“Last year we participated in the NHLA Operations Management Program, and it was exactly what I had hoped for. A recent acquisition of Kirkham Hardwoods necessitated a third-party review. I knew I had the right people in place, and we had made some key improvements, but I wanted to know if we could do better.

The worst-case scenario, in my opinion, the findings would show we were perfect. The NHLA team descended upon us and they kept us hopping. We did rip analysis, log yields vs. scale, and grade analysis. They looked to see that we were sawing a consistent uniform thickness, they looked at the saw kerf, whether we were upgrading for maximum value, and how we were marketing our secondaries. The great thing was that our team embraced the experience! They are an experienced and strong group, but they were open to different ideas and suggestions. In the end, there was a lot that we were doing right, and I’m proud of our people. There was, however, room for improvement and we have taken those suggestions at heart. We have improved our yields, and that has added to our bottom line! It’s been 8 months and the NHLA National Inspectors that were on this team still call my managers just to see if they have any questions or concerns. They offer to stop by when necessary and have helped keep us on track. The Operations Management Program was just what we needed, and we will use it again.”

Michael F. Powers, Executive VP of Maley & Wertz, Inc., Kirkham Hardwoods, Inc., & Hardwoods Trucking, Inc.