National Hardwood Magazine - Christmas 2023

MERRICK 1/2 PAGE ISLAND

MERRICK 1/2 PAGE ISLAND 4.5625x7.50 IN 2024 HARDWOOD PURCHASING PLANS Continued Doug Settele Keiver-Willard Lumber Company Newburyport, MA MERRICK GROUP : Merrick Hardwoods • Somerset Pellet Fuel • Kentucky Hardwood Lumber Company, Inc. • Interstate Hardwoods, Inc. (606) 678-2842 • merrickhardwoods.com I expect prices to be similar in 2024 to where they are now, depending on supply levels. Poplar, White Oak, Walnut and Douglas fir all have done well for us Merrick Hardwoods has few limits. Our Appalachian species are among the finest. Plus, with multiple facilities and large capacities, we can fill virtually any size order. Best of all, our advanced logistics enable us to reliably deliver to virtually every continent Trust Merrick to make a world of difference around the world. throughout 2023. Cherry, Hickory, Birch, eastern white pine and Sapele however, seem to have been fairly quiet. All of the other species that we offer seem to have been steady. White Oak, rift and plainsawn were our preferred products this year. I anticipate that we will offer more specialty woods in 2024. We have not had any issues with transportation or logistics this year. We have continued to struggle with retaining and attracting new employees. We offer competitive pay and benefits and it seems that we are always four to five people short in the mill and the yard. I wouldn’t really say that we are heavily affected by any supply and demand issues as I buy based on a rotation and my customers’ demands are what drive my buying amounts. Our customers seem to be steady at best in their demands. s Lita Abele US Lumber Inc. Woodbury Heights, NJ I anticipate that our lumber buying prices in 2024 will compare to what they were in 2023. Throughout 2023 our lumber and plywood products sold well, while our Hardwood products did not sell as well. I noticed that over the course of 2023 we sold a lot of spruce and fir. Going into 2024, we will continue to produce and provide products that we know will move well. We have not noticed any issues when it comes to transportation and logistics. We have retained our employees by treating them like family and with respect. The CEO has an open-door policy for all employees. We also continue to provide benefits to our employees. US Lumber always has high demand from our clients. We are able to meet these high demands by having a 24-hour turn around, delivering on Saturdays if needed and always providing good customer service. US Lumber is always there on the jobsite, whether it is large or small. s Kent Barnes Hardwood Floors of Hillsboro Hillsboro, WI I believe we will be the same or slightly more in lumber purchases in 2024 compared to 2023. Products that have sold well for us throughout 2023 were Red and White Oak and Maple. We struggled to sell Hickory and Walnut. I did notice that there was a preference towards White Oak over the course of the year. Availability of lumber will be key in the early and mid-parts of 2024 when it comes to introducing new products. We have fortunately had zero transportation problems in 2023. We have started securing housing for our employees, which has helped retain our employees. Currently we have no supply issues, but we do believe it will happen in 2024; lumber for some items will be close to non-existent. Our customers are only buying hand to mouth. They are waiting for the sky to fall. We have lowered flooring prices on some items to move inventory, trying to motivate a sale! s Lumber prices have stayed low through 2023. We anticipate this will likely increase in 2024 as the supply is low and demand is high. We offer Select Red Oak 2.25 and 3.25-inch unfin- Happy Holidays Thank you for a great 2023! 763-425-8700 | inquiries@midwesthardwood.com 9540 83rd Avenue North, Maple Grove MN, 55369 midwesthardwood.com Chris Murphy Missouri Hardwoods Products Brighton, MO Please turn the page 58 CHRISTMAS 2023 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE RealAmericanHardwood.com/industry RealAmericanHardwood.com/industry CHRISTMAS 2023 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 59