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This post includes data from the Q3 2024 Forisk Research Quarterly (FRQ) and Forisk’s new digital platform for the North American Mill Capacity Database. Over the past 50 years, major shifts in the regional distribution of lumber capacity across North more…
Authored by Pat Jolley Forest products manufacturers continue to complete capital projects and plan new investments, while some firms are closing lower performing mills. Most of the added capacity is in the U.S. South with only a few exceptions. Western more…
Mill news is mixed for the North American forest products industry as firms continue to complete mill investments and announce mill closings. In the first quarter of 2024, firms advanced sawmill expansions in the U.S. South while others closed sawmills more…
After peaking the past three years, softwood lumber prices finally returned to break-even levels in 2023. Poorly positioned lumber producers closed, reducing North American lumber capacity by 2% after gains in 2022 and 2021. Closures included 9 sawmills with capacities more…
Utilization is the act of making practical use of something. For industrial purposes, utilization is the percent of name plate capacity used to produce a product; it is calculated as production divided by capacity for a set time period. Forisk more…
Firms continue to invest in forest industry manufacturing facilities in the U.S. South. The region features abundant timber supplies and an established supply chain with favorable business operating conditions. Lumber manufacturers evaluate timber markets for future capital expansion, and the more…
We joke that, “hardwood markets are hard” when it comes to wood procurement and market analysis. Hardwood procurement involves scavenging timber from landowners with varying objectives and timber management approaches and on landscapes with wetter ground than most pine plantations. more…
After reaching unprecedented highs the past two years, softwood lumber prices have corrected. Lumber producers shifted and expanded capacity to deploy capital and position themselves for future growth. Forisk tracks over 2,100 forest industry mills, including planned capacity changes, to more…
Sawmill expansions continue amid supply chain constraints. Stoltze completed an automated grading line at their lumber facility in Columbia Falls, MT. West Fraser in Henderson, TX announced a $255 million investment to build a new sawmill complex around the existing more…
Building products firms continue to add and acquire capacity, and firms are looking forward to the next phase of investment to put additional capital (from higher lumber and plywood prices) to work. Much of the sawmill capacity increases in North more…