Glacial Species & Grades

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Glacial Species & Grades

NWH plays a significant role in the Glacial growing region (also known as the Northern growing region) with facilities in Michigan and Wisconsin. We have 4 facilities located throughout Michigan and Wisconsin to take full advantage of the beautiful product that is produced in the region. The region’s frigid winter climate produces hardwoods with very tight growth rings, creating lumber with outstanding color and fine texture. NWH takes these exceptional qualities to an even higher level by offering special color sorts in several species.

Ash

With an open grain and a coarse texture, Northern 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. It is also perfect for instruments, specialty products and millwork.

Cherry

Cherry is valued for its rich, deep reddish brown color and exceptional character and extraordinary finishing qualities.

Hickory

The densest of eastern hardwoods, Hickory is used for applications that require high shock resistance and is a top choice for cabinetry and furniture.

Hard Maple

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

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 improve yield.

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.

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.

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.

Photos courtesy of The Wood Database.

Glacial Growing Region

The Glacial region of the United States consists of states from Wisconsin up north to Maine. These states generally experience long winter seasons and short summers. The Glacial region is known for species with shade tolerance, the capacity of a tree species to survive in light of low intensity, or the relative capacity of a species to grow under low light conditions. The Glacial region is well suited to slow grown, tight grained species.

Glacial
Growing Region

CARING FOR OUR PLANET

Legal, Sustainable, Abundant Resource

North American Hardwoods are among the most plentiful and well-managed natural resources in the world. Hardwood forests naturally regenerate themselves and do not require planting. The preferred method of harvesting is single-tree selection. This provides a sustainable supply and ensures the overall health of the forest – including water quality, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity. As a result, the volume of hardwoods has more than doubled since 1950.

FSC Chain-of-Custody Standard

NWH is certified to the Forest Stewardship Council® Chain of Custody and Controlled Wood Standards. We can offer a variety of products and species with FSC® claims. Ask us today about availability and refer to the www.fsc.org for more details

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PEFC Chain-of-Custody Standard

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. 

NWH PEFC Chain-of-Custody (CoC) certified Alder, PC Maple and PC Birch are sourced from forests certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), and PEFC. Each national forest certification system undergoes rigorous, third party assessment against PEFC’s unique Sustainability Benchmarks to ensure consistency with worldwide standards.

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IWPA Supporting Member

The IWPA and Northwest Hardwoods 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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