Lake States Trends May 2025 – Prices On Lumber In The Lake States Region Start To Inch Up
Throughout the Lake States region sources that were contacted agreed that while their sales were doing okay, there is room for them to improve. One source noted he is seeing the prices on his products start to go up, and that he would also like to see more demand for them as well. Another source stated that his margins have started widening as the prices on his products also start to go up.
In Indiana, a lumberman said that his sales are better than normal. “We are doing better than we were six months ago. I don’t think that we are doing better than we were a year ago. The market was better a year ago,” he stated.
His company offers Hickory, Walnut, Red and White Oak, Cottonwood and Poplar in thicknesses of 4/4, 5/4 and 8/4 and in grades FAS and Nos. 1 and 2 Common. “We don’t really have one specie that is selling better than the others right now, they are all doing just about the same,” he stated.
He sells to a variety of customers, including end use manufacturers. When asked if any of his customers have let him know how their sales are doing, he said that they have been quiet on that front.
He noted that he isn’t having any issues with labor. “There are a lot of people out there looking for jobs right now, but we currently aren’t hiring anyone as we are fully staffed,” he said.
He noted that while he sells lumber domestically, he does have some customers in China that buy veneer products from him. “I’m not really sure how the tariffs are going to affect those sales, we will just have to wait and see,” he said.
A lumber spokesperson in Michigan said that his market is mediocre. “There is plenty of room for improvement in our marketplace,” he stated. “I am seeing the prices go up on our products a little bit, but I would like to see them rise some more. I also think that we need to see more demand for our products.”
He added that despite wanting to see prices and demand go up, that his sales are doing better than they were six months ago.
His company offers Hard and Soft Maple, Birch, Ash and Oak. “We mostly offer these species in 4/4 thickness and in grades Select and Better and No. 2 Common,” he said. “Hard Maple seems to be selling best out of all of our species right now.”
He sells mainly to flooring manufacturers, as well as some pallet manufacturers. He hasn’t heard any comments as to how their sales are doing at the time of this writing.
While his company doesn’t do any imports or exports, he is sure that the tariffs will impact his business.
In Ohio a sawmill representative said that their sales are doing okay. “We are probably doing better than we were six months ago,” he said. “The prices on lumber have started to go up, allowing us to bring in more money and widen our margins.”
His company offers Red and White Oak, Poplar, Ash, Walnut and Hard and Soft Maple in thicknesses of 4/4 through 8/4 and in grades No. 2 and Better. “Sometimes we will do special grades and thicknesses depending on what we have in stock and what our customers have requested,” he said. He added that White Oak and Walnut are currently his company’s bestselling species.
He sells to distribution yards and end users. “They haven’t told me directly how their sales are doing, but I can tell from how they are buying that their markets are fair,” he noted.
He mentioned that while he is understaffed at the time of this writing, that it still proves to be difficult to find good, qualified employees.
His company doesn’t do any imports or exports, but he does expect that the impact of the tariffs will reach his market.
