Do you maintain a regularly published employee newsletter?  Many companies embark upon the creation of an employee newsletter, only to realize finding good, consistent, appealing content is a chal...

Selling in the hardwood lumber industry is a daily activity. We all know how important it is and how vital it is to success! It has been said that your sales team can be considered the “spearhead” f...

Is leadership an innate quality or something that can be taught and learned? The answer is probably a mixed one. From our experience in the hardwood lumber industry we find some individuals seem...

Have you ever thought about how a piece of hardwood lumber is manufactured?  Have you ever thought about all the different stages it goes through to get into a sell-able form? It can be quite interest...

In the fast-paced world of business today, the speed at which you act can make all the difference. With the abundance of online resources, people are more informed than ever ...

We are constantly in search of new leads. Whether that be for hardwood landowners, new green lumber suppliers or hardwood lumber buyers, improving and increasing the amount o...

In the world of interior design, raw materials play a pivotal role in determining the final product's quality, durability, and aesthetic appeal. Hardwoods have long stood out as a premier choice for c...

If the past few tumultuous years have taught us anything, it’s that issues around supply chain management can wreak havoc with hardwood lumber supply. Like in most industries, disruptions in one’s sup...

There is no doubt it has been a challenging year for the North American hardwood lumber industry. However, when it comes to imported tropical hardwoods, it seems business has been steady. From our pe...

I had the opportunity last week to spend a few days working with two of our newer employees. Both of these individuals are new to the hardwood lumber industry.  During one of our long car rides betw...

Succeeding in business is hard. Everyone knows that. No matter how responsive a business is, or how much it strives to produce high-quality products or services, some customers will choose to do busin...

The Baillie Group is a cohesive, unified group of hardwood producers working cooperatively together with each retaining their distinctive and valued cultural identities to support the needs of the har...

Most people know that one of the beauties of the hardwood lumber industry is that every aspect of a log that is sawn is used in one way or another! Grade lumber, the lumber that typically goes into ...

A skilled and experienced sawyer has a tremendous impact on the success of a hardwood sawmill. In general, the role of a sawyer is not just to convert a log into boards, but rather, to extract the m...

How do you quickly summarize what your company does? Do you have the proverbial “elevator pitch”? Is it relevant? Is it effective? We have found it important for all employees to know and understand ...

Many times, success in business depends to a large degree on the quality and frequency of customer communications. Effective communications help build customer loyalty sinc...

North American hardwood lumber has been used for truck flooring for decades.  Whether it be for the base of a flatbed truck, shipping containers, lowboy trucks or even utility trailers, the indu...

In today's world, where environmental concerns are at the forefront of global conversation, making eco-friendly and sustainable choices has become paramount. Building and manufacturing indus...

Besides being one of the most popular hardwood lumber species, Hard Maple also has a large variety of uses. From furniture, to cabinets, to stairs, paneling, interior d...

We all know hardwood lumber is typically sold in random widths and lengths.  However, If you are not still buying your hardwoods in random widths and lengths, chances are you purchasing it...

When was the last time you added a new or upgraded product to your product portfolio? In our industry, the hardwood lumber industry, we don’t normally emphasize new product development. ...

White Oak, "Quercus Alba", is one of the most commonly used North American hardwood lumber species today. It can be found in cabinets, flooring, furniture, doors, barrels, millwork, moulding...

Hickory is widely known and a very popular North American hardwood species.  It is found throughout the hardwood forests of the eastern United States and is used in various different pro...

In the hardwood lumber industry one of the common activities to do when considering a new supplier is to tour their sawmill and see what their capabilities and approaches are. ...

One of the fundamental concepts of marketing is to understand and address the needs, wants and demands of your target market. For us trying to market and sell in the hardwood lumber industry it is n...

Anyone familiar with the hardwood lumber industry knows that the standard way to sell hardwood lumber is in random width and length bundles. However, quite often manufacturer...

Sapele, "entandrophragma cylindricum",  has taken over as the primary mahogany species used in the US market. In the past it was Genuine Mahogany and African Mahogany before the big change o...

