National Hardwood Magazine - Christmas Buyers Guide 2014

2015 FORECASTS 2015

2015 FORECASTS 2015 FORECASTS 2015 FORECASTS 2015 FOR WE MAY BE LED DOWN MANY PATHS • INTEGRITY • ECONOMICS THROUGH SERVICE • LOYALTY TO BOTH CUSTOMERS AND SUPPLIERS • ESTABLISHED IN 1959 SWEENEY HARDWOODS AND THE R.E. SWEENEY FAMILY OF COMPANIES DISTRIBUTION OF QUALITY FOREST PRODUCTS THROUGHOUT MANY AREAS OF TEXAS, CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND NORTHERN LOUISIANA FT. WORTH, TEXAS 800.5802352 Website: www.sweeneyhardwoods.com Continued those species. We try to provide these species of lumber for several customers, so as long as that marketplace holds up, I think most of that material is going into cabinetry; but also some of it goes into Poplar mouldings as well. A lot of the Hickory and Soft Maple material is used in cabinetry. Everyone has been consistently optimistic for the past five or six years. That’s been part of the issue. Those of us who have been in the industry for awhile have said “well, we’ll get through this and things will be better next year.” Then we find ourselves saying the next year, “we’ve been through this before; things will be better next year,” and so on. But this recovery has been somewhat different in that it’s been a slow recovery, not one that’s rebounded within two or three years like we’ve seen in the past. As for the future, we have to see how the economy goes. For example, in terms of kiln capacity we’re running about 70 percent capacity, depending on the timing of when air-drying material becomes available and what our customer base is looking at using. LINDA JOVANOVICH HARDWOOD MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION PITTSBURGH, PA As we strategically plan for 2015, HMA will remain focused on its mission – to provide our members with information relevant to their manufacturing, marketing, management and resource needs and to continue to promote and educate regarding the virtues of solid American Hardwood products, to both the specifying and consumer 46 CHRISTMAS 2014 ■ NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE

ECASTS 2015 FORECASTS 2015 FORECASTS 2015 FORECASTS markets. HMA does not attempt to be all things to all people; rather we focus on the needs of our membership and long-standing goals of the Association. The past year has included the return of former members and the welcoming of several new ones. And while it has been very encouraging, there is still much to be accomplished. Heading into the New Year, we will continue to reevaluate operational costs, as well as examine new technologies and services, in order to provide our members with more for less. However, we will not compromise the level of service and the association benefits our members have come to expect. With the housing market’s sluggish recovery, demand for Hardwood products is increasing, but not as rapidly as everyone would like. Yet, steady demand and thriving industrial markets enable most producers to remain encouraged. Just as a severe injury requires time to heal and even more time to forget the pain; the severity of the last recession forced members to “reinvent” their businesses to survive. Because the recovery is slow, it will take a while before they feel comfortable with the current business environment. But overall, our members remain cautiously optimistic. Log supply, legislation, imposing regulations and an ‘ailing bat’ top the list of challenges facing our industry. I am encouraged to have the Hardwood Federation lobbying on our behalf, in Washington. Because it is an uphill battle on many fronts, responsibility lies with all industry stakeholders. Be informed and proactively involved. HMA is rewriting a chapter of our former purchasing ‘cooperative’ playbook by Continued on next page CHRISTMAS 2014 ■ NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 47