Who’s Who In Hardwoods – March 2026
5.5 Million Board Feet Annually Handled By Wisconsin-Based Distributor
John Kestly is vice president of Boehm-Madisen Lumber Co. They operate three facilities in Southeast Wisconsin with the main offices located in Waukesha, WI.
Boehm-Madisen purchases approximately 5.5 million board feet annually of domestic and imported hardwood lumber. The firm is first and foremost a hardwood distribution yard that is heavily into remanufacturing and offers the following services: planing, gang ripping, double end trimming, sanding, resawing, gluing and moulding.
Kestly has been with Boehm-Madisen for 40 years and in his current position for the last 25 years. During his career in the forest products industry, he has filled the roles of stacker, machine operator, truck driver, and worked in sales and finally purchasing.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, located in Oshkosh, WI, he has been married to Laura for 35 years and has two sons, Jake and Trevor. In his spare time, Kestly enjoys golf, fishing, and cars.
Boehm-Madisen is a member of National Hardwood Lumber Association, the Lake States Lumber Association and is FSC certified.
For more information visit boehm-madisen.com.
Ashley Furniture Industries: Buying 10 Million Board Feet Annually
Jason Horton is the hardwood lumber buyer for Ashley Furniture Industries Inc., located in Ecru, MS. He is responsible for all hardwood and panel product purchasing for six of Ashley Furniture’s North American manufacturing facilities located in Texas, Mississippi. North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Ashley Furniture is “the largest furniture manufacturer in the world,” stated Horton. The company sells residential home furnishings, including case goods and upholstery furniture as well as mattresses. Ashley Furniture has a large distribution network, multiple home store locations and 1,086 retail outlets in the world to offer customers a variety of choices for their home furniture needs.
The company buys 10 million board feet annually of medium density hardwoods, including, Poplar, Sweet Gum, Beech, Sycamore and Elm in 4/4 in grades No. 2 Common to Mill Run.
Horton is responsible for procuring Hardwood lumber for Ashley Furniture’s manufacturing facilities in Mississippi. He has worked at Ashley Furniture for 24 years and has been purchasing for more than 11 years. He graduated from the National Hardwood Lumber Association inspector grading school in April 2000 as a member of the 131st class and started grading lumber on the green chain at Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) in Selmer, TN, after graduating.
He has been involved in hardwood lumber production or secondary manufacturing ever since. Horton graduated from North Pontotoc High School in 1996 and the University of Mississippi in 2012.
Horton has been married to his wife, Starla, for 20 years. They have two children, Myah, age 17, and Jack, age 14. His hobbies include outdoor activities, cooking and spending time with his family at the ball field.
For more information, visit ashleyfurniturehomestore.com or ashleyfurniture.com.
Jackel Enterprises Inc: Handling Domestic And Exotic Species
Steve Jackel is the president of Jackel Enterprises Inc. located in Watsonville, CA. Jackel Enterprises Inc. is a manufacturer, sawmill and a distribution yard. They purchase over 400,000 board feet of domestic hardwood and softwood lumber annually. The species of Hardwood that they handle are Alder, Ash, Birch, Cherry, Maple, Red and White Oak, Poplar, Walnut, Sapele, Teak, Ebony, Jatoba and Mahogany.
Jackel Enterprises produces box beams, sidings, ceiling and wall treatments, mouldings, flooring, live edge slabs, mantels, counter tops and tabletops.
Jackel has been the president of Jackel Enterprises for 32 years. He started in the forest products industry 53 years ago sanding and finishing musical instruments.
Jackel earned his high school diploma from Montclair Academy in Montclair, NJ, before going on to receive his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL.
Jackel enjoys reading, writing, playing the piano, gardening, cooking, eating, basketball, swimming and boating. He has been married for 54 years to his wife Barbara.
He has one child, Noah, who is the vice-president of Jackel Enterprises, and one grandchild.
For more information, call 831-768-3880, email steve@jackelenterprises.com or visit jackelenterprises.com.
