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February 19, 2010

January Housing Numbers Show Continued Improvement

While permits for new residential construction fell a little in January compared to December, overall, statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week continued to show improvement. Permits for privately owned housing units in January were at a seasonally adjusted rate of 621,000. While that represents a 4.9% decrease from a revised December rate of 653,000, it is a 16.9% increase over January a year ago, which is definitely good news. Single-family permits were at a rate of 507,000, 0.4 % above the revised December figure of 505,000 and up 48.2% compared to January 2009. Privately owned housing starts in January were at a seasonally adjusted rate of 591,000, a 2.8% increase over the revised December estimate of 575,000 and 21.1% above the January 2009 rate of 488,000. Single-family starts in January were at a rate of 484,000 for a 1.5% increase over the revised December figure of 477,000 and a 35.6% improvement from January 2009. Click here for the full news release and statistical breakdown.

Ships Ahoy, Mates!

Southern Pine can handle the job in all types of projects, but an architectural firm in Illinois chose it for a starring role in a pirate-themed water attraction they recently designed for Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Ill. “We used treated Southern Pine because of many considerations,” said architect Charles Bleck, who with his brother – Robert Bleck – owns Bleck & Bleck Architects LLC. “It’s a durable product; it fit our budget; it’s readily available; it’s a renewable resource; it’s versatile and easy to work with; SYP has higher bending stresses per dollar when compared to other wood species; and it fit in with the theme of the project.”

Southern Pine’s versatility was especially important considering the entire project – from design to construction – had to be completed in less than eight months. “The fast-paced schedule had a lot of different vendors involved and required a high level of coordination,” Charles said. “Because we used Southern Pine, ‘on the fly’ scope and coordination changes were easily made without sacrificing the schedule or budget. That is not possible to do with steel or concrete.”

Click here for more information about the water adventure ride, which is titled “Buccaneer Battle.”

Trade Travel Requirements Available on Web Site

With the U.S. economy and housing sector struggling over the past few years, some producers have taken time to explore potential international markets for their products. SFPA and the Southern Pine Council help make the task easier by providing guidance on international markets and coordinating reimbursement for qualified travel expenses through U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Market Development and Market Access programs. If you’re an SFPA member or a member of the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association who is active in SPC, you can find a list of requirements for planning an international trade trip and receiving reimbursement for your expenses on SFPA’s Web site (click here for list). For a calendar of upcoming international trade shows and seminars, click here.

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