APA – The Engineered Wood Association is a nonprofit trade association of the United States and Canadian engineered wood products industry. They represent engineered wood manufacturers and mandate things such as quality testing, product research, and market development.
History
The APA was originally founded in 1933 as the Douglas Fir Plywood Association to advance the interests of the Douglas-fir plywood manufacturers in the Pacific Northwest. As the association and engineered wood technology grew to incorporate more types of wood, the organization's name was changed in 1964 to the American Plywood Association. The APA continued to grow, not only to support other forms engineered wood but also to include Canadian manufacturers, and in 1994 changed its name to the current name. It was decided to retain the acronym "APA" because it had become so widely known and recognized.