Members Honor 29 Years Of West Side’s Annual Fish Fry/Meeting

Members Honor 29 Years Of West Side’s Annual Fish Fry/Meeting

Approximately 40 attendees recently enjoyed the 29th Annual West Side Hardwood Club Meeting and Fish Fry, held at Seven Devils Legacy in Dermott, AR.

The overall mood of the meeting reflected seasoned perspectives of the historically cyclical nature of the lumber industry. As one attendee put it, “The market is difficult and challenging, but we have seen worse.”

Shared during the meeting were the following observations:

A flooring operator said this has been a tough year for what they produce but they do see some positive movement in flooring in regard to orders.

Another flooring manufacturer noted that sales have been mediocre really for the last four years, but their plank flooring business has done better. However, he echoed that it has been subpar as far as the business.

They said their lumberyard is not full, but it is adequate for where the market is. They are running 32 to 36 hours in the flooring mills, and they don’t have the sales to warrant cranking up more hours.

A sawmill sales manager in Collins, MS, said their lumber business is pretty flat. Their prices seem to be holding, but not a lot of lumber is in inventory not only at their mill but also from various mills that he talked to. He said export sales are decent.

The same mill but a different individual said the log inventory earlier in the year was extremely low and they couldn’t build on it. They were a little bit low on logs at the time of this meeting, but the inventory level is adequate to meet orders.

Scott Wesberry with Netterville Lumber Company in west Mississippi said they are cutting mats and ties every day. He said it had been rainy where they are at. Their log inventory has been low, but it had been dry for about three weeks at the time of this meeting and their log decks are improving.

Another sawmill operator who is also in the cattle business said that he was glad he was in the cattle business because it has been paying for the sawmill the way the business has been.

Another sawmill operator said that they are moving more towards industrial products and away from grade lumber.

Export sales have been pretty good until the last couple of months, which may have seemed to slow down export sales.

A different attendee said the railroad ties seem to be where they want them to be regarding inventory right now.

Equipment suppliers were also in attendance and one said he certainly has seen worse business than what they are currently experiencing, but their business is down like the rest of the industry is experiencing.

Keith Price, with Corley Manufacturing Co., Chattanooga, TN, said they are out six to eight months on steel.

Lastly, Tommy Maxwell, of Maxwell Hardwood Flooring, spoke about how he has some good days – Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday – and then the phones go quiet Thursday and Friday. His biggest customer has been buying loads of flooring every week, but the last three weeks prior to this meeting has been quiet.