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Business Trends

424 posts

Ontario Business Trends – February 2024

In advance of the 2023 Holiday season and into New Year’s, sawmills sawed more lumber ahead of this period. Many secondary manufacturers took extended breaks during this time in most areas on both sides of the border. This resulted in lower demand for raw materials. In certain areas, obtaining logs and pricing were a challenge […]

Quebec Business Trends – February 2024

Another year has begun and the Hardwood industry is busy, striving to improve efficiencies, boost margins, deal with supply chain shortages, rising interests rates, expand their sales while serving established customers and vying for new ones, all in the hopes of increasing profits. Contacts remain cautiously optimistic that business will improve this year as they […]

Northeast Business Trends

Three Northeastern lumber distributors shared a common thread regarding the state of the industry through the final quarter of 2023.Each source also had a unique perspective and regional insight into other issues they face in their markets. According to each Softwood source, high interest rates for new home buyers and the post pandemic economy resulted […]

Inland West Business Trends

Inflated interest rates, an ambling housing market and the imminent wintry weather cycle were cited by industry sources as culprits in the lukewarm final quarter of 2023. Interest Rates Calling the current market “God awful,” a Montana lumberman narrowed down the source to growing interest rates, which many believe has made customers reluctant to build […]

Midwest Business Trends

Sources throughout the Midwest region are all in agreement that sales are steady for this time of year and that the market appears to be entering back into traditional seasonal trends. In Missouri a lumber spokesperson noted that his marketplace is doing surprisingly well at this time of year. “I would say that our sales […]

West Coast Business Trends

As we kick off 2024, the North American lumber market could best be described as lackluster. West Coast manufacturers are dealing with a myriad of issues beyond the seasonal slowdown, including tight fiber supply, weather related issues, and overall economic uncertainty. The following is what a few West Coast producers had to say: Mark Gray […]

Southeast Business Trends

While prospective lumber customers continue to wait for lower interest rates before committing to new builds, lumbermen in the Southeast region noted that rates “might never return” to COVID-era numbers. A Louisiana source said, “people haven’t gotten over the fact that there were such low interest rates (during the pandemic) and that was not the […]

Ontario/Quebec Business Trends

Interest rates continue to be on everyone’s mind as we go into 2024. “We had a very good run in the lumber markets through November,” reported a Quebec producer. “We have seen a substantial price appreciation. That was a rally that lasted three to four weeks. The interesting part is that going into December, although […]

Quebec Business Trends – January 2024

The U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, hunting season and Christmas holiday disrupted production and business activity for those in the Hardwood industry. Businesses were busy preparing their log decks and making operational plans as to production schedules, and planning orders of supplies needed for their particular business needs. Several contacts were seeking new sources of supply to […]

Lake States Business Trends – January 2024

From mill fires to a diminishing pulp market, one Michigan lumberman recently emphasized that he has “never seen the industry this bad.” However, a source from Minnesota called the market “stable,” and added that things aren’t as “crazy as they were the last couple of years.” At the time of this writing, a third source […]