Plywood record seen Story at a Glance

The plywood industry is looking forward to record production in 1977, spurred by a home building recovery and anticipated further advances in nonhousing markets and exports.

American Plywood Association executive v.p. Bronson J. Lewis told industry leaders from 18 states (at the APA's recent fall meeting in Biloxi, Ms.) that plywood production should reach l8.l billion sq. ft. this year "and a record 18.9 billion sq. ft. in r97t;'

APA forecast for '77 is a record 18.9 billion sq. ft. . housing starts to hit 1.5 milf ion this year, 1 .75 next year. export market is booming.

Production in 1975 was 16.l billion sq. ft.

A new demand forecast released by the association predicts that housing starts will rebound to a respectable 1.5 million level in 1976, and reach a brisk 1.75 million in 1971.

The forecast adds that rising interest rates could cut back 1978 starts to the neighborhood of 1.6 million, but the plywood outlook remains encouraging due to the steady growth of nonhousing markets.

One of the highlights of the meeting was an upbeat assessment of plywood's booming export market by APA international markets manager Tom Fast. Reporting on a recent promotional trip to Europe, Fast said that export shipments for the first half of 1976, mostly to Europe, were 85Vo ahead of 1975.

Nearly half of the 1976 shipments through June went to Scandinavia and Western Europe.

Exports totaled 790 million sq. ft. n 1975, and are expected to set a new record this year. The market is now plywood's fifth largest, behind residential construction; homeowner (do-it-yourself/remodeling): industrial: and nonresidential construction.

Other promotion highlights noted by Lewis were the continuing success of the All-Weather Wood Foundation (there are now 10,000 homes in place on wood foundations and the number is increasing daily) and new opportunities for plywood in the underfloor plenum system. Underfloor plenums in conjunction with the All-Weather Wood Foundation offer significant savings over homes built with conventional concrete slab floors, with the additional benefits of greater warmth and comfort.

He also reported that plywood used in mobile homes has increased 62% per unit since 1972. He predicted the trend will continue because of plywood's structural and esthetic contributions to double-wide and 14foot wide units.

Commercial and industrial roof decks, industrial applications and the do-it-yourself/remodeling markets are also seen as major elements in the increasing diversification of plywood markets.