With our recent press release announcing our newest products, you can download our sell sheet showing our offering of log boules and rustic hardwood lumber sorts.

September 9 – 2016

Gutchess Lumber announced today they have removed from their kilns the first ever boules
produced in their 112 year history. The boules will be available in five species, according to
company spokesman, Scott Whitmore, Vice President of Marketing. They are being produced in
Red Oak, White Oak, Cherry, Ash, and Walnut.

Read the full press release here.   Download our sell sheet here.

Gutchess Lumber Export Manager Brian Conklin just returned from a two week business trip to Asia where he was visiting customers. It was a Saturday evening in November of 2015. On Monday upon returning to the office, he received a product quality claim overseas from a customer. The customer sent pictures at Brian’s request. It was evident to Brian that “something wasn’t right and whether that happened before it shipped or while in transit, didn’t matter as it was our lumber pack with our logo on it”. On Wednesday, he was back on a flight, this time to Europe, 4 days after returning from Asia. He personally inspected the lumber with the customer and resolved the claim with the customer on Thursday and was back on a plane to the states on Friday. He then met with other management regarding how to prevent this from occurring in the future.

The customer was surprised that Gutchess Lumber would go to such distances to address the issue but it also gave the customer the confidence to continue buying from Gutchess. According to the customer “I have dealt with Gutchess for a few years now and never had any quality issues as they have been the most consistent supplier I have dealt with. When I received this lumber from them some of the packs in the container had some issues so I notified them not really knowing what to expect to resolve the claim. I sent the pictures as requested and the next thing I know was Brian asking me if I could pick him up at the airport on Wednesday evening. I knew he had just returned from China. It’s nice to deal with a company that if they don’t get it right that they will make it right and it made me look good in my customer’s eyes too”.

We strive to get it right 100% of the time, but in the rare occasion when something does happen, as President Matt Gutchess has said “We will make it right, we have for over 100 years and will continue to do so”. Going the extra mile in this case was over 6000 extra miles which is what you do when your brand is all about quality. That is why we say “Be sure it’s Gutchess”.

Bob Ellis/staff photographer – Cortland Standard

Matt Gutchess, left, and his father, Gary Gutchess, stand Wednesday at the Gutchess Lumber Company on McLean Road in Cortlandville. Matt Gutchess has been named president of the company, taking over from his father, who will remain as chairman of the board of directors. Reprinted with permission from the August 13th, 2015 edition of the Cortland Standard newspaper, Cortland, New York – www.cortlandstandard.net.

Family Legacy Lumbers On

Fifth-generation son taking over as head of Gutchess

By TYRONE L. HEPPARD
Staff Reporter

CORTLANDVILLE – One of the town’s oldest businesses is in the midst of a transition as Matt Gutchess takes over as fifth-generation president of Gutchess Lumber Co., succeeding his father, Gary Gutchess, who is stepping down to chair the board of directors.

As the great-great grandson of George Gutchess, who founded the company in Lapeer in 1904, Matt Gutchess, 41, is moving up from the post of vice president to run the company.

From the company’s headquarters at 890 McLean Road, Gary Gutchess, 67, said Wednesday, he has been president of the lumber company since 2010, but has worked there in some capacity on and off since 1968.

He said he is proud of the advances Gutchess Lumber has made over the last few years and said he is sure the company will continue to grow under his son’s leadership.

“Some people overstay their welcome (and) I want to go out when we’re winning,” Gary Gutchess joked. “I just think it’s time for Matt. He’s very well prepared for the job he’s stepping into. I’m convinced he’s going to do a good job.”

Cortlandville Town Supervisor Dick Tupper said this morning the Gutchess Lumber Co. is important to the town and the Cortland County community.

Recently, the lumber company agreed to a land swap deal with the town which could potentially lead to a newer, larger Citizens’ Park for residents.

Tupper said having been introduced to Matt Gutchess before, he thinks he will make a good president.

“He seems like a very, very intelligent young man,” Tupper said. “I think it’ll be good for the company.”

Matt Gutchess said Wednesday in the time between finishing high school and studying history at Cornell University, he learned the intricacies of how the company works and is prepared to oversee Gutchess Lumber.

“I’ve focused more on the operational side of the business,” he said. “Harvesting timber right through to saw-milling logs… (and) selling the lumber domestically and overseas.”

The company has a meeting scheduled for Friday morning with guests from China, one of the company’s largest customers and Matt Gutchess explained there is a high demand for the North American hardwood it processes in places like Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

But despite heading a company which processes timber from roughly 300,000 acres of forest a year and exports about 50 percent of its product, Matt Gutchess said he is not resting on his laurels and aims to keep innovating as president of the company.

“It’s good to to have that demand for the product”, he said. “Of course, we have many competitors who want to do a better job than we do. There’s always a challenge.”

Gutchess Lumber employs over 400 people and operates under an employee stock ownership plan, or an ESOP, meaning employees are literally invested in the success of the company. These are the people Matt Gutchess will rely on going forward.

“They’re revved up,” Gary Gutchess added. “They’re excited about doing a good job and how they can do it better and how the company can do better. That’s necessary. You just have to have a strong team.”

Gary Gutchess also said each generation has to “remake the business,” meaning they have to take the changing times into account.

Matt Gutchess said given the company is in the business of selling natural resources, he wants to examine maximizing its resources, citing waste sawdust as an example.

About 20 years ago, sawmills viewed sawdust as a waste product, he said. Today, those in the wood industry are realizing there is a market for it.

“We’ve seen that more and more,” he said. “That what we’ve considered byproducts of our process historically have become… revenue drivers. I think this is a good area for focus.”

Over the past few years, Gutchess Lumber has built a new sawmill and integrated Preble-based Paul Bunyan Wood Products – formerly owned by Gary Gutchess’ cousin Paul Gutchess – into the company after Gutchess Lumber acquired it just over a year ago.

As demand increases and the company continues to expand, both Gary and Matt Gutchess say as long as they stay innovative, the company is likely to be around for another 100 years.

“The future is potentially very bright,” Gary Gutchess said.

Download the news article here

Gutchess Lumber Co., Inc. is proud to introduce Forest 2 Home. While Gutchess provides lumber worldwide, Forest 2 Home was created to support individual woodworkers and crafters across North America. Our goal is to make our Northern hardwoods accessible and affordable to all, while adhering to our strict quality standards.

There has been growing demand for quality and sustainable lumber, which is why Forest 2 Home is pleased initially offer four species including Walnut, Cherry, Hard Maple, and Red Oak in a variety of widths and lengths.

“As many of Gutchess Lumber’s multi-generation employee owners and extended family members are woodworkers themselves, the solution to their experienced pain points became obvious: offer them the best product in this market. We take pride in carefully managing our renewable Northern hardwood species, carbon sequestering, and forest regeneration to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. Forest 2 Home brings environmental benefits of responsible forestry directly home to woodworkers, which makes our lives more beautiful and enjoyable,” Matthew Gutchess said.

Learn more at forest2home.com.