Analyzing lunher supply

fT was I year oI lumber becoming r progressively more difficult to buy. Frozen prices caused distortion in traditional sawmill production and distribution patterns. And in some cases, market letters could report a price variance of as much as $20 per thousand in a single item.

But sawmill production, itsel{, was almost totally devoid of surprises in 1971. In figures released by Forest Industries, in its 1972 Buyer's Guide and Yearbook, the top ten U.S. producers were the same in l97l as in 1970. Some jockeying took place in the 8th, 9th, and l0th positions, (see accompanying nble), but otherwise there was no change.

Weyerhaeuser Company showed a gain in excess of 260 million feet, the sharpest year.to-year gain in recent years. -Production for second place found G-P almost the same. Georgia-

Pacific opened four new mills while production decreased.at some of their other mills, which gave G-P a slight net loss.

Boise Cascade had a sizable increase in production. The increases

Story o] q Glonce

ln a period when lumber sup ply became critical, an analy- sis of sawmill production shows surprisingly little change from the previous yeal first seven slots of the "big ten" are unchanged.

were primarily centered in units at St. Helens, Ore.; Bciise, Idaho; and Elgin, Ore. Potlatch had a gain of about six percent. This was accomplished mostly by increases at Lewis- ton, Idaho, and Warren, Ark. Potlatch ceased production altogether at Deer Park, Wash., and Elk City, Idaho.

Fifth was Pack River Co. which joined the top ten in just the lsst few years.

Headquartered in Spokane, Wash., the company produes lumber in Idaho, Montana, and Washington. The largest production increase for St. Regis Paper Co. occurred in its Libby and Troy, Montana units. The Klickitat,, Wash., sawmill showed an increase of twdve million feet.

&lward Hines Lumber Co. was the big surprise in this year's rating. Pro duction increased fifteen percent, causing the Hines Co. to surge ahead of both Diamond International and Masonite Corp. Cut a[ the Hines, Oregon, mill jumped by 32 million (Coninuzd, on Page 50)