Midwest Business Trends
Encouraging Activity In The Midwest
By Chris Fehr
Marketing Consultant / Editor
Softwood contacts across the Midwest described a market that is steady in most places, slower in others, but holding to familiar seasonal patterns. While no one used words like “record breaking,” each source noted that activity has been manageable and, in a few pockets, encouraging. The overall takeaway is that the region continues to move product, but buyers remain selective and careful.
A supplier in Texas, handling No. 1 & Better green Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar, said activity has shown signs of improvement. “It’s already better than last quarter,” the source noted, adding that quoting has stayed consistent and customer interest has remained solid. Typically, their products include Douglas Fir 4/4 boards to 20 to 40 foot timbers and Western Red Cedar from 4/4 boards to 12 to 16 foot timbers. Douglas Fir is moving more consistently than Cedar for this supplier, although both remain core items.
Their customers are seeing a mixed but mostly positive landscape. “Some areas are hotter than others,” the contact said, pointing specifically to East Texas as very active. They added that some of their buyers “have a lot of quotes going,” while others are still waiting for things to pick up. Even so, they described the overall tone as one of optimism. “We’ve experienced an uptick in open orders,” they explained, and they expect the first quarter to “mirror last year.” Transportation remains smooth for this supplier because they run their own fleet and avoid most availability issues.
From South Dakota, a supplier serving the upper Midwest said conditions are “OK, but it’s not record breaking.”
They handle SPF and Southern Yellow Pine, largely in 2-inch material, and said movement has been normal for this time of year. “We’re probably pretty even with last quarter,” the source reported. Customer feedback mirrors that trend. Some accounts remain active heading into winter, while others have experienced a noticeable slowdown. “It’s a little bit all over the place right now,” the supplier said. Still, they noted that supply and transportation are steady. Looking ahead, they expect buyers to remain careful but added, “I think people are optimistic.”
Optimism despite caution was noted by many Midwestern sources.
A contact in Missouri described their market as “sluggish,” explaining that conditions have looked the same “for about the last four or five months.” He handles SPF, Douglas Fir, and Cedar in 2×4 through 2×12. Among these, SPF is moving the best for them. Customer sentiment is closely aligned with what his company is experiencing internally. “We get pretty much identical comments and feedback from them,” the supplier said, citing interest rates and general uncertainty as contributing factors. Transportation has not been an issue, and he expects little change in the near term. “You’re gonna see a lot of the same,” he said, anticipating more movement in the second half of 2026.
Across the region, the tone is consistent. Movement is steady, supply is steady, and caution is steady. Buyers are watching costs closely, relying on familiar species like SPF and Douglas Fir, and pacing orders according to local demand. Markets that enjoyed stronger late summer activity continue to carry that momentum, while others are settling into a quieter stretch.
Even with varied performance from state to state, no one described a downturn, only a market watching for clearer signals. As one supplier summed it up, “People are optimistic, but they’re cautious.” For the Midwest softwood sector, that balance defines the moment: measured confidence, manageable inventories, and an eye on weather, jobsites, and the early months ahead.
