Northeast Business Trends September 2026 – A Summertime Slowdown Contributes To Quiet Market
Slow, quiet and steady for now are ways hardwood suppliers across the Northeast are describing the market. A summertime lull may be a major factor since it’s typically a slower time of year for lumber sales as many consumers are taking time off for vacations. While lumber products are moving, there seems to be no major negative or positive changes in the market.
A New York supplier described activity in his area as steady at the time of this writing. He said the market is probably about the same as it was six months ago.
“There hasn’t really been much increase or decrease,” he said.
“I think it’s just summertime,” the source continued.
His operation handles No. 2 Common and Better Red and White Oak in 4/4 through 8/4 thicknesses.
“Everything seems like it’s moving out the door pretty decent,” the lumber spokesman said.
He sells to a variety of customers. “We sell all over,” he said.
Transportation has been a little bit of a challenge, he noted. Although, he added, “It does seem like there are more trucks out there.”
A hardwood sawmill representative in Maine, who supplies 4/4 through 9/4 Hard and Soft Maple, Yellow Birch and Ash, said the market in his area is quiet.
“I think inflation is up to a level that it hasn’t been for the last three years, and consumers/buyers are just pinching pennies,” he said. “They don’t have the extra money to buy and do remodeling and things like that.”
He said there’s less demand than there was six months ago.
His bestselling species are Hard Maple and Ash, and his operation sells to distribution yards, kitchen cabinet manufacturers, flooring manufacturers and wholesale customers.
His customers have had the same sentiment about the market. “Everybody’s commenting about how quiet it is,” the source said.
While transportation hasn’t been as much of a challenge in his area, he said finding good labor is always an issue. One reason is, because of the business’ location, there’s a limited population base to choose from initially.
“That’s just the way it’s been for several years for us,” the supplier said. “It’s just that younger workforce that we need to rely on just don’t want to do this type of work.”
While the market is quiet, he mentioned at the time of this writing that the summer months are typically a slower time of year for sales.
“So, we’re not too panicked,” the lumber contact said. “We’re hoping that when July and August are over with, people will come back after vacations and start buying wood products, and we’ll take advantage of it, but nothing is going to change until probably this fall for us.”
A Pennsylvania sawmill source said the market in his area isn’t anything more unique than others. “Poor, like most markets,” he explained.
He said it remains to be seen if his market is better or worse than it was six months ago but added that the current market at the time of this writing “definitely doesn’t have momentum.”
“Every major market around the world has got some pretty serious headwinds, including most U.S. pockets of demand,” he said. “So, there’s not really a safe harbor of one particular area that’s booming.”
In terms of species movement, Cherry, Red and White Oak, Hard and Soft Maple and Poplar are the majority of the volume that his operation sells. “We generally do 4/4, 5/4 and 8/4,” the lumber supplier said.
“We do a large quantity of Cherry, probably steadier than everything else,” he noted. His top three species also include Red Oak and Soft Maple.
The majority of this supplier’s customers are distributors and end users.
A challenge his business is facing is high fuel prices, which are “affecting transportation costs which impact our customers and us pretty dramatically,” he said.
The source continued, “There are no rising prices for the finished goods, so those rising fuel prices are a pretty significant headwind.”
With a quiet market, hardwood suppliers are waiting out a slow time of year in hopes that an upswing in sales await them in the fall.
