U.S. Companies Purchasing
Bigleaf (South American) Mahogany
Annex to Greenpeace report:
“Partners in Mahogany Crime”
Greenpeace, October 24, 2001
Contents
A.
Importers
Aljoma Lumber
DLH Nordisk
Inter-Continental Hardwoods
J. Gibson McIlvain
Robinson Lumber
Thompson Mahogany
Other Importers
B.
Ports/Warehouses
Savannah, GA
Miami, FL
Philadelphia/Camden, PA/NJ
New Orleans, LA
Wilmington, NC
Norfolk, VA
Houston, TX
c.
Wholesalers/Dryers/Storage Yards
Atlanta Hardwood Corporation/Atlanta Wood Products Center
Huntersville Hardwoods
Black River Hardwoods
Pactolus Lumber Company, Inc.
Southwoods Lumber & Millwork, Inc.
Other Wholesalers/Lumber Yards
D.
Buyers
LifeStyle Furnishings International
Furniture Brands International, Inc.
L & J.G. Stickley, Inc.
Henredon
Lexington
Drexel Heritage
Ethan Allen
Craftique
Georgia-Pacific
Batesville Casket Company
J. Zeluck, Inc.
Other Buyers
Importers
The following companies import bigleaf mahogany from Brazil.
1. Aljoma Lumber
Based in Medley, Florida (near Miami), Aljoma was the largest importer of bigleaf from Brazil into the United
States in 20001, according to export information from IBAMA.
Aljoma has a huge lumber yard with dry kilns, warehouses, transport and milling facilities. As of October, 2001,
Aljoma had one of the largest inventories of bigleaf mahogany in the U.S.
Aljoma lists availability of these Amazon woods: genuine mahogany, virola, Spanish cedar, sande, Brazilian
walnut, jatoba, Honduran pitch pine, ipê decking, Brazilian lauan (the generic term commonly used for tropical
hardwood plywood), Brazilian keruing (Qualea sp.), marupa, imbuia and Brazilian maple.2
In 2000-2001, Aljoma imported from CSL Comercio & Exportacao, based in Belém, Pará; and Madeireira Juary
Ltda., one of the companies involved in the illegal chain of supply of mahogany.3
Aljoma Lumber
10300 N.W. 121 Way, Medley, Fl. 33178 • Ph. 305-556-8003, general fax: 305/557-2146; hardwoods sales fax:
305/556-4991
2. DLH Nordisk
Having merged with EAC Timber, DLH Nordisk A/S is now one of the largest independent timber trading
companies. DLH Nordisk is part of the DLH group, headquartered in Denmark.
DLH has offices in 28 countries worldwide with over 1500 employees. The company has been trading in timber
and wood products since 1908, focusing on procurement.5
With it’s US and North American headquarters in Greensboro, NC, DLH Nordisk, Inc., is one of the largest
importers of tropical lumber into the United States. The company ranked as the second largest importer of
bigleaf mahogany into the U.S. in 2000.6
Nordisk Timber Ltda. in Belém is the company’s arm in Brazil. They also have offices in Gabon, Ghana, Côte
d’Ivoir and Cameroon, Indonesia and Malaysia.7
Like many other companies, DLH’s website cites an environmental policy of sustainable forest management.
However, DLH’s activities tell a different story.
In 2000-2001, DLH imported most of their mahogany from Exports Peracchi, Tapajos Timber Company and
Madeireira Juary Ltda.,8 three of the main companies involved in the illegal chain of supply of mahogany (see
Greenpeace International report, Partners in Mahogany Crime).
DLH bigleaf customers include large furniture manufacturers such as Henredon, Craftique, Stickley, DrexelHeritage, Hickory-White, Lexington Furniture Industries, Gibbard Furniture Shops, Heckman and
others; paneling manufacturers such as Georgia-Pacific Company; casket manufacturers such as Batesville
Casket Co.; window manufacturers like Zeluck, Inc.; as well as dozens of wholesale lumber companies such as
Rare Earth Hardwoods, Sitco Lumber and McEwan Lumber; millwork manufacturers such as Mould-Rite
and Dover Millwork; veneer companies such as General Wood and Veneer, Ltd.; musical instrument makers
and specialty manufacturers.
DLH Nordisk A/S; 66, Skagensgade; P.O. Box 136; DK-2630 Taastrup; Denmark
Tel.: +45 43 500 100; fax.: +45 43 500 191; Telex: 33 488
DLH Nordisk Inc.; Suite 10; 2211 W. Meadowview Road; Greensboro, NC 27407-3408;
Stewart Sexton, Managing Director; tel.: 336/852-8341; fax: 336/852-1933
3. Inter-Continental Hardwoods
A fairly new company, Inter-Continental Hardwoods (ICH) was formed in 1995 as a part of the tt Timber
International / Hinrich Feldmeyer Group. ICH is a major importer of tropical hardwoods in the USA and Canada
as well as an exporter of US hardwoods.9 ICH was a large importer of bigleaf in 2000 and 2001.
ICH has a 20-acre lumber yard with dry kilns, grading chains, warehouses and milling facilities.10
Other tt Timber International/Hinrich Feldmeyer group affiliates own sawmills in Congo, Ghana, Cameroon,
Western and Eastern Europe and also have purchasing offices in South America and the Far East.11
ICH carries bigleaf in a wide array of widths, from 4/4” to 16/4”.12
In 2000-2001, ICH imported from Exports Peracchi and Tapajos Timber Company, two companies involved in
the illegal chain of mahogany; as well as Industria de Compensados Ltda. and Red Madeiras Tropicais Ltda.13
On its website, IGH claims to be involved in sustainable forest management, especially in West Africa. They
also boast “support” of “organizations working for sustainable forest management and encourage viewers to
click the “links” page to see the “organizations” they support. Clicking reveals the IWPA (International Wood
Products Association), the NHLA (National Hardwood Lumber Association, the NWFA (National Wood
Flooring Association), the ITTO (International Tropical Timber Organization) — all trade associations (ITTO is
a UN-affiliated government association of exporting and importing countries) working to increase production,
imports and exports of tropical hardwoods. The industry associations work via lobbying and the media to
opposing any bills or public actions that might limit the imports or exports of tropical woods no matter how
egregious their sources.
