FROM THIS WEEK'S MADISON'S REPORTER

A brief selection of Madison's weekly market comments.
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Madison's Lumber RETROspective

A 60 year walk down forestry's memory lane. Click to find out more!

WSPF Solidifies

March has arrived, the winter Olympic games have concluded with cliff-hangers, nanosecond finishes and golden results (especially in hockey!), and it’s time to get back to business. People ran away from the lumber market last week almost as fast as they ran toward it a few weeks prior. Major losses in value were recorded but most makers now think the bottom has been hit and numbers will soon be on the bounce. March winds should dry out the project sites and construction can soon begin. Although order files are not long, what little was bought today will arrive about the time the ground has completely thawed and foundations can be poured. In spite of dismal US housing figures, rising mortgage rates and the impending conclusion of the US home-buyer credit program, builders hold the hope that the worst is over.

Western Spruce-Pine-Fir KD 2x4 #3 Utility grade price graph

WSPF KD 2x10 #2&Btr price graph

Green Fir Flipped

There is no stability in the green fir market. This is nothing new. All you need to do is monitor the numbers from one day to the next and your belief in a sane world can be shaken. After almost three weeks of insignificant sales, green fir narrows are down far enough to put pressure on economy. Slow improvement in the weather with rising daytime temperatures across the continent, green fir will begin to attract buyers. Mill order files are into the week of March 15. Prices stuck at levels achieved in the previous week for lack of adequate new sales to benchmark changes.

green Douglas Fir Std&Btr 2x4 2009-2010