Page 11 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Third Quarter 2024

business decision to make all logging contract-based only. There are often barriers for individuals to become loggers because of the machine costs. Hunt Forest Resources works to offset these barriers by financing logging machines and allowing contract loggers to grow their businesses by offering them the opportunity to enter into a payment plan rather than paying outright. The company needed loggers, so this business model has been a win-win.
From 2022 to 2024, Hunt Forest Resources experienced even more growth to achieve a truly cyclical operation. In 2022, Hunt Transload Enterprises — an entity that can work with other wood products industries — was born. Hunt Lumber Company was launched the following year, and the Sanford woodyard gained traction with a new sawmill. In 2024, the Pittsboro woodyard officially transitioned to Sanford, and the decision was made to rebrand East Coast Firewood to Kindled Provisions.
“[We] wanted a name that gave us a bigger projection and could be trademarked,” said Hoyle. “Kindled Provisions offers different product classes and will have a robust e-commerce website with different specs for wood chunks.”
The business concept behind
Kindled Provisions allows the company
to continue its sustainability efforts, collaborating with eco-friendly businesses to improve their packaging and reduce plastic use. “We look forward to working with like-minded companies that also strive to have an environmentally friendly footprint,” said Hoyle.
And there’s still time for more inno- vation in 2024. Why not bring another business entity into the mix?
“We’re excited to have recently launched Hunt Recycling this year,” said Hoyle. “This is a wood-waste recycling business that not only increases our sustainability footprint but allows us to play a bigger role in the Chatham County community.”
Hunt Recycling provides a variety of mulches, soils, and aggregates, and serves as a resource for the community to conduct green wood-waste recycling. When Hunt and Hoyle learned that hundreds of new homes would be
built nearby, they knew there was an opportunity to expand their business model while being good neighbors. By keeping an active pulse on the business climate and the growth around them, they decided Hunt Recycling was a natural fit to serve a wider population.
“You never know what opportunities there are. Some people might be competitors, but sometimes not directly. There may be opportunities to collaborate so that other aspects of your business can benefit.”
– Jason Hoyle, Vice President, Hunt Forest Resources
Wood products are stored in Hunt Forest Resources’ Henderson warehouse.
“We understand that we are industrial as a company, but we wanted part of
our business to be community-friendly,” said Hoyle. “Our location, paired with the incoming surge of new homes and neighbors, is a great opportunity to create new connections and diversify our products and customer base. We wanted to be able to offer a quality product to the folks that are living here.”
Looking to the Future
The first 20 years have served Hunt Forest Resources well, and the next 20 years will continue to focus on strategic growth and adding value to the business.
“We recently acquired a 122,000-square- foot warehouse in Siler City to foster the growth of Kindled Provisions,” said Hoyle. “We are currently in talks with the Chatham County Economic Development Corpora- tion. They are keen on having us move our production operations to Siler City. We will see what the future holds!”
To support strategic growth, the company plans to expand its operations with Kindled Provisions and different product classes, expand its exports and efforts with the new sawmill, and continue to have a strong presence with timberland management and the dealership side.
“I am excited to organically build
out our customer base,” said Hoyle. “We have many ideas for adding a full line of landscape materials and opportunities for customers to increase their curb appeal.”
Lessons Learned
Twelve years after joining Hunt Forest Resources, Hoyle now serves as the company’s vice president, and he has learned a lot throughout his journey. We asked him to share some of the biggest takeaways he has gained while working for Hunt Forest Resources and the forest products industry.
“Good communication in [the industry] makes a lot of sense — it’s an area where everyone can benefit,” he said. “You never know what opportunities there are. Some people might be competitors, but sometimes not directly. There may be opportunities to collaborate so that other aspects of your business can benefit.”
Speaking of good communication...
“Be open to conversations and learning,” he continued. “We can utilize the products we already have in different ways — take a step back and look at them differently. You never know what opportunities you could be missing out on.”
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