In 2000-2001, Inter-Continental imported most of their mahogany from Exports Peracchi and Tapajos Timber
Company14, two of the companies involved in the illegal chain of supply of mahogany.
Ethan Allen is known to have purchased wood from Inter-Continental.
Inter-Continental Hardwoods, 6841 Malpass Corner Road, PO Drawer 119, Currie, NC 28435
Phone: (910) 283-9960; fax (910) 283-9964
4. J. Gibson McIlvain
One of the top four mahogany importers into the U.S. in 200015, The J. Gibson McIlvain Company (JGM),
established in 1798, is a distribution and wholesale company with 7 million board feet of North American and
imported hardwood lumber in stock. Distribution yards in Connecticut (22-acre facility) and Maryland (18-acre
facility) include planing mills and kilns. From there the company ships mixed loads to the U.S. Eastern
Seaboard as well as truckload shipments across the country.16
JGM has a brokerage company as well to supply truckload quantities direct from mills. They maintain an office
in Bolivia for shipping to the USA, Europe and the Caribbean.17
In 2000-2001, JGM imported from Mognolumber based in Icoaraci, Pará; Imbumar Madeiras Ltda.; and Red
Madeiras Tropicais Ltda.18
JGM stocks bigleaf mahogany lumber as well as jatoba, cedro and ipê decking (according to the JGM website,
“the ultimate in outdoor living” and flooring from the Amazon, including jatoba (Brazilian Cherry), Santos
mahogany, ipê (Brazilian walnut), rosa (Brazilian rosewood) and goiabao (Brazilian cypress).19
J. Gibson McIlvain Company
New England Office
10701 Philadelphia Road
P.O. Box 294
P. O. Box 222 White Marsh, MD 21162
Danielson, CT 06239
(410) 335-9600, (800) 638-9100; fax: (410) 335-3574 (860) 774-4930, (800) 231-7061; fax: (860) 774-4790
[email protected]
5. Robinson Lumber
Started in 1893, Robinson Lumber, with headquarters in New Orleans, Lousiana, with 14 locations in five
countries, Robinson is a large player in the lumber import business.20
With offices near key ports of export in Breves and Belém, Brazil and offices near the key ports of import in
Savannah, Georgia and Mobile, Alabama21, Robinson is among the top importers of bigleaf into the U.S.22
Robinson’s Brazilian subsidiary, Robco Madeiras, Ltda. has three locations in Brazil. At the Belém location,
Robco kiln dries and remanufactures lumber, including mahogany, produces flooring, decking, fencing, shutters
and siding and exports Brazilian plywood and doors.23
The Breves location is on the island of Marajo in the state of Para, where the company kiln dries and
remanufactures lumber and owns and operates export port facilities for loading ships. In the Curitiba location,
near the port of Paranagua, the company kiln dries and remanufactures lumber for export.24
Robco is a large exporter of andiroba (Carapa guianensis), also known as royal mahogany.25 This species is
used in furniture as a mahogany substitute. Many US furniture manufacturers such as Henredon and
Thomasville use large quantities of andiroba.
The company exports other Amazon woods as well, such as virola, ipê, jatoba, cedro, cumaru and many other
species.26
Robinson’s Chalmette, Louisiana location — near the mouth of the Mississippi river — is where the company
imports, kiln dries and remanufactures South American species for domestic sale.27
One of the specials offered by Robinson on their website on 10/13/01 was mahogany planks for $2000 mbf.28
Robinson’s web page states an environmental policy (taken almost word-for-word from literature developed by
the International Wood Products Association) that “Supports those producers in tropical countries who have
shown the same commitment as Robinson Lumber Company to environmentally sound tropical forestry. This
includes providing evidence that they and their respective governments are taking measures to implement
environmentally sound tropical forest management policies.”29
However, Robinson was the top bigleaf importer in 1993 and was then importing from Peracchi.30
The website, quoting IWPA, states that buying wood products saves forests31, yet all information points to just
the opposite, that logging is the largest threat to the world’s ancient forests and that logging in the tropics, far
from preventing clearing from agriculture, instead precipitates it.
Robinson Lumber Company, 4000 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115, USA
Tel: (504) 895-6377; fax: (504) 897-0820; [email protected]
6. Thompson Mahogany
Begun in 184332, Thompson has been and remains one of the largest mahogany importers in the U.S. Thompson
is “a major direct importer of Genuine Mahogany, African Mahogany, Sapele Mahogany, Santos Mahogany,
Aniegre, Bubinga, Bloodwood, Brazilian Cherry, Spanish Cedar, Cumaru, Ipê, Jatoba, Lacewood, Makore,
Obeche, Padauk, Peruvian Walnut, Purpleheart, Rosewood, Teak, Wenge, Zebrawood, Ipê Decking, Cambara
Decking and Hardwood Flooring.”33
The president of the company, Don Thompson (not related to the family that started the company), is a big
supporter of the IWPA, the International Wood Products Association, which lobbies against countries own
export bans and against selective import restrictions and has fought for years against listing mahogany on
CITES.
Don Thompson fought against the idea of certification for years, presenting and speaking out at conferences
around the country. Ironically, the company is now SmartWood (an FSC-accredited certifier) chain-of-custody
certified. That is, Thompson is able to import certified wood and label it FSC. Chain-of-custody certification
can be confusing to customers as many retailers do not explain that often the majority of the wood they sell isn’t
certified. Customers are often led to believe (or at least allowed to believe) that the chain-of-custody applies to
all the wood the company sells.
