The Pier Review

Hi there!

Hope this newsletter finds you well, safe, and healthy. In this issue, you’ll find our featured products, a breakdown of new trends in the closet and storage sphere, and we will continue to unpack the effects COVID has had on the industry.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me at my email, charlie@usfutaba.com.

Be sure to check out the Lock Section of our Online Catalog for our entire selection of locks!

Steel is in short supply in the US and as a result, prices are surging. Unfilled orders for steel in the last quarter have been at the highest level in 5 years. And while inventories are low, the benchmark price for hot-rolled steel hit $1,176/ton this month, the highest it’s been in 13 years. The soaring prices have provoked many calls to end former president Donald Trump’s steel tariffs.

While US manufacturing activity picked up in May after months of pent-up demand, unfinished work piled up due to shortages of raw materials and labor. These companies’ and suppliers’ inabilities to meet increasing levels of demand have resulted in record-long lead times, wide-scale shortages of critical basic materials, rising commodity prices, and difficulties having these products transported.

Closets and storage spaces have always been complex to style because they are typically not very large and need to be sleek and organized. Because of this, designs have been traditionally limited to white or woodgrain surfaces. 

However, closets today have become multi-functional spaces some doubling as offices and others as workout rooms. Here are some of the most popular trends being seen today in closet styling.

Softened Colors

Organizational spaces are moving beyond your basic whites to feature warmer shades of white, pastels, and even bolder hues like a rich, deep green.

In this closet, green is paired with touches of brass for a rustic design that is unexpected and unique.

Finishes That Absorb Light

Matte or gloss? During this period of retreating to the familiar, matte has been used to convey a more modern design. It’s soft and light-absorbing giving a luxurious feel to the space. 
That’s not to say that glossy finishes don’t have their place. High-gloss panels can offer a reflective quality that allows them to function as a mirror.

Nature’s Textures

Whether it’s low-light indoor plants, stone decorative elements, or wood paneling, nature inspires an elevated mood in any living space but is especially interesting in closets. 

With these materials, the color palette shifts from cool to warmer undertones.

In order to protect itself from this year’s volatile market and maintain profits, the container shipping industry has adopted capacity management measures that include restricted services, blank sailings, and re-routed vessels. This has resulted in severe disruption in the repositioning of empty containers.

There’s a large number of empty containers that are sitting detained at ports where they should not be but can’t get repositioned to ports where demand actually exists. These shortages of empty containers at the necessary locations are causing severe constraints to transport goods and delays in deliveries.

We will be showing at the Association of Woodworking Furnishings & Woodworking Suppliers AWFS Fair this year in Las Vegas from July 20-23.

If you are planning to attend, please let us know; we would love to meet you there! You can register to attend at this link. Email or call me if you wish to see us or discuss anything related to the show:

• charlie@usfutaba.com
• Mobile: (757) 478-5587
• Office: (757) 549-0036 / Toll-free: (877) 293-0584

We will be at booth #3713 if you want to come see us!

Please contact me for additional information or any questions you may have.

Charlie Fournell-Ferrall

Email: charlie@usfutaba.com
Mobile: (757) 478-5587
Work: (757) 549-0036