You might think you know TBM Hardwoods. After all, we have a long-time legacy as a supplier of domestic and imported hardwood lumber and provider of value-add millwork services. But we’re willing to bet you can learn a few extra (and helpful) things about us! Here are the Top 8 little-known facts you need to know:
- We Source ALL Our Lumber Responsibly: We believe that good stewardship is as important as quality and price when we consider hardwood suppliers. We look to exercise due care to ensure that the lumber we buy has been sustainably managed, legally and responsibly harvested, and properly documented according to current CITES and Lacey Act requirements. We additionally pursued Forest Stewardship Council® certification (FSC) to meet the growing demand of an expanding green building market. We believe green initiatives can mutually serve the environment, our customers and the bottom line. Read more about our environmental statement.
- TBM’s Grit and Determination is a Family Trait: Our founder T. Baird McIlvain never graduated high school. In fact, he barely even made to high school, dropping out in 8th grade when his teachers told him he would be better off going out and finding a job. As a result, he left school and went to work for a sawmill where he said he got a “real education,” which provided him with a foundation in lumber grading and procurement. That expertise later led to his success co-running the original McIlvain lumber company, with his 2 brothers, and eventually breaking off on his own and starting TBM Hardwoods. His hard work, determination and grit is the bedrock TBM Hardwoods is built upon.
- You Dream It, We Mould It: In addition to our standard moulding profiles, we have the capability to create custom profiles in just about every shape and size. The mouldings are produced to exact specifications using the latest technology in Computer-Aided Drafting precision. We have a combined 50+ years of moulding experience, so our team can meet just about any need. You dream it, we can make it.
- Need thick lumber? We have it: We inventory a full line of premium 4/4 through 16/4 domestic hardwoods in a variety of pre-sorted widths, lengths and grades. We carry 10/4, 12/4 and 16/4 thicknesses in most of the domestic and imported species we carry.
- We kiln dry all of our own lumber: Our kiln drying process ensures that all of our lumber is properly stress relieved, stable, and ready to be manufactured. Green lumber is placed uniformly on sticks and left to air dry under roof until the moisture content is low enough for kiln drying. We reinspect after drying, removing any defect or downgrade that may have developed. Strict controls in the air and kiln drying processes allow us to maintain high quality and consistency.
- We ship/deliver on our own fleet of curtain side trucks: No middleman here! We ship and deliver for our standard routes on our own fleet of TBM trucks, not 3rd party carriers, so you know you are going to get it when we say. Our drivers are prompt and courteous with regular weekly routes. We have a variety of delivery options available to ship anywhere.
- One location is a huge advantage: We are “in the source”, sourcing most of our hardwoods in the geographical radius around the Appalachian region extending from West Virginia to New York. By pulling all lumber from 1 central lumber yard location, we can control everything: the process, execution and consistency of the product and service. Plus, our customers have the confidence of knowing they are dealing directly with the owners and top TBM experts every time.
- We manage our Customers’ inventory: Our state-of-the-art millwork facility allows us to produce standard or custom mouldings, and/or ripped & surfaced moulder ready blanks in very short lead times. No longer do customers need to purchase and carry large inventories of rough lumber. Using TBM, they can now buy specifically what they need, job for job, when they need it, no minimums required! This added service allows our customers to drastically reduce lead times, carry less inventory, improve cash flow and reduce waste and labor, dropping more to your bottom line.
