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Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



July 10, 1922 



Veneer and Plywood Trade in Better Condition Than for Many 



Months, Chicago Members of Trade Declare 



According to the experience of Chicago manufacturers and dis- 

 tributors of veneers and plywoods the trade is in a happier situation 

 today than it has enjoyed since the first days of the now historic 

 slump in American business. During the last month and more 

 demand for all items has increased, and though there have been 

 no marked advances in prices, prices of some items have gone up 

 and, in general, are firmer than for a long time. The good busi- 

 ness which is being done on the mid-summer furniture markets is 

 already being reflected in the purchasing of veneers and panels, 

 w^hile the demand from building sources remains strong. The 

 prospect for heavy August and fall business is considered splendid. 

 The building boom is expected to continue late into the fall, while 

 it is believed that the business w^hich the furniture people are 

 booking on the present markets, together with their autumn road 

 business, v/ill restore demand from this industry to norm,al, or 

 perhaps increase it to something like boom-time proportions. Pros- 

 perity for the next few months seems almost assured. The good 

 demand for the expensive, highly figured items will continue, w^hile 

 demand for medium grade stock will enjoy a substantial increase. 



Julius Spicker, Sr.» of the Ingalls-Spicker- Ransom Co., stated 

 that business is improving and that he expects heavy buying to de- 

 velop from the furniture industry soon after the termination of the 

 mid-summer show^s. "Real buying w^ill begin along about the 

 first or middle of August," he said. "I understand that the trade 

 in medium priced lines has been good at all the markets and this 

 will mean that medium grade veneer and panel stock will begin 

 to sell. The high class stock can always take care of itself." He 

 expects prices in medium grade stock to stiffen and perhaps ad- 

 vance. Mr. Spicker has recently returned from a trip to James- 

 town and he said that the furniture people up there have enjoyed 

 as good business as have the Grand Rapids and Chicago exhibitors. 

 There, too, the bulk of the business w^as in medium priced lines. 



TTie Veneer Lumber & Plywood Company finds the outlook 

 bright, though the expensive figured veneers and panels are mov- 

 ing slowly at present. May was a better month than June or July, 

 thus far. Buying has not yet assumed a normal aspect, but con- 

 tinues spasmodic, meaning that consumers are not yet inclined to 

 buy for more than brief future coverage, getting into the mar- 

 ket only when they are pressed for stock. However, they expect 

 this condition to improve within the next two or three months. 

 They find improvement in quartered oak demand from the desk 

 manufacturers and there is good demand from the fixture people 

 for plain red oak, which is very scarce and hard to get. They 

 are enjoying a good business in figured walnut for special fixture 

 jobs. Prices on walnut items are stiffening. 



The R. C. Clark Veneer Company reports a picking up in busi- 

 ness, attributable to the good business being done on the furni- 

 ture markets. Demand is a good deal more general than before, 

 and the future demand from the furniture industry is considered 

 particularly promising. The building trades demand is holding up 

 pretty well. Demand for figured walnut stock is good and is in- 

 creasing for the plainer stock. During the next few months it 

 is expected that there will be a heavier sale for the lower grades 

 than for a long time. The building trades are making strong 

 demand for oak, both plain red and quartered, and the plain red, 

 particularly in good widths, is mighty scarce. There is plenty of 

 gum moving for draw bottoms, case backs and such purposes. 

 The shortage of logs in the northern region is still acute, making 

 something of a famine in northern items. Prices of fir panels have 

 stiffened considerably since July I. The fixture trade is taking 

 good quantities of mahogany and quartered oak stock. But this 

 trade is taking very little figured gum. 



Tom Dean, of the Dean-Spicker Co., stated that "business is 

 picking up and orders are coming in more briskly. The furni- 

 ture people are already buying as a result of the good sales made 



at the June-July shows. Prices are holding up well and are steady, 

 though competition continues very keen. Figured w^alnut leads 

 in demand, as usual, but demand for mahogany stock is increasing." 



J. R. Dean, head of the firm, w^ho during the w^inter suffered a 

 "flu* attack and then had to undergo an operation for appendicitis, 

 has fully recovered his health and is again able to do full time at 

 the office. 



R. A. Smith, of the Mound City Veneer Mills, declared that de- 

 mand for all rotary cut veneer items has substantially increased. He 

 had just returned from Grand Rapids, where he found the furniture 

 people doing a good business in the medium priced and cheap 

 lines and, already getting into the market for veneers and panels in 

 a more substantial w^ay than for some time. He finds that prices 

 have not advanced much, but that they are firmer than a month 

 ago. "There is a better feeling in the trade," Mr. Smith said, 

 "and I believe business is going to pick up mighty fast from now 

 on. The furniture industry seems to be approaching normal pro- 

 duction, and it is likely to be abnormal soon. 1 predict a fine 

 business this fall." 



Chas. A. Snapp, of the C. L. Willey Company, made the state- 

 ment that "business is improving very rapidly and w^e expect a 

 fine business this fall. Beginning in August or September demand 

 is going to be fine." Mr. Snapp's company has enjoyed a very 

 good business for the last two months and June and the first 

 week in July have been better than May, in spite of the fact that 

 July is generally the dullest month of the year. Mr. Snapp expects 

 a very good demand for fine figured w^oods, particularly walnut. 

 Mahogany demand is picking up and quartered oak is coming back. 

 Prices from now on will be stiffening. According to his knowl- 

 edge of conditions in the furniture industry it is approaching 

 normal production and in the fall w^ill probably have so far im- 

 proved that some of the factories will be running day and night 

 shifts. 



R. M. Bickford, of the J. C. Deacon Co., said that business is 

 better. He is apprehensive of the effect of the rapid increases 

 that are taking place in prices of door stock and other items for 

 the building trades, particularly fir panels. He sees a prospect of 



good fall business "a nice, steady demand throughout the next 



few months." He is finding difficulty in getting deliveries from 

 the mills because of the increasing demands upon them from all 

 sources of buying. 



H. P. Walsh, of the Veneer Manufacturers Company, had the 

 following to say concerning conditions in the trade: 



"June experienced a decidedly brisk demand for veneers and 

 panels, and with the building activity going ahead on a greater 

 scale than ever, it is expected the volume w^ill be larger this month. 



"Conditions at the mills show improveirient, though most of 

 them have not their full supply of logs. 



"The price trend for lumber is toward higher levels, due to 

 stimulated demand, and as veneer invariably follows the trend of 

 lumber, prices for the latter have a tendency to increase, and 

 advances are already show^n on quite a few items. 



"Reports from various sections indicate that the threatened car 

 shortage w^ill become acute in the near future as soon as crops 

 start to move. The consumer is wise w^ho anticipates his require- 

 ments and places orders before prices have advanced materially, 

 and w^hile it is possible to move stock w^ithout delay." 



Improved Demand for Mahogany^ 



The International Mahogany and Trading Corporation, w^hich 

 recently opened up offices in the Whitney-Central Bank building, 

 New Orleans, finds some improvement in the demand for mahogany 

 lumber and veneers. G. W. Guirl, manager, stated that he thought 

 the darkest days were over and that the trend henceforth must be 

 upward. 



