The Lumber Word

EP 119: European Lumber's U.S. Port Pinch & Southern Yellow Pine's Wild Regional Spreads

Join us for an insightful conversation with Thomas Mende of Binderholz, a leading expert in European lumber manufacturing, the largest importer of dimension from Europe to the US, and operator of two cutting-edge Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) mills in Florida and North Carolina. In this episode, Thomas dives into the future of European lumber shipments to the US, exploring the impact of currency fluctuations and log costs. We discuss the home center business, mass timber trends, and global export markets. Learn about the innovative flexibility of Binderholz’s US SYP mills to adapt cutting profiles swiftly and uncover value opportunities in the eastside vs. westside 2x4 #2 SYP pricing spread. Packed with industry insights, this episode will leave you smarter and inspired with fresh trading ideas.

EP 118: "Montreal to Market Moves: What Lumber Traders Need to Know

The crew is back from Montreal, and Episode #118 kicks off with a debrief on what it’s like returning to the grind after the high energy of the convention floor. Matt, Ashley, Charles, and Gregg dive right into the pulse of the lumber market: is it ready to roll over, or are we seeing glimmers of strength under the surface?
They break down key indicators from the field—what species look like a buy, what’s dragging, and what might surprise to the upside. From SYP to SPF and beyond, the gang weighs in on what they’re moving and what they’re steering clear of.
Plus, are customers quietly building inventory or continuing to run lean? The answer might impact how you trade the next few weeks.
This one is packed with real-time lumber market guidance. If you’re in the game—or want to be—you’ll walk away with sharp trading insights and maybe even a better idea of how the second quarter is shaping up. Don’t miss it!

EP 117: Live from The Montreal Wood Convention

Charles, Ashley, Gregg and Dustin go live onstage in Montreal. The #1 lumber podcast breaks down their thoughts on the convention. What did we feel coming to the event, and what do we feel now that we've been here and are getting ready to leave with our thoughts? Is the market going to go up down, sideways or uncertain? Wow did we get the information here! Come have a listen!

EP 116: Lumber, You’re Still Dangerous. But You Can Be My Wingman Anytime

With the full lumber crew—Matt, Charles, Gregg, and Ashley—dive deep into the current state of the lumber market as April kicks off. From SYP oddities to the new CME contract, the team covers what traders, builders, and mills are buzzing about.
Matt breaks down volatile DDF prices and the coastal Hem-Fir jump, Charles unpacks the SYP 2x4 #2 vs. #3 price parity mystery, and Gregg gives us the lowdown on European spruce and Eastern SPF. The crew also tackles the low-volume launch of the new SYP futures contract at CME, supply/demand imbalances across home centers and pro yards, and where inventory might be bottling up.
Rounding it out: a lively chat on mill margins, tariff speculation, and of course, our favorite segment—Marry, Date, Dump—featuring lumber picks and a few laughs.
 If you're in the wood world, you don’t want to miss this one.

EP 115: "Lumber Tariff Built-In or Baked Out Price?" w/ Matt Layman

Matt Layman is back, and we start cranking early. From builder earnings to home sale trends, we dig into what’s driving the housing and lumber machine right now. Then we ask the big one: Is the tariff risk already priced in? Or is there more heat to come?
We get into the SPF vs. SYP narrative—why it’s gotten way too loud, and what matters. With the new SYP CME contract launching Monday, we take a few wild guesses on how it’ll trade.
Plus, we tackle real customer questions (some live!), and as always, drop a few nuggets to make you just a little bit smarter.

EP 114: FHA Exposé

Ashley, Matt, Gregg, Charles, and guest John Comiskey, a mortgage tech veteran and data sleuth, dive deep into the alarming rise of FHA loan delinquencies and their potential ripple effects on the housing and lumber markets. They expose how skyrocketing mortgage defaults—some borrowers making only a handful of payments over years—are straining government-backed mortgage programs and potentially gaming the system. The episode unpacks the data behind these trends, explores what tightening FHA rules in 2026 could mean for first-time homebuyers, and analyzes the downstream impact on construction demand and lumber pricing. Packed with sharp insights, industry analysis, and a touch of humor, this episode is a must-listen for anyone in the lumber, real estate, or construction supply chain looking to navigate the challenges ahead.

EP 113: If You’re Not Listening to The Lumber Word, You Might as Well Be Getting Market Advice from a Used Car Lot

Matt, Gregg, Ashley, and Charles take a deep dive into the SYP spread against Canadian lumber—what does it signal for the market? With everyone suddenly having plenty of time to debate tariffs, is that a sign of a slowdown? The crew breaks it all down and highlights some other key market trends that traders should be watching.
Looking ahead, we tease next week's guest, who just might bring the next Big Short-level conversation to the lumber world. Plus, we play a round of "What We Want to Buy" vs. "What We’re Dumping" as we navigate the ever-shifting market landscape.
Big things are coming—over the next few months, we’re opening the lumber conversation to expand the audience and bring more voices into the mix. Don’t miss this episode of The Lumber Word, the #1 lumber podcast in the world!

EP 112: Kyle Little: Big Calls & Bold Takes on Lumber’s Future

Kyle Little, COO of Sherwood Lumber and frequent CNBC personality, joins The Lumber Word—and he does not disappoint! In this jam-packed episode, we break down the past week (and especially the last 48 hours) in the lumber industry, covering:
 Southern Pine, U.S. species, Euro, and Canadian lumber—what’s hot, what’s not, and where the market is headed. Big calls & bold forecasts—Matt, Gregg, Ashley, and Charles lay out what they think happens next in lumber, from now through year-end. New CME SYP Contract—what it means for traders and why it could shake things up.
This one’s a must-listen for lumber traders, mills, builders, distributors, framers, and component manufacturers. We’re here to make the industry better, sharper, and more profitable—every single week.

EP 111: The Tariff Talk We Never Want to Have Again

On this week’s episode of The Lumber Word, we give away a ton of valuable insights—because that’s what the #1 lumber podcast in North America does! We kick things off with a special announcement: Charles is officially in the introduction. Then, Ashley jumps right into the market talk before launching into an epic tariff rant about the chaos of cross-border trade (yes, he touches the third rail). Gregg sharpens the point of the conversation by tripling down that there will be no tariff.
Gregg pulls things back on track with a productive discussion on what builders and multi-family projects with sold jobs in Q2 and Q3 should be doing to cover their needs. Matt and Charles have some of the best insight to date on this.  We also break down what we like to own, what we want to sell, and where we see opportunities. One takeaway? We never want to talk about tariffs again—everyone knows they’re coming, but we’re exhausted by it.
Come listen, learn, and leave knowing more than when you hit play. And as always, it’s free!

EP 110: The Trading Campfire: Undervalued Items, Lumber Prognostication and Polished Knowledge

Pull up a chair at the mill’s fishing camp because this episode is packed with classic lumber trader BS, war stories, and some useful market insights. We kick things off with a SYP talk, asking Charles why published prices keep climbing when he insists, they’re flat. Did we spill too much on what we think values should be? Maybe. We also dig into how much tariff speculation is already baked into prices.
Matts had the best market pulse lately, and he breaks down what mills’ optimizers are up to. Gregg takes us through housing starts, and Charles lays out the numbers on 2x4 and 2x6 9'. This episode is loaded with free intel—things your lazy trading partner might be missing.
Come for the stories, stay for the knowledge. Listen in and get ahead!