The Northwestern Lumber Association (NLA) will rebrand as BLD Connection, effective October 1. The rebrand follows the recent announcement of the merger between the NLA and the Mid-America Lumbermens Association (MLA).
According to a news release, the rebranding initiative addresses the changes in geography the association has experienced and “considers the best way to highlight the value proposition that the Association brings to its members.”
“Northwestern Lumber Association has a rich history, and through the rebranding process we felt it was important to honor our history in the lumber industry while recognizing that our industry and the businesses of our membership has evolved over time,” NLA president Cody Nuremberg said in a news release. “Our members sell and provide building materials in addition to lumber. Plus, with our recent merger our organization has expanded in size and reach as well. The value that the Association brings to our members is connection. Our network supports the entire building material and lumber industry and expands beyond the Upper Midwest.”
Nuremberg says BLD—an abbreviation for the word “build—is an acronym for building material and lumber dealers.
“Adding ‘BLD’ to the word ‘connection’ makes it more than a name,” Nuremberg said. “It is our call to action, engaging members to ‘build connection!’”
The organization said its commitment to building a stronger community is at the heart of the rebranding initiative. In addition to adjust messaging, BLD Connection said it will enhance its current offerings, including its annual education programming and events. BLD Connection also will launch a new website and member database/portal on Oct. 2.
“For the past year and with the help of Mercury Creative Group, our team, the board, and numerous task force groups dug deeper into our brand, our offerings, our creative mission, and our goals for the future,” NLA chairman of the board Lynn Trask said. “It became apparent that a refresh was needed and that the time was right to make a change. We are excited to write the next chapter of our association’s history.”
BLD Connection is a trade association representing building material dealers and suppliers in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, upper Michigan, and Wisconsin.
