The Lumber Word

By Ashley BoeckholtBusiness Investing

The Lumber Word episodes

December 04, 2025 EP 148: Grateful in the Grind
In Episode #148 of The Lumber Word, Matt, Gregg, Charles and Ashley sit down with Kyle Little, COO of Sherwood Lumber and current NAWLA Chairman, to talk about staying grateful in one of the toughest markets we've seen in years. Kyle gives an inside look at what NAWLA is working on to improve meetings and member engagement, while the crew runs through a quick market round robin — how short is multi-family, where inventory is hiding, 2x4 #2 R/L Chicago trading around $485–$495, and whether the three-year streak of $30 CME rolls can keep going. Who are the Long CME traders?

They hit SYP futures, new potential deliverables in the legacy lumber contract, whether big buyers are stepping in, and if demand is starting to feel a little 2008-ish. The episode wraps with thoughts on growing customers in a slow market and what the industry can learn from this moment.
Guest: Kyle Little COO of Sherwood Lumber and Current NAWLA Chairman
[email protected]
NAWLA Contact Information
Matt Bruno [email protected]
https://nawla.org/
Advertisers:
Fastmarkets Random Lengths
[email protected]
www.fastmarkets.com
Layman’s Lumber Guide
www.laymansguide.com
[email protected]
Show Contacts:
Gregg Riley: [email protected]
Charles DeLaTorre: [email protected]
Matt Beymer: [email protected]
Ashley Boeckholt: [email protected]
1 hr 10 min
November 20, 2025 EP 147: Fatigue, Fear, and the Great Curtailment No-Show
This week we welcome back one of our favorite guests — and sponsor — Matt Layman. The crew breaks down the strange mood gripping the industry: no curtailments, exhausted traders, Repair & Remodel softening, and customers disappearing into the weeds. We run through every major species, what’s cheap, what’s expensive, and how November expiration and January futures could shape the next move.

Matt shares what his members are seeing across retail, multifamily, and manufacturing, while the team debates whether mills get bank lifelines or if cuts finally hit. We look at Home Depot’s outlook, immigration’s impact on the economy, and how much wood needs to come off for any kind of Q1 rally.

If you’re trying to navigate this market or plan for H1 2026 business, this episode is loaded with takeaways. Come for the insight — leave smarter.

Advertisers:
Fastmarkets Random Lengths
[email protected]
www.fastmarkets.com
Layman’s Lumber Guide
www.laymansguide.com
[email protected]
Show Contacts:
Gregg Riley: [email protected]
Charles DeLaTorre: [email protected]
Matt Beymer: [email protected]
Ashley Boeckholt: [email protected]

59 min
November 13, 2025 EP 146: Post Kansas City Breakdown
Gregg, Matt, and Ashley dive right in this week after a jam-packed NAWLA Traders event in Kansas City. The trio breaks down the mood coming out of the show — who was optimistic, who wasn’t, and what that means for the lumber market heading into year-end.

They take a hard look at the November CME lumber expiration, asking whether open interest is too high or if most of it will roll into EFPs as the year winds down. The conversation heats up around curtailments, demand signals, and what kind of event or news could realistically turn the market around — or if things are really that bad.

The guys wrap things up by sharing what they’re buying, selling, and watching, plus a few ideas for what others in the industry should be considering right now.

Come for the post-NAWLA insights, stay for the trading talk — and as always, walk away smarter and better looking.

Fastmarkets/CME SYP Futures webinar, November 18, 2025, link:
www.fastmarkets.com/lumbertalk

Advertisers:
Fastmarkets Random Lengths
[email protected]
www.fastmarkets.com
Layman’s Lumber Guide
www.laymansguide.com
[email protected]
Show Contacts:
Gregg Riley: [email protected]
Charles DeLaTorre: [email protected]
Matt Beymer: [email protected]
Ashley Boeckholt: [email protected]
55 min
October 30, 2025 EP 145: When Unplugging Doesn’t Work
This week on The Lumber Word, the crew welcomes Patrick Teoli, IT specialist and owner of BluCirrus, to tackle all those tech questions that “just unplug it and plug it back in” won’t solve. From system crashes to smarter setups, Patrick keeps it real about how tech meets the lumber world.
Then, things heat up fast in the lumber market discussion — and it’s a wild one. After a sharp CME selloff, fear is rippling through the supply chain. So where’s the opportunity hiding? Gregg, Matt, Charles, and Ashley break it down with their takes on Hem-Fir convergence, mills that might pull the plug, and why if you’re EFP’ing and sleeving through five people, you’re probably missing the real play.
Come for the information, stay for the laughs — and leave a little smarter (and maybe better looking).

Advertisers:
Fastmarkets Random Lengths
[email protected]
www.fastmarkets.com
Layman’s Lumber Guide
www.laymansguide.com
[email protected]

Guest: Patrick Teoli
BLUCIRRUS
[email protected]

Show Contacts
Gregg Riley: [email protected]
Charles DeLaTorre: [email protected]
Matt Beymer: [email protected]
Ashley Boeckholt: [email protected]

1 hr
October 24, 2025 EP 144: Good-Dealed to Death — Seasonal Weakness or Strength Ahead?
Matt, Gregg, Charles, and Ashley are back on track this week talking about what might be the calm before the next lumber storm. The crew breaks down the quiet market tone and asks the question everyone’s thinking — are we moving from seasonal weakness into a period of strength?

