An Interesting Way To Make Money With Timber

My Friend and his business partner decided to start a new project that would supply cash flow, profitability, and ultimately an asset in the end. Sell the stuff that was dismantled, dismantle it, and they determined to purchase a 115 year old bourbon barn. they had no previous expertise in the wood business, demolition, or salvage. The intention of this post would be to share their experiences. This article is organized into sections titled business model, sales and marketing, and operations. Additionally, included is a history of their barn.

Business Model – 6 insights

1. Buyers of reclaimed lumber do not always do a site review of the stuff prior to purchase. Samples and digital photos combined with the agent’s guidance or inspection are part of the deal. Unfortunately, buyers may not know until they offload what they have received, or add value to the substance at a later date.

2. Parties involve often feel positive about the business deals: buyer, seller, and broker/s. Not one of the seven distinct sales transactions with different buyers and brokers did they feel that the deal was do as consented to (load out, final count, species, rating).

3. Part of the reasons why players feel shafted is that conditions are not typically set in writing. No contracts, deals kept changing (place it in writing). Occasionally players will place it in an e-mail but it’s mainly over the phone.

4.An unhealthy econohis and fuel increases hurt the profitability of their enterprise. Because reclaimed lumber is usually used for home (flooring was the biggest demand), a dip in the home market damage their strategy. Also, as the wood commodity dipped for pulp, many potential customers were looking at new wood versus their aged wood.

5.There is certified brokers in the lumber marketplace that is reclaimed or no trade association. In general, the reclaimed wood industry is a fragmented market with tens of manufacturing companies and local or regional brokers.

6. The purchasing and selling of the wood commodity entails at least one, often two brokers. As the seller, agents are not working for you. They’re usually getting paid by the buyer and after that taking shares or their fees and then paying the seller. There is an all-natural conflict of interest with only one broker is included.


Sales and Marketing – 7 points

1. One of the mistakes they made in the job wasn’t selling the stuff early. In retrospect, they should have promoted to form relationships with cladding companies in Somerset and find channels to sell their product into. they waited until all the lumber was down on the ground and bundled, which damage their income. Also, it takes time to meet new buyers and develop networks (if you’re in it for the first time). Another mistake they made wasn’t stacking, also called decal stacking, their wood as they were dismantling. they learned that a best practice is to procure the “sticks”, such as for example tobacco sticks, before taking them down. The sticks are put between the board rows in order to allow the wood breathe and prevent rot. Piling the lumber additionally makes loading the lumber simpler. their recommendation is not to wait to get the sticks. Regrettably, they overpaid and had to purchase them from a saw mill.

2. The more value which you can add the more sales you will receive also the more risk you take on. Value added tasks could be sorting, cutting, drying, delivering, and ending. they found that it’s truly worth the investment to count each stack and indicate each package with kind, board feet, and location. Should youn’t then you’re setting yourself up for shrink issues, revenue loss, disputes, etc. It’s critical, as basic as it appears, to define the terms of the sale.

3. Species would appear to be important to prospective buyers, but it looked like each agent and potential buyer claimed the wood was a different species that what it was or what another specialist said. Additionally, the species scarcely yielded a higher cost for us. More important than species, dimensions were what brought a higher price. Broader and the longer the material, the more demand they found for their product at consistently at a price that is higher.

4. The uses of their substance varied. they sold to brokers and buyers that worked in furniture and flooring, cabinetry, home improvement. If the wood has defects, including worm holes or bolt holes, it still has worth (often more value).

5. Agents and screen prospective buyers diligently. It was not generally productive unless they are established, serious, and agent stuff to meet with buyers on site as a full time profession. It’s important to get aligned with an agent which he works for your. Agents may bring to buy your material. There also may be a broker for the seller and an agent for the buyer.

6. The intranet is a good spot to begin to create interest in your material.

7. It helps to have a fantastic story to tell about the barn that you recovered (see “Our Bourbon Barn”).

Operations – 9 suggestions

1. Count the board feet of your stuff it after it really is stacked, whether there is shrinkage so you know, and show the buyer that you are organized. It helps to place a placard on each stack identifying the amount, kind, etc.

2. Train your crew on the types of species so they do not mix oak in with poplar or pine. A knife cut to show grain, a simple map plank, or a scale can signify species and the different levels of wood.

3. Make sure there is space for flat bed semi trucks can be readily loaded and steered.

4. Safety and protection: make sure that you happen to be diligent in the way in which that you simply fasten equipment and the wood. Unfortunately, they fell upon multiple larcenies or substance and tools. Make sure that the job has processes, security equipment, and training.

5. Capital gear: they should have bought a fork lift that is long. It truly is a chance to reduce labour costs.

6. Before you take down the barn organize. they should have planned better on where we’d put the stacks of wood.

7. Don’t work your crew in lousy conditions. W spent numerous hours working their crew in muddy, wet conditions where the productivity was not good.

8. Make sure you have licenses, insurance, permits and cash. Several of their crew members to contain one of the principles stepped on nails.

9. Take loads of photos of all stages of the project before the project. Have samples prepared to send.


his partner says he would not tear down another barn. he disagree. If he got an excellent deal he genuinely believe that the lessons they learned would make the following job so much more rewarding and satisfying.

Our Bourbon Barn: An Abundant Kentucky History from Descendants and its Owners

Mr. Wertheimer became the co-owner of the Hoffman Distillery Company with the Ripey Family (of Lawrenceburg, KY) in the 1940s (shortly before WWII). There were a complete three warehouses at one time. Another two were erected after his grandpa got co-ownership. Edward spent much of his youth having fun on the creek in Lawrenceburg. It was renamed the Commonwealth Distillery Company, where bourbon was labeled under Old Rip Van Winkle.

Prior to WWII, the bourbon barrels were floated down the creek, which feeds the Salt River, which links its original warehouse and the bourbon distillery. Barrel handlers lifted the barrels from your creek and put into the warehouse. The barrels were waterproof and not empty. The river was no longer floated down after trucks were common area in this region of Kentucky. Another fascinating fact was that there is a shed across the road where a government gauger dwelt. The shed exists.