A Comparison of the Primary and Secondary Wood Products Sectors in Louisiana

As part of an ongoing research program, the Louisiana forest products industry is surveyed every five years to identify salient issues, challenges, and opportunities. In this paper, we compare the results from two studies conducted on the primary and secondary sectors in Louisiana. In the past, we produced two papers based on research results, one for the primary and one for the secondary sector. However, this paper compares the answers to questions asked in both surveys. 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. Both primary and secondary respondents indicate an interest in increasing their workforce in the next five years. The issues that drive the company expansion fall into four areas: the overall attractiveness of the business climate of the community and state, labor productivity, costs and supply, and financing. The results of this study can be used by Louisiana industry members in the primary and secondary sectors to identify common challenges, opportunities and issues that promote or hinder sector development. Policymakers can work more effi ciently with industry members where commonalities exist. Understanding the markets, plant location decisions, raw material availability, workforce training needs, and other issues can be a source of competitive advantage for Louisiana manufacturers.