Pro Yqrds Demqnd Better Studs.

" l ltt llrtshrtt'rt t rcv ttrttl slttf.f i.s tlttlit tttt'tl lo rtttrl,irt.q .srrrt tltttl trll t tf ottr- ltrotltrt'1.\ (tt'( l()l) t1ttttlil.t." L'tt irt Lct ll1'vl'1'1,' \lill lJ .\tt7,, r'1 i 1,,i

(onsisfenl Quolity

Wc Lrncle lstuncl thut protc'ssional btrilcle rs \\'on't pllt r-rp u'ith inl'clior \tLr(l l)f()rlucts.'l'ltcr cart't aflilrtl ttll Irt tlrclct'ttt be prorlLrctirc uncl prof itutrlc. sLrcccsslirl [rLtilclcrs l<l<lk tilr ctlrl sislcnl 1'rcllilrnrirrtcc lLrttl rlLutl itr i n tlicir' trtrildirtg rttlttcl'iltls. That's ult\ tott ciur cor.ntt ott Ilttsbtlt'tl ltt tlclir.cr a cltrltlity sttrrl plocluet.

A (omplete Producl line lbsborrr nou hus u sttril lirl cr ct'r rcsitlcrttial ltpplicttlitlrl irt llrc spccics tlriLt l'its [rrrilrlcrs' ttccrls. Otrr' ltlocltrct liltc tttlw inclurlcs thc lirllrlu ing irt lll eotlttittltlitttts: r lr-l anrl lr(r r Douglas I:il anrl I{cnr [;ir r Cilccn ancl Dlr r l-cngths of ll L)' & l0 (All Trinrs) r WWPA -elaclc traclct'nurk

Whatcvcr the application. \\'e \ e got thc stud to do thc job.

A Supplier You Con Trust

Snrall cnoLrch to gire rtttt tlte atterttiort yolt want. Rtlsbortl is largc crtor"tglr to \Llllpoft ottr ltltlclttcts rvith a ktltlrvlcclgcablc sulcs ltncl nttrtttfltctLlrirtg tcltltt lts rvcll as illl c\Pcl'lcncccl tlulf ic Inartascr tlcclielttctl ttl rlrcctillg clcttlarttlitlu trltt fic ncccls.

Rosboro Studs r -888-393-2304

Il roLr rulrrc strott! 1.lltl'tnclsltil.ls nitlt yoLrl strplllicrs ancl \'our euslonrcrs lllc trtclcctl clctttlttltlirlg bcttcI sttttl 1lt'tltlt-tcts. aet no\\ cltll Rosborrr.

{ iiiJi\ jjjl'ir,,j.r.., lltrt,jrtr:t i1)ril :1iir\r' PO Bor 20. Springl'iclcl. OR ()1111 n rr u.rosbor'o.conr r infb(st t'osboro.cotn

THE PRICE of building materials

|. continued to rise across the country after two deadly hurricanes ravaged the Gulf Coast in late August and late September. Together, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita may be the costliest storms to ever hit the U.S., with damage estimates in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

Thousands of homes and businesses-including hardware stores, lumberyards and distribution centerssuffered everything from lack of basic services to wind damase and floodins.

Others were damaged beyond repair, with entire yards destroyed and inventories washed away.

Even yards in the West, thousands of miles away. felt the impact. pafticularly in terms of rising prices and dwindling supplies. "Everybody's panic-buying and over-buying," said Jerry Long, general mgr. of Parr Lumber, Chino, Ca. "It happens every time there is a natural disaster."

Joe Martin, owner of Zentz Lumber, Billings, Mt., agrees: "Consumers themselves have created a shortage by perceiving there is a need to buy when there isn't."

Builders, worried about supply, were also to blame. "A surge of panic buying in the hurricanes' aftermath drove up the prices of some materials, as builders across the nation rushed to stock up," said Rick Thornton, v.p. of purchasing at Spenard Builders Supply in Alaska.

