Vice President
Across the Midwest region sources said that their markets are doing well and have started to stabilize as most of the sources seem to be doing better than they were six months ago.
In Missouri a lumber spokesperson said that while his sales are doing well, they are not great. “We are certainly doing better than we were in the first quarter of this year, and the last quarter of 2022, and I wouldn’t stop short of saying sales are on the upswing,” he continued. “We are at the levels you would expect this time of year, but I’m not expecting any sort of big uptick this year.”
His company handles Spruce-Pine-Fir, Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar in No. 2 and Better and in thicknesses 2×4 through 2×12. “I would say that Spruce is selling the best,” he noted.
He said that his company sells to pro-dealers and retail lumber yards. When asked if he has heard any comments as to how their sales are doing, he mentioned that they are doing about as well as his company. “They are doing better than they were, and they have a more positive outlook. I don’t think that their expectations for the rest of the year are great though.”
He said that while his company is having issues with labor, transportation has gotten better.
In Texas, a sawmill representative said that his market is steady. “Our sales are sound based off our last year’s numbers. The first quarter of the year was slow, but the second quarter picked up,” he continued, adding that their sales are slower than they were six months ago.
His company handles green and kiln-dried Douglas Fir No. 1 and Better and Western Red Cedar Standard and Better in thicknesses of 4×6 to 20×20. “Douglas Fir is definitely our best seller,” he commented.
He said that his company sells to retail lumber yards that deal with custom orders. “Our customers seem to be doing alright, they are getting new bids and seem to have picked up in the second quarter.”
He noted that transportation and labor weren’t major issues, at the time of this writing.
A lumberman in Iowa said that his sales are still very strong, and that they are better than they were six months ago. “The agricultural sector of our market has really helped us to continue to move forward,” he added.
His company handles Southern Yellow Pine and Hemlock Fir in grades No. 2 and Better in thicknesses of 4/4, 5/4 and 2×2. “All of our species are selling about the same at this time,” he said.
“We sell to pro-dealers and do-it-yourselfers,” he said, mentioning that he has not heard any comments from his customers on how their sales are doing. “I suspect that their sales are pretty strong based off our sales.”
When asked if his company was having issues with labor, he stated, “Labor continues to be a struggle on all fronts.”
He also noted that they haven’t been having issues with transportation.
