In the Northeast, lumber providers characterized the current market as strong.
“The market’s good right now,” said a Pennsylvania lumber sales manager. “We have been busier than normal. The Chinese customers have been actively trying to buy. The domestic market seems to be fairly busy as well for this time of the year.”
Compared to six months ago, his market was favorable at the time of this writing. “The market was really good six months ago,” he pointed out. “I would say it’s still pretty darn good and still rolling right along.”
The mill’s customers are also enjoying good sales activity. “All of our customers seem to be busy,” he said. “Pretty much all sectors are doing well.”
Staffing issues continue to challenge lumber operators. “We are probably 10 people down,” he explained. “We could hire 10 people today. The transportation has gotten a little better. The overseas shipments were quite challenging for awhile.”
The firm sells Hard and Soft Maple, Red and White Oak, Cherry, and Walnut in 4/4 and 5/4 thicknesses to customers in the cabinet and flooring manufacturing industries. Soft Maple remains the top seller with Hard Maple also doing well, he reported.
Business has also been going well for a Vermont sawmilling operation. “The market is pretty strong,” reported the general manager. “We easily have all the orders we want. We are able to pick through all the orders we want to do. There’s no need to get involved in orders we don’t feel good about.”
Red Oak, Hard and Soft Maple, Birch, Ash, plus some White Oak are the main species handled by the firm, which markets 4/4 through 8/4 thicknesses. Best sellers
are the whitewoods, the Hard and Soft Maples and Birch, followed by Ash. Oak and Cherry were doing well but not as frantic as the other species. “There’s still quite a bit of desire for some of those species,” he said.
Six months ago, the market wasn’t as frantic as at the end of the year. “It has settled in to be just consistent, good and steady at a good level,” he said.
Customers are primarily wholesalers and distribution yards who service the flooring, furniture, millwork and pallet industries. In their comments to the firm, most of them possess a “good appetite for good lumber out there,” he said. “It sounds like they’re all doing well. They’re having to work a little harder than they had been a few months ago, but they’re still pleased with sales overall. They’re glad to see things stabilize a little.”
The usual challenges press the company and its customers. “Trucking is just as bad as ever,” he commented. “With labor, there’s no relief on the labor yet.”
In New York, lumber sales were consistent for a supplier there. “The market in our area seems like it’s pretty steady,” reported the company’s green lumber buyer. “There doesn’t seem like there is much of a shortage of lumber. The sawmills seem to have a decent log supply, too, some better than others. It depends on how wet the weather is.”
The company was experiencing “good business” at the end of the year, especially on the green side with the kiln a little softer. “It normally does that toward the end of the year, especially with inventories coming up the first part of the year,” he reminded.
Compared to the first half of the year, business remained steady, he said. “We haven’t seen too much of an influx of lumber coming in. The market has stayed pretty steady all the way through. It hasn’t dropped off or creeped up.”
Worker shortages and trucking deficits haven’t really affected his business. “Labor has been steady through COVID. We have a few reliable truckers, so there have been no real problems with transportation.”
The firm sells Red and White Oak and Hard Maple in thicknesses of 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 and 8/4 to end users and distribution yards.
