December 2025

“When we hire people, we look for the right fit more so than someone who has been in the industry. If we get somebody with the right fit, we make it happen.” —Richie LeBlanc, president, Hunt Forest Products

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”—the late Ardis Almond, president, Almond Brothers Lumber

“The faster you deliver, the faster they can go vertical,” —Derek Ratchford, CEO, SmartLam

“All relevant agencies shall eliminate to the maximum extent all undue delays within their respective permitting processes related to timber production.” —President Donald Trump

“We have an abundant supply of timber and a wide range of species in our area. I knew if we took care of our wood basket this region would continue to produce for generations.” —Hugh Wayne Clark, president, Tennessee-based Clark Lumber

“Political and economic uncertainty does not foster confidence.” —Steven Anthony, president, Anthony Timberlands

“We provide a lunch once a week to try to build and maintain a company culture to show having appreciation for having a crew that shows up to work.” —Daniel Woods, president and CEO, Beckwith Lumber

“The new line has opened our eyes to what we weren’t doing before.” —Tommy Petzoldt, timber procurement manager, East Perry Lumber

“Water storage has its pros and cons. You’re able to keep wood longer, but we’ve never used irrigation because once you start running wood that’s been under water it impacts your drying schedule.” —Furman Brodie, vice president, Charles Ingram Lumber

“Canadian calls for the United States to stop enforcing its trade laws against Canada’s egregious dumping and subsidy practices, while simultaneously announcing massive new subsidies, once again demonstrate that Canada remains tone deaf in its arrogance, sense of entitlement, and disrespect for the United States trading system.” —Andrew Miller, chairman, U.S. Lumber Coalition

“Mill closures nationwide are stripping markets from landowners and rural workers, leaving them without outlets for their timber. Unfair foreign trade practices undercut U.S. producers and distort global markets, eroding our ability to compete. Together, these forces are pushing many landowners to exit forestry altogether.” —American Loggers Council statement to President Trump

“To suggest that Canadian lumber, which is used to build affordable homes for American families, is somehow a national security risk is ludicrous.” —Ravi Parmar, Canadian Minister of Forests

“You’re going to have challenges all the way through any project. It’s just how quickly you get ahead of them and put a good plan in place to manage them.” —Mike Dextrase, project manager, Southeastern Timber Products