National Hardwood Magazine - October 2020

U.S.A. TRENDS CONTINUED

U.S.A. TRENDS CONTINUED SOUTHEAST In this part of the nation (S.E.C. country and the home of other college football conferences), business for lumber producers in the Southeast could be compared to a pigskin game. For the four spokespersons interviewed, there was some or a lot of good (long, completed passes) and some bad (a running back tackled behind the line). A lumber representative in Arkansas has seen his team anecdotally complete many long passes. “The flooring market,” he noted, “is somewhat robust and has seen increasing demand for the last several months, and is in a positive trend.” He attributed this to, “somewhat of continued housing growth and a lack of supply from the manufacturing side due to COVID reasons.” He stated that business was better then than it had been six months earlier. His company handles Red and White Oak, Hickory and Walnut. “We manufacture flooring,” he said. His company uses “all standard flooring grades and specialty items,” he stated. Included are No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3A Common lumber in 4/4. This flooring is sold to wholesale distributors nationally. “Their markets seem to be on a positive trend with the steady demand from housing growth and possible Please turn to page 54 Providing Custom Sawmill Solutions for Your Custom Mill Optimized Edgers Slab Recovery Equipment We can add chipping or hogging heads! Board, Cant and Slab Edgers Cant and Tie Sorters Merchandising Systems Home of the Best Scraggs On the Market! Give Frances a call at 478-252-5885 for more information Email: info@coopermachine.com Website: www.coopermachine.com 8 OCTOBER 2020 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE

WEST COAST Recently, lumber sales on the West Coast were not going gang-busters, as reflected in interviews, but in some places, there were indications of strength. For example, a lumber sales spokesman in California noted that sales were “orderto-order, but steady. You can talk to a guy two days ago; then he wants the lumber now.” Customers delay ordering, then want their wood quickly, he said. “That’s how it is more often than not. That’s the trend right now.” His company offers White Ash in No. 1 and No. 2 Common and FAS in 4/4. They sell to distributors and end users. Where his company is, in Southern California, trucks are not a problem. “We don’t move a lot of lumber out here,” said a lumber sales spokesman in Washington. “But construction has been crazy-good. There are more new neighborhoods going in. In our region, lumber sales have been OK. There was a little lull the last 30 days. There was a big spike, then things slowed down a little after the quarantine was cancelled.” At the time of this interview, sales were better than they had been six months before. “There has been a cycle of building and more building and higher demand,” he said. Please turn to page 56 Celebrating 40 Years of Setting the GoldStandard in American Black Walnut 4/4 thru 16/4 Walnut Proudly NHLA Grade Certified Phone: 660-248-3000 MOPACLumber.com inquiry@mopaclumber.com OCTOBER 2020 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 9