The drywall shortage of 1999 is history. Four new drywall
plants have been producing material since last
fall, and six more are expected to come on line within the
coming year. "Last year, domestic manufacturers turned
out 28 or 29 billion square feet of drywall, when builders
actually needed 31 billion feet," says Craig Weisbrouch,
vice president of sales and marketing with National
Gypsum. "Demand should be about the same this year,
but production should be up to 33 or 34 billion feet," he
says. Jerry Walker is the executive director of the Gypsum
Association, an industry trade group. "If someone still
isn't getting enough drywall now," Walker says, "there's
something wrong