Banks Hardwoods, Inc. headquartered in White Pigeon, MI, recently announced the promotion of Greg Ritchie to President and CEO. Greg has also recently accepted a position on the AHEC board of directors.
Banks Hardwoods operates two concentration yards in the Northern Great Lakes region. With over two million board feet of kiln capacity, the company produces 40 million feet of high quality, color-sorted hardwood lumber annually. Most all northern and Appalachian species are stocked in thicknesses from 4/4 – 8/4.
Complete milling facilities include finish planing, straight-line ripping, gang ripping, and moulding. Banks Hardwoods is widely known for consistent high quality and excellent customer service.
Ritchie joined Banks Hardwoods in 2003. After graduating with a degree in Entrepreneurial Corporate Innovation and Management from Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business, Ritchie attended the NHLA Inspection School’s 141st class. After working in manufacturing Ritchie joined the sales team, eventually becoming both domestic and export sales manager, followed by Executive Vice President, before moving into his current role as President and CEO.
Ritchie and his wife, Cindy, currently live in Northern Indiana. They share three sons and two daughters. Ritchie enjoys outdoor sports, travel and ranching.
Founded in 1985, Banks Hardwoods is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, the American Hardwood Export Council, the Lake States Lumber Association and the Indiana Hardwood Lumber Association.
Please contact Ritchie at Gregritchie@bankshardwoods.com or by phone at 269-483-2323. More information on Banks Hardwoods’ full line of products and services can be found at www.bankshardwoods.com.
Bingaman & Son Lumber (BSL), located in Kreamer, PA, recently promoted Kevin Kiesinger to domestic lumber salesman. BSL also has a concentration yard in Clarendon, PA, as well as three sawmills located in Mill Hall, St. Marys, and Nicktown, PA. BSL offers a wide selection of hardwood and Thermally Modified products in both domestic and export markets.
BSL produces 45 million board feet of lumber annually. Their products range from 4/4 through 12/4 in green and kiln-dried lumber. They offer kiln-dried lumber in rough and surfaced, as well as R1E and R2E. They also offer Thermally Modified lumber products.
Kiesinger has worked for BSL for 10 years, where he first started in the lumber production yard. He then went on to lumber inspector training, followed by several years as transportation logistics director before being promoted to domestic sales.
Kiesinger graduated from Midd-West High School, in Middleburg, PA.
Kiesinger enjoys spending time with his family, bowling, and playing slow pitch softball. He has been married to Danielle Kiesinger for nine years and has one daughter, Hailey Kiesinger.
BSL is a member of Keystone Wood Products Association, Pennsylvania Forest Products Association, Forest Stewardship Council, Hardwood Manufacturers Association, National Hardwood Lumber Association and Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
For more information, call 570-374-1108 ext. 1166, email kkiesinger@bingamanlumber.com or visit www.bingamanlumber.com.
Osei Poku is president and CEO of Baystate Industries Inc., located in Foxboro, MA. Baystate Industries is an exotic timber importer and broker that ships worldwide.
Baystate Industries offers African Mahogany, Sapele, Black and White Limba, Teak, Spanish Cedar (Cedrella Odorata), Wenge, Zebrano, Niangon, Avodire, with selected grains in Mahogany and Sapele. The company offers these species kiln-dried and steamed.
Poku has been in the forest products industry for over 30 years. He started Baystate Industries from the ground up after being introduced to the industry by his late uncle, one of the first two Ghanaians to start exporting commercially from Poku’s native country of Ghana.
Baystate Industries represents various mills, some of which are owned by Poku’s relatives, in Ghana.
Poku attended high school at Prempeh College in Kumasi, Ghana and went on to receive his BA in Government and Economics at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI.
In his spare time, Poku enjoys reading and golf. He has been married for 23 years and has four sons, one daughter and one granddaughter.
For more information, call 781-760-4747, email poku@baystateindustries.com or visit www.baystateindustries.com.
