Plywood manufacturing cost trends, excluding wood, in Western U.S. mills: 1975-1988

Plywood manufacturing costs have increased over the years with inflation. In recent years, new technologies that improve productivity and reduce costs have become available. Cost data published by the American Plywood Association (APA) show moderating rates of increase by 1983. New data from a sample of western U.S. mills show that nonwood manufacturing costs have decreased since the 1983 APA estimates. Costs for sanded-plywood mills declined by 12 to 17 percent between 1983 and 1988, while sheathing costs declined by 8 to 9 percent. Sheathing mills were not included in this analysis. Therefore, these results apply primarily to mills with mixed sanded and sheathing capabilities.