MJB Wood Group Opens New Facility
MJB Wood Group, LLC, a leading manufacturer and distributor of industrial wood products in Bristol, IN, recently held a grand opening for its new 500,000-square-foot facility on a 38-acre lot near here, close to the city of Elkhart. The new MJB facility has replaced an older 228,000-square-foot facility in the area that MJB has outgrown. Included is a 100,000-square-foot fabrication area that will allow MJB to offer custom services such as cut-to-size, CNC machining, moulding, kitting and light assembly.
MJB uses solid U.S. Hardwoods as a part of its manufacturing process, including Maple, Alder, Poplar and Red Oak. MJB manufactures in the U.S. in Bristol, IN; Clio, SC; El Dorado, AR; and Cedar Hill, TX.
The new facility will increase MJB’s ability to meet the sourcing needs of customers in the immediate area and throughout the Midwest, including those in the RV industry. Over the past five years, MJB has experienced tremendous growth in the region, exceeding 18 percent year-over-year revenue growth. The new site employs 100 people, twice the current facility.
The industries MJB serves include cabinet manufacturers, furniture and fixture OEMs, recreational vehicle OEMs, RV suppliers – primarily laminators of wood panels, bus, cargo trailers, golf cars, box trucks, millwork OEMs and home improvement retailers, interior and exterior door OEMs and industrials.
MJB Wood Group is a 45-year-old company that is owned by AC Summit LLC, the private investment company for members of the Coors family.
To learn more, go to www.mjbwood.com.
Remodeling Market Confidence Declines
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released its NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the second quarter, posting a reading of 77, declining 10 points compared to the second quarter of 2021.
“Although most remodelers across the country are still positive about the market, a growing number are starting to experience symptoms of a slowdown,” said NAHB Remodelers Chair Kurt Clason, a remodeler from Ossipee, NH. “Some customers are showing a reluctance to go forward with projects due to the higher costs and delays associated with material shortages, as well as higher interest rates.”
The NAHB/Westlake Royal RMI survey asks remodelers to rate five components of the remodeling market as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” Each question is measured on a scale from 0 to 100, where an index number above 50 indicates that a higher share views conditions as good than poor.
The Current Conditions Index is an average of three components: the current market for large remodeling projects, moderately sized projects and small projects. The Future Indicators Index is an average of two components: the current rate at which leads and inquiries are coming in and the current backlog of remodeling projects. The overall RMI is calculated by averaging the Current Conditions Index and the Future Indicators Index. Any number over 50 indicates that more remodelers view remodeling market conditions as good than poor.
The Current Conditions Index averaged 83, dropping eight points compared to the second quarter of 2021. All three components declined as well: the component measuring large remodeling projects ($50,000 or more) fell 11 points to 79, the component measuring moderately sized remodeling projects (at least $20,000 but less than $50,000) dropped seven points to 84 and the component measuring small remodeling projects (under $20,000) declined by six points to 86.
The Future Indicators Index dropped 11 points to 72 compared to the second quarter of 2021. The component measuring the current rate at which leads and inquiries are coming in fell 13 points to 68 and the component measuring the backlog of remodeling jobs decreased by 10 points to 76.
For the full RMI tables, please visit nahb.org/rmi.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Members Of Wildfire Commission
The Departments of Agriculture, the Interior and Homeland Security through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced the selection of members to the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.
Established by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and announced in December 2021, the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission will play a key role in recommending ways that federal agencies can better prevent, mitigate, suppress and manage wildland fires. It will also recommend policies and strategies on how to restore the lands affected by wildfire.
The call for nominations for the non-federal members was issued in March. More than 500 applications were received, and 36 non-federal members – 18 primary and 18 alternates – have been selected to serve on the commission. Along with 11 federal members, the commission will be co-chaired by Departments of Agriculture, the Interior and FEMA leadership. Commission members represent federal agencies, Tribes, state and local municipalities, and private entities, as directed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Included are Agriculture Department Secretary Thomas Vilsack and Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
For more information and a complete list of commission members, visit www.usda.gov/topics/disaster-resource-center/wildland-fire/commission or e-mail wildlandfirecommission@usda.gov.
