Page 10 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Third Quarter 2020

Ray Allen shares an important message in the woodyard.
about his favorite job in the mill, Allen said he enjoyed operating the unscrambler: “If you hum James Brown’s Get Up Offa That Thing, the lumber can really flow.”
Over the years, Allen has educated himself in the industry and worked his way up to the role of President. What is the secret of the company’s success? Allen credits the long-standing relationships he has built. He has known some of Uwharrie Lumber Company’s customers since
the mill doors opened. “Hardwoods, in particular, is about building relationships. I think it is the reason we got the doors open here now. I have some long-term customers,” Allen said, noting that some pallet customers have been doing business with Uwharrie Lumber Company for 25 years, while some crossties customers
have been with the company for 30 years. “We are in it together. There is no me or them, it is us. You may be able to envision something of how you can enhance someone else’s operations. You get to know your customers. What they do, what they are capable of doing.”
As the industry changed, the mill diversified, adding a remanufacturing area, a pallet mill, and a chipper. Today, Uwharrie Lumber Company produces cross ties, pallet materials, flooring, grade logs, and furniture both domestic and foreign.
Despite fluctuations in the market,
the mill continues to put out high-quality products. In 2007, Allen was able to purchase Tram Lumber LLC in Seagrove. Sawing high- grade lumber on site, Tram has served as an extension of Uwharrie Lumber Company’s mission. “We try to get the highest and best use of each piece of wood,” Allen said. “If we think we got a shot making some lumber out of it, we will chip the rest of it. We feel like that is important in being good stewards of the natural resources available.”
The mills have seen other improvements over the years, including a grade mark
reader, new edger and upgrades to equipment based on skilled employees. “We have never been on the cutting edge of technology,” Allen said. “We always take a proven route. What’s proven in the industry to produce the products I want to use.”
Team Building
Between the two locations, Allen employs more than 75 people from local communities in Randolph, Moore and Montgomery County. When asked about his team, he simply said, “I’ve got good people. Long-term employees. Good people enable me to have two facilities.”
A part of that team are Mill Managers Terry Morgan and Don Blair, and Procurement Foresters Adrian Blue and Eddie Swan. Morgan, who has been with Uwharrie Lumber Company for over 25 years, stated, “We try to find a place where people can fit and they are happy.”
Looking at the Uwharrie Lumber Company team, which is comprised of individuals that have worked with the company for decades, it is clear employees have found their place and that the leadership team invests in their well-being. One example of that investment is the
First Health ready to assist
Uwharrie employees.
annual Safety Day. “We started a safety
day and have used Forestry Mutual for
20 years,” Allen said. “We stop the mill,
we get t-shirts, we have a meal and door prizes, we have classes all day and we have gradually added in health screenings. It doesn’t make any difference why you’re not here if you’re not here, because the world is run by the people who show up. If it’s
a work issue or a health issue, if you are not there, you are not there. So we try to expand into health, safety and wellness.”
Having developed a partnership with FirstHealth, Allen brings in a mobile care unit where employees are able to take advantage of annual health screenings while on the job site, and have expenses paid by the company. “I think we have made a difference not in everybody’s
life but for the people that have taken advantage,” Allen said. “Our only focus is not just cutting lumber. We have to take care of our people while we do that.”
Facing Challenges
Beyond his team, Allen has seen many changes over the past 37 years: “The only thing we can guarantee is change. There
is going to be changes in the future.” From markets, to team members, to numerous challenges facing the industry, Uwharrie Lumber Company and Allen have faced them all. “Do I have a secret recipe as to how to navigate challenges? I do not,” he said. “It’s going to be relationships, tenacity, and highest and best use of our products.”
Lately, the hardwoods industry has been facing numerous hardships. Business has been impacted by tariffs with the Chinese markets. Just as soon as the Trump administration resolved conflicts with China, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Southeast. “The pandemic has caused a demand drop that is unprecedented,”
8 ncforestry.org / THIRD QUARTER 2020