Other companies have used similar tactics to “beat” the certification issue.
In 2000-2001, Thompson imported bigleaf from Madelongo Madeiras Ltda., Sorriso, Mato Grosso; Madeiras
Bomsucesso Ltda. Sorriso; Affonso Ditzel & Cia Ltda., Parana; Jordani Comercio de Produtos Manufactura Dos
Ltda.; and Slaviero Trading Comercio Internacional de Madeiras Ltda., Sao Jose Dos Pinhais, Para.34
In 1934 Thompson built a sawmill 900 miles up the Amazon River — the first American company with mill
operations in Brazil.35
Thompson’s website boasts a photograph from 1908 in front of the company in showing a mahogany plank that
is 42" wide and 38' long.36
Thompson, with 50 employees, sells to furniture manufacturers, guitars makers, coffin manufacturers and doors
manufacturers. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Thompson has sold to “piano maker
Steinway & Sons, the guitar maker C.F. Martin & Co., and the Marsellus Casket Co., which makes top-of-theline caskets used for celebrities and the wealthy.” Thompson also sold the Amazon wood used for the deck on
Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates’ mansion.37
Thompson Mahogany 7400 Edmund Street, Philadelphia, PA 19136
Tel: 877/589-6637; 215/624-1866; fax: 215/338-1060 • [email protected]
Other Bigleaf Mahogany Importers
The following companies are direct importers of bigleaf mahogany.38
Columbia Forest Products, 222 SW Columbia St, Portland, OR, 97201; ph: 503/224-5300, fax: 503/224-5294
Dan K. Moore Lumber Co., 115 W Center St., Lexington, NC, 27292; ph: 336/248-8319
Evergreen Hardwoods, Inc., PO Box 58806, Seattle, WA, 98138-1806; ph: 800-525-WOOD, fax: 206-242-1247
Ihlo Sales and Importers, P.O. Box 2138, Center, TX, 75935; ph: 936/598-2491, fax: 936/598-8146
Sabra International, 300 71st St., Suite 425, Miami Beach, FL; ph: 305/868-3663, fax: 305/868-5447
Bratt International, Inc., 23 South Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202; ph: 410-685-0955, fax: 410-685-3892
Caguas Lumber Yard, Inc., Plaza Centro Mall 11 Ave., Caguas, Puerto Rico; ph: 787-743-0865, fax: 787-7466685
Circle International (Eagle Global Logistics), Intercontinental Airport, 15350 Vickery Drive, Houston, TX,
77032; ph: 281-618-3100, fax: 281-618-3223
Cramer Wood Products, 600 North Scientific Street, High Point, NC 27260; ph: 336/889-3967, fax: 336/8868860
David R. Webb Co., Inc., 206 S. Holland St., P.O. Box 8, Edinburgh, IN 46124; ph: 812/526-2601, fax:
812/526-5842
Eidai Industries, Inc., 605 Broad Ave., Ridgefield, NJ, 07657; ph: 201/941-0910, fax: 201/224-9756 (Eidai
Industries is a subsidiary of Eidai do Brasil, a large exporter of mahogany from Brazil — for a
briefing on Eidai see Greenpeace briefing “The Amazon’s Major Threat: Illegal Logging, July 2000)
Global Veneer Sales, PO Box 5829, High Point, NC 27262; ph: , fax: 336/886-5517
Great Atlantic International, Inc., 1814 Hobbs Rd., Greensboro, NC 27404
Gross Veneer Sales, P.O. Box 5212, High Point, NC 27262-5212; ph: 336/883-0196, fax: 336/886-1366
Heyworth Roll and Panel, 827 West Green Street, High Point, NC 27260
Interforest, Ltd., 300 Standard Drive, Greensboro, NC 27409; ph: 336/668-7250, fax: 336/668-2280
Marwood, 2901 Hamburg Pike, Jeffersonville, IN
Moreland Company USA, Inc., 1617 S. Tuttle, 3rd Floor, Sarasota, FL 34239; ph: 800/397-7769, fax: 941/9535180
Penrod, 2809 S. Lynnhaven Rd., Suite 350, Virginia Beach, VA 23452; ph: 757/498-0186, fax: 757/498-1075
Sitco Lumber Co., P.O. Box 8, Pleasant Run Rd @ IH-45, Wilmer, TX 75172; ph: 972/225-4283, fax: 972/5253219
Timber Products Co., 305 S. 4th St., PO Box 269, Springfield, OR 97477-0055; ph: 541/747-4577, fax:
541/744-4296
Tomen America, Inc., 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019; ph: 212/397-4600, fax: 212/5822007 • 110 First St., Suite E 1610, San Francisco, CA 94105; ph: 415/536-3400
Veneer Technologies, Inc., PO Box 1145, Newport, NC, 28570; ph: 252/223-6359, fax: 252/223-3511
Ports/Storage Companies
The following companies/port authorities provide ports of entry, warehousing and shipping for illegally-logged
bigleaf mahogany into the eastern U.S. For each particular port, usually only one dock handles all the bulk
lumber imports.
1. Savannah, Georgia
Perhaps the largest port of entry for bigleaf
mahogany as well as other Amazon woods38,
Savannah has a number of terminals handling
tropical wood, all overseen by the Georgia
Ports Authority.
Ocean Terminal • West End of River Street,
Savannah, GA 31402; ph: 912/651-2267.
Georgia Steamship Company/Newport
Terminals, LLC, End of Crossgate Road, Port
Wentworth, GA 31407, 912/964-8624.
Georgia Ports Authority, P.O. Box 2406,
Savannah, GA 31402; Toll Free: (800) 3428012, (912) 964-3811; fx: (912) 964-3921;
[email protected].
