Dakota Premium Hardwoods, headquartered in Waco, TX, specializes in products for the cabinetry, millwork, furniture manufacturing and woodworking industries. Since its inception at the peak of the recession in 2007, this operation has seen continued growth.
When the operation began, it had one location in Waco, and grew quickly to five other cities in Texas. This Hardwood distribution company continues to ride the fast track and now serves multiple markets. In January of 2023, Dakota opened branches in Ruston, LA and Punta Gorda, FL.
With a comprehensive list of all components, product offerings include Hardwood lumber and Hardwood plywood from domestic and import manufacturers; functional cabinetry hardware; profile mouldings and cabinet facings, finishes and paints; moulding; shelving; multiple panel products; veneers; adhesives and abrasives; and high-end specialty products. Species available include Red and White Oak, Brown Maple, Poplar, Clear Alder, Knotty Alder, Hickory, Cherry, European Beech, Walnut, White Ash, Mahogany, Aromatic Cedar and knotty pine.
Dakota Hardwoods has distribution centers in Waco, San Antonio, El Paso, Austin, Houston, TX and Lafayette, LA, with the newest location in Albuquerque, NM. The company distributes all domestic species of Hardwood lumber in mostly 4/4 thicknesses and purchases approximately 14 million board feet of Hardwoods annually.
In August of 2022, Dakota was named Black Label Decking Distributor. With their Black Label™ Decking and Cladding selection, each board is handpicked to strict quality standards. “To earn the name Black Label™, each board must meet our highest quality standards,” Chief Financial Officer Jack White said. “That means when you buy Black Label™, you’re always opting for premium architectural-grade lumber. In other words, you’re opting for the world’s best decking and cladding products.”
The selection process is overseen by forest engineers who inspect each tree, taking into account its age and size, along with the wellbeing of the forest it resides in. “Only the mature trees that can no longer store carbon are picked,” White explained. “By picking the tallest trees, we open space on the canopy of leaves, bringing sunlight into the forest and allowing new, stronger trees to grow. A hundred percent of our products are certified by either the Forestry Stewardship Council or Unifloresta. In addition we have our own Due Care Compliance program, which requires a third-party chain of custody audit from the forest floor to your door.”
Sustainability is important to the people at Dakota Premium Hardwoods. All of the products they market are responsibly harvested and manufactured. In an effort to minimize their carbon footprint the operation is outfitted with fuel-efficient vehicles and receives much of its material by rail. “We are continually looking for ways to minimize wood waste, also rendering the freight cost and increasing woods natural resource yields,” White said.
Entering the market with an innovative customer experience platform, the operation saw a 30 percent growth rate year-over-year. The Wurth Group of Companies purchased Dakota in November of 2018. The partnership with Wurth has greatly enhanced Dakota’s ability to grow through Green Fielding with the support provided by their organization. With the backing of the Wurth Group, Dakota has seen tremendous sales growth; 2020 – 21.8 percent, 2021 – 38.9 percent, and 2022 – 57.0 percent. Since becoming part of the Wurth Group, Dakota has added 5 locations through Green Fielding (Lafayette, Tulsa, Albuquerque, Ruston and Punta Gorda.)
Company CEO Ron Mazzarella said Dakota Hardwoods’ growth can be partially attributed to Green Fielding. “Distributors like Dakota around the country are growing primarily through acquisition and consolidation,” Mazzarella said. “Dakota might be the only distributor growing meaningfully through Green Fielding.”
Opening its Dallas branch in November 2014, this location is growing to be its largest operation to date, exceeding $65 million in sales in 2022. In June of 2018, Dakota opened another location in Lafayette, LA. Reaching $23 million in sales, their Tulsa, OK location opened in March 2020. The Albuquerque, NM location opened in 2022. Dakota as a company reached sales of $201.5M in 2022. “Two more branches in 2023 have put us at 11 branches in five states,” Mazzarella explained.
When asked what the keys are to Dakota’s continued expansion, Mazzarella said, “The Dakota model has proven to be durable and replicable. We know how to open and effectively serve new markets. Dakota will also look for acquisition opportunities: but our proven record of Green Fielding effectively will continue to be a focus because if you can do it, and we know we can, it is a more profitable way to grow. It is a lot more work, but it pays off.”
With trucks leaving daily to serve Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Bryan/College Station, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley along with Lafayette, LA and Tulsa, OK, Mazzarella said the experience level and expertise are also key. “We provide unsurpassed customer service and with over a century of combined experience in the Hardwood lumber industry, we offer educated purchasing experiences.”
Dakota Premium Hardwoods is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA).
For more information visit www.Dakotahardwoods.com.