Charles thinks many dealers have been “good-dealed to death” over the past 60 days and simply don’t need to buy, while Gregg takes the other side of that trade. Matt shares why he’s feeling better heading into year-end, and the group circles around how the bug basis is quietly helping hedgers manage risk. They also highlight Hem-Fir’s return as a deliverable species, adding another twist to the 2025 outlook.

Plenty to unpack, lots of laughs, and as always — you’ll come out smarter and better looking.

Advertisers:
Fastmarkets Random Lengths
[email protected]
www.fastmarkets.com
Layman’s Lumber Guide
www.laymansguide.com
[email protected]

Show Contacts
Gregg Riley: [email protected]
Charles DeLaTorre: [email protected]
Matt Beymer: [email protected]
Ashley Boeckholt: [email protected]
49 min
October 16, 2025 EP 143: Mid-October Round Up
Gregg, Charles, and Ashley kick things off with a deep dive into Southern Pine curtailments — and why they still haven’t kicked in. The crew then runs through different scenarios for when Canadian mills might finally shut down more production. Gregg predicts we could see a 7-handle on lumber in Q1 of ’26, while Charles brings up multi-family projects and who’s short that business heading into 2026.

Gregg also sparks a conversation about 2026 lumber contracts and some surprising insights that follow. The team rounds things out by highlighting undervalued items and how your inventory strategy might adapt to take advantage.

Join the fun — and leave a little smarter.

Advertisers:
Fastmarkets Random Lengths
[email protected]
www.fastmarkets.com
Layman’s Lumber Guide
www.laymansguide.com
[email protected]

Show Contacts
Gregg Riley: [email protected]
Charles DeLaTorre: [email protected]
Matt Beymer: [email protected]
Ashley Boeckholt: [email protected]

51 min
October 10, 2025 EP 142: Underbought, Overproduced, or Just Confused?
We jump right in by challenging each other on the ultimate lumber question — what would hurt the most people the most: prices going up or down? From there, it’s a full-on debate about seasonality, market psychology, and whether this “underbought” market is actually overproduced… or maybe it’s the other way around.

As usual, we dropped plenty of gems on how each of us navigates the chaos to make money in today’s market. Then the spotlight turned to SYP — is it really the species of choice when it comes to switching and optionality?

This one’s fast, fun, and a little confusing — in the best way possible. You’ll have to listen to make it all make sense.

Advertisers:
Fastmarkets Random Lengths
[email protected]
www.fastmarkets.com
Layman’s Lumber Guide
www.laymansguide.com
[email protected]

Show Contacts
Gregg Riley: [email protected]
Charles DeLaTorre: [email protected]
Matt Beymer: [email protected]
Ashley Boeckholt: [email protected]
55 min
October 03, 2025 EP 141: Tariffs, Costs & the $800 Question
Russ Taylor joins Matt, Gregg, and Ashley to unpack tariffs, production costs, and the week’s price moves. Could lumber really hit $800 MBF in Q1? Tune in for sharp insights and insider tips every trader and builder will want to hear.
Guest:
Russ Taylor
[email protected]
www.russtaylorglobal.com
Advertisers:
Fastmarkets Random Lengths
[email protected]
www.fastmarkets.com
Layman’s Lumber Guide
www.laymansguide.com
[email protected]

Show Contacts
Gregg Riley: [email protected]
Charles DeLaTorre: [email protected]
Matt Beymer: [email protected]
Ashley Boeckholt: [email protected]
1 hr 5 min
September 25, 2025 EP 140: Market Check-in with Dustin Jalbert
Dustin Jalbert from Fastmarkets is back with us this week, and the crew dives deep into the latest twists in the lumber market. Charles kicks things off with a rundown on Southern Pine, then we shift into production trends and what last month’s housing completions mean for new home sales. Gregg and Dustin break down what they’re seeing on the production side while Matt ties it all together with some sharp insights. We talk timing on potential curtailments, what the rest of the year could bring, and what Dustin’s been hearing from both supply and demand. Smart money listens to The Lumber Word—and so should you.

Advertisers:
Fastmarkets Random Lengths
[email protected]
www.fastmarkets.com
Layman’s Lumber Guide
www.laymansguide.com
[email protected]

Show Contacts
Gregg Riley: [email protected]
Charles DeLaTorre: [email protected]
Matt Beymer: [email protected]
Ashley Boeckholt: [email protected]

1 hr 2 min
September 18, 2025 EP 139: Bottoms, Blips, and Behind the Paywall
Charles is back from wrangling cattle, Matt’s out in Texas, and Ashley and Gregg return from a wedding to dive into the latest lumber talk. Curtailment announcements gave the market a short-term jolt—does this signal a bottom, or are we still waiting? We break down what housing starts really mean, whether customers are sitting on healthy inventory or running on fumes, and what all this says about the months ahead. Plus, big news: The Lumber Word is taking the live version of the show behind a paywall.
Show Contacts
Gregg Riley: [email protected]
Charles DeLaTorre: [email protected]
Matt Beymer: [email protected]
Ashley Boeckholt: [email protected]
45 min

About The Lumber Word

From the publisher's feed

The Lumber Word is the weekly podcast for the North American lumber and building materials industry. Three lumber industry veterans break down lumber prices, market trends, supply and demand, sawmill production, inventories, transportation, housing, and the forces moving the physical lumber market.