The SLB's 2024 Annual Report is now available.
OREGON CITY, OREGON / ACCESS Newswire / April 24, 2025 / The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) recently published its 2024 Annual Report, which details the organization's impact generating more softwood lumber demand by expanding new and emerging markets and protecting existing markets. The SLB Annual Report is available online at softwoodlumberboard.org/annualreport.
"The SLB and its funded programs-the AWC, Think Wood, WoodWorks, and SLB Education-are putting the lumber industry in a stronger position than ever before," said SLB President & CEO Cees de Jager. "Despite a challenging market for multifamily and nonresidential construction, the SLB delivered strong demand growth for the industry in 2024, generating 1.6 billion board feet of incremental demand and influencing 1,498 projects, representing 66 million square feet."
Since 2012, the SLB and its partners have cumulatively generated more than 15.3 billion board feet in demand, equating to an average return of 86 incremental board feet for every $1 invested.
In 2024, the SLB continued to target investments across its key program areas of codes, communications, conversions, and education through its funded programs, partnerships, and initiatives. Key accomplishments include:
Every $100 the SLB invests in programs leverages $96 in additional outside funding on average since 2021.
The AWC's 2027 IBC change priority would create $360,000 in savings per building, making wood construction more cost-competitive by reducing sealant/adhesive requirements when adopted.
Think Wood and WoodWorks co-nurtured leads that led to 31 projects breaking ground in 2024, representing 40.9 MM BF.
Think Wood produced 10,647 highly engaged leads-a record.
WoodWorks directly influenced 1,498 projects to choose wood, resulting in 629 MM BF of incremental lumber in 2024. Sixty-seven percent of the projects WoodWorks supports continued to be light-frame construction, 25% used mass timber, and 8% hybrid (mass timber and light-frame).
The SLB and its funded programs delivered more than 163,400 hours of education to architects, engineers, developers, contractors, and code officials.
The SLB-supported Mass Timber Accelerators in Boston, New York, and Atlanta are expanding market adoption by removing barriers, leveraging federal matching funds, and supporting early-stage projects totaling millions of square feet in planned mass timber construction.
The SLB has partnered with the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and constructsteel to promote steel-timber hybrid construction, an innovative solution that meets market demand for cost-effective, sustainable building designs.
Without the SLB, annual softwood lumber use from 2020 to 2024 would have been 3.5% lower. View the full SLB 2024 Annual Report at softwoodlumberboard.org/annualreport.
About the Softwood Lumber Board:
The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) is an industry-funded initiative established to promote the benefits and uses of softwood lumber products in outdoor, residential, and non-residential construction and to increase demand for appearance and softwood lumber products. Through strategic investments in pro-wood communications, standards development, design and engineering assistance, research, demonstrations, and partnerships, the organization seeks to make softwood lumber the preferred material choice from both an economic and environmental standpoint.
For more information about the Softwood Lumber Board, visit softwoodlumberboard.org.
Contact Information
Simon Hyoun
VP of Marketing and Communications
info@softwoodlumberboard.org
(971) 339-4934
SOURCE: Softwood Lumber Board
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