This year, the Georgia Forestry Association will be returning to Jekyll Island for the 2016 Annual Conference and Forestry Expo. Each year the event draws a diverse crowd of forest landowners, forest-industry professionals and forest-based businesses to learn about forest advocacy issues in our state and offers attendees the opportunity to network with others in the forestry community.
The 2016 Annual Conference and Forestry Expo offers a premiere schedule of networking opportunities, quality educational sessions and distinguished speakers. On Sunday, July 24, Annual Conference Keynote Speaker Paul Davis, Vice President of Southern Timberlands for Weyerhaeuser Company, will discuss “the new Weyerhaeuser” following the company’s historic merger with Plum Creek earlier this year.
In February of 2016, Weyerhaeuser nearly doubled its timber acreage in the U.S. with an $8.8 billion merger with Plum Creek, creating the world’s biggest timberland and forest products company. Prior to the merger, Weyerhaeuser did not own any land in Georgia, now the company has acquired more than 790,000 acres.
Paul, who is responsible for managing the company’s 7.2 million acres in 11 states across the U.S. South, will provide an overview of the merger as well as his perspective on the future of forestry in the U.S. South.
Attendees at the Conference will have the opportunity to hear from Paul as well as several leaders and experts in economics, forest policy, management and productivity, leadership and more.
“GFA provides me with a wonderful networking and educational experience with the Annual Convention,” said Alex Nixon of Nixon Land Company in Augusta. “It is more than worth the price of admission.”
With 23 exhibitors secured so far, the Forestry Expo will provide attendees the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of forestry and forestry related exhibitors from government agencies, equipment companies, educational programs and institutions, insurance and financial companies, forest product services and more.
“The Annual Conference is a must attend for any forestry company in Georgia. We have numerous customers who attend, and it is a valuable opportunity to visit current and potential customers,” said Wayne Bell of International Forest Co. in Moultrie. “It is a first-rate event for anyone in the forestry community.”
Register now to join the Georgia Forestry Association for the greatest education and networking opportunity for the forestry community. For more information, including the schedule of events, hotel information and more visit www.gfagrow.org/events/conference. If you have any questions, call us at 478-992-8110.