FBS 55 Responses to Low-Grade Market Losses

Welcome to episode two of this special two-part series of the FBS Podcast, brought to you as part of The Forest Business School’s ongoing commitment to helping mid-career professionals in forestry and wood products navigate complex industry challenges. Prompted by the recent decision by Finch Paper to stop purchasing roundwood for its pulp operations, this episode explores how other practical, working forest businesses and regions have successfully adapted to similar devastating low-grade wood market losses. Drawing directly from the latest Business and Market Responses report, we bypass the generic advice to look at real operational pivots—from company-level product diversification like integrated firewood expansions to multi-supplier logging cooperatives and regional industrial mill conversions. We unpack the hard truths of survival: why securing repeat customers and solid distribution channels must happen before investing in new processing equipment, the critical importance of matching your specific feedstock to the right process, and the harsh realities of cash flow and operational bottlenecks. If you are a contractor, sawmill manager, or forester figuring out what to do with your low-grade wood, listen in for grounded, actionable takeaways, and be sure to visit pivot.vtfbs.com for a copy of the full paper and related resources.

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Episoder(73)

FBS 58 Forest Ranger Ernie Blue & High Agency

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FBS 57 The 6-Month Essentials Program - Apply Now!

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13 Aug 12min

FBS 56 Fallout from Lost Low-Grade Markets

In this episode of the FBS Podcast, we unpack the immediate financial and silvicultural shockwaves triggered by Finch Paper's sudden decision to halt roundwood purchases and cease pulp production. For...

7 Aug 20min

FBS 54 The Vanishing Pulpwood Market

Welcome to episode one of a special two-part series of the FBS Podcast, where we break down Finch Paper's recent decision to halt local roundwood pulpwood purchases and what it signals about the conti...

26 Jul 17min

FBS 53 New Forest Carbon Apps

This podcast episode explores how two free independent web applications, FCO (https://fco.forestenterprise.org/) and CARBINE (https://carbine.forestenterprise.org/), are lowering the steep technical l...

26 Jun 16min

FBS 52 Vermont Disaster Grants for Working Lands Businesses

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22 Jun 19min

FBS 51 Have Fun Learning with the SumBuck App

In this episode, we dive into SumBuck, a free and robust virtual training app that provides hands-on practice for hardwood log bucking and grading. Developed by Steve Bick of the Forest Business Schoo...

1 Jun 17min