Amazon wood awaiting off-loading from the CIC Hope
at the Georgia Steamship Company terminal in Port
Wentworth, near Savannah, Georgia
2. Miami, FL
The Port of Miami’s traditional customer base has been Latin America and the Caribbean, accounting for 64%
of the port’s total volume.39 Port of Miami is one of the largest ports of entry for bigleaf due mostly to imports
by Aljoma Lumber.
Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami-Dade
1015 N. America Way, 2nd Floor, Miami, Florida 33132 • Ph: 305/371-7678; fx: 305/347-4843
Port Everglades
Aljoma also imports through Port Everglades.
Port Everglades
1650 Spangler Blvd., Port Everglades Station, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 • Ph: 954/356-7240; fx: 954/356-7422
3. Philadelphia/Camden (PA/NJ)
The 105-acre Beckett Street Terminal in
Camden provides docking, unloading and
warehousing of tropical hardwoods from
South America, Africa and Southeast Asia.
Beckett Street is operated by South Jersey Port
Corp., a port authority of the Port of
Philadelpha and Camden.40
Becket Street Terminal, 2nd & Beckett Streets,
Camden, NJ 08101 • Ph: 856/757-4975; fx:
856/757-4923
South Jersey Port Corporation, 2500
Broadway, Camden, NJ 08104
Ph: 856/541-8500; pier ph: 856/541-5612, pier
fx: 856/541-6527
The Port of Philadelphia and Camden, a
division of the Delaware River Port Authority
One Port Center, 2 Riverside Drive, P.O. Box
1949, Camden, NJ 08101-1949 • Ph: 856/9682042; fx: 856/968-2056.
Amazon wood being off-loaded from the CIC Light
at the Becket Street Terminal in Camden, New Jersey
4. New Orleans, LA
The port of choice for Robinson Lumber41, The Port of New Orleans boasts that it is now the top port of entry
for plywood in the U.S.42
Milan Street Wharf is operated by Gateway Terminal Services, Inc. & International Terminal Operators Corp.
Ph: 504/897-1320
Port of New Orleans
[email protected]
5. Wilmington, NC
NC Ports Authority boasts nearly one-half million sq.ft. of warehouse space dedicated to forest products,
including a new 108,000 sq.-ft. forest products center.43
North Carolina State Ports Authority, 2202 Burnett Blvd., P.O. Box 9002, Wilmington, NC 28402
800-334-0682, 910-763-1621; fx: 910-343-6225; Erik Stromberg, Executive Director
6. Norfolk, VA
Virginia International Terminals, Inc. (VIT) is the non-profit operating affiliate of the Virginia Port Authority.
Virginia International Terminals, Inc. • P.O. Box 1387, Norfolk, VA 23501.
VIT operates Norfolk International Terminals • 7737 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA 23505; ph: 757-440-7000.
Lambert’s Point Docks, Inc.
A Norfolk Southern Corporation subsidiary, Lambert’s Point Docks (LPD) is Virginia’s largest break-bulk
marine terminal.44 According to their website, LPD has the capacity to move more than a half-million tons of
general cargo annually, “including plywood and other forest products”.
Lambert’s Point Docks, Inc., P.O. Box 89, Norfolk, VA 23501-0089 • ph: 757/446-1212, fx: 757/446-1253
[email protected] • Ron Taylor, General Superintendent
7. Houston, TX
Port of Houston Authority
Port of Houston — City Dock 25
111 East Loop North, P.O. Box 5471, Houston, TX 77262-5471 • ph: 713/672-2650; fx: 713/672-2650
Wholesalers/Dryers/Storage Yards
These are just a few of the companies that purchase bigleaf mahogany from Brazil (and many purchased other
woods from the Amazon as well as African rainforests) from one or more importers. Most of the mahogany
entering the US has been air dried to a certain moisture level. However, all of the users need the wood to be
dried to a lower moisture level which can only be achieved in kilns. Therefore, most of the lumber entering the
US goes from the port storage company to a kiln dryer, except that going to some of the large furniture
manufacturers, many of which have their own kilns at their manufacturing facilities.
1. Atlanta Hardwood Corporation/Atlanta Wood Products Center
Atlanta Hardwood Corp. (AHC) is a large wholesale lumber yard based in Mableton, GA. Run by AHC, the
Atlanta Wood Products Center, also in Mableton, carries one of the largest inventories of “specialty” hardwoods
in the southeast U.S.45
With two plants in Georgia having under-shed air drying, 650,000 board feet of kiln capacity and remilling,
Atlanta has a large stock of bigleaf on hand at any one time. For instance, their web site shows 216,000 board
feet of mahogany available on October 11, 2001.46
Atlanta bought bigleaf mahogany from DLH, imported from Peracchi and Tapajos (see above).
Atlanta Hardwood Corporation
5569 Riverview Rd., Mableton, GA 30126
800/476-5393; 404/792-2290; fx: 404/799-2079
Jim Howard, President
2. Huntersville Hardwoods
One of the primary dryers used by DLH Nordisk, Huntersville is a large dryer (with at least 13 kilns) and
storage yard based in Huntersville, NC.47
Huntersville is also a wholesaler and maintains a large stock of bigleaf available at any one time. On October
12, 2001, hardwoodweb.com showed an available stock of mahogany totaling 20,500 board feet. This doesn’t
include most of the mahogany, stored and being dried for importers and other buyers.
Huntersville buys bigleaf mahogany from DLH exported from Peracchi and Tapajos.
Huntersville is affiliated with Atlanta Hardwood, Jim Howard, President.
Huntersville Hardwoods
11701 McCord Rd, Huntersville, NC 28078
800/248-4393, 704/875-6587; fx: 704/875-6657
3. Black River Hardwoods
Another large dryer/storage/wholesaler used by DLH Nordisk, Black
River is located in Kingstree, South
Carolina. In September, 2001,
Black River had tens of thousands
of board feet of Amazon timber at
their facility.
