Latest Articles
Planer / Rip Line Countdown
Last month was an exciting month for the machinists and electricians at Cascade Hardwood. After excavating and pouring a huge concrete slab, installation has been progressing on the state-of-the-art planing and rip line at our main facility. While the first few months included a ton of prep work, work has…
Nature-Inspired Wood Finishes
Nature-Inspired Wood Finishes Transform Homes and Boost Value The trend of incorporating earth-friendly wood finishes into home design, particularly in cabinetry, is gaining momentum in 2025, merging sustainability with sophisticated aesthetics. According to Zillow’s April 2025 research, homes featuring organic modernism—characterized by natural elements like wood—command up to 3.5% higher…
Impact of Trade Deals on New Housing Starts and Remodeling
Impact of Trade Deals on New Housing Starts and Remodeling Avoiding a Recession Could Keep Mortgage Rates Elevated With recent progress in the trade war between China and the U.S., including a 90-day period of lower tariffs, stocks and bond yields have risen. This raises the question: Is the de-escalation…
Sales in the Future AI Driven World
In a world filled with all things AI, what do we do in the sales business to ensure we keep the human touch? With automation and artificial intelligence playing an increasingly significant role in sales, it’s easy to see why many salespeople and business owners worry that widespread AI adoption…
The Next Big Trend In Kitchen Cabinets
Natural Materials, Uniqueness, Led By Small Shops Will Define Coming StylesOne of the key markets for distribution in North America has been the smaller 1-25 employee custom cabinet shop. These manufacturers, often self-taught or using skills handed down generation to generation, are the ones that can offer the unique details…
Archive
Alder Positioned to Gain as Eastern Hardwood Supply Tightens
North American hardwood markets continue to be average to slow, with scattered species and grades in good demand. A lot of the discussion in recent weeks has revolved around the long-term availability of some of the lower-valued species used in Asia. This picked...
Record-Breaking Attendance at 2024 KBIS & IBS Signals Strong Housing Market Optimism
The 2024 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and concurrent International Builders’ Show (IBS) Attracts Largest Attendance in 15 Years Cascade was one of the more than 76,000 builders, remodelers, developers, architects, designers, and other home building...
Alder Market Sees Steady Growth Amid Economic Uncertainty
Following the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association convention the first week of February, business in Alder has been steady and has slightly improved. Most of the distributors and manufacturers we met with in Indiana look for a gradual improvement in business...
Alder Market Starts 2024 Stronger Than Expected
The Alder sales and pricing outlook was more positive than budgeted for January. As the first month of 2024 comes to a close, we have found business slightly better than expected, with both shipment volumes and average sales prices running better than forecasted. We...
Optimism Grows for 2024 as Housing and Hardwood Markets Show Signs of Strength
As we move into 2024, some signs are on the horizon that the New Year may bring better business to our hardwood customers. The stock market is pointing towards some interest rate relief over the year, with several analysts forecasting up to 125 basis point...
