PELICE attracts over 500 delegates in Atlanta
17 April 2024The ninth Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE) achieved a participation record with 516 industry professionals attending in Atlanta on March 14-15.
Approximately 30 manufacturers from both the structural and non-structural wood products segments sent personnel to take in 35 presentations and explore the aisles of 100 exhibitor technology companies.
Lead speaker Roy O. Martin, III, chairman and CEO of RoyOMartin, told delegates that the past decade had been the company’s golden decade, referencing the expansion into East Texas (a second OSB line at Corrigan) and the modernization of the plywood facility in Chopin, Louisiana.
Mr Martin, talking about the future of technology in manufacturing, said AI would transform the manufacturing process. However, he warned suppliers to be wary of trying to sell systems that are slower and have less quality than current legacy systems.
“We as manufacturers do not want to invest in production systems just to get rid of jobs,” said.
Dieffenbacher CEO Christian Dieffenbacher also addressed delegates about “megatrends of sustainability and digitalization”. He also explained about the Dieffenbacher Evoris smart digital platform.