International Wood International Wood 2004 | Page 16

in consumption that have resulted in increased use. It does differ from domestic plywood in that its price doesn’t fluc- tuate as much as domestic plywood. There are also more foreign companies producing thin panels, 1/4 inch-thick or less, which is not common from domestic sources. North American producers want to use as few face veneers as possible, which means selling only the thicker panels.” “There is more imported plywood available today than ever,” says Brin Langmuir of UCS Forest Group. “It’s coming in from places like Indonesia, Vietnam and China. Ten years ago it was snubbed because of quality issues, but the producers have gotten so much better that they’re competing head to head on both quality and price.” A significant amount of imported plywood is also sold at the retail level. “The key is, wood is the single product that most people understand and find the easiest to work with,” says MacMaster. “People are very comfortable with it. That’s why you’ll see more plywood than anything else in the DIY stores.” ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK “Mahogany has a long history in furniture and architectural woodwork,” says Thompson. “Although it’s well-known as a furniture wood, Mahogany is a superb architectural wood for interior and exterior purposes. It’s particularly suited for exterior use because of its durability, workability, and the fact that it is easily painted.” ASSOCIATION C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 1 8