News in lumber


U.S. Lumber Demand Sends European Lumber Prices Higher

Unrelenting building demand, the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, amongst other things, has kept U.S. sawmills from being able to catch up with that unabated demand. With U.S. builders needing lumber coverage, but rarely asking about price, suppliers have been forced to look for product sources apart from their traditional suppliers.

Fire Destroys New Sawmill in Northwestern Wisconsin

Firefighters from seven different communities’ departments spent five hours on Saturday (5-8-21) battling a fire in a new sawmill just outside the City of Cornell Wisconsin. According to Cornell Area Fire Department’s Assistant Chief Matt Boulding, the building, and its contents are a total loss.

What Happens When Lumber Shortages Run into Transportation Shortages

The susceptibility of the global supply chain to suffer from major pinch-points and headwinds has never been clearer than during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There was a significant underestimation of how much products and services would be needed, resulting in major supply chain issues in everything from lumber, to semiconductors, to shipping capacity and labor.

The “Top 10” 2020 Canadian Lumber Producers Survey Reflects the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Industry

The Forest Economic Advisors LLC, (FEA) annual survey of the “Top 10” Canadian lumber producers reflects the unprecedented year that the industry has seen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian lumber market had been tough in 2019 with a number of mill curtailments and closures, but there were signs of a recovery late in the year and into the first months of 2020.

Today’s Log Prices Continue to Lag Behind Current Finished Lumber Prices

Demand for wood and wood products is unrelenting. Resulting in lumber prices reaching historic high levels and daily climbing ever higher. The shares of publicly traded lumber manufacturers, distributors and retailers wood suppliers continue to soar. While oddly enough, trees themselves remain dirt cheap in places like Louisiana, where timber supplies are plentiful.

Astara Capital Partners, LLC Acquires Majority Stake in Cross City Lumber

Astara Capital Partners, LLC (“Astara”) announced on Thursday (4-15-21), that it has acquired a majority stake in Cross City Lumber (“CCL”). Based in Cross City, Florida, CCL is a Southern Pine sawmill that produces specialty and dimensional grades of lumber. Astara leveraged its network of sawmill executives to source the opportunity and to underwrite a series of capital projects that will substantially increase the capacity of CCL and significantly reduce its breakeven point.

Rayonier Advance Materials Announces the Sale of its Lumber and Newsprint Facilities to GreenFirst Forest Products

Rayonier Advance Materials (RYAM), a global leader in high purity cellulose pulp, and GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. (GreenFirst), a Canadian lumber company, announced today that the parties have entered into a binding asset purchase agreement in which RYAM has agreed to sell all of its six lumber and one newsprint facilities and related assets located in Ontario and Quebec to GreenFirst for an expected purchase price of approximately $214 million (USD), including inventory on hand at the time of closing, which will be payable in approximately 85% cash, 15% common shares of capital GreenFirst.

Maine’s Hancock Lumber Announces Purchase of Lapointe Lumber

Maine’s Hancock Lumber, a seventh-generation integrated forest products company, which currently operates nine existing lumber yards, eight kitchen design showrooms, three sawmills, truss and wall panel manufacturing facilities, and timberlands, has announced that it has agreed to purchase Lapointe Lumber, a fourth-generation building materials supplier, with facilities in the Augusta and Gardiner markets.