O’Shea Lumber Building Quality Relationships By Providing Quality Products

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O’Shea Lumber Company’s business philosophy is based on one simple, but crucial, idea: “The Golden Rule.”

O’Shea Lumber, located in Glen Rock, PA, was founded by Mike O’Shea in 1971. Mike started the business with the belief that if they treated their customers like they would want to be treated, then they would be remembered. All of O’Shea Lumber’s employees live by the same rule, and strive to provide personal, genuine service to customers.

“The relationships we’ve developed with our customers and suppliers over the years, with this basic principle that Mike instilled in the business from the very beginning, are every bit as important to us as the quality of the products that we sell,” said Jerry Anton, president of O’Shea Lumber.

O’Shea Lumber Building Quality Relationships By Providing Quality Products 1

O’Shea Lumber’s staff includes (pictured left to right): Amy DePalmer, accounting department; Steve Fisher, CFO; Ada Swingler-Burley, inventory control; Nicole Marchio, office manager/human resources; and Tim Buettner, accounting manager.

That philosophy also carries over to the company’s vendor relationship ties that have formed the cornerstone for O’Shea Lumber’s 53 years of business success.

The company specializes in Appalachian hardwoods, imported hardwoods and Northeastern white pine, in 4/4 to 16/4. O’Shea purchases about 12 to 14 million board feet of lumber annually from sawmills located in the Midwest and the Northeast, as well as Canada, Africa, Central and South America on the import side. The company’s primary species include Basswood, Hard and Soft Maple, Cherry, Poplar, Red and White Oak, Cypress and Eastern white pine. Imports consist of African Mahogany, Sapele and Spanish cedar. They also carry exotic live-edge slabs and cookies.

Situated on 13 acres, 35 miles from the Port of Baltimore, the company is no stranger to the difficulties that can crop up regarding logistics. “We don’t have much that comes and goes directly through the Port of Baltimore, but when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, we had some customers that we just couldn’t deliver to for a short period of time, and our delivery times have increased due to added traffic congestion around the city,” said Anton.

Knowing that these issues can come up at a moment’s notice, O’Shea Lumber has four trucks to deliver orders themselves. “One of our trucks is an open truck that we keep available to make sure that a last minute delivery gets where it needs to be, on time,” Anton continued.

“Since Covid, one of the biggest changes that I have seen is younger people becoming more involved in the industry,” said Shawn Covalt, executive vice president. “For a long time, it has been difficult for many companies to maintain a full staff due to the younger generation not wanting to be involved, but we have seen a shift. The local schools are starting to offer more trade classes, like woodworking. This is a good sign for the future of the lumber industry.”

Covid also reaffirmed how closely they follow “The Golden Rule.” “Of course, there was a period of time during Covid where we couldn’t go door to door and meet with our customers, but as soon as we could see them face to face again, we did,” said Anton. “Our customers noticed that we were there, and this really helped us to continue to stand out amongst our competition. This is part of the philosophy that Mike O’Shea instilled in the company, building personal relationships with our customers, and it is one of our strong points. We have to work, so we might as well enjoy it and make some friends along the way.”

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Mike Livingston, warehouse manager, and Charles Roesler prepare an order for shipment.

O’Shea Lumber has six sales representatives that market products throughout Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and Virginia. They mainly sell to architectural millwork and cabinet shops, as well as flooring, casket and instrument manufacturers.

O’Shea Lumber maintains an inventory of 2.5 million board feet of product at all times. Their facilities include a covered, air-dried area that can hold 1 million board feet of lumber, six Irvington-Moore dry kilns that can handle 350,000 board feet of lumber, and a dry storage area that holds another 3 million board feet. Other key pieces of equipment include a grading station, automated handling equipment and stackers. Their planing mill includes two Oliver Strata planers, a Weinig moulder, a Diehl straight line ripsaw and a Mereen-Johnson 312 gang ripsaw.

“We have been very pleased with the addition and growth of our moulder operation,” said Anton. “We are able to provide an additional and welcome service to our customers. We have an excellent mill manager and moulder operator, Wesly Woodward, who takes great pride in producing high quality custom mouldings.”

O’Shea Lumber started out as an office-based wholesaler in Baltimore, MD, Mike O’Shea brought on Jim Anton as a partner three years later, then moved the company to a 3-acre distribution yard in Cockeysville, MD. Jerry Anton joined the firm in 1976, and Shawn Covalt came onboard in 1984. The latter two both worked their way up through the company, starting out in the yard learning about the dry kilns, inventory control, billing, freight and distribution, then moving into sales. Since assuming ownership they now serve as president and executive vice present, respectively, and work as partners, just as Mike and Jim did.

O’Shea Lumber is always looking to add products and services that will best serve its customer base. It relies on strong ties with sawmills and other vendors to make that happen. Getting there isn’t always easy, according to Anton, “We are constantly trying to keep our customers supplied with certain, in-demand species. Since Covid, they are placing more specific, smaller orders and they are wanting a quicker turn-around-time, since they are placing these orders just as they need them. I don’t think many of our customers keep inventory anymore, we are their inventory.”

Covalt added, “This quicker turn-around-time that our customers want, and acting as their inventory bank, has added pressure to our inbound lumber, especially as we see less lumber on the supply side.”

Along with their distribution business, “We have always maintained our direct mill division, where we are constantly adding, developing and improving on our network of mills and freight forwarders to expand and service our customer base nationwide,” said Covalt.

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O’Shea Lumber’s facilities, located in Glen Rock, PA, sit on 13 acres and the company purchases 12 to 14 million board feet annually.  The company’s primary species include Basswood, Hard and Soft Maple, Cherry, Poplar, Red and White Oak, Cypress and Eastern white pine. Imports consist of African Mahogany, Sapele and Spanish cedar.

According to Anton, it’s all being done in the name of offering customers quality products and the highest level of service possible.

“When customers do business with us, they find a welcome and an easy way to buy quality domestic and imported hardwoods and softwoods,” said Covalt.

The company is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, Wood Products Manufacturers Association, Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association, Hardwood Distributor’s Association, Penn-York Lumbermen’s Club, Virginia Forest Products Association, Maryland Forests Association and the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association.

For more information, visit www.oshealumber.com.

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