The Louisiana secondary solid wood products industry

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-1997

Abstract

Louisiana's forests represent an important resource for the state, both in terms of income to landowners and as inputs to the forest products industry. The harvest of timber, which is Louisiana's number one agricultural crop both in terms of gross income and value-added processing, supports a solid wood forest products industry that consists of almost 650 separate primary and secondary manufacturing establishments. Total 1995 sales by Louisiana's primary industry (lumber, plywood, and other semi-processed products) is estimated to be $1.85 billion and 1995 sales for the secondary forest products industry (furniture, cabinets, millwork, and other finished products) is about $648 million. Research has shown that the secondary wood products industry in Louisiana has significant potential for expansion and development. Louisiana ranks low in adding value to its wood products resources and in other productivity indicators relative to neighboring states with similar resource bases and industry structures. However, to attain this potential, a wide variety of issues must be researched and understood such as existing consumer market trends, location decision criteria, raw materials availability and applicability, labor force skills and training requirements, target market identification, recruitment and retention strategies, and sources of competitive advantage. This paper attempts to address some of these issues.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Forest Products Journal

First Page

29

Last Page

34

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