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28 PalletCentral • November-December 2015 palletcentral.com Crane mat and board road markets have a long history of boom-bust cycles that parallel rising and falling oil prices. Oil exploration and drilling activity typically dropped off once oil prices fell below a certain threshold, which various contacts put at anywhere from $60 to $80 per barrel. New technology in the oil industry — particularly the ability to drill multiple wells from each platform over shale oil formations — is reportedly lowering that threshold to the $40-50/barrel range, or lower. If that threshold continues to decline, industry experts believe crane mat and board road production will rise to higher levels in the future. Frame Stock U.S. furniture factory shipments were up 7% year-to-date through July 2015, according to consulting firm Smith Leonard. Given reports of level to somewhat lower wood furniture shipments this year, it appears the 7% gain came entirely from growth in upholstered furniture and mattress sales. Indeed, several frame stock suppliers indicate sales have been decent. Regardless, frame stock availability is much-improved relative to 2014, due to higher overall hardwood production and soft demand from other low-grade markets. Flooring The changing balance between hardwood supply and demand in the last 18 months has been particularly evident in the residential and truck trailer flooring sectors. As sawmill production climbed, flooring producers that were starved for lumber in mid-2014 quickly filled up that summer and fall. All but a handful of plants in the South remain well-stocked with lumber today. That said, purchasing has seasonally increased of late as plants look to build inventory ahead of winter. PC MARKETS Andy Johnson is a freelance writer in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has previously written for Hardwood Review and on numerous business topics. Andy can be reached at andyjohnsonnc@gmail.com or phone: 704-564-8784. Pallet manufacturers, tie treating plants and flooring manufacturers that had faced severe raw material shortages as late as the fall of 2014 were flush with lumber by the summer of 2015.