By Zach Miller
Dermott, AR–The annual West Side Hardwood Club/Maxwell Fish Fry was held here recently at the Maxwell’s 7 Devil’s Lodge. It was attended by approximately 50 guests on a beautiful September afternoon.
The guests included mostly Hardwood manufacturers but included a few pine producers and equipment manufacturers as well. Food and drinks were provided by the Maxwell family and a tent was set up outside to allow social distancing for all guests in these unprecedented times.
During the meal, discussions on the state of the industry provided a sense of cautious optimism, a feeling that Hardwood producers had seen bottom and that demand and pricing were going to improve.
The biggest concerns echoed throughout the meeting were size of log decks heading into winter months and labor. Wil Maxwell said it well: “We know this is a small step, hopefully to move on to bigger things” in-regard-to the participation in the meeting and being able to break bread again with suppliers and other industry professionals.
