Industry News – September 2026

Industry News – September 2026

Cardin Forest Products Promotes Brady Rees

Brady Rees was recently promoted to a sales position at Cardin Forest Products in South Pittsburg, TN. Cardin Forest Products sells products to domestic and international regions.

As a hardwood sawmill, the company produces 20 million board feet annually. They offer the following in 4/4, kiln-dried, FAS, Nos. 1 and 2 Common and rough / S2S: Ash, Cherry, Hickory, Mixed Gum, Poplar, Red and White Oak and Soft Maple.

Value-added processes include rip-to-width and width sorting.

While Rees has been with Cardin Forest since March of 2025, he is a fresh addition to the sales team. He described the career he started at Willowbrook Cabinets in Smithfield, UT, in August of 2022 as “industry adjacent,” as his first position in the forest products industry was with Cardin as a lumber inspector.

Rees received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Utah State University in Logan, UT, and studied lumber grading at the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) Inspector Training School in Memphis, TN.

He married Grace in July of 2022, and they have two daughters — Mary Elizabeth and newborn Hildegard.

 Cardin Forest Products is a member of the NHLA.

To learn more, call 423-837-4041, email rec@cardinfp.com or visit cardinfp.com.

Marquis Adams: Fitzpatrick & Weller Inc.’s New Face In Sales

Marquis Adams recently joined the sales team at Ellicottville, NY-based, Fitzpatrick & Weller Inc.

The manufacturing, distribution and concentration yard business produces seven million board feet of Red and White Oak, Cherry, Ash, Hard and Soft Maple, Poplar, Basswood, Walnut, Mahogany and European Beech in 4/4 through 8/4. The species listing can be found on their website.

 They offer kiln-dried lumber and wood components. Wood component capabilities include gluing, sanding, drilling, tenoning, moulding and CNC.

Adams joined Fitzpatrick & Weller in April of 2026 and was promoted to a sales position recently. He has spent 23 years in the forest products industry and started as a lumber piler for his family business. He has a variety of experience in the field in not only sales and piling, but in purchasing, grading, sawmill management and as owner and operator of the family business.

He earned an associate’s degree in Engineering Science from Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, NY, and was in class 153 of the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) Lumber Inspector Training School in Memphis, TN.

Adams has two children (one girl and one boy) with Macy, his wife of five years. He enjoys camping, hunting, snowmobiling and being a dad.

Fitzpatrick & Weller Inc. is a member of the NHLA, Penn-York Lumbermen’s Club, Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc., Wood Products Manufacturing Association, American Hardwood Export Council and the Empire State Forest Products Association.

For more information, call 716-699-2393, email MarquisA@fitzweller.com, sales@fitzweller.com or visit fitzweller.com.

New River Hardwoods Inc. Welcomes Jim Schmidt

Jim Schmidt recently joined New River Hardwoods Inc. as general manager of the kilns and millwork division. As the general manager, Schmidt is driving the Cap-X expansion in the millwork facility in parallel working with the production team, sales and procurement of materials and lumber as needed. With 42 years of experience in hardwood and softwood manufacturing, Schmidt brings extensive industry knowledge, hands-on operational experience and practical millwork expertise to the role. His leadership will support New River Hardwoods as the company continues to expand its solid millwork business.

New River Hardwoods is based in Mountain City, TN, and offers the following species in 4/4 through 8/4 either green, kiln-dried or millworked: Ash, Basswood, Hickory, Cherry, Poplar, Walnut, Red and White Oak and Hard and Soft Maple.

Schmidt began his career in 1984 with one of the largest millwork operations in Northern California. Starting on the production floor, he learned each stage of the millwork process firsthand before advancing into department management.

After 10 years in the industry, Schmidt accepted his first plant manager position with Endura Products, a move that brought him to the East Coast. In that role, Schmidt noted he applied his experience to help grow the millwork facility by more than 300 percent. He has since worked with companies in Southwest Virginia, Maryland and Kentucky, building a broad perspective across the wood manufacturing operations listed below.

• Deep knowledge of wood manufacturing equipment and millwork processes
• Strong collaboration with research and development teams and sales organizations
• A commitment to mentoring people who are eager to learn and grow in the industry
• Proven leadership in facility growth, operational improvement and team development

Schmidt shared that he looks forward to using his knowledge and experience to help strengthen and grow New River Hardwoods’ millwork operations.

Outside of work, Schmidt enjoys spending time with his wife, Sandra, as well as his grandchildren, family and friends. When time allows, he also enjoys traveling back to Kentucky to visit friends and his church family.

Visit newriverhardwoods.com to find out more.

TS Manufacturing Welcomes Back Rob Kittle

Lindsay, ON-based, TS Manufacturing recently welcomed back Rob Kittle, who has joined the company as a systems sales representative, serving customers across Canada and international markets.

Kittle brings nearly 30 years of experience in sawmill machinery and sales, including more than 10 years previously spent with TS Manufacturing and 13 years with Cleereman Industries. Throughout his career, he has developed extensive industry knowledge, strong customer relationships and a deep understanding of sawmill operations and equipment.

