Black Pink fandom, music video nostalgia, and why hawkish is apparently the Fed’s favorite bird. This week on Lumber Slingers, we cover a packed news cycle-starting with pop culture and ending deep in the lumber markets.

We break down the surprise nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed Chair, what his historically hawkish stance could mean for inflation and interest rates, and why the Fed’s decision to hold rates steady still leaves housing in limbo. Mortgage rates hover just above 6%, applications are down, and everyone’s waiting for a real catalyst.

On the lumber side, consolidation continues at full speed. We also highlight key leadership appointments across the industry and preview earnings season, including Weyerhaeuser’s latest results.

To wrap it up, we check in on lumber pricing momentum, which continues to trend upward month-over-month—suggesting demand may be firmer than expected heading into February. Lets be optimistic!

Real Housewives of Boring, Oregon: confirmed by a 65-year-old waitress at brunch. Also: Trent just admitted he listens to MP3s. Yes, in 2026

Lumber news hits: a couple M&A items, production curtailments vs. closures, a James Hardie footprint optimization , and a positive expansion announcement. Then the macro corner: 30-year mortgage rates hovering up and a big jump in mortgage applications. The episode closes with a landowner fun fact: America’s biggest private landowner title shifting from Red Emmerson to Stan Kroenke after a major New Mexico purchase.

Questions? Email us at [email protected]

Chelsea and Trent ease into the new year catching up on holiday travel mishaps and family time to a fast-moving start to the year in forest products, this episode captures exactly how January feels: full speed, no warm-up.

Inside this episode:

A look at how the holidays actually went (blizzards, extended stays, Fortnite wins, and all)

Early-year momentum in mergers & acquisitions across the building materials space

Builders FirstSource acquiring Premium Building Components in New York

Adams Group expanding through the acquisition of Millrite Woodworking in Florida

Leadership updates at Patrick Industries

What a “goodwill impairment” really means (explained simply)

Updated operational outlook from West Fraser

Brand consolidation as Palmer-Donavin transitions Diamond Hill Plywood fully under one name

Mortgage application trends and where rates are sitting to start the year

This episode is a reminder that the forest products industry doesn’t slow down! Even when the holiday lights come down. Grab a coffee and jump into what’s shaping the early weeks of 2026.

Questions? Comments? Email Us at [email protected]

It’s a full-on hat day as Natalie, Chelsea, and Trent kick off with swag talk.. Then they run through a rapid-fire lumber news roundup: major acquisitions, mill curtailments and closures, leadership changes, mortgage data, and Madison’s Lumber Price Index—before signing off for a Christmas break and teeing up what could get interesting in early 2026.

Email us [email protected]

In this special crossover episode, we’re rebroadcasting our recent appearance on Get Real with Rick Dancer. Rick flips the script and interviews us about how Lumber Slingers started, why we’re so passionate about changing the narrative around timber, and what it looks like to build a people-first culture at Patrick Lumber Company.

We talk about everything from making lumber “sexy” again and attracting new talent to the industry, to friendship in leadership, networking without being cringe, and why listening and authenticity matter more than ever. If you’re curious about the Truth About Timber, how modern mills really operate, or what it’s like to help run a growing lumber company, this one’s for you.

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Want the video version? Check out the Lumber Slingers channel on YouTube.

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.

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Want the video version? Check out the Lumber Slingers channel on YouTube.

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.”

Questions or comments? email us at [email protected]

Want the video version? Check out our YouTube channel: search “Lumber Slingers” and subscribe.

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]

.

Want the video version? Check out our YouTube channel.

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.