National Hardwood Magazine - June 2015

Southwestern

Southwestern Hardwood Manufacturers Club Members Report Industry Challenges By Wayne Miller Vidalia, LA–The Southwestern Hardwood Manufacturers Club recently held its annual Crawfish Boil at the Comfort Suites overlooking the Mississippi River and offering a great view of Natchez, MS, just across the water. About 90 people were on hand for the roundtable discussion of business conditions and the reception and dinner that followed. Members and guests came from Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas, and almost all said the lumber business is off considerably from this time last year. The one bright spot in the overall picture is high demand for railroad ties, which is expected to continue throughout the year. Additionally, some attendees noted they have made facility upgrades over the past year, which supports reports from machinery manufacturers who note that their business activity has been sustained and strong. High log costs, low lumber prices, increased insurance costs, overproduction on many items and a weak strip flooring market were mentioned repeatedly by most of those reporting on business conditions. A mill representative in Mississippi said, “Number 1 Common Red Oak is not moving too well. We’re running 45 hours a week. We can’t find enough skilled labor.” Another mill source in Mississippi reported, “We are strug- Please turn to page 43 Bubba Lammons, All Star Forest Products, Fairhope, AL; Joe Moore, Coastal Tie & Timber Co. Inc., Tylertown, MS; Lance Ramsay and Pat Ramsay, Mechanicsburg Lumber Co. LLC, Yazoo City, MS; Jesse McMurry, Beacon Supply Co., Columbia, MS; and Bruce Wiskus, Rives & Reynolds Lumber Co. Inc., Louisville, MS 26 JUNE 2015 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE

Nathan Irby, Union Pacific Railroad, Hope, AR; Buddy Irby, Southern Mississippi Trading LLC, Waynesboro, MS; and David Caldwell, Hardwood Market Report, Memphis, TN David Porter, Southern Mississippi Trading LLC, Waynesboro, MS; Dean Miller, AHC Hardwood Group, Atlanta, GA; David Engelkes, Maxwell Hardwood Flooring, Monticello, AR; and Mike Noland, Noland Lumber Co., Gordo, AL Scott Williams, Fastening Solutions Inc., Jackson, MS; Brad Edwards, Fastening Solutions Inc., New Orleans, LA; Matthew Netterville, Fred Netterville Lumber Co., Woodville, MS; and William Browning, retired, J.M. Jones Lumber Co. Inc., Natchez, MS Jeff Reed, Robert Taylor, Donnie Woodruff and Pete Johnson, Taylor Machine Works Inc., Louisville, MS Steve Galloway, Armstrong Wood Products, Vicksburg, MS; John Hamaker, Armstrong Wood Products, Warren, AR; and Larry Wright, retired, Hassell & Hughes Lumber Co., Collinwood, TN Additional photos on next page JUNE 2015 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 27