“We’re constantly exploring new ways to have the best product and service possible because keeping our customers happy has definitely been the key to our success.” – Tim McCoy, Houston Hardwoods, President
Houston Hardwoods, headquartered in Houston, TX, offers among the largest selection of hardwoods in Texas. More than 600,000 board feet of hardwoods are purchased annually in Alder, Ash, Cherry, Maple, Red and White Oak, Walnut, Birch, Pecan, Poplar and many more species. Additional product offerings include mouldings, softwood and imported lumber, plywood, MDF and melamine, edgebanding and veneer sheeting.
With what may be the best balance of hardwood species and industry experience, Houston Hardwoods continues to fit the niche it found in providing superior service and quality products. “We offer most of the common domestic hardwoods and also quite a few of the exotic woods,” President Tim McCoy explained. “I would say 75 percent of our lumber is domestic and the other 25 percent is imported.”
A solid business plan and reputation for excellence is what McCoy said keeps the operation successful and competitive. Houston Hardwoods was minimally (if at all) impacted by the covid pandemic that began in 2020. “It was business as usual for us,” he explained. “We changed our operating hours to adjust to the needs of our employees, but we’ve since reinstated them and we’re back at full capacity.”
Founded in 1990 by McCoy, president, and Guy Pike, vice president, Houston Hardwoods also specializes in marine products which include marine grade plywood, Teak plywood, and solid Teak lumber as well as Teak and Holly boat decking. A combined 80 years of industry experience, McCoy said, “When we opened this business, I had worked at another hardwood company and Guy was in the remodeling business prior to this operation. We have a lot of experience in the lumber industry. We brought different approaches, ways of thinking and educational backgrounds to the table; that helped set the stage for a successful business.”
Today, Houston Hardwoods operates from a 50,000-square-foot facility with about 18 employees. After just the first five years of operation, they started adding moulders to the equipment lineup. Now the company’s two SCMI moulders streamline the production process and designate specific machines to certain tasks. “We are continuously seeking new ways to offer the best product and service possible because keeping our customers satisfied is the key to our success,” McCoy said.
Since inception, the company has been growing steadily both in terms of sales and line/product expansion. “We’ve grown every year since then,” said McCoy. The company itself has also evolved into a full-blown manufacturing facility that specializes in planing wood and producing custom moulding. “Our mill capabilities were limited in the beginning,” said McCoy. “About five years into it, we started adding moulders to our equipment lineup. That’s become a big part of our business.”
Recently adding a new Powermatic planer to its equipment list, McCoy said using its two SCMI moulders, they’ve been able to streamline the production process and designate specific machines to certain tasks. “We use one of the machines to run patterns that we change up several times a day,” said McCoy, “and then we leave the other machine set up for S4S lumber. That saves us a lot of time and makes us much more efficient than if we were just using one machine for everything.”
Houston Hardwoods procures its kiln-dried domestic lumber from sawmills all over the country. “We try to get some of our species like Oak and Poplar from sources that are closer to home to avoid high freight/transportation costs,” said McCoy. “Some of the other species like Maple and Walnut we usually try to get from sources further north due to the higher quality of those woods in that area of the country.”
The company has maintained its focus on one of its biggest strengths: being able to turnaround orders in one to two days. Its customers – most of which are located within 100 miles of Houston – appreciate the quick turnaround time and the fact that quality is never sacrificed in lieu of speed. While most of its customers are in Texas, Houston Hardwoods does ship orders to clients in other parts of the country. “We are often surprised by where people call from, but we don’t argue. We get the order done and ship it out.”
According to McCoy, most of the firm’s customers during the week are professionals, cabinet shops, contractors, furniture builders and other lumber yards that do not deal in hardwoods. The company also caters to a number of DIY hobbyists and woodworkers. “We call them weekend warriors; they go crazy when they come in here and see our extensive selection,” said McCoy. “This is a customer segment that helps to round out our client base and gives us the opportunity to work with smaller, locally-based wood workers.”
Houston Hardwoods is a member of the Lumbermen’s Association of Texas & Greater Louisiana and the Greater Houston Lumber & Building Materials Association. McCoy added, “We’re constantly exploring new ways to have the best product and service possible because keeping our customers happy has definitely been the key to our success.”
For more information, visit www.houstonhardwoods.com.