Originally from Fenelon Falls, ON, Kittle enjoys spending time with his family and making the most of the outdoors. In his spare time, he can often be found boating or golfing.

For more than five decades, TS Manufacturing has been offering a complete line of machinery, controls and software to fit mills.

For more information on their complete line of sawmill offerings, contact them at (705) 324-3762, email sales@tsman.com or visit tsman.com.

How Taylor Stringer Is Helping Shape The Future Of Manufacturing

As the recently appointed chief business officer of Stringer Industries Inc., Taylor Stringer shared that he has helped guide one of Mississippi’s leading sawmill manufacturing companies through a decade of growth, innovation and long-term relationship building.

Stringer Industries, based in Tylertown, MS, according to their company website manufactures waste wood chippers, chip screens, and bark hogs. The company also offers replacement parts and rebuild services on all brands of wastewood equipment.

“My approach to leadership is remarkably straightforward: do what you say you’re going to do, take care of people and keep getting better,” stated Taylor. “Those principles have become the foundation of both my career and reputation.”

Over the past 10 years, Taylor has progressed from business development manager to chief business officer, helping expand Stringer Industries’ market presence throughout the Eastern United States. In that time, he has strengthened customer relationships, developed new business opportunities and helped position the family-owned company for its next generation of growth.

Before joining Stringer Industries, Taylor gained experience in consulting, public broadcasting and government affairs. Those diverse experiences gave him a broader perspective on communication, leadership and organizational growth—skills that continue to influence his approach today.

“In an era when leadership is often measured by visibility,” Taylor noted, “I offer a different example—one rooted in service, accountability and long-term thinking. I am equally comfortable leading strategic growth initiatives inside the business as I am volunteering my time outside of it. I understand that success is built over years, not quarters and that leadership is measured not only by results, but by the people you help along the way. For me, building a business and building a community have never been separate pursuits. They are simply different ways of doing the same thing: creating something that lasts.”

Visit stringerind.com for more details.

Keller Lumber Inc. Replaces Existing Lines With Cleereman Industries Equipment

Keller Lumber Inc. recently upgraded much of their equipment with Cleereman Industries and Cleereman Controls at their sawmill in Stevenson, AL. Paul and Trevor Cleereman traveled to Stevenson to meet with Allen Keller and his crew to talk over what their long-term goals were and recommend the proper equipment needed.

Before Cleereman built any equipment, Trevor Cleereman and Rod Chitko returned to Keller Lumber to engineer and take measurements.

The existing Debarker was replaced with a new Cleereman 848 dual headed Debarker. On the inside of the mill, everything after the existing Cleereman LP-42” Linear carriage line was replaced.  The new equipment after the carriage includes a new Cleereman headrig roll case, Cleereman transfer decks to a new Cleereman 642 optimized board Edger and a Cleereman 62” horizontal resaw with run-around.

Cleereman also included all the sub-steel for a quick installation of the new equipment. Cleereman Controls did all the electrical cabinets for the new equipment lines along with the controls and optimization. Paul Cleereman met with Ray Tharpe of RTM Industrial Maintenance about the installation of the new equipment lines. RTM installed the new Debarker over a long weekend, followed by the new equipment inside the mill in less than two weeks.

“Cleereman Industries would like to thank Allen Keller and everyone at Keller Lumber for choosing Cleereman for this project,” shared Paul Cleereman, president of Cleereman Industries.

Learn more about Newald, WI-based, Cleereman Industries by visiting cleereman.com.

Merrill Hardwoods Division Acquired By Murphy Door

Murphy Door, a manufacturer of bookcase doors, murphy beds, and multifunctional hidden-door furniture headquartered in Ogden, UT, recently announced the acquisition of Merrill Hardwoods Division (MHD), a 30-year-old hardwood manufacturing company based in Rigby, ID.  The acquisition is expected to increase manufacturing power by 30 percent.

The deal marks a full-circle moment for Murphy Door, whose products are offered in knotty Alder, White Oak, Maple, Walnut and more as found on their company website. According to the company, MHD founder Kris Merrill was instrumental in designing and building the very first Murphy Door products more than 13 years ago.

Murphy Door acquired MHD’s 22,500-square-foot facility including its buildings, all manufacturing equipment and full team of approximately 10 employees, for $3.25 million via traditional financing, representing a significant discount to the estimated $6.5 to 7 million in combined real estate and equipment value. All MHD staff will become Murphy Door employees, with plans to double headcount at the facility within 12 months.

The acquisition is expected to add approximately $5 million to Murphy Door’s top line over the next 12 months and opens new product categories including floating shelves, stair risers, veneered products, custom hardwood supply, and furniture lines such as nightstands, dressers, armoires, vanities and kitchen cabinets.

