Hardwood Lumber from American Lumber

Hardwood Blog

Perspectives and insights on the hardwood lumber industry.

Is Rustic Grade Hickory for Flooring on the Rise?

Wednesday, 20 September 2017 14:09

Rustic grade lumber has been a popular request for some time now. We often receive inquiries for rustic white oak, cherry and even walnut. But recently requests for rustic hickory have been on the rise. People define rustic grade lumber in numerous ways. In general, it is boards described as having all of its natural characteristics present. The lumber is structurally sound with tight knots, color variation, and a general natural appeal included. We find…

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Focusing on Teamwork Can Pay Dividends

Wednesday, 06 September 2017 21:07

Sometimes bringing individual employees together to transform business practices and work as a high-performing team can be one of the more difficult decisions for a leader. At American Lumber, we know firsthand how important, and how difficult, building and maintaining a culture of teamwork can be. We promote it constantly because we recognize it is one of the best ways to make the organization better. From green hardwood lumber buyers and kiln drying supervisors to…

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Does American Beech Receive Enough Consideration?

Tuesday, 22 August 2017 16:22

One of the less requested North American hardwood lumber species is American beech. This species, (fagus grandifolia), which is sometimes alrso referred to as red beech, white beech and gray beech, grows throughout the hardwood forests in the eastern United States. It is found mostly in the States of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky and grows side by side with more popular species such as soft maple, hard maple and cherry in most…

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How is your hardwood lumber product line these days?

Thursday, 03 August 2017 14:44

Besides the basic species, grades and thicknesses everyone thinks about when they discuss hardwood lumber, what other products or services do you include in your hardwood product line? When was the last time you added something to your product offerings? If you are a hardwood distributor it is important to keep your offerings fresh and in line with the needs of your target market. Since the hardwood industry is usually a rapidly changing marketplace, it’s…

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Is Walnut Hardwood Lumber Usage Growing in Demand?

Tuesday, 25 July 2017 17:52

North American Black Walnut, (Juglans nigra ), been one of the most valuable hardwoods in the industry for generations. Consumers have regularly chosen walnut as the species of choice for everything from fine furniture to doors. This year it seems there has been a steady increase in demand in walnut. Inquiries from many of our customers in various regions of the world have been on the uptick. One example of an increase in demand we…

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Things to look for when choosing a cherry hardwood supplier

Monday, 26 June 2017 19:22

Cherry is one of the most popular North American hardwoods. For generations, woodworkers have chosen cherry as one of their preferred species for quality manufacturing. Cherry, (Prunus serotina), is commonly used in everything from cabinets to fine furniture. But, as with any hardwood species, not all cherry lumber is the same. Besides the standard differences in grade, thickness, length and color, there are other issues that you will need to understand when ordering cherry lumber.…

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A Few Alternatives to Rosewood

Thursday, 15 June 2017 18:38

Recently, many hardwood distributors have been inquiring about suitable alternatives to Dalbergia, (a.k.a. Rosewood). In the beginning of 2017, at a Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna, (CITES), the genus of Dalbergia was added to protected species list. In general, Dalbergia Rosewood can be categorized as a small to medium sized tree native to many tropical areas including Africa and Central and South America. This species of lumber has been…

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How to reduce the creation of unusable hardwood lumber inventory

Tuesday, 23 May 2017 15:38

If you manufacturer with hardwoods how do you stop creating unwanted lumber inventory? It is not always an easy answer, but it is usually rooted in ordering hardwood lumber products specifically designed to maximize your lumber yields. Most companies that manufacture products with hardwood lumber still usually order their materials as bundles of random widths and lengths. What this means is each bundle can therefore have a different combination of boards that range in widths…

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How Customer-Centric is your Culture?

Friday, 05 May 2017 18:56

For us in the hardwood lumber industry being customer centric is very important. We spend a lot of time and effort trying to find new and better ways to serve our customers succeed. From experience, we know that developing and maintaining a customer-centric culture within a company requires a conscious focus in strategy and a genuine commitment to putting the customer first in all departments. If you are looking for ways to enhance or create…

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Could Width Sorted Red Oak Be Better for You?

Monday, 24 April 2017 16:44

Red oak is still one of the most popular and plentiful hardwoods in the market. For years it has been one of the most widely used species for things such as furniture, fine cabinetry, mouldings and flooring. It is also one of the most requested hardwoods for export which continues to keep it in high demand on a global basis. By far, the majority of red oak that we provide to our customers is in…

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