The Lumber Word
Three Lumber Industry veterans talk about the weekly, monthly and yearly trends. What is going on with inventory in the field, production and distribution. We help educate everyone in the distribution chain with information most like to not talk about. Highlighted items that are overvalued and undervalued are also discussed. Guests in the industry will occasionally drop in to help us dial in some lumber details. Most important is we have fun talking lumber and our listeners love it.
Episodes
This episode of The Lumber Word is dedicated to Scott Adams, who passed away this week. One of the main reasons this podcast exists is because of his influence—his ability to cut through noise, challenge assumptions, and explain complex systems in a way that actually made sense. That mindset is at the core of what we try to do every week: make this podcast useful and give back to the lumber industry. Thanks, Scott.
Gregg, Matt, Ash...
Matt, Gregg, Ashley, and Charles kick off the New Year by breaking down the flow of lumber heading into 2026. From what different species are doing to why listeners of The Lumber Word tend to be a step ahead. The crew digs into market positioning, hedging misconceptions, and where real opportunity lies. If you want a few laughs and to be a smarter, better-prepared lumber trader in 2026, this episode is a must-listen.
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...Alex Mead from StoneX joins Gregg, Matt, Ashley, and Charles for a milestone Episode 150 packed with market insight. The group breaks down current lumber conditions, why the new CME SYP lumber contract is positioned to grow in the coming years, and what the Commitment of Traders Report is signaling about the next move. They discuss the wide spread between CME and spot lumber, how buyers across the supply chain are reacting, and wh...
Industry veteran Sig Thoma joins Gregg, Matt, and Ashley to break down a lumber market searching for direction. The crew digs into mill fixed costs, why curtailments are so tough, and where early green shoots may appear heading into 2026. They debate contracts vs. VMI for next year, highlight what sellers are doing, and share the items they’re buying—plus the risk strategies they’re using right now. A fast, insightful episode to he...
In Episode #148 of The Lumber Word, Matt, Gregg, Charles and Ashley sit down with Kyle Little, COO of Sherwood Lumber and current NAWLA Chairman, to talk about staying grateful in one of the toughest markets we've seen in years. Kyle gives an inside look at what NAWLA is working on to improve meetings and member engagement, while the crew runs through a quick market round robin — how short is multi-family, where inventory is hiding...
This week we welcome back one of our favorite guests — and sponsor — Matt Layman. The crew breaks down the strange mood gripping the industry: no curtailments, exhausted traders, Repair & Remodel softening, and customers disappearing into the weeds. We run through every major species, what’s cheap, what’s expensive, and how November expiration and January futures could shape the next move. Matt shares what his members are seei...
Gregg, Matt, and Ashley dive right in this week after a jam-packed NAWLA Traders event in Kansas City. The trio breaks down the mood coming out of the show — who was optimistic, who wasn’t, and what that means for the lumber market heading into year-end. They take a hard look at the November CME lumber expiration, asking whether open interest is too high or if most of it will roll into EFPs as the year winds down. The conversation...
This week on The Lumber Word, the crew welcomes Patrick Teoli, IT specialist and owner of BluCirrus, to tackle all those tech questions that “just unplug it and plug it back in” won’t solve. From system crashes to smarter setups, Patrick keeps it real about how tech meets the lumber world.
Then, things heat up fast in the lumber market discussion — and it’s a wild one. After a sharp CME selloff, fear is rippling through the supply ...
Matt, Gregg, Charles, and Ashley are back on track this week talking about what might be the calm before the next lumber storm. The crew breaks down the quiet market tone and asks the question everyone’s thinking — are we moving from seasonal weakness into a period of strength? Charles thinks many dealers have been “good-dealed to death” over the past 60 days and simply don’t need to buy, while Gregg takes the other side of that t...
Gregg, Charles, and Ashley kick things off with a deep dive into Southern Pine curtailments — and why they still haven’t kicked in. The crew then runs through different scenarios for when Canadian mills might finally shut down more production. Gregg predicts we could see a 7-handle on lumber in Q1 of ’26, while Charles brings up multi-family projects and who’s short that business heading into 2026. Gregg also sparks a conversation...
