The millennial generation is now the biggest generation in the United States workforce and is a major driving force of the economy. A Northern Research Station scientist and her partners sought to determine how the millennial generation perceived wood products. The findings are promising for the industry.

How do millennials feel about products made from wood? Do they feel wood products are outdated? Do they prefer furniture made of metal and plastic instead? Would they feel safe in a tall building made of wood? 
A study by a Northern Research Station researcher and her Mississippi State University partners helps answer those questions. Study results suggest that millennials (people born between 1980 and 2000) like wood and prefer furniture made from wood. However, they do not believe wood is as durable as steel when it comes to constructing tall buildings. While millennials believe wood is sustainable, many agreed that they hated to see trees cut down. When asked about cross laminated timber (CLT), millennials had very little knowledge of the product and were apprehensive about its safety in tall building construction. However, after being informed about CLT and its many benefits, those perceptions changed. In terms of style, millennials believe wood products are beautiful, they like the natural grain appearance of wood products, and do not like to see that natural grain covered with paint.  This research gives the wood products industry data about a consumer group that is a major driving force of the economy and may help the industry better target millenials in marketing efforts.