National Hardwood Magazine - September 2022

NEWS DEVELOPMENTS
NEWS ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL
HARDWOOD CONSUMERS INCLUDING MERGERS,
PLANT EXPANSIONS & ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES
MJB WOOD GROUP OPENS NEW FACILITY
MJB Wood Group, LLC, a leading manufacturer and
distributor of industrial wood products in Bristol, IN, recently
held a grand opening for its new 500,000-squarefoot
facility on a 38-acre lot near here, close to the city
of Elkhart. The new MJB facility has replaced an older
228,000-square-foot facility in the
area that MJB has outgrown. Included
is a 100,000-square-foot fabrication
area that will allow MJB to offer
custom services such as cut-to-size,
CNC machining, moulding, kitting
and light assembly.
MJB uses solid U.S. Hardwoods as
a part of its manufacturing process,
including Maple, Alder, Poplar and
Red Oak. MJB manufactures in the
U.S. in Bristol, IN; Clio, SC; El Dorado,
AR; and Cedar Hill, TX.
The new facility will increase MJB’s
ability to meet the sourcing needs
of customers in the immediate area
and throughout the Midwest, including
those in the RV industry. Over the
past five years, MJB has experienced
tremendous growth in the region, exceeding
18 percent year-over-year
revenue growth. The new site employs
100 people, twice the current
facility.
The industries MJB serves include
cabinet manufacturers, furniture and
fixture OEMs, recreational vehicle
OEMs, RV suppliers – primarily laminators
of wood panels, bus, cargo
trailers, golf cars, box trucks, millwork
OEMs and home improvement retailers,
interior and exterior door OEMs
and industrials.
MJB Wood Group is a 45-year-old
company that is owned by AC Summit
LLC, the private investment company
for members of the Coors family.
To learn more, go to www.mjb
wood.com.
REMODELING MARKET CONFIDENCE
DECLINES
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released
its NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling
Market Index (RMI) for the
second quarter, posting a reading of
77, declining 10 points compared to
the second quarter of 2021.
“Although most remodelers across
the country are still positive about
the market, a growing number are
starting to experience symptoms of a
slowdown,” said NAHB Remodelers
Chair Kurt Clason, a remodeler from
Ossipee, NH. “Some customers are
showing a reluctance to go forward
with projects due to the higher costs
and delays associated with material
shortages, as well as higher interest
rates.”
The NAHB/Westlake Royal RMI
survey asks remodelers to rate five
components of the remodeling market
as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” Each question
is measured on a scale from 0 to
100, where an index number above
50 indicates that a higher share views
conditions as good than poor.
The Current Conditions Index is
an average of three components: the
current market for large remodeling
projects, moderately sized projects
and small projects. The Future Indicators
Index is an average of two
components: the current rate at which
leads and inquiries are coming in and
the current backlog of remodeling
projects. The overall RMI is calculated
by averaging the Current Conditions
Index and the Future Indicators
Index. Any number over 50 indicates
that more remodelers view remodeling
market conditions as good than
poor.
The Current Conditions Index averaged 83, dropping
eight points compared to the second quarter of 2021. All
three components declined as well: the component mea-
Please turn to page 67
16 SEPTEMBER 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE
www.RealAmericanHardwood.org
www.RealAmericanHardwood.org
SEPTEMBER 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 17