Located in southeast Missouri, in Fredericktown, on a family farm in the majestic Ozark mountains, Cedar Creek Hardwoods is a second-generation family-owned business that specializes in secondary manufacturing of quality hardwood lumber and hardwood products.
Cedar Creek Hardwoods manufactures hardwood and softwood mouldings and dimensional components; face and edge laminated solid wood products, distributes quality hardwood and softwood lumber including most domestic species and some exotic/imported species and stocks primed Poplar finger joint S4S.
In addition to interior millwork, Cedar Creek Hardwoods manufactures products for outdoor spaces, such as this porch.
With 11,000 square-feet of manufacturing capacity and 500,000 board feet of inventory, the company purchases 1.2 million board feet of hardwoods and softwoods annually. Species utilized and offered include Alder, Cherry, Hard and Soft Maple, Hickory, Poplar, Red and White Oak, Yellow Birch, Walnut and Sapele, as well as some softwoods including eastern red cedar, Douglas fir and upper grade southern yellow pine.
Architectural mouldings, like those pictured here, are custom crafted by Cedar Creek Hardwoods.
Most hardwood species are purchased in FAS and Select and Better, some in No. 1 Common and No. 2 Common, in 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 and 8/4 thicknesses. Softwoods are purchased in mostly C and Better, D and Better and No. 2 Prime. When asked about where their lumber is sourced, current Vice President and owning partner Mark Francis said, “We have long-term relationships with several mills that produce high quality lumber which is a necessity to meet our needs as well as our customers’ expectations. Buying ‘specials’ or low-quality lumber does not help us or our customers.” He also indicated that wholesalers or distributors are used occasionally for specific requests.
Timeless Beauty
Cedar Creek Hardwoods was founded in 1985 by John and Kathie Thompson. The vision and passion for quality craftsmanship at Cedar Creek soon attracted the attention and loyalty of customers from across the region. Francis said, “Through decades of experience, we have become a leader in many sectors of the hardwood industry. But through all our expansion and growth, we have never strayed from our founding principles of craftsmanship and an unwavering commitment to quality.”
From finished mouldings to rough lumber, Cedar Creek produces
and markets products from solid hardwood and softwood species.
From the most complex custom-manufactured profiles to their stock mouldings, Cedar Creek Hardwoods has a solution to meet almost any need. The company also provides hardwood veneer sheet goods, plank flooring and wooden stakes.
As for the company’s strong points, Francis said, “As a lean manufacturer we are always on the lookout for better ways of being efficient and new markets to expand to.”
From left to right, Jennifer Francis, Mark Francis, Adam Thompson, Dmitri Thompson, Amy Thompson.
The equipment used in the manufacturing process includes a moulder, gang rip, double surface planer, optimizing chop saw, planer/sander, resaw, profile sander and a hydraulic clamp carrier for edge/face gluing.
Customer service and attention to detail seem to be the key ingredients that set this company apart from others in the industry. Francis offered, “Our friendly and knowledgeable sales staff are happy to assist in providing an educated option that meets the customer’s specific requirements. From the simplest order to the most challenging, we’ll do our best to see that all items are of top quality and meet customer expectations. Customer service and satisfaction is our top priority.”
Quality and Value
Francis said quality, value and quick lead-time from quote to delivery are what the company delivers to all their customers. He explained, “We can also assist with advice on the wood species selection, value engineering and other options that are often overlooked due to being ‘outside the box.’ We have the ability to produce custom moulding profiles from nearly all wood species to match any existing application or work straight from the drawings provided by the architect or engineer.”
Hardwood products are manufactured by Cedar Creek using high quality lumber.
The people at Cedar Creek Hardwoods pride themselves on being able to serve the smallest and the largest customer. “We are proud to come from ‘small-town America,’ and we carry over those midwestern values to our business,” said Francis. “One of our core components is appreciating the value of our exceptional employees. They go above and beyond to ensure the expectations of our customers are met or exceeded. We have many long-term customers, and each has a different set of needs that we strive to fulfill. They count on us to provide quality materials when they need it, and we believe they recognize that effort. Whether it is a deadline that is required, or hard to find material, it is our job to deliver superior service and materials every time.”
Among the species purchased by Cedar Creek Hardwoods are Alder, Cherry, Hickory, Hard and Soft Maple,
Poplar, Red and White Oak, Yellow Birch, Walnut, Sapele and a variety of softwoods.
Family-Owned Business
Ownership and management at Cedar Creek Hardwoods includes: Dmitri Thompson, president (owner/partner), Mark Francis, vice president (owner/partner), Amy Thompson, office manager (owner/partner), Adam Thompson, moulder operator (owner/partner) and Jennifer Francis, customer relations.
Cedar Creek’s management states that they still follow founding principles,
which are craftsmanship and an unwavering commitment to quality.
Cedar Creek Hardwoods, located in Fredericktown, MO, has an 11,000-square-foot manufacturing space,
with 500,000 board feet of inventory.
Cedar Creek Hardwoods is a member of Missouri Forest Products Association and Associated Industries of Missouri.
For more information visit www.cedarcreekhardwoods.com.
