Southern Lumber Producers: Past, Present, and Future

After yet another consolidating acquisition of southern sawmills, it seems like an opportune moment to review the changing profile of the softwood lumber industry in the U.S. South. At the end of 2008 – the early days of the housing crisis – southern softwood lumber capacity totaled near an all-time high of 19.5 billion board feet. A slew of mill closures in 2009 and 2010 trimmed capacity to below 17 billion board feet before beginning a long recovery. In 2017, this capacity finally exceeded its 2008 total and continues to climb at a steady clip.