Lake States Business Trends 2025 – Lake States Market On The Rise
According to sources in the Lake States region, the market was slow but steady with an overall positive outlook across the board at the time of this writing. While tariffs remain a cause for concern, many are not facing direct issues from them.
An Ohio Manufacturer commented on the market in his area being sluggish and the same compared to six months ago. His customer base includes a mix of end users, distributors and manufacturers and they have given mixed reviews on the state of the market from their point of view. “Some have been really busy and some have not been,” he said. His company handles Red and White Oak, Cherry, Walnut, Poplar and Maple in No. 2 Common and Better in 4/4 to 8/4 thickness. Selling the best is Maple with White Oak and Walnut close behind.
Transportation has not been an issue for his company, but the tariffs have affected them directly. He said, “The end products are not moving as much as they used to for us due to the tariffs.”
By comparison, a hardwood saleswoman in Minnesota said the market is slow but similar to the start of the year. She said, “I think it could be because of the tariffs that people are talking about, but we don’t sell any of the exotics, so we don’t have an issue with tariffs directly.”
Her company sells exclusively to distributors such species as; Red and White Oak, Hickory, Maple and several other species in grades Select and Better as well as Rift and Quartered. Thicknesses offered are 3/4, 5/4 and a half-inch with 3/4 White Oak plainsawn or Rift and Quartered selling the best.
“Transportation has been a big issue for us. We are way north in Minnesota, so it’s really hard for us to get trucks to come in. It takes me a couple of days to get a full truck load in here,” Minnesota hardwood saleswoman said.
She followed up with, “It’s hard to say if they are also slow. It really depends on the price. We are having an issue with employment. The retention is down.”
An Indiana sawmill spokesman said the market is better than average and better than six months ago referencing the weather as the cause. “Business has been pretty good for us,” he said. “For what we do here it’s more about the mid-summer, dry weather conditions that always help us out.”
His mill markets Hickory, Walnut, Maple, Red and White Oak and Poplar, all Rift and Quartered with White Oak selling the best.
In Michigan, a lumber salesman said the market is “steady and very middling,” while similar to six months prior, “It just seems like every day in the news they’ve got something new and everyone’s like what’s that and what’s it going to do. All the uncertainty is the biggest thing,” he said.
The species and grades of hardwood handled by his company are mainly 4/4 Hard and Soft Maple, Red Oak, Aspen and Basswood in No. 2 Common and Better. Red Oak has been selling the best lately, “We’ve been on a heavy mix of Maple lately, just cleaning up for the summer and we haven’t had a chance to get more Red Oak, but there are still
inquiries,” he said.
His customers are primarily concentration yards with some lumber going to brokers or Canada. Overall, transportation has been good for him. “It’s been weird on their end too, as soon as we get a new round of threatening tariffs, they kind of take a deep breath and want to hold on. Nobody knows what to do,” he said.
“We are not importing or exporting, so we aren’t being affected directly by the tariffs, but some people we broker through go to Canada. No big disruptions on that end thankfully. I just hope it sorts itself out and gets back to normal,” he said.
