National Hardwood Magazine - December 2023

NORTHEAST Continued from

NORTHEAST Continued from page 12 price is off,” he mentioned. He said that he sells to a wide range of customers, including wholesalers and end users. “They haven’t said anything good about their sales to me lately,” he added. In Connecticut a lumber representative said that his market is slow. “Our sales are worse than they were six months ago,” he added. His company handles Red and White Oak, Poplar and Ash, and occasionally sells some Cherry and Hard Maple. “We mainly offer the upper grades, FAS and No. 1 Common and very little No. 2 Common, we offer these in 4/4 thickness and in theory we handle 4, 5, 6 and 8/4 as well,” he said. The majority of the customers that he sells to are importers and distributors, he noted that he will occasionally sell directly to end users depending on the market. “We typically use agents in other countries and my agents in the Middle East are telling me that their sales are still slow despite the fact that they were expecting them to have picked up by now,” he said. “My agents in Europe are of course having a hard time with the war and the increase in energy costs.” He mentioned that he is happy with his Red Oak sales. “Red Oak is a species that I have always thought of as a more domestic item, but I have noticed that it has started to sell more abroad with more countries starting to buy it.” n SOUTHEAST Continued from page 13 of this writing. “We are just hanging in there and hoping that the market gets better,” he added. A lumber representative in Arkansas said that his sales have been sporadic. “There is definitely less production and there are less opportunities for orders,” he remarked. “It seems that there are less people that want to haul Hardwood logs and both green and kiln-dried lumber production have slowed down.” He mentioned that his sales are doing about the same as they were six months ago when asked. His company offers primarily all Hardwood species, with a focus on Oak and mixed Hardwoods. “We offer grades FAS, No. 1 Common and No. 2 Common and 4/4 and 5/4 thicknesses,” he said. His company sells to end use manufacturers, distribution yards and exporters. “It seems that they are also experiencing sporadic sales,” he said. “They will have a couple of good days and then they have a few days where there isn’t a lot happening.” n WEST COAST Continued from page 13 may not be as bad but with White Oak we have all of the barrel companies that buy up products for their whiskey barrels. They are paying more of a premium than what people want to pay for a sawlog. They are willing to pay more to get the White Oak for the barrels. That’s why there’s a shortage right now and it will probably get tighter.” Another contact in California said fuel costs are a major issue and trucking in general is challenging in his area. “Trucks aren’t allowed to come into certain parts of California,” he explained. “We have restricted freight coming in by truck and a lot of it is coming in by train and into the port. It’s still difficult to get it from the port.” He continued, “The off-gassing of the diesel fuel and the fumes don’t meet the criteria set forth by legislation here. Until the trucking companies can get a handle on that end of it, our prices will be higher just to move it in.” Overall many Hardwood suppliers in the area expect market activity to remain stable but look for price increases and availability shortages to continue. n ONTARIO Continued from page 14 time. Green production is low in several regions. With less Basswood being produced, it has temporarily eased price volatility. With orders for finished goods being low, many secondary manufacturers have reduced their operating hours, thus using less lumber and raw materials. Purchases, say some contacts, are for replacement needs only. Kiln-dried Birch sales are hard to come by, and prices are sliding down. Mills and wholesalers are shipping their limited quantities of green stocks, however, they noted competition is fierce for orders. Sales are for premium color material with prices stable. There was a slight improvement in demand for Hard Maple, although secondary manufacturers and lumber wholesalers indicated sales of finished goods were not that good. Purchases were made to replenish depleted stocks, as buyers saw a tightening of supply availability. Inventories are still noted as low, with prices continuing Please turn the page Overhead for Grade Hardwood with Twin Bands & Optimization Cooper cuts it! Overhead for Crossties, Timbers & Cants with Circle Saws At Cooper, our services and equipment are never run-of-the-mill. Whether small or large logs, Cooper has solutions for your lumber needs. INCREASE YOUR CAPACITY WITH LESS LABOR WITH COOPER MACHINE. HOME OF THE SCRAGG 478-252-5885 | info@coopermachine.com | CooperMachine.com 68 DECEMBER 2023 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE RealAmericanHardwood.com/industry RealAmericanHardwood.com/industry DECEMBER 2023 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 69