Jerry Higman, president of Reliable Wholesale Lumber, Huntington

Bcach. Ca.. believcs that prices ri ill stribilize once transportati()n inrproves in thc affectt-d arcus. "l think it's just tcnrp()rirr\ ." hc saicl. "Thc [riq e oli\cn, sttt i' lltttl I)l itt's rr' ill .'rrr.' 1r1'"

Lou plitt's lrcli'tr'llte \l(1llll nllt\ llr\t' r'()nlr'rbttletl to tlt rntlIInl :trPPlrct artd ltrghcl l)rrcc\ not. suirl l.lllr lVladison. e o ()\\ ne l o1 .l ohrrsorr lVlatlison l-unrbcr'. Cireirt [rulls. N,lt. "Whcn thc pricc is soinlt tlol n. no ()nc \\ iiltts t0 st0ck irtr crrt0t \ ltccattsc b1'thc tinrc u procluct is dclirclccl. it's u,'orth lcss than n hat \ ou l)ui(l firr it."

"Nor', lr ith thc stolnt. it crcatcs a little parric." said \'laclison. "l thirrk prices fix lLrtnbcr un(l sheet so()cls \\'ill be strong until thc scason settles clor',r.r atttl strppll e rtle ltc' hl. k up."

To avoiri buling at highel prices. Long is ri'aiting to see hot the market responds. "Thin.ls could tuflt around quickll'." he said.

Home Dcpot said it has adcquatc supplics antl tloes not L'\pcet to increitse plrecs. "('ustonrcls eiut !lct r.r.hat ther nccrl dLrc to oLl r bLrling l)o\\'cr.' saiil spokcspcrsorr Kuthrr n (iallagcr. "Wc bLrr prcttt flr or-r1."

.'Priccs hur c gone Lrp lr bit." saicl [.orl'c's spokcspclson Kurcn ('obb. "BLrt ther alc still lotcl thun thc\ w'crc llst vcirr. Its nutin sLrltplicr. (icolsiu Pucilic. is still opclltirrs. so tltc r'ltirill "(l()('\tt't htrr e lrttr i:sttc. conccrning getting supplics of plrtt rrotl. ()SB trntl I rrrrrlrr'r'."

,\t Boisc (-ust'urlc's tlistlihLrtiorr ccrtlcr.in llillin!s. \1t.. \likc \1ir'cr' rrriti. it's bttsint'ss rrr rrrrrll \\ illr \()ll\'

It'te c ittt'tcrtse \ rr Il_\ ir,rt,rl irrrrl e n!i ttcclcrl rvoorl protluct:. "Oul bLrsincss is tllivctl b1'lt<lLtsirtr: sllttts lttttl itttcrcst |u(cs." lrc sirid. "ll intc|cst littc\ \taY Iorv anrl honrc rlcntarttl stlr\ s goorl. u c tlo;rr.ctty r.,cl1."

Forcst products cot)ll)anics uith castcnr opcrat ions rr ill lrc thc oncs nrost al'fectcd b1 Kltlina. said Butch Bcrnharclt. spokcsl:rclson lrlr thc Western Wood l)r'oducts Association. "OIrl1 .5'l ()l'()tl l)rr)rlueti()t) !or\ inl(, thc South." he saicl. "With transportation ct)sts so high. it's unlikclr ri e 'll be shipping much \\'estcrn \\,ood to that nlarket.''

A short-terrn reduction o1- frxcign tarifTs could hclp stabilizc prrccs ancl increase invcntor\.'Irade e\llcl'ts bclicvc thc Ll .S. n rll bc lore crl to t'cducc triLclc lralricrs lirr at lcirst u re trr' or two. to nteet ovcnvltclnting rlcrnurrtl itttcl lirrrit price irrcrclrscs. "As Antclicarr irrdustrics contc baek on linc. I cx1'rcct tJ.S. policics n ill eontc back orr lirrc." suirl I)ctcr'l\lolrci. ult ccor.ton.tist at thc Llnivcr-sitr ol' N'lar'\'lanrl ancl hrlnrcr clricl ccononrist of thc Li .S. Intcrnational 'l'r'acle Comltiission. l--t)'s OSB plarrts in.litspcr arrtl Silsbcc. -l-r.. lirr irtstartcc, u'cr-c closctl as lr precauti0n bclirlc Rita. TrVo claVs latcr'. both l)lants were still rvithout poricr and otficials don't knurv ',r'hen it rr ill bc restoled. "We have to assess thc situation ancl rnake sr-rre it's sat'e lor cnrplorces to return,'" saicl L-P spokcspclson \{ary Cohn.