In 2000-2001, Black River bought
and/or dried bigleaf mahogany
imported from Peracchi and
Tapajos, two of the companies
involved in the illegal chain of
supply of mahogany.
Black River Hardwoods
Highway 527 East, Kingstree, SC
29556 • Tel: 843/382-2342
DLH Nordisk wood awaiting drying at Black River Hardwoods
4. Pactolus Lumber Company, Inc.
A dryer/storage yard used by DLH Nordisk, drying and shipping thousands of board feet of bigleaf per year.
6412 US 264E
Greenville, NC 27834
Henkel Hutchens, President
Phone: (252) 758-7460; fax: (252) 758-8487
5. Southwoods Lumber & Millwork, Inc.
A large dryer/storage yard used by DLH Nordisk, Southwoods dried and/or bought bigleaf mahogany imported
from Peracchi and Tapajos (see above) in 2000-2001.
Southwoods Lumber & Millwork, Inc. Rt. 7, Box 3 Manning, SC 29102
Phone: 803/435-2215; fax: 803/435-8277
Charles T. “Tim” Ellis, President
Other Wholesalers/Dryers/Storage Yards
The following wholesale lumber companies buy bigleaf mahogany.
Medley Hardwoods, 7182 NW 77 Tr., Medley, FL, 33166; ph: 305.887.1115, fax: 305.887.5706
Aetna Plywood, Inc., 104 N Wynstone Dr., Barrington, IL 60010; ph: 847/382-5500
Alpine Builders Supply Co., 493 Water St., Santa Fe, NM 87504; ph: 505/982-2543
Anderson Wood Products Co., Inc., 1381 Beech St., Louisville, KY 40211; ph: 502/778-5591
Boehm-Madisen Lumber, PO Box 906, Brookfield, WI, 53008-0906; ph: 262/544-4660, fax: 262/544-0795
Carolina Wood Products, 3737 Martin St., Columbia, SC 29204; ph: 803/754-4585
Center Lumber, 85 Fulton St., P.O. Box 2242, Paterson, NJ 07509; ph: 973/742-8300
Condor Lumber Co.
Edwards Wood Products, 2215 Old Lawyers Rd., Marshville, NC 28103; ph: 704/624-5098
Hardwoods Inc., 2700 Lind Ave., Renton, WA 98055
Highland Hardwood, 407 Rt. 125, Highland, NH 03833; ph: 603/679-1230, fax: 603/679-1960
Horizon Forest Products, Inc., PO Box 80277, Raleigh, NC 27623; ph: 919/881-0367, fax: 919/881-8294
Industrial Lumber and Plywood, Inc., 4100 Washington Ave, N., Minneapolis, MN, 55412; ph: 612.521.4767,
fax:
Keim Lumber, 4465 State Route 557, Charm, OH 44617-0040; ph: 330/893-2251
Kelly-Wright Hardwood, 155 E. La Jolla St., Placentia, CA 92871; ph: 714/632-9930
Lafferty & Company Lumber, 1100 Hammel Ave., Lemoyne, PA 17043; ph: 717/763-7725, fax: 717/763-0460
Lewis Lumber Products, 30 S. Main St., PO Box 356, Picture Rocks, PA 17762-0356; ph: 570/584-4460, fax:
570/584-4466
McEwen Lumber Co., PO Box 17077, Hattiesburg, MS 39404-7077; ph: 336/472-1672
Midwest Lumber and Dimension Co., 2000 Grant Line Rd., New Albany, IN 47150; ph: 812/288-9900, fax:
812/285-4600
Pat Brown Lumber Corp., PO Box 19065, Greensboro, NC 27419; ph: 336/299-7755, fax: 336/299-4050
Peach State Lumber Products, Inc, 4000 Moon Station Rd., Kennesaw, GA, 30144; ph: 770/428-3622, fax:
770/428-4517
Prime Lumber Co., Inc., 7600 E. US Hwy 64, Thomasville, NC, 27360; ph: 336/475-8700
Rare Earth Hardwoods, 6778 East Traverse Highway, Traverse City, MI 49684; 800/968-0074, 231/946-0043;
fax: 800/968-0094, 231/946-6221 • 2200 Garry, Cinnaminson, NJ 08077
Reisen-Seidel Hardwood Co., 251 Monroe Ave., PO Box 340, Kennilworth, NJ 07033; ph: 908/276-6200, fax:
908/276-7521
South American Lumber Imports, 801 N. Main St., Evergreen, AL 36401; ph: 334/578-4604
Specialty Forest, 12100 Hwy 77 S., Maringouin, LA 70757; ph: 225/625-2396, fax: 225/625-2356
Steve H. Wall Lumber
Sweetwater Lumber & Land Co., Inc., 2912 Pacific Ave., Austell, GA 30106; ph: 770/941-4932, fax: 770/7394148
Tidewater Hardwood Lumber, 7519 Railroad Ave., Harmans, MD 21077; ph: 410/760-6330
Van Keulen and Winchester Lumber Co., Inc., 395 54th Street S.W., Grand Rapids, MI 49548; ph: 616/5323678, fax: 616/532-8690
Willis Lumber Co., 545 Millikan Ave., Washington Court House, OH 43160; ph: 740/335-2601
Wooley Lumber Co., Inc., 1118 E 30th St., Indianapolis, IN 46205; ph: 317/921-5085
Buyers
These are just a few of the companies that purchase bigleaf mahogany from Brazil (and many purchased other
woods from the Amazon as well as African rainforests) from one or more importers.