Founded in 2012, Murphy Door offers a wide range of concealed door systems, including bookcase doors, mirror doors, pantry doors, wine rack doors, and fully customizable hidden room solutions for residential, multifamily, hospitality and commercial applications. Murphy Door manufactures 99 percent of its products in the United States, with major production facilities in Utah and Kentucky, and continues to invest millions of dollars in domestic manufacturing, advanced CNC machining and skilled labor, with additional expansion planned this year.

Murphy Door products are available direct-to-consumer on their website murphydoor.com and through select retail partners, including Home Depot.

Housing Act Becomes Law Without Presidential Signature And Global Tariffs Announced

The Hardwood Federation reported recently that the 21st Century ROAD (Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream) to Housing Act recently became law following bipartisan support in both the House (358-32) and Senate (85-5). Although President Trump canceled a bill signing ceremony following Congressional passage, the legislation did not need his signature to become law. Under Article 1 of the Constitution, once a bill is formally presented to the president, they have 10 days to sign or veto it. If there is no action taken in that time frame, the bill becomes law. That 10-day window for H.R. 6644 has since closed and the measure is, at the time of this writing, in statute.

The legislation is an amalgamation of several different measures aimed at boosting the housing market and making home ownership more affordable. Among its many provisions there is language that would incentivize changes in local governments’ zoning and land use policies, authorize new housing construction and rehabilitation grant programs, modify the Community Reinvestment Act and reduce federal environmental review requirements.

The measure also includes modular and manufactured home provisions as well as language directing studies on barriers to small mortgage lending. The Hardwood Federation has been supportive of the legislation as it intends to spur much needed home building.

In other news, The Hardwood Federation reported that on July 23, using authority under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the U.S. Trade Representative announced tariffs on 60 economies for their failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on importation of goods produced with forced labor. The announcement came just hours before the sunset of the Section 122 10 percent tariffs on most of our trading partners and was widely anticipated.  These new tariffs effectively replicate the tariffs that expired at midnight and took effect on July 24, at 12:01 in the morning. There are exemptions, but generally the duties fall into the following categories:

• Ten percent on investigated economies that (i) impose a forced labor import prohibition; (ii) have committed to impose and enforce such a prohibition through an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade; or (iii) have imposed a partial regime with the effect of preventing the importation of certain forced labor goods. These economies are Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom.

• Ten percent or 12.5 percent (net of Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) rate) on certain products from the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Switzerland that are not otherwise exempted. The Federal Register Notice provides more detail.

• Twelve-and-a-half percent for all other investigated economies.

This release originated from the Hardwood Federation.

For more details, visit hardwoodfederation.com.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Visits Virginia Hardwood Sawmill

Will Courtney, executive vice president of Crossroads Strategies shared, “EPA Administrator Zeldin is touring manufacturing sites across America to learn more about how the EPA can assist American businesses with increasing manufacturing capacity.  As such, due to ongoing discussions regarding the hardwood lumber industry between National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) Crossroads Task Force and the EPA, we arranged for Zeldin to visit R.S. Coleman Lumber Company to see first-hand how hardwood manufacturing supports rural communities.”

Zeldin’s recent visit to R.S. Coleman Lumber Company in Culpeper, VA, is a part of the agency’s Great American Comeback initiative, a nationwide effort to highlight and support American manufacturing. The visit drew attention to the challenges facing the U.S. hardwood industry, which has lost 40,000 jobs since 2022 and seen 35 sawmills close in 2026 alone.

During the visit, Zeldin toured the facility and met with mill workers and industry leaders to hear firsthand about the pressures facing domestic hardwood manufacturers, including foreign competition and the displacement of solid wood products by cheap, chemical-laden substitutes made overseas.

“America’s hardwood and lumber industry is critical to our infrastructure as well as our building and manufacturing sectors,” Zeldin said.

“American hardwood is natural, durable and healthier for people and the environment — especially more so
than substitute products made of plastics and chemicals,” said Jamie Coleman, vice president of the R.S. Coleman Lumber Company sawmill.

The National Hardwood Lumber Association, which represents roughly 700 member companies across the country and is headquartered in Memphis, TN, welcomed the visit as a significant show of support from the administration.

“Alongside this administration, Zeldin is exactly right to be paying attention to the American hardwood industry. It’s a make-or-break year,” said Dallin Brooks, executive director of the NHLA. “One American mill is closing every week because foreign substitute products are undercutting us with toxic chemicals, unfair trade practices, government subsidies and little to no regulation costs.”

The hardwood industry supports more than 300,000 jobs across rural America, producing the Oak floors, Walnut furniture, Maple cabinets, railroad ties and military pallets that American homes, businesses and defense operations depend on. Without intervention, the industry’s current decline is projected to leave the United States dependent on foreign mills for hardwood by 2031.

NHLA is working with the administration and Congress on a range of solutions, including procurement reform, trade remedies targeting foreign subsidies, and Farm Bill provisions to support rural sawmill economics.

Founded in 1898, NHLA is a trade association representing the U.S. hardwood lumber industry. NHLA sets the national grading standards for hardwood lumber and serves roughly 700 member companies, made up of independent and small family-owned sawmills.

Visit nhla.com to learn more.