Rips Through Millions Of
Rips Through Millions Of Board Feet Of Lumber Each Year Hardwood Solutions By Clare Adrian Hardwood Solutions processes millions of board feet each year. Chelsea, MI–One enduring truth in manufacturing products from Hardwoods is the fact that most lumber is still sold in random width with varying types of defects, while nearly all Hardwood products require components that are fixed width and clear of defects. The two conflicting realities collide in the “Rough-mill” and invariably produce significant amounts of wasted Hardwood fiber. Hardwood Solutions, Inc., based here, occupies a unique space in the Hardwood industry as a company whose entire business strategy centers on helping its clients/partners manage these waste issues by eliminating both the width and defect issues in millions of board footage it processes each year. The company also does various material processing activities from ripping to surfacing, finger jointing, cut-tolength and trimming, as well as moulding services. Hardwood Solutions purchases a total of 15 million board feet of kiln-dried Soft and Hard Maple, Red Oak, Hickory, Aspen, Ash, Birch, Basswood and Poplar annually in all grades. Although 12-13 species of North American Hardwoods are purchased each month, Hard and Soft Maple top the list in recent years as the dominant choice for the cabinet industry, which comprises 70 percent of their business volume. Domestic shipments make up 90 percent of shipments and the other 10 percent goes to customers in Canada, Asia and Europe. Inventory is dedicated by project for each particular customer and supplied through customized supply chain programs. Though most of the products that emerge from the Hardwood Solutions plants are the fundamental materials that supply the cabinet and flooring industry, some offbeat projects arise from the scrap recovery. Aside from straightforward picture frames and paint stir sticks, the list includes termite traps, bowling pins, casket parts, whiskey boxes, child safety gates and Hickory sticks used to attract deer. The one common denominator in processing is that all lumber is ripped into component widths. Blanks proceed from one of four Mereen-Johnson ripsaws to any of the 12 to 13 work cells. The emphasis is on the efficiency of the initial ripsaw process followed by lean operation in the chop saw, resaw and moulder process. Integral to the operation is a combination of the company’s state-of-the-art machinery with a variety of market outlets for component materials and creative processing strategies. “In most cases, portions don’t perform well, it’s too expensive,” noted President Jeff Hardcastle. “We portion out what the client doesn’t use. If a client needs only one width, we find other homes for the rest.” 20 SEPTEMBER 2016 NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE
Hardwood Solutions takes a consultative approach to its projects and customers. Marketing Director Paul Wielenga said, “Our goal is to have our clients view us as an advocate for their cost position instead of the traditional supplier/vendor relationship.” The company’s transparent approach has built trust, resulting in many long-term partnerships. Management and control of customer costs and margins converts performance of milled Hardwoods into a more profitable mix. The innovative strategy, which Hardcastle refined, is a very collaborative, transparent and consistent approach to assisting clients in manufacturing their products. He remarked, “We do a lot of our consulting work with them on a daily basis, which builds relationships and trust with our customers. There’s been steady growth over time, adding equipment services and reconfiguring plant space to improve company efficiencies.” There’s a lot to be proud of for Hardcastle, in the broader picture of what the operation achieves. After all, he’s had over 25 years in the field to refine the process. The first brick in the road to founding Hardwood Solutions was an MBA from the University of Michigan, which Hardcastle put to initial use as a business plan consultant for a Hardwood company in 1986-7. The company offered him a position, where he eventually became president. Hardcastle next raised investment capital to build a new facility in Chelsea, MI, before he started his own business. Hardwood Solutions began production in 1997 with a base of 6 employees. As business gathered momentum and clientele, the need for additional floor space became evident. The Chelsea facility was expanded in 1998, 2002, 2006 and in 2012 the company acquired a plant from Cowley’s Lumber in Griffith, IN. The two facilities total 110,000 square feet of combined warehouse and processing plant space. Today, there are 70 employees on the payroll. Hardwood Solutions, member of KCMA, has partnered with the Forestry Department at Michigan State University for several years to incorporate interns into the work flow. Two interns have stayed on to join in with full-time process engineering staff as they continue to refine the production process. The location of the facilities is advantageous on at least three levels that Hardcastle identified. For one, plant location allows easy access for outside freight companies transporting inbound lumber and finished product nationally and internationally. Another is a skilled labor pool. “Much of what we spe- - Please turn to page 44 castle and Bob Mendoza. at Hardwood Solutions. SEPTEMBER 2016 NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 21