If you are in the hardwood lumber industry you understand supply and availability fluctuates. From time to time market demands shift, supply become tight and companies find themselves tr...

When it comes to premium North American hardwood lumber, walnut (Juglans nigra) stands out as a top choice for manufacturers seeking to produce quality and stunning products!  For those of us within ...

I was speaking to a person new to the hardwood industry the other day. This was a new contact with one of our hardwood distribution customers. It was a great conversation an...

In most modern woodworking facilities, all rough sawn hardwood will find its way through a planer, a ripsaw, and a moulder, (amongst other processes), as it is converted from a board to a saleab...

The hardwood lumber industry is a crowded market. With hundreds of sawmills and hardwood suppliers for buyers to choose from you must be able to stand out in one way or another to be successful. F...

Professional hardwood lumber buyers in the furniture and cabinetry industries would tell you that soft maple is one of the most versatile lumber species they use. It typically offers straight gr...

Caribbean Walnut may not be as well known as a hardwood species in the North American markets, but it is something you will see all over Central America, it’s native area. With an apparent shortage o...

It seems we hear it from all our employees. Our foresters, sawmill managers, hardwood lumber traders and sales assistants are all pressed for time. No matter what your role within an organization...

Of all the species of hardwoods found in the forests of North America, maple trees are one of the most common. Within all the different variations of the maple species, they are primarily separated ...

One of the more popular tropical hardwood lumber species we provide customers is Spanish Cedar, (Cedrella Odorata). But don't be miss led by the name! What we refer to as Spanish Cedar is not from Spa...

Those familiar with the purchasing of hardwood lumber directly from a sawmill know that unless specified, kiln dried hardwood lumber is typically provided rough.  However, many customers prefer to rec...

Everyone understands that an “exit interview” is a standard process taking place when an employee departs from his or her organization. As we talk to those in the hardwood lumber industry, we still f...

When the hardwood lumber measurement standard was established by the National Hardwood Lumber Association, (NHLA), they based in on board feet. But why? The way we understand it, unlike sof...

Red Oak and White Oak are both beautiful hardwoods with both having their respective places for a large variety of uses and products. But how can you tell the difference? Which spe...

In the hardwood lumber industry, perhaps like many others, customer service is critical to your success. We operate in an industry where seemingly everyone knows everyone else.  Competing sawmil...

Companies need new revenue to survive the demands of business today. In most business-to-business sales environments an experienced, knowledgeable, professional sales team is critical to achieving suc...

The randomness that hardwood lumber is sold in certainly creates some interesting scenarios for manufactures and craftsman.  Unlike softwoods, where the board is graded b...

There is not just one way to saw hardwood lumber logs. Actually, we find that there are four common techniques used on a regular basis depending on the results a sawmil...

North American hardwood forests offer an abundant variety and supply of hardwood species. From White Oak, Hard Maple, and Cherry to Walnut, hardwood forests are a sustainable source of beauty and reso...

If you have been in the hardwood lumber industry long enough there is no doubt you have heard about Rustic grade hardwoods, even Rustic White Oak. But have you heard about Center Cut White Oak? It i...

The other day a customer of ours who is relatively new to the industry asked “what is wormy soft maple anyways?” For those us who have been in the hardwood lumber industry for a while it is an e...

It has been said that American hardwood lumber offers manufacturers numerous options when it comes to materials that can impact design.  The amount of species that grow in Americ...

One of the things we can say about the hardwood lumber industry is we know how to get the most out of a log!  Even after the process of cutting the round log into boards, we’ll...

In the forests of North America, poplar is one of the most commonly found hardwoods.  It grows widely throughout the eastern part of the United States and is regularly one of the...

American Beech, (Fagus grandifolia), is not requested as often as other North American hardwood lumber species like Red Oak, Cherry or Walnut, but should it be?  American Beech,...

In an industry like the hardwood lumber industry, relationships are key. Yes, there are times when a single one-time sale to a new customer takes place, but in most cases, relationship selling is what...

