American Forest & Paper Association

AF&PA Membership
The Value of Membership in AF&PA
Membership Categories
Becoming a Member of AF&PA

AF&PA Membership

AF&PA is the national trade association of the forest, paper and wood products industry. We represent member companies engaged in growing, harvesting and processing wood and wood fiber, manufacturing pulp, paper and paperboard products form both virgin and recycled fiber, and producing engineered and traditional wood products.

AF&PA members include manufacturers of over 80 percent of the paper, wood and forest products produced in the United States. For interests as varied as those of small non-industrial private landowners, large multi-product producers and family-run mills, AF&PA acts as the clearinghouse for statistical information, as the leading force in technical, regulatory and policy issues, and as the national voice for the forestry, wood and paper industries.

AF&PA desires to have a diverse membership which represents 100 percent of the US forest and paper industry. We are constantly working to return value to our members through innovative and effective programs that sustain and advance the industry's domestic and global competitiveness. We are committed to improving the environment as well as being a part of creating a better tomorrow. 

The Value of Membership in AF&PA

It is AF&PA’s mission to provide significant value to member companies through outstanding performance in areas that are key to each member’s success and where an association can be more effective than an individual company.

In order to fully demonstrate to our members the value they receive, AF&PA has just instituted a new Value Based Dues structure under which members only pay for the issues and programs that affect their company. For the first time, members will be able to see how their dues are being spent and compare this amount with actual value received.
Within AF&PA’s mission, the three key areas of performance are: 

  • POLICY - Policy is an integral part of the Association. AF&PA is consistently able to achieve positive results on legislative, regulatory, administrative and trade actions for important issues affecting the industry by bringing the industry together and working closely with policy makers at the national and state level as well as with foreign governments. In addition, publications such as Topline, Forest Resources and State Report help keep all members up to date on important issues and key decisions and facing the industry.

    • AF&PA's Washington Watch
     
  • FORUM - AF&PA offers members a wealth of opportunities to meet together as an industry. Ranging from small committee meetings to Association-wide conferences, these forums are a legal vehicle for industry representatives to share information and ideas, identify and support important policy initiatives, promote products, and to work on programs beneficial to the industry.

    • AF&PA Calendar
     
  • STATISTICS - One of the most valuable resources for members is access to key statistical information. AF&PA seeks to capture, analyze, and disseminate accurate and valuable statistical information which enables members to make better understand the state of the industry and make important business planning decisions. 

    • Statistical Publications
While these are the three areas in which the Association strives to serve members, within each of these areas resides a wealth of benefits including:

Federal Lobbying
In our industry there is no better place to go for advice, support, and connections than AF&PA. We offer you unparalleled access to your national leaders and up-to-the-minute legislative updates. We also provide early warning, technical assistance, and long-term strategies on legislation that will impact your company.

State Lobbying
State legislation that affects your business can seem to arise from nowhere. However, more often than not, bills introduced in one state have been inspired by legislation in another. We monitor legislation in all 50 states and retain contract lobbyists in several key capitals.

Consulting on Regulatory Compliance
AF&PA is the first place many members turn to for information on the latest regulatory issues and advice on how to comply with regulations, executive orders and advance legislation. Our staff offers proven expertise in virtually all areas of government intervention that affect your business including environmental regulations affecting your mill operations or forestry activities, worker health and safety regulations and transportation regulations including HAZMAT and others. AF&PA also has a legal department which can help you analyze and understand the full array of legal requirements placed on your company by environmental laws and regulation.

AF&PA Committees
AF&PA provides a legally sound environment for you and your staff to join your peers in thoughtful, consequential discussions. Through AF&PA committees, member companies, large and small, come to consensus on the challenges we face as an industry. Each member has the opportunity to influence policy and focus the pursuits of the Association.

Consulting on International Trade Issues
AF&PA can open doors for your products around the world. Our staff experts can provide you with information on your foreign markets, put you in contact with key officials in Washington and foreign capitals, and offer expertise in dealing with trade barriers.

International Wood Markets
Developing export markets can be enormously costly to you in time and resources. To reduce this cost, AF&PA manages an overseas market development network with six foreign offices to provide you with market intelligence, trade contacts, trade data, and assistance in-country when traveling abroad. Our overseas staff exists to identify opportunities for increased trade in wood products and to be your eyes and ears in faraway places. For more information, please see Wood Products International.

Communications Support
Our industry is a popular target for activist groups and the media. AF&PA can provide you with content and vision on such issues as clear-cutting, chip mills, and pollution prevention. In addition, we can offer you TV, radio, and print ads that you can run in your local media markets to help build your credibility as an environmental steward. Click here to see AF&PA's advertisements.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program (SFI)
AF&PA'S SFISM Program demonstrates members' collective commitment to sustainable forest management. The Program gives you a powerful tool to respond to your customers' demands for high standards. We can provide you with media tools, tailored for your company, to promote your compliance with the SFISMPrinciples. You also have the option of a Voluntary Verification Process which gives you the ability to demonstrate your conformance to the SFI Program using standard verification and auditing procedures.

AF&PA Strategic Plan
An economic crisis a world away can affect your products tomorrow. Competition from abroad can gradually eat away your markets at home. Recognizing these threats, AF&PA recently commissioned 23 distinct studies on the competitiveness of the U.S. industry. Study findings in areas such as taxation, regulation, and technology, are immensely valuable to any executive interested in understanding the threats to his business. 

In order to better focus the Association’s priorities, we created seven CEO committees around our Strategic Plan. These committees have given AF&PA the flexibility to develop strategy and gain consensus among members affected by a particular issue in a timely manner. The committees are: CEO Environment Committee, CEO Forum & Membership Committee, CEO International Trade Committee, CEO Statistics Committee, CEO Tax Committee, CEO Subcommittee on Forestry, and CEO Subcommittee on Recovered Fiber.

AF&PA’S Strategic Plan to counter these threats and the underlying studies are available exclusively to members.

Statistics Reporting and Analysis
AF&PA publishes world-class industry data to help you plan and react to changes in the marketplace. Beyond standard reports, AF&PA statistical staff can develop specific analyses of historical and comparative data of interest to your company.

Economic Analysis
You are swamped with industry data all day long but do you have time to make sense of it all or understand how it relates to your business? AF&PA has a team of economists who probably have the answer you are looking for. If not, they will work with you to find it.

Membership Categories

There are four membership categories within the American Forest & Paper Association. These categories are: 
  • Company Member - Any person, firm or corporation, engaged in the business of growing trees and/or manufacturing pulp, paper, paperboard, wood, or related products in the U.S.

    •  
  • Association Member - Any association of companies, organizations or individuals engaged, either directly or indirectly, in the business of growing trees and/or manufacturing pulp, paper, paperboard, wood or related products, that supports the objectives set forth by AF&PA.

    •  
  • Associate Member - Any individual, partnership, or corporation engaged in activities related to the business of the Association'S Company Members by reason of manufacturing; distributing or providing material, equipment, services or supplies to, or for use by, the companies; or which share common interests with Company Members and which does not qualify as a Company Member or Association Member.

    •  
  • Design Professional Member - Individuals engaged in the design and engineering of structures, not otherwise eligible for AF&PA membership. 

    •  

Becoming a Member of AF&PA

To learn more about the ways in which your company could benefit from our resources or to talk with a staff representative about becoming a member of AF&PA, please contact Erich Hoefer in the Membership Department via the following information:

American Forest & Paper Association
1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 463-2445 ·  info@afandpa.org
 
 

Back to Top