National Hardwood Magazine - Christmas 2022

2023 HARDWOOD PURCHASING PLANS Continued
for width sorted lumber. Customers were leaning more
towards width sorted options to mitigate chronic labor
issues. The trend of width specific lumber is going to
continue especially in lift lot distribution sales.
When it came to the preferences of our customers, we
saw many of our stair and door customers oscillate from
White Oak to Red Oak when prices for White Oak were
at high levels. Many of these customers have stayed
with Red Oak and likely will for the foreseeable future.
Quality Appalachian Hardwood Lumber
1,200,000 B.F. Kiln Capacity
Quentin Moss, KD-Lumber Sales/
GR-Lumber Sales/Purchasing
quentin@gfhardwoods.com
9880 Clay County Hwy. Moss, TN 38575-6332
PHONE: 1-800-844-3944 FAX: 1-931-258-3517
www.gfhardwoods.com
In June we announced that we would be expanding
our distribution footprint into New York and Northwestern
Pennsylvania. This expansion has gone well so
far. We are looking forward to servicing the secondary
manufacturers in this new footprint. Late in 2022 we will
have moved to our new facility in Alexandria, Ontario.
This move will allow us to distribute lumber more efficiently
and much more quickly. It will also allow us to
distribute lumber throughout the entire Northeastern
United States and all of Ontario.
The speed by which you get products
to market is becoming more
important every year. Our supply
chain will be combined with Alexandria
Moulding, our parent company.
Our best-in-class distribution
model will be transformative
for our company and most importantly
our customers.
The supply chain woes don’t
seem to be getting any better
for our sales to Vietnam. This is
more a systemic issue that I don’t
see rectifying itself for at least
the first half of 2023. For better
or worse it seems that customers
have become accustomed to export
container delays. There isn’t
much we can do. We are all just
along for the ride. Domestically,
we will be aiming in 2023 to pick
up as much lumber as humanly
possible on our own equipment.
Controlling not only outbound
shipments to our customers but
back haul shipments will give us
the flexibility and predictability to
best service our customer and
value chain partners. In 2023,
much of our buying decisions will
be predicated around what mills
work best for our company trucks
to pick up from.
When it comes to supply/demand
issues there is certainly a
whip lash effect in the marketplace.
Part of the sense of malaise
in the market is that lumber
is so readily available. Buyers
are buying week to week instead of month to month as
was the case for the first half of 2022. Based on current
demand from secondary manufacturers there is far too
much lumber available. The story of the year will be how
mills and concentration yards can bring inventory to levels
commensurate with demand.
We are trying to raise demand by being fanatical about
customer service. We are servicing our current customers
and expanding market share by being thoughtful and
purposeful on how we interact with
our customers.
How can we solve their problems?
How can we offer value?
Customers are telling us that they
want to buy from subject matter
experts. Aurora Timberland is very
proud of the fact that we do not sell
sheet goods or plywood. The market
is telling us that they see a value
in being “Hardwoods only.” With
prices softening and ample supply,
winning on the value proposition is
the best way to weather uncertainty.
As we expand our logistics network,
we have seen a real opportunity
to increase our direct shipments
to customers in less than
load volumes. In 2023 I see more
customers wanting 6000bf at a time
as opposed to a full load at a time.
Winning this business and servicing
it well will make the difference. s
Buying Standing Timber
and Hardwood Logs
Year Round!
Wagner Lumber
4060 Gaskill Road
Owego, NY 13827
607-687-5362
Wagner Hardwoods
Route 24
Cayuta, NY 14824-0068
607-594-3321
DARREL JONES
CUSTOM PLASTICS
AND WOOD LLC
BENTON, AR
I expect in 2023 that the prices
will drop back a bit. Just because
of the economy slowing down, and
NEW YORK’S PREMIER HARDWOOD SAWMILLS
Producing Over 90
Million Feet of Quality
Appalachian and Northern
Hardwoods Annually!
www.WAGNERLUMBER.com
Wagner Nineveh
224 County Rd. 26
Nineveh, NY 13813
607-693-2690
Please turn the page
Greene Lumber
16991 State Highway 23
Davenport, NY 13750
607-278-6101
60 CHRISTMAS 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 61