Letter to AWFS® Community
AWFS® Board President
May 2026
To AWFS® Members and Exhibitors,
Before looking ahead, we must first reflect on what we have learned from the past. The last several decades have presented challenges unlike anything many of us have ever experienced, yet time and again we have found ways to overcome them.
I recall the ups and downs of the 1990s, the tragedy and uncertainty surrounding 9/11, the Great Recession, and the periods of growth and prosperity that followed. More recently, we faced a pandemic that now feels distant to some, while for others it remains something they will never fully forget. It brought people together in many ways, while sadly driving others apart. Regardless of perspective, it changed our world permanently.
For many within our industry, the pandemic created one of the strongest economic periods we have ever experienced, even as the struggle to secure products and meet unprecedented demand tested businesses across every sector.
In more recent years, we have faced additional pressures from tariffs, supply chain uncertainty, rising operational costs, and the ongoing challenge of securing the tooling, materials, and products necessary to keep our businesses moving forward and profitable. Today, we continue to navigate some of the highest fuel costs we have seen in years, along with continued uncertainty about what lies ahead.
What I know with confidence is this: we will get through it because this industry has never known how to do otherwise. We adapt. We innovate. We learn from adversity, and we emerge stronger because of it.
When I reflect on everything we have experienced, I am encouraged not by the obstacles themselves, but by what we have learned and how we have continued to evolve. We have reimagined processes, challenged old assumptions, and continued finding ways to improve and grow.
That spirit of collaboration, innovation, and shared purpose is exactly why organizations like AWFS® remain so important to our industry. AWFS® is more than a trade association, it is a place where relationships are built, knowledge is shared, ideas are challenged, and the future of our industry continues to take shape.
Through our public policy efforts, workforce development initiatives, support of SkillsUSA, and programs such as SWM (Society of Wood Manufacturing), AWFS® continues working to strengthen and protect the future of our industry. We are helping advocate for our members, investing in the next generation of skilled professionals, and ensuring that woodworking and manufacturing remain viable and rewarding career paths for years to come.
Especially during uncertain times, having a strong community and a unified voice matters more than ever.
There is no better industry and no better group of people to face these challenges alongside. Our future remains bright, and we will be stronger because of everything we have endured and accomplished together.
I am honored to serve as this term’s President, and I encourage those who are not yet involved to become part of the conversation and part of our industry’s future. The strength of this industry has always come from its people, and together we will continue moving it forward.
Respectfully,
Bob Brown
Executive Vice President
Royal Plywood
