18,000 homes and structures. The use of plastic products in these buildings contributed to the devastation.

“It is a well-known fact among firefighters that the use of plastic products in homes and businesses makes fires more difficult to fight,” says Paul Hoffeditz, former Battalion Chief at the Rock Island Fire Department in Rock Island, Illinois. “We often encounter things like PVC pipes and luxury vinyl floors in newer construction. Unfortunately, products like these burn faster and hotter than those made using natural materials like real wood. This means we often can’t save the building, because when you’re fighting a fire, minutes count.”

Often, even structures that can be saved are uninhabitable due to the toxic chemicals released from burning plastics. “More and more plastics and vinyls are being used in furniture, flooring, trim, and countertops,” says Hoffeditz, “all of which release hydrogen cyanide when they burn. This is a highly toxic chemical.” In fact, the World Health Organization reports that an airborne hydrogen cyanide concentration of 300 mg/m3 will kill a human within about 10 minutes, so even short exposure is extremely dangerous.

One solution, says Hoffeditz, is to use real wood products instead of plastic. “There’s a pretty well-known video that shows a side-by-side comparison of identical rooms burning.* One is made using synthetic materials like plastics, and one is made using natural materials like real wood. The room made using plastic materials burns in less than five minutes. The room made using natural materials takes more than 30 minutes to burn. Clearly, the natural products give your family more time to reach safety, and give fire fighters more time to save your home.”

There also is the environmental issue to consider. In 2018, in response to a viral video of a plastic straw being removed from a sea turtle’s nose, plastic straws were banned in communities throughout the world. Experts estimate that 500 million single-use plastic straws are used every day, making up a sizable portion of the plastic products thrown away on a daily basis.

By comparison, in 2024, 5.8 billion square feet of plastic flooring was sold. A little simple math reveals that equates to 15.9 million square feet per day. And since most plastic flooring has a warranty of only 5-10 years, and most cannot be recycled, that translates to a lot of plastic straws. A lot. In fact, just 1,000 square feet of luxury vinyl tile equates to about 570,000 plastic straws. At 15.9 million square feet daily, that equates to more than 9 billion plastic straws each and every day.

“Real wood products are safe for humans and the environment,” says Ian Faight with the American Hardwood Information Center, “even when they burn. In fact, hardwood is used as a heating and cooking source throughout the world, so it’s safe to say that burning hardwood is a part of our everyday life.”

Real wood products also have the added benefit of being an environmentally friendly material. “Trees take in carbon dioxide during their growth cycle and produce oxygen,” says Anita Howard with the National Wood Flooring Association. “What’s even more impressive, though, is that the products made using real wood continue to store carbon throughout their entire service life. Your wood dining room table, your wood floors, even your wood framed artwork have a great environmental story to tell that no plastic product could ever match.”
Learn more about how real wood products are the responsible choice for your family’s health, and the health of our planet, by visiting www.realamericanhardwood.com.

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Board Member Spotlight: Christian Atherholt, Lewis Lumber Products

6/12/2025

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See the full WCMA Board of Directors listing here.

Say hello to Christian Atherholt, General Manager at Lewis Lumber Products and one of the newest faces on the WCMA Board of Directors.

Christian’s been with Lewis Lumber Products full-time for eight years now, starting out by getting his hands dirty—literally. He worked as a lumber handler before learning the ropes on the ripsaw, planer, and moulder. After a stint as Operations Director, he stepped into the GM role in 2022, where he now keeps the production floor humming and helps manage inventory.

You could say the wood industry is in his blood. “I worked part time in our retail store in the summers as a kid and continued to work in our warehouse and dimension mill while I was in college", Christian shares. What hooked him? "I always admired the people I worked with who made a life out of hard work doing what they loved at a place they cared about. There is something very gratifying about being in one of the few remaining fields where you can make a product from start to finish with your hands."

Christian also sees big value in being part of a trade association like WCMA. “Trade associations provide the sort of insight and perspective that allow me to re-think what we do at Lewis Lumber Products. The tours offer access to new processes and ways of thinking that I otherwise may not have encountered being relegated to the parochial lens of our own operation. In addition, it is always beneficial to network with other leaders in the wood products industry to gain a better understanding of the market at large and discuss solutions to the issues we have in common."

Off the clock, Christian likes to keep things low-key. He enjoys cooking, reading, hanging out with his wife and dog, and when the weather’s on his side—hitting the road for the occasional motorcycle ride.

We’re excited to have Christian’s energy and perspective on the WCMA board. He can be contacted at [email protected]

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WoodTech Connect 2025 Recap

5/28/2025

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The WCMA Plant Tour & Networking event—WoodTech Connect 2025—proved to be a key annual conference for industry professionals. Held in Central Pennsylvania, from May 20-22, this signature event provided attendees with invaluable networking opportunities, insightful facility tours, and industry updates.

The event kicked off on Tuesday evening with a lively welcome reception. Attendees enjoyed a delicious assortment of appetizers and a build-your-own slider bar while reconnecting with familiar faces and welcoming newcomers.

Wednesday marked the beginning of an exciting lineup of plant tours. Participants visited five distinguished manufacturers: Legacy Crafted Cabinets, Conestoga Wood Specialties, Northway Industries, Gilson Snow, and Tilo Industries. That evening, WCMA hosted a dinner, where Executive Director Amy Snell recognized event sponsors, plant tour hosts, and supporters of the Real American Hardwood Coalition. Departing WCMA President, Phil Menzner, was honored for his dedicated service with a commemorative plaque and gift from the membership. The evening concluded with an informative presentation from guest speaker Tim Knol of Hardwood Review, who analyzed market trends in the hardwood industry, including recent statistics on exports, imports, housing starts, and the broader economic-political landscape.

Day two featured additional plant tours, including stops at Lewis Lumber Products, Bentley & Collins, and RT Machine Company. Given the region’s prominence in the forestry industry, attendees were joined by representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, as well as association leaders from Keystone Wood Products Association (KWPA), Allegheny Hardwood Utilization Group (AHUG), Northern Tier Hardwood Association (NTHA), and Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc. (AHMI).

Post-event survey results highlighted the top reasons for attending, with networking and facility tours ranking highest, followed closely by opportunities to engage with WCMA Tech Partners and industry suppliers.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our event sponsors--Conestoga Wood Specialties, Eagle Machinery & Supply, Elliott Woodworking, Federated Insurance, Lewis Lumber Products, and Osborne Wood Products—as well as our generous plant tour hosts, whose hospitality made this event possible.