Northeast Business Trends July 2026 – A Northeastern Summer With Uneven Supply and Demand
While the market received mixed reviews from sources across the Northeast, the hardwood representatives did agree that labor, fuel prices and uneven supply and demand are challenges.
One representative in Pennsylvania stated he is witnessing “green prices that are pretty high in this area” and the “kiln-dried prices aren’t matching what the green prices are at the moment.”
The market is “difficult” but compared to six months ago, he said it is “maybe a little better than it was.”
They mainly handle Red Oak, Poplar, Hard and Soft Maple with a little Cherry and White Oak. He explained there isn’t much White Oak in his area and it’s expensive, so they “kind of stay away from that.” Poplar is their bestseller and they offer it in 4/4, a little 5/4 and 6/4 and 8/4. They sell Red Oak in 4/4, 6/4 and 8/4. “We do No. 2 Common & Better in the 4/4 but for the heavier stock, it’s pretty much all upper grades.”
He shared that they sell “to retail and that is moving fairly well, but we don’t move a lot of lumber that way. Most of our customers are wholesalers and we also sell to distribution yards. We were selling quite a bit of product overseas but that has kind of dried up for the time being. My customers have been pretty quiet about their concerns, but they have shared they aren’t seeing much activity. They aren’t aggressively going after anything. Some of the customers are finding enough material closer to themselves by buying locally because trucking is so expensive.”
As they don’t have much to ship, according to the source, they don’t have many trucks on the road at the time of this writing. “We’re strategically moving product around, so we aren’t wasting fuel.”
He explained why labor is a challenge for them. “We’re kind of out in no man’s land, so it’s hard to find people. If we do get somebody, they have to travel 10 miles to work so if we need help, we usually hire an Amish guy for a couple of days.”
The market isn’t “robust” in Connecticut, but it is “steady,” according to one local source. “I think everybody wants the same thing, but we are low on the logs that people want,” he added after confirming the market is the same as six months ago.
They offer most Appalachian species such as Cherry, Red and White Oak, Poplar and Hard Maple in 4/4 through 8/4. When asked about grades, he said, “We do everything from No. 3 to Better.” Red Oak is moving better than White Oak, which has encountered some trouble. “For the past few years, since the alcohol industry has slowed down, there are a lot more White Oak logs hitting sawmills because the stave mills aren’t taking them. This is driving the pricing down.”
His customer base consists of end users, manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers. They also export.
“Freight is kicking our butt because of the fuel prices. Everybody is unhappy with them. Everything is going up because of fuel, but lumber is still priced the same. It’s not a great recipe. Pricing has to come back some day – we’ve been saying that for three years,” he added.
As for labor, he shared that they are “always short staffed.”
A hardwood lumber source in Massachusetts has a different tune regarding the market, noting, “We’re doing great – just as busy as it has always been.”
The market has not changed since six months prior.
“All native hardwoods and softwoods – whatever we can get our hands on,” he said when asked about what he offers. “People tend to want White Oak, but I don’t have anymore because I sell it as fast as I get it. The next would have to be Red Oak, Cherry and Soft Maple for bestsellers. Customers want Hard Maple, but they have to settle. We mostly work with rough sawn, green lower grades but we handle some No. 1 and 2 Common grades.” They offer hemlock and pine as well.
“We use our lower grades for pallets and industrial purposes, and kiln dry our upper grades and retail them,” he explained. They don’t sell to any exporters, in-direct exporters, wholesalers or distribution yards.
Right now, they are stable on labor but “none of the employees I have speak English,” he said. It has been difficult for him to hire.