We jump right in by challenging each other on the ultimate lumber question — what would hurt the most people the most: prices going up or down? From there, it’s a full-on debate about seasonality, market psychology, and whether this “underbought” market is actually overproduced… or maybe it’s the other way around. As usual, we dropped plenty of gems on how each of us navigates the chaos to make money in today’s market. Then the sp...
Russ Taylor joins Matt, Gregg, and Ashley to unpack tariffs, production costs, and the week’s price moves. Could lumber really hit $800 MBF in Q1? Tune in for sharp insights and insider tips every trader and builder will want to hear.
Guest:
Russ Taylor
Russtaylor@russtaylorglobal.com
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Fastmarkets Random Lengths
Layman’s Lumber Guide
Dustin Jalbert from Fastmarkets is back with us this week, and the crew dives deep into the latest twists in the lumber market. Charles kicks things off with a rundown on Southern Pine, then we shift into production trends and what last month’s housing completions mean for new home sales. Gregg and Dustin break down what they’re seeing on the production side while Matt ties it all together with some sharp insights. We talk timing o...
Charles is back from wrangling cattle, Matt’s out in Texas, and Ashley and Gregg return from a wedding to dive into the latest lumber talk. Curtailment announcements gave the market a short-term jolt—does this signal a bottom, or are we still waiting? We break down what housing starts really mean, whether customers are sitting on healthy inventory or running on fumes, and what all this says about the months ahead. Plus, big news: T...
Stinson Dean from Revol Building Solutions joins Matt, Gregg, and Ashley to break down the latest lumber market signals. Fresh off his feature in The Wall Street Journal, Stinson dives into supply and demand, what end users are doing, and how different scenarios could play out. The crew challenges each other with bold takes on where things may head next.
Guest: Stinson Dean stinson.dean@revol-ig.com
X ...
The Lumber Word crew is back with special guest Rob Cross from StoneX, a veteran voice in the lumber industry. Gregg may have handed out the keys to the lumber castle today with the sheer amount of free insight he shared. Charles breaks down what’s happening in the SYP market, while Matt dives into the cost stacks shaping price moves. Ashley takes a hard look at how greed and fear yanked this market from $700 to $520 in just one mo...
In Episode #136 of The Lumber Word Podcast, Matt, Gregg, and Ashley take the lead while Charles tends to the cattle. This week’s guest is none other than Brian Wesbury, Chief Economist at First Trust LP, and one of our most popular returning guests. Despite his busy schedule, which includes numerous media appearances, Brian always makes time to share his perspective on economics and lumber with our listeners.
The episode kicks off ...
Matt, Charles, and Ashley run the desk while Gregg’s in Canada. With light trading, mills sitting still, and buyers hesitant, the market’s stuck in confusion. Housing starts look steady, but tariff noise has everyone frozen. Will SPF pick a direction, or will SYP and U.S. species finally wake up?
Show Contacts
Gregg Riley: Gregg@sitkainc.com
Charles DeLaTorre: cdelatorre@ifpwood.com
Matt Beymer: mattbeymer@hamptonlumber.com
This week, we’re calling our shot on just how low September Lumber Futures could go—and why a cash market adjustment may be right behind it. If you’re buying, selling, or negotiating in the next 30 days, you’ll want to hear this.
We’re also joined by returning guest Chris Beard from John Burns Research & Consulting, with sharp insights on builders powering through price swings, the rise of build-to-rent, and SYP–SPF species swa...
Join hosts Matt, Gregg, Ashley, and Charles for Episode #133 of "The Lumber Word" Podcast, your weekly deep dive into the wild world of lumber markets. This episode unpacks the latest cash and futures trends, explores key inflection points amid truckers scrambling for orders, and mills in Canada and the US starting to look for real orders.
We debate why raising prices doesn't always mean buyers bite, how CVD/AD duties are baked in...
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