In the Northeast, prospects are looking up for the Hardwood lumber industry. For example, a lumber provider in Pennsylvania stated that the domestic and export markets combined plus scarcity of kiln-dried supply are contributing to a “very strong” market. It is a market that is better than six months ago. Species carried include Cherry, Red Oak, Ash, Soft and Hard Maple and Poplar. Grades include FAS and No. 1 Common. The best sellers are Soft and Hard Maple. The lumber provider sells to distributors, and he noted that, “Their sales are going well.” Transportation is an issue, he observed, as transportation costs are increasing 10 to 15 percent, “maybe almost 20 percent.”
The market in Maine is “very brisk, very strong, very active,” according to a lumber source there. “There seems to be a lack of supply due to many factors,” he stated. “This has created a void in the supply for many people, because everybody was used to just-in-time inventories. All of a sudden, there’s not as much lumber in the pipeline to keep everyone happy. So, the last three to four weeks have been some of the best we’ve seen in many years.”
When interviewed, the lumberman said the Hardwood lumber market was “absolutely better” than it was six months earlier. Species handled by this source are Hard and Soft Maple, Yellow Birch and Ash in industrial grade to FAS. The best seller, he said, is Maple.
The Maine supplier remarked that he sells to wholesalers, distributors and end users. “I think their sales are going strong. The industrial end is busy. The economy is rolling along a little bit. Customers are having a hard time finding material. All our customers are busy.” He noted that the “competition for trucks” is tough. “Being in Maine, the softwood business is prominent in our part of Northern Maine. There are a lot of softwood trucks. With the demand for softwood lumber and the high prices they are able to pay, we’re kind of getting the short end of the stick when it comes to finding trucks. It’s been a little bit of a challenge lately.”
The market in New York State is “pretty good, mostly driven by supply shortages,” according to a lumber provider there. The market is “much better” than it was a half a year ago, he said.
He sells “any and all North American species,” he remarked. The best seller is 4/4 White Oak. Thicknesses of lumber range from 4/4 to 12/4. He sells to distributors and end users, and both sets of customers are faring better in the marketplace than six months earlier. Trucking, he said, is difficult on the domestic side of things.
