There were approximately 23,000 SFBFR starts during Q2, almost 10% higher than 2023Q2, the Census Bureau and NAHB reported. Over the last four quarters, 83,000 such homes began construction.
Wood Markets News
New Zealand’s Winstone Pulp International Plans to Shut Down Operations Due to High Energy Costs
New Zealand’s Winstone Pulp International said it plans to shut down its entire operation as a result of high wholesale energy prices, RNZ reported.
Canadian Consumer Price Index Increases at Slowest Pace Since March 2021
The CPI increased 2.5% year-over-year in July. The increase was at the slowest pace since March 2021 and was down from a 2.7% gain in June.
Interfor Completes Sale of Its Philomath, OR, Sawmill to Timberlab
On June 27th, Timberlab completed the purchase from Interfor Corporation of its sawmill and 80-acre property in Philomath, Oregon, The Philomath News reported.
Teamsters Canada Delivers Strike Notice to CPKC; CN Delivers Lockout Notice
Teamsters Canada served a 72-hour strike notice to CPKC, saying it will walk out at 12:01 AM on August 22nd, barring a last-minute agreement, FreightWaves reported.
Investment in Canadian Building Construction Rises in June
Investment in building construction grew 2.8% to $21.4 billion (CAD) in June, following a modest increase of 0.8% in May.
The Conference Board US Leading Economic Index Slows Further in July
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® fell by 0.6% in July to a reading of 100.4 (2016=100), following a decline of 0.2% in June.
Kalesnikoff Lumber Highlights Move to Mass Timber Manufacturing
Chris Kalesnikoff speaks to the Vancouver Sun about the journey of the Kalesnikoff family to a key player in the mass timber and prefabricated mass timber building industry.
Townhouse Construction Continues to Expand in Q2
Single-family attached starts totaled 42,000 in Q2, 8% higher than 2023Q2, the Census Bureau and NAHB reported.
US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update as of August 19th
As of Monday, 62 large active wildfires are being managed with full suppression strategies nationwide. Current fires have burned 2,237,578 acres.