Forestry

With their farming roots, owners Bob and Junior developed an appreciation for the land at a young age.

Foresters at Post Hardwoods have degrees from renowned universities like Michigan Tech, Purdue, and Michigan State. They have over 100 years combined of forestry and wood harvesting experience and are committed to keeping timber as a renewable resource. We won’t clear-cut forests or harvest trees smaller than 1 foot in diameter.

After wood harvesting, seedlings have more light and are able to grow. In 15 years, trees that were too small initially are now ready for harvesting. We can cut trees from the same area for 50 years and still have a forest!

Post Hardwoods has become the pinnacle in the midwest of sawmill technology.

After the fire in 2012, Bob and Junior set out to create their ideal sawmill. Every machine is built to optimize the yield out of the log, which means Post Hardwoods can give you the best price for your timber.

Our process begins with a debarker, which has special teeth designed to remove excess wood from the log. Then, the log moves to the Lumber Pro, where every square inch of the board is scanned before and during the cut. Scanning takes less than a second. After these cuts, the boards are sent to the optimizing edger, which scans the board completely. While the board goes through the edger, the saw blades move to ensure minimal waste. The boards are then sent to certified lumber inspectors.

Post Hardwoods has become the pinnacle in the midwest of sawmill technology.

After the fire in 2012, Bob and Junior set out to create their ideal sawmill. Every machine is built to optimize the yield out of the log, which means Post Hardwoods can give you the best price for your timber.

From the start, the debarker has special teeth designed to remove no excess wood from the log. Then, the log moves to the Lumber Pro, where every square inch of the board is scanned before and during the cut. This scanning takes place in less than a second. After these cuts, the boards are sent to the optimizing edger, which scans the board completely. While the board goes through the edger, the saw blades move to ensure minimal waste is produced. The boards are then sent to certified lumber inspectors.

It’s not possible to turn every inch of a log into usable lumber, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to waste any of it!

The bark and first cuts of a log are turned into mulch and our sawdust and chips get turned into wood pellets and paper products. It is our duty to be environmentally responsible.

The harvesting process requires at least 10 acres of woodlot.

"The only waste we have is noise, and if we could package it we’d sell that too!"

Post Hardwood's Foresters

Bill

Manager, Forestry Team

I’m the manager of the forestry team and oversee log sales. I began my career in the forest industry while in high school in northwest Indiana. After receiving my B.S. From Purdue University in forestry, I continued to work in the forest industry. I joined Post Hardwoods in 1991 and have helped the company grow into the diverse forest products company it is today. My vast experience helps me lead the forestry team through many changing markets and situations. In my spare time I enjoy many outdoor activities, but fishing and hunting top the list.
Michigan Counties: Allegan, Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren.

David

Timber Buyer

I grew up on a rural Michigan farm where working and managing the land and hunting was our life. Land and forest management is something I grew up with and have known my whole life. I have been working in the timber industry for over 22 years. I’ve worked all levels of the timber industry from truck driver, to logger that actual harvests the trees, to forestry management, to what I do now as a buyer of timber. This uniquely helps me know how all steps of the process of timber harvesting will affect a property and how we can best meet a landowner’s goals for their property.
After serving in the United States Marine Corp my wife Tracey and I returned home to live close to that farm I grew up on. Here in our beloved rural Michigan, we raised our kids and now it’s where we enjoy our grandchildren. Preserving and ethically managing our land and woods for future generations is very important to me. Proper, consistent harvesting is a protective measure for your forest as well as a valuable, renewable, financial resource for any landowner. Trees have a limited life cycle. If left unmanaged there could be losses due to overgrowth, age or disease and storms. Ethical, healthy harvesting will decrease tree losses.
As an active member of The Quality Deer Management Association, Whitetails Unlimited, Michigan Longbow Association, Compton’s Traditional Bowhunters, Michigan Bowhunters, Michigan Traditional Bowhunters, Professional Bowhunters Society and Backwoods Hunters and Anglers I particularly enjoy helping landowners maximize their woodlots for hunting.
Michigan Counties: Branch, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph / Indiana (All).

Justin

Forester

I graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in Forest Management and I have worked for Post Hardwoods since 2015. I am a member of the Society of American Foresters and am a Qualified Forester with the State of Michigan. I enjoy educating landowners about their forest, so they can make the best decisions for their property. In my free time, I enjoy fishing, teaching guitar and spending time with my family.
Michigan Counties: Kent, Lake, Mason, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, and Ottawa.

Shane

Forester

Born in Toledo Ohio moved to Michigan in the 70's. I grew up in Onondaga and went to school in Leslie Michigan. I live in Albion Michigan now. My father had a successful firewood business which moved him toward cutting timber. After high school I started working with my dad in the woods. We received logger of the year award from the Michigan forest association. We strived to do the best possible job in the woods. Taking great care to treat every woodlot as if it were our own. We continued cutting timber together for 17 years. I then went to work for a sawmill buying timber. In doing so I was lucky to have a huge knowledge base pertaining to, and not limited to. Proper harvesting techniques, Skidding, Bucking, trucking, landing development, purchasing of timber and working together with sawmills, foresters and landowners. Proper forest management is no accident. It is vital to a healthy forest. Selecting proper trees for harvest and leaving residual trees for future harvest. I really enjoy the outdoors, hunting, hiking, camping so this job fits perfectly into my lifestyle. I,d love to work with you on your timber harvest. Whether this will be your first time or you've harvested several times. I'm available any time to answer any questions or concerns you may have about your prospective harvest. Michigan Counties: Barry, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, and Lenawee.

"This picture is behind the first blind near some of the trees you cut. When I saw the fallen tree tops I knew immediately that you had created a perfect funnel that forced the deer to travel within 20 yards of this blind, so we made a small food plot planted with oats to condition the deer to further use this area. You can't believe the bucks that came through here. Thanks to David for working to help improve our hunting property."