PFPA Membership

The Benefits of Secondary Processor Membership In The Pennsylvania Forest Products Association

We need you to help an organization that looks out for our industry's economic and political needs in Pennsylvania. PFPA is the only forest products industry group with two full-time lobbyists in Harrisburg. We vigilantly guard against those who would endeavor to increase governmental regulation on all segments of the industry.

The Pennsylvania Forest Products Association (PFPA) is ready and willing to assist you. Consider these reasons for joining PFPA:
  • Paying shipping costs to import hardwood lumber from out-of-state probably does not enhance your profitability.
  • PFPA works diligently to maintain rational access to the Commonwealth's forests. This allows all segments of the forest products industry to add value to local raw material at a reasonable price.
  • PFPA is Pennsylvania's only organization focusing on state government issues and activities that affect all sectors of the forest products industry.
  • PFPA supports state-sponsored research opportunities that affect secondary processors in Pennsylvania and promotes the use of Pennsylvania raw materials and finished products in state construction projects.
  • PFPA membership provides you the opportunity to network with peers from various sectors of the forest products industry. One of these multiple opportunities is the biennial Timber Show hosted by PFPA, highlighting equipment and technology in the forest products industry. Timber 2007 will be held at the Ag Progress Grounds near State College.
Our recent successes on your behalf:
  • PFPA was successful in preventing new taxes on manufacturing emissions and byproducts, which were proposed to repay the state's environmental bond. PFPA's success saved secondary wood processors more than $1 million annually.
We are currently monitoring state developments that could have an effect on your business and we will act to represent our member businesses in Harrisburg. With the Governor's new budget initiatives come proposed tax increases. While few of these taxes target business directly, many would result in higher operating costs. Among the proposed tax increases are the following:
  • An increase in the state's Sales and Use Tax from 6 percent to 7 percent.
  • A new 6.17 percent Oil Company Gross Profits Tax, which will directly or indirectly result in higher gas and heating oil prices for business.
  • An electricity use tax of 1/20th of a cent per KwH to fund the $850 million alternative energy bond. The impact for PFPA members would vary from an annual increase of a few hundred dollars for smaller mills to more than $6,000 for larger secondary processing plants.
  • A increase of $2.75 per ton in the municipal waste disposal fee used to fund hazardous clean up and further pay for the Growing Greener II environmental bond, created in 2005.
  • Companies that do not provide health insurance coverage to their employees would be subject to a new 3 percent payroll tax.