Business Trends North America

With summer behind us, and the Labor Day holiday over, businesses are slowly gearing up for the fall and winter seasons. Businesses are planning their purchasing schedules in advance for their anticipated production needs. With demand being down for hardwood finished goods, they must be vigilant and creative to stay in business and make a […]

Forest products industry sources on the West Coast were consistent in how they viewed the state of the market in their region. Sources in California and Oregon said that business in their area was slow, but each commented that some weeks were better than others. In Washington, a lumber representative gave the market in his […]

Forest products industry sources on the West Coast were consistent in how they viewed the state of the market in their region. Sources in California and Oregon said that business in their area was slow, but each commented that some weeks were better than others. In Washington, a lumber representative gave the market in his […]

Sources that were contacted across the Lake States all agreed that their sales were steady despite each noting a different area in which their markets could improve. There was also a general consensus that the labor market is progressing in the right direction. In Wisconsin a lumberman noted that while his market overall is pretty […]

Forest products industry contacts in the Northeast were divided on the state of the market in their region. Each source acknowledged an increase in demand, while comments regarding the supply necessary to meet that demand varied by state. Although available inventory is spotty in certain regions of the Northeast, sawmill contacts in Connecticut reported an […]

Hardwood suppliers in the Southeast, at the time of this writing, have varied reviews on the market but the majority said that business is slow. In Tennessee, a lumber salesman said that half of the market is excellent, while the other half falls short. As for the difference in the market compared to six months […]

At the time of this writing, lumber suppliers across the West Coast reported mixed reviews about the market. In California, a lumber supplier that said the company keeps their “operation lean and mean” noted, that “it’s still order to order. It’s not slow and it’s not real fast. It’s kind of right in the middle.” […]

The first two weeks of summer kicked off with a heat wave in Eastern Ontario and parts of the province of Quebec, reaching into the high 40 degrees Celsius during this time. The extreme heat and dry conditions, with the possibility of forest fires and poor air quality due to smoke were also challenges businesses […]

Across the Lake States region lumber sources varied, with one source stating that while his sales are average, it does depend heavily on which species is being sold. In Michigan a lumber spokesperson said that his sales were doing OK at the time of this writing. “We were doing well six months ago, but I […]

In the Northeast market, forest products industry contacts we spoke with all agreed that their business was steady but were split on whether they expect the market to improve or suffer over the next six months. Optimism about the health of the market can be credited to a steady growth in demand, while each industry […]