Industry Partners
The Hardwood Utilization Groups
The Hardwoods Development Council is part of a strong network of organizations and agencies across the state that join efforts to improve the quality of our forest products industry and the quality of life for Pennsylvanians by fostering healthy forests. The council is greatly supported in its work by three regional Hardwood Utilization Groups, or HUGs, that cover more than half of the state.
Allegheny Hardwood Utilization Group
The Allegheny Hardwood Utilization Group, Inc. (AHUG) has presented a united front whose primary objective is expanding and diversifying the forest products industry, while maintaining a sustainable, high-yield forest within a 14-county region in northwestern and northcentral Pennsylvania. Known for the quality and quantity of its hardwoods, the region contains some of the finest forest resources in the world. With a well-developed primary-processing industry and experienced workforce in place, the area has excellent opportunities for investment.
Besides improving the existing forest products industry and expanding value-added manufacturing, AHUG strives to bring about a general awareness of available timber resources and needs of the industry. AHUG's success is due primarily to the fact that it's an industry-driven organization with broad representation from all quarters.
Keystone Wood Products Association
The Keystone Wood Products Association (KWPA) strives to strengthen and expand the base of lumber and wood products manufacturers in the Central Pennsylvania region in order to maintain and enhance the industry's competitive position in today's global economy.
KWPA is a non-profit trade organization serving the following counties of Pennsylvania: Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, and Union.
KWPA's goals are to:
- Improve the available workforce with increased skills relevant to the needs or members and the industry in the region
- Promote career opportunities within the industry through education and outreach to educational institutions, elected officials and partners
- Create partnerships with school districts to enhance their curriculum and create interest in member companies
- Promote, market and facilitate the sales of PA value-added forest products
- Reduce, limit or eliminate exportation of unprocessed logs from PA
- Promote sustainable forest management practices
Northern Tier Hardwood Association
The mission of the Association is to promote long term economic development in the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania through intelligent forest management, careful expansion of secondary wood processing, improved manufacturing methods, regional hardwood promotion and education.
The NTHA serves as the regional form for the promotion of the wood industry and offers a wealth of services such as legislative involvement, job training programs, educational and safety workshops and trade show sponsorship. NTHA also helps in the areas of marketing and promotion, funding, procurement, exporting, technical assistance, informational resources and referral services.
NTHA is committed to promoting a greater use of our area's wood resources.