West Coast Business Trends January 2026 – Long-Term Planning An Impossibility On The West Coast?
Hardwood markets across the West Coast remain uneven, with contacts in California and Oregon describing a business environment that has been difficult to predict and harder to staff. While a range of species including Walnut, Hickory, Red and White Oak continue to move through the region, activity has settled into an “order-to-order” pattern, with limited consistency in buying behavior.
Contacts noted that fluctuations in both demand and availability have made long-term planning more difficult, prompting many to operate on shorter schedules and leaner inventories.
A hardwood supplier in California who handles Alder, Ash, Basswood, Cherry, Red and White Oak, Poplar, Hickory, Hard and Soft Maple and Walnut in 4/4 through 16/4 thicknesses, pointed to labor as one of the most pressing challenges facing the industry. “Some people have retired, so I’m worried about hiring good people,” he said.
The supplier noted that competition from other industries has made it increasingly difficult to attract younger workers. “There’s not a lot of people wanting to come into this industry, and it’s a shame, because it’s a great industry with great people in it.”
Despite the staffing concerns, the source emphasized the strong culture within the hardwood community. “You can not only make a good living in it, but you can make a good life,” he said.
While uncertainty still clouds broader economic conditions, the same supplier said incentives such as Section 179 have encouraged some companies to consider updating equipment. “That section for depreciation is a wonderful thing for making investments in equipment,” he said, noting that purchases including forklifts, trucks and processing equipment not only improve operational efficiency but also support manufacturing jobs and regional suppliers tied to those investments.
In Oregon, a distributor described demand as inconsistent, with activity rising and falling in sharp intervals rather than maintaining steady momentum. “We’re not as busy as we’d like to be. It’s been order to order mostly,” the source explained. “Our customers’ markets are fair, and basically, it’s feast or famine. People don’t really like to hear that, but that’s the way it has been.”
The Oregon contact reported handling a mix of domestic hardwoods including Walnut, Hickory, Red and White Oak in 4/4 through 8/4 thicknesses.
While price pressure has been evident in White Oak, availability has tightened quickly whenever values dip. “We’ve seen some prices go down on White Oak, but as soon as they do, availability tightens,” the distributor said, suggesting that underlying demand for key species continues to exist even as buyers remain cautious and more selective with purchasing decisions.
A second California source who processes 4/4 Hard and Soft Maple, Red and White Oak, Walnut, Hickory and Cherry, echoed concerns about uneven activity but noted that business has continued to move on a more selective basis.
With customers taking a measured approach to purchasing, order sizes have remained modest and scheduling more sporadic.
The source added that many customers are closely watching both housing and commercial construction indicators before committing to larger volumes. As a result, projects that do move forward are often more targeted, with tighter specifications and reduced excess.
Even amid these challenges, contacts across the region maintained a level of cautious optimism, pointing to the long-term durability of the hardwood industry and the value of strong supplier-customer relationships. As one supplier put it, “It’s always been that type of business. Friendly people, good relationships, and a strong sense of community — that part hasn’t changed.”
