EP 162: Is Lumber Having Its WTF Moment?

Mike Logelin (Gulf Coast Shelter) is back and breaking down what it really looks like to build a lumber business from the ground up—team building, growing pains, and why patience matters in today’s market. Then the crew dives headfirst into one of the most dynamic setups we’ve seen in a while: tightening supply, exploding low-grade pricing, and a freight market that’s turning everything upside down. From Southern Yellow Pine ripping higher to spruce and hem-fir tightening fast, this episode connects the dots between species spreads, trucking chaos, and why the next “panic buy” moment might be closer than you think. If you want to understand what’s actually driving this market—and where the opportunity (and risk) is—this one delivers. Timestamps 0:00 – Intro + Mike Logan returns 1:00 – Building a trading team from scratch (startup realities) 5:00 – Hiring, training, and the next generation in lumber 7:45 – Market kickoff: everything moving higher 9:00 – Texas demand, low inventories, and species substitution 12:00 – Low-grade explosion (why #3 is driving the bus) 16:00 – Hem-fir + western market tightness 17:45 – Southern Yellow Pine surge + short positions 19:30 – Freight chaos: trucks disappearing, costs spiking 23:00 – Why logistics = real pricing power right now 27:00 – Regional markets tightening due to freight 29:00 – When does the “panic buying” moment hit? 30:30 – Global flows (Euro, Middle East disruption) 33:30 – Macro curveballs: rates, crypto, housing demand 36:30 – Inventory positioning: who’s exposed right now Guest Mike Logelin President-Gulf Coast Shelter [email protected] Advertiser Fastmarkets RISI Dustin Jalbert Senior Economist Wood Products [email protected] www.fastmarkets.com Show Contacts: Gregg Riley: [email protected] Charles DeLaTorre: [email protected] Matt Beymer: [email protected] Ashley Boeckholt: [email protected]