Import:Export Wood Purchasing News - February/March 2018

Log Prices, Exports, Lumber Demand Among Southwestern
Hardwood Manufacturers Club Meeting Topics
Photos By Terry Miller and Zack Miller
Toto Robinson and Parker Sternbergh, Robinson Lumber
Company, New Orleans, LA; and Kristin and Jim Howard, Atlanta
Hardwood Corp., Mableton, GA
New Orleans, Louisiana–The Windsor Court Hotel, located here, was
the recent site of the annual Southwestern Hardwood Manufacturers
Club (SWHMC) holiday gathering and business meeting.
The general mood at this
meeting was upbeat with positive
reports about the market for
the lumber industry. For example,
a lumber representative
from Alabama said market
activity in his area has been
good. "Also, our log situation
is adequate. FAS White Oak
is strong, and all the Common
grades in all species have sold
well. I anticipate 2018 to be
another good year.”
Another attendee who exports
commented, “China has been
a life saver for these southern
mills and it has helped with the
domestic market due to the
appetite that China has for U.S.
hardwoods.”
An executive based in Georgia
that operates distribution
and concentration yards said
25 percent of their business is
in exports. He expressed his
concern for log exports also.
Another executive that
operates a yard in Indiana
and Virginia said 70 percent of
their U.S. hardwoods that are
procured are sold in the export
market. This firm is also involved
in the import business and he
said it is more competitive than
what it used to be.
The mill representatives all
agreed that demand is good and
they all look for lumber sales to
be stable with perhaps some
upward pricing pressure due
to the fact most had very little
kiln-dried inventory to work from,
coupled with dry kilns not turning
as fast now that winter has set
in. The downward pressure for
byproducts was expressed by
all mills represented. Another
subject that was discussed was
the pressure being put on White
Oak logs for both the export
market and the stave mills, making
it more challenging to get the
lumber needed to meet demand.
U.S. log exports to China
alone through Sept. 17 were
over 500 million board feet
Bill, Cheryl and Alex Buchanan, Buchanan Hardwoods, Aliceville,
AL; and Zach Miller, Import/Export Wood Purchasing
News, Memphis, TN
valued at $825 million. Log decks at the mills for the most part were just adequate.
Labor issues continue to be a problem for most mill owners and yards
alike. Trucking has been a problem for some due to hurricane relief in Florida
(001) 607-753-3393 • BPCONKLIN@GUTCHESS.COM • GUTCHESS.COM
890 McLean Road, Cortland, New York, 13045 USA
Bubba Lammons, All Star Forest Products, Fairhope, AL;
Kellye Angelici, Import/Export Wood Purchasing News,
Memphis, TN; Kevin Lammons, All Star Forest Products,
Murfreesboro, TN; and Ginny and Robert Peterson, Keith D.
Peterson & Co. Inc., Shreveport, LA
Additional photos continued on page 8
Continued on page 17
Import/Export Wood Purchasing News February/March 2018 Page 7