National Hardwood Magazine - November 2018

EAGLECRAFT Continued

EAGLECRAFT Continued from page 40 make custom products. Randy said his company is two levels away from the actual home owner. “We keep our customers happy,” he said. The home owner can get anything they want from the cabinet maker, who “depends on us to provide them with specific things.” Eaglecraft is flexible in fulfilling complex custom orders. Randy said he works hard to provide the right solutions to his clients. n To learn more, visit www.eaglecraftdoor.com. FLY TIE & LUMBER Continued from page 41 to the family business. Ricky and Dotty’s daughter, Jessica, joined the team as manager of accounts receivable/ payable, in addition to ensuring that safety standards are adhered to. Safety is key at every sawmill operation, but especially one like Fly Tie & Lumber, which has 10 company-owned trucks for deliveries. Those deliveries are made primarily to distributors and wholesalers, but a percentage also is shipped to frame shops across Eastern Mississippi. Ricky noted, “We’re producing about two loads of frame stock every day and approximately 95,000 board feet of lumber and ties on top of that.” Sales of lumber and frame stock are conducted by Eugene, who has worked at Fly Tie & Lumber for eight years. Ricky commented, “Eugene’s also a National Hardwood Lumber Association-certified grader. He’s great about jumping in to help on the grading line when someone’s sick or not at work.” Dotty said, “Our whole crew of 60 employees is like that, actually. We all pitch in whenever we have to. Whatever it takes to get the job done. We don’t have any who will say ‘that’s not my job’ because they know we’re only successful if we all work towards that goal.” Procuring timber from a radius of approximately 150 miles, Fly Tie & Lumber is careful to maintain inventories of quality raw material, especially as the winter months approach. “We build our inventory of logs to upwards of 10 million feet before the cold sets in, that way we can continue production of lumber and frame stock,” Ricky said. Approximately 80 percent of the company’s logs come from company-owned deeds and the remainder from outside producers. He continued, “The bayous are where the majority of our Cottonwood comes from, as well as Ash and Syca- 50 NOVEMBER 2018 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE

more. During the winter months it’s too wet to log out there, so my contract crews will switch to logging pine until the weather dries up enough for them to return to sourcing Hardwoods.” In total, Ricky owns roughly 10,000 acres of land. The sawmill operates on 23 acres of land positioned approximately one-quarter mile up the road from the company office and warehouses. Ricky recently completed a land acquisition at the office complex which upgraded the site from eight acres to 135 acres, providing ample space for future growth. Ricky stated that in addition to its quality lumber, what Fly Tie & Lumber is known for is its employees. “We have the best people,” he commented. “They’re hardworking, always ready to do what it takes to get the job done, and their dedication shows in each and every product that comes out of our mill.” Fly Tie & Lumber maintains memberships in the Southwestern Hardwood Manufacturers Club, West Side Hardwood Club, the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association, Hardwood Manufacturers Association and the National Hardwood Lumber Association. n To learn more, visit www.flytimber.com. GUEST ARTICLE Continued from page 39 their critical documents and records. As management, consider these questions in regard to your business: Can you virtualize your entire IT structure off-site? Can the disaster recovery solution be centrally managed? Do you have a dependable solution that automatically backs up the most recent files? Does the provider’s solution offer a simple, reliable program to protect the client’s business information and eliminate IT downtime? Is their solution built on reliable hardware and software? What if the provider suffers a disaster? In closing, some lumber companies may have intelligently put into effect comprehensive plans, designed and structured by key employees and regularly updated and tested for efficacy. Company leadership should poll its key personnel regarding the extent of their disaster preparedness/disaster recovery viability and pose the same questions to their log suppliers, lumber purchasers and IT vendors. If your business stays up to date with trends and makes sure customer satisfaction is extremely high, it has a good chance to survive and prosper. The list of things for a company to do to prepare can Please turn the page Sales - Tom or Jim sales@siriannihardwoods.com NOVEMBER 2018 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 51