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

mlogelin@gulfcoastshelter.com

Advertiser

Fastmarkets RISI

Dustin Jalbert

Senior Economist Wood Products

djalbert@fastmarkets.com

www.fastmarkets.com

Show Contacts:

Gregg Riley: Gregg@sitkainc.com

Charles DeLaTorre: cdelatorre@ifpwood.com

Matt Beymer: mattbeymer@hamptonlumber.com

Ashley Boeckholt: ashley@sitkainc.com