

Lake States Business Trends – May 2024
In the Lake States region Hardwood activity is low compared to the beginning of the year. An Indiana wholesaler said, “We came out in the
In the Lake States region Hardwood activity is low compared to the beginning of the year. An Indiana wholesaler said, “We came out in the
Across the Northeast region, lumber suppliers had varied responses as to how their sales were, at the time of this writing. In Pennsylvania, a lumberman
Throughout the Southeast region lumber suppliers noted that their markets were not doing well. In Mississippi a lumberman said that his market is not doing
Hardwood suppliers on the West Coast accounted for steady activity, at the time of this writing. Most sources noted an improvement since the beginning of
With winter behind us, sawmills reported they still had low log decks and mill output was reportedly lower in Ontario and Quebec than in the
Contacts report mixed levels of sales of kiln-dried lumber. Some say they are good, some describe them as fair, and others as slow depending on
Throughout the Northeast region lumber sources weren’t able to come to a consensus as to how the market was faring, with one source noting that
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
The winter weather was milder with less snowfall in certain areas, thus affecting logging activity levels. As well, markets have contracted, causing limited timber sales
Contacts in the Lake States region accounted for average Hardwood activity, with many stating they expect supply shortages in the coming months. An Indiana Hardwood
With a quieter start to 2024, business continues at this slower pace for many businesses. With spring thaw reducing access to logs, obtaining required inventories
Throughout the Southeast region lumber suppliers noted that their markets were not doing well. In Mississippi a lumberman said that his market is not doing
Among the factors for the recent slowdown in many lumber yards throughout the Lake States, a Michigan lumberman recently suggested that a “lack of vision”
Throughout the Northeast region lumber contacts were varied in their response to whether or not the market was doing better than it was six months
Across the Southeast region sources agreed that lumber prices have been better, while varying on their responses as to how much business they had, at
A California lumberman recently noted that business was “adequate” and that he would “take that any day” over the “chaos” that the pandemic created in
It was a slow start to the new year as customers let their inventories slide over the end of 2023 and placed orders in December
Sawmills and concentration yards reported better business early in the new year compared to the period before the holidays. Activity was mostly seen to replenish
While lumbermen in the Lake States continued to steadily “move wood” through the fourth quarter of 2023, they agreed that “something must change” in order
Overall, lumber sources in the Northeast region said that their sales were better than they were six months ago. A lumberman in Maryland said that
Throughout the Southeast region hardwood lumber trends sources agreed that their markets are rather quiet, at the time of this writing. One source noted that