National Hardwood Magazine - July 2014

SUN MOUNTAIN INC.

SUN MOUNTAIN INC. continued from page 17 Warehouse Manager Steve Deniston checks lumber inventory. San Francisco Design Center. Sun Mountain now employs just under 100 people, with operations in three states. The company continues to grow through the execution of its strategies, and the gradual return of the housing market. The company is truly a family business. Though officially retired, John Walton meets with the management team often, and still holds the title of president, acting as the company’s “chairman”. Of nine children, Thad is John’s only son or daughter involved in the business, and serves as the company’s vice president of sales. Even Thad’s children occasionally work for the company. Trend-makers have a lot to say about decisions on wood species, and the popularity of the rustic look for the last several years has dictated use of Alder. Walton explained, “At one time no one wanted knotty Alder. But now, with the great interest in rustic design, customers seek the natural beauty of Alder, and even ask us to distress the wood to make it even more rustic. All of this had led to the growing attraction and demand for the cost effective Alder wood.” Walton continued, “Now we’re moving into the huge change of more contemporary designs in multimillion dollar homes, incorporating the use of both Hardwoods and softwoods.” “The affluent clientele of Sun Mountain,” said Walton, “is knowledgeable about what they're looking for—the wood species is often defined in the architectural plan or predetermined in the bid. We go to any length to source the lumber desired by our clients, including sourcing reclaimed lumber from old barns and granaries.” The major portion of Sun Mountain’s lumber need is supplied mill direct, with a smaller portion through distribution from local suppliers. “The company regularly purchases full truckloads of Alder direct from mills in the northwestern U.S.” But, for wood species with lower volume demand, for example Walnut, truckload purchasing isn’t feasible,” said Walton. “Thus, supply of these species will be sourced from local distributors.” Acclimation to the Colorado climate is also important, and wood sourced from local suppliers is already acclimated. “We check wood in at 8 to 10 percent moisture content,” stated Walton. “If it comes from the Midwest on a just-in-time basis, it takes additional time to allow the wood to acclimate. So in this case it may be more beneficial Conventional kilns for hardwood & softwood HILDEBRAND GREENKILNS ® Vacuum kilns for hardwood & softwood BRUNNER HIGH VAC ® Continuous Dual Path Kilns for softwood Type CDP See video on: brunner-hildebrand.com/ GREENKILNS See us @ The IWF Show in Atlanta, Booth 4460, Aug. 20-23 See video on: brunner-hildebrand.com/ CONTINUOUSKILNS The Brunner Group of companies 7516 Highway 70 S, Nashville, TN 37221 / USA, Tel.: (615) 662-0745 Website: www.brunner-hildebrand.com, E-mail: info@brunner-hildebrand.com ® Registered for your future 34 JULY 2014 ■ NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE

for us to buy through distribution in Denver.” Lumber doesn't stay long in the Sun Mountain warehouse— quick turnaround and short lead times have bolstered the company’s reputation as a leading supplier, and supported national expansion. “Lead time is crucial and can pose a problem for custom shops,” said Walton, whose company executes to a challenging four to six week turnaround time from order to delivery. “We run the factory so that everything is custom made, though in more of a continuous flow ‘mass customization’ setting, to get highquality product through quickly.” That efficiency begins at the starting line, when one of Sun Mountain’s sales representatives earns an opportunity to quote a project, and completes a prompt 48-hour turnaround bid to the potential client. “Our bidding and production lead times are maintained because of the significant supply of raw lumber we carry,” affirmed Walton. Sun Mountain’s “direct to trade or homeowner” distribution model is also augmented by “leading-edge engineering and computer systems, and scanning and scheduling processes” so that the company is “the fastest full-service custom door manufacturer in the nation,” stated Walton. All custom doors are manufactured with high-quality engineered LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) core, sandwiched inside 1/8-inch thick veneers and thick end caps, with solid wood panels. Wide plank engineered flooring is made with an 11-ply, alternating-grain, exterior grade wood core, to maximize strength and stability. “That foundation,” said Walton, “allows the company to offer the highest-quality custom products at much lower pricing than our multi-step competitors.” Walton attributes the company’s success to its employees, A high-level view of Sun Mountain’s 110,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. from management to the production line. “The people who work here are loyal, with average tenure over seven years. We’re very proud of that length of service. Our people are the source of our success. They understand how things work, and create the excellent quality we achieve.” Sun Mountain is a member of the National Association of Homebuilders, and Thad Walton is personally involved in vari- Please turn to page 44 • Top Quality Kiln Dried Hardwood Lumber Rough/S2S • Specializing in 5/4 thru 8/4 Red Oak & White Oak • Also: Ash, Cherry, Hard Maple & Soft Maple • Shipping Mixed Trucks/Containers Worldwide S Sirianni Hardwoods, Inc. 912 Addison Road Painted Post, New York 14870 Telephone: (607) 962-4688 Fax: (607) 936-6237 www.siriannihardwoods.com Sales - Keith@siriannihardwoods.com Purchasing - Tom@siriannihardwoods.com JULY 2014 ■ NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 35