Intermediaries in the U.S. Hardwood Lumber Market: Comparing and Contrasting Sawmills and Distributors
The objective of this study was to better understand changes in the hardwood lumber supply chain from the perspective of lumber producers and distributors and to assess the degree of judgmental convergence between suppliers and buyers of hardwood lumber. Results from two nationwide surveys conducted...
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North Carolina State University
2014-09-01
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doaj-29afcfd2ca224bea8bfb0c5788fcdab02020-11-24T23:02:29ZengNorth Carolina State UniversityBioResources1930-21261930-21262014-09-01946527653910.15376/biores.9.4.6527-6539Intermediaries in the U.S. Hardwood Lumber Market: Comparing and Contrasting Sawmills and DistributorsOmar Espinoza0Urs Buehlmann1Matthew Bumgardner2Robert Smith3 University of Minnesota; United StatesDepartment of Wood Science and Forest Products, Virginia Tech; United StatesNorthern Research Station USDA Forest Service, Forest Sciences Laboratory; United StatesDepartment of Wood Science and Forest Products, Virginia Tech; United StatesThe objective of this study was to better understand changes in the hardwood lumber supply chain from the perspective of lumber producers and distributors and to assess the degree of judgmental convergence between suppliers and buyers of hardwood lumber. Results from two nationwide surveys conducted in 2008 and 2009 were used for the analysis. Findings confirmed a decline in demand for red oak and an increase in species diversity in the market, although a majority of sales were dominated by five species. Results also showed an increasing importance of markets for lower grades of lumber, such as pallets, containers, and railroad ties, and a decline in demand for higher-value products such as furniture and kitchen cabinets. The importance of the lumber distributor role in the hardwood supply chain also has increased. Both sawmills and suppliers have increased their offerings of customized products and services in response to market demand. The customer base is changing, with smaller, more customized orders being sold to smaller businesses. Some of the trends and changes identified are structural and long-running in nature and are not expected to change in the short term.http://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BioRes/article/view/BioRes_09_4_6527_Espinoza_Intermediaries_US_Hardwood_LumberHardwood lumberSawmillSupply chainLumber yardsDistribution |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Omar Espinoza Urs Buehlmann Matthew Bumgardner Robert Smith |
spellingShingle |
Omar Espinoza Urs Buehlmann Matthew Bumgardner Robert Smith Intermediaries in the U.S. Hardwood Lumber Market: Comparing and Contrasting Sawmills and Distributors BioResources Hardwood lumber Sawmill Supply chain Lumber yards Distribution |
author_facet |
Omar Espinoza Urs Buehlmann Matthew Bumgardner Robert Smith |
author_sort |
Omar Espinoza |
title |
Intermediaries in the U.S. Hardwood Lumber Market: Comparing and Contrasting Sawmills and Distributors |
title_short |
Intermediaries in the U.S. Hardwood Lumber Market: Comparing and Contrasting Sawmills and Distributors |
title_full |
Intermediaries in the U.S. Hardwood Lumber Market: Comparing and Contrasting Sawmills and Distributors |
title_fullStr |
Intermediaries in the U.S. Hardwood Lumber Market: Comparing and Contrasting Sawmills and Distributors |
title_full_unstemmed |
Intermediaries in the U.S. Hardwood Lumber Market: Comparing and Contrasting Sawmills and Distributors |
title_sort |
intermediaries in the u.s. hardwood lumber market: comparing and contrasting sawmills and distributors |
publisher |
North Carolina State University |
series |
BioResources |
issn |
1930-2126 1930-2126 |
publishDate |
2014-09-01 |
description |
The objective of this study was to better understand changes in the hardwood lumber supply chain from the perspective of lumber producers and distributors and to assess the degree of judgmental convergence between suppliers and buyers of hardwood lumber. Results from two nationwide surveys conducted in 2008 and 2009 were used for the analysis. Findings confirmed a decline in demand for red oak and an increase in species diversity in the market, although a majority of sales were dominated by five species. Results also showed an increasing importance of markets for lower grades of lumber, such as pallets, containers, and railroad ties, and a decline in demand for higher-value products such as furniture and kitchen cabinets. The importance of the lumber distributor role in the hardwood supply chain also has increased. Both sawmills and suppliers have increased their offerings of customized products and services in response to market demand. The customer base is changing, with smaller, more customized orders being sold to smaller businesses. Some of the trends and changes identified are structural and long-running in nature and are not expected to change in the short term. |
topic |
Hardwood lumber Sawmill Supply chain Lumber yards Distribution |
url |
http://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BioRes/article/view/BioRes_09_4_6527_Espinoza_Intermediaries_US_Hardwood_Lumber |
work_keys_str_mv |
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