WHO’S WHO IN HARDWOOD
WHO’S WHO IN HARDWOOD PURCHASING Donald Beals is owner of Don Beals, LLC, a manufacturer offering (5/4) Soft Maple, Walnut, Ash, Red and White Oak, Red Cedar, Hardwood cants and railroad ties, plus re-manufactured Hardwood cants, custom baseball bats and stakes. The Des Moines, Iowa company buys 700,000 board feet of lumber annually, 10,000 board feet of it certified. Don Beals LLC is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Donald Beals has worked in the forest products industry 45 years. His first job was making wooden fences. He has owned Don Beals, LLC for 36 years. He is a member of the Des Moines Wood Workers Association. A graduate of East High School in Des Moines, Beals is a graduate of Iowa State University. Beals and his wife of 28 years, Connie, have two sons, a daughter, four grandsons and four granddaughters. In his free time, Beals enjoys walking, fishing and golf. • Richard Jens is plant manager and purchasing agent for A. A. Laun Furniture Co. in Kiel, Wis. A.A. Laun manufactures occasional tables and entertainment units in 10 stains and 12 paints. The company’s niche is custom paints and stains and quick shipping. Jens purchases 350,000 board feet annually of 4/4 and 5/4 No. 2C Red Oak, 4/4, 5/4 and 6/4 No. 2 and Better Soft Maple and 4/4 No. 1 and Better Hickory. A. A. Laun is a member of the American Furniture Manufacturers Association. It has been named Kiel Citizen of the Year. Jens has worked in his present position 18 years. He has worked for A. A. Laun 26 years and has been in the industry 35 years. His first job in the industry was as industrial engineer in 1975. He also has worked as a supervisor and plant manager. A graduate of New Holstein (Wis.) High School, Jens obtained a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Wisconsin. Jens and his wife of 37 years, Carol, have a son and a daughter. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, travel, golf, boating and attending University of Wisconsin sporting events, especially football games. • Bill Ross is corporate log and lumber director for Ethan Allen Operations, Pine Valley Division in Old Fort, N.C. Ethan Allen’s Pine Valley Division buys seven million board feet annually of Hard Maple, Cherry, Ash, Poplar, Mahogany, Soft Maple and white pine, 4/4 through 8/4 thicknesses, kiln dried or green, rough or surfaced. The Pine Valley Division manufactures case 44 Hardwoods Have Versatility
A brief sketch of the leading purchasing executives in the Hardwood Industry goods that are sold nationwide by Ethan Allen. The company also carries out export packaging, container loading and custom drying. In order to adjust to the economic downturn, the company now offers custom furniture and has introduced several new product lines. The parent company, Ethan Allen Interiors Inc., is a leading interior design company, and manufacturer and retailer of quality home furnishings. Ethan Allen owns and operates seven manufacturing facilities in North America. Products are sold locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Ethan Allen is a member of the American Home Furnishings Alliance, Appalachian Lumbermen’s Club and National Hardwood Lumber Association. Ross has worked for Ethan Allen for 30 years, the last five years in his present position. He has worked in the forest products industry for 35 years. His first job was in 1975 for the U.S. Forest Service. A graduate of McDowell High School in Marion, N.C., Ross went on to study forestry at Clemson University. He earned a degree as a forest technician from Lake City Forestry School in Lake City, Fla. He is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association. He is past-president and board member of the Appalachian Lumbermen’s Club. He and his wife of 30 years, Beth, have a son, Will, and a daughter, Hannah. In his free time, Ross enjoys watching Clemson football with his family and raising rainbow trout on his farm • W. Springfield, NH Julia Sampson is vice president of sales for A.E. Sampson & Son Ltd. located in Warren, Maine. The firm manufactures custom wood flooring, paneling, stair tread and moulding from Red and Yellow Birch, Red Oak, Ash, Maple, Cherry, Hickory, Walnut and Poplar, along with exotics. Special services offered by the company include milling to customer specifications and random widths and lengths. A.E. Sampson & Son Ltd. has the ability to match up to 16’ long boards. Sampson has held her current position since 1988 and has been in the forest products industry since 1984. She is a graduate of Williams College located in Williamstown, Mass. A.E. Sampson & Son Ltd. is a member of Maine Wood Products Association, Wood Products Manufacturers Association and National Wood Flooring Association. Sampson and her husband of 26 years, Paul, have one son and one daughter. She is treasurer of the Camden, Rockport, and Lincolnville Chamber of Commerce, and secretary of Lincolnville Boat Club. • P.O. Box 96 • 2377 Route 4A • West Springfield, NH 03284 Web Site: www.ghevarts.com Contact: George H. Evarts Tel: 603-763-4525 Fax: 603-763-4701 Email: ghevarts@tds.net Contact: Cliff Clune Tel: 607-263-2480 Fax: 607-263-9615 Email: hardmaple7@gmail.com Lebanon, NH Please turn the page FEBRUARY/2011 45