1. LifeStyle Furnishings International
LifeStyle is the world’s largest furniture manufacturer, with over 30,000 employees and sales of over $2 billion
in 2000.48
A venture capital unit of Citibank controls LifeStyle Furnishings.49
The company is one of the “Big Three” home furnishings makers (along with Furniture Brands International and
La-Z-Boy)50, selling bedroom, dining room, living room, outdoor, and upholstered furniture and fabrics under
Ametex, BenchCraft, Berkline, Drexel Heritage, Henredon, Lexington Home Brands, LeBarge and MaitlandSmith brands and the Robert Allen Fabric Group.51 The company also has LifeStyle Contract Furnishings, a
company that markets LifeStyle furniture brands to hotels and the home building industry and is responsible for
sales to all branches of the US government, including embassies, military housing and offices.52
Made mostly in North America and but also a significant percentage in Asia (mostly China)53, LifeStyle sells its
products through specialty and department stores, as well as independent shops that carry only LifeStyle
products.54
Henredon, Lexington, Drexel Heritage and Le Barge manufacture mahogany lines.55 Henredon, Lexington and
Drexel Heritage are known to have bought bigleaf mahogany in 2000-2001.
LifeStyle’s Sales in 2000 were over $2 billion.56
LifeStyle Furnishings International, Ltd.
4000 Lifestyle Court
High Point, NC 27265
Phone 336.878.7000
Fax 336.878.7015
Wayne B. Lyon, Chairman; Alan D. Cole, President and CEO; Bill Wittenberg, Group VP; President and CEO,
The Berkline Corporation
2. Furniture Brands International, Inc.
Furniture Brands International has been called “the ‘Ottoman’ empire of the furniture-making world”, with net
sales of over $2 billion in 2000.57 The company is the #1 maker of residential furniture with three subsidiaries
carrying nationally recognized brands: Broyhill (medium-priced bedroom, dining room, and other furnishings),
Lane (premium-priced furniture, including 18th-century reproductions and cedar chests) and Thomasville
(premium-priced wood and upholstered furniture).58
With over 20,700 employees, Furniture Brands distributes its products through a network of furniture centers,
independent dealers, national and local chains, and department stores.59
Thomasville manufactures a mahogany line. Lane was a known mahogany user in the early 1990s.60 At
Charlotte International Airport, Lane maintains a display booth with several mahogany pieces showcased in a
glass room in the middle of the terminal.
101 South Hanley Road
St. Louis MO 63105
Phone: (314) 863-1100; fax: (314) 863-5306; [email protected]
W.G. “Mi
key” Holliman, Chairman, President and CEO.
3. L & J.G. Stickley,
Stickley, Inc.
Stickley is a prestigious, high-end solid wood furniture manufacturer based in Manlius, New York. The
company is well-known among high-end furniture buyers, with an antique Stickley piece owned by Barbara
Streisand having recently been sold at auction for $569,000.61
The company has become one of the largest users of bigleaf mahogany in the US (if not the largest). Last year,
according to Stickley, they used 672,000 board feet (1585 m3) of bigleaf mahogany to make their mahogany
furniture lines.62
Unlike most manufacturers who may source mahogany from Africa (khaya) or import finished mahogany
furniture from Indonesian plantations, all of Stickley’s mahogany is bigleaf from the Amazon.63 The majority
originates from rainforests in Brazil and their majority supplier is DLH Nordisk64, one of the largest importers
of bigleaf into the U.S.
Bigleaf mahogany in Stickley factory, purchased from DLH.
The rest of Stickley’s bigleaf comes from Bolivia, going into dining room chairs, and 4 x 4 squares from Peru,
used for table legs.65
Of the total 7 million board feet of wood consumed by the company per year, Stickley reports that 3 million
board feet are discarded due to their not meeting their high quality standards for their solid furniture.66 That is,
of the 670,000 board feet of mahogany used, Stickley threw out an estimated 290,000 board feet. The company
boasts that employees are encouraged to take this scrap home for firewood.67 Thus, one result of Stickley’s
mahogany use is the rainforest being burned at both ends — in the Amazon and the U.S.
While Stickley has been a mahogany user for some time, producing their “18th Century Traditional” collection,
available in mahogany and cherry, in 2000 the company secured the exclusive license to produce the
“Williamsburg Reserve” Collection, the exclusive line of furniture of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation,
which is entirely mahogany. The former manufacturer of this line used mostly veneers and some solids but
Stickley manufactures all solid furniture.68 Thus this line is one of the most mahogany-intensive furniture lines
in the country.
The securing of this line increased Stickley’s use of mahogany dramatically.
The company has expanded its manufacturing plant 8 times since 198569 and increased it employees from 73 in
the early 1970s to over 900 today70.
Nearly-finished tables and cabinets made of bigleaf mahogany in the Stickley factory.
Based on figures for the total value of U.S. mahogany imports, Stickley accounts for approximately 4.2% of all
bigleaf imported from Brazil into the US market, or approximately 2.5% of the world exports of bigleaf from
Brazil71.
Stickley sells directly or through about 250 dealers across the US.72
L. & J.G. Stickley, Inc.
One Stickley Drive, P.O. Box 480, Manlius, NY 10022 • Phone: 315/682-5500; fax: 315/318-7184; Alfred
Audi, President.
4. Henredon
Based in Morganton, North Carolina, with sales over $75 million/year, Henredon is one of the nation’s largest
furniture manufacturers, with dozens of manufacturing plants and dozens of lines.73 Henredon is owned by
LifeStyle Furnishings International, one of the three largest furniture producing companies in the U.S. (see
above).
Henredon is a high-end manufacturer, producing mahogany pieces that range from over $4,000 for a table to
over $10,000 or more for a bed.74
Henredon is known to purchase bigleaf mahogany. Additionally, some of the solid wood used in “mahogany”
pieces is andiroba75, also called royal mahogany, a mahogany substitute, originating in the Amazon rainforest
and exported from Brazil.
Henredon Industries, P.O. Box 70, Morganton, NC 28680-0070; Michael Dugan, President • Ph: 828/437-54264
5. Lexington
Lexington Home Brands is another LifeStyle International company manufacturing mahogany furniture.
