At Big C Lumber’s millwork operation, meanwhile, Wallace’s crew has taken to adding extra detailing to composite trim profiles to provide a customized material at a lower price point (and better long-term performance) compared to solid or finger-jointed wood. “Both custom and production builders appreciate that,” he says.
Trend Watch More so than any other division within an LBM operation, and perhaps the entire housing and construction realm, the millwork industry has become the bellwether of materials and application trends.
The use of synthetics and composites, which are steadily gaining market share in several millwork and other building materials categories (see “Surveys Say,” page 98), is just one example; other materials, driven by home builders looking to distinguish their projects in an increasingly competitive climate and by a millwork operation’s diverse customer base that stretches into all types of commercial installations (think dentists’ offices and courtrooms), have evolved from cottage-industry status to mainstream appeal.
Knotty alder is a prime example. Once just one among a sea of wood species tapped for trim moldings and doors, the material has quickly vaulted into the realm of popular culture because of its distinct, traditional look. “I see it almost everywhere I go,” says Tim Foster, BMC West’s purchasing manager for doors and millwork in Boise, Idaho. “It’s the most popular among stain-grade doors,” a broader category that also includes cherry, maple, and hickory as increasingly popular alternatives to oak and paint-grade door materials.
The demand for stain-grade and exotic woods, as opposed to clay-coated finger-jointed stock, underscores economic conditions—namely recent increased capacity of exotic, sustainably harvested species from Brazilian and Chilean mills to meet global demand—that have lowered price points to make higher-quality woods more competitive (and available) with finger-jointed stock and more affordable to a deeper pool of builders and buyers.
At Big C Lumber, Wallace also sees trends toward maple and mahogany (as opposed to various oaks and finger-jointed stock) for a variety of millwork applications, while Bucher’s market is upping its demand for cherry and walnut, both of which Square Deal enjoys ready access to domestic supply lines from Kentucky’s thriving timber industry.
In addition to stocking or sourcing a broader mix of millwork materials, dealers are also catering to design trends. BMC Millwork, for instance, offers trim and door packages for specific, popular housing styles, including Craftsman, American Bungalow, and Art Deco. “It gives builders an opportunity to boost curb appeal without breaking the budget,” says Foster. “That’s especially important as builders start to pay more attention to details and finishes,” as new construction activity wanes a bit from its record-setting pace.
A Separate Piece More so than a dealer’s LBM side, the diverse customer and product mix of a typical millwork shop enables that division to adjust more quickly to changing economic and other market conditions—and supports the conventional wisdom that it remain separate from the lumber operation to sustain its profitability.
At Square Deal Lumber, for instance, a wealth of work from a recent slew of state-mandated new and upgraded courthouse projects is tailing off on the commercial side, forcing Bucher to alter his marketing strategy. “We want to boost residential sales to a higher proportion than its been in the last five years,” he says, a directive aided by the new line of knock-down cabinets from China as well as a more concerted marketing and advertising effort to get consumers (and their builders) into the showroom that fronts Square Deal’s millwork shop and warehouse.
Big C Lumber also is hoping to attract more residential business, especially for its cabinet division, which has historically catered to clients building in the commercial/retail realm. Though most of the housing-related orders will likely come from the lumber side of the business, Wallace is careful to keep the two divisions distinct in the eyes of the market. “We don’t see ourselves as a lumberyard that sells trim and doors,” he says. “This is an independent operation, and we’ve made significant capital investments to be a legitimate player in that business.” —Rich Binsacca is a contributing editor for PROSALES.
