Wood Sourcing

Lumber Companies Are Proud of Their Wood Sourcing

Every wood distributor claims to have some esteemed proprietary tool in their sourcing department.

For the record, I do not mean “tool” in the derogatory sense, although I have met a few over the course of my career.

Regardless, lumber purchasing is an important function.

Sawmills open and close. Companies merge and change management. Thus, it is easy to become complacent and assume the contacts you relied on 5 years ago are still your best options. 

Challenges Wood Buyers Face

Here is the reality of forest products distribution:

• Environmental, political and economic factors affect specie availability
• There is a lag time between when timber is harvested and when it is brought to market. Additionally, many factors contribute to how long each specie will take to process. 
• Often, woods are selected for projects on the assumption that availability and pricing will remain consistent over time. 
• Any rules go out the window when dealing with low volume species.  If you are in the mood for very expensive humiliation, try  sourcing figured Koa out of Hawaii. The combination of aggravation and  desperation is similar to what people must have felt standing behind the steely ropes of Studio 54  on a cold winter’s night in 1976. 

What Customers Can Do

If you have the capital to stockpile inventory, you can insulate yourself from availability/price fluctuations to some extent.

However, most companies operate on a just-in-time approach or close to it. This means that accurately forecasting needs and steering clear of potential supply disruptions is critical.

We use our expertise and established industry network to insulate our customers from wood supply issues.

Contact us if you have any issues you’d like addressed.