Two years ago, Missouri warehouses overflowed with wood products. But seven months ago, a dramatic change led to higher demand for wood and lumber, and significant price increases. Low inventories and shortages are driving up prices for consumers and creating challenges for manufacturers and suppliers.

“I’ve never seen us go from nearly full inventory to nearly empty in such a short period of time,” said Bucky Pescaglia, president of Missouri-Pacific Lumber Company in Fayette, Mo. “With that comes escalating prices due to supply and demand in the market.”