National Hardwood Magazine - Christmas 2023

2024

2024 Hardwood Purchasing Plans 2023 Was A Year Of Stabilization, 2024 Will Show The New Normal For Amazing Spaces. Beautiful and strong; flexible and timeless; hardwoods offer endless possibilities for designers, architects and consumers. For Our Health. Research shows improved mental health and well-being in people when surrounded by wood and other elements from the natural world. The following is an exclusive annual report compiled by National Hardwood Magazine about the 2024 purchasing plans of several of North America’s largest Hardwood lumber buyers. Retail lumber yards and end users alike are looking for lumber prices to rise in the coming year as there is a general consensus across the industry that there have been certain species with prices so low that they aren’t even worth manufacturing, causing there to be a shortage. Many respondents agreed that White Oak was the most preferred specie by far in 2023 with paint grade following not far behind. There remains the struggle of hiring skilled and reliable employees across the industry, with some employers even going to the lengths of acquiring housing for employees so that they can live nearby. Brandon White ASI Lumber Mfg. Ware Shoals, SC I anticipate that prices will be flat for domestic sales and that there will be fluctuation in White Oak prices in 2024. White Oak and Ash mouldings and paint grade dimensional lumber sold well for us in 2023, while Hickory and darker toned woods have declined. I noticed that there was a preference towards White Oak this year. We have not had any issues with logistics or transportation as we own our own fleet of trucks. The labor pool seems to be increasing with the economic slowdown. We continue to attract and retain employees by creating a lifestyle culture – working around family events, important dates and understanding that life happens. From a manufacturing perspective, we are subject to availability from lumber mills for finished good production. Demand from our customers has softened. Our strategy is to gain market share by expanding our footprint, offering top-notch customer service and creating more intangible value-added services. s Please turn to page 52 For Our Communities. The hardwood lumber industry and its related sectors support millions of jobs and add billions to the economy. UNLEASHING THE POTENTIAL OF HARDWOODS Learn more at nwh.com For the Planet. Hardwoods are a natural, renewable, sustainable material that absorbs and stores twice as much CO 2 as it emits. 24 CHRISTMAS 2023 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE RealAmericanHardwood.com/industry RealAmericanHardwood.com/industry CHRISTMAS 2023 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 25