Appalachian Species & Grades

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Appalachian Species & Grades

The Appalachian regions supply a wide range of species, all with one thing in common: superior quality. NWH is located in the Appalachian growing region in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. We have 4 sawmills, 3 concentration yards, and a service center located throughout the region to take full advantage of the beautiful hardwoods in the region. This Appalachian region has warm summers to assist growth but the cooler spring and fall seasons and cold winters allow this growth to be gradual. Slow maturity means tight growth rings, strong fibers, and consistent grains that lead to strength, durability, and beauty.

Ash

With an open grain and a coarse texture, Ash is quite workable and has good finishing properties. Ash is a favorite with furniture and architectural millwork manufacturers.

Basswood

A premier carving and turning hardwood, our basswood is a preferred species among high-end shutter manufacturers.

Beech

Beech wood is used to make flooring, furniture, veneer plywood, and railroad ties.

Cherry

A natural beauty — Cherry is sought after by builders of the finest cabinetry and furniture in the world.

Hard Maple

Hard Maple is hard, heavy and admired for its bright white color and fine grain. Its beauty and strength makes it a favorite for furniture, flooring and cabinetry.

Hickory

One of the strongest, hardest and most-dense hardwoods, Hickory is used for applications that require sheer strength and high shock resistance.

Poplar

Poplar wood is used for construction grade lumber and plywood. It has straight grain, little shrinkage, and excellent gluing qualities. It is currently used for cabinets, veneer and furniture.

Red Oak

Red Oak is a timeless choice widely used in furniture, flooring, cabinetry, joinery and architectural millwork. We sort by color to help reduce waste and produce cabinets and furniture.

Soft Maple

Soft Maple is less dense than Hard Maple, lower priced and is used as a substitute. It has similar grain and figure with good machining properties and outstanding color and fine texture.

Walnut

A traditional American hardwood, Walnut is steamed to enhance the chocolate brown heartwood and darken the sapwood. Walnut is prized for high-end furniture, architectural interiors, cabinetry, doors, flooring and paneling.

White Oak

A hard, versatile lumber, White Oak is a favorite in furniture, flooring, doors, cabinetry and millwork. White Oak has more figure than Red Oak, with a distinctive open grain and coarse texture.

Yellow Birch

Yellow Birch is a white sapwood that lends itself especially well to beautiful blonde furniture and interior woodwork.

Appalachian Growing Region

Some of the finest hardwood lumber comes from the Appalachian region, where the climate is frigid and the growing season is short. These conditions produce tight-grained hardwoods with very consistent color.

Appalachian
Growing Region

PROTECTING A RENEWABLE RESOURCE WORLDWIDE

Hardwoods are more than just beautiful and resilient—they are vital to carbon storage and the health of forest ecosystems. Through sustainable forestry practices like selective harvesting, natural regeneration, and replanting, we ensure the long-term vitality of our forests. Our commitment to responsible forest management is reinforced by adherence to the Lacey Act and internationally recognized certifications, including PEFC and FSC, which uphold the highest environmental and ethical standards.

We apply these same principles to our imported hardwoods, utilizing a rigorous procedure for purchasing imported lumber to ensure they are responsibly sourced from forests managed with care and transparency. By adhering to internationally recognized certifications, we protect biodiversity, ensure traceability, and promote sustainable forestry practices globally.

Our commitment goes beyond compliance; we conduct on-site audits overseas, reinforcing our dedication to ethical sourcing and conservation through direct, in-depth evaluations. We don’t just state our values—we take action to ensure they are upheld.

FSC® Chain of Custody

FSC is an international nongovernmental organization that promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. To learn more, visit www.fsc.org.

NWH can offer FSC certified products from a variety of domestic and international locations. Also, FSC controlled wood mitigates the risk of forest products originating from unacceptable sources (fsc.org/en/cw). Ask us today about availability.

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FSC Logo
PEFC Chain of Custody

PEFC is the world’s largest forest certification standard promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification. PEFC works throughout the entire forest supply chain to ensure good forest practices and wood sourcing. To learn more, visit www.pefc.org.

NWH can offer PEFC certified and PEFC Controlled Sources material originating from forests certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), American Tree Farm System (ATFS) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Z809). We can offer a variety of products and species with PEFC claims. Ask us today about availability.

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PEFC Label
IWPA Supporting Member

The IWPA and NWH are committed to supporting the legal and sustainable harvesting of wood products from around the world. The IWPA supports the sustainable management of global forests for both current and future generations and the benefits to local communities that depend on the forest resource while generating economic growth and quality jobs for those who manufacture, sell, and use these remarkable products.

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