Lexington buys bigleaf for at least some of its mahogany lines.
Lexington Home Brands
PO Box 1008, Lexington NC 27293-1008 • Ph: 800-LEX-INFO (539-4636) • [email protected]
6. Drexel Heritage
Drexel Heritage, begun in 1903 as Drexel Furniture, based in Drexel, North Carolina, is another LifeStyle
Furnishings International company (see above). With over 2,400 employees at 9 manufacturing locations in
North Carolina, Drexel-Heritage ranks among the top furniture manufacturers in the world in terms of size and
volume. The Company’s combined manufacturing and distribution facilities total 2.3 million square feet. The
company was the first furniture manufacturer to advertise in national magazines. In 1956, Drexel purchased
Heritage Furniture, begun in 1932, based in High Point, NC.76
At least some of DH’s mahogany lines use bigleaf.
Drexel Heritage (DH) manufactures a wide range of lines within the mid- and high-end range.
Drexel Heritage Furnishings Inc.
101 North Main Street, Drexel, North Carolina 28619 • Fax: (828) 433-3401
7. Ethan Allen
Based in Danbury, Connecticut, Ethan Allen is one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the U.S. Unlike
many of the other large manufacturers, Ethan Allen has remained an independent company and retails its own
furniture in it’s more than 300 retail outlets across the US, making it one of the largest furniture retailers in the
country.77
Manufacturing wood furniture beginning in 1936, Ethan Allen originally concentrated on designs and woods
from the Northeast US. But, quoting the website, the company “has dramatically changed its image – and its
product line – from its early American heritage to a more contemporary mix that attracts a broader consumer
audience.”78
Ethan Allen’s revenue for 2000 was $856.2 million of which $382.1
million was from wholesale case goods.79
M. Farooq Kathwari is the Chairman of the Board, President and
CEO of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc.
Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen Drive
P.O. Box 1966
Danbury, CT 06813-1966
ph: 203/743-8000
fax: 203-743-8298
Internet Service Center: 888-EAHELP1
Mahogany awaiting use in an Ethan Allen factory yard.
Ethan Allen owns 3 saw mills, 20 manufacturing
facilities and 11 distribution facilities in the United
States and has over 10,000 employees. The company’s
retail network encompasses more than 310 companyowned and retailer-operated stores in North and South
America, the Middle East and Asia. The company
opened 91 new stores in the past decade and relocated
another 65, opening 15 new stores in 2000 alone. The
company recently purchased a 570,000-square-foot
wood manufacturing facility in Virginia. The
company has increased its manufacture of case goods
dramatically since 1990, from $164 million to $240
million in 2000.80
Case Goods Plants
Beecher Falls, VT
Orleans, VT
Randolph, VT
Boonville, NY
Frewsburg, NY
Mayville, NY
Old Fort, NC
Spruce Pine, NC
Woodfin, NC
Bridgewater, VA
Andover, ME
Cherry Hill, PA
Island Pond, VT
Sq. Footage
575,900
488,400
167,700
237,200
93,100
124,500
362,700
280,000
238,800
177,000
111,900
256,600
78,200
In 2000, Ethan Allen’s 18th Century Mahogany line was expanded with a bedroom collection.81 While Ethan Allen employees state that
their mahogany comes from Africa82 (logging in Africa is no better than the Amazon), the company purchased substantial amounts of
bigleaf from the Brazilian Amazon.
8. Craftique
Founded in 1946 and based in Mebane, North Carolina, Craftique, L.L.C. manufactures solid mahogany
bedroom, dining room and accent furniture. Craftique’s products are sold through retail furniture stores and
interior designers throughout the United States.83
Sold back to private owners, John Erwin and Craig Shoemaker, in 1997, Craftique has made nothing but solid
mahogany furniture since its founding.84
All components are solid mahogany, including drawer sides and backs, interior posts, and glue blocks.85
While Craftique has switched to mostly African mahogany, they are known to have purchased bigleaf in 2000.
Craftique’s own website shows mahogany bought from DLH.86
Craftique L.L.C.
Highway 70A West, Mebane, NC 27302 • Phone: 919/563-1212; fax: 919/563-4082 • [email protected]
9. Georgia-Pacific Corporation
One of the world’s largest forest products companies, Georgia-Pacific (GP) is believed to be the largest interior
paneling manufacturer in the U.S. GP paneling can be found sold throughout the U.S. in The Home Depot and
other DIY stores.
GP was targeted in 1991 by Rainforest Action Network and others as the top importer of tropical plywood. GP
imports massive amounts of lauan from Indonesia, some of which is apparently then faced with bigleaf
mahogany for high-end paneling.
Georgia-Pacific Corp., P.O. Box 105605, Atlanta, GA 30348; ph: 404/652-4000, fax: 404/230-1674
10. Batesville Casket
A subsidiary of Hillebrand Industries, Batesville Casket Company, headquartered in Batesville, Indiana, is the
largest manufacturer of caskets in the U.S. Batesville Casket began in 1906 when John Hillebrand bought
Batesville Coffin Company, started in 1884. Batesville has five plants in five states and over 3,500 employees.87
Batesville supplied the military with wooden coffins during WWII and resumed manufacturing metal coffins
shortly after the war. Some time after that, the company suspended wood coffin manufacture, resuming only in
1973.88
A large mahogany buyer, (much of it African), the company also buys bigleaf exported from the Brazilian
Amazon.
Ironically, Batesville participates in the “Living Memorial” tree planting program. According to the website,
when someone buys a casket “a tree seedling is planted in a national forest”. In other words, the company pays a
fraction of a penny to the Forest Service, already planting hybrid trees in tree farms that used to be forests. The
site goes on to state that the trees “will ensure that generations to come will know the beauty of a green
planet.”89 If only Batesville could stop using illegal mahogany, the logging of which is driving the deforestation
of the Amazon.
