Where to Buy Hardwood Lumber Nearby?
I’ve learned finding hardwood lumber near me isn’t as simple as it seems. Learn how to find a supplier…
source: The Home Woodworker
According to Oxford Languages, near is an adverb with two definitions:
1) at or to a short distance away; nearby
2) a short time away in the future.
Where are the best places for woodworkers to buy hardwood lumber? While shipping or freight cost is one factor, rarity & availability of wood are more important ones. Thus, geographic proximity of a wood store is less relevant when the lumber is rare or expensive.
For example, 4/4 FAS Poplar is readily available at lumber stores throughout the United States. Chatoyant Quilt Maple is significantly less available and more expensive than poplar.
Since lumber shipping cost is a function of weight & size not value, shipping cost is a large component of inexpensive wood and a small component of expensive wood. Accordingly, there is a broad geographic markets for high end hardwoods.
As a general rule, woodworkers should source quality hardwood lumber from their closest wood supplier, when all other factors are equal. In reality, other factors are rarely equal. For example, we routinely offer unique or rare woods that are not available in retail lumber stores. Thus, for those wood products, we are the closest supplier, regardless of the buyer’s location.
Commercial Forest Products has increased its selection of hardwood lumber both online and in their Fontana, California warehouse
Commercial Forest Products is a global supplier of hardwood lumber, hardwood flooring, hardwood millwork and wood components. You can find Commercial Forest Products in Fontana, California. Established in 2008.
source: Commercial Forest Products | Official
Since 2009, Commercial Forest Products has been key hardwood and lumber supplier to instrument makers, woodworkers, millwork manufactures, moulding installers, contractors, designers and homeowners. Located in Fontana, California, Commercial Forest Products is a local wood supplier to woodworkers not just in California but throughout North America & the world.
Online Wood Sourcing Directions
Woodworkers buying wood online usually seek:
- lumber stores
- wood products near me
- wood suppliers near me
Using Google or Bing.
Next, a popup appears requesting permission for Google to know your location. In short, Google finds and suggests wood suppliers that are geographically close to where the woodwork is located. The search engine offers lumber companies within a certain radius around the woodworker. However, this is not the only way for Google to answer the woodworkers looking for suppliers.
The woodworker may just type what they are looking for in the search bar. Often, just typing the board feet and species yields good results. The search engine returns wood results two ways. First, Google Map results show wood companies close by. Second, and perhaps more importantly, a longer list of potential wood suppliers appears below the map. Thus, Google and Bing consider physical proximity between woodworker and lumber company a consideration in wood sourcing but not the only factor. However, we also have locally sourced lumber resources within California.
This is why companies like Commercial Forest Products are local wood sources nearby. Our Fontana, California location is only a minor factor in customers’ decision-making. The only limitation is a lumber company’s ability to deliver in a timely and economic manner. This limitation among wood suppliers has been steadily declining for years.
Hardwood Lumber Stores By Location
When I started in the forest products industry in 1995, wood suppliers had unofficial geographic boundaries. Location was paramount. Millwork companies often only bought from hardwood lumber companies near me. Cabinetmakers did the same. Often, one hardwood lumber company near me was the only game in town. Effectively, once established, lumber companies had a competitive moat around a radius of their location.
Finish companies competed with carpenters and cabinetmakers for the same planks. When their local wood supplier was out, everyone waited for the next timber shipment.
It was great being the only local hardwood supplier. However, wood buyers resented limited selection and lack of viable alternatives.
Wood Suppliers Nearby: Time & Distance
In 2022, Hardwood lumber buyers have many options. The overall wood supply chain has changed. A timber supplier’s location is much less important than it used to be. Buyers consider almost every forest products company in the world close by.
There are several reasons why lumber companies now compete globally:
- The Amazon Effect. This refers to the impact created by eCommerce on the traditional brick and mortar business model. Wood shoppers are very comfortable with ecommerce in 2021. Over 100 million people shop using Amazon Prime. Having access to more options makes wood buyer willing to try new wood sources. Additionally, local wood sources feel the competitive forces. Thus, those local mom and pop lumber store also get better or go away.
- Digital Marketing. Digital marketing refers to advertising delivered via digital channels such as email, search engines, websites, social media, mobile phone apps. In the 1990’s digital cameras existed but they were expensive, difficult to use and picture quality was no great. Additionally, receiving large media files with pictures of lumber was a cumbersome process. Often, pictures were split up into a series of separate emails just so the server could handle it. Remember those slow dial-up speeds? Improvements in the quality of digital information increases customer confidence. Even specialty wood customers like luthiers (guitar builders or makers of stringed instruments) no longer need to touch the wood to feel comfortable buying it. Personally, I have bought two houses in rural forest woodland sight unseen. This is how confident I am in using digital information to make buying decisions.
- Logistical Improvements. Logistical improvements over the last few decades means that products are delivered globally inexpensively. Thus, cost is no longer prohibitive to ship products long distances. Accordingly, customers are less concerned about where their timber ships from. Rather, their focus is on how fast the wood arrives and how much the wood costs.
- Ease of Returns. In today’s competitive wood marketplace, lumber companies are fiercely competitive. Wood consumers have high expectations of hardwood lumber suppliers, both in-store and online. Accordingly, many wood companies now offer easy returns. At least, they don’t make it difficult to return. This customer service oriented approach was not common a few decades back. After all, when a wood store was the only game in town, they were operating in a sellers’ market. Things are different with modern forest products marketing.
- Covid. Covid negatively impacted the wood supply chain in several ways in 2020 & 2021. A pervasive lack of available kiln dried wood forced many woodworkers to consider alternative wood suppliers or go without. Additionally, lumber price inflation created a sellers market for available wood resources. Finally, late container shipments of imported wood products shifted manufacturing demand back to US-based wood companies. While many domestic hardwood companies near me welcomed the business, the current infrastructure was insufficient to handle it well. Finally, as Covid spread, many wood store closed to the public. Thus, even being located close to woodworking customers was not helpful.
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