:riri: ::,'.r:lf .: n.i3,:l! a:.1t: .\s lirt Protlttt'tirttt. tttosl ttl tltt'rttrlls nr lhf lllr'fir'lrtte: plttlt: :Ltllerctl littlr ()r li(! (i.tllril!!'. \ltrrt nttlir rtLlr'ulti.rl lettcrl or tere orrl-r tentltollrlill rrlle'et crl." saitl I)lrr c ILouorr'at. plcsirlcrtt ol .\[),\- [hc [:rt,lirtce-rccl Wootl ,\ssoci lrtion. "A 1t'u nrills shut rkr*'rr or cur tltilcrl opcllttiorts rrs u rcsult ol ri irtrl rllullgc. l)o\\'cr or.ltltgcs. or thc inabililitr ol u,olkcl's to fcl)ort to \\ ()fk."

-l'hc- thtcc stutcs nrost allcctccl by' Kutrirut l.oLrisiurtr. Mississippi untl ,\labunur huvc rr1-r1-rr-oxinrrrtcll 15 pl,tuoocl itnrl OSII lnills thtrt lxrcluccrl lubout (r.-5 brllion sc1. l't. ol'puncls last \cill. ()r' lboLrt ll',,i o1' totul [.1.S. pro r.lue tion. uccorrlirrg to thc A[)t\.

Kltrinu ulso rlanurgccl lurgc illnoLurts ol tinibcr intlustr'1' cxl)crts slrr s Iosscs lirnr tirlbcl tllrrnlrltcr corrltl lclch 51..1 billiorr in Mississilrpi.

I-ouisianu uncl r\laburttr.'l'itnbcr ilirtu agcrl br Hrrrricurrc Ilitl will puslr thc t()tlrl cVcll hiulrcr'.

In \lississippi alorrc. o1l'icials tlctcrrttirrcrl thut o\ cr ?.1 nrillion colrls ol puJp. chip and sau, luurbcr'. botlr pinc artrl hulcluood. rras clanragccl bv Katrina. "Thrs stornr was so hugc thlt it clamaccd the timber inclustly acrclss the state." suid Hugene Cooper. a tirre ste'r in Georsc County'. Ms. "Ar ailubilit-r has bccn rcclucccl tirr thc ncrt tirc rcArs." sairl HLrgh I-cu inS. opcratin! rrrgr. lirr Cicorgiu['rrcilie 's \1id-Sorrth rcsion. "With thc rrtr()ulrt ol tinrbcr rlrlrVn. $.c'll bc Iuekr to:lrlruSc lO'l ot it." slirl l.crr inq. "\\'c'r'c lircuscrl on sulr ugirrr: rr hlrt rr c e un lrntl ntrliinu l lronrc lirr' rullol it."

#i'*;* t' :; $\ $sql;:,ra* I:rPc|ts sur it \Vill tukc Nccks ()r' nronths to lLrllr usscss rllnurgc in tlrc lur-cus hit halrlcsl. I:r'cn llrcn. r'cbuilti inl urrrl lcco\cr-\ is crpcctctl to takc r crtrs. "'['ltc tlurt'urgc is so rttrtclt nrorc c\tcnsir c tlltn \\ c'\c crpcricncccl bclirrc. thlit it's touslr to prcclict cxact lr s hat u ill lrappe-n." said Nlichael Callincr. an ccononrist t ith thc