NAWLA Special Edition 2023

J.H. Huscroft: Supplying

J.H. Huscroft: Supplying Customers Across North America With a Wide Range Of Quality Softwoods Lumber packaged, wrapped and stored in a dry shed awaiting trucking at J.H. Huscroft Ltd. In 1927 John Henry Huscroft, along with his children, founded a bush-run sawmill in nearby Dodge Creek that was eventually re-located to its present location. Following in his father’s footsteps, Ken Huscroft carried on the company business for decades that bore his father’s name – J.H. Huscroft Ltd., located in Creston, BC. During that time, Justin Storm started working at the sawmill in 1999 when he was 16. In 2007, he was promoted to general manager, and in 2013 signed a purchase agreement with the Huscroft family and now serves as president/ Pictured is the beginning of the new 52 bin mill sorter at J.H. Huscroft. general manager and sole owner. Through the years, J.H. Huscroft has steadily grown and today employs 85 people on a one shift basis. “We operate a two-line sawmill,” said Storm. “Our big headsaw handles any log over 12 inches in diameter, and we have a hew saw that handles logs that are less than 12-inches. We buy logs within a 125-mile radius.” Those logs are used to produce high quality Softwood products at J.H. Huscroft. Storm explained, “All the wood we buy and harvest is SFI certified. We buy mainly Spruce, Pine, Douglas Fir, and Larch. We have an allowable cut of 80,000 cubic meters, but we’re cutting beyond that – up to 110,000 – and we purchase the rest from our local community forest and from private timber sales. We also have a joint venture with the lower Kootenay Band, which is Kootenay-Huscroft Forest Products, where we run a pattern moulder and end-matcher. As for products manufactured at J.H. Huscroft, sales representative Chris Schofer said, “Our main species are DiPrizio Pine Sales A Team of Over 50 Dedicated Men & Women Producing Eastern White Pine Lumber Products for Our Valued Customers! ESLP and DFL. We cut 1x4 through 1x12 boards in both ESLP and DFL and pattern stock up to 1x8. We also cut Douglas Fir and Larch 2” dimension 2x4 through 2x12 and supply a lot of 1 and 2-inch lam stock for Canadian and U.S customers. Operating in-house moulder and end-matcher, we run 1x4, 1x6, 1x8 into many different profiles including a high quality flooring product. We do a lot of specialty things, such as Hemlock and White Fir custom orders. We try to add as much value to those difficult species as possible.” Storm added, “We do turn a lot of products into paneling and glulam stock. It’s all very high end, value-added products, and in our location, we have all the high quality fiber we need to sustain our operations.” J.H. Huscroft Ltd. has the dry kiln capacity to complement the 26 million board feet of production, and Storm said that total could go higher. “Kiln capacity is our main limiting factor in production at this point,” he explained. “At the volume that we operate, we run into bottlenecks sometimes, but I view a bottleneck as a good thing because it means you’re pushing yourself.” J.H. Huscroft Ltd. is currently in the process of adding a 52 bin sorter and advanced scanning to the sawmill. This will help alleviate some of the production bottlenecks and allow them to run multiple species at a time to better utilize both the large log line and small log Hewsaw line. Storm estimated that 18 million board feet of the company’s production is dedicated to producing 1” boards, with the remaining annual production is 2” and specialty products. Wholesale distributors comprise the bulk of J.H. Huscroft’s clientele, said Schofer, who added, “We deal with a lot of contract customers. Once we set up a program, we do our best to keep everything running smoothly with our customers in those categories. We treat our customers like business partners, both sides need to be happy.” Our company has been working with this MAJESTIC RENEWABLE RESOURCE... since 1938 Great People. Great Facilities. Great Solutions. Great Pine. Mixed Truckloads • PTL • Partial Units • Partial Loads • Custom Programs Custom Kiln Drying • Trucking Arrangements 800-647-8989 or 603-473-2210 Route 153, Kings Hwy Middleton, NH 03887 NELMA Patterns & Custom Patterns Double-milled with Weinig Moulder Finish 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 and Timbers • 1/2 x 6” & 8” Bevel Siding Primed D Select Boards • DPS- “Band - Tex” Finish dipriziopine.com Email Jamie Moulton jmoulton@lavalleys.com J.H. Huscroft primarily manufactures boards made from ESLP and Douglas Fir/Larch. The company also handles Hemlock and White Fir custom orders. Forty percent of the company’s products are shipped to the United States, and the remainder is sold within Canada. J.H. Huscroft utilizes the services of two railroads to transport its products, as well as via trucks, on which the lumber is tarped for protection from the weather. As a high quality lumber producer, Storm attributes his company’s success to product diversity and hard work. “A lot of companies in our area choose to do one wood species very well versus what we do,” he said. “We choose to do many different species, and do our best on each one, so we can serve a broad selection of customers.” Schofer, who handles all marketing and sales for the company, added, “One of the things that sets us apart from our competitors is our willingness and ability to go the extra mile for our customers. It’s not always about what makes us the most money, it’s about providing our long term customers with what they need. If we are there for our customers, they will be there for us. Our focus is on the future, and we plan on being around for a long time.” J.H. Huscroft Ltd. is a member of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association and the Interior Lumber Manufacturer’s Association. For more information, visit online at www.jhhuscroft.com. Visit us at Booth #216 Operating between the improbable and the impossible. www.zipolaminators.com Page 30 ADVERTORIAL Wholesale/Wholesale Distributor Special Buying Issue Wholesale/Wholesale Distributor Special Buying Issue ADVERTORIAL Page 31