Joe Kannapell

The Last Word: The Component Industry Comes of Age

Joe Kannapell

It’s worth recounting the 25 productive years that culminated in the establishment of WTCA/SBCA. Thanks to the leadership of some outstanding men, and their early embrace of technology, the component industry came together to claim its rightful place in the building industry, but it...

#15287 Cover image
June 2023
Issue #15287
Page 128
Joe Kannapell

The Last Word: LBMs and the Component Business

Joe Kannapell

The contemporary consolidations within the Lumber and Building Materials (LBM) business were prompted by consolidations within the home improvement retail industry. Home Depot started the movement in 1979, and its dramatic growth forced Lowes to follow it, converting its stores into mostly...

#15285 Cover image
April 2023
Issue #15285
Page 136
Todd Drummond

Don’t Be Blind to Simple Truths for the 2023 Build Season

Todd Drummond

An article written and published by Russ Kathrein on LinkedIn, “The Eyes See What the Brain Believes,” struck a nerve for me. In summary, the statement “believe it when I see it” is more often than not false. As someone who has made a living assisting others for over...

#15282 Cover image
January 2023
Issue #15282
Page 26
Matt Layman

Lumber Briefs: Lumber: “THE” Economic Leading Indicator

Matt Layman

Recession by definition: A recession is a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales. A recession begins just after the economy...

#14274 Cover image
May 2022
Issue #14274
Page 90
Matt Layman

Lumber Briefs: The Answers are in Housing “Completions”

Matt Layman

Another Recurring Phenomenon: Starts to Completion Ratios If ever I look down and see a penny on the ground, I always pick it up and, without fail, I always do the same thing next. That is scan the surrounding area for another penny. I have been blathering on about the spread between...

#14270 Cover image
January 2022
Issue #14270
Page 92
Matt Layman

Lumber Briefs: Softwood Framing Lumber Market Forecast

Matt Layman

Discount the Most Recent Past How should we process the cumulative life experiences that determine our next course of action? We might say, “That depends on the circumstance.” If I got mugged today for the first time in my life, it is likely I am going to be more aware of...

#13269 Cover image
December 2021
Issue #13269
Page 100
Matt Layman

Lumber Briefs: Build-to-Rent and Here Comes the Wood

Matt Layman

Build-To-Rent: Overlooked Obvious Not to be sacrilegious, but things in the lumber market are feeling apocalyptic. My primary concerns about the lumber and OSB market right now are two-fold. One, blatant disregard and unnatural comfort with prices. One of our members asked if he should...

#13262 Cover image
May 2021
Issue #13262
Page 102
Matt Layman

Lumber Briefs: Softwood Framing Lumber Market Forecast

Matt Layman

COVID’s 2021 Reverse Impact Let’s see if we can get this one right. A member recently requested that I forecast when the misses were going to happen. Sounds difficult, but not impossible. COVID 2020 was a once in a lifetime paradigm shift in our learning curve. To date, I have...

#13259 Cover image
February 2021
Issue #13259
Page 96
Matt Layman

Lumber Briefs: Lumber Market Forecast

Matt Layman

America’s Achilles Heel I want to drift off topic for a bit. Last week we were advised that the U.S. was under a massive cyber attack. As of today, Sunday December 20, the attack is on-going, there is no determination of who is responsible, how deep the attack has penetrated, how to...

#13258 Cover image
January 2021
Issue #13258
Page 106
Gary Fleisher

Going Modular Can’t Fix Affordable Housing Crisis

Gary Fleisher

Usually I am the first person in line shouting the benefits of modular construction to help the affordable housing market, but not this time. That’s because it doesn’t matter how you approach the affordable housing market if there isn’t enough factory capacity to keep ahead...

#12257 Cover image
December 2020
Issue #12257
Page 96
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