Every spring, a few dozen of the most MSR-savvy minds in the industry gather for something refreshingly different from the typical industry conference. No sprawling trade show floor. No overwhelming schedule. No wandering through crowds of people you might never see again.
Instead, the annual MSR Workshop delivers something rare in today’s world: a focused, intimate, high-value event built around practical learning, meaningful networking, and genuine camaraderie. And if you ask the volunteer committee members who steward the Workshop year after year, they’ll tell you the same thing: There’s simply nothing else like it.
To understand why, we talked with several members of the MSR Lumber Producers Council (MSRLPC) Workshop Committee. Their combined perspective paints a clear picture of why attending this event continues to be one of the best investments a component manufacturer can make.
How It Starts? Someone Brings You
Nearly everyone has the same origin story: They didn’t find the MSR Workshop, someone encouraged them to attend. Committee Chair George Hamilton of Roseburg Forest Products says he was being encouraged to get involved in industry organizations. “So I attended my first Workshop in Phoenix in 2018,” he recalls. “After meeting everybody, I decided to start getting involved in Workshop planning and the MSRLPC Board.” George became president of MSRLPC and Workshop Committee Chair in 2020. He has been involved ever since.
For current MSRLPC President Brandon Condratow of Canadian Engineered Wood Products, it was longtime leader and mentor Griff Jones. “He saw the benefits—the networking, the exposure, the push for MSR usage. It was about bringing the second generation in,” Brandon says. His first Workshop in Nashville in 2019 made an immediate impression.
Linda Brown, engineer for the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau, also attended her first workshop in 2019. As the person responsible for SPIB’s Mechanically Graded Lumber Program, she says it seemed like a good fit to support the MSR industry and her subscribers. “The Workshop provides an opportunity to network with those in the industry,” she says. “And I was so impressed with the session speakers; they were easy to listen to and everything was understandable and relevant.” She hasn’t missed one since and presented a session at the 2022 and 2024 Workshops.
Canfor’s Joe Castleberry, who began attending in the mid-90s, didn’t need much convincing. Trusted mentors in the lumber industry urged him to get involved, and he saw the Workshop as a strategic advantage. “MSR lumber was new for my company at the time,” he remembers. “I knew attending would help me market it as the value-added product it is.”
And for Porter Clark, owner of Hiwassee Builders Supply Inc. —a family-owned truss business— it was again a mentor who steered him to his first Workshop in Salt Lake City in 2022. What he found there fundamentally changed how he viewed MSR. He says a technical session from SPIB’s Linda Brown opened his eyes: “Understanding the technical properties behind what we often think of as ‘just lumber’ got me hooked. I realized there’s a depth there I needed to understand because I was building my business on the availability of this product.”
Why They Keep Coming Back
A singular focus—efficient, relevant, and immediately applicable
Unlike broader industry trade shows, the MSR Workshop is laser-focused. Brandon puts it simply: “There’s a singular focus with the MSRLPC. At big shows you get pulled in different directions. At the Workshop, you’re meeting the people who are pertinent to your industry. It’s very efficient.”
To Porter’s point, for component manufacturers who rely heavily on MSR, that focus matters. Discussions aren’t theoretical—they’re the conversations that help you design, bid, and build with confidence.
Relationships that matter in the long run
Many attendees emphasize the business value of relationship building. Porter is direct about it: “My motive is I want to grow my business. And being ‘in the know’ is a big deal.” The relationships he’s built at the Workshop have real-world returns: “I used a connection I formed at the Salt Lake meeting yesterday to purchase lumber. It’s an investment that continues to pay dividends.”
Joe sees the same thing from a producer’s perspective. The Workshop is, in his words, “the most intimate gathering of key players—producers, customers, grading agencies, engineers—that I know of in the industry each year.” It’s where producers and customers talk frankly about real issues and real needs.
Tours that expand your understanding of the supply chain
The industry tours are a crowd favorite—and for good reason. Whether it’s a truss plant, an LVL mill, a mass timber facility, or even an automotive plant, the tours are always eye-opening. “The tours have been fantastic,” says Brandon. “Seeing how the material we distribute is actually produced or how it is used to manufacture building components is invaluable.”
This year’s tour might be the most special yet. Attendees will get a look inside Canfor’s brand-new sawmill in Axis, Alabama, a cutting-edge facility in the heart of premium longleaf and slash pine country. “Attendees will see a modern flow, advanced scanning, and continuous dry kilns that produce more uniform, consistent lumber than ever before,” says Joe. “We are also excited to highlight our strong relationship with SPIB. They are a true partner that enhances the reputation for MSR lumber.”
“It’s rare for sawmills to grant tours like this,” says Linda, “so come and take advantage of this opportunity!”
Education that deepens your technical and practical MSR knowledge
For everyone we interviewed, the learning is what elevates the Workshop above other events. Porter captures it best: “As a component manufacturer, understanding what you’re buying and how it’s produced is critical. If you are bidding and designing jobs months in advance and don’t have a pulse on the MSR supply in North America, you can find yourself in a pickle. Material availability is not optional—it’s foundational to profitability.”
The lineup of educational sessions for April’s Workshop will once again connect real-world supply chain insight with engineering and design.
A community that actually feels like a community
The MSR Workshop is intentionally small—typically less than 100 attendees. And people genuinely love that. “The camaraderie is one of my favorite things,” Linda says. “The right people to answer any question about how to produce or use MSR, but small enough to know familiar faces and meet new ones.”
George believes the size is part of the Workshop’s identity: “All the main players are present—customers, competitors, producers—but with a smaller group you get the chance to talk to everybody.”
This Year’s Destination: Orange Beach, Alabama
If all the above isn’t enough, the 2026 location should seal the deal. Late April weather on “the Emerald Coast” is ideal: sunny, warm (but not hot), breezy, and perfect for enjoying the coast. “If you have never seen the sugar white beaches of the northern Gulf Coast, you NEED to come,” says Linda. “If you HAVE seen them, you know you need to come back!”
Another area local, Joe says it’s walkable, filled with great restaurants, golf, and fishing, but not nearly as congested as places like Destin or Myrtle Beach. Plus, the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival is the weekend immediately following the Workshop, making it an even better opportunity for a mini-vacation for attendees and their guests!
The Formula Works, and It Keeps Getting Better
Committee members will be the first to tell you they don’t reinvent the wheel each year. The MSR Workshop works because it is:
- Focused
- Technical, but accessible
- Efficient with your time
- Filled with knowledgeable, engaging individuals
- Rich with education you’ll use right away
- Hosted in destinations worth the travel.
“It’s consistently one of the best conferences I attend,” says Linda. With a new mill tour, a beachside setting, and some of the most engaged minds in MSR lumber and component manufacturing, the 2026 Workshop is shaping up to be no exception.
Every committee member said it in their own way, but the message is clear: If MSR matters to your business, the Workshop will make you better at your job.
And you might even get a little sun while you’re at it. For more details and to register for the 2026 MSR Workshop in Orange Beach, visit msrlumber.org.