There is a general lack of predictability in the wood-working industry today. From cost to quality, the problems seem to outnumber the solutions. Good news? We are innovators and problem-solvers.
High-end veneer doesn’t always mean high-quality. Processing changes have resulted in thinner veneers, more flitches per face, and drastic color differences between boards of the same species.
And the problems don’t stop there. Solid wood does not always equate high-quality either. As we know in the wood-working industry, the best quality timber comes from matured trees. The wood available now days is typically cut from younger trees due to inefficient growth cycles and clearcutting, resulting in a lower quality, less durable product.
It’s the classic problem of supply and demand. Supply goes down, prices go up. Demand goes up, prices go up. Tariff wars leave the industry in a state of flux, with prices skyrocketing and import sources shifting.
Lawsuits are causing even more uncertainty. Litigation against foreign countries over anti-dumping laws and regulations are creating extreme pricing structures. All these fluctuations in cost affect the companies bottom line and the consumer. It’s a lose lose.
There are a variety of possible natural wood defects: knots, stains, splits, burls, coarse grain, warping, honeycombing…these are just a few of the many inconsistencies that come with the use of wood.
Don’t forget the density variation issue. The age of the tree affects the density of a board, and nowadays, one panel can have boards right next to each other that were harvested 10 years apart. In the end, that makes for an inconsistent product.
Low quality wood, discoloration, cracks, density variation, and grain issues all have one thing in common: they lead to waste. Manufacturers are paying for top quality wood products but have to scrap a large portion of it due to these issues. Not only is it a waste of wood, but also a waste of money.
The environment is being affected too. Logging and clearcutting can leave 30-65% of remaining trees so damaged, they are unusable.
From the quality to the availability, it is virtually impossible to predict the wood-working industry. Waste issues, delayed carriers, quantity fluctuation…it’s costing us in more ways than one.
What if we could fix that? Well, we can. Here are our solutions.
