Members and guests of the Hardwood Manufacturers Association (HMA) gathered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, recently to enjoy the association’s annual Fall Regional Meeting.
The event kicked off with the HMA Board of Directors convening, followed by two days of extensive lumber manufacturing facility tours.
Edgewood, Iowa was the first destination, which is home to Kendrick Forest Products’ largest sawmill, Forever Cabinets by the Kendrick Inc. plant, and their Kendrick Home and Shimlee operations wood sign/home decor operations.
In Oct. 2021, Kendrick began production of Walnut and White Oak at its new mill in Muscatine, Iowa. This location proudly produces six million board feet of lumber annually, according to the HMA.
Tim and Rhonda Kendrick started their wood-focused business—Kendrick Forest Products, a sawmill, and logging company—that would not only grow and develop to meet many different consumer needs, like furniture, cabinetry, and home decor; they would also showcase Kendrick’s dedication to maximizing use and reducing waste of the raw materials used for production. Today, Kendrick Inc. is seven companies, in four locations, but one team, producing quality products from locally harvested trees in Northeast, Iowa.
Next up was Bruggeman Lumber for a tour of their sawmill and dry kiln operations in Hopkinton, Iowa. According to the HMA, in addition to green and kiln-dried lumber, the company specializes in pallet material, rail ties, compost and custom sawing for trailer flooring and farming operations.
After that, HMA’s entourage traveled to HNI’s manufacturing plant, also in Muscatine. HNI is a global manufacturer of industry-leading brands of wood and laminate furniture for home, office, hospitality and healthcare markets.
Also on the docket was an informative update by AHEC’s International Program Manager Tripp Pryor who spoke about the European Union Deforestation Regulations.
To learn more about this association, visit www.hmamembers.org.