Batesville Casket Company, One Batesville Blvd., Batesville, IN 47006 • [email protected]
11. J. Zeluck,
Zeluck, Inc.
J. Zeluck is a large manufacturer of windows and doors located in Brooklyn, NY. Zeluck uses substantial
amounts of bigleaf mahogany in its products.
J. Zeluck, Inc., Brooklyn, NY.
Tel: 718/251-8060, fax: 718/531-2564
Other Buyers
The following companies also buy bigleaf mahogany for the production of furniture, mouldings or other
products.
Councill Craftsmen, PO Box 398, Denton, NC, 27238-0398; ph: 336.859.2155, fax: 336.859.5289
Altra Furniture, 108 Gaither Dr., Mount Laurel, NJ 08054; ph: 856/914-1444, fax: 856/914-0444
Brushy Mountain Enterprises, 844 Lewittes Rd., Taylorsville, NC 28681; ph: 828/632-2160, fax: 828/632-0732
Cranford Woodcarving, 221 20th St. SE, Hickory, NC 28603; ph: 828/328-4538
Dover Millwork, Inc., Route 36, Harrington, DE 19952; ph: 302/349-5070, fax: 302/349-5841
Empire Wood Carving Co., Inc., 2639 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60612; ph: 773/235-5565, fax: 773/2357446
Hancock & Moore, Inc., Rt.13, Hwy 127 N., PO Box 3444, Hickory, NC 28603
Hekman Furniture, 1400 Buchanan SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49507
Hickory-White Furniture Co., 856 7th Ave SE, Hickory, NC 28602; ph: 828/322-8624
Holt and Bugbee Co., PO Box 37, Tewksbury, MA 1876; ph: 978/851-7201, fax: 978/851-3941
Mould-Rite, Inc., 5885 E. Old Pekin Rd., Pekin, IN, 47165; ph: 812/967-3200
Ochoa and Ochoa
Old World Millwork, 5N200 Wooley Road, Maple Park, IL 60151; 630/365-2900; fax: 630/365-6767
Oyama Woodturning, Timothy Industrial Park, Hwy 70 A, Conover, NC 28612
Southwood Furniture Corp., 2860 Nathan St., Newton, NC 28658; ph: 828/465-1776
Stair Parts & Etc., 107 Primrose Ln., Liberty, SC 29657; ph: 864/843-6352
Stephenson Millwork Co., Inc., 210 Harper St NE, Wilson, NC 27893; ph: 252/237-1141
Unique Moulding Profiles, 4010 E Side Avenue, Dallas, TX 75226; ph: 214/821-9892; fax: 214/821-6779
Volunteer Fabricators, Po Box 398, Bean Station, TN 37708; ph: 865/581-2224
——————————————————————————————
Notes:
1.
2001, www.aljoma.com
2.
Ibid
3.
2001, PIERS
4.
2001, www.dlh-nordisk.com
5.
Ibid
6.
2001, Greenpeace Brazil based on data from IBAMA.
7.
2001, www.dlh-nordisk.com.
8.
2001, PIERS.
9.
2001, www.ichardwoods.com.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. 2001, PIERS.
14. Ibid.
15. 2001, Greenpeace Brazil based on data from IBAMA.
16. 2001, www.mcilvain.com.
17. Ibid.
18. 2001, PIERS.
19. 2001, www.mcilvain.com.
20 2001, www.roblumco.com.
21. Ibid.
22. 2001, PIERS.
23. 2001, www.roblumco.com.
24. Ibid.
25. Ibid.
26. Ibid.
27. Ibid.
28. Ibid.
29. Ibid.
30. 1993, PIERS.
31. 2001, www.roblumco.com.
32. 2001, www.thomahog.com.
33. Ibid.
34. 2001, PIERS.
35. Jaffe, Mark, March 5, 2001, Changing with the Pace of History, Philadelphia Inquirer,
http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/03/05/business/THOMPSON05.htm.
36. 2001, www.thomahog.com.
37. Jaffe, Mark, March 5, 2001, Changing with the Pace of History, Philadelphia Inquirer,
http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/03/05/business/THOMPSON05.htm.
38. 2001, PIERS.
39. 2001, http://www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/portofmiami.
40. 2001, http://www.ppc.org/html/FactSheets/beckett.htm.
41. 2001, PIERS.
42. 2001, www.portno.com.
43. 2001, www.ncports.com.
44. 2001, www.nscorp.com/nscorp/html/lpd.html.
45. 2001, hardwoodweb.com.
46. Ibid.
47. Ibid.
48. 2001, www.lifestylefurnishings.com.
49. 2001, www.hoovers.com.
50. Ibid.
51. 2001, www.lifestylefurnishings.com.
52. Ibid.
53. 2001, LifeStyle Furnishings International, personal communication.
54. 2001, www.lifestylefurnishings.com.
55. 2001, company catalogs and websites.
56. 2001, www.hoovers.com.
57. Ibid.
58. 2001, www.furniturebrands.com.
59. 2001, www.hoovers.com.
60. 2001, Rick Spencer of EarthCulture, personal communication.
61. 2001, www.stickley.com.
62. 2001, Greenpeace International, Partners in Mahogany Crime.
63. 2001, Stickley VP, personal communication.
64. 2001, Greenpeace International, Partners in Mahogany Crime.
65. Ibid.
66. 2001, Stickley VP, personal communication.
67. Ibid.
68. Ibid.
69. 2001, www.stickley.com.
70. 2001, Stickley VP, personal communication.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
2001, GPI.
2001, www.stickley.com.
2001, www.henredon.com.
2001 Henredon catalogs.
Ibid.
2001, www.drexelheritage.com.
2001, www.ethanallen.com.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
2001, Various Ethan Allen sales clerks, personal communications.
2001, www.craftiquefurn.com.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
2001, www.batesville.com.
Ibid.
Ibid.