Arkansas Democrat Gazette,
by John Magsam | April 11, 2021 at 2:08 a.m.,
Lumber prices across the nation are at record highs and that means headaches and higher prices for the Arkansas’ home builders and lumber suppliers.
The covid-19 pandemic pummeled the lumber industry, first shutting down production and then, as record low mortgage rates made new homes attractive, ratcheting up demand. Meanwhile people stuck at home for months went in search of material for home improvement projects, while other’s opted for home expansion, driving lumber demand, and prices even higher.
Adam Wells, president of Lumber One Home Center, which has stores in Mayflower and Stuttgart, said the cycle of supply disruptions over the past year because of the pandemic, mixed with surges in demand for lumber and other building materials, created market conditions he’s never seen before.