Opinion | Brookshire: One of Missouri’s Largest Cash Crops Needs Something From You: Demand

I received an email recently about an auction.  Three Missouri sawmills were going up for sale to the highest bidder.  These were three more Missouri sawmills that had gone out of business.  I am sad to say this is not unusual news to receive

It is with this backdrop that Governor Mike Kehoe signed a resolution in honor of National Forest Products Week.  The Governor and state lawmakers have been strong supporters of our industry, but they cannot control many of the circumstances that that have led to a challenging economic situation. 

There is a lot of good news to share…  In real wood we have a product that makes commercial spaces better and adds value and elegance to homes.  Real wood is healthier for the people who live and work in the buildings where it is used.  It makes a space warmer…a place where you want to be.  Most notably, it is a superior long-term investment.  

But we continue to face headwinds in tariffs, rising fuel costs, and a shortage of labor.  Those, however, are just parts of the problem.  The elephant in the room, is declining demand for real wood.  

Fake wood products made from vinyl and other chemical concoctions have flooded the market and sent the industry into a tailspin.  Buyers see a lower price tag on the front end of a project and act.  What they often don’t consider is these look alike products will only last for a few years, while real wood can last more than a century.  The fakes will end up in the landfill while real wood can be sanded down and re-stained anytime you want to make an update or a change.  

But let’s stick with optimism:  There is something we can all do about it.  

Turning the tide against fake wood products is the way we right the ship and send Missouri’s forest products industry back in a positive direction.  This change can come from people working on projects simply making the choice to use real wood.  From the individual homeowner re-doing floors, to the interior designer revamping a business, to the architect designing a high-rise, the opportunities are there.  We just need people to make the choice.

Why does it matter in Missouri?  The latest Department of Conservation numbers show this is an $11.7 billion industry in our state that is supporting nearly 38 thousand jobs.  Our industry pours nearly a billion dollars in tax revenue into state coffers every year.  

And here is one more number to consider:  20%.  That is roughly the portion of Missouri sawmills, mostly family-owned operations, that have closed since 2018.  We can and must do better, and we can do better by investing in products that our neighbors produce.  

We are making some progress already.  In just the past couple of months, cabinetry operations in Glasgow and Jonesburg have announced facility plans that will create jobs and add money to those towns’ economies.   This is a good start, but a small one.  

For our industry to make a forceful comeback, we need more people to look beyond the initial price tag at Home Depot or the estimate with their contractor and consider the quality of the materials they are choosing.  Whether the work you are doing is in your own home or an office or commercial space, this is an investment.  Treat it that way.  Every one of us can make a difference by making a choice. 

If the quality of the product and the long-term financial advantages are not enough, we can also ask that you give some thought to the thousands of Missouri families who are depending on this industry to keep a roof over their head and food on their table.  

Real wood truly matters.  It matters for our environment.  It matters for the quality of investment.  It matters for families in Missouri.  

Brian Brookshire

Executive Director of the Missouri Forest Products Association more than two decades and has a master’s degree in forestry from the University of Missouri in Columbia.