The American Wood Council (AWC) is both one of the youngest and one of the oldest major trade groups in the nation. AWC was re-chartered in June 2010, evolving from a number of predecessor groups. Immediately prior to the founding of the new AWC, the forest products industry was represented by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). AF&PA grew out of two organizations - the National Forest Products Association (NFPA) and the American Paper Institute (API) - each, independent institutions with some common membership. NFPA and API each represented the forest and building products industries, and pulp, paper, and paperboard manufacturers, respectively.

NFPA's lineage dates back to 1902, when regional associations, led by the Southern Lumber Manufacturers Association and the Mississippi Valley Lumbermen's Association, founded the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. It operated under this name until 1965 when, reflecting the increasingly integrated character of major forest industry firms, it took on the NFPA identification. However, NFPA remained a federation of associations until 1975, when a bylaw revision made it possible for individual companies to join directly.

The American Wood Council, a previously independent trade association established by the wood products industry to provide generic promotion activities, was merged with NFPA's building codes and engineering function in 1991. While today's AWC bears the name of that former organization, the new AWC serves the modern wood products industry with a far broader mission to address a wide-ranging set of challenges.

AWC has in its short existence emerged as the leading voice for the wood products industry. When any matter of major concern relating to the industry surfaces at the state, national, or international level, AWC is an active presence on behalf of industry interests and its advice and counsel are both sought and respected. Through its effective advocacy and superior membership services, AWC is rapidly gaining recognition as one of the nation's most powerful and effective trade associations.