[WASHINGTON]– The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) issued the following statement regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS)
guidance document
aimed at protecting the LBM industry.
NLBMDA had sent a letter to both the President and Congressional leadership urging that the lumber and building material (LBM) dealer industry be designated as “essential.”
“This is a big win for our industry. NLBMDA has been working over the past week to educate federal policymakers about why the LBM industry is essential to both the economy and the COVID-19 response. We are pleased to see that the Administration, through DHS, has agreed with our association and included those who support the manufacture and distribution of forest products, such as lumber, in their definition of essential critical infrastructure workers,” said Jonathan Paine, NLBMDA President & CEO. “In lobbying the Administration, we made the case that LBM dealers are critical to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic through supporting the residential and commercial construction sectors, selling vital cleaning and disinfection products, and supplying well-paying jobs. NLBMDA will now work with our Federated Associations to ensure that state and local governments properly implement this federal guidance and keep LBM dealers’ doors open."
NLBMDA is continuing to engage with the White House Administration, Congress and industry stakeholders as the situation unfolds. NLBMDA will continue to update members on COVID-19 and the Phase 3 stimulus legislation that was introduced yesterday in the Senate.
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