Hard work and expertise equal survival and profitability

By Pete Niebling Executive Vice President North American Wholesale Lumber Association

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Eour l98l Regional Meeting tour of North AmericanWhol+ sale Lumber Association, we visited eighteen key cities in the U.S. and Canada. The long-term U.S. housing slump has had serious effects for both manufacturers and wholesalers. Thus, there was great interest and discussion regarding the 1982 outlook for forest product markets.

This year there has been a wide range in predicted housing starts for 1982. Those that we have noted run from a low of 1,170,000 to a high of 1,800,000. Ten out of thirteen estimates we have seen are at oneand-a-half million or less.