MERIDIEN HARDWOODS -
MERIDIEN HARDWOODS - Continued from page 24 of lumber on sticks and the kilns will be filled to capacity at all times,” Dan Ferman said. “All of our Hardwood lumber is inspected before and after kiln drying and customers can count on getting the lengths, color and sort of their choice.” Ferman said the company is exporting more of its lumber now than in previous years. “We load containers here and ship through the ports of Baltimore, Md., Norfolk, Va., or New York.” A family operated business, Ferman’s wife Anne handles administrative duties along with a secretary, Karen Morton. His sons Shawn, Brandon and Michael are also a part of the company and have been in the lumber industry from very early ages. Shawn Ferman has been with the company company’s sales staff and currently is in charge of inventory. Michael Ferman has followed his brother Brandon’s path and earned a Business Marketing degree from Edinboro University in 2003, along with taking grading and kiln drying courses before joining the company. Another family member, nephew Michael Songer is an invaluable asset to Meridien’s sales team. Songer has been with Meridien since it was founded. He graduated in 1982 from the NHLA inspection school and graded for a few years prior to starting in sales with Meridien. “I wish I had 10 Mike Songers,” Dan said. “He does an incredible job for us. Brandon is over inventory control and he’s also very aggressive into the sales and purchasing end of our business,” Dan said. Having completed construction on a new office building in 2008, Brandon said, “Currently we’re running one crew and Brandon Ferman, Salesman and Inventory Manager. Keeping up with the needs of an ever-changing Hardwood lumber market, Meridien Hardwoods of Pennsylvania continues to provide quality Hardwoods at an impressive pace. approximately 20 years driving forklifts, loading and unloading kilns and trucks, and supplies both trim lines with lumber. Brandon Ferman began piling lumber in junior high school. He completed several grading and kiln drying courses before graduating in 2001 with a Business Management degree from Penn State University. Afterwards he joined the Located 40 miles east of Erie, Pa., Meridien Hardwoods supplies all grades and thicknesses of Hardwood lumber in Cherry, Hard and Soft Maple, Walnut, Red Oak, Ash and Poplar. 25,000 feet of lumber a day. We have the capacity to double both by running two crews and raising our capacity to 50,000 feet a day.” “We are always happy for the opportunity to start new relationships and strive to strengthen existing ones,” Dan commented. “We have a strong customer base and a good sawmill base with dedicated employees that keep our operation running.” Meridien Hardwoods is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Assoc. (NHLA) and the Penn-York Lumbermen’s Club. For more information visit www.meridienpa.com. • UCS FOREST GROUP - Continued from page 26 industry, along with a higher level of engagement with suppliers, employees and customers. He formed the UCS Board of Directors almost a decade ago to help steward the company towards continued sustainable growth, and to be a valued and objective resource to management in fulfilling its vision and its commitment to core values. Today, Spitz gives back to the industry by sitting on the Boards of the National Hardwood Lumber Association and the International Wood Products Association, where he will be President in 2012. He also sits on several boards outside the industry, and teaches Strategic and Executive Leadership at the Canadian Military College in Toronto to Generals of several countries including the U.S. and Canada. He is a proud member of Canada Company of the Royal Regiment of Canada. Warren Spitz is “a unique individual,” Clough says. The company’s founder is “very high energy, high spirited and travels relentlessly to meet with suppliers, customers and our staff,” and goes on to say that Warren has forged terrific relationships with all of the company’s employees, suppliers and customers. He even has managed to run 13 marathons on three continents in his travels. The organization Spitz and the UCS Management Team oversee is large in scope. The company has distribution yards in Toronto and Cambridge, Ontario; Calgary, Alberta; Kelowna and Vancouver, B.C.; Chicago; Denver; Salt Lake City; Seattle and Shenzhen, China. The Cambridge, Ontario location is a specialty woods group known as A&M Wood Specialty, which has been providing fine Hardwoods and veneers globally since 1973. This is a “boutique” business that provides unique and hard-to-find products to skilled craftsmen, architects, designers, furniture, and instrument makers. The UCS Forest Group is very committed to sustainable forestry as well as to environmentally sensitive business practices. Clough says the company adheres to a strict policy of purchasing sustainably harvested products, and the entire group has been FSC certified since 2003. The company is a leader in its commitment to the environment, both in its products and how it manages its operations. Many managers and sales staff drive hybrid company cars; several divisions purchase and consume green energy for their warehouse operations; and the company is in Please turn to page 44 40 Hardwoods Have Resiliency
PENN-YORK MEETING - Continued from page 32 ber supply. Coastal produces more than 230 million board feet of Hardwood lumber each year. With more than 60 modern dry kilns in operation, it has an annual capacity of 95 million board feet of kiln-dried lumber. Coastal also produces more than 110 million board feet of green and air-dried lumber, and industrial-grade Hardwoods for use in the pallet and railroad tie industries. Coastal Lumber Company’s Hardwood manufacturing facilities are strategically located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee near the Appalachian region. For all future up-coming meeting dates for Penn-York Lumbermen’s Club, please visit online to: www.pennyork.org. • PENN-YORK PHOTOS - Continued from page 33 Norb Bennett, Trumco Inc., Atlantic, Pa.; and Mike Mitchell and Patrick Hennebicque, Bradford Forest Inc., Bradford, Pa. Ron Ramsey, Keslar Lumber Co., White, Pa.; John Staranko, Baillie Lumber Co., Hamburg, N.Y.; Terry Hunter, Hickman Lumber Co. Inc., Emlenton, Pa.; and Jack Hatfield, Jim C. Hamer Co., Kenova, W.Va. Jordan and Gordon McIlvain, Alan McIlvain Co., Marcus Hook, Pa.; and Jim Buterbaugh, Buterbaugh Lumber Sales LLC, Somerset, Pa. Jim Tanner and Chuck Ward, Tanner Lumber Co., Dailey, W.Va.; Don Petersen, Interforest Lumber Corp., Shade Gap, Pa.; and Bob Conger, Coastal Lumber Co., Weldon, N.C. Alex and Barbara Mullins, Buffalo Valley Forest Products, Mifflinburg, Pa. Carl Shaffer, NILCO, Elizabeth, Pa.; Kevin Koch, Taylor Northeast, Morgantown, W.Va.; and Kennon Morris, Northern Neck Lumber Co., Warsaw, Va. JANUARY/2011 41
