12 Sep September Market Report: Freres Lumber Sees Volatile Markets Continuing

Posted at 17:00h in blog

  September 13, 2016 Challenges coming from domestic producers and abroad The veneer market is extremely difficult. Canadian veneer producers are more concerned with selling the production from their facilities than they are the price at which they are selling veneer. With the exchange rate at $1.29...

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22 Aug August Market Update: Strong Wood Products Markets Persist as We Head Toward Autumn

Posted at 13:27h in blog

August 22, 2016 Despite reports of overall malaise in the wood products market, Freres Lumber Company had our second consecutive week of strong sales volumes. While some discounts were necessary to prime the pump, commodity sheathing moved out in an orderly fashion. Secondaries have spent the...

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08 Aug August Market Report: Each Wood Product Market Presents Its Own Challenge

Posted at 17:28h in blog

  August 8, 2016 Changes in the wood product market produce individual challenges for Freres Lumber Company in the veneer, plywood, and lumber sectors. Veneer There is curretly more veneer production than can be supported, which is not generally a good sign. That said the veneer being produced is...

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25 Jul Freres Lumber July Market Update: Strong Plywood Markets Continue A Two-Year Streak

Posted at 17:00h in blog

July 25, 2016 The Freres Lumber Company mill is busy filling orders for a thriving plywood market.   Strong Plywood Market Plywood continues to show strength amid the longest sustained market in two years. Mills have maintained a minimum of 2-3 week order files and prices have edged up...

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18 Jul Weighing the Effectiveness of Ventek’s Multi-Point Diverter System

Posted at 16:59h in blog

July 18, 2016 There have been many technological advances in veneer manufacturing over the years. One of the more recent advances in our industry has been the development of the Multi-Point Diverter System (MPDS) by a local Oregon company, Ventek Inc.   The MPDS replaces traditional vacuum diverter...

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11 Jul July Market Report: Lagging Housing Starts Affecting Wood Products Markets

Posted at 16:43h in blog

July 11, 2016 We're seeing a lot of activity in the wood products market and here at Freres Lumber Company as the summer rolls on, some positive, others challenging.   Challenging Wood Products Markets The plywood and veneer markets are overcoming significant hurdles on the way to stronger prices....

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20 Jun June Market Update: Upticks in Wood Products Market Predict Solid Summer

Posted at 17:14h in blog

June 20, 2016 An improved wood products market bodes well for a productive summer for Freres Lumber Company.   The western plywood market has maintained its pace over the last few weeks, with good sales volumes, prices edging up by the end of last week and, in many...

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13 Jun A Conversation with Rob Freres, Part 2

Posted at 16:42h in blog

June 13, 2016 By: Nicole Miller, public relations consultant   “We have invested an average of $6M annually in technology for the past dozen years to stay competitive so we can continue to provide for our employees, as well as our community.” – Rob Freres   Tell me how key...

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23 May A Conversation with Rob Freres, Part 1

Posted at 18:02h in blog

May 23, 2016 By: Nicole Miller   “I hope when people in the timber dependent communities of rural Oregon think of Rob Freres, they think of a friend, a steadfast supporter of their communities and their way of life.” – Rob Freres   I recently sat down with Rob Freres,...

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16 May May Market Update: Wood Products Orders Stay Ahead of a Dip in the Market

Posted at 22:36h in blog

May 16, 2016 Sales for this past week were slower, but with the last three weeks of strong sales at Freres Lumber Company we have been able to build a decent order file that can handle the dip in activity. Consistent Trading Prices that firmed up over the...

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