Sparta WoodWorks’ Specialty Products Include Maples, Oaks
Rex Lumber Buys More Than 60 Domestic Lumber Species
High Grade Lumber Enables Plato Woodwork’s Cabinet Success
Industry News spotlights the latest in lumber/forestry advancements and achievements
Equipment And Service Providers Prepare For 2025 With Hope For Market Improvements.
In the forest products industry, equipment and service providers encountered several issues in 2024, such as struggles with labor, competition with imitation wood products, transportation and fuel prices. One respondent detailed, “The high fuel prices are still challenging with high transportation costs from vendors and freight companies.” Many businesses intend to combat these issues with new product line releases, technological improvements in machinery, AI and hopes for lower fuel and transportation costs. A respondent from one company noted, “There are areas of the country where labor is reliable but for most, technology is replacing day laborers as fast as vendors can get equipment installed.”
Lake States Business Trends – January 2025. Throughout the Lake States region, sources that were contacted at the time of this writing were all in agreement that their sales were on the slower side.
West Coast Business Trends – January 2025 – Across the West Coast region sources were a mixed bag as to how their sales were doing at the time of this writing.
A lumberman in Oregon said that his sales have slightly improved and that he has seen more activity in his marketplace. “We are starting to see more quotes that are turning into orders, it wasn’t like this last year,” he added. He did note, however, that they are doing about the same as they were six months ago.
Lumber representatives from the Northeastern region provided an assortment of market reviews in addition to some concerns about potential changes in the future of the lumber industry regarding imported and exported goods.
In New York, a lumber spokesperson noted that the market is “fairly good” when asked about the state of business in his area and that it is the same as it was six months ago.
The American Walnut Manufacturers Association (AWMA) held a Board of Directors meeting recently in conjunction with the 2024 National Hardwood Lumber Association’s Convention at the
Goodfellow Inc. Increases Hardwood Capacity In The U.S. In its third quarter of 2024, Goodfellow Inc. completed acquisitions of three hardwood processing assets in the
Editor’s note: Due to our production and print schedules, we gather Hardwood Purchasing Plans from the end of September till mid-October. This year while we
“This company has been a vital part of our community for nearly a century, thanks to the dedication of all of the previous owners. Staying
Eagle Machinery & Supply, Inc., located in Sugarcreek, OH, is a custom machinery manufacturer and robotics automation supplier. The company is a systems integrator specializing in wood processing systems, optimization solutions for scanning, ripping, crosscutting, sorting and stacking, planing and sanding, finger jointing, industrial bulk material handling systems and hydraulic fluid power systems. Eagle is also a distributing partner and systems integrator for the sales, training, installation, technical support, parts and service of MiCROTEC/WoodEye Log and Lumber Scanners, and OSI Machinerie Systems’ Planers, Sanders, Side and End Matcher Profilers.
Our Company History We’ve come a long way since our first shop and we are now housed in a manufacturing facility and campus that encompasses
Members and guests of the Hardwood Manufacturers Association (HMA) gathered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, recently to enjoy the association’s annual Fall Regional Meeting. The event
The use of domestic hardwood species was more visible at the recent 2024 Fall High Point Market. The annual show attracted thousands of manufacturers, retail
The National Hardwood Wood Lumber Association (NHLA) was thrilled to recently announce the graduation of the 207th Class from the NHLA’s renowned Inspector Training School
The 2024 fall meeting of the Canadian Hardwood Bureau (CHB) was held recently in St. Louis, MO, in conjunction with the National Hardwood Lumber Association’s
Westin Lake Resort and Spa in Henderson, NV, was the site recently for the 106th Annual Railway Tie Association (RTA) Conference. This premier event unites
John Jeffrey Taylor John Jeffrey Taylor of Memphis, TN, was born on September 20, 1955, he passed away at the age of 69 after a
As 2024 winds to a close, the Hardwood Manufacturers Association (HMA) would like to take the time to recognize and thank all of the industry stakeholders who have contributed to HMA’s American Hardwoods™ education and promotion campaign. Your generous support goes a long way in reaching consumers and design/build pros through the American Hardwood Information Center (AHIC) at
HardwoodInfo.com.
Over the past several months, I have spoken with many of you in the hardwood industry and have found one topic that keeps coming up: finding new markets. Either domestically through the Real American Hardwood promotion program or internationally through AHEC activities, there is a critical need to create new hardwood consumers all around the globe. And, while I have found general support for AHEC’s overall mission to “grow the pie” for U.S. exporters through generic educational and promotional activities, I also want to stress the real direct benefits to dues-paying members as opposed to the industry at large who all benefit from generic promotion.
Looking ahead to 2025, what excites you? For many, it’s the hope that things won’t get worse, but there are always opportunities. Where will your
