Import/Export Wood Purchasing News - December 2023/January 2024

Lumber Forecasts For 2024 Continued from page 33
In Memoriam
are showing high levels of interest in the West Coast hardwoods that have been
historically slash burned in the forest or sent to the pulp markets.
We continue to look for quality employees in all of our main business units.
The strong support for wood products in Benton County home of Oregon State
University, a land grant school, has helped in recruiting.
Losing ocean service to Europe from Portland and then Tacoma has increased
the shipping costs for European customers. Along with the strong USD$ this has
been the biggest impact.
Right now, we don’t have any concerns with tariffs, we are dealing with them
just like everyone else. Therefore, it’s a level playing field and has no impact.
Jay Reese
Penn-Sylvan International Inc.
Spartansburg, PA
As an exporter, we would have to call 2023 a
successful year. While the market price for lumber
is not attractive to our sawmilling division, our international
sales staff did a great job maintaining our
core business, and expanding to many new markets
as necessitated by the slowing volumes going into
China.
Jay Reese China is still the big market for Red Oak, and
early 2024 will be difficult as Oak production, while
much less than 18 months ago, is still more than necessary due to current market
conditions.
We have a very diverse clan of customers, some markets are factory direct and
others are more dependent on distributors. We continue to find niche markets
worldwide for our custom grades and thickness of all species of hardwoods.
As the year comes to a close, we are completing the renovation of a grading
station, and adding another horizontal resaw to our production capacity. This will
allow us to better serve our customers with increased in-house production and
much more sorting capabilities.
Wesley Robinson
Robinson Lumber Company
New Orleans, LA
The year 2023 brought a mix of challenges and
achievements for Robinson Lumber Company.
While our export sales to Asia and Europe faced
some setbacks, our North American sales remained
robust, ensuring that the year could still be counted
as a success. With export sales presenting a hurdle,
we are placing our hopes on the strength of the
Wesley Robinson North American market to drive our success in 2024.
At Robinson Lumber, we primarily serve manufacturers
who possess a keen eye for yields. Once they witness the value we offer
in terms of wood quality and precision, they return for more. Notably, our sales to
flooring customers experienced significant growth this year, especially in our value-added
sorted to width and ripped to width strips. Among our products, White
Oak shone the brightest in 2023.
Our commitment to continuous improvement is exemplified by ongoing investments
in our flagship yard located in New Albany, IN. Recently, we doubled the
yard's size and introduced the state-of-the-art Combi CSS Slip Loader. This new
addition enhances our ability to stage and load containers and flatbeds efficiently
and safely. We also have plans to expand our kiln capacity in the near future.
The American hardwoods industry is intricately linked to the global demand
for wood products. However, we've observed increasingly frequent supply and
demand imbalances, resulting in sharp price fluctuations. These market dynamics
can challenge the maintenance of consistently profitable operations.
For over 130 years, Robinson Lumber Company has not merely survived; we
have thrived, grown and diversified. As we look ahead to 2024, we embrace the
unique challenges that lie ahead with confidence and a commitment to innovation
and adaptation. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnerships. We are
excited to face the opportunities and challenges of the future.
Anthony Hammond
Roy Anderson Lumber Company, Inc.
Tompkinsville, KY
2023 sales have been steady. Challenges for profitable
pricing has existed, but ability to move lumber
is present. For 2024, export markets need to improve
to help move products that don’t historically move
domestically.
We sell to flooring manufacturers, cabinet manufacturers,
millwork/moulding manufacturers and
Anthony Hammond distribution yards. Our strongest sellers have been
White Oak, Ash and thick Red Oak.
Job inquiries have been steady, but finding qualified employees needed to support
growth has proven challenging.
Transportation has improved substantially over the course of 2023.
At present, we do not have concerns regarding tariffs. We suspect global economic
concerns will outweigh desires for tariffs to be renewed.
Éric Sauvé
Simon Lussier, Ltd.
Blainville, QC
Overall, it was an okay year. Much better than
what we had anticipated but definitely not as profitable
as the last couple years. We must overcome
short term green lumber supply issues, so we have
enough kiln-dried lumber to start off the new year
and to continue to push sales.
Most of our customers are furniture manufacturers
Éric Sauvé and stair builders. The most popular products have
been 4/4 through 8/4 Yellow Birch and Hard Maple.
This year we have introduced European steamed Beech to our domestic customers
and are still testing the market.
We have installed a new kiln which added 100,000 board feet measure to our
capacity.
Thankfully this year was good to us and we did not have as much turnover as
previous years.
We have not had or expect any problems regarding tariffs from Canada. n
Thomas Richard Beard, 90, of Greensboro, NC died September 21, 2023, at
Well Spring Retirement Community, Greensboro.
Tom was born in Greensboro on October 2, 1932, to the late Ernest Neilson
Beard Jr. and Alma Smith Beard.
He is survived by the love of his life, Nancy Cridlebaugh Beard, wife of 65
years; children Anne Beard Krahnert (John), T. Richard Beard Jr. (Susan), and
John S. Beard (Sarah); grandchildren John Krahnert III (Cara), Lauren Stone
(Darrell), Thomas Beard III (Rory), Mary Grace Beard, and John Beard Jr.; and
four great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers, Hugh
Beard, Cyrus Beard, and Neilson Beard III.
Tom was a proud graduate of Christ School in Arden, NC. He attended Davidson
College and graduated from Bowling Green Business University (now
WKU). He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1956.
After the Army, Tom joined his father in the hardwood lumber business. Upon
his father’s retirement, Tom created one of the most respected hardwood lumber
wholesale companies in the world — Beard Hardwoods, Inc. Tom was a pioneer
in introducing Tulip Poplar to the export market in the late 1970s and built his
company into a top US exporter to the Asian furniture industry.
Tom was a devoted servant leader, a passion he shared with his children and
grandchildren. He faithfully served First Presbyterian Church as a deacon and
an elder. He took great pleasure singing in the church’s choir for more than 30
years. He also made a concerted effort to give back to Christ School, which he
credits for developing his love of music and work ethic, serving many years on
the school’s Board of Trustees.
Tom loved Greensboro and giving back to his hometown. He was an active
member of the Kiwanis Club of Greensboro and Greensboro Country Club. He
also served on the board of the River Landing retirement community. He was
committed to making Greensboro a better place for generations to come.
Tom also served on many industry boards, including the National Hardwood
Lumber Association, Appalachian Lumbermen’s Club, Appalachian Hardwood
Manufacturers Inc., North Carolina Forestry Association, North Carolina Export
Council and North Carolina Ports Advisory.
Tom’s favorite hobby was meeting people. He never met a stranger. He loved
golf and was very proud of the hole in one he made when he was 72. He especially
loved playing golf with his sons, grandsons and son-in-law. The Belvedere Open
will never be the same!
Tom was most proud of his family, with whom he loved spending time at their
beloved home in Oak Island. The family will always cherish the memories made
there.
The family would like to express its gratitude for the wonderful staff at Well
Spring Retirement Community, especially those in the Skilled Care Unit who treated
Tom and his family as one of their own.
A celebration of life was held on Sunday October 1, 2023, at First Presbyterian
Church, Greensboro, NC.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the
organizations that Tom was so passionate about.
Page 34 Import/Export Wood Purchasing News n December 2023/January 2024
Import/Export Wood Purchasing News n December 2023/January 2024 Page 35