In the Northeast, among firms interviewed, the marketplace for lumber companies ranges from difficult to good – and a little bit of everything in between. A lumber representative in Maine stated, “The market is tough. Business is difficult. Certain products are moving. The margins are tight now with the lack of logs, due to the pulp market. It‘s made it even more difficult, unfortunately. The housing market is good. The overall lumber market’s still pretty tough.” However, he noted that the market is “a little better” than it was six months earlier.
The Maine establishment handles Hard and Soft Maple, Red Oak, Ash and Yellow Birch. The top seller is Hard Maple. The lumber representative sells lumber to both distribution yards and end users. Sales to end users have been “kind of flat, but it’s been OK,” he remarked. Sales to distribution yards have picked up “as summer has gone on, in certain aspects. With housing market distributors that use a lot of Poplar for mouldings and millwork, sales have picked up.” Transportation, he observed, is fine. “Trucks are mostly available.”
In Pennsylvania, a source stated, “On our end, it’s been a little slow. Last month, it was a little busier. This month, it seems a little bit slower than it was.” Compared to six months earlier, he observed, the market is “a little better now.
“We handle Ash through Walnut, with some imports, such as Mahogany and Sapele,” he mentioned. His firm’s best seller is Soft Maple. Cherry and Walnut are picking up. His distribution/concentration yard sells 4/4 through 10/4 or 12/4, mostly 4/4 to 8/4. Customers are primarily end-users: cabinet makers, the architectural millwork trade and some retail distributors of Hardwoods. “Mostly we’re distributors to the end users,” he stated. “On that end, the market is starting to pick up. Retailers are really busy. Everybody’s home working on projects, or they’re off work. Even cabinet makers are starting to pick up with more homes being built.” As for transportation, he noted that he can get transportation for his products, but, “Rates have gone way up for the truckers.”
A lumberman in New York State commented that the marketplace for his operation is “fairly good.” He continued that business is better than six months ago. He handles Red and White Oak in all grades, with White Oak being the best seller. Thicknesses range from 4/4 to 8/4. His customers don’t comment on how sales of their products are going. “They want to buy lumber as cheaply as they can,” he stated. Transportation, he said, is not a problem for his organization.
In Connecticut, a lumber representative commented, “The market in our area is good. It’s good, because we’ve been sawing mixed Hardwoods for timber mat production. That’s where we’ve focused. We’re not sawing any grade lumber anymore. It’s all low-grade mixed Hardwoods, and we’ve been producing timber mats. They are used for trucking pads and forestry applications. We’re also producing pallet lumber.” Business is “better” than it was a half of a year ago+, he announced. His establishment provides Hard and Soft Maple, Beech, Birch, Ash and Red and White Oak. Transportation is not a problem, he stated
