Harwood Products was founded in 1950 by Arthur "Bud" Harwood Sr. and Arthur "Bud" Harwood Jr. Art Harwood, current President and CEO, represents the third generation of Harwood family to manage the lumber operation. Today, as when the company was founded, the Harwood family and employees are working to create a system of "sustained development" which fosters equalibrium with their communities, resources and environment.

Harwood employs approximately 270 people, producing 130,000,000 board feet of lumber with annual sales of over $ 65,000,000. Harwood produces certified and noncertified Redwood, Douglas-Fir and Hem-Fir lumber.Like most small and medium size sawmills, Harwood has had to find a market niche to be a survivor in the sawmill business. Harwood's niche is producing special cuttings of Redwood and Douglas-Fir lumber.

Harwood Products will cut anything from a 1"x3" up to 24"x24"x24' long. Harwood will mix many different items on a load of lumber down to the specific piece count and deliver job-site direct if the customer requests. According to Bud Harwood, Chairman of the Board, "When we are successful at carving out a market niche, we must be flexible enough to continually change and improve what we are doing because the competition will take that niche away from us if we stand still."

To improve its position in an ever more competetive industry, Harwood Products has embarked on a $20,000,000 expansion of their production facility. Already in their fourth year of this expansion, Harwood added a trimmer/optimizer to the sawmill in 1995, a new planer in 1996 and installed a new head-rig in 1997. An edger/optimizer, originally scheduled for 2000, has been delayed due to economic conditions. The edger/optimizer will be followed by a sorter for the sawmill and other capital improvements which will double Harwood's production capacity and turn the Harwood plant into a first class production facility.

Harwood management is now turning its attention towards its sales and marketing program. According to Art Harwood, "The challenge now is expanding our market niche so we can sell the added production." To achieve this the Harwood Team is looking to expand the geographical area its lumber is moving into to include the entire globe. Harwood is looking for new markets niches where they can take advantage of their flexibility in product line to carve out a position in high value market share.