Forestry-related industry performance was mixed in February/March-not unlike the January data-in both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors.Total industrial production (IP) edged up 0.1% (+0.3%) in February after decreasing 0.3% in January (revised from +0.2%). Total IP in February was +3.5% Year-over-Year (YoY). Performance of major sub-groups was as follows:  

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Spring has officially sprung. It's an important time of year for companies like Home Depot, who began filling more than 80,000 temporary positions in February to prepare for the April rush of foot traffic. While this enthusiasm represents stable consumer confidence on the retail level, it also underscores the trend towards home improvement rather than home buying. Despite the positive outlook, compelling mortgage rates and new-home inventories, Q12015 US GDP (0.2 percent expansion) and housing market data were both unimpressive, and expectations for the second quarter and beyond remain lukewarm.  

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The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) recently published its report on forestry best management practices (BMPs) for maintaining water quality-a comprehensive summary of BMP activity by state aptly timed to be released in conjunction with Earth Day 2015. Seasoned industry veterans will glean helpful information from its pages, but the report also serves the larger forest-products industry by offering a certain level of transparency into the business of forest management, as well as the regulatory oversight process. It provides tangible industry data, key findings and recommendations, and raises public awareness for the responsible silviculture practices that have become industry standards.  

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Earlier this month, The Conservation Fund (CF) announced its partnership with global technology giant Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) in the acquisition of 36,000 acres of timberland in the Eastern US. Managed through CF subsidiary The Working Forest Fund (WFF), the newly-acquired land includes 32,400 acres within Maine's Reed Forest, as well as 3,600 acres in southeastern North Carolina's Brunswick Forest. While WFF is responsible for acquiring and managing over 400,000 acres of forestlands in 13 states since its inception in 1998, this latest partnership serves to highlight the increasing need for reasonable environmental stewardship at a corporate level and, most importantly, broader consumer education of sustainable forestry practices.

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A recent article in the Tidewater News asks the question, "Is the wood product industry sustainable in Western Tidewater?" The question is an important one. The forest products industry is not sustainable if wood supply dries up, and no one understands the significance of this better than the forest products industry. Unfortunately, the answer provided in this article falls short of providing a complete and therefore accurate picture of Southampton County's forest resources and their long-term sustainability. Instead of trying to answer this question directly, the article suggests that only one segment of the forest products industry, wood pellet manufacturers, is responsible for a lack of sustainability.

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With increased demand for wood fiber and supply restrictions created by a collapsed sawtimber market at the end of the last decade, select wood basins across the South will experience price pressure over the next ten years. In this environment, manufacturers using wood fiber to manufacture wood, paper and energy products will be under more pressure than ever to manage their wood costs.

To help these industries manage and mitigate the risk of higher prices, Forest2Market has launched a supply chain optimization system that can help manufacturers identify inefficiencies in their supply chains and implement strategies for lowering their wood fiber costs.

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