The imported hardwood lumber market remains steady. In the United States demand seems to be consistent. Buyers still seem to be seeking species such as African Mahogany, Jatoba, Red Grandis and Sapele...

If you have been around the hardwood lumber industry for any amount of time you have probably already learned that not all red oak is the same. Some people categorize or label r...

As consumers become more conscious of the origins of the products they are purchasing, it is becoming even important to know where the hardwood lumber you buy comes from. If you have spent a ...

For generations, woodworkers and craftsmen have chosen Cherry as their lumber of choice for quality manufacturing. Cherry, (Prunus serotina), is frequently used in everything from cabinets t...

Many of our customers in the United States have been speaking with us about suitable alternatives to Rosewood. At a Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora ...

Many people familiar with hardwood lumber know that the most popular rift & quartered programs are in white oak. But that is not the only species sawn that way. In our New York sawmills...

How often do you hear about manufacturers using sycamore in their production?  Not much if you are like most, but sycamore can be an excellent species choice in the right situation. ...

From time to time companies have to deal with a buildup in some slow moving items or stagnant inventory. The goal is to find ways to turn that inventory into cash in one way or another. For us...

For years we have been talking about the diminishing volumes of North American White ash (Fraxinus Americana)  lumber. The impact the Emerald Ash Borer has had on the availability of trees to harvest ...

I recently finished the book The Innovators by Walter Isaacson.  The book traces the development of the computer and the internet from the early 1900s to the present.  Isaacson is a great writer.  H...

About a year ago I read the book Covert Cows & Chick-fil-A by Steve Robinson.  Steve was the long time director of marketing for Chick-fil-A, and was part of the leadership team that drove the a...

“Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” “I’m beginning to think decisiveness is overrated…but I reserve the right to change my mind.” ...

In most organizations, employee productivity is a key area of focus.  Not only for us in the hardwood lumber industry but in all industries, businesses rely upon their workforce to keep producing go...

There’s a lot of talk these days about the value of branding. Of course, having prospective customers come to your business already familiar with what you offer is a great thing. Even better, from a l...

For most consumer products built from hardwoods, the lumber needs to be dried prior to use.  When a sawmill cuts logs into boards they are considered to be green (i.e. inclusive of moisture)...

  It is no surprise that one of the most popular hardwoods used in manufacturing is red oak, (Quercus rubra, spp).  One reason is that in North American it is one of the most abundant hardwood spec...

These days, many employees (and prospective employees) expect employers to provide a workplace environment that’s comfortable, transparent and relatively free of stress. All of these fact...

Basswood, also known as Tilia Americana, is a popular choice of wood among manufacturers for various reasons. This lightweight, yet strong and flexible wood is easy to work with and can be used for a ...

More than 300,000 jobs were added in the U.S. in February of this year. As noted in The New York Times, “Hiring has been a persistent source of dynamism in the economy since the pandemic lockdowns eas...

The subtitle of the book The Paradox of Generosity says it all: “Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose.”  In this book, authors Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson present their extensive research on ge...

Back in 2017 when hurricane Harvey hit Houston, an elderly couple was trapped in their home by rising waters.  They called 911, but couldn’t get any response.  So they did the next best thing.  They c...

  What do you look for in a hardwood lumber supplier?  Of course, different companies value different things from suppliers. But there are always a set of “must haves” companies e...

Think about all the times someone has asked you, “What does your company do?” How often have you stumbled for an answer or given a response that clearly went on too long?...

“Talent is common.  What you invest to develop that talent is the critical final measure of greatness.” In her book Grit, Angela Duckworth shares this quote from Anson Dorrance, coach of the hugel...

I’m currently reading a book named What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith.  Goldsmith is a world renowned executive coach who has worked with some of the most prominent leader...

Author and business consultant Marcus Buckingham has made a career of urging leaders to focus on people’s strengths.  Last week, I read an article (“What Great Managers Do”) that Buckingham pu...

Earlier this year I read the book Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss.  It’s a book about negotiation, and on the face of it not a great candidate for a blog.  But I found the book fascinat...