- Hannah Hammond
Publication in a Pandemic
I’ll never forget the week in March I ordered the purchase and printing of 1,500 books, signifying a beginning to the end of challenging months of dedicated work. I had been tasked with coordinating the efforts of a bright team of authors from The Beck Group, Kaiser + Path, and Forest Business Network in bringing together a vital 2020 update to the North American Mass Timber: State of the Industry Report. With my order, the books were finally enroute to Portland, Oregon to be handed to each attendee of the International Mass Timber conference. My pride in finishing the project was suddenly replaced with crushing disappointment the next morning upon hearing Oregon’s governor declare a shutdown due to the growing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the business for which the books were destined also suddenly closed, 70 some boxes of books were caught in limbo. They ended up touring America visiting Portland, Pennsylvania, Seattle, and Montana in what felt like a dark satirical comedy of pandemic chaos. Weeks turned into months as the team attempted to find and direct those boxes of books to a business open during the pandemic that was capable of distributing them to the registered attendees.
The books are now in the mailboxes of most registered attendees but the great lesson here is that an intact and functional supply chain is extremely important! And when things go wrong – it’s those individuals with knowledge and persevering attitudes who are the leaders, stepping up to provide direction and accomplish salvaging something meaningful out of chaos. So while we may not have gathered in person this year to learn and be inspired by the growth and innovations of the mass timber industry, this first-of-its-kind report - covering the entire supply chain for North American mass timber - is important and its message needs to be spread far and wide. Now is the season to educate ourselves, reflect and innovate for the future.
We believe this so much so that a digital copy of the 2020 report won't cost you a dime. The Beck Group in partnership with Forest Business Network and Kaiser + Path is proud to announce, now available in digital edition for unlimited viewing at no charge, the 2020 North American Mass Timber: State of the Industry Report at www.masstimberreport.com.
Our goal is to get this report in as many hands as possible and have it serve as a boost to our industry in uncertain times. We hope it can help you and your business, and ask that you share the website link far and wide on your social channels.
And if you’d prefer a commemorative pandemic touring hardcopy, there are a few available for purchase at the website www.masstimberreport.com.
The Beck Group is a forest products planning and consulting firm based in Portland, Oregon. We take a results-oriented, practical approach to helping clients make better decisions and improving their financial and operational performance. We offer a variety of services and we operate throughout North America and overseas. Our blog posts highlight work from recent consulting assignments and feature topics relevant to anyone interested in forest products. We welcome your feedback and comments.