Natalie, Trent, and Chelsea kick things off with some classic airport chaos. They circle through Kansas City’s new airport (featuring Patrick Lumber hemlock), detour to South Dakota’s Corn Palace, and then get into the actual news: Stella-Jones closing on Brooks Manufacturing, BlueLinx expanding, a new Mead Lumber yard, leadership changes at Roy O'Martin, mortgage-rate chatter (including portable mortgages and 50-year terms), and lumber prices dipping.

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Live from NAWLA Traders Market, we trade booth noise for breaking news: BlueLinx buys Disdero, Chinook strikes a deal to acquire South Coast, West Fraser announces permanent closures, and Trex expands distribution in Michigan. Plus: travel chaos watch, swag report, and a lightning round on mortgage rates, apps, Madison’s prices, and (yes) the “word of the year.”

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Happy Halloween from the Lumber Slingers crew! 🎃 We open with costumes (yes, Trent’s a giant hot dog), glass vs. plastic vs. “just use your hands” for coffee, and then roll into the numbers: a fresh quarter-point rate cut, Freddie Mac’s 30-year hovering just above that magic “5-handle,” and a pop in weekly mortgage applications. Madison’s Lumber Price Index held..

We also hit earnings: UFP’s and Builders FirstSource. Plus, Trex expands distribution with Weeks Forest Products. We wrap with Traders Market hype (see you in Kansas City!) and a big congrats to Chelsea on joining the NAWLA Board of Directors.

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

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122. Newswire Update: Twinsies, Traders Market, and that Commercial! by Chelsea Zuccato & Natalie Heacock

The crew returns from “fall break” to catch up on… everything. We talk Taylor’s record-smashing release, then pivot to the serious stuff: ongoing tariff turbulence, why uncertainty -not any single policy - keeps us up at night, and a trio of headline moves (Potlatch-Deltic + Rayonier rumors, Hillenbrand going private, and more). We react to Interfor’s Q4 curtailments, talk South pine softness and exports, check mortgage apps amid new rates, peek at the late-October Fed meeting, and close with a quick lumber-price tick.

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected].

Want to watch the conversation instead? Catch the video version on YouTube - just search Lumber Slingers Podcast.

Natalie, Chelsea, and Trent kick off by debating a YouTube livestream for Lumber Slingers after iShowSpeed’s Portland stop sparks chatter about nonstop streaming culture. They pivot to real industry moves: Western Forest Products curtailment and Roseburg will cease hardwood plywood production. Mortgage rates hover after last week’s spike - “wonky” but stabilizing. The crew detours into AI haircut pics, school dress trends, and what makes a great press-release photo. Questions or Comments? Email us at [email protected]

Trent breaks down the big news: Specialty Building Products signing an agreement to acquire OrePac Building Products and National Lumber picking up Fisher Lumber - what it means for consolidation, brands, and the West Coast footprint. We shout out Alpinewest Resources’ new VP of Finance, and plug Traders Market in Kansas City (steakhouse waitlist, anyone?). Natalie weighs the quarter-point rate cut vs. housing inertia, we chat equity, renting vs. owning, and where 30-year mortgages are landing. We wrap with a quick price check. Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

The Lumber Slingers crew is back, kicking off with back-to-school chaos, kids’ activities, and the rise of full-blown “football mom” energy (cheetah print bleacher chairs included). From there, the conversation shifts to big industry moves, including Home Depot’s acquisition and Whitecap’s latest buys. The team dives into market shifts as Interfor announces a curtailment that rattled futures, and they explore why two customers in the same city can have completely opposite outlooks on the market. They also spotlight Hood Industries’ investment, a Brightwood leadership transition, and the ripple effects of mortgage rates “tumbling” (or just tripping). With plenty of laughs, Katy Perry wisdom, Swiftie references, and even a playful debate over who the “Scooter Braun of lumber” might be. Questions? email us at [email protected]

Natalie, Chelsea, and Trent dive back into Lumber Slingers with summer tales - Natalie’s new car woes, Chelsea’s paid-off ride, and Trent’s NYC concert spree! They unpack the U.S.-Canada softwood lumber dispute, with Canada’s subsidy and looming tariffs from the Section 232 review. Big moves shake the industry: Masterbrand merges, Springer Midwest is acquired, and more. Markets shift: lumber prices, mortgage apps jump, and 30-year rates drop. Catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or lumberslingers.com!l

This week’s episode kicks off with heartfelt tributes to icons of the past -Trent reflects on the cultural impact of Ozzy Osbourne and Hulk Hogan, and we all take a moment to mourn the childhood legends we’ve lost. The mood lifts as we cover everything from squirrel traps and pedometers to a major lumber merger.

We also touch on:

A mysterious potential merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern

Mortgage rates staying frustratingly still

The sweet retirement of lumber veteran Kent Bond

And a key update on AR1 (the first softwood lumber antidumping review), with a resolution not expected until... 2026. Yes. Really.

It’s a mix of nostalgia, industry shifts, and squirrel stories—because of course it is.

Tune in now… and we’ll see you again in a few weeks after a well-